Shy Guy

"I ain't scared... I'm terrified!"

- Shy Guy

Shy Guys, alternatively formatted as Shyguys, Shy-Guys, or ShyGuys, are common enemies in the Super Mario and Yoshi franchises. They are recognizable by their masks, which they wear due to their shyness. Shy Guys made their first appearance in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, a non-Super Mario game; they were later carried over to the Super Mario universe when Super Mario Bros. 2 was created.

Shy Guys are Yoshi's most common enemies in his own franchise. They are also common in other Super Mario spinoff games, yet are comparatively rare in the mainline platformers (except for Super Mario Bros. 2, where they function as Wart's main troops).

Super Mario Bros. 2
Shyguys make their first Super Mario game appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2, although the Shyguys' real first appearance is in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. In this game, Shyguys, along with the other 8 bits, help Wart conquer Subcon. Shyguys are the most common enemies that the four heroes meet. They attack Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool by walking in their general direction. They can be easily disposed of by being picked up and thrown against another enemy or into a nearby pit. They can also be defeated by having an object thrown at them.

Red Shyguys walk off ledges while pink ones do not, striking a resemblance to green and red Koopa Troopas respectively, although the primary difference is that red Shyguys turn in the direction of the player after landing. Red ones are also known to ride Autobombs and Ostros and often appear out of jars. Pink ones became blue in the remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2. The Super Mario Advance remake adds Big Shy Guys. It takes time to pick them up because of their size. If the player picks up a Big Shy Guy and throws it to the ground, or defeats it, it drops a Heart.

The game also marks the first appearance of two variants of Shyguys: Snifits and Beezos.

Super Mario Maker
Actual Shy Guys do not appear in Super Mario Maker, but one of the unlockable costumes for the Mystery Mushroom is that of a Shy Guy in its Super Mario Bros. 2 appearance. This costume is unlocked at random if the player completes the 100 Mario Challenge on any difficulty, and after getting unlocked, the costume can only be used on Mario in Super Mario Bros. style. Sound effects are also reused from Super Mario Bros. 2 and some spin-off games.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Shyguys make appearances as antagonists, working for King Koopa. Like most other minions of King Koopa, they wear costumes to go with the theme of each episode.

Nintendo Comics System
Shyguys appeared commonly in issues of Nintendo Comics System, where they are depicted as somewhat disgruntled soldiers of Bowser. Along with Koopa Troopas, they appeared to be the most common minions.

Nintendo Adventure Books
Some Shyguys and their GLOM-created sand clones appear throughout Double Trouble, but are never directly fought by Mario, who decides it is best to just ignore or avoid them.

In Leaping Lizards, some Shyguys are spotted among the crowds attending the International Mushroom Games. Upon entering a chamber in a cave in Koopa Capers, Luigi wonders why he is suddenly "shivering like a Shy Guy" before realizing how unusually cold the room is.

In Pipe Down!, Mario and Luigi can encounter a Shy Guy hopping through the Koopahari Desert, leaving footprints in the sand that look like the indentations left by the basketball Princess Toadstool was dribbling when she disappeared. In an elevator in the Mushroom Palace, if a lever with a mushroom printed on it is pulled, some Shy Guys, Tweeters and Cheep Cheeps swarm Mario and Luigi, leading to a Game Over.

In Dinosaur Dilemma, Mario and Yoshi can encounter some Shy Guys and evade them by hopping over them. In Unjust Desserts, some Shy Guys are among the enemies Bowser has Magikoopa shrink and send after the shrunken Mario, who had made himself tiny in order to enter Yoshi's body and rescue the eaten Luigi.

In Brain Drain, a group of Shy Guys ambushes Luigi if he decides to follow Princess Toadstool after arriving at Dinosaur Island. Luigi can also spot some Shy Guys holding up the lunch line (due to their mumbling) in Iggy Koopa's lair, and in the WMUSH radio station after Iggy takes it over.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Super Mario Advance 3
Shy-Guys appear in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3. Here, they are extremely common and weak enemies, simply walking or flipping forward to occasionally stop and look left and right. They sometimes appear out of Pipes unless Yoshi has a full six eggs. The colors they come in are red, yellow, green, and magenta and have different colored mask straps. Boo Guys, as well as other variants, also first appear in this game. Like other enemies, they can be defeated by jumping on them, although they will respawn when Yoshi leaves the area and returns. In addition, they can be eaten and turned into eggs, which prevents them from respawning. In dark levels of the game, it is revealed that their shoes glow in the dark.

Tetris Attack
Shy-Guys appear to be allied with Raphael The Raven in Tetris Attack. A spell was cast on all of them to work for Bowser. They appear in the 8th level and are saved by Yoshi.

Yoshi's Story
In Yoshi's Story, Shy Guys are once again common enemies, walking forward and backward. Woozy Guys from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island are not present, but they have their places taken by more varieties. Some Shy Guys carry fruit or hide in trees. To defeat Shy Guys that are in trees, Yoshi must ground-pound near the tree they are hiding in, causing them to fall out. Additionally, if Yoshi ground-pounds near a Shy Guy, its color changes, although the reason for this change is unknown. If Yoshi ground-pounds near a Shy Guy while affected by a Heart Fruit, the Shy Guy turns into a Lucky Fruit.

If a Yoshi eats a Shy Guy of matching color, it is awarded with three petals on the Smile Meter instead of one. Additionally, when a Baby Yoshi eats a Shy Guy, the Yoshi Egg that is produced is the same color as the Shy Guy. This game also introduces the first "good" Shy Guy, the White Shy Guy, as well as the more deadly Black Shy Guys. Shy Guys have voices in this game and can be distinctly heard saying, "Heiho" (their Japanese name), along with other sounds.

In the level Shy Guy's Ship, Shy Guys attack from a pirate ship in the background, launching Bob-ombs at the Yoshis.

Yoshi Touch & Go
Shy Guys reappear in Yoshi Touch & Go. They are vulnerable to all attacks and are worth a Yellow Coin. In this game, like all the other enemies, bumping into a Shy Guy causes an instant Game Over. Shy Guy serves the same purpose in this game as in the previous, as working as a common soldier for Baby Bowser. Many varieties of Shy Guy appear on the island, red being the most common.

Yoshi's Island DS
Shy Guys also appear in Yoshi's Island DS, once again, as very common and weak enemies. Yoshi can use any tactic to defeat them: jumping, egg-throwing, or swallowing. While Shy Guys in this game have the same role as they did in Yoshi's Island, there is a boss known as Big Guy the Stilted, a massive robot seemingly built by Shy Guys.

Other than being common enemies, Shy Guys also have their own section in the Island Museum. Yoshi can view the different types of Shy Guys in that section, though Shy Guys that do not wander on land, such as Toober Guys, are only in the marine section.

All of the colors from the original Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, including blue and excluding magenta, appear in this game.

