Chain Chomp

"Ruff! Ruff! (I'm gonna steal coins or stars just for you!)"

- Chain Chomp

A Chain Chomp (or Chomp) is a common enemy in the Mushroom Kingdom, first appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3. They resemble ball and chains, and behave in a very dog like manner, to the point where they even bark and whimper. They are a strong but unintelligent species, and are commonly used as guard dogs in most games; in fact, as proven by the ancient statues of them in the Dry Dry Ruins, they have been used for centuries. Many Chomps in the Mario series have been part of the Koopa Troop, though a couple of Chomps have been shown to be independent.

''Super Mario Bros. 3
Chain Chomps first appearance was in World 2-5 of Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom as Chain Chomps, along with their relatives, the fire-spitting flying Fire Chomps. When the timer hits 160 seconds, all Chain Chomps come loose and aren't bound by chains. It has returned in the remake, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.

There are three ways to defeat Chain Chomps in this game: using a Starman, throwing a Koopa Shell or a hammer at it as Hammer Mario.

''Super Mario 64
In Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS, a giant Chain Chomp can be found in Bob-omb Battlefield, guarding a jail cell containing a Power Star. Chain Chomp is attached to a wooden stake, and he will lunge at Mario if the plumber gets too close. He can be temporarily immobilized by hitting him with a Bob-omb or a small box. In order to obtain the Star that Chain Chomp guards, Mario must ground-pound Chomp's pole three times to break the chain. Poor Chomp will panic and eventually leap over the jail cell and out of sight, smashing the jail cell open in the process and allowing Mario to reach the Star.

In this game the Chomp acquired its famous bark, which was used in later games.

''Super Mario Sunshine
Small puppy-like Chain Chomps called Chain Chomplets as well as a large Red Chomp appear in Pianta Village in Super Mario Sunshine. The large Chomp was overheated and very angry, so Mario had to spray it with FLUDD to cool it off. This was only temporary, however, as the Chain Chomp would soon get angry and flare up again. Mario had to drag it by its chain to the Pianta Spring where it cooled off completely and awarded Mario a Shine Sprite. Unlike most other Chain Chomps, this one has a scar on the left side of its face.

''New Super Mario Bros.
Chain Chomps appeared as extremely rare enemies in New Super Mario Bros.. In fact, there was only a single level they appear in, 6-6, and there are only 3 of them. In this game, Chomps had their usual bark and lunging attack, and weaknesses, Koopa Shells and stars. They had a new weakness, the new Mega Mushroom. They are also "defeated" by pounding the post 3 times. This also releases 3 coins. The last post can also be used to reach 6 coins and a 1-up, and the second one has a Star Coin. Oddly, the post still stays if the Chain Chomp is defeated with a shell, Star, or Mega Mushroom, allowing Mario or Luigi to still ground pound it 3 times and get 3 coins.

''Super Mario Galaxy
Chain Chomps in Super Mario Galaxy are referred to as just "Chomps" since they are without their chains and attack by rolling around on the ground towards Mario or Luigi. The only way they can be destroyed is with a Rainbow Star, in 2-P mode, where one player can hold one Chomp's back still while the other player Spins it in the front, or making 2 Chomps crash into each other, which will make them explode into many Star Bits. Bob-ombing them also works There was one particular golden Chomp that, when defeated with a nearby Rainbow Star, released a Power Star. It's located in the Gusty Garden Galaxy.

''New Super Mario Bros. Wii
The Chain Chomp makes its return in the game New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It is seen as a pulley for Iggy, one of Bowser's children. Every time Iggy is hit by Mario, it angers like it did in Super Mario Sunshine and goes on a short rampage. Chain Chomps also appear in World 7-2. In this stage, they are attached to a wooden stake, and Mario can free it by doing what he did in Super Mario 64; ground pounding the stake 3 times. Chain Chomps can also be defeated by running on it with a Starman.

''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Chain Chomps made several appearances in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, appearing in such episodes as "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "The Venice Menace".

