Not to be confused withMorty Mole.

This article is about the recurring enemies introduced inSuper Mario World. For other uses, seeMonty Mole (disambiguation).

Monty Mole
Artwork fromSuper Mario Party
First appearance	Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance	Mario Tennis Fever (2026)
Variant of	Rocky Wrench
Variants Choropū Men'iwa Mawful Mole Mega Mole Mega Monty Mole Mole (presenter) Monty Mole (Flower Fields) Monty Mole Patch Monty Mole Swooper
Relatives Ragumo
Comparable Cook Mole (Super Mario RPG) Pendril Piranha Sprout (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker) Sworm
Notable members Big Montgomery Choropū Chika Butai Choropū (Haha) Choropū (Kodomo-tachi) Choropū Mōdoku Butai Choropū Shinrin-tai Choropū the Picasso Chorozairu Gattai monster Mole Biker Gang Monty Bros. Monty Mole auctioneer Monty Tank Pūko

“You never know what you're gonna find when you start diggin'. That's what I love about it!”

—Monty Mole,Paper Mario: The Origami King

Monty Moles arefossorial^[1] enemies first appearing inSuper Mario World. They are moles that dart out of holes in the ground to either quickly pursueMario or another character or to throw rocks at them. In several games, Monty Moles appear inWhac-A-Mole-themedminigames. Monty Moles seem to have initially been based onRocky Wrenches fromSuper Mario Bros. 3 (itself described as a mole-like turtle at the time), but Rocky Wrenches have since been redesigned to resemble Monty Moles in most subsequent appearances.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario World[edit]

Monty Mole artwork for their debut appearance,Super Mario World

InSuper Mario World, Monty Moles only appear in the levelsYoshi's Island 2 andCookie Mountain. They burrow out of random spots in the ground or off of dirt walls to surpriseMario orLuigi. Upon landing, some Monty Moles may simply run back and forth while occasionally hopping, only turning around when they hit a wall. Most other Monty Moles, however, will chase after Mario or Luigi persistently, turning around if they jump over them. Monty Moles can be defeated by any attack method. Monty Moles come out of the ground quicker in Cookie Mountain than they do in Yoshi's Island 2. The game also featuresMega Moles, giant Monty Moles that Mario can actually ride on to get across obstacles, but can still be hit by one. In one artwork, they appear to be wearing sunglasses as well as having a short, gopher-like nose. However, in another artwork, they have visible, squinting eyes and long, mole-like noses. This game's graphics seem to depict the latter, though the jumping sprite depicts a slight split in the lip; further games typically used either one of these artworks as a design up until the redesign inSuper Mario 64 DS. Indevelopment builds of the game, Monty Moles had slightly different digging sprites from those in the final game.^[2]

Super Mario All-Stars /Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Although Monty Moles are not present in the original version ofSuper Mario Bros. 3, inSuper Mario All-Stars andSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, theking ofIced Land is turned into a Monty Mole byLemmy Koopa. Monty Moles also appear as enemies in aWorld-e level calledGround Work, with some of them hiding beneathgrass patches and being released upon the player plucking them.

Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

A comparison between a Monty Mole's appearance inSuper Mario 64 (left) and inSuper Mario 64 DS (right).

Monty Moles appear in theHazy Maze Cave and onTall, Tall Mountain inSuper Mario 64 andits Nintendo DS version. In the cave, Monty Moles specifically reside in the toxic maze, though they remain outside thestrange toxic cloud. Monty Moles in this game act similarly toRocky Wrenches, albeit throwing rocks instead of wrenches before disappearing underground. If Mario,Yoshi, Luigi, orWario can defeat a certain number of Monty Moles in the game, a 1-Up Mushroom appears for him to collect.

TheSuper Mario 64 Player's Guide also says that the Monty Moles in the Hazy Maze Cave are a Monty Mole family and the ones on Tall, Tall Mountain are considered their friends.^[3]

In the original game, Monty Moles use their squinting design fromSuper Mario World but with an added pair of pronounced teeth, a black nose, and somewhat larger limbs. In the remake, they receive a redesign that consolidates the two designs from theSuper Mario World artworks, with a small amount of influence from theSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine designs. From their untraditional "sunglasses" artwork, they get the smooth, cheek-less head sides, white upper lip, and small nose; from the otherSuper Mario World artwork, they get the distinct squint; from theSuper Mario 64 design, they get the visible teeth, though the number is reduced to one; and from theSuper Mario Sunshine design, they get the wideness of the upper lip. This design would become the standard design for later games, though there has been variation on the color of the lower lip, with brown appearing most consistently.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

Monty Moles inSuper Mario Sunshine utilize their own cannons, as reflected in artwork for the game

A Monty Mole, also calledChorobe,^[4] appears inSuper Mario Sunshine. He appears inPinna Park andNoki Bay at the helm of large, red, dome-shaped cannons, firingBullet Bills at Mario in the former, andGlorpedo down the cliffside in the latter. When Mario approaches the mole, he stops firing and tossesBob-ombs at him. They can be disabled usingFLUDD, and tossing a Bob-omb at the mole three times defeats him. In this game, the Monty Mole has much lankier arms than usual, a more bright orange color, a smaller white patch, and a green hat. The contours of the eyes behind the squint are also visible if examined closely enough.

AtPinna Park, a Monty Mole is found in theepisode,The Beach Cannon's Secret, at the far end of the beach past theGreat Sunflower. After Mario defeats him, he is able to jump into the cannon and access a secret course to get theShine Sprite. APianta repairman from episode 1 replaces the Monty Mole from Episode 3 onward. In Noki Bay, a Monty Mole can be fought and defeated which rewards Mario with aShine Sprite.

