Spiked Goomba

Spiked Goombas (known as Spiky Goombas in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and referred to as "Spiny Goombas" by Professor Frankly) are Goombas that wear green helmets similar to Spike Top shells and to prevent jump moves from damaging them, covering the common Goomba's weakness. They are stronger than regular Goombas and Paragoombas, making the Spiked Goomba the strongest of the standard Goomba family tree. While their helmets are a great defense against jumps, they are still defenseless against most other attacks.

Spiked Goombas have appeared in the first three Paper Mario games. However, unlike normal Goombas and Paragoombas, Spiked Goombas do not reappear in future games like Paper Mario: Sticker Star, being essentially replaced by Paper-Cone Goombas, and Paper Mario: Color Splash, being replaced by Spike Guys. The Spike Helmet item in both games resembles the spike helmets that Spiked Goombas wear.

While not the same entity, Mario Party 7 features Goombas wearing Bowser shells on their heads as the shopkeepers in Bowser's Enchanted Inferno!

Paper Mario
Spiked Goombas made their debut appearance in Paper Mario. They are first seen in Goomba Village and Goomba Road, but also appear in many different locations, such as Pleasant Path. A single Spiked Goomba also appears at Bowser's Castle, and was in charge of guarding the items in the storage room. However, instead of guarding them, he decided to sell them to Mario and company as if the storage room was an item shop. Goombario's Tattle suggests that the Spiked Goomba may be punished if someone found out he was selling items to Mario, though it is possible that he does not know who Mario is.

Like all Goombas, a Spiked Goomba attacks by headbonking. Also, if Mario takes damage from the Spiked Goomba's headbonk attack or if Mario jumps on a Spiked Goomba without the Spike Shield badge equipped, the Spiked Goomba will laugh.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Spiked Goombas reappear as common enemies, but they are known as Spiky Goombas. Just like in Paper Mario, jumping on it will cause Mario or a partner to take damage. Their earliest appearance is at the beginning of the game, where one battles with a normal Goomba and a Paragoomba in the Rogueport Sewers, and are later found in Petal Meadows and in Hooktail Castle.

Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, Spiked Goombas once again appear. They, as always, cannot be stomped by normal means. However, they can be defeated by using a Pixl, such as Boomer, Carrie, Barry, or Cudge. Bowser's fire breath attack can also defeat them. They appear in Yold Desert, Gloam Valley, The Bitlands, the Tile Pool, and the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials in rooms 12 and 38.

Names in other languages
🇵🇲

Pieks-Gumba Goombistrice