Goomba

Goombas (also rarely known as Little Goombas; in Japan, as Kuribo – roughly translated as "chestnut people") are one of the major species of the Mushroom World, and are among Mario's most persistent foes. They first appeared in the game Super Mario Bros., and have been a common enemy ever since. Goombas resemble small brown mushrooms, and are a fungus based species, like Toads, Amanitas, and Shroobs. Goombas are physically weak, and aren't much of a threat to adventurers (although a number of powerful Goomba sub-species have emerged throughout the years). The Goombas, as a collective race, used to be allied with the Mushroom Kingdom. However, the Goombas turned traitor and joined the Koopa Troop, an organization led by King Bowser. While a vast majority of Goombas allied themselves with the Koopa king, many others became independent thieves or even formed peaceful Goomba communities.

Betrayal and the Early Years
The original homeland of the Goombas was the Mushroom Kingdom, which they shared with another fungus-based species, the Toads. The two races lived in peace. However, at an unknown point in time, the Goombas betrayed their mushroom brothers, and joined the militaristic Koopa Troop. This event apparently occurred a long time ago, even before the birth of the famous heroes Mario and Luigi. In fact, Goombas were members of the Koopa Troop when King Bowser was still a child. However, it is important to note that not all Goombas joined the Koopa Troop. Some Goombas continued to live in peace with the Mushroom Kingdom (such as the Goomba family of Goomba Village), while others became independent bandits and thieves.

During the early years of Bowser's life, Goombas saw limited deployment. A large portion of the Koopa Troop was made up of Shy Guys and Koopa Troopas at this time – Goombas were not the common enemy they would become in later years. In fact, during the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Goombas only appeared in one level on Yoshi's Island: World 4-1 GO! GO! MARIO!!. In this level, Goombas would attempt to walk into Yoshi, knocking off Baby Mario so that the child could be captured by Kamek's Toadies. These mushroom baddies would walk very slow, and were not much of a threat. However, these Goombas were extremely resilient. When Yoshi stomped the brown fungus, the Goomba would flatten like a pancake, but not be destroyed. The squished Goomba could still walk into and damage Yoshi. After some time, the Goomba would "pop" and assume its standard mushroom shape. These durable Goombas could be defeated with a well aimed egg toss or a powerful Ground Pound attack, or simply be eaten by Yoshi and transformed into Yoshi Eggs. The brown mushroom could also be eaten and immediately spat out to attack other nearby enemies. Strangely, before these Yoshi's Island Goombas jumped off a ledge, they would wiggle their eyebrows.

Baby Bowser would later use Goombas as castle guards during the Shroob invasion, as depicted in the game of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. In this adventure, Goombas were considered the weakest member of the Koopa Troop. Goombas patrolled the halls of Baby Bowser's Castle, attacking any intruder who would dare enter Prince Bowser's fortress. To attack, a Goomba would simply run into an intruder. They could be easily countered with a Jump attack. Goombas were sometimes aided in battle by Boos. Other Goomba sub-species were featured in the game. The Tanooki-Goomba hybrid known as the Tanoomba was a master shape-shifter that lived on the treacherous slopes of Thwomp Mountain. The invading Shroobs also created their own version of the Tanoomba, known as the Tashrooba. This dark sub-species served as guards inside Shroob Castle, the conquered (and Shroobified) version of Princess Peach's Castle.

Invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom
After many years had passed, Bowser matured into adulthood, and Goombas finally became the backbone of the Koopa Troop. By the time of Super Mario Bros., Goombas were the most common soldier in the ranks of Bowser's army. These mushrooms were deployed in mass during Bowser's first invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom. In the game, Goombas occupied almost every level, except underwater levels, where Goombas cannot naturally survive. These enemies resided not only above ground, but also in underground caves and in conquered castles.

In this game, Goombas were simple soldiers who could only damage Mario or Luigi by walking into one of the plumbers. These brown mushrooms were extremely weak, and could be defeated by a single stomp or fireball. A Goomba could also be destroyed by hitting the block it was standing on from below. A single Goomba would only walk in one direction, but upon collision with an obstacle or another enemy, would turn around and walk in the opposite direction. These Goombas would also blindly walk off ledges, often falling into a bottomless pit. Many Goombas would attack the Mario Bros. in groups of two or three, forcing the heroes to taken caution when attacking the squad of mushrooms. To defeat a group of Goombas, Mario or Luigi could either patiently stomp one Goomba at a time to avoid being attacked by the following enemy, or time a combo of jumps to stomp one Goomba after the other. This combo attack would not only destroy the whole group if properly timed, but would also increase the number of points Mario or Luigi gained for each subsequent Goomba defeated. Fire Mario could quickly dispatch a group of Goombas; however, the plumber would not earn a point bonus for this attack. Kicked Koopa Shells could also be used to clear long rows of Goombas. This special attack would rack up points, and possibly earn the Mario Bros. extra lives.

