Pom Pom
- Not to be confused with Pompon Flower.
| Pom Pom | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of Pom Pom from Super Mario Party | |
| Species | Boom Boom |
| First appearance | Super Mario 3D Land (2011) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024) |
Pom Pom is a boss who debuted in Super Mario 3D Land, where she appears as the boss of various airships. She appears to be both the female counterpart and partner of Boom Boom, and is often seen wielding a shuriken with a ribbon on it. Pom Pom shares her name with a loose, fluffy material used by cheerleaders and sports fans, or in crafts, the pom-pom. Her red head scales, pink body, and red spotted shell resemble the original sprite of Wendy O. Koopa from Super Mario Bros. 3.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Pom Pom debuts in Super Mario 3D Land as one of the two secondary antagonists and bosses encountered alongside Boom Boom. At the beginning of Super Mario 3D Land, Pom Pom, Boom Boom, Bowser, along with the rest of his minions had invaded the Mushroom Kingdom during a storm, stole the Super Leaves and kidnapped Princess Peach.
After the defeat of Boom Boom in World 3, Pom Pom resides in her pink airship, first seen in World 4. Shortly before fighting Mario (and later Luigi), she winks at them in a somewhat flirtatious manner. In battle, Pom Pom will throw boomerangs at Mario, a maximum of 2 Boomerangs, and jump a fair distance, similar to a Boomerang Bro (though she does back flips and front flips). When Pom Pom takes damage, she will hover in her shell and try to land on Mario, unlike Boom Boom. This can be avoided by stepping to the side, and repeatedly jumping on top of her shell during her hover attack will yield a number of 1-Up Mushrooms. After taking three stomps from Mario, Pom Pom is defeated and will vanish, releasing ten coins.
Pom Pom reappears in World 6; this time, the arena's floor is covered in fire on the side of the platforms. She will occasionally jump to different platforms in this battle, but otherwise is fought the same. In World 7, Pom Pom will fight her last battle in the regular worlds with Mario, alongside her partner Boom Boom (using Boom Boom's battle theme). Unlike the first two encounters, she will throw a maximum of three boomerangs instead of two. After defeating Bowser, she and Boom Boom appear frequently in the Special Worlds, fighting against Mario and Luigi separately until the last level, where they fight together for the last time, this time using her own theme.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Pom Pom returns in the sequel Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. She appears the same, but is now smaller when compared to Boom Boom. She throws shurikens, rather than boomerangs, and she uses transparent clones (the number of which varies depending on where fought and how many hits she took) to aid her in her boss fights, which also throw shurikens; the clones vanish if attacked. The difference between her and the clones lies mostly in her hair bow which the clones lack and the color of her shuriken (the clones have gray shurikens, while she has a pink one with a red bow on it). She is the first boss of World 3 in the level The Bullet Bill Express, but Mario and the others have a rematch with her in World 
Bowser-
Train The Bowser Express, where she produces more clones. In her third encounter in World 
Flower-12 Boss Blitz, she reuses her strategy from the first encounter.
Unlike in Super Mario 3D Land, Pom Pom does not go in her shell after being damaged. Instead, she immediately makes clones again and continues throwing shurikens.
In the credits, she can be seen next to Boom Boom, comforting him over their recent loss.
Pom Pom also appears in the Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury where, along with keeping her role in the main game, she appears as Cat Pom Pom in the Bowser's Fury side story. The battle is exactly the same as in the main game.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Pom Pom appears as an enemy in Super Mario Maker 2, where she can be placed only in the Super Mario 3D World style. Like in Super Mario 3D World, Pom Pom creates a clone of herself and attacks by throwing shurikens; after the first hit, she spawns two clones, and after the second, she spawns three.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
Pom Pom is a goalie for the Football event in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The player can take control of Pom Pom in Football only, making this her first playable appearance in a game.