''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bowser uses a small Chain Chomp (referred to as simply Chomp in this game) as a weapon. There are also Chomp Chomps which are about as powerful as the game's first Smithy Gang boss, Mack. Kinklinks are Chomps used to hold chandeliers in Bowser's Keep. Actual Chomps first appear as guards in Booster Tower. In battle, Chomps could use skills like Iron Maiden and Carni Kiss. Chomps had possessed no strengths and a weakness to thunder attacks. They have good defense, in fact, their defense exceeds their attack power. Since they are bound to a stake, Mario could easily flee from the battle.

''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Chain Chomps first appeared chronologically in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for the Super Nintendo. Two subspecies, Chomp Sharks and Incoming Chomps, were appeared devoid of their chains and having increased to the massive size they retained in many future games. Chomp Rocks also made an appearance and were powerful objects or obstacles. They look just like smaller, rocky Chomp Heads. A single, "normal" Chomp also appears in a room in the exact beginning of Sluggy the Unshaven's Fort. This specific Chain-Chomp could be only defeated by using a POW Block. Defeating him would allow access to a room with an Hint Block in it.

Chain Chomps in this game are used as a special obstacle. The Incoming Chomps will fall into the ground on certain levels and make a bottomless pit. If one falls on Yoshi, Baby Mario will not fall off Yoshi's back, instead, Yoshi will be pushed into the newly created pit. Chomp Sharks will, instead of trying to crush Yoshi, start chasing him for a short while during some levels.

''Yoshi's Story
Chain Chomps appear as invincible enemies in Yoshi's Story, resembling the Chomp Shark. These are the first to actually be called simply Chomps. They only appeared in one of the huts on Stage 4-1: Jungle Hut.

''Yoshi's Island DS
Yoshi's Island DS introduced another new sub-species, Stompin' Chomps, which main method of attacking is bouncing around the stage, trying to squash Yoshi. They usually appear in groups.

''Mario Kart 64
In Mario Kart 64, three Chain Chomps appear on the Rainbow Road track where they travel at road level in the opposite direction of the racers in a regular zig-zag pattern. If touched, the driver will be sent flying up.

''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, a Chain Chomp is a usable item for Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, as well as Petey Piranha and King Boo, who have the ability to receive any other character's special item. It pulls the racers forward for a few seconds and bowls over other racers in its path, while a special tune plays. After a certain amount of time, it abandons the vehicle and goes of on its own in a straight line until it runs into a vehicle or off the course. Bigger Chain Chomps also appear as obstacles on the Mario Circuit and Luigi Circuit tracks.

''Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, Chain Chomps appear in the original Luigi Circuit racetrack from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and the new course Peach Gardens. The latter level has a lot of stray Chain Chomps with item boxes behind them, but they have no chains. Actually, the only Chain Chomps at Peach Gardens are stray ones. This is probably a nod to the Japanese Manga, where Peach has Chain Chomps guarding her castle. The Chain Chomp was going to be an item, but was replaced in favor of the Bullet Bill. In mission 2-4, Luigi has to get 15 coins at Luigi Circuit, avoiding the Chain Chomp that is now on the middle of the track. Also, in mission 5-1, Peach had to race one lap at Peach Gardens and beat a stray Chain Chomp, while a remix of the Chain Chomp Theme from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! plays. Also the Mario Kart DS Chain Chomps don't chomp their mouths like a regular Chain Chomp. Their mouths stay open at all times. However, the player can't go into their mouths.

''Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii a chained-up Chain Chomp appears at Mario Circuit, while stray ones reappear at the returning Peach Gardens. They also return in the Mario Circuit from Double Dash. The stray ones now have small chains that hold the Item Boxes together, and do not bounce on the ground. Another Chain Chomp (an Incoming Chomp to be exact) appears in Chain Chomp Roulette, a large roulette wheel in which the Chomp rolls around flattening any racer in it's path.