Bowser would again deploy a large quantity of Goombas during his second bid for the Mushroom Kingdom throne, as seen in the game Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. However, during this invasion, many Goombas were replaced by the much stronger Buzzy Beetles, a species resilient to fire. Regardless, a large number of Goombas were deployed in strategic enclosed locations with little jumping room. This strategic placement of Goombas made the weak mushrooms a potential threat to the Mario Bros.

Tatanga, Wario, and Captain Syrup
Although many Goombas are loyal to Bowser, quite a few ally themselves with other major villains. While Goombas did not appear in the game Super Mario Land, an extremely similar species known as the Chibibo did. These timid mushrooms were deployed in large numbers by the alien Tatanga during his invasion of Sarasaland. Chibibos looked and behaved exactly like Goombas, and it is likely they are an extremely close relative.

Tatanga's employer, the greedy Wario, used Goombas (not Chibibos) during his occupation of Mario Land while the heroic plumber was busy liberating Sarasaland from the aforementioned space invader during the events of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Goombas were not deployed in large numbers though; the mushrooms were limited to just a few levels. However, the ghastly Boombas, the conjectural name for Goomba ghosts, were seen in large numbers in the Pumpkin Zone of Mario Land during Wario's rule. Another variety of Goombas, the conjecturally titled Goomdivers (named after similar creatures encountered in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga), were also prominently featured in the Turtle Zone. All three types of Goomba could be easily defeated by a simple stomp attack.

Interestingly, Wario's first nemesis (in the post-Mario Land era), Captain Syrup, used another species similar to Goombas known as Gooms in her battles against the greedy anti-hero. These creatures highly resemble Goombas, except for the fact that Gooms are round and have arms. Like Goombas, they are very common and very easy to defeat. Many types of Gooms have appeared throughout the Wario Land] series. These include [[Pirate Gooms and Wanderin' Gooms.

Battle for the Mushroom World
During the events of Super Mario Bros. 3, Goombas were deployed by the Koopa Troop in high numbers across the seven kingdoms of the Mushroom World. These Goombas behaved just like their brethren from SMB and SMB:TLL. Goombas were stationed in all seven kingdoms, and were the basic grunt soldier the Mario Bros. faced during their liberation efforts. This attack also saw the introduction of a vast array of Goomba sub-species that aided their relatives in combat. The winged Paragoombas provided air support, while their children, the tiny Micro-Goombas, limited the jumping ability of the Mario Bros. These Micro-Goombas would also hide in bricks, becoming Pile Driver Micro-Goombas, and would use the element of surprise to catch the two heroic plumbers off-guard. The gigantic Grand Goombas helped invade the fourth kingdom Giant Land; however, these giants were actually no stronger than the common Goomba.

In the game, Mario and Luigi could perform a special trick to earn an unlimited number of extra lives. In World 1-2, Goombas would emerge from a horizontal pipe suspended high above the ground. Raccoon or Tanooki Mario could stomp and jump off a Goomba as it emerged from the pipe. By quickly wagging his tail to slowly descend through the air, Mario could remain in the air long enough to allow for another Goomba to emerge from the pipe. Mario could continually stomp these emerging mushrooms, then slowly descend without touching the ground, to eventually earn 99 extra lives.

Interestingly, the Goombas of World 5-3 used a device known as the Goomba's Shoe (previously known as the Kuribo's Shoe) to mimic the jumping abilities of Mario and Luigi. When in the green shoe, a Goomba could jump toward their enemies instead of mindlessly walking into them. These Goombas could be defeated by a properly timed stomp attack or a fireball blast. However, if Mario or Luigi defeated the shoe-riding Goomba by hitting the blocks underneath the mushroom, the boot would be left behind. Mario or Luigi could actually ride in this boot, allowing them to jump on spiked enemies and cross Muncher patches.

