Boo Guy

A Boo Guy is a type of Shy Guy ghost that first appeared in the game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. As its name suggests, a Boo Guy looks like a cross between a Boo and a Shy Guy. These ghosts greatly resemble the average Shy Guy, although Boo Guys are completely pale and lack feet. Instead of feet, Boo Guys have a wispy tail similar to a Boo. As such, Boo Guys have the ability to hover just above the ground in order to move around. Presumably, Boo Guys are the spirits of deceased Shy Guys, although it is possible these ghosts are created independently of a creature’s death (as Boos themselves may not be the ghosts of the deceased, but simply an undead species capable of an unknown means of reproduction). Like Shy Guys, Boo Guys are individually weak, but can prove to be a threat in large numbers, especially since Boo Guys have shown the ability to organize and strategize with others of their kind, as well as operate advanced machinery. It is also possible these ghosts are directly related to Boos, given their similar names.

Like their corporeal counterparts, Boo Guys were allied with Kamek and Baby Bowser’s early Koopa Troop during the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. As such, these ghosts attempted to damage members of the Yoshi clan in order to give Kamek’s Toadies the opportunity to capture Baby Mario. Like Shy Guys, Boo Guys emerged from various pipes located around Yoshi’s Island. They wandered around back and forth to attack the dinosaurs, as did their living counterparts. Boo Guys could easily be destroyed by any attack, including the common stomp attack. Since Boo Guys often continuously emerged from pipes, the Yoshis could eat and swallow the ghosts to refill their egg supplies. Some Boo Guys were stationed inside castles, operating mechanical traps designed to stop Yoshi and his friends. These Boo Guys hid in the walls and ceilings of the castle, and thus could not be defeated by any attack.

Individual Boo Guys operated spiked balls attached to chains. When a Boo Guy spotted a Yoshi, the ghost would drop the spiked ball from the ceiling, hoping to crush the dinosaur. However, the Yoshi would have to be directly under the spiked ball for the attack to be effective, and the Boo Guys tended to simply drop their spiked ball continuously, instead of dropping the weapon at the most opportune moment. Since the weapon was heavy, it would take some time for the Boo Guy to pull the ball up to attempt another attack, allowing the Yoshis to pass safely underneath the weapon. This was the only way to get past these weapons, as the chain itself would actually damage the heroic dinosaurs. Groups of Boo Guys could operate a much more menacing device – a long, spiked weapon that revolved in a circular path. Again, timing was key. Since the Boo Guys operated the weapon at a constant pace, the dinosaurs could time their jumps to pass over or under the dangerous spikes. Lastly, some Boo Guys were stationed in long rows in the ceilings of castles. The chain of ghosts would pass a missile from one Boo Guy to the next, dropping the missile when a Yoshi came close by underneath. Interestingly, the Boo Guys would only pass one missile at a time, and would only bring out a new weapon when the previous missile had exploded. With fancy footwork, the dinosaurs could avoid the dropping missiles, although at times this proved to be difficult. Fortunately, a Yoshi could perform a Ground Pound to force the Boo Guy currently holding the missile to accidentally drop the weapon, causing the explosive to detonate on the ground below. This would also visibly shock all the Boo Guys in the chain. After dropping the missile, the unfortunate Boo Guy would eventually hang its head down in shame, while the other ghosts shook their heads in disappointment. This act would give the Yoshis enough time to pass underneath the row of Boo Guys before they grabbed their next missile and began passing the explosive down the line.

Although the history of Mario’s world is hotly debated, the Boo Guys next chronological appearance appears to be in Yoshi's Island DS. Boo Guys remained relatively unchanged from their SMW2 versions. However, in this game, Boo Guys were allied with King Bowser, the grown-up Baby Bowser, who had traveled back in time to the Yoshi’s Island of the past in order to capture the Star Children and use their power to take over the world. As before, Boo Guys attacked members of the Yoshi clan to make the dinosaurs drop their babies, be it Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby DK, Baby Wario, or Baby Bowser (who the Boo Guys coincidentally worked for just prior to the events of this game). Once dropped, the future Kamek’s Toadies would attempt to capture the crying Star Child and bring it before King Bowser. It is unknown if these Boo Guys traveled with Bowser from the future, or existed in the past and allied themselves with the Koopa king when he arrived in their time.

Boo Guys reappeared in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. In this game, Boo Guys resided in Toadwood Forest, a region of the Mushroom Kingdom. Boo Guys appear unaffiliated in this game, and would attack trespassers of the forest. During the events of the game, Mario and Luigi traveled back in time to the Toadwood Forest that existed during the Shroob invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom. The heroic plumbers had to fight past many Boo Guys in order to investigate the Shroob’s Vim Factory located in the heart of the forest. Instead of wandering around aimlessly or operating machinery, these Boo Guys attacked by rolling into Mario or Luigi. However, before a Boo Guy attacked, the ghost would split into two transparent copies: one real, one fake. Only the real Boo Guy could harm Mario or Luigi. Thankfully, the real Boo Guy would point to the Mario brother it would attack, meaning the brothers should not have been caught off guard by the illusionary Boo Guy. Ghoul Guys, stronger versions of the Boo Guys, appeared in the bowels of Shroob Castle, the Shroobified version of Princess Peach's Castle. These powerful ghosts proved to be tough opponents for the Mario Bros., much more so than the Boo Guys.

Close Relatives

 * Shy Guy – Super Mario Bros. 2
 * Ghoul Guy – Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
 * Boo (possible) – Super Mario Bros. 3

Trivia

 * To date, Boo Guys have only appeared in games that chronologically take place when the Mario Bros. are babies.
 * Boo Guys are not to be confused with Shy Guy ghosts, another type of undead Shy Guy that appeared in the game Luigi's Mansion.