Yoshi's New Island
Shy Guys appear as enemies in Yoshi's New Island, where they simply walk around, like in the past games. Mega Guys appear, turning into Mega Eggdozers if swallowed by a Yoshi. New variants include Metal Guy, which turns into a Metal Eggdozer if a Yoshi swallows it, as well as Door Heihō and Tree Heihō. In addition, a Fake Yoshi is a Shy Guy in disguise. This Shy Suy's true form is white with green spots.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Shy Guys appear in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, acting as they do in previous Yoshi games. If they are eaten, they are unraveled and turned into yarn balls; their masks also come off. Three new variants of Shy Guy are introduced in this game: Bomb Guys, Hook Guys, and Pharaoh Guys, as well as brown colored Shy Guys. There is one Shy Guy sitting peacefully in the foreground of the inside of Miss Cluck the Insincere's Castle in front of the entrance Yoshi enters. In Lair of the Smooch Spiders, Shy Guys can be found tied to webs; Yoshi can use his tongue to untie and release them. In King Bowser's Castle, Yoshi must obtain yarn balls from Shy Guys of four different colors and use each to wrap one of the four statues at a large entrance to open it. However, only a few of the necessary Shy Guys appear among a multitude of black ones. When the player picks a music track to play in the Scrapbook Theater, Shy Guys drift from right to left in the form of musical notes. Shy Guys also appear in course previews on the world map, such as for Bounceabout Woods, where a red one is seen bouncing on a Spring Tree.

Yoshi's Crafted World
Shy Guys reappear in Yoshi's Crafted World, serving the same purpose as in previous Yoshi games. They can be seen doing various activities such as flying a kite, hiding behind cardboard cutouts, etc. They act and appear as they did in previous games, but in Dino Desert, they can wear a dinosaur skull. When this happens, they proceed to chase after Yoshi, destroying any stone block in front of them, and cannot be defeated. Yoshi's Crafted World brings many more new types of Shy Guy including: Attack Ghosts, Bazooka Heyho, Donguri Heyho, Fly Heyho, Juggling Heyho, Ninja Guys, Rush Heyho, Skall Heyho, Vampire Heyho, Zombie Guys, and Zombie Debuho. Additionally, several variants wear pilot-themed orange clothing in Altitude Adjustment, pirate-themed clothing in Pirate Pier and Bombs Away on Pirate Island, space-themed silver clothing in Outer Orbit as well as The Great King Bowser, and circus-themed red and black clothing in Hoop-Jump Hop.

Shy Guys also appear as crafts, which include four Sneaky Shy Guys, black Shy Guy wearing hats and made from cut cardboard found on the flip side of Hoop-Jump Hop; five Shy Guy Acorns, acorns with a Shy Guy face painted on each found in Weighing Acorns; four Shy Guy Kites, blue Shy Guys made from cut and folded cardboard with black headbands on their foreheads found on the flip side of Behind the Shoji; and five Shy Guy Cruisers, red Shy Guys made from cut paper piloting rockets found in Space-Hub Hubbub. The Beach Umbrella craft depicts a red Shy Guy sitting under a beach umbrella next to a picnic basket on a blanket and is found on the flip side of Dino Smash. Three red Shy Guys riding in a roller coaster also appear as a craft in Spinwheel Shuffle.

There are also crafts of Shy Guys in levels that are not part of the craft list. In Poochy's Sweet Run, there are cardboard cutouts of Shy Guys with square and rectangular eyes, mouths, and shoes. Inside the vertical walls of the Haunted Maker Mansion, there are framed Shy Guy painting crafts above the doors. In Ninjarama, there are some paintings of Shy Guys riding on and getting chased by tigers pictured on the doors as well as drawings of Shy Guys drawn on white paper by calligraphy brush. There are also cardboard cutout groups of red Shy Guys appearing as spectator crafts coming in threes or fours in Hoop-Jump Hop and Solar Zoom.

Super Mario Adventures
In Super Mario Adventures, a Shy Guy, along with a Snifit and Flurry, appeared as an attendee of Bowser's wedding to Princess Toadstool.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
"Hold still, okay?!"

- Shy Guy

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Shy Guys riding pogo sticks, under the name Shysters, work for the Smithy Gang. They help Mack to invade the Mushroom Kingdom and the castle. Stronger versions of Shysters named Shypers and Springers are also found in Smithy's Factory.

More traditional Shy Guys also appear throughout the world of the game, at places such as the Rose Way, where they sit on top of treasure boxes, man blocks, or fight alongside Lakitus that lower them towards Mario and Mallow with a fishing pole. Sling Shys, stronger versions of the traditional Shy Guys, also work for Valentina in Nimbus Land. A rare variant known as Shy Rangers can also be found in the Pipe Vault.

At the end of the game, a Shy Guy is seen piloting the Koopa Clown Car to Bowser's annoyance.

Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle
In Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle, various Shy Guys can be observed in the audience.

Mario Party series
Shy Guys appear in the Mario Party series mainly in minigames. In this series, Shy Guys often appear as friendly characters and have even appeared in playable roles.

Mario Party
In Mario Party, there is a minigame named Shy Guy Says, featuring a pirate-themed Shy Guy who lifts a flag corresponding to the button that players must press to survive. If a player fails to press the correct button, he will cut the rope tethering them to the ship, stranding them in the sea.

Mario Party 2
In Mario Party 2, Shy Guy Says returns, but now it takes place in the sky while the Shy Guy carries a quiver and uses a bow to shoot down players who press the wrong button. Shy Guys also appear on Mystery Land where they can cast a Slow Curse for the price of 5 coins.

Mario Party 3
In Mario Party 3, a Shy Guy known as Game Guy runs a game show-like gambling event that puts the player in a chance-based minigame when they land on a Game Guy Space.

Mario Party 4
In Mario Party 4 a Shy Guy (with Toad, a Boo, a Goomba and a Koopa Troopa) find the mystical Party Cube, with which they can create parties and game boards. In this game, Shy Guy wears a fedora and a jacket, much like Indiana Jones, and is hosting his own board, Shy Guy's Jungle Jam. He created the board because he wants to go on an adventure, but is not brave enough to go on his own. Whenever he talks, he appears to be nervous and meek. A Shy Guy also appears as a playable character in Beach Volley Folley, though it is uncertain if this is the same Shy Guy.

Mario Party 5
In Mario Party 5, Shy Guys appear in many minigames as NPCs. In Chomp Romp, they play in the obstacle course on a slide and a swing set. In Dinger Derby, they spectate the players on the baseball field. In Later Skater, one Shy Guy appears on a pink table in the center of the ice rink and pulls out his green pop gun and fires it at the "START!" signal. In Will Flower, there are four Shy Guys bringing in dead sunflowers to the characters and placing them down in a temple. In Triple Jump, a Shy Guy is standing next to the 60-foot signpost. In Curvy Curbs, Shy Guys appear as background characters on sweets and houses. In Bus Buffer, one Shy Guy hops on the bus roofs and spills two buckets of green paint on them, and five others clean the sides of the red and blue buses. One Shy Guy appears in a capsule-like temple with the two teams in Rumble Ready. They appear as background characters in Random Ride. In Shy Guy Showdown, one Shy Guy appears in the middle of the horseshoe-shaped arena raising a sign, and the player must press the button shown on the sign before their opponent to win. Sometimes, the Shy Guy raises a fake sign (i.e. a "!" sign, "M" sign, or skip sign). Two Shy Guys appear in Ice Hockey, and they act as goalies in the hockey rink.

Mario Party 6
Shy Guys can be seen in several minigames in Mario Party 6. The nighttime version of the minigame Snow Brawl features Shy Guys as the solo player's allies, replacing the Ukikis in the daytime version. They also appear on cards in Odd Card Out and hold up signs in Sunday Drivers.