The manning of war machinery may be a throwback toRocky Wrenches, who manned many of the machines inSuper Mario Bros 3. Parts of its design also resemble that of classic Rocky Wrenches, such as the long arms and color placement. This is also the first game to feature a Monty Mole boss.

New Super Mario Bros.[edit]

Monty Moles are the focus of Whack-a-Monty, a minigame inNew Super Mario Bros.

Although Monty Moles are absent as regular enemies,Monty Tank, depicted as a Monty Mole operating atank, is the boss ofWorld 6-Castle inNew Super Mario Bros. The tank firesBullet Bills andBob-ombs. Mario or Luigi can defeat it by eitherstomping the Monty Mole's head three times when he comes out to throw a Bob-omb or by hitting him withfireballs. When jumped on, the tank will spin around and shoot many Bullet Bills and gain another turret.

Monty Moles also appear in a minigame titled "Whack-a-Monty" where the player has to tap as many Monty Moles as they can in a certain amount of time. The player will gain one point for each mole whacked and will lose three if they tap on Luigi.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

InNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, Monty Moles only appear inWorld 6-4. Here, they retain their attack method fromSuper Mario World. Once Mario and crew get near a Monty Mole's hiding spot, it will jump out of the wall and will try to charge into them.Magikoopa can also turn platforms into Monty Moles during his fight with Mario inWorld 8-Tower.

The Monty Mole's trading card states that Monty Moles will "burrow back underground in the blink of an eye," though they do not do this in-game.

From this game up until theBooster Course Pass ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe,Rocky Wrenches use a variation of the Monty Mole model with added goggles.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

A Monty Mole (right) and Morty Mole (left) fromSuper Mario 3D Land

Monty Moles reappear inSuper Mario 3D Land. The only level they appear in is5-4, a cave level. This is their first appearance in a 3D game where they are found outside the ground and can run. They patrol the area and attack Mario if he gets in their way. They can be defeated with a singlestomp. A new larger variant known asMorty Moles appear, appearing inWorld 5-4 and7-4, and must be stomped twice to be defeated. A few of the cutscenes depicting Mario obtaining one ofPeach'sletters feature one or two Monty Moles in the background as Mario runs to quickly save her. The Monty Moles in the background of these cutscenes are partially underground like theirSuper Mario 64 appearance. A Monty Mole also makes a cameo in the photo seen from theWorld 7 Peach letter.

New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]

Monty Moles once again appear inNew Super Mario Bros. U. They act the same as in previous games. They only appear in the levelsYoshi Hill andMagma-River Cruise. They also appear duringMagikoopa's boss battle inSlide Lift Tower. Monty Moles are also featured in theChallenge Mode levelsMole to Goal andMole to Goal Returns, where the goal is to transport a Monty Mole to theGoal Pole. Monty Moles return in theNew Super Luigi U equivalents of theirNew Super Mario Bros. U levels, includingRolling Yoshi Hills,Magmaw River Cruise, andStonecrush Tower, once more a part of Magikoopa's boss battle in the latter. Monty Moles return inNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which contains their role from bothNew Super Mario Bros. U andNew Super Luigi U.

Super Mario Maker /Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inSuper Mario Maker andSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies. As they did not appear untilSuper Mario World, they were given new sprites for theSuper Mario Bros. andSuper Mario Bros. 3 game styles. They function mostly the same as previous games, though unlike inSuper Mario World andNew Super Mario Bros. U, they cannot be made to come out ofSemisolid Platforms. In the Course Maker, they are made by shaking aRocky Wrench. They can be placed on or inside the ground (the latter of which will make them climb up and pop out if the player gets close). They can be enlarged by aSuper Mushroom or given wings (the former will simply enlarge them and the latter will make them jump around while running, similar to aParagoomba). They can be blocked from coming out of the ground by placing an object like aP Switch on top of where they will emerge. They can be placed inBlocks,Pipes,Bill Blasters, and on tracks. They are also prominent in the event levelShaun's Mossy Mole Mischief and at the end of the level there is also a Monty Mole "mech" made out of blocks and cannons that must be defeated.

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inSuper Mario Maker 2 as enemies, sharing the same behavior as inSuper Mario Maker. Unlike inSuper Mario Maker, Monty Moles are now completely separate from Rocky Wrenches. The course creator Mischievous Mole could possibly be a Monty Mole, as one of his courses has Monty Moles in it.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.[edit]

Although Monty Moles never appeared in the originalSuper Mario Bros., they do appear inGame & Watch: Super Mario Bros. in the clock on the hour of 7:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. where they repeatedly pop out of the ground and walk around before burrowing back into the ground. Mario occasionally jumps on the Monty Moles to defeat them. TheirSuper Mario World sprite is reused for this appearance.

Super Mario Kodansha manga[edit]

Two Monty Moles seen in the firstSuper Mario World volume

A Monty Mole in the secondSuper Mario 64 volume

Monty Moles appear in various roles in theSuper Mario Kodansha manga, appearing in supporting roles throughout adaptations of games they appear in.

In theSuper Mario World volumes, Monty Moles notably facing off against Mario and Yoshi over aGolden Mushroom in the sixth volume based on the game, using vehicles shaped afterBowser and aWiggler. They additionally appear in various roles in volumes based onSuper Mario Kart,Yoshi's Safari, andSuper Mario 64

Unlike in other manga appearances, they are primarily antagonistic towards Mario and his friends, with unique Monty Moles appearing such as a Choropū-dan (チョロプー 弾, Monty Mole bullet) seen during a Mario Kart Race, as well as a group of Monty Moles summoned by Bowser named theChoropū Chika Butai, theChoropū Shinrin-tai, andChoropū Mōdoku Butai.

