Mario franchise strategy guide/Enemies/Thwomp

File:Thwomp SM64.jpg

Thwomp from Super Mario 64

Thwomps (ドッスン, Dossun, Dosun) are a type of creature found in many video games from the Super Mario Bros. series, usually found guarding castles. It first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 and has been included in almost every Mario game since.

Thwomps are large, heavy stone blocks with angry-looking faces. They hover in the air, waiting for someone to get too close, and then they fall and crush their victims with tremendous force. Although Thwomps are invulnerable to most attacks, they are destroyed on contact with an invincibility-wielding character. In Super Mario Bros. 3, they can also be destroyed by hammers. Tanooki Mario can even turn the tables on them by luring them into dropping and then jumping onto them, turning himself into a statue before landing. In New Super Mario Bros., they can be destroyed by a character enlarged by a Mega Mushroom or running into them after touching a Starman.

Thwomps are either blue or gray. In the early games, Thwomp was covered with spikes that could skewer Mario from any direction. Since 1996, the spikes have vanished, and Mario can jump on top of it. The spikes did make a reappearance in Super Mario 64 DS, though this did not eliminate Mario's ability to jump atop a Thwomp. The spikes have since been on Thwomps in new Mario games released after Super Mario 64 DS, including New Super Mario Bros.

History

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Thwomp first appears in the mini-fortress found in World 2 (Desert Land). Thwomp appears in many other mini-fortresses throughout the game. Thwomp also appeared in The Adventures Of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Thwomps were next seen in Super Mario World. The Thwomps were more frequent in this game, though still only appearing in dungeon levels. They were used in more platforming puzzles, and they were often paired with miniature Thwomps called Thwimps, the first variation of Thwomps.

When the Mario series moved to 3D in Super Mario 64, the Thwomps underwent an overhaul. They lost their spikes, and became rounded blue blocks, although still hovering in the air and waiting for Mario to come near. They gained a vocalization: a grunting sound when they fell. A new type of Thwomp appeared here, called the Whomp. Whomps were living grey stone blocks, which would walk around and fall forward onto Mario.

Thwomps had a minor appearance in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Mario and his partners meet a Thwomp inside Shhwonk Fortress outside of Petal Meadows. This Thwomp challenges players with an assortment of questions and players must answer the questions correctly if they want to proceed. A robotic Thwomp appears in the X-Naut's base on the moon and, like the previous one, this Thwomp also asks questions in order for the player to proceed.

Thwomps also make appearances in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. First, there is a similar enemy, called Thwack (Found on Thwomp Volcano), which has various facial expressions on its sides, and a stronger form, called Wonder Thwack (Found on Star Hill). Several Thwacks can join together to make a Thwack Totem (a totem pole of Thwacks). A boss battle in the game involves fighting a Thwomp named Mrs. Thwomp. Mrs. Thwomp looks like a thwomp in most cases but is round, has hands, and has no spikes. Her eyes also look like those of a Whomp. In battle, she can split in four.

In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Thwomps were obstacles in Bowser Badlands where they fell on your ball when it rolled underneath them, stopping it from moving.

Thwomps were originally part of Bowser's in Skylanders: SuperChargers. However, it was changed eventually and was put instead on Koopa Troopas.

Variations

Thwomps in Hyrule

Thwomps also appear in certain areas in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. In this game, they are depicted with only one eye, and come in three forms: the Thwimp, a tiny, red Thwomp, which behaves as a normal Thwomp and falls from the ceiling, unlike the Thwimps in Super Mario world; the Thwomps, which are large-sized, blue, spiky Thwomps which have one gigantic eye and a worried facial expression, and their heads can be used as a platform to stand on, much like the Thwumps in the flash game N; and finally the Mad Thwomp, a new form of the Thwomp created just for this game. It appears as a large, red Thwomp with two eyes (unlike the other Thwomps in the game) and has an angry facial expression. It will not lift up when approached, and must be dashed into with the Pegasus boots.