Dinosaur Land and the "Round" Goombas
During the Koopa Troop's invasion of Dinosaur Land in the game Super Mario World, Goombas were once again deployed in large numbers. However, these bad mushrooms did not appear in mass; instead, Koopa Troopas were the common soldiers seen in the field. Interestingly, while some Goombas were stationed in certain locations as guards, others were dropped from the sky in droves in surprise offenses against the Mario Bros. These Goombas would arrive in the field by either parachuting from above, or by floating in bubbles (which would burst upon coming into contact with any object). The former variety assumed the name "Paragoomba", while Goombas with wings (who also aided their wingless brethren in many battles) were called "Winged Goombas".

The Goombas that appeared in SMW were dramatically different than those seen in previous games. Although, these creatures walked in straight paths to attack, like previous Goombas, these new baddies did not look the older ones. These Goombas did not have mushroom-shaped heads; their heads were spherical. These Goombas also lacked a stem; the creature's two feet were attached directly to the bottom of the head. As such, they resembled angry chestnuts more than scowling mushrooms. These "round" Goombas were also much more resilient than previous Goombas (besides the ones from Yoshi's Island). The baddies could not be defeated by a normal stomp attack; only the powerful Spin Jump could destroy a Goomba in one hit. Both Yoshi's eating attack and a fireball strike could transform a Goomba into a gold coin. A normal jump would only flip the creature over, rendering it immobile. Interestingly, Mario or Luigi could actually pick up an immobile Goomba and kick the fungus at other enemies to destroy them. However, the immobile Goomba would eventually resuscitate itself, and hurt Mario upon being revived (if the creature was not thrown in enough time). All these behaviors are reminiscent of the Koopa Troopa from previous games, whose shell could be picked up and thrown to attack other enemies, and who would revive and attack Mario if not thrown quickly enough.

The Koopa Troop Fractures
Goombas were among the weakest members of the Koopa Troop during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. However, they were stronger than the Terrapin, a low-level Koopa soldier. In the game, many Goombas were stationed at Mushroom Way, the area between Bowser's Keep and the Mushroom Kingdom. Goombas, under the command of two Hammer Bros., patrolled the paths of Mushroom Way, and would attack or capture any intruders. In fact, Toad himself was captured by a group of Goombas while the fungus advisor was on his way to the Mushroom Kingdom. Other Goombas not loyal to the Koopa Troop resided in Bandit's Way, working as independent thieves. Wild Goombas lived in the Pipe Vault, a secret area near Rose Town. Although as strong as the Goombas from Mushroom Way and Bandit's Way, these underground dwelling Goombas were encountered much later in the game, and thus were not considered much of a threat. Other independent Goombas lived in the caves of the Midas River. These Goombas were more concerned with catching Midas River Fish to eat than battling outsiders. In battle, Goombas would attack enemies by biting and shooting sharp thorns. Goombas were fairly weak, and could often be destroyed by a simple Timed Hit. A Goomba's bite attack could be blocked by defending right after the mushroom performed a somersault. The damage of a Goomba's thorn could be blunted by defending right before the projectile hit the party member. Additionally, Goombas typically fought in groups of two to three (either with other Goombas or stronger monsters). When defeated, Goombas would often yield HP MAX! Flowers to Mario and his party.

Besides the small outpost at Mushroom Way, the Koopa Troop, as a whole, was actually on the verge of collapse. During the events of the game, the Koopa Troop was devastated by the invasion of the extraterrestrial Smithy Gang. The mechanical monstrosities chose Bowser's Keep as their base-of-operations in the Mushroom World. As a result, many soldiers in the Koopa Troop switched sides to join the invaders while others simply ran away, instead of fighting the powerful aliens and defending their headquarters. Among the defectors were the powerful Gu Goombas, who later became guards for the Smithy Gang. One Goomba deserter found his way to Monstro Town, a community of reformed monsters. This lone Goomba set up shop here, selling powerful Koopa-based armor and weapons. The Goomba was also aided by his three Goombette nephews, the Triplets (other Goombettes, not related to this Goomba, appeared in the Sunken Ship).

