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 (referred to as simply Gophers in the Super Mario World cartoon) are enemies that appear in several Mario games, including a few sidescrollers such as Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U. They later reappear in Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, and other recent titles. In these games, Monty Moles throw rocks at Mario and quickly burrow underground.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Although Monty Moles are not present in the original version of Super Mario Bros. 3, in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the king of Iced Land is turned into a Monty Mole by Lemmy Koopa. Monty Moles also appear as enemies in a World-e level called Ground Work. Additionally, Rocky Wrenches, which are present in this game, would later be redesigned to look like Monty Moles.

Super Mario World
Super Mario World features Monty Moles that pop out of random spots in the ground to surprise Mario or Luigi. They will then chase after him persistently or walk and hop occasionally. The game also features Mega Moles, giant Monty Moles that Mario can actually ride on to get across obstacles, but can still be hit by one. Monty Moles can be defeated by any attack method. In one artwork, they appear to be wearing sunglasses, as well as having a short, gopher-like nose, though in, they have visible, squinting eyes and long, mole-like noses. This game's graphics seem to depict the latter, though the jumping sprite depicts a slight split in the lip; further games typically used either one of these artworks as a design up until the redesign in Super Mario 64 DS.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Monty Moles appear in Hazy Maze Cave in 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 the toxic maze, though they remain outside of the Toxic Cloud. They also appear in a section of Tall Tall Mountain. Monty Moles in this game act similar to Rocky Wrenches, albeit throwing rocks instead of wrenches.

In the original game, they use their squinting design from Super Mario World, but with an added pair of pronounced teeth, and somewhat larger limbs. In the remake, they receive a redesign, consolidating the two designs from the Super Mario World artworks, with a small amount of influence from the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine designs. From the "sunglasses" artwork, they get the smooth, cheekless head sides, white upper lip, and small nose; from the other Super Mario World artwork, they get the distinct squint; from the Super Mario 64 design, they get the visible teeth, though the number is reduced to one; from the Super Mario Sunshine design, they get the wideness of the upper lip. This design would become the standard design for later games.

Super Mario Sunshine
Two Monty Moles (or possibly the same mole twice) appear in Super Mario Sunshine, in Pinna Park and Noki Bay. They are at the helm of large, red, dome-shaped cannons, firing Bullet Bills at Mario in the former, and Glorpedo down the cliffside in the latter. When Mario approaches the moles, they stop firing and toss Bob-ombs at him. They can be disabled using F.L.U.D.D., and tossing a Bob-omb at the moles three times defeats them. In this game, they have much lankier arms than usual, a more bright orange color, a smaller white patch, and green hats. The contours of the eyes behind their squint is also visible if examined closely enough.

The mole at Pinna Park is found in the episode The Beach Cannon's Secret at the far end of the beach past the Great Sunflower. After Mario defeats it, he is able to jump into the cannon and access a secret course to get the Shine Sprite. A Pianta repairman replaces the Monty Mole from Episode 3 onward. In Noki Bay, the Monty Mole can be fought and defeated which rewards Mario with a Shine Sprite.

The manning of war machinery may be a throwback to Rocky Wrenches, who manned all the machines in Super Mario Bros 3.

New Super Mario Bros.
Monty Tank, a Monty Mole that rides a tank, is the boss of the World 6-Castle in New Super Mario Bros.. The Monty Tank fires Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs. Mario or Luigi can defeat it by either jumping on its head three times when it comes out to throw a Bob-omb or by hitting it with fireballs. When jumped on, it will spin around its tank and shoot many Bullet Bills and gain another Bill Blaster.

Monty Moles also appear in a minigame titled "Whack-a-Monty" where the player has to tap as many Monty Moles as they can in a certain amount of time. The player will gain one point for each mole whacked and will lose three if they tap on Luigi.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Monty Moles only appear in World 6-4. 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 charge into them. Kamek can also turn platforms into Monty Moles during his fight with Mario in.

Super Mario 3D Land
Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario 3D Land. They only appear in 5-4, a cave level. This is their first appearance in a 3D game where they are found outside the ground and can run. They patrol the area and attack Mario if he gets in their way. They can be defeated with a single stomp. A new larger variant known as Morty Moles appear, appearing in World 5-4 and 7-4, and must be stomped twice to be defeated.