Mario Party Advance


Shy Guy appears as the conductor of Shroom City's Train Station in Mario Party Advance. He is very polite, often speaking in a courteous manner, and according to his description, will work diligently without complaining and without resting. When the player arrives at the Train Station, Shy Guy notices them and asks for their help. If they accept, Shy Guy tells them that he had ran out of coal for the trains, and he asks for their help in looking for coal. However, he doesn't actually know where coal can be retrieved, only that it isn't sold in the item shop. Once some coal is brought back to him, he will happily accept it and give the Cake Maker Gaddget in return. Afterwards, he says that he will not forget the player's kindness.

Shy Guys also appear in the minigame Floor It! as one of the four possible passengers that must be brought to their respective floor.

Mario Party 7
Multiple Shy Guys appear in Mario Party 7, though they appear as Singing Shy Guys on the Grand Canal board and as Top Hat Shy Guys on the Neon Heights board. They also appear in the background of some minigames, jumping and cheering for the players.

Mario Party 8
Shy Guys also get their own board in Mario Party 8, titled Shy Guy's Perplex Express, where the goal for the players is to give 20 Coins to the Shy Guy Conductor. If the player lands on a Happening space on the top of the train, Shy Guy Conductor asks the player to help Holly Koopa find her candy that was stolen. Additionally, there are a pair of Shy Guys cooking in the train's kitchen department, which talk to the player if they land on the Happening Space in the kitchen, asking them to "take a look" inside the extractor hood, which results in the player being sucked through it and land on the corresponding space above the kitchen department. At least one Shy Guy also appears in the following minigames: Picture Perfect, Swing Kings, Water Ski Spree, Cardiators, Crops 'n' Robbers, Settle It in Court, Fruit Picker, Pour to Score, and Stampede. There is also an Extra minigame similar to Shy Guy Says from the first two Mario Party games called Flagging Rights.

Mario Party DS
Shy Guys are featured in many of the minigames in Mario Party DS, such as Fast Food Frenzy, Rotisserie Rampage and Sweet Sleuth. Shy Guys also have their own character figure and badge entitled "Shy Guy Rival".

Mario Party 9
Shy Guy appears as an unlockable playable character in Mario Party 9. Shy Guy, along with Magikoopa, competes against the player in Solo mode. If he or Magikoopa wins a board, the player will have to play it again, unless they tie with or lose to the player for the Superstar. If he ties with Magikoopa, the results are the same as if only one of the two characters won a board. In the first four boards, either Shy Guy or Magikoopa will randomly appear on each board. In Magma Mine and Bowser Station, both of them will appear in the same board. Shy Guy and Magikoopa are both unlocked by completing Solo mode once, after which they can be played in any game mode excluding Solo.

Mario Party: Island Tour
Shy Guys appear in Mario Party: Island Tour for the Nintendo 3DS. They have a board, Shy Guy's Shuffle City, where they appear on the sidelines. Their masks also appear on some cards of various colors. One Shy Guy also appears as a judge in the minigame The Choicest Voice. Another Shy Guy appears and gets hit by the hammer at the beginning of the minigame Spin and Bear It.

Mario Party 10
Shy Guys appear in Mario Party 10 as non-playable characters. They have been shown to appear on a roller coaster in Mushroom Park. They also appear in various minigames as spectators.

Super Mario Party
Shy Guy returns as a playable character in Super Mario Party, as well as one of the potential allies. His special Dice Block is the Shy Guy Dice Block: it is composed of the numbers 0, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. Of note, whenever Shy Guy walks or runs, a squeaking sound is heard.

Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
While Shy Guys themselves do not appear in the game Mario Golf, they appear in the game's artwork, and are also referenced in the game by one of the courses, Shy Guy Desert. In addition to that, each time a player completes a hole, a silhouette of a Shy Guy is briefly shown. Shy Guy's name occasionally appears on the scorecard.

Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)
A Shy Guy passes by in strong winds (12-19 mph) in Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Shy Guys only physically appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour during the award ceremonies where they can be seen cheering in the bleachers. Shy Guy's name also appears as a default high score on the leaderboards.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Shy Guys appear in Mario Golf: World Tour as non-playable characters in the Castle Club game mode. Their name can also appear on the tournament scoreboard.

Mario Golf: Super Rush
Shy Guys appear in Mario Golf: Super Rush as NPCs all over Bonny Greens.

A Shy Guy also appears as an all-around playable character that was added as of the 4.0.0 update, marking Shy Guy's debut as a playable character in the Mario Golf series. Its Special Shot is Spin Strike, where it turns into a Mace Guy and swings its mace to hit the ball, and its Special Dash is Fly Guy Dash, where a Fly Guy carries the Shy Guy.

Paper Mario
"Oh no... Poor me..."

- Shy Guy



Shy Guys, as well as several variations of them, are semi-common enemies in Paper Mario. After Mario returns from Forever Forest, he finds the Shy Guys overrunning Toad Town, stealing belongings from some residents and causing trouble for others. He can hit the enemies with his Hammer to make them run out of town. Once Mario discovers Shy Guy's Toy Box, the secret hide-out of the Shy Guys, they can be fought as normal enemies. They have two main attacks: They can simply tackle Mario for 2 damage, or they can do an acrobatic attack, dealing 3 points of damage and bowing to an unseen but not unheard crowd.

There are five different color variations of the normal Shy Guy, although there is no actual difference between any of them.

This game also features Groove Guys, Shy Guys that make Mario dizzy; Sky Guys, Shy Guys that have balloons to keep them in the air; Medi Guys, Shy Guys that heal any ally; Spy Guys, Shy Guys that wear camouflage gear; Pyro Guys from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island; and the strongest of a Shy Guy known as the Anti Guy, three of which appear in Bowser's Castle if the player answers three questions incorrectly during the quiz with the second Guard Door.

They can also be found on Lavalava Island when Spear Guys shed their armor.

It is revealed that Shy Guys have their own language called Shy Guy that Russ T. can understand.

During the ending cinema of the game, some Shy Guys can be seen talking with Watt while Parakarry is delivering her an invitation to Princess Peach's victory party. They can also be seen on General Guy's parade float, dancing. Also, the Shy Guys' parade float in the ending has "Heihos" ("Heiho" being Shy Guy's Japanese name) written on both the left and right of General Guy.

Field Tattle
Outside of battle, Goombario can use Tattle only on a Shy Guy who has taken over Shroom Grocery in Toad Town before Mario whacks the Shy Guy into retreating.
 * "This Shy Guy is just causing trouble in here. He's pretending to shop, but he's not buying anything. Hey, buy something or get out, pal! You hear me?"

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Although Shy Guys are not actual enemies in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, they do appear in the Audience of most of the battles, and a few statues of Shy Guys also appear on the Poshley Heights fountain. Occasionally, if part of the audience, Shy Guys run onto the backstage and cause pieces of the set to fall on Mario or his enemies. This is also used to signal the first occurrence of a stage hazard (like fog, ice, fire, etc.). Shy Guys give Mario Star Power along with the other audience members when he performs a move correctly. The name Heihoo, the Japanese name for Shy Guys appears alongside other scrapped enemy names (among which are also Faia Heihoo, Komando Heihoo, and Burakku Heihoo, the Japanese names for Pyro Guys, Spy Guys, and the Anti Guy respectively) in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door's coding, suggesting that Shy Guys, as well as the three variants of them identified earlier, were once going to appear as enemies in that game.

