Pom Pom: Difference between revisions

|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])

'''Pom Pom''' is a boss who debuted in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', where she appears as the boss of various [[airship]]s. 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|Wendy O. Koopa]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''.

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 Leaf|Super Leaves]] and kidnapped [[Princess Peach]].

Pom Pom is a goalie for the [[Football (Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Nintendo 3DS)|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.

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.

====''Super Mario Party''====

Pom Pom makes her ''[[Mario Party (series)|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 appears alongside Boom Boom as an Ace-class Attack-type {{iw|smashwiki|primary spirit}} with one support slot in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. It is the enhanced form of the Boom Boom [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|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''.

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 Beetle]]s as opposed to the standard [[Koopa (species)|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|Wendy O. Koopa]]. Since ''Super Mario 3D World'', Pom Pom also has clawed hands similar to Boom Boom.

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'',<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-3DS-games/SUPER-MARIO-3D-LAND-274908.html|title=''Super Mario 3D Land''|publisher=Nintendo of UK|language=en-gb|accessdate=July 6, 2024|quote=Boom Booms lie in wait for Mario on the battleship." and "Pom Poms lead Mario a merry dance}}</ref> 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,<ref name="SM3DL%20NA">{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20130201215330/http://supermario3dland.nintendo.com|title=Official Site – ''Super Mario 3D Land'' for Nintendo 3DS|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|accessdate=July 6, 2024|quote=Boom Boom & Pom Pom [...] may look tough, but they're a bit of a pushover}}</ref> the Prima guide also refers to them singularly and as siblings,<ref>{{cite|author=Musa, Alexander, and Geson Hatchett|title=''Super Mario 3D World'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=88|date=November 22, 2013|publisher=Prima Games|language=en-us|isbn=978-0-804-16249-4|quote=Pom Pom fights completely differently than her brother.}}</ref> and even the Japanese website implies Pom Pom is a unique individual by describing her as 「クッパ{{ruby|軍|ぐん}}の{{ruby|紅一点|こういってん}}。」, meaning "The Koopa army's lone female."<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/arej/index.html|title=スーパーマリオ ３Ｄランド|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|accessdate=July 6, 2024}}</ref> In ''Super Mario Maker 2'', one of the official courses is named [[Target: A Single Pom Pom]], and both its English and Japanese description contradicts the above, implying that Pom Pom is a species.

Similarly to Boom Boom, Pom Pom is a faithful servant to Bowser and is one of the higher-ranking Koopas in [[Bowser's Minions|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.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20160417083036/http://www.game-ost.com/static/covers_soundtracks/5/3/53465_495712.jpg|format=JPG|title=''Super Mario 3D World'' Soundtrack Booklet|quote=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|language=en|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=July 6, 2024}}</ref> 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.

|type=website

|EngA=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.<ref name="SM3DL%20NA"/>

|EngE=Adding a dash of glamour to Bowser's army of minions, Pom Poms lead Mario a merry dance with their silky smooth moves.}}

|Eng=This boomerang-tossing character makes her Mario Party debut as a playable character.}}

|type={{iw|smashwiki|Primary spirit|Primary}}

{|class="wikitable sortable" width=100%

!width=20%|Release date

!width=20%|System/format

|''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''

|Boss

|[[List of games by date#2011|2011]]

|[[Nintendo 3DS]]

|-

|''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''

|Boss

|[[List of games by date#2013|2013]]

|[[Wii U]]

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''

|Playable character

|[[List of games by date#2016|2016]]

|Nintendo 3DS, Wii U

|-

|''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]''

|Playable character

|[[List of games by date#2017|2017]]

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Super Mario Party]]''

|Unlockable playable character

|[[List of games by date#2018|2018]]

|[[Nintendo Switch]]

|-

|''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''

|Spirit cameo

|2018

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2019|2019]]

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Dr. Mario World]]''

|Assistant

|2019

|iOS, Android

|-

|''[[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury]]''

|Boss

|[[List of games by date#2021|2021]]

|[[Nintendo Switch]]

|}

|Jpn=プンプン

|JpnR=Punpun

|JpnM=A Japanese term meaning "angrily"; also follows the naming style of「ブンブン」(''Bunbun'', [[Boom Boom]])

|PorA=Pom Pom

|PorE=Pam Pam