There is a boss Roulette Thwomp in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages at the end of the second dungeon. In order to defeat him, one had to throw a bomb into the hole on his top side when his face was red. This is possible because the view is from the side rather than aerial.

Whomp

There is a variety of thwomp called Whomp, which is a Mario character that crushes by toppling onto the player's character. Whomp was first introduced in Super Mario 64, on his own fortress, Whomp's Fortress; later, he was used as a blockade in party mazes in Mario Party games. Whomp returned to action games in Super Mario 64 DS and later New Super Mario Bros.. Whomp seems to be inspired by the nurikabe, a monster in Japanese mythology that took the form of an ambulatory, sentient section of wall that could turn invisible and liked to get in the way of travelers.

Thwimp

In Super Mario World, there was a smaller version of Thwomp, about the size of a standard block, that hopped back and forth, called Thwimp (Coton in Japan).

Additionally, another type of Thwimp appeared in the game "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening". In this, they appear as a tiny Thwomp, which behaves as a normal Thwomp and falls from the ceiling, unlike the Thwimps in Super Mario world. In the deluxe version of the game, they changed color based on mood: blue for calmed and red when angry or ready to drop.

Thwack

Thwacks, of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Found on Thwomp Volcano), are a new type of Thwomp which has various facial expressions on its sides, and a stronger form, called Wonder Thwack (Found on Star Hill). Several Thwacks can join together to make a Thwack Totem (a totem pole of Thwacks found in Thwomp Caverns).

Pouncer

In Wario Land on the Game Boy, this variant is found on Kitchen Island. It resembled a normal Thwomp, except it had a flat, spikeless top that could be ridden on. Behavior-wise, there were two variants. Some of them will fall down, much like normal Thwomps, although they will not necessarily wait for an intruder. When hitting the ground, it will send a shockwave that is the equivalent of Bull Wario's ground pound. Enemies, however, can also be disposed of by placing them under a Pouncer. The other variant, much rarer, will travel along the ground (and float in lava), going up or down any wall as need be, and can be ridden on. Being crushed against a wall, floor, or ceiling by this variant will result in instant death.

Again, a foe similar to Pouncer is spotted in "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening", sharing the flat top attribute and normal Thwomp behavior, yet having a single eye. The damage done by these foes is minimal, however, unlike the rather lethal versions in Wario Land.

Grrrol

New Super Mario Bros. U introduces a new species of Thwomp called Grrrol that looks like a Thwomp, except it is round and has rolling red eyes and a grin with one tooth missing.

Grindel and Spindel

Super Mario 64 introduced some new species of Thwomp called the Grindel, which is a mummified Thwomp with bandages and a grin and the Spindel, a rolling, circular Thwomp that has an angry smile on its face.

Bomp

Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 feature new species of Thwomp - the Bomp, a species of Thwomp that acts like a wall that shoves Mario when he approaches, making him fall to his death and

Flomp

A platform in Super Mario Galaxy 2 that flips Mario and Luigi into the air if they stand on it for too long

Individual Thwomps

Ms. Thwomp

Mrs. Thwomp was a boss character in the game Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. She looks much like a thwomp in most cases but is round, has hands, and has no spikes. Her eyes also look like those of a Whomp. In battle, she can split in four.

"Marty"

In the Mario Kart series, Thwomp is often presented as an obstacle on the Bowser's Castle courses. There was a strange green Thwomp that was locked behind the bars of a cage in Bowser's Castle in Mario Kart 64 - he was affectionately named "Marty" by fans and people began posting ridiculous rumors on how to unlock him.

Other Appearances

There is a Thwomp trophy unlockable in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Also, Kirby turns into a Thwomp (More based on the Super Mario 64 version) in one of his attacks.

The movie has a store named Thwomp Stompers.

Thwomps also appear in the Mario Kart series in the Bowser circuits and on Rainbow Road.