The X-Nauts somewhat take a role of Shy Guys, as their commander, Lord Crump, gets inside a machine that very slightly resembles General Guy's tank (except with arms and legs). In addition, when the X-Nauts are fleeing from the Great Tree, one of them falls over, mirroring the straggler Shy Guy in the Shy Squad in the first Paper Mario. Additionally, X-Nauts make formations similar to the Shy Squad and others when attacking Mario during the ship battle between Crump and Cortez, and they are fought before Crump himself is faced.

A Shy Guy may also appear when the Special move Clock Out is used. When this happens it tries to prevent Mario from immobilizing his enemies.

Super Paper Mario
Shy Guys solely appear in the audience of Super Paper Mario when a stylish move is performed. Also, the vase in Merlee's Mansion is themed around them. Sprites for them are also among the unused data in the game. They, along with Wigglers, Fly Guys, Spear Guys, Stilt Guys, and Monty Moles, were removed for unknown reasons during the game's production.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Shy Guys appear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star with their Super Paper Mario appearance, although their feet are more within their robes. They only appear in World 3 and World 4. In battle, a Shy Guy's only attack is running up to Mario and flailing its arms at him. Sometimes, the Shy Guy might trip before reaching Mario, cancelling the attacks. Also, if Mario uses a Tail sticker, the Shy Guy pushes Mario and try to steal the sticker. A Shy Guy can also knock away one of Mario's attacks if he uses the Battle Spin that causes the Shy Guy to take up its turn. Along with standard Shy Guys, Sombrero Guys appear, along with one Accordion Guy and Maraca Guy each. There are also Shy Guys holding paper clips, known as Clip Guys, and Paint Guys, who hold a bucket of paint. Both of these enemies can assist a Shy Guy in battle. Spear Guys and Snifits also appear in the game. Additionally, two Shy Guys are found harassing the Traveling Toad in World 4-6. They are very powerful, similar to Anti Guys, each having 120 HP and an attack power of 7. When defeated, they drop a Secret Door sticker. Unlike Snifits, Shy Guys take damage from staying in poison too long in battle and try to find unpoisoned ground.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
Shy Guys are the most common enemies in Paper Mario: Color Splash. In battle, Shy Guys attack by running up to Mario and slapping him. While Mario is choosing Battle Cards during his turn, they may steal a card from him, and Mario gets the card back at the end of the battle if he defeats the Shy Guy. They appear throughout the game, and are first seen at Port Prisma. The paper versions of the Yellow, Pink, Blue, and Green Shy Guys now match the modern look of their regular counterparts. In addition, the Black Shy Guy returns as an enemy for the first time since Paper Mario, now sporting the same modern design as the regular ones.

At Ruddy Road, Shy Guys roll up the ground to attack Mario. On the Sunset Express, one train car contains Shy Guys that peek through windows; if they see Mario, they drag him into their room and crumple him. Many Shy Guys are seen exercising at Fort Cobalt, trained by Whistle Snifits. The lumber mill at Sunglow Ridge is invaded by Shy Guys. When Mario visits Tangerino Grill, the kitchen is under attack by Shy Guys, which he must defeat before he can cook the Mamma Mia Pizza. At Dark Bloo Inn, a Shy Guy is shown to have stolen "it," and eight Shy Guys are fought at once in the linen closet.

Many non-hostile Shy Guys appear throughout the game. On Vortex Island, the parallel world contains Shy Guys instead of Toads. Shy Guys are frequent customers at the Prisma Café at Fort Cobalt, and are seen eating Magma Burgers at the latter. The Emerald Circus's audience consists of Shy Guys and the red Rescue Squad. While regular Shy Guys appear at the Golden Coliseum in the Battle Royal, Mario can also talk to a fighting team called the Shai Guyz. A red Shy Guy is the second-round opponent in Roshambo Temple #1.

In the Sunset Express, a Red Shy Guy talks to Mario and tells him about his life. He wonders if he will have to fight Mario later, and thanks him for listening. Later, at Mossrock Theater, this same Shy Guy is fought on a trapeze. While sad about being defeated, he is glad he got to see Mario again.

New variants of Shy Guy are introduced in Paper Mario: Color Splash. Slurp Guys, which are Shy Guys with straws, are responsible for draining the colors of Prism Island. Shy Guy 4-Stacks and Shy Guy 5-Stacks are Shy Guys stacked together. The Emerald Circus features Animal Trainer Shy Guys, Unicycle Shy Guys, and Trampoline Shy Guys. Coal Guys are found at Toad Trainworks and Sunset Express. Gold Shy Guys and Silver Shy Guys are Shy Guys in coats of metal that must be removed before revealing the Shy Guy underneath. Laundry Guy appears on Vortex Island, while Pry Guy is found at Cherry Lake. Roller Guys are Shy Guys that are found inside rings, who appear at Mossrock Theater. Shield Guys hold shields that protect them from hammer attacks. The Shunned Guy is a Slurp Guy that is immune to all attacks except fire. Soggy Guys are wet Shy Guys found at Cherry Lake and Violet Passage, while Spike Guys wear spike helmets that protect them from jumps similar to Spiked Goombas from the first three games.

Paper Mario: The Origami King
Shy Guys appear in Paper Mario: The Origami King as members of the Folded Soldiers and as ordinary paper Shy Guys. Although Snifits appear in different colors in The Origami King, only red Shy Guys appear for the majority of the game. A Shy Guy riding the Koopa Clown Car rescues Mario, Bowser and Olivia from Peach's Castle while it is being covered with streamers. In Bowser's Castle, Mario is able to speak with this same Shy Guy, where he complains about being banned from flying the Koopa Clown Car. King Olly is able to fold himself into a yellow Shy Guy. Paper Macho Shy Guys also appear as mini-bosses. Emcee Shy Guy appears and hosts the game show Shy Guys Finish Last.

Mario Tennis
Shy Guy is an unlockable character in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, marking its first playable appearance. It is unlocked after the Star Cup is won in Singles. It is a Technique character, and during its trophy ceremony it turns into a Fly Guy and starts flying around.

Mario Power Tennis
Shy Guy returns as a playable character in Mario Power Tennis, but this time he is available from the start. Once again, he is a Technique character. For his Offensive Power Shot, he turns into a Spear Guy and electrifies the ball. For his Defensive Power Shot, he turns into a Spear Guy, but this time he extends his spear to hit the ball.

When he wins a Singles Tournament, he walks up to the podium where the trophy is while Luigi is there applauding him. Accidentally, Shy Guy trips on a step to the stage and his mask falls off. Shy Guy's appearance without his mask is not shown to the viewers, but Luigi gets astonished by it. Shy Guy quickly puts his mask back on, takes the trophy, and walks off the stage. Manipulating the camera in third-party programs shows that Shy Guy has no additional geometry behind the mask, likely because it was never meant to be seen by the viewers.

Mario Tennis Open
In Mario Tennis Open, Shy Guys are line judges in the Wario Dunes court. A Shy Guy costume and its racket can also be unlocked for use by the player's Mii.