New Super Mario Bros. U
After an absence in New Super Mario Bros. 2, Monty Moles once again appear in New Super Mario Bros. U. They act the same as in previous games. They only appear in the levels Yoshi Hill and Magma-River Cruise.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies. They function the same as previous games. In the Course Maker, they are made by shaking a Rocky Wrench. They can be placed on or inside the ground (the latter of which will make them climb up and pop out if the player gets close. They can be enlarged by a Super Mushroom or given wings (the former will turn them into a Mega Mole and the latter will make them jump around while running, similar to a Paragoomba). They can be placed in Blocks, Pipes, Bill Blasters, and on tracks.

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 World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land
In the interactive OVA Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land, after Iggy's horde of Koopa Troopas, Rexes, and Chargin' Chucks is defeated by Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, he summons a group of Monty Moles and Koopa Paratroopas. They are quickly disposed of when Yoshi swallows a Green Shell and breathes fire on them.

Super Mario Adventures comic
In the Super Mario Adventures comic, several Monty Moles are sent by Bowser to attack Princess Toadstool's palace. 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.

Hotel Mario
In Hotel Mario, Monty Moles make an appearance in Larry's Chillton Hotel. They dig out of the thin floors, and then start sliding towards Mario. They will hit the wall, get dizzy for a moment, and then proceed with their antics again.

Super Mario Kart
Monty Moles are obstacles in Super Mario Kart, in Donut Plains 2 and Donut Plains 3. If a racer runs into one, it will attach itself to the player, which causes them to slow down and drop coins. The player must hop repeatedly in order to knock them away.

Mario Kart 64
Monty Moles appear in Moo Moo Farm of Mario Kart 64 as obstacles. The instruction booklet refers to each of them as a Chubby rather than Monty Mole. This seems to be a mistransliteration of the Japanese name, Choropū.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, they are referred to by their usual name, and mainly appear in N64 Moo Moo Farm.

In the Mario Kart DS Mission 3-6, the player's task is to hit five Monty Moles.

Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii, they appear in Moo Moo Meadows and also appear as audience members in other courses. They also appear as stationary obstacles in DS Peach Gardens.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
SNES Donut Plains 3 and Wii Moo Moo Meadows return in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, bringing along the Monty Moles with them. They act as stationary obstacles as in most Mario Kart games, but will now dig around for some time before popping up. This changes the gameplay of SNES Donut Plains 3 from the original version in Super Mario Kart where they would attach themselves to drivers who drove into them. In Animal Crossing from the Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack, Mr. Resetti replaces Monty Moles to fit with the theme of the course. The trails that the Monty Moles leave can be used to perform tricks.

Paper Mario
During the events of Paper Mario, Monty Moles appear at Mt. Rugged, where they either pop halfway out of the ground and throw rocks at Mario, or pop all the way out and chase him. In battle, they are always found halfway-underground, and attack Mario by throwing rocks at him. 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. Stronger, green Monty Moles can also be found in Flower Fields. They are also known as "Monty Moles"; however, the Japanese version of the game gave them a different name from the regular Monty Moles.

Super Paper Mario
Monty Moles were going to appear in Super Paper Mario, but were taken out for unknown reasons. Similar to their behavior in the overworld of the first Paper Mario, they would have attacked Mario by popping out of holes in the wall (like in Super Mario World) and throwing rocks (like in Super Mario 64). The graphics use a higher-resolution version of their Paper Mario design.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
A crowned purple Monty Mole boss was intended to appear in a pre-release screenshot of Paper Mario: Sticker Star, but was taken out of the final game. However, Rocky Wrenches appear in the game.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Monty Moles are actually portrayed as friendly creatures in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its 3DS remake, where 11 of them can be found in well hidden locations throughout the game. If Mario and Luigi reach a Monty Mole's chamber, it gives them a prize of some sort, such as items, clothing, or badges. The Monty Moles in the game are yellow in color, have the shades, hair, and mouths of Mega Moles, and wear red bow ties; in the remake, they retain their normal appearance, but still have the bow ties. The exact location for where each Monty Mole can be found is listed below.