Uniquely, the Monty Moles are revealed to be living in a underground city known as thePū Tairiku, as depicted in the thirdSuper Mario Kart volume.

Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater[edit]

A Monty Mole and Mega Mole strip in the second volume

Monty Moles appear throughoutSuper Mario 4koma Manga Theater, interacting with Mario and his friends as well as multiple enemies that appear inSuper Mario World such asEeries,Dino Rhinos,Banzai Bills, andMega Moles. A notable interaction happens in a strip involving aMagikoopa practicing their magic, using a spell to transform a Monty Mole into aRotating Block

Like inKC Mario, Monty Moles are typically antagonistic towards Mario, emulating their behavior of jumping out of holes fromSuper Mario World

Uniquely, Monty Moles are shown to be embarrassed when they are indecent around others, as depicted in a strip where a Monty Mole unintentionally flashesPrincess Peach.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

The cover for volume 1 chapter 7 ofSuper Mario-kun

Monty Moles in volume 17

Monty Moles have appeared in many volumes ofSuper Mario-kun, appearing in many different roles throughout. While they are occasionally antagonistic towards Mario and his friends, such as in volume 1, where Monty Moles attack Mario and Yoshi for trying to steal their coins, and in volume 5, where a group of Monty Mole farmers Mario and his friends. They fuse withSwoops to gain an upper hand, but are defeated when they fall into lava.

However, Monty Moles are also portrayed as friendly towards Mario, where as in volume 17 where Mario encounters a Monty Mole shopkeeper, and in volume 46, Mario, Luigi, and Toad stumble upon the「もぐらまつり」(Mogura Matsuri, Mole Festival), a festival filled with Monty Moles. They meet a female Monty Mole namedPūko who gives them a tour of the festival.

Monty Moles also appear in various volumes based on games such asSuper Mario 64 in volume 19,Mario Party 3 in volume 27, andSuper Mario Sunshine in volume 31.

Unique forms of Monty Moles are also depicted in the manga such as a Ghost Monty Mole in volume 4, and thePakkun Mogura in volume 9, which is a fusion of some Monty Moles, Venus Fire Trap, and severalNipper Plants andMunchers.

Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]

AlthoughMega Moles appear frequently in theNintendo Adventure Books, Monty Moles only appear once as a cameo in one of the puzzles fromDinosaur Dilemma when Mario is being chased by the Mega Moles in the cellar of the haunted mansion. The two Monty Moles seen in the puzzle have no effect to the story. They also reuse theirSuper Mario World artwork.

NES Open Tournament Golf[edit]

While Monty Moles do not appear within the actual gameplay ofNES Open Tournament Golf, what seems to be one appears on thecoverMedia:NESOTG cover NA.jpg. It has round sunglasses, three hairs, and a square tooth similar to modern appearances. It is also atypically small in comparison to Mario.

Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land[edit]

Monty Moles inSuper Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land

In the interactive OVASuper Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land, afterIggy's horde ofKoopa Troopas,Rexes, andChargin' Chucks is defeated byMario,Luigi, andYoshi, he summons a group of Monty Moles andKoopa Paratroopas. They are quickly disposed of when Yoshi swallows aGreen Shell and breathes fire on them. The puzzle shortly before this also had Mario stomping on four Monty Moles.

Super Mario World television series[edit]

Several "Gophers" pinningCheatsy Koopa to the ground in theSuper Mario World episode "Gopher Bash"

“Oh, when there's underhanded evil to be done, to be done, then Cheatsy's life becomes a lot of fun, lots of fun!”

—Gophers, "Gopher Bash"

Monty Moles, though never called as such and always referred to asGophers, appeared in the episode "Gopher Bash" of theSuper Mario World animated series.

In the episode, several Gophers acted as minions ofCheatsy Koopa, aiding him in his plot to steal all the crops grown by the cave-people ofDome City. These Gophers are eventually defeated by Mario,Luigi andYoshi, who, after tracking Cheatsy down, sneak up on the moles, tie them up, and suspend them from the ceiling. The Gophers are then dropped on top of Cheatsy Koopa, pinning him to the ground. They also sing backup during "Cheatsy's Life", a self-praising song; at no other point in the episode do they vocalize. This is also one of the few times Gophers are fully voice-acted.

Super Mario Adventures comic[edit]

In theSuper Mario Adventures comic, Monty Moles and Mega Moles appear in the first chapter, surrounding Mario and Luigi alongside other enemies after leaping from pipes. However, they are quickly defeated by Mario when he spits aGoomba out of a pipe, hitting all of the enemies including the Monty Moles.

Later in the comic, a Monty Mole seen wearing a red tuxedo can be seen alongside a Mega Mole wearing a blue tuxedo attending Bowser's wedding.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Super Mario Kart[edit]

Monty Moles (referred to as Gophers in the instruction booklet)^[5] are obstacles inSuper Mario Kart, inDonut Plains 2 andDonut Plains 3. If a racer runs into one, it will attach itself to the player, which causes them to slow down and drop coins. The player must hop repeatedly in order to knock them away. Uniquely, in Donut Plains 3, some Gophers can be seen jumping out of the lake; likewise, some are seen in the grass in Donut Plains 2.