Mario Tennis Aces
In Mario Tennis Aces, Shy Guys appear as audience members. They also appear as a stage hazard on Snowfall Mountain, where they run across the stage to interfere. During Adventure Mode, one Shy Guy appears as an opponent in One versus...One?, and another Shy Guy asks Mario to train with him in Sure Shot Challenge (Intermediate). In the game's version 2.0.0 update, Shy Guy is added as a playable character, where he returns as a Technical character. He is available after participating in the online doubles tournament for December 2018 or after January 1, 2019. Shy Guys with red, yellow, and blue bandanas also appear during Shy Guy’s Train Tussle.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Shy Guys also appear in the Yoshi's Story stage of Super Smash Bros. Melee. Although they are actually Fly Guys, they are called Shy Guys. The Fly Guys fly past the stage. They are unable to damage players, but they carry Food with them, which can be dropped on the ground if they are attacked. If the player KOs a Shy Guy, they receive the bonus "Shy Guy KO". They also have a trophy in their honor.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Shy Guys appear in the Mario Circuit stage, racing in go-karts in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They are the only racers, and they appear going across the top or bottom of the stage. If hit, the Shy Guy racers spin out of control and wipe out, but come back shortly afterward. It is possible to get rid of every Shy Guy on the track, at which point no more Shy Guys appear. They also have a trophy and sticker too. Fly Guys also appear on the Yoshi's Island stage.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Shy Guys appear in the Rainbow Road stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS as obstacles like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Mario Circuit stage. This time, the karts they drive take their appearance from Mario Kart 7.

Multiple types of Shy Guys also appear in the Nintendo 3DS version as enemies in the Smash Run mode. There are four colors that appear, each with their own attributes: the standard red, which has a higher attack; green, which runs faster; light blue, which has higher defense, and yellow, which jumps higher. Each type attacks by charging at the player, hitting them multiple times. The stat boosts they leave behind are also mostly based on their color and attributes.

Shy Guys reappear in the Mario Circuit stage from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as well as appearing in the new Mario Circuit stage based off of Mario Kart 8.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the description for the Shy Guy + Standard Kart trophy states that Shy Guy made his playable debut in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart 7; technically, however, his playable debut in the Mario Kart series was actually in Mario Kart DS, albeit only in Download Play.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Shy Guys reappear as stage hazards in the Mario Circuit stage (now renamed "Figure-8 Circuit") returning from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the Mario Circuit stage returning from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

A Shy Guy also appears as a Novice-class Neutral-type primary spirit. When equipped, it takes up two slots and slightly increases the power of punches and elbow strikes. In World of Light, the spirit can be encountered on the Light Realm map. The spirit battle takes place in the Battlefield version of the Mushroom Kingdom II stage, with Mii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter and Mii Gunner, wearing Shy Guy masks, as opponents.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, there is a course called Shy Guy Beach. As the racers race around the circular chain of islands, a pirate ship manned by Shy Guys can be seen in the background. It shoots cannonballs at the racers to hinder them. Several Shy Guy Tents also appear in the course Sunset Wilds as obstacles. Their likenesses are also carved on two totem poles featuring a Toady on the bottom, a Snifit in the middle, and it on the top.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Skating Shy Guys appear in Sherbet Land, acting as obstacles for the racers. A statue of two Shy Guys can be seen in the background of Baby Park, and a green Shy Guy appears in the audience of Waluigi Stadium.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, players without a copy of the game who are connecting via Download Play are only able to play as Shy Guys in their Standard SG. Shy Guy and his kart have identical stats to Yoshi and his Standard YS respectively. There are eight possible colors for a Shy Guy racer to appear in: red, blue, green, yellow, black, white, pink, and cyan. The colors are assigned randomly.

Although Mario Kart DS technically marks Shy Guy's playable debut in the Mario Kart series, he is unable to be played as outside of Download Play without the use of cheats. Usage of cheats also allows the player to find out that Shy Guy has a character select portrait of his own when viewing the Records menu, hinting that he might have been part of the main roster at some point but was scrapped for unknown reasons. Beating Grand Prix mode with his Standard Kart via using cheats will show the portrait for Mario's Standard Kart.

Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii, Shy Guys appear as spectators and stage hazards on various courses. In the city section of Moonview Highway, the Shy Guy emblem can be seen on the guard rails. Also, Shy Guys appear on DK Summit as snowboarders and track hazards doing tricks in the half pipes. If a player hits one of the different-colored Shy Guys, the player spins out and slows down as if they hit a Banana. The Shy Guys do not stop, however. Shy Guy Beach from Mario Kart: Super Circuit returns as a classic course.

Mario Kart 7
Shy Guy makes his proper debut as a playable character in Mario Kart 7. Unlike in Mario Kart DS, he can be played without Download Play, but is restricted to using only his red color. Players who use Download Play are still restricted to Shy Guys, but with alternate colors in a fixed order (from player 2 to player 8: blue, yellow, green, cyan, pink, black, and white) and can only use standard parts.

He can be unlocked for use outside Download Play by getting a gold trophy in the 150cc Shell Cup. He is a Feather class racer, with acceleration and Off-road being his best stats. There is one course that belongs to Shy Guy in the game, Shy Guy Bazaar. He is the staff ghost of both Shy Guy Bazaar and.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Both playable and non-playable Shy Guys appear in Mario Kart 8. Unlike in Mario Kart 7, the red playable Shy Guy is available from the start; additionally, by purchasing both the Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda downloadable content packs, eight additional Shy Guy colors (Light-blue, Black, Green, Yellow, White, Blue, Pink, and Orange) are unlocked for immediate use. They all share the same kart emblem unlike colored Yoshis, whose emblems change color depending on what color they are. Shy Guy is a heavier lightweight in this game. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the eight alternate color variants of Shy Guy are now included within the base game. The playable Shy Guy is now among the heaviest of the lightweight characters, sharing stats with Toad and Larry.

Shy Guys are very commonly found on the sidelines of many tracks in the game as spectators, alongside Toads and Yoshis. A course themed after them, known as Shy Guy Falls, appears as the final course in the Flower Cup. Here, Shy Guys of various colors can be seen mining on various parts of the track, which is also true with the first course in the Triforce Cup,. They can be heard singing to the music on certain sections of these two stages. They also can be heard singing on certain sections of Electrodrome, as well as in Wild Woods, which leads through a Shy Guy village. He is the staff ghost for Shy Guy Falls, Merry Mountain, Super Bell Subway (Pink), and Ninja Hideaway (Black) on 150cc. For 200cc, he is the staff ghost for (Green) and  (Light-Blue).

Skating Shy Guys appear in as obstacles in the same manner as on the original course. Ninja Shy Guys reprise their role from Mario Kart Tour as hazards on Ninja Hideaway. Snowboarding Shy Guys appear in as obstacles in the same manner as on the original course.

As seen on an advertisement that can be found in Toad Harbor and some of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass's courses, there is a business known as Shy Guy Metals, which has been ongoing "since 1987" (a nod to the first appearance of Shy Guys in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic).

Mario Kart Tour
Shy Guy reappears in Mario Kart Tour as a Normal driver whose special skill is the Double Bob-ombs. All of Shy Guy's alternate colors from Mario Kart 8 return as Super drivers, with Black, Pink, Green, Light-blue, Blue, White, Orange, and Yellow Shy Guy respectively debuting in the 2019 Winter Tour, Valentine's Tour, 2021 Ninja Tour, Sky Tour, November—December 2022 Peach vs. Bowser Tour, 2023 Doctor Tour, 2023 Ninja Tour, and Night Tour, with the Bob-omb Cannon, Heart, Triple Green Shells, Ice Flower, Dash Ring, Triple Mushrooms, Double Bob-ombs, and Triple Bananas as their respective special skills.