Monty Mole #1

Prerequisite: Bros. Hand Power Moves

Reward: Golden Mushroom

Location: When the brothers use the Firebrand Dash to knock over the Turtle in Hoohoo Village, they will find this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #2

Prerequisite: Ultra Hammers

Reward: Max Nut

Location: On the base of Hoohoo Mountain, by the entrance to Guffawha Ruins, the brothers can use their Ultra Hammers to smash the black rocks in the way, ultimately leading them to this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #3

Prerequisite: Bros. Hammer Moves

Reward: Golden Mushroom

Location: In the Beanbean Outskirts, just west of the entrance to Beanbean Castle Town, the brothers will find a fence that Luigi can burrow under after performing a Luigi Dunk. Once Luigi pops out of the ground from the other side, he can enter the cave ahead and then complete the following sidescrolling course to find this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #4

Prerequisite: Hand Powers

Reward: Red Pepper, Green Pepper

Location: In the Beanbean Outskirts, just south of the entrance to Teehee Valley, the brothers can find a hidden section from the northeast corner of the area. In this section, Mario can drink from the water spout and then Luigi can tickle Mario from behind in front of each of the six plant roots. This will cause Luigi to eject Mario's water onto each of the roots in order to grow them into flat trees that can be High Jumped on. One of these trees will lead to this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #5

Prerequisite: Bros. Hammer Moves

Reward: 1-Up Mushroom

Location: In the Beanbean Outskirts, just south of the entrance to Teehee Valley, the brothers can find a cave on the northwest corner of the area. Once inside the cave, Luigi can hammer Mario into Mini-Mario to allow him to pass through the small hole ahead. From here, Mini-Mario can complete the following sidescrolling course to find this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #6

Prerequisite: Bros. Hammer Moves

Reward: High-End Badge

Location: From Monty Mole #5, Mini-Mario can backtrack to the last moving platform and use it to reach the overhead path. Mini-Mario can continue to follow this path eastward, ultimately leading to this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #7

Prerequisite: Hand Powers

Reward: Wool Trousers

Location: In the Beanbean Outskirts, just south of the entrance to Yoshi Theater, the brothers will find an electrical orb that can be ignited with Luigi's Thunderhand Power. Doing so will allow the brothers to access a cave, in which they use Simu-Blocks to create bridges in order to reach this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #8

Prerequisite: Bros. Hand Power Moves

Reward: Iron Pants

Location: In the Beanbean Outskirts, west of the area south of the entrance to Teehee Valley, the brothers can undergo a series of obstacle courses, ultimately leading them to the next area on the west, where a cave awaits them at the end. Once inside the cave, Luigi can hammer Mario into Mini-Mario to allow him to pass through the small hole ahead. From here, Mini-Mario can complete the following sidescrolling course to find this Monty Mole.

Monty Mole #9

Prerequisite: Ultra Hammers

Reward: 1-Up Super

Location: With Mario using his Luigi surfboard, the brothers can travel to the northwest corner of the Oho Ocean surface and fall into the whirlpool. Once in the seabed, the brothers can swim south and find a yellow pipe on the west that will take them to an island above the ocean surface. This Monty Mole can be found on the island.

Monty Mole #10

Prerequisite: Ultra Hammers

Reward: Red Pepper, Green Pepper

Location: In Joke's End, where the very first Save Album is located, the brothers can travel west into a hidden area and use their Spin Jump to allow the moving whirlwind to guide them west through the air. At the end of the flight, this Monty Mole can be found.

Monty Mole #11

Prerequisite: Access to Bowser's Castle at the end of the game

Reward: 1-Up Super

Location: In the area of Bowser's Castle where there are moving whirlwinds across the lava pool below, the brothers can continue east past the door to Lemmy Koopa's room, where the lava pool resumes and another moving whirlwind can be found. The brothers can use this whirlwind to guide them east through the air. At the end of the flight, this Monty Mole can be found.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Monty Moles appear 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 called the Monty Mart. 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 five Monty Moles, called the Monty Bros., appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. 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 has to finish their duties.

The Monty Bros. later reappear in the Treasure Chamber in Bowser's Castle, 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.

Fawful-themed Monty Mole enemies called Mawful Moles and a Metal Mawful Moles can be also be found in this game.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Monty Moles also make an enemy appearance in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Here, they act as support enemies for Bowser Jr. during his battle at the end of the Battle Ring's Battle Medley, repairing the Junior Clown Car after it explodes.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Monty Moles appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam as an enemy. They battle in holes that were dug out of the ground. They also have a similar attack pattern as Mawful Moles in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. They are encountered in Sunbeam Plains and later the haunted area of Gloomy Woods.

Mario Golf
In Mario Golf, if the player successfully putts the ball into the hole from a long distance and scores under par, a Monty Mole may pop out of the hole.

