Goomba (film species)

"You may think of evolution as an upward process. Things evolve from primeval slime... up to single-cell organisms... up to... intelligent life. De-evolution, of course, works the opposite way. Back to simpler forms. For instance... even our musical friend, Toad... can become... a loyal child of the royal family. Goombas, ah!"

- President Koopa

Goombas in the Super Mario Bros film adaptation are Dinohattanites that have been de-evolved into this form, having tiny saurian heads on disproportionately large bodies. As a consequence of the method of de-evolution, the Goombas are simple-minded, but loyal soldiers of President Koopa. Depending on a Dinohattanite's ancestry, the Goomba's head type varies, showing either a rounded head, a snake-like head, or a raptor-like head.

Toad, an Anti-Koopa singer, ended up being sentenced to become a Goomba in this manner after he was arrested for singing Anti-Koopa songs. It is also implied that this was the fate of anyone within Dinohattan who committed crimes short of de-evolution of Primordial Slime. Koopa himself nearly ended up becoming a Goomba when the Mario Bros. revolted from the prison and escaped, although the process ended prematurely, not exposing him to enough radiation to ensure that he became a Goomba.

Various Goombas were later being outfitted with Devolution Guns in preparation of invading Earth. The Goombas, however, often had a weakness for dancing, which the Mario Bros. later exploited when infiltrating Koopa's Tower to escape from an elevator crowded with them. Toad later exploited this weakness to prevent the Goombas from following Koopa's order to shoot Mario after the dimensions separated once again.