''Paper Mario
A single Chain Chomp, nicknamed Chompy, appeared in Paper Mario in the Dry Dry Ruins. He was in fact a pet of the ghost Tutankoopa and fought alongside him as the boss of Chapter 2. Stone Chomps also appeared at several places inside the Dry Dry Ruins.

''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door features two types of Chain Chomps: Red Chomps, which appear in Glitzville, and traditional Chain Chomps, appearing in the Palace of Shadow. Both types are found in the Pit of 100 Trials. There are also a new fish-like sub-species that attack Mario whenever he falls in water, which are called Nibbles.

''Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, Francis had a pet Chain Chomp in his basement. Also, the guardian of The Underwhere was a "three-headed" Chain Chomp called Underchomp (it was actually three Chain Chomps, each of a different color).

Mario Party series
Chain Chomps have also made appearances in the Mario Party series. Their first appearance was in Mario Party 3 as a partner in Duel Mode. They also appear in a mini-game called Merry-Go-Chomp. In Mario Party 4 an item called a Chomp Call was introduced in which a Chain Chomp was called to move the location of the Star. Later in the series, they take the role of Boos and steal Stars or coins with their own Orb.

Starting in Mario Party 6, there have been boards in most of the games where players steal stars from opponents by buying Chain Chomps to attack with. In Mario Party 8, there is a minigame in the Extra Zone where the player has to feed Chain Chomps the correct food or they will chase him. There is another minigame in the Minigame tent called At the Chomp Wash.

''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour features a couple of holes where a Chain Chomp devours any ball that enters the hole, wasting two turns.

''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, two Chain Chomp enemies appear. In one area at Woohoo Hooniversity, Mecha-Chomps, dog-like mechanical Chomps, appear. The Chomp Bros., a variation of the Hammer Bros. that swing small Chomps as weapons, appear in Bowser's Castle.

''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the Pocket Chomp is a Bros. Item. At first it appears to be a small Chomp in a Mario Party-like orb, but when released it more than triples in size and chases the brothers across the screen, forcing them to Jump on any enemy in their wake. Occasionaly, a Chomp with a ribbon on its head will appear, and go slower than a normal one. This is likely implying it is female. The Pocket Chomps do slightly bark, but it sounds more of the bark in Super Mario 64 and its remake than recent games like Mario Party 7. A Chain Chomp also directs Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi into the castle sewers. It was later fought, and the group hit blocks to shoot lasers at it. When it had one energy left, it split into five, and the real one was noticed because the copies chomped slower, allowing the Bros. to destroy it, and letting go the block the Chain Chomp had eaten. There are also Shroob versions of regular Chomps used by the Elder Princess Shroob in battle.

''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Chain Chomps appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story as slaves of Fawful, being called Chain Chawful. A Fawful-like sworm is found inside them, forcing them to fight for Fawful. If Bowser can swallow the sworm, then the Chain Chomp will turn back to normal and run away. They also appear in the fight with Junker and Junker X when Mario or Luigi defeat a Junker Can.

''Mario Power Tennis
In Mario Power Tennis there is a mini-game that takes place in the Wario Factory Court featuring Chain Chomps. If pelted with water, it would go to sleep or calm down, but if struck with a Bob-omb, it would wake up, get really mad, or chase the player. When a tennis ball is shot at it, the player gets a point.

''Mario Superstar Baseball
Three Chain Chomps also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball as a obstacle in the foul line in the Wario Palace field. One also appeared in the "Chain Chomp Sprint" minigame, that sleeps in the center of the bases, and if anyone is still running around the bases it will ram into them, causing them to be out for a few seconds.

''Mario Super Sluggers
In Mario Super Sluggers, a Chain Chomp appears as a gimmick on the Bowser Jr's Playroom field. If the ball lands on a Chain Chomp image on the field, one will appear and attack the fielders.

''Super Princess Peach
In Super Princess Peach, normal Chain Chomps, along with a variation of Chain Chomp, known as Calm Chain Chomp, could be found. These Chain Chomps would sleep unless Princess Peach woke them up. They would then act like normal Chain Chomps. The super-dangerous Big Chain Chomp also debuted here. All of them did not bark, but they did gain a chomping noise.