After the Koopa Troop was expelled from Bowser's Keep, King Bowser himself attempted to reassemble the tattered remains of his military in Rose Way. Many Goombas remained loyal to Bowser and joined him in his quest to retake the castle, but by the time the army reached Moleville, many Goombas had abandoned Bowser. By the time Bowser reached Booster Tower, all of Bowser's army (including all his Goombas) had deserted their former king. However, at the tower, Bowser decided to join forces with Mario, knowing that with the plumber’ 's strength, the king could get his keep back. Eventually, Bowser, Mario, Princess Peach, Mallow, and Geno found their way to Monstro Town. While in the haven for reformed monsters, the Koopa King ran into the Goomba deserter who has set up shop in the village. The Goomba apologized for deserting the Koopa Troop, but offered to sell Bowser powerful weapons and armor in return. Eventually, Bowser, with the help of Mario and his friends, managed to expel the Smithy Gang and defeat their leader, the diabolical Smithy. With his keep returned, many former soldiers (including many Goombas) returned to King Bowser and the Koopa Troop. In fact, many Goombas helped rebuild Bowser's Keep to its former glory.

Assault on Mushroom Castle
Goombas were a staple force during Bowser's attack on Princess Peach's Castle, as seen in the games Super Mario 64 DS (and Super Mario 64). Like other relatively recent campaigns by the Koopa Troop, Goombas were not deployed in high numbers like in Bowser's early invasions. However, that being said, Goombas did occupy a number of painting worlds, including Bob-omb Battlefield, Shifting Sand Land, Tiny-Huge Island, and Tall Tall Mountain (among others). Notably, the Goombas, under the command of Goomboss (the Goomba leader loyal to King Bowser) managed to capture Mario and imprison him within the confines of the castle. This was an impressive act of revenge against the hero who had been stomping Goombas for many years. Yoshi eventually saved his friend Mario from Goomboss and his Goomba hordes.

During this adventure, Goombas acted differently than their previous counterparts. Instead of walking back and forth in a straight path, Goombas would patrol a small area in a circular motion. When the fungus spotted an enemy, the Goomba would jump in surprise and charge at the foe. Despite these behavioral changes, Goombas were among the weakest enemies in the game. A single stomp would destroy a Goomba; while such attacks as punches and kicks would also defeat the mushroom in one hit. Bob-ombs and Koopa shells were also effective weapons to use against these baddies. When destroyed, a Goomba would give up a Yellow Star Coin. Sometimes, a Goomba would wear a Mario, Luigi, or Wario cap. Upon defeating the Goomba, the cap could be claimed to transform into the respective character. In this game, Goombas often appeared in groups of two or three.

Goomba vs. Goomba
Goombas were a staple of Bowser's army during his attempt to take the Mushroom Kingdom with the power of the Star Rod in the game Paper Mario. In fact, many varieties of Goombas aided the Koopa King. Goomboss (this time named the Goomba King) returned, commanding a large group of Goombas that resided near the peaceful Goomba Village. Besides regular Goombas, the Goomba King controlled a large number of Paragoombas and Spiky Goombas, Goombas that wore spiked helmets to counter Mario's jumping ability. The Goomba King's two loyal henchmen, Red Goomba and Blue Goomba, appeared in the game as well. A new sub-species of Goomba, known as the Gloomba, was also introduced. These dark Goombas lived underground, and also had Paragloomba and Spiky Gloomba relatives. Hyper Goombas, green-colored Goombas similar to the Gu Goombas, were first seen in this game. These powerful Goombas could charge their attack power, and were a major threat to Mario. Again, Hyper Goombas had a Hyper Paragoomba and a Hyper Spiky Goomba variant.

The regular brown Goombas of Paper Mario behave similarly to their counterparts in Super Mario 64 DS. These bad mushrooms would patrol a small area, and upon seeing Mario, would charge at the plumber. In battle, Goombas attacked by using the "Headbonk" technique. The mushroom would jump in the air, then dive into Mario, bonking its head against the hero's. This attack could be blocked by defending just as the Goomba's head touched Mario. If struck by the attack, Mario would take one HP of damage. At the beginning of the game, it requires two stomps or two Hammer strikes to defeat a Goomba (as Goombas only have two HP). However, after Mario learns how to use Action Commands, the plumber only needed one timed attack to defeat one of these bad mushrooms.

Although Goombas were normally fought at the beginning of the game, one Goomba could be fought much later than expected. At one point, Bowser asked Princess Peach what Mario fears most. One of Peach's choices was “ A Goomba”, and if she picked this, Kammy Koopa would warp a Goomba to Shy Guy's Toy Box. Although Kammy expressed doubt that the Goomba would scare Mario away, she left the fungus in charge of defending a vital Treasure Box anyways. When Mario eventually arrived, the Goomba became very scared, and was quickly defeated by the powerful plumber.