The game also introduces a number of High-End variants of Shy Guy with various special skills. Shy Guy in a chef outfit, known as Shy Guy (Pastry Chef), debuted in the 2019 Paris Tour as the second spotlight driver; his special skill is the Mushroom Cannon. He returned as a spotlight driver during the Valentine's Tour (also based in Paris), Cooking Tour, 1st Anniversary Tour, and Peach vs. Daisy Tour, making him one of two tour-themed drivers to appear in the spotlight four times, with the other being Peach (Vacation). A gold-coated Shy Guy named Shy Guy (Gold) was introduced in the 1st Anniversary Tour, with the Giga Bob-omb as his special skill, making him one of two gold drivers to not have the Coin Box as their special skill, the other being Dry Bowser (Gold). Later, the 2021 Ninja Tour marked the debut of a blue, ninja-clad Shy Guy called Shy Guy (Ninja) or Ninja Shy Guy as the tour's spotlight driver, whose special skill is the Boomerang Flower. A pink variant of Shy Guy (Ninja) known as Pink Shy Guy (Ninja), who has the Giant Banana as its special skill, debuted in the Samurai Tour. Two differently-colored variants in explorer outfits, Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer) and Yellow Shy Guy (Explorer), with the Lucky Seven and Hammer special skills respectively, debuted in the 2023 Exploration Tour.

A published on the game's official social media accounts revealed that Pink Shy Guy was the most used driver in multiplayer races throughout 2021 by players with a multiplayer grade of S or higher.

In various instances, Shy Guys also act as course obstacles, vulnerable to most attacks. GBA Sunset Wilds features Exploring Shy Guys, taking the place of Shy Guy Tents from Mario Kart: Super Circuit and having the same design as the playable explorer variants. Snowboarding Shy Guys return in the game's rendition of DK Summit, acting the same as in Mario Kart Wii. Black, white, and orange ninja Shy Guys similar to the playable Shy Guy variant, also designated Shy Guys (Ninja), impede drivers in Ninja Hideaway: some assume a guarding stance on the track while periodically vanishing and reappearing, leaving Banana peels in their place when gone; others are suspended in the air by kites in gliding sections. Skating Shy Guys that twirl on ice appear in Vancouver Velocity 2's R and T variants.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series
Shy Guys appear infrequently in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. One Shy Guy news reporter is seen briefly on Donkey Kong's television in the introduction of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. A portrait of a Shy Guy can be seen in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars in the background of Clattering Cabin-themed levels (as shown, for instance, ). Throughout the series, they are at large replaced by mechanical Shy Guys.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
While normal Shy Guys are absent in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, variations of them, such as Chuck Guys and their Elite counterparts, and further variations of Snifits, make an appearance. A camo-robed one appears during one of the attacks of Gunner Guy, one of the new Snifit variations.

Regular Shy Guys do appear in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, where they appear as enemies and allies in the Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser mode. They are first encountered in the level Turnip Tantrum. A Shy Guy known as Captain Shy Guy also appears as an unlockable captain in the story. Shy Guys are Ranged troopers, and attack by throwing turnips at enemies. Their special attack is Throw the Fight, which allows them to throw a large turnip at an enemy. They are strong against Lakitus and Lakipeas. Additionally, the camo-clad ones from the original now wear normal red robes.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, a type of Shy Guy called Boom Guys appear in Baby Bowser's Castle. They are Shy Guys with Bill Blasters on their heads. Later in the game, Elite Boom Guys, stronger versions of Boom Guys, appear in the Gritzy Caves. Fly Guys also appear on Star Hill and Star Shrine. A ghostly version of Shy Guy named Boo Guy also appears in the game, near Vim Factory; and a stronger, revamped version named Ghoul Guy appears in Shroob Castle.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
"Shy Guy corps reporting. They got us. They got us all. We're such bad soldiers!"

- Shy Guy

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its 3DS remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Shy Guys appear in the game, but regular red ones are not enemies to battle. A couple of Shy Guys can be found in Bowser Castle. A notable Shy Guy, Sergeant Guy, makes his debut in this game. In Bowser Path, Dimble Wood, and Peach's Castle, Shy Guy variants can also be found. Fawful Guys can be fought by Mario and Luigi. Leaf Guys can be found in the Wiggler boss battle when Wiggler waters the saplings and in the air they can be inhaled by Bowser too. Dark Fawful Guys are only found when Bowser battles enemies, and like Leaf Guys they can be inhaled for Mario and Luigi to fight. They are also a special attack for Bowser called Shy Guy Squad. Pink, Yellow, and Cyan Shy Guys reappear in the remake as enemies and allies. Yellow Shy Guys are strong against Goombas and their variants, and pink ones are strong against Koopa Troopas. Four Shy Guys are also the first brainwashed minions Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings encounter.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Shy Guys reappear as an enemy in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team while Mario and Luigi are searching for the Ultibed parts. Shy Guys can only be fought after the Shy Guy Airtub they were inhabiting has been destroyed, and always appear in a group of three when battled at that point. They are never found on the field. In battle, they attack by bouncing to either side of Mario or Luigi, and running at them simultaneously, similar to how Fawflants from the previous game attack. This can be dodged by jumping over or on to the Shy Guys, but they can give a bro the trip status. Cyan Shy Guys known as Walker Guys appear in Neo Bowser Castle. These types of Shy Guys hold chains against Chain Chomps.

A stronger variation of Shy Guys called Shy Guys R appear in Neo Bowser Castle on Shy Guy Airtubs R and Dreamy Shy Guys appear during the final battle with Dreamy Bowser, both on the field and on the Shy Guy Airtub DX.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Shy Guys appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam in both their normal and paper versions in Mount Brrr, on the path to Neo Bowser Castle. One of their attacks involves tossing a rock or their paper counterpart at a Mario Bro. that results in one of them appearing on the battlefield if not hammered back. Occasionally, they instead toss a mushroom that the Mario Brothers can use to restore 50 HP. If there are two, they will both line up with the regular Mario Bros. and run at them, whichever one trips will roll into their target and strike first, and both Shy Guys must be hammered. A regular Shy Guy can also pair with a Paper Shy Guy for this attack, although the regular version will always strike first. In Neo Bowser Castle, they can wield Paper Chomps as well as regular Chain Chomps. If the Shy Guy is defeated, both Chain Chomps will flee. Two Shy Guys are fought alongside two Paper Shy Guys as one of Bowser's last lines of defense, and these ones act as they did in Mount Brrr.

Mario Pinball Land
In Mario Pinball Land, multicolored Shy Guys on Skates appear in Frosty Frontier and Shifting Sands Stages. In the area Frosty Frontier, Shy Guys skate around the screen and Mario has to hit them all to get a star. In the Shifting Sands area, Mario encounters regular Shy Guys three times, once before he makes it into Egyptian Koopa's pyramid and twice inside the pyramid. But he encounters them in different places and they all do the same method. When outside the pyramid, they hide behind cacti and run from cactus to cactus. As they run, Mario has to hit them. If he is able to hit them all, he gets a star. When inside the pyramid, the Shy Guys hide behind vases instead of cacti. Mario has to hit them all to get a switch to open in the floor so he can get to Egyptian Koopa.