Mario Kart 64[edit]

Chubby

Monty Moles (referred to under the nameChubby in the instruction booklet)^[6] appear inMoo Moo Farm ofMario Kart 64 as obstacles, hopping in and out of holes in the ground, causing both them and the racers who hit them to spin out. They appear with triangular sunglasses and tan snouts. In the Japanese version of the game, Chubbies can be hit using theBoo item like aSuper Star, while other versions make the player go through them.^[7]

Mario Kart DS[edit]

InMario Kart DS, they are referred to by their usual name, and mainly appear inN64 Moo Moo Farm andPeach Gardens with the same behavior as previous games. In one of themissions, 3-6, the player's task is to hit five Monty Moles while playing asLuigi.

This game has an early depiction of Monty Moles and Rocky Wrenches with similar graphics, though their designs are not as similar as in later games.

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

InMario Kart Wii, they appear as obstacles inMoo Moo Meadows as well asDS Peach Gardens and also appear as audience members in other courses. They now appear much bigger, as well as digging under the ground before jumping out. However, they are stationary obstacles inDS Peach Gardens like in previous games. They originally had their model fromSuper Mario 64 DS andNew Super Mario Bros., as well as a different jumping animation for a placeholder before being completely reworked in the final game.^[8]

Mario Kart 7[edit]

Monty Moles only cameo inMario Kart 7, where they are among the many species seen cheering in crowds in bleachers.

Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

SNES Donut Plains 3 andWii Moo Moo Meadows return inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, bringing along the Monty Moles with them. They now dig around for some time before popping up, leaving trails like inMario Kart Wii. The trails that the Monty Moles leave can now also be used to performtricks. This changes the gameplay ofSNES Donut Plains 3 from the original version inSuper Mario Kart where they would attach themselves to drivers who drove into them. In said track, the Monty Moles in the lake are replaced byCheep Cheeps, and there are signs with a picture of a Monty Mole on them placed by the Monty Mole area. InAnimal Crossing from theAnimal Crossing xMario Kart 8 DLC Pack,Mr. Resetti replaces Monty Moles to suit theAnimal Crossing theme. They also appear inDS Peach Gardens andTour Amsterdam Drift in theMario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

Monty Mole driving by its course obstacle counterpart inSNES Donut Plains 2.

Monty Mole makes his official playable debut in theMario Kart series inMario Kart Tour available from May 6, 2020 in theFlower Tour. He is classified as a tour-exclusive Super character (the first Super character with this distinction) and hisspecial item is theMushroom Cannon. Starting with theWild West Tour, Monty Mole became a regular Super character while also gaining aself-named cup. Monty Moles also appear as obstacles inSNES Donut Plains 2,SNES Donut Plains 3,GBA Sunset Wilds R/T, andAmsterdam Drift (barring the T variant), where they behave the same as inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, allowing racers to perform a Jump Boost off their trails and holes.

Mario Kart World[edit]

A Monty Mole is a playable driver inMario Kart World, making its second playable appearance in theMario Kart series, and the first in a consoleMario Kart game.Moo Moo Meadows returns, with Monty Moles returning as hazards as well. Monty Moles are also given new, deeper voice clips.

It is unlockable in version 1.0.0, but made available from the start following a software update. Monty Mole is a middleweight character, sharing statistics withPeach,Daisy,Yoshi,Bowser Jr.,Coin Coffer, andDolphin.

Mario is Missing![edit]

A Monty Mole appears in theCD-ROM Deluxe version ofMario is Missing! as aCurator, replacing the human ones from the DOS version. Luigi can call it on occasion when he recovers an artifact to answer all of its questions about a landmark and return the artifact. Upon answering all of the questions correctly, it gives money as a token of appreciation and encourages Luigi to find Mario. This is one of the few times a Monty Mole is fully voice-acted.

Yoshi's Safari[edit]

InYoshi's Safari, Monty Moles appear exclusively in the levelCornice Cave. They attack by popping out of pipes and moving towards the player; they can be defeated by shooting them with theSuper Scope.

Hotel Mario[edit]

InHotel Mario, Monty Moles appear mostly inLarry's Chillton Hotel, though they also appear inBowser's Seizures Palace Hotel. They dig out of the thin floors and then start sliding towards Mario. They will hit the wall, get dizzy for a moment, and then continue walking. They are portrayed wearing sunglasses, similarly toMega Moles.

Game & Watch Gallery series[edit]

InGame & Watch Gallery, Monty Moles (referred to asChubbies in the cast credits) appear in the Modern version ofManhole, popping up on occasion to throw aheart at Yoshi. InGame & Watch Gallery 2, Monty Moles appear in the Modern version of a differentGame & Watch game,Vermin, where they appear when the player earns 200, 500, and 700points, throwing a heart at Yoshi just like in the previous game.

Mario Golf series[edit]

“Piece of advice. If you're always goin' for full power, your accuracy might drop.”

—Monty Mole,Mario Golf: Super Rush

InMario Golf for theNintendo 64, a Monty Mole, using itsSuper Mario 64 design, may pop out of the hole if the player successfully putts the ball into thehole from a long distance and scores under par. Additionally, the name "Monty Mole" may also appear on the scoreboard, which similarly occurs on the tournament board inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour andMario Golf: World Tour as well as the Bonny Greens Open scoreboard inMario Golf: Super Rush.

InMario Golf: Advance Tour, a Monty Mole appears inLinks Club Practice Center, similarly maintaining itsMario Golf design. The player must shoot three shots at it to earn a Super Drink.

