Nintendo fans were met with a shocking revelation recently, one that suggests Goombas actually have arms. The grunts of the Bowser’s forces in the Mushroom Kingdom that Mario stomps on constantly are usually depicted as having only a body, a rounded head, and two small legs, sometimes with variants like wings and other features, though it looks like they’ve got two arms and hands too that they just keep behind their back.
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The startling sight of a Goomba with two extra appendages came from a user on Twitter by the name of Joe Piconi who shared an image of an old Goomba figure. It looks to be an official one from Nintendo since it’s got the company’s name imprinted on the back, but what’s even more interesting than the name is the design of what certainly looks like two hands behind the Goomba’s back. The hands have what appear to be interlocking fingers as well, so it looks like Goombas actually do have arms and they just choose to walk around pensively with their hands clasped behind their back.
Goombas have arms and hands. They are folded neatly behind their backs. pic.twitter.com/nRXVi6u92f
— Joe Piconi (@joepiconi) April 19, 2019
There are a couple explanations as to why this figure might show this though, but people were just mostly surprised at the idea that the fact was even possible.
We didn’t need to know this
I really hope this is a bootleg. pic.twitter.com/ImHQwdOrCB
— Nick Raffa (@animallover360) April 19, 2019
People who have been around Mario games for a long time reacted as expected. After seeing Goombas in all kinds of different forms throughout the years with the no-arm look being a consistent one, it was quite the sight to see a Goomba with arms.
This might explain a lot
Is that why they can hold baseball bats and participate in party games? Did their arms become invisible later on? The questions!
— Lex (@Sibblexis) April 19, 2019
Nintendo has the deepest lore
— … (@YeltsinYerMouth) April 19, 2019
If Goombas do have arms, that also explains quite a bit from the Mario games. Some of the games the characters are featured in have them holding onto different objects that wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t have arms.
But do they really?
But pic.twitter.com/Pq6E0UyIqI
— ZardY (@YZard) April 19, 2019
However, it looks like they’re not always using those arms even to hold onto objects. One user countered the claim with an image of a Goomba “holding” a baseball bat, though the bat was just attached to its side.
Could it be a Knock-off?
Now it makes sense goomba doesn’t have hands you have a knock off
— Bryan (@BryanBendickson) April 20, 2019
It is bootleg. The guy brought the figurine off eBay
— chantelle lewis (@mcflybiggestfan) April 20, 2019
One possible explanation is that the figure isn’t even a legit one anyway which would explain why it has detailed arms. Some people pointed out – and hoped – that the figure was a knock-off from eBay so that it could be disproved that Goombas had arms.
The Verdict
Very good find! Goomba’s also were able to be seen with hands during certain scenes of the 1986 Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach.
— Forest of Illusion (@forestillusion) April 19, 2019
— Anthony (@KirbyCheatFurby) April 19, 2019
As evidenced by another image shared among the revelations, there is at least one instance where Goombas have arms. Perhaps Nintendo’s ditched the idea over time, but it looks like Goombas had arms at some point, at least earlier on in the Mario universe.
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