Yakuman DS
Shy Guy is an opponent at the puzzle game Yakuman DS. His default rank (Ranking mode) is 18, he has 1/5 of the difficulty.

Mario Baseball series
"IT'S HORRIBLE! HIDE THE CHILDREN! LOCK THE DOORS! BOLT THE WINDOWS!"

- Shy Guy

Shy Guys of all different colors are playable in Mario Superstar Baseball. They are balanced characters. Ironically, their starting captain is Yoshi, one of their earliest enemies. They appear in Mario Super Sluggers, still on Yoshi's team.

In Mario Super Sluggers, all the Shy Guys have their fielding skills boosted a few levels, with the Black Shy Guy showing the best fielding abilities. Their batting ranges from average to low, their pitching is weak and their running is generally slow.

Regarding chemistry, in Mario Superstar Baseball, Shy Guys show good chemistry with Birdo and Monty Mole, while showing bad chemistry with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. In Mario Super Sluggers, the Shy Guys maintain their good chemistry with Birdo and Monty Mole, but they also display good chemistry with Boo. Their bad chemistry is also expanded to include their relationships with Yoshi and the Yoshi species, as well as Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, and Baby DK.

Mario Strikers Charged
Shy Guys appear as sidekicks in Mario Strikers Charged. They are balanced players. Their skillshot is the Bullet Bill Blast. When given enough time, a Shy Guy charges fully before riding a fast Bullet Bill aimed right at the goalie. When this move is performed, the goalkeeper and all players near him (including the Shy Guy) are temporarily stunned. Shy Guy gets up more quickly than the other teammates, however, so he may quickly get to the ball and score. Other allies not affected by the blast may take the ball and score as well. Alternatively, an opposing player trailing the Bullet Bill at a safe distance may sweep through and pass the ball downfield to one of their teammates.

When Shy Guy scores, sometimes it runs, trips, and its mask falls off, similar to the Mario Power Tennis trophy award. While this seems to confirm that Shy Guys' masks are not their actual faces, various other scenes show that the mask is capable of different facial expressions, such as a happy face and a mad face.

Mario Strikers: Battle League
In Mario Strikers: Battle League, Shy Guys appear as part of the audience.

A playable Shy Guy was added to the game via the version 1.1.0 update, alongside Daisy, now selectable as a captain. It is an All-Rounder character, and as such, has balanced statistics, though its strength, shooting, and passing are slightly higher than its speed and technique. Multiple Shy Guys can be placed on the player's team, and its Hyper Strike is Propeller Dive.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Shy Guys appear as referees for Super Mario characters in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in 10m Platform, Trampoline and Vault. Shy Guys also appear in various roles in the Wii version.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Shy Guy appears in the audience in many events in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. A variety of colors can be seen, from the traditional red to the returning pink and the new light blue. In the DS version, they appear as the goalies in the Ice Hockey and Fever Hockey events. It also seems that Yellow Shy Guys tend to lie, except for one, who resides in Cubyrinth.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
In Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Shy Guys appear in the crowds and as referees in both versions of the game. In the Wii version, Shy Guys appear in the game's opening, and various colors of Shy Guy appear on the map in London Part, where they can be spoken to and trigger a minigame.

In the Nintendo 3DS version, red Shy Guys appear defending the goal in Hockey, and one appears to kick the balls to the player in Football. Teams of four yellow, blue, and green Shy Guys appear as opponents for the player in all Events that require the player to use a full team of four characters, though the Shy Guys only physically appear for the 4x100m Relay. In the Story Mode, a few Shy Guys first appear outside Big Ben in the opening, and three blue Shy Guys form the rest of Eggman Nega's team when the Heroes face him in the 4x100m Relay. A pair of red and yellow Shy Guys later appear in Waluigi's Ambition to ask Waluigi to borrow his binoculars, who he scares off, with an identically colored-pair later being scared off by the reappearance of the Phantasmal Fog. All four colors of Shy Guy appear at the opening ceremony, as well as in Junior Hits England, where a pair of green and blue ones first encourage Bowser Jr. to challenge Yoshi, and are later joined by red and yellow ones who direct Bowser Jr. to London. Goomba also briefly mentions Shy Guy in Mario's Defeat?!, and badges of the four colors of Shy Guy can be won from the Badge Machine.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Shy Guys appear as goalies in Ice Hockey and Snow Day Street Hockey in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Depending on the team, the Shy Guy will either be red or blue.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
In Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Shy Guy appears in the Shy Guy pedestal mode where he can be talked to in order to challenge the ghosts of other players in events.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, multicolored Shy Guys appear as spectators and as crown members in Tokyo. In the Story Mode, many Shy Guys appear in Chapter 9, where they appear in the crowd along with many Toads in the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. They serve as a distraction when the player is supposed to be looking for several Toads holding different objects. Red, pink and light blue Shy Guys also appear in the Treeside Rumble minigame in Chapter 13. Tails has to defeat a horde of them which Larry Koopa sends at him and Luigi when they travel to TOKYO SKYTREE. The Shy Guys fight Tails by throwing spiked balls and occasionally firecrackers at him. Hitting a firecracker will defeat any Shy Guys that get caught in the explosion.

WarioWare: D.I.Y.
In WarioWare: D.I.Y., two Shy Guys make minor appearances in 9-Volt's microgame Yoshi, based on Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Mario Sports Mix
Shy Guys reappear in Mario Sports Mix as goalkeepers in a Hockey game. When a player uses their special during a Hockey, Shy Guy disappears when the special is happening and then reappear when it ends. Players cannot control them, but they can command Shy Guys to lunge by pressing. Shy Guys also appear in the Western Junction court, where various they throw either banana peels or coins. They also appear in the crowd of Wario Factory in multiple colors.

NES Remix series
Shy Guys are featured in challenges based around Super Mario Bros. 2 from NES Remix 2 and Ultimate NES Remix. The player usually has to either defeat or dodge these enemies in order to advance. In NES Remix 2, Shy Guys are present in all stages but in the third, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth ones. Since these challenges are sequences from a port that is identical to the original game, Shy Guys retain their exact appearance from there.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Shy Guys appear as enemies in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports. Like Goombas in 3D Super Mario games, they chase after Captain Toad or Toadette upon seeing either one of them, but get tired and stop after a while. However, in dark levels, they can also start to chase the protagonist should they shine their headlamp on them. In the game box art, their robe's texture appears to be normal, but in-game, it appears to be made of wool instead of tissue or silk. Two types of Shy Guys appear: cyan stationary Shy Guys that periodically turn 90° and red Shy Guys that walk along paths.

Dr. Mario World
Shy Guys make their debut in the Dr. Mario series in Dr. Mario World as assistants. In stage mode, their skill has a chance of granting an easier skill meter increase, in which it reduces a doctor's skill gauge by 10 points prior to version 2.2.0 or by 10% of the doctor's maximum skill gauge since that version. If the skill gauge is reduced to a negative value this way, the doctor's skill gauge will not be able to fill. In versus mode, their effect grants doctors an extra chance to defend against an opponent's attacks. A Shy Guy was featured as a patient during season 9 of Clinic Events. A Shy Guy assistant is rewarded after clearing the first are in World 7.