Mario Sports Superstars[edit]
Pom Pom is a playable character in Mario Sports Superstars. In baseball, she is classified as a Power type character. In soccer, she is one of the two selectable goalies, with the other being Boom Boom. Players can have two Pom Poms in the same field at once.
Mario Party series[edit]
Super Mario Party[edit]
- “Hiya! I'm Pom Pom! I hate losing, so let's make sure we win!”
- —Pom Pom, Super Mario Party
Pom Pom makes her Mario Party debut as a playable character in Super Mario Party. She has to first be unlocked by completing the fifth world of Challenge Road, Salty Sea. This is the first game in which Pom Pom has spoken dialogue, as well as the first game where Pom Pom is physically present while Boom Boom is not (or second if the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is counted separately from the Wii U version), as the latter only makes a small cameo as artwork of one of the possible characters in the minigame Absent Minded.
Pom Pom's special Dice Block in this game contains four faces with a "3", one face with a "0", and one face with an "8".
Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]
Pom Pom is not playable in Super Mario Party Jamboree but returns as a host of the Survival mode in Minigame Bay.[1]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Pom Pom appears alongside Boom Boom as an Ace-class Attack-type primary spirit with one support slot in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It is the enhanced form of the Boom Boom spirit once it has reached level 99. The image used to represent the spirit is Boom Boom and Pom Pom's group artwork from Super Mario 3D Land.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
Pom Pom appears as an assistant in Dr. Mario World. In stage mode, she grants a chance that one virus is eliminated when starting a stage, but won't completely eliminate a virus that requires multiple hits to be eliminate such as floatie viruses or bubbles containing viruses. In versus mode, she grants a chance that one virus is eliminated if the player is about to lose, which only happens once per match.
General information[edit]
Physical appearance[edit]
Pom Pom appears to be the female counterpart of Boom Boom. She has red eyes and a tan-colored head, with blonde hair containing a small, orange fade; the hair is styled into a short ponytail and adorned with a pair of light green beads. Pom Pom's skin is colored magenta, her foot pads are pink, and her arms are more normally proportioned in comparison to Boom Boom's; her red shell is smoother and smaller with pastel red dots, making it closer to those of Buzzy Beetles as opposed to the standard Koopa shells with plates and grooves. Pom Pom has a high cream snout, and her mouth has two prominent fangs; her head shape is very similar to the Koopalings, particularly Wendy O. Koopa. Since Super Mario 3D World, Pom Pom also has clawed hands similar to Boom Boom.
Identity[edit]
There has been inconsistent wording on whether there is more than one Pom Pom. Both Pom Pom and Boom Boom are referred to in the plural sense on the European and Australian websites of Super Mario 3D Land,[2] rather than individuals in the overall Boom Boom species. Therefore, it is possible that the player is fighting different Pom Poms and Boom Booms on the various ships; however, the North American website refers to them singularly,[3] the Prima guide also refers to them singularly and as siblings,[4] and even the Japanese website implies Pom Pom is a unique individual by describing her as 「クッパ
Abilities[edit]
In Super Mario 3D Land, Pom Pom's way of fighting is similar to that of a Boomerang Bro. She throws at least two to three boomerangs at Mario, and then jumps away. She also spins in her shell to attack Mario anytime she gets hurt, though in a different manner from Boom Boom and the Koopalings: She hovers in her hard shell and tries to smash on her opponent overhead. Pom Pom can shake her airship just by impacting the floor with her spinning shell. Pom Pom is highly acrobatic as she can perform high jumps and elegant flips after she attacks.
In Super Mario 3D World, she uses the art of ninjutsu to battle. She performs a hand gesture to disappear into pink smoke, which splits and teleport across the arena. She reappears from the split smoke with a large horde of clones equipped with large shurikens to attack with the real Pom Pom, who can be identified by her hair tie and pink shuriken with a bow, traits the clones do not share.