Despite the large number of Goombas loyal to the Koopa Troop, Paper Mario notably features the first community of peaceful Goombas. These Goombas did not wage war against the Mushroom Kingdom; they were a part of it. In fact, this Goomba community was instrumental in defeating King Bowser and liberating the Mushroom Kingdom. It was the family of Goombas (composed of Goompa, Gooma, Goompapa, Goomama, Goombaria, and Goombario) living in peaceful Goomba Village that first discovered Mario's near-lifeless body after the hero's initial defeat at the hands of Bowser. These friendly Goombas nursed Mario back to full strength, and provided the plumber with a Hammer to fight the soldiers of the Koopa Troop. The family also allowed Mario to take Goomnuts from their village; these nuts could be used by Mario to recover his health. Goombario, a young Goomba and personal admirer of Mario, even joined the hero on his adventure. The young Goomba's Tattle ability was extremely valuable, as he provided hints on how to defeat certain enemies. With Goombario's (among others) help, Mario was able to defeat Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom.

Trailing Cackletta, and Goombas of the Beanbean Kingdom
A group of Goombas joined their master Bowser as he attempted to track down the witch Cackletta during the events of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. These Goombas would hold tutorial battles with Mario and Luigi in the Koopa Cruiser, who happened to join the Koopa King in his search for Cackletta (as the witch has stolen Princess Peach's voice). These Goombas would be patrolling the halls of the cruiser, or simply hiding in barrels. The Goombas would engage in battles with the Mario Bros., to get a little training in before their showdown with Cackletta. In battle, a Goomba would approach either Mario or Luigi, somersault towards the plumber, then bite. This attack could be easily dodged by jumping after the Goomba opened its mouth. To counter the attack, Mario or Luigi would have to jump right when the Goomba's mouth opened. The Goombas did not see much action after that, as the Koopa Cruiser was shot down by Fawful before Cackletta was engaged in combat.

Although traditional, Koopa Troop-loyal Goombas did not appear throughout the rest of the game, a number of wild sub-species posed problems for the Mario Bros. as they adventured through the Beanbean Kingdom. Tanoombas the Baby Mario Bros. fought on Thwomp Volcano reappeared. In this game, the shape-shifting Goombas lived just north of Beanbean Castle Town. Another sub-species, known as the Gritty Goomba, lived in the Teehee Valley and Gwarhar Lagoon regions of the Beanbean Kingdom. These powerful Goombas were covered in bandages, and had the ability to conjure sandstorms to distort opponents. The last Beanbean Kingdom sub-species was the Goomdiver. Unlike most Goombas, these creatures can reside underwater as they wear special scuba diving gear. Mario and Luigi encountered Goomdivers on the Seafloor.

Scum and Villainy
Mario ran into a number of Goombas during the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. These Goombas lived in the seedy town known as Rogueport. Many of these Goombas were independent thieves, bandits, crooks, cheats, and "cleaners". These mushroom crooks wore green hats, similar to the hat the hero from Hyrule Link wears. Although not the best of company, these Goombas from Rogueport would not attack Mario. However, the Goombas that lived in the Rogueport Sewers or in Petal Meadows were very aggressive. Goombas behaved just like their Paper Mario counterparts, and were not much of a threat, as Mario could perform Action Commands from the beginning of the game. All the Goomba sub-species featured in Paper Mario also return in this game.

Although a large number of either aggressive or simply seedy Goombas appeared in the game, PM: TTYD featured two Goombas that aided Mario in his adventure. The first was Goombella, a female college student from U Goom. She actually joined Mario on his quest to find the legendary treasure hidden beneath the town of Rogueport (as well as rescue Princess Peach, who had been captured by the Secret Society of the X-Nauts). Her Goomba teacher, Professor Frankly, also helped Mario by interpreting the Magical Map, allowing the hero to find the next Crystal Star and continue his journey.

Mario Party series
Goombas are commonly in charge of Battle Mini-Games in the Mario Party series. A Goomba was Luigi's partner and ally in Mario Party 3. However, some games replace it with a Bob-omb. A Goomba in a rich man's outfit was the host of a casino-themed board in Mario Party 4.

Variations of Goombas
There are many variations of Goombas that appear throughout the series, each having even the most minor separation from a regular Goomba, ranging from strength to color to abilities.


