Goombas are recurring stage hazards that have appeared in the Mario Kart series since Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
Behavior[]
Goombas waddle around the track, moving slowly left to right. Their size varies from game to game. Driving into one normally defeats it, but it causes the driver to spin out. Throwing items such as a Green Shell at them can defeat them from a distance.
History[]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[]
Goombas make their Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Instead of being a stage hazard, they appear as a background element in crowds during the awards ceremony.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![]
They appear for the first time as a stage hazard in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, present in the track GCN Mario Circuit. They cause a driver to spin out if touched.
Mario Kart DS[]
Goombas return in Mario Kart DS, reprising their role as a stage hazard, present in the track DS Mario Circuit. They flatten when hit by a shell or when Lightning strikes, dropping a Dash Mushroom onto the track. They continue walking while squished.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Goombas appear as a stage hazard again in Mario Kart Wii. They reprise their role as a stage hazard in GCN Mario Circuit, while also appearing in Wii Mario Circuit, Koopa Cape, and Mushroom Gorge. If defeated with a shell or while invincible, they leave behind a mushroom. However, if defeated by Lightning, they don't leave anything.
Mario Kart 7[]
Goombas make their fourth hazardous appearance in Mario Kart 7. They reprise their role in Koopa Cape and Mushroom Gorge and make new appearances in 3DS Mario Circuit and Piranha Plant Slide. They do not drop a mushroom via the invincibility method, but they still do when hit by a shell. Here, they are larger than usual, even in retro courses.
Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[]
Goombas appear again in Mario Kart 8 and its port. They reprise their hazardous role in Piranha Plant Slide, while replacing porcupines in Yoshi Valley and making a new appearance in Mario Circuit. A Goomba Tower also appears in Mario Circuit, by the finish line. They do not drop mushrooms when hit. Innertube Goombas were introduced as a course hazard in the Booster Course Pass.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[]
Goombas return in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. They appear on a course if set to the retro environment. Additionally, they appear by default in World 1-1.
Mario Kart Tour[]
Goombas make another appearance in Mario Kart Tour. They have been added to Mario Raceway and Toad Circuit. They make appearances in the new courses Paris Promenade, RMX Mario Circuit 1, Singapore Speedway, Amsterdam Drift, and Athens Dash.
Trivia[]
- In Mission 7-4 in Mission Mode in Mario Kart DS, Toad must use Green Shells and Triple Green Shells to defeat all 30 Goombas within the time limit on the track DS Mario Circuit. In the Grand Prix version, there were only four Goombas on the road.