InMario Golf: World Tour, many Monty Moles appear in theCastle Club mode as non-playable characters.Mario Golf: Super Rush also includes Monty Moles in the form of NPCs, mostly appearing inBonny Greens, though a singular Monty Mole also appears inRidgerock Lake.

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario[edit]

During the events ofPaper Mario, Monty Moles appear atMt. Rugged, where they either pop halfway out of the ground and throw rocks at Mario, or pop all the way out and chase him. In battle, they are always found halfway underground and attack Mario by throwing rocks at him. In one of the walls of the mountain, there is a Monty Mole-shaped hole, through which an endless stream of moles can pop out. Stronger,green Monty Moles can also be found inFlower Fields. They are also known as "Monty Moles"; however, the Japanese version of the game gave them a different name from the regular Monty Moles.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inPaper Mario: The Origami King. Unlike inPaper Mario, they act as NPCs rather than enemies, and their modern design is used. One Monty Mole appears onOverlook Mountain running an auction for aShell Stone, starting with 10,000 coins and can be lowered to 300 coins before the Koopa Troopas attending the auction buy it. Lots of other Monty Moles appear inBreezy Tunnel.

Origami Monty Moles appear in concept art, implying that they would have appeared as enemies, though none appear in the final game.

Mario Party series[edit]

Mario Party 3[edit]

A Monty Mole inMario Party 3

Monty Moles appear inWoody Woods inMario Party 3. They switch the direction players can move on certain pathways every turn. These Monty Moles wear sunglasses and can be found in Army hut-like structures with a flag depicting one's face. For 5 coins, the Monty Mole will switch the signs from one direction to another. They can appear out of any of three holes scattered across the board, depending on where it is summoned via speaking to it in its hut or landing on a Happening Space. They also appear inStorm Chasers as obstacles the player must avoid.

Mario Party 5[edit]

InMario Party 5, Monty Moles appear in the minigameFlatiator. They appear out of the ground to obstruct the team players while avoiding the single player. The one player on the ball can simply roll over them. One also appears inPirate Dream hosting a board event where the player can mine for coins. Most games around this era starting from this game use theSuper Mario World design, though with more saturated colors and orange fur.

Mario Party 6[edit]

InMario Party 6, Monty Moles are in the minigameMole-it!, where the players earn points by hitting them when they pop out of the pipes. During the day, the pipes are on the ceiling, and at night, they are on the ground. Hitting a normal Monty Mole earns a team one point, and a Golden Monty Mole gives the team three. They also appear in theStar Sprint levelMeadow Road as obstacles the player can avoid but can also be defeated by dashing into them. Monty Moles also appear in theMiracle Book in the "Poppin' Out of the Pipe" and "Bountiful Harvest" sections, respectively based on Mole-it! andGarden Grab, despite never appearing in the latter. Additionally, in Decathlon Park, a Monty Mole holds a sign depicting the next mini-game.

Mario Party Advance[edit]

Artwork of a Monty Mole inMario Party Advance

“Go to it! And have fun, you dig?”

—Monty Mole,Mario Party Advance

Monty Mole appears as a character in thetown area ofShroom City inMario Party Advance. He has a habit of making dirt-related puns, such as using the phrase "down-to-earth" on multiple occasions. According to his description, he loves to play games, but he dislikes losing his money in the process. When he is first encountered, he happily states that theTown Game Room A has much more to win than theTown Game Room B, but quickly asks for the player's help afterwards. If they agree to help, he explains that he has fallen into a slump after playing the games for a while, and hopes that having the player win the game will end their slump. In exchange, they get to keep the minigame he keeps losing at,Scratch 'Em. Once they have won, Monty Mole is confident that his slump is over, thanks to the player's victory, and says that they might even outgame theGame Mage. The ending of the game states that he stopped gaming and got married.

Mario Party 7[edit]

Monty's Revenge ofMario Party 7 is one of many minigames in theMario Party series focused on Monty Moles

InMario Party 7, a Monty Mole appears on the boardPyramid Park. He appears when the player lands on theGreen Space on the far right of the board, next to three pots. He offers the player a minigame where the player hits cobras. During it, the Monty Mole pops out of the jars and the minigame ends if the player hits him. In the minigameSphere Factor, three or four of them pop out of the ground towards the end (before the bridge) and try to prevent the player from rolling the huge ball to the finish line. Three Monty Moles also appear in the minigameMonty's Revenge, where they are the ones whacking the players with hammers. This is the first game in the series where they use their modern design, although a unused model suggests that they were going to originally use the design from the previous games. However, it has no textures and was likely replaced with the modern design.^[9]

Mario Party 8[edit]

Monty Moles make another party appearance inMario Party 8. This time they appear in the minigameCrops 'n' Robbers where one player has to whack Monty Moles that are in the holes, so the players can gain way. The other player has to collect the carrots to win the game. A Monty Mole also appears in the bonus minigameMoped Mayhem as one of the characters competing in the race. They can also occasionally be seen in the lobby. Monty Moles also appear in the Sugar Rush Surprise figure in theCarnival Wagon.

Mario Party DS[edit]

Monty Moles appear again inMario Party DS as owners of theItem Shops. Once players enter the Warp Pipe, they can buy items from it. Monty Moles also appear in the minigameMole Thrill, where players have to dig with their partner through the dirt while staying ahead of the Monty Mole. They also have a trophy and rival badge that can be unlocked.

Mario Party 9[edit]

InMario Party 9, Monty Moles appear in the minigamePlunder Ground. They hold and shuffle the treasure chests the players try to earn points from. They also appear out of the holes in the minigameHole Hogs. In addition, Monty Moles also have a constellation, named "Hello Mole". Monty Moles appear in Magma Mine as props.

Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]

Monty Moles make various minor appearances inMario Party: Island Tour. In bothMatch Faker andTap Dash, they can possibly appear as one of the options to choose from. They cameo in the background ofDrive for Show andBumper Thumper. A Monty Mole constellation resemblingMario Party 9's Hello Mole can sometimes appear in the minigameStarring Artist. InPerilous Palace Path, a Monty Mole appears near a Goomba Tower under the gray circle. If the Goomba Tower points to the right, the player standing on the gray circle will be thrown to the Bowser Zone by the mole.

Mario Party 10[edit]

Although normal Monty Moles do not appear inMario Party 10, an enlarged Monty Mole known asMega Monty Mole appears as the mid-boss ofAirship Central. He appears in the minigameMega Monty Mole's Maze Mischief.

Mario Party: Star Rush[edit]

Mega Monty Mole retains their role as a boss inMario Party: Star Rush appearing in the minigameMega Monty Mole's in the Hole. Normal Monty Moles appear in the minigameRolls for Moles in which the player must hit as many Monty Moles as they can.

Mario Party: The Top 100[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inMario Party: The Top 100, reprising their roles in the minigamesStorm Chasers (now using their modern design),Monty's Revenge, andSphere Factor. InMini-Game Island, a cardboard Monty Mole holding a hammer can be seen by Monty's Revenge.

Super Mario Party[edit]

Super Mario Party is the firstMario Party game where a Monty Mole is playable.

“This could be fun. Sure, I'm in!”

—Monty Mole,Super Mario Party

Monty Mole appears as a playable character inSuper Mario Party for the first time in theMario Party series, though it is Monty Mole's fourth time being playable in anySuper Mario game. As shown in the introductory scene,Bowser calls upon Monty Mole,Bowser Jr.,Goomba,Boo,Shy Guy,Koopa Troopa,Dry Bones,Hammer Bro, andPom Pom to participate in the party to be crowned the Super Star. Monty Mole'sDice Block has a +1 coin side instead of a 1; otherwise, it is functionally identical to the normal Dice Block.

Fake Monty Moles also appear in the minigameRhythm and Bruise, where the player's objective is to whack them with hammers to the beat of the music. If the player uses Monty Mole for that minigame, he will start sweating and display a nervous expression.

Monty Moles make a few cameos in the game. InAbsent Minded, Monty Mole is a possible guess, but only if nobody is playing as Monty Mole. InPuzzle Hustle, Monty Mole can appear as one of the puzzles, in theirSuper Mario World sprite form. Outside of minigames, Monty Moles can occasionally be seen walking or running around in the background of Party Plaza.

Mario Party Superstars[edit]

Monty Moles appear inMario Party Superstars as part ofWoody Woods, retaining their role fromMario Party 3, although the Monty Mole huts have been replaced with burrows that serve the same function; additionally, it is shown that there are multiple ones. Additionally, a Monty Mole decides which player they think would win during the last five turns of Woody Woods. Monty Moles also reprise their roles inStorm Chasers andMonty's Revenge. A Monty Mole sticker that has a caption saying "Nice!" can be used as a taunt. The encyclopedia entry for Monty Mole states that they appeared in everyMario Party afterMario Party 3, despite not appearing inMario Party 4.Mario Party 10 is also listed, despite only having Mega Monty Mole.

Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]

Monty Mole reappears inSuper Mario Party Jamboree as a playable character. Another Monty Mole also appears as an obstacle inJuiceworks. Mechanical versions of Monty Moles appear in theNoggin Knock minigame, where players must strike them with hammers for coins in the vein ofWhack-a-Mole. In the same minigame, a golden variety of Monty Mole also appears, which grants the player more coins than normal.

Mario Family[edit]

Monty Mole appears as one of the sewing designs inMario Family.

Mario Pinball Land[edit]

Monty Moles (sometimes referred to as1-up Moles)^[10] appear inMario Pinball Land. They can be found in every level exceptthe Fun Fair, peeking out from one of their holes. If Mario hits a Monty Mole, he gains 500points and the Monty Mole is stunned briefly before moving to another position. The Monty Mole eventually goes back to its previous position if it is not hit after a while. If Mario hits the Monty Mole in all of its positions, it drops a1-UP Mushroom and is at a point where it no longer can be hurt. Due to their behavior, Monty Moles can be defeated only with anInvincibility Star. Each level also has a unique costume that Monty Moles can be seen wearing. TheGrassy Greens Stage has normal Monty Moles; in theFrosty Frontier Stage, they wear snow hoodies; in theShifting Sands Stage, they wear fezzes; and in theFiery Stage, they wear helmets.

Mario Tennis series[edit]

Mario Power Tennis[edit]

InMario Power Tennis, a few Monty Moles can be seen among the crowd in the opening watchingWario andWaluigi be chased by thepolice, and also in the crowd when Wario, Waluigi andBowser attempt to destroy the stadium. Monty Moles also appear in theChain-Chomp Challenge minigame, where they man cannons identical to the ones inSuper Mario Sunshine. The moles themselves, however, use the revampedSuper Mario World design seen in previousNintendo GameCube games. They shoot tennis balls andbombs at the players to hit back at theChain Chomps.

Mario Tennis Aces[edit]

Monty Moles make a minor appearance inMario Tennis Aces in the background ofBask Ruins. They can be seen jumping out of their holes.