Yellow Shy Guys also appear as assistants. In stage mode, their effect has a chance of eliminating the remaining yellow viruses when there are only two of them left regardless of how many hits they take to eliminate, but it only activates once throughout the stage, meaning that it will not activate again in a scrolling stage or Daily Booster after the effect successfully activated once despite the condition being met again. In versus mode, their effect grants a chance in defending against one-line attacks, which does not stack with the doctor's innate defense. They are also seen at World 17 after an area is cleared of viruses. A Yellow Shy Guy assistant is rewarded after clearing the first area in World 17.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Shy Guys appear in The Super Mario Bros. Movie where they are a part of Bowser's army. Two Shy Guys and a Snifit are seen taking Luigi to Bowser in Bowser's Castle.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Shy Guys appear as enemies. The original guide refers to them as Mask-Mimics. In this game, they do not directly attack, and instead mimic Link's movements in reverse. Their mask protects them from frontal attacks from Link's blade, so the only means to defeat them is to strike them when their back is turned by using a Spin Attack. While the original Game Boy game was in monochrome, in the Game Boy Color version and Nintendo Switch remake of the game, they are colored red. A very similar enemy known as Arm-Mimic, known as Hollow Mimic in the Nintendo Switch remake, essentially acts as a stronger version of a Shy Guy. In the remake, a figure of a Shy Guy can be won in the Trendy Game after clearing the Face Shrine and placed in the Quadruples' house. The text that appears upon acquiring the figure reads, "You got a Shy Guy figure! Just don't ask what's underneath the mask."

Sonic Lost World
Shy Guys appear as enemies in Sonic Lost World in the "Yoshi's Island Zone" DLC level, released for free to owners of the Wii U version.

Minecraft
In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, a Shy Guy appears as a playable skin. Endermen are replaced by Stilt Guys, and Ender Pearls and Eye of Enders are replaced by Shy Guy masks.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, some areas in Spooky Trails are scattered with bureaus and bookshelves that are frontally decorated with Shy Guy masks.

Allegiance
Shy Guys first appear in Super Mario Bros. 2, where they are minions of the mischievous Wart. However, in subsequent titles, they are members of the Koopa Troop.

Shy Guys have also been seen working for other villains, such as Smithy. There are Shy Guys that act as allies, such as the White Shy Guys in Yoshi's Story, who are allies of Yoshis. Also, friendly Shy Guys appear in various spin-offs without any interest of taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. It can be assumed that Shy Guys do not all share the same allegiance.

Physical appearance
All Shy Guys (with the minor exception of some Shy Guys from Mario Strikers Charged) wear robes that can be red, pink, blue, light blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, black, gray, or white. However, in some games such as the Mario Party series, red Shy Guys are the only color variety seen. They are all fairly short and wear masks with holes on them that represent eyes and a mouth. It is unknown what is behind these masks. However, in Shy Guy's trophy celebration movie in Mario Power Tennis, after Shy Guy trips on one of the steps, his mask falls off, and Luigi sees his face without his mask on and is shocked at the sight. The Shy Guy then quickly puts the mask back on and picks the trophy up, showing it to the audience. Sometimes, when Shy Guy's mask falls off, what appears to be a mask strap tends to stay on its head. Also, in Luigi's Mansion, Luigi can use the Poltergust 3000 to pull a mask off a Ghost Guy. Ghost Guys do not have eyes on their masks, but their faces are completely black with two glowing yellow eyes where the mask's eyes would be. It is unknown whether this is what a Shy Guy's face looks like when it is alive, as they, like the game's other generic ghosts, were imitations created by Vincent Van Gore. Additionally, in Paper Mario: Color Splash, a Shy Guy in the Golden Coliseum says that Mario would make a terrible Shy Guy because he has a face, suggesting that Shy Guys do not have a face.

It is also possible that the Shy Guys' so-called "masks" are not masks at all, but rather faces. In Yoshi's Island DS, the sleeping Shy Guy's mask eye holes are closed, supporting this. Also, the Bandit variant of Shy Guy have been shown to have the ability to change the expressions on their masks as if they were their actual faces. The picture that is shown when Bandit wins in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Mini-Battles even suggests that he is able to stick out his tongue. Also, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ' s Shy Guys' eye holes comically spin when the Shy Guy is confused, much like people's eyes do in cartoon gags; the Shy Guys of Super Mario RPG are also able to blush on their masks. Spear Guys and Dancing Spear Guys are perfectly capable of moving their mouth holes when chanting and singing, as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island shows, while Boo Guys are shown regularly changing their expressions and blinking. Most recently, in Mario Strikers Charged, Shy Guys have been shown to yet again be perfectly able to change the expressions on their masks.

Some early Super Mario Bros. 2 artwork of Shy Guys, as well as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, depicted Shy Guys as wearing mask-like badges depicting an angry face, similar to that of Phanto. It is unknown what this badge represents, but it is possible that it is an emblem of the 8 bits. Another Shy Guy-related element seen only in Super Mario Bros. 2. and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! are also notable for using game artwork of the earliest forms of Shy Guys, making them tall, stout, and human-like; however, the appearance of Shy Guys was later redesigned to their in-game sprite appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2.

In the first few episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Shy Guys were depicted as being similar in appearance to their game counterparts, though with one large exception - their masks possessed only two holes. They only had eye holes perpetually in a scowling position. Later episodes of the show have Shy Guys resembling their game versions more with three holes in their mask, all of which were perfectly circular.

Even though Shy Guys appear to be short, squat humanoids, they are shown to have stick-like legs under their robes in the game Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Their legs can also be seen in Mario Kart 8 when winning first place in a race or while performing certain tricks.

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, a Shy Guy in Spring of Jungle Mist implies that Shy Guys have very short necks that make it difficult to look up.

Although Shy Guys generally do not wear much else besides their masks and robes, there are a few instances where they wore additional items. An example of this is in Mario Kart Tour, where a Shy Guy wears a pastry chef hat and a red neckerchief, carrying a whisk.

Color variations
Much like Yoshis and Birdos, Shy Guys come in many different colors. The following is a list of all known Shy Guys and the first appearance of said Shy Guy.

Quotes

 * Tee hee hee hee! Welcome to Shy Guy's Shop. Too bad I'm not gonna sell anything to you, Mario! - Paper Mario
 * Waaah! Help me! - Paper Mario
 * Yes, sir!!!!! - Paper Mario
 * HURRY! HURRY! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD AND PURE, HUUUUUURRY! - Mario Super Sluggers
 * Shoo-rah! - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
 * Sweet! I came in first! I'm the Superstar! It's winner take all, and I'm the winner, so... I'll be taking those Mini Stars now! (...I can't let you have Bowser's Mini Stars.) Later! - Mario Party 9
 * Once smitten, twice shy... - Paper Mario: Color Splash
 * Who knows what happens if you take me with you. - Super Mario Party

Mario Power Tennis
Bio: Shy Guy's proud of his finely-honed style and loves to surprise people who underestimate him because of his height.
 * Offensive Power Shot: Lightning Spear
 * Defensive Power Shot: Spear Dance Return
 * Doubles Partner: Boo

Mario Kart 7

 * Class: Feather
 * Stat Boosts
 * Speed: 3
 * Acceleration: 4
 * Weight: 2.25
 * Handling: 3
 * Off-Road: 4
 * Website bios:
 * Flag of USA.png He may be hiding behind a red robe and mask, but Shy Guy really loves to show off his love of racing.
 * Flag of Europe.png The diminutive Shy Guy won’t be bullying the big boys, but his light frame does make for superb handling.