 * Gloomba: A "dark" Goomba that lives in the sewers


 * Hyper Goomba: A green Goomba that is hyperactive


 * Chibibo: A smaller Goomba with a different name in Super Mario Land


 * Wanderin' Goom: An odd shaped Goomba


 * Goomba in a Bubble


 * Grand Goomba: A huge Goomba


 * Micro Goomba: Tiny Goomba that can restrict your jumping ability


 * Mugger Micro-Goomba: Tiny Goomba's hiding in Gold Blocks


 * Flying Goomba: Hopping Goomba's with wings


 * Kuribo's Goomba: A Goomba in Kuribo's shoe


 * Para-Goomba: A parachuting Goomba


 * Pirate Goom: A Goomba holding a spear

A common variant is the Paragoomba, a Goomba with white, feathery wings that allow it to fly. Some Paragoombas are only capable of fluttering into the air, while others are capable of flying freely.

The Spiked Goomba is a Goomba with a spike on top of its head. They appear in both Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. If Mario jumps on them, the spike will hurt him. If he's not wearing the Spike Shield Badge, he must hit them with his Hammer to damage them.

Tanoomba only appeared in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where they were commonly found near the BeanBean Kingdom. They share the regular traits of the Goomba, but are covered in Tanooki fur, a Tanuki tail, and a Tanooki leaf. In battle, they are able to jump high into the air, and suspend themselves in the air temporarily by either swinging their tail or spinning around, using their tail as a weapon to attack enemies. The Tanooki leaf on the top of their head allows them to transform into Mario or Luigi, but will still feature the Tanooki tail. Tashroobas appeared in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, which are the Shroob variations of Tanoomba.

Sub-Species

 * Angry Goomba: An incredibly angry Goomba found in Super Princess Peach that has the ability to create earthquakes.


 * Hyper Goomba: A crazy uncivilized Goomba with green coloring. They often charge before attacking. While charging up, the Hyper Goomba raises its attack power to 8. Same with the Hyper Paragoomba. But when the Hyper Spiky Goomba charges up, its attack power goes up to 9!


 * Gloomba: Goombas that live in the darkness. Same with Paragloombas, Hyper Gloombas, and Spiky Gloombas.


 * Rhinestone Goomba: An Elvis-Impersonating Goomba working for Wendy O. Koopa in Hotel Mario.

Tools

 * Kuribo's Shoe - Super Mario Bros. 3

Notable Goombas

 * Goomama - Paper Mario
 * Goombaria - Paper Mario
 * Goombario - Paper Mario
 * Goombella - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Goompapa - Paper Mario
 * Goomba King - Paper Mario (known as Goomboss in Super Mario 64 DS)
 * Professor Frankly - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Gooma - Paper Mario
 * Goompa - Paper Mario
 * Notorious Goomba Brothers - Paper Mario
 * Mega Goomba - New Super Mario Bros.
 * Goomther - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Paper Mario Stats and Tattle Information

 * HP: 2
 * Attack: 1
 * Defense: 0
 * Location: Goomba Road
 * Tattle: This is a Goomba. Goombas are what you'd call "small fries." Actually, they're pretty much the smallest fries. ...Hey, wait! I'm one of 'em! You can jump on them or whack 'em with the Hammer. These guys are old school. They've been around since you were in Super Mario Bros.!

Mario Superstar Baseball Information

 * Type: Balanced
 * Starting Team Captain: Donkey Kong
 * Status: Player
 * Stats:
 * Batting: 4/10
 * Pitching: 3/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 5/10
 * Player Profile:
 * Strong Point: Nothing Particular
 * Special Talents: Ball Dash
 * Trajectory:
 * Field: Center
 * Height: Normal
 * Star Pitch: Fastball
 * Star Swing: Center
 * Default Batting Position: Right
 * Default Throwing Arm: Right
 * Sweet Spot: The center of the bat
 * Compatiable Relationships: Diddy Kong, Paragoomba, Monty Mole
 * Bio: "Though Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. Exactly how Goomba uses his baseball gear is a bit of a mystery. Maybe you can spot the secret technique if you watch closely as he makes plays in the field..."

Super Mario Bros. (movie)
In the Super Mario Bros. movie, Goombas were completely different from their video game counterparts. They were large, reptilian creatures, and grunts for King Koopa. They were created when a citizen of Dinohattan was "de-evolved", as in the alternate dimension of the movie, Humans evolved from reptiles, not mammals.