Mario Tennis Fever[edit]

A Monty Mole makes a minor appearance inMario Tennis Fever as an NPC during the game's Adventure mode.

Super Mario Stadium series[edit]

Mario Superstar Baseball[edit]

Mario Superstar Baseball is the first game where a Monty Mole is playable

Monty Mole also appears inMario Superstar Baseball as an unlockable character for the first time. Monty Mole is unlocked by completing challenge mode with Mario's team. It is a member of Mario's team. It has the ball dash ability, which allows it to run extremely fast while in possession of the baseball. It is a Speedy character with fast running, weak batting and pitching and average fielding. While the playable Monty Mole uses the design fromSuper Mario 64 DS, in the crowd there are Monty Moles with their model fromMario Power Tennis andMario Party 6. Monty Mole's description in this game reveals that the holes they jump out of are their dens.

Mario Super Sluggers[edit]

“Great granite gumdrops! I was in the middle of a spectacular nap! Why'd you have to wake me?”

—Monty Mole,Mario Super Sluggers

Monty Moles watching the game in theMario Super Sluggers opening.

InMario Super Sluggers, Monty Mole maintains its position as a member of Mario's team. While its best stat continues to be speed, its other stats are slightly below average. Monty Mole has good chemistry withShy Guy,Goomba, andParagoomba, and does not have any bad chemistry with any other character. In the story mode of the game, Monty Mole can be found buried in the sand. If Peach wakes it up, it asks why the player did it, claiming that they are no match forBowser Jr. and his minions, and challenges them to a baseball mission. If the player passes the mission, Monty Mole will happily join the team. Monty Moles also appear in many of the cutscenes either being in the crowd or cheering Mario.

Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]

InYoshi Touch & Go, Monty Moles appear as somewhat uncommon enemies, attackingYoshi in a manner similar to their attack pattern fromSuper Mario World; leaping from the ground or by charging at Yoshi. Here, Monty Moles could be defeated by either jumping on them, throwing anegg at them or by encasing them in a circle with theNintendo DS's stylus.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]

Monty Moles appear inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time. One is encountered in theGritzy Desert, and will prevent the four Mario Bros. of past and present from progressing unless they can complete his challenge. Two more are seen in the beginning ofGritzy Caves and they both run anItem Shop called theMonty Mart. Additionally, two more Monty Moles in Gritzy Caves run two more challenges that must be completed as well.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story /Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

A group of five Monty Moles, called theMonty Bros., appear inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake,Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, where they utilize a giant drilling machine to fulfill Bowser's orders and dig a tunnel belowToad Town. They do not make much progress however, so Bowser has to finish their duties.

The Monty Bros. later reappear in theTreasure Chamber inBowser's Castle, betraying Bowser and claim thatFawful bribed them and ordered them to get rid of Bowser. They attack Bowser in a giant train called theFawful Express, in which Bowser must defeat them in his giant form. If he succeeds, the falling chunks of the debris from the train will defeat the Monty Bros. However, they escape in the remake, alongside other unseen Monty Moles.

Fawful-themed Monty Mole enemies calledMawful Moles andMetal Mawful Moles can be also be found in this game.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

Monty Moles also make an enemy appearance inMario & Luigi: Dream Team. Here, they act as support enemies forBowser Jr. during his battle at the end of theBattle Ring's Battle Medley, repairing theJunior Clown Car after it explodes. If they get hit by aTaunt Ball, they take longer to repair his Clown Car.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam as an enemy. They battle in holes that were dug out of the ground, while also having a similar attack pattern asMawful Moles inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Unlike Mawful Moles, they can sometimes throwGolden Eggs instead of rocks. They are encountered normally inSunbeam Plains and later the haunted area ofGloomy Woods. They additionally appear in a few missions, such asFly Guy Flyby as enemies to avoid, as well as in a few questions of some of the quiz missions likeToad Trivia andToad Brain. They can also appear in one of the attacks from theWiggler boss fight, in whichPaper Mario has to hit several Monty Moles andPaper Spear Guys on his way while being chased by Wiggler.

Dr. Mario-kun[edit]

The Monty Mole in episode 39 ofDr. Mario-kun

A Monty Mole appears as a recurring character inDr. Mario-kun.

In episode 39, the Monty Mole shovels through the ground to tellDr. Mario that Luigi and Yoshi caught a drill virus. After capturing the drill viruses, they help Mario and his friends escape the volcano. At one point in the episode,Wario,Bowser Jr. and aKoopa Troopa all wear Monty Mole costumes.

In episode 52, they can be seen eating the floor after eating the food thatWaluigi made.

In episode 59, they can be seen on the final page waving in the distance.

Mario Strikers Charged[edit]

Monty Moles are sidekicks inMario Strikers Charged

Monty Moles are a sidekick inMario Strikers Charged. They are Power Players, which means they are good at shooting and tackling, but cannot pass very well. TheirSkillshot isDirt Drill, where they go underground with the ball, dig towards the goal, and pop up near thegoalie, and shove him aside, shoving the ball into the goal. However, if the move is too close, Kritter will shove his hand into the ground and pull Monty Mole out, thereby blocking the shot. If the move is too far away, Kritter will simply catch the ball. This happens to be their second playable appearance in a sports title. In this game, they have headlights, something that is never seen in any other game they appear in. The prominent tooth also atypically appears as a pair of teeth. Monty Moles are also shown to have black dot eyes when shocked. Monty Moles also appear in the crowds in the opening, using their design from earlyGameCube games.

