Monty Mole

"Great granite gumdrops! I was in the middle of a spectacular nap! Why'd you have to wake me?"

- Monty Mole

Monty Moles (also known as Gophers in the cartoons) are surly moles that have appeared in several Mario games, including a few sidescrollers such as Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, and other recent titles. In these games, Monty Moles are generally cowards who throw rocks at Mario and will then burrow underground before Mario can attack them.

Monty Moles are major opponents in Super Mario Sunshine. They acted as bosses in the game. Only two of them appeared in the game, both of them manned a cannon, attacking Mario with Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs. As such, Monty Moles appear to be very technologically advanced.

Monty Moles have connections to Rocky Wrench of Super Mario Bros 3, Undergrunt of Super Mario Galaxy, and the Mole folk of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The Mole folk may be Monty Moles given a new personality by Square Enix.

''Super Mario World
Super Mario World featured regular Monty Moles that would pop out of random spots in the ground to surprise Mario or Luigi. Then they charge at him to attack. The game also features Mega Moles, giant Monty Moles that Mario could actually ride on to get across obstacles, but Mario can still be hit by one. Monty Moles can be defeated with any attack method, and can be eaten by Yoshi. Monty Moles also appear to be wearing glasses in this game.

Super Mario 64 / ''Super Mario 64 DS
Monty Moles appeared in Hazy Maze Cave during the events of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. They throw rocks at Mario and then disappear underground. In the cave, Monty Moles specifically reside in a toxic maze filled with poisonous fog. This fog makes it harder for Mario too see and attack the moles. They also appear in a section of Tall Tall Mountain. Monty Moles in this game act similar to that of Rocky Wrenches by throwing rocks, when the Rocky Wrenches throw wrenches at Mario.

''Super Mario Sunshine
Two Monty Moles (or they could be the same mole) appear in Super Mario Sunshine in Pinna Park and Noki Bay. The Pinna Park one was found in a Cannon to the far right of the stage, harassing the Great Sunflower and her subjects. After Mario defeats it, he will be able to jump into the cannon and access a secret course. A Pianta repairman later replaces the Monty Mole. In Noki Bay, the Monty Mole is at first blamed for the bay's pollution, as its cannon rests on a stopper that is obstructing the bay's waterfall. Once Mario climbs to the top of the waterfall and defeats the Monty Mole, he will be rewarded with a Shine Sprite. The Monty Mole was later revealed to not be fully responsible for the bay's pollution with the blame falling on Eely-Mouth.

Both Moles' attack patterns are known to be the same. When Mario is far, they attack by firing Bullet Bills and Missile Bills out of their cannons. When Mario gets closer to the cannon, the Moles will throw Bob-ombs from inside it. Mario's only method of attacking them is to set a Bob-omb on fire with F.L.U.D.D. and then throw it at the Monty Mole while its head is out of the cannon. They will be defeated if Mario throws a Bob-omb at them three times.

These Moles manning of war machinery seems to be a throwback to Rocky Wrenches who where manning all the machines in Super Mario Bros 3.

''New Super Mario Bros.


Monty Tank, a Monty Mole riding a tank, is the boss of the World 6 Castle. Monty Tank fires Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs. Mario or Luigi can defeat it by either jumping on its head when he comes out to throw a Bob-omb or to him with a fireball and if they jump on him, he will spin around his tank and shoot Bullet Bills all over the place and grows another cannon afterwards. He can be defeated when Mario or Luigi attack him three times.

They also appeared in a minigame titled "Whack-a-Monty" where the player had to tap as many many Monty Moles as he/she can in a certain amount of time. The player will gain a point will gain a point if he/she whacks a Monty Mole and will lose three if he/she taps on Luigi.

''Super Mario Galaxy
Although Monty Moles don't appear in Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2, similar enemies called Undergrunts are found in these two games.

''New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Monty Moles first appear in World 6. Here, they retain their attack method from Super Mario World. Once Mario and crew get near a Monty Mole's hiding spot, it will jump out of the wall and will try to attack them.

''Super Mario 3D Land
Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario 3D Land. They only appear in 5-4, a cave level, on the other hand their relatives the Rocky Wrenches appear in much more levels. Mega Moles will also reappear, after not appearing since Super Mario World, but they only appear in that level, as well as 7-4. This is their first appearance in a 3D game where they can run and not have their body in the ground. They patrol the area and attack Mario if he gets in their way. They can be defeated with a single stomp.

Super Mario World TV series
Monty Moles, though never called as such and always referred to as Gophers, appeared in the episode "Gopher Bash" of the Super Mario World animated series.