Personality and traits[edit]
Similarly to Boom Boom, Pom Pom is a faithful servant to Bowser and is one of the higher-ranking Koopas in his army. According to the commentary in Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack, Pom Pom wants to be refined and elegant, but is actually prone to losing her temper.[6] This aspect of her personality is supported by her actions in Super Mario Party: Pom Pom generally makes ladylike poses in most of her animations, but whenever she loses a minigame, she jumps up and down in an angry fit before pouting.
In most of her appearances, Pom Pom is partnered with Boom Boom; the two are shown to work well together. Likewise, Pom Pom usually does not get along with Mario and friends due to their interferences in Bowser's plans and their victories against her, but like the rest of Bowser's minions, she is not above being friendly with them when off the clock. For example, in both Super Mario Party and Super Mario Party Jamboree, Pom Pom is treated politely by Toad and Toadette and plays friendly party games with Mario and his friends in the former game, and is quite supportive towards them even when they lose in the latter game. Similarly to Boom Boom, Pom Pom does not speak in most games; however, she communicates through grunts, yells, and roars.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
- Website description:
- English (American):
Cruising for a bruising in Bowser's airships, Boom Boom and Pom Pom wait for you in the lower chambers. They may look tough, but they're both a bit of a pushover—three quick stomps to the head will take them out.[3] - English (British):
Adding a dash of glamour to Bowser's army of minions, Pom Poms lead Mario a merry dance with their silky smooth moves.
- English (American):
Super Mario Party[edit]
- Website description:
- English:
This boomerang-tossing character makes her Mario Party debut as a playable character.
- English:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #56 Boom Boom & Pom Pom | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Series/game | Super Mario Series |
| Type | Primary | |
| Slots | 1 | |
| Class | Ace | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Attack Hyper Smash Attacks | |
| How to obtain | Enhanced from Boom Boom |
Dr. Mario World[edit]
- Stage mode: "Grants 50%/60%/70%/80%/100% chance viruses (1) will be eliminated on stage start."
- Stage mode (Prior to version 2.3.0): "Grants 10%/20%/30%/40%/50% chance viruses (1) will be eliminated on stage start."
- Versus mode: "If you are about to lose, grants 20%/40%/60%/80%/100% chance viruses (1) will be eliminated. (Once only.)"
List of appearances[edit]
| # | Title | Role | Release date | Format
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Super Mario 3D Land | Boss | 2011 | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Boss | 2013 | Wii U |
| 3 | Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Playable character | 2016 | Nintendo 3DS, Wii U |
| 4 | Mario Sports Superstars | Playable character | 2017 | Nintendo 3DS |
| 5 | Super Mario Party | Unlockable playable character | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
| 6 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Spirit cameo | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
| 7 | Super Mario Maker 2 | Enemy | 2019 | Nintendo Switch |
| 8 | Dr. Mario World | Assistant | 2019 | iOS, Android |
| 9 | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Boss | 2021 | Nintendo Switch |
| 10 | Super Mario Party Jamboree | Host | 2024 | Nintendo Switch |
Gallery[edit]
Pom Pom in Super Mario 3D Land
Boom Boom and Pom Pom together in Super Mario 3D Land
Boom Boom and Pom Pom on their airship in Super Mario 3D Land
Pom Pom in World 6
Pom Pom and Boom Boom in World 7
Pom Pom in Special 4
Pom Pom and Boom Boom on The Bullet Bill Express in Super Mario 3D World
Stamp of Pom Pom in Super Mario 3D World
Screenshot of Pom Pom in The Bullet Bill Express
Pom Pom's digital card from Mario Sports Superstars
Mario Sports Superstars
Pom Pom takes a swing during a baseball game in Mario Sports Superstars.
Pom Pom as a goalie during a soccer game in Mario Sports Superstars.