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.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Monty Moles appear in Mario Golf: World Tour. Many Monty Moles appear in the Castle Club mode as NPC characters. Two very large Monty Moles appear in Hole 7 of Wiggler Park. If the player hits them with the ball, they will burrow into the ground. Their name can also appear on the tournament scoreboard.

Mario Superstar Baseball
Monty Mole also appears in Mario Superstar Baseball as an unlockable character for the first time. 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 are Monty Moles with yellow cheeks. He is a Speedy character with fast running, weak batting and pitching and average fielding.

Mario Super Sluggers
In the sequel Mario Super Sluggers, Monty Mole maintains its position as a member of Mario's team. While its best stat continues to be speed, its other stats are slightly below average. Monty Mole has good chemistry with Shy Guy, Goomba and Paragoomba, and doesn't have any bad chemistry with any other character.

Mario Party 3
A Monty Mole appears in Woody Woods in Mario Party 3. It switches the direction players can move on certain pathways every turn. This Monty Mole wears sunglasses and can be found in an Army hut-like structure with a flag depicting its face. For 5 coins, it will switch the signs from one direction to another. It will appear out of any of three holes scattered across the board, depending on where it is summoned via speaking to it in its hut or landing on a Happening Space.

Mario Party 5
In Mario Party 5, Monty Moles appear in the minigame Flatiator. They appear out of the ground to obstruct the team players while avoiding the single player. The one player on the ball can simply roll over them. One also appears in Pirate Dream hosting a board event.

Mario Party 6
In Mario Party 6, Monty Moles are in the minigame Mole-it!, where the players earn points by hitting them when they pop out of the pipes. During the day, the pipes are on the ceiling, and at night, they are on the ground. Hitting a normal Monty Mole earn a team one point, and a golden Monty Mole gives the team three.

Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, a Monty Mole appears on the board Pyramid Park. It 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 Moles make another party appearance in Mario Party 8. This time they appear in the minigame Crops 'n' Robbers where one player has to whack Monty Moles that are in the holes, so the players can gain way. The other player has to collect the carrots to win the game. A Monty Mole also appears in the bonus minigame Moped Mayhem.

Mario Party Advance
A Monty Mole appears as a character in the Town Area of Shroom City in Mario Party Advance.

Mario Party DS
Monty Moles appear again in Mario Party DS as owners of the shops. Once players enter the Warp Pipe, they can buy items from it. Monty Moles also appear in the minigame Mole Thrill. In this minigame, players have to dig with their partner through the dirt, while staying ahead of the mole.

Mario Party 9
In Mario Party 9, Monty Moles appear in the minigame Plunder Ground. They hold and shuffle the treasure chests the players try to earn points from. They also appear out of the holes in the minigame Hole Hogs. In addition, Monty Moles also have a constellation, named "Hello Mole." Monty Moles appear in Magma Mine as props.

Mario Party: Island Tour
Monty Moles reappear in Mario Party: Island Tour for the Nintendo 3DS. They appear in the background of the minigames Match Faker and Tap Dash.

Mario Party 10
A Mega Monty Mole appears as the mid-boss of Airship Central in Mario Party 10. He appears in the minigame Mega Monty Mole's Maze Mischief.

Mario Strikers Charged
Monty Moles are a sidekick in Mario Strikers Charged. 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. In this game, they have headlights, something that is never seen in any other game they appeared in.

Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, a single Monty Mole can be seen as a spectator, cheering on the players when they play at Western Junction.

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.

Yoshi's Woolly World
Monty Moles appear as an enemy in Yoshi's Woolly World. They either burrow around underground (usually under carpets) or they can pop out of the wall, Yoshi can defeat them with a Yarn Ball, stomping on them, or eating them. There is also a boss called Big Montgomery, which is a bigger Monty Mole that appears as the mid-boss of Worlds 1, 3, and 5. Monty Mole Patches are also found in Yoshi's Woolly World. They are 8-bit Monty Moles that, when unravelled, will start chasing the player like a normal mole.

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 Super Sluggers

 * Team Captain: No
 * Player Type: Speed
 * Special Skill: Burrow
 * Good Chemistry: Brown Mii, Goomba, Paragoomba, Shy Guy
 * Bad Chemistry: None
 * 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.

Mario Strikers Charged

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


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

Trivia

 * The box art of the game NES Open Tournament Golf depicts what resembles a Monty Mole, though much smaller.
 * Monty Mole is a name that can appear on the score board in the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Golf.