In the episode, several Monty Moles acted as minions of Cheatsy Koopa, aiding him in his plot to steal all the crops grown by the cave-people of Dome City. These Monty Moles are eventually defeated by Mario, Luigi and Yoshi, who, after tracking Cheatsy down, sneak up on the moles, tie them up, and suspend them from the ceiling. The Monty Moles are then dropped on top of Cheatsy Koopa, pinning him to the ground. They can also sing during Cheatsy's Life, a self-praising song.

Super Mario Adventures comic
In the Super Mario Adventures comic, several Monty Moles are sent by Bowser to attack Princess Toadstool's Castle; these Monty Moles, along with the rest of the monsters sent by Bowser, are defeated by Mario and Luigi.

Later in the comic, a Monty Mole, wearing a blue tuxedo, is seen among the attendees in Bowser's wedding to a brainwashed Princess Toadstool.

Mario Kart series
Monty Moles appear in Moo Moo Farm of Mario Kart 64 as obstacles. The instruction booklet referred each of them as a Chubby rather than Monty Mole. Monty Moles were also obstacles in Super Mario Kart, in Donut Plains 2 and Donut Plains 3. In Mario Kart DS, they were referred to by their canonical name, and mainly appear in Moo Moo Farm. In the Mario Kart DS Mission 3-6, the player's task is to hit five Monty Moles. In Mario Kart Wii, they appear in Moo Moo Meadows and also appear as audience members in other courses. Mario Kart DS ' s Peach Gardens, which features Monty Moles, returns in Mario Kart Wii, still with them.

''Paper Mario
During the events of Paper Mario, Monty Moles appear at Mt. Rugged. They attack Mario by throwing rocks at him. If Monty Mole successfully hits Mario outside battle, the enemy will make the First Strike thus hurting Mario unless he blocks the attack from reducing. In one of the walls of the mountain, there is a Monty Mole-shaped hole, through which an endless stream of moles can pop out. There was also a stronger, green variety of Monty Mole found in Flower Fields. However, these stronger moles were still named Monty Moles. When they are defeated, they occasionally drop a Honey Syrup.

''Super Paper Mario
Monty Moles were going to appear in Super Paper Mario but were taken out for unknown reasons. They would have attacked Mario by popping out of holes in the wall (like in Super Mario World) and throwing rocks (like in the first Paper Mario game and Super Mario 64).

''Paper Mario 3DS
In the upcoming game, Paper Mario 3DS, there appears to be a king Monty Mole. It has an Attack of 5. Not much is known beyond this point.

''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Monty Moles are actually portrayed as friendly creatures in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where they can be found in well hidden locations throughout the game. If Mario and Luigi reach a Monty Mole's chamber, it would give them a prize of some sort, such as clothing, items or badges. The Monty Moles of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are golden in color, they also wore red bow ties.

''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Monty Moles chronologically first appeared in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. One is encountered in the Gritzy Desert, and will prevent the four Mario Bros. of past and present from progressing unless they can complete his challenge. Two more are seen in the underground region of the Koopaseum and they both run an Item Shop. Additionally, deep in the Gritzy Caves, two more Monty Moles run two more challenges that must be completed.

''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
A group of four Monty Moles, called the Monty Bros., appear in the game. They utilize a giant drilling machine to fulfill Bowser's orders and dig a tunnel below Toad Town. They don't make much progress however, so Bowser had to finish their duties.

The Monty Bros. later reappear in Bowser's Vault, betraying Bowser and claim that Fawful bribed them and ordered them to get rid of Bowser. They attack Bowser in a giant train called the Fawful Express. Bowser must defeat them in his giant form. If he succeeds, the falling chunks of the debris from the train will defeat the Monty Moles.

An enemy called Mawful Mole and a metallic sub-species can be found in this game also, they are Fawfulized Monty Moles.

''Mario Golf: Advance Tour
In Mario Golf: Advance Tour a Monty Mole appears in Links Club Practice Center. The player must shoot three shots at it, to earn a Super Drink.

''Yoshi Touch & Go
In Yoshi Touch & Go, Monty Moles appear as somewhat uncommon enemies, attacking Yoshi in a manner similar to their attack pattern from Super Mario World; leaping from the ground or by charging at Yoshi. Here, Monty Moles could be defeated by either jumping on them, throwing an egg at them or by encasing them in a circle with the Nintendo DS's stylus.

''Mario Superstar Baseball
A Monty Mole also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball as an unlockable character. Oddly enough, it is a member of Mario's team. It has the ball dash ability, which allows it to run extremely fast while in possession of the baseball. In the crowd there is Monty moles with yellow cheeks.

Mario Super Sluggers
In the sequel, Monty Mole maintained its position as a member of Mario's team. While its best stat continued to be speed, its other stats were slightly below average.