Icon of Pom Pom in Super Mario Party
Cat Pom Pom in a Japanese commercial promoting the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary
Cat Pom Pom in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Pom Pom in Super Mario Party Jamboree
Quotes[edit]
- "I'm so inspired! You make me wanna be a Super Star too! Perhaps next time we'll meet as rivals." - Super Mario Party
- "Wow, what a neat-looking place! Name's Pom Pom! I'm not TOO late, am I?" - Super Mario Party
- "Where ya headed? I'll come with!" - Super Mario Party
- "Great! I'm a winner at pretty much everything!" - Super Mario Party
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | プンプン[?] Punpun |
A Japanese term meaning "angrily"; also follows the naming style of「ブンブン」(Bunbun, Boom Boom) | |
| Chinese | 碰碰[?] Pèng Pèng |
Transliteration of the Japanese name | |
| Dutch | Pom Pom[?] | - | |
| French | Poum Poum[?] | Poom Poom | |
| French (NOA) | Pom Pom[7] | - | Super Mario 3D Land |
| German | Pom Pom[?] | - | |
| Italian | Poom Poom[?] | - | |
| Korean | 푸웅푸웅[?] Puung-puung |
Transliteration of the Japanese name | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Pom Pom[?] | - | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Pam Pam[?] | - | |
| Russian | Пам-пам[?] Pam-pam |
Pam pam | |
| Spanish | Pum Pum[?] | Poom Poom | Also spelled "Pum pum" in the Latin American Spanish localization from 2012 to 2019, when species names were always written in lowercase. |
Trivia[edit]
- In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft versions 1.16.0 and later (Nintendo Switch only), Zombified Piglins gain a texture resembling Pom Pom, which replaces Zombie Pigmen's texture (Rex) from before version 1.16.0.
References[edit]
- ^ スーパー マリオパーティ ジャンボリー：ミニゲームハーバー. Nintendo. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ "Boom Booms lie in wait for Mario on the battleship." and "Pom Poms lead Mario a merry dance" – Super Mario 3D Land. Nintendo of UK (British English). Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Boom Boom & Pom Pom [...] may look tough, but they're a bit of a pushover" – Official Site – Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo of America (American English). Archived February 1, 2013, 21:53:30 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Pom Pom fights completely differently than her brother." – Musa, Alexander, and Geson Hatchett (November 22, 2013). Super Mario 3D World PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-804-16249-4. Page 88.
- ^ スーパーマリオ ３Ｄランド. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Pom Pom adds a little ladylike elegance to Bowser's crew... or so she'd like to think, anyway. She wants to be refined and elegant, but is actually prone to having major meltdowns. She's a complex character and we wanted to get this across in the music" – Super Mario 3D World Soundtrack Booklet (JPG). Nintendo (English). Archived April 17, 2016, 08:30:36 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Boum Boum et Pom Pom attend patiemment de vous combattre sur le pont inférieur des vaisseaux aériens de Bowser." – Super Mario 3D Land. Nintendo.com (Canadian French). Archived June 9, 2015, 05:10:47 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
| Miscellaneous Koopas | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Boom Boom • Boss Sumo Bro • Gattai monster • Motley Bossblob • Pom Pom • Tutankoopa |
| Species | Boom Boom • Chargin' Chuck • Dark Striker • Koopa Striker • Shova • Soopa Striker • Sumo Bro • Toopa Striker |
| Relatives | Conkdor • Rocky Wrench • Shellcreeper • Skedaddler • Yoshi |
| Subfamilies | |
| Buzzy Beetles • Hammer Bros. • Koopas • Koopa Troopas (Koopa Paratroopas · Dry Bones) • Lakitus • Magikoopas • Spikes • Spinies | |
- Koopas
- Mini-bosses
- Ninjas
- Playable characters
- Bowser's Fury bosses
- Dr. Mario World
- LEGO Super Mario characters
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games characters
- Mario Sports Superstars characters
- Mario Sports Superstars enemies
- Super Mario 3D Land bosses
- Super Mario 3D World bosses
- Super Mario Maker 2 enemies
- Super Mario Party characters
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits
