"A mushroom who betrayed the Mushroom Kingdom. One stomp and he dies."
-Super Mario Bros. Instruction Manual

"A timid mushroom that toddles along the ground."
-Super Mario Land Instruction Manual

"The traitorous mushroom tribe from Mario's original adventure comes back for more!"
- SMB3 Strategy Guide

"The smallest evil pawns in the Koopa's empire used to get flattened with one stomp. Now they're a little tougher to squash, but not by very much."
- Mario Mania

"Hard-headed, grouchy Goombas have plagued Mario since his early days. He can stomp them once, then pick them up and use them for ammunition."
- Mario Mania

"Stomp the Paragoombas' open chutes to ground them. When they drop, they drop in swarms, so be prepared to do some tap dancing on parachutes."
- Mario Mania

"Just when you think that you've seen every Goomba imaginable, one floats down in a bubble. First you must pop the bubble, then stomp the Goomba."
- Mario Mania

"Most often found around Koopas, these grumpy waddlers flatten out when you jump on them."
- SMW2 Strategy Guide

"The familiar Goombas are mushrooms that have gone bad. They close in on Mario, often in groups of two or three. Jump on them or hit them for a quick victory."
- SM64 Strategy Guide

"Heads up Mario! I see bad Goombas ahead. They're loyal to Bowser. If they see you, they'll attack you without hesitation."
- A message from Goompa, in Paper Mario

"This is a Goomba. Goombas are what you'd call "small fries." Actually, they're the smallest fries...Hey, wait! I'm one of 'em! You can jump on them or whack 'em with the Hammer. These guys are old school, they've been around since you were in Super Mario Bros.!"
- Goombario's description in Paper Mario

"The cannon fodder of Bowser's army, the familiar Goomba is among the smallest and easiest enemies. With a weak attack and no defense, it won't take more than a well-placed jump or Hammer attack to send it flying."
- Paper Mario Player's Guide