Mario Sports Mix[edit]

InMario Sports Mix, a single Monty Mole can be seen as a spectator, cheering on the players when they play atWestern Junction.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[edit]

Monty Moles appear in theWii version ofMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as obstacles inDream Equestrian popping in and out of their holes (like inMario Kart Wii, even reusing sound clips from that game). If the wagon accidentally hits one of the holes, aYoshi Egg will drop.

Yoshi's Woolly World /Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]

A Monty Mole inYoshi's Woolly World

Monty Moles appear as an enemy inYoshi's Woolly World and itsNintendo 3DS version. They either burrow around underground (usually under carpets) or they can pop out of the wall, Yoshi can defeat them with a Yarn Ball, stomping on them, or eating them. If eaten, they turn into orangeyarn balls. There is also a boss calledBig Montgomery, which is a bigger Monty Mole that appears as the mid-boss of Worlds 1, 3, and 5.Monty Mole Patches are also found and are crocheted Monty Moles that, when unraveled, will start chasing the player like a normal mole. In theScrapbook Theater, a normal Monty Mole pops out of a scarf roll and runs around the stage.

Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]

Monty Moles reappear inYoshi's Crafted World as enemies. They act the same as in previous games, and appear inOrigami Gardens' levelsSpring Sprung Trail andMonty-Mole-B-Gone, the latter of which requires Yoshi to defeat many of them for the highest number ofSmiley Flowers. Their larger counterparts also make their debut in theYoshi series. If struck by an egg once, their bodies turn red. Both sizes of Monty Moles also appear on the flip side of the levelsHaunted Maker Mansion,Jumping to Victory, andThe Countdown Begins. Some Monty Moles also appear as circus spectator crafts inHoop-Jump Hop.

Dr. Mario World[edit]

A Monty Mole fromDr. Mario World

Monty Moles appear inDr. Mario World as assistants. Their Stage Mode skill grants a chance five coins are rewarded upon clearing a stage regardless of whether the stage is cleared or uncleared, in which the chance of earning them is greater at higher levels. This effect does not activate upon clearing special stages or the Daily Booster. Their versus mode effect is to grant a chance that the attack meter will fill extra if a virus is eliminated. Contrary to the game's description which indicated that it can occur repeatedly, it only activates at the start of the match and the effect will last throughout the match if it does, and has a higher chance to do so at higher levels. When this effect activates, any elimination made either through a capsule match, elimination through skill, or elimination through other objects like shells will fill the attack meter by an extra point for each elimination made. Contrary to the game's description, viruses are not required to be eliminated to gain extra attack points. This effect stacks withSledge Bro's effect, meaning that if both activate, two points will be filled in the attack meter for every elimination made.

Monty Moles also appear in the background ofWorld 6 when the area is cleared.

LEGOSuper Mario[edit]

Monty Moles appear inLEGOSuper Mario as part of the Monty Mole & Super Mushroom and Desert Pokey sets.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie[edit]

Monty Mole makes its film debut inThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Other appearances[edit]

Monty Moles appear inNintendo Badge Arcade as part of theSuper Mario Maker arcade using theirSuper Mario World style sprites, as well as in theSuper Mario Bros. arcade using their sprites in that game style fromSuper Mario Maker.

Unused appearances[edit]

Dr. Mario 64[edit]

Monty Moles may have been planned to be playable inDr. Mario 64 since their name can be seen in the game files. However, they are not seen in the final game at all and do not have any known graphics.^[11]

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Concept art ofThe Thousand-Year Door characters, featuring a mole-based iteration of thePianta Syndicate

Monty Moles were originally intended to appear asRogueport criminals inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, being led by aMega Mole. The design of both is based on Mega Mole'sSuper Mario World artwork, with a black suit and fedora; as such, they have a pointy brown nose and pointed sunglasses, unlike in the firstPaper Mario. They are replaced withDon Pianta'sPianta syndicate in the final game.

Super Paper Mario[edit]

Unused sprite of a Monty Mole inSuper Paper Mario

Monty Moles were going to appear inSuper Paper Mario, but were taken out. Similar to their behavior in the overworld of the firstPaper Mario, they would have attacked Mario by popping out of holes in the wall (like inSuper Mario World) and throwing rocks (like inSuper Mario 64). The graphics use a higher-resolution version of theirPaper Mario design. Despite being unused, aSammer Guy namedMonty Who Waits is named after Monty Moles.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star pre-release screenshot featuring the King Choropu boss.

Monty Moles were going to appear as enemies inPaper Mario: Sticker Star but were cut from the game.^[12] Additionally, a crowned purple Monty Mole boss named King Choropu (キングチョロプー)^[13] wasintended to appear, only to end up being cut as well.

Other appearances[edit]

In early builds ofWii Fit Plus, Monty Mole's model fromMario Kart Wii was used as a placeholder for the moles in that game before eventually being removed.^[14]

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Main article:List of Monty Mole profiles and statistics

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Monty Mole.

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  NES Open Tournament Golf

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  Super Mario 64

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  Mario Super Sluggers

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  New Super Mario Bros. U

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  Yoshi's Crafted World

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  Mario Party Superstars

Naming[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "notes" column.

Notes[edit]

• Incidentally, Monty Moles share a name witha British video game protagonist.
• In the 54th issue of the UK'sOfficial Nintendo Magazine, Monty Moles were called "gophers."^[63]
• In the officialNintendo Power guidebook forSuper Mario Sunshine, the section for the Monty Mole in Noki Bay is called "The Full Monty", a reference to the1997 comedy of the same name.^[64]

References[edit]

Monty Mole coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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Ukikipedia