''Mario Smash Football
Mario Smash Football featured a Chain Chomp as an item with which the player could attack. If used, the Chomp attacked all opposing players on the field, leaving them on the ground for a few seconds.

''Mario Strikers Charged Football
Mario Strikers Charged Football is similar to Mario Smash Football version of Chain Chomp where the Chain Chomp goes over the whole field attacking anyone who had the ball and stun them for an amount of time.

The Legend of Zelda series
The Chain Chomps make many cameo appearances in The Legend of Zelda games. Link's Awakening featured a domesticated Chomp while The Four Swords Adventures and A Link to the Past had Chain Chomp-like enemies that had to be avoided by Link. These may in fact be the same Chain Chomps meaning they may exist outside of Mushroom World.

Characteristics and Traits
Chomps resemble a ball with chains. They have big circular eyes, large gaping mouths, and razor-sharp teeth. Most also have a restraining tail-like chain, which are commonly tied to some sort of post to restrict their movement. These creatures are an extremely dark shade of purplish-blue with bright white eyes and teeth (though they have appeared in other colors, such as red, blue, and yellow). Unlike most enemies from the Mario games, Chomps are incapable of human speech; rather they communicate through dog like barks (hence their Japanese name). Behavior-wise, they act similar to guard dogs, and will attack without thinking; Chomps and when they are not asleep they are rarely seen calm and many have a ferocious, angry personality. Chomps also have a tendency to sleep, as shown in some games (most likely because they use up a lot of energy). Chomps also seem to have varying sizes, some growing to huge proportions while others are as big as Mario.

Chomps are some of the tougher enemies in the Mario series. In a couple of games, they are invincible, and they usually have an above-average defense in RPGs. Many games seem to even hint that they are made of a hard, metallic substance. Their main method of attack is lunging at the enemy and biting them, though they are usually pulled back by their chains. Chainless Chomps, therefore, make for more difficult enemies, especially due to them generally being larger than their other brethren. With a few exceptions (such as in Paper Mario), most Chomps that aren't tied down will charge at their enemy instead of lunge.

Chomps seem to lack human-like intelligence, and are more animal-like than other enemies such as Goombas and Shy Guys. However, a few Chomps seem to have some more capabilities of thinking than others. Lack of technology is evident in their usage as guards. Some items, such as the Chomp Whistle and Pocket Chomp, can be used to summon Chomps, which further proves that they have some traits of loyalty and obedience, similar to a dog. In short, Chomps may be considered the Mario-equivalent to the Real World guard dog.

Trivia

 * The Chain Chomp got its name because it has a chain or it's chained to something (explaining Chain Chomp), and its method of biting passersby to (explaining Chain Chomp).
 * The Chain Chomp was inspired by a childhood experience of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, where a dog tried to attack him. The dog lunged at him, but was jerked back by its leash just as the canine snapped at Miyamoto inches in front of his face.
 * In the Japanese version of Mario's games, the Chomp is named Wanwan, the rough equivalent of "Woof Woof." This explains its dog-like personality, and also why it was called Bow Wow in the North American version of Link's Awakening.
 * All known female Chain Chomps wear a pink bow on their head. Otherwise, they look exactly like any other Chain Chomp. Female Chain Chomps have first appeared in Link's Awakening. Another appearance was in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time seen randomly instead of normal Chain Chomps after using Pocket Chomps. Female Chain Chomps are slower than normal Chain Chomps and don't get as fast or angry when being pounded on by a baby's Hammer.
 * In the Paper Mario series, a Japanese mistranslation caused its name to be "Chain-Chomp" instead of "Chain Chomp".
 * Girafarig from the Pokémon series has a tail that resembles a Chain Chomp.
 * The Chain Chomp is most likely a reference to Pac-Man, also on Peach Gardens, there's also a maze with a few Chain Chomps that also refers to the Pac-Man series too.

Foreign Names
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