''Mario Party 7
On the board Pyramid Park, he appears when the player lands on the Green Space on the far right of the board, next to three pots. He offers to play a game of Whack-the-snake-and-not-the-mole. In the minigame Sphere Factor, three or four of them pop out of the ground towards the end (before the bridge) and try to prevent the player from rolling the huge ball to the finish line. Monty Moles also appear in the minigame Monty's Revenge, where they are the one whacking the players with hammers.

''Mario Party 8
Monty Mole makes another party appearance in Mario Party 8. This time a bunch of Montys appear in the minigame Crops 'n' Robbers where one player has to whack Montys that are in the holes, so the players can gainway. The other player has to collect the carrots to win the game.

''Mario Party Advance
A Monty Mole appears as a character in the town area of Shroom City in Mario Party Advance. It is found in the Town Game Room A, where it is shown trying to win the minigame, Scratch 'Em. The Monty Mole is unable to win, so Mario and his friends play the gambling-type minigame to help break its losing streak. Upon winning, Monty will reward the player with the minigame. The end of the game states that Monty Mole gave up on winning at the casino and got married.

''Mario Party DS
Monty Moles appear again in a Mario Party game. Monty Moles appeared in Mario Party DS as owners of the shops. Once players enter the Warp Pipe, they could buy items from him. Monty Mole also appeared in the minigame, Mole Thrill. In this minigame, players had to dig with their partner through the dirt, while staying ahead of monty mole.

''Mario Strikers Charged Football
Monty Moles are a sidekick in Mario Strikers Charged Football. They are Power Players, which means they are good at shooting and tackling, but cannot pass very well. Their Skillshot is Dirt Drill, where they go underground with the ball, dig towards the goal, and pop up near the goalie, and shove him aside, shoving the ball into the goal. However, if the move is too close, Kritter will shove his hand into the ground and pull Monty Mole out, thereby blocking the shot. If the move is too far away, Kritter will simply catch the ball. This happens to be their second playable appearance in a sports title.

''Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, a single Monty Mole only appears in the Western Junction court.

''Mario Superstar Baseball

 * Challenge Mode Captain: Mario
 * Player Type: Speed
 * Special Skill: Ball Dash

Good Chemistry

 * Goomba
 * Paragoomba
 * Shy Guy

Bad Chemistry

 * None

Stats

 * Batting: 3
 * Pitching: 3
 * Fielding: 5
 * Running: 7

''Mario Strikers Charged Football

 * Type: Power
 * Skillshot: Dirt Drill
 * Deke: Burrows underground and then pops back up.

Stats

 * Movement: 3
 * Shooting: 10
 * Passing: 3
 * Defense: 10

''Mario Super Sluggers

 * Team Captain: No
 * Player Type: Speed
 * Special Skill: Burrow
 * Good Chemistry: Brown Mii, Goomba, Paragoomba, Shy Guy
 * Bad Chemistry: Mario
 * Stats
 * Batting: 4/10
 * Pitching: 4/10
 * Fielding: 5/10
 * Running: 7/10
 * Default Bat: Left
 * Default Glove: Right
 * In-Game Bio: A skilled bunter with good speed!
 * Collectible Card Info: As a weak hitter, Monty Mole may be forced to bunt to get on base, but when he does, he knows how to get under Mario's skin. He just uses his Burrow ability to help him round the bases and score a sneaky run.

Trivia

 * The Mukumukus of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars possess an attack pattern similar to the Monty Moles of Super Mario World and Super Mario 64, popping out of the ground and throwing objects; Mukumukus also have a slight resemblance to Monty Moles.
 * Monty Moles look similar to Rocky Wrenches. They also posses a similar attack pattern and traits of Rocky Wrenches in later games. They are unrelated, although they have a similar Japanese name (Puu and Choropoo, respectively).
 * Monty Moles are commonly associated with speed (though in Mario Strikers Charged Football they were in the slow category); not only can Monty Mole perform the ball dash in Mario Superstar Baseball, but also most Monty Moles in Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time run speed-related obstacles. These constant references to fast Monty Moles may be throwbacks to Super Mario World, where Monty Moles could move at fast (but slippery) speeds.
 * The boxart of the game NES Open Tournament Golf depicts what resembles a Monty Mole, though much smaller.
 * A Mario Party Advance-style Monty Mole is seen briefly in the opening video of Mario Power Tennis (under the stairwell while the police are chasing Wario and Waluigi) although it is wearing white shoes.
 * In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario All-Stars remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, the Mushroom King of Ice Land was turned into a Monty Mole by Lemmy Koopa.
 * Monty Moles are usually seen with glasses or with squinting eyes. This is a reference to how real moles have poor eyesight.