Super Mario’s Enemies

The eight worlds of New Super Mario Bros are crawling with vicious critters. Take the time to learn each creature’s weaknesses before your journey begins.

The Goomba Gang

Goombas are some of Mario’s most common foes and are the easiest to defeat. You can stomp them, shoot them with fireballs, or do an incline slide into them. Paragoombas will take an extra stomp to defeat – the first hit merely knocks off their wings. Mini Goombas are among the few enemies that Mini Mario can kill with a stomp attack.

Koopa Troopers

Koopas may be Mario’s most frequent adversaries, but they will prove to be an asset nearly as often as they are a threat. One stomp will send a Koopa cowering into its shell, which you can then pick up or throw to slide it at other foes, or into blocks or Star Coins. Koopa Paratroopas require an extra hit to destroy their wings and can often be used to bounce onto otherwise-inaccessible platforms.

Cadaverous Koopas

Even in death, Koopas cannot escape the urge to harass Mario. Dry Bones can be disabled with a stomp, and Super Dry Bones with a Ground Pound, but the effect is temporary – they will return to life a few seconds later. Only Mega Mario, Shell Mario and the spiked balls in certain levels can destroy them permanently.

Ballistic Ballistae

You can stomp individual Bullet Bills easily, but they rarely travel alone. Rather than trying to defeat the Bullet Bills, you should dash out of range, or seek safety by ducking under them or leaping atop the cannons that fire them. Larger Banzai Bills are harder to jump onto, but they, too, will collapse with a single stomp.

Tumbling Terrors

Thwomps of all sizes rise and fall in a perpetual attempt to crush Mario. They are clever, waiting until Mario is near before they fall. You will usually have to time these foes’ movements carefully to avoid them, but you can destroy them if you get your hands on a blue Koopa shell, a Mega Mushroom, or a Starman. Additionally, you can Ground Pound Whomps to destroy them after they topple.

Scuttling Scofflaw

Scuttlebugs drop from the sky on thin webs. In early worlds they will keep hanging, but in later worlds they may cut the strings to drop onto Mario. Any standard attack will destroy them, but if you let them live you may be able to use them as steps from which to bounce to higher areas.

Short-Fused Shufflers

Damaging these foes will light their fuses, and the resulting explosions can destroy all sorts of obstacles. Bob-ombs are the more docile variety and you can pick them up when their fuses are lit and throw them at foes or barriers. Kab-ombs can’t be picked up and they run around frantically before they explode.

Prickly Predator

You can blast away any segment of a Pokey by using a fireball, but only a shot to the head will defeat the creature.

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Keywords: Super Mario, Nintendo, Super Mario Bros, Gaming, Enemies.