Monty Mole

Not to be confused with Morty Mole.

Monty Mole
Artwork of Monty Mole from Super Mario Party
First appearance	Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)
Variant of	Rocky Wrench
Variants Big Monty Mole Choropū Men'iwa Mawful Mole Mega 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-san Choropū Shinrin-tai Choropū the Picasso Chorozairu Gattai monster 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 are fossorial enemies first appearing in Super Mario World. They are moles that dart out of holes in the ground to either quickly pursue Mario or another character or to throw rocks at them. In several games, Monty Moles appear in Whac-A-Mole-themed minigames. Monty Moles seem to have initially been based on Rocky Wrenches from Super Mario Bros. 3 (itself described as a mole-like turtle at the time), but Rocky Wrenches have since been redesigned to resemble Monty Moles until the last wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario World

Monty Mole artwork for their debut appearance, Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, Monty Moles first appear in the level Yoshi's Island 2. They burrow out of random spots in the ground or off of dirt walls to surprise Mario or Luigi. 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. The game also features Mega 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 in Super Mario 64 DS. In development builds of the game, Monty Moles had slightly different digging sprites from those in the final game.

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

Although Monty Moles are not present in the original version of Super Mario Bros. 3, in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the king of Iced Land is turned into a Monty Mole by Lemmy Koopa. Monty Moles also appear as enemies in a World-e level called Ground Work, with some of them hiding beneath grass patches and being released upon the player plucking them.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

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

Monty Moles appear in the Hazy Maze Cave and on Tall, Tall Mountain in Super Mario 64 and its Nintendo DS version. In the cave, Monty Moles specifically reside in the toxic maze, though they remain outside the strange toxic cloud. Monty Moles in this game act similarly to Rocky Wrenches, albeit throwing rocks instead of wrenches before disappearing underground. If Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, or Wario can defeat a certain number of Monty Moles in the game, a 1-Up Mushroom appears for him to collect.

The Super 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.

In the original game, Monty Moles use their squinting design from Super 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 the Super Mario World artworks, with a small amount of influence from the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine designs. From their untraditional "sunglasses" artwork, they get the smooth, cheek-less head sides, white upper lip, and small nose; from the other Super Mario World artwork, they get the distinct squint; from the Super Mario 64 design, they get the visible teeth, though the number is reduced to one; and from the Super 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

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

A Monty Mole, also called Chorobe, appears in Super Mario Sunshine. He appears in Pinna Park and Noki Bay at the helm of large, red, dome-shaped cannons, firing Bullet Bills at Mario in the former, and Glorpedo down the cliffside in the latter. When Mario approaches the mole, he stops firing and tosses Bob-ombs at him. They can be disabled using FLUDD, 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.

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

The manning of war machinery may be a throwback to Rocky Wrenches, who manned many of the machines in Super 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.

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

Although Monty Moles are absent as regular enemies, Monty Tank, depicted as a Monty Mole operating a tank, is the boss of the World 6-Castle World 6-Castle in New Super Mario Bros. The tank fires Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs. Mario or Luigi can defeat it by either stomping the Monty Mole's head three times when he comes out to throw a Bob-omb or by hitting him with fireballs. 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

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Monty Moles only appear in World 6-4. Here, they retain their attack method from Super 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 in World 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 the Booster Course Pass of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rocky Wrenches use a variation of the Monty Mole model with added goggles.

Super Mario 3D Land

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

Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario 3D Land. The only level they appear in is 5-4, 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 single stomp. A new larger variant known as Morty Moles appear, appearing in World 5-4 and 7-4, and must be stomped twice to be defeated. A few of the cutscenes depicting Mario obtaining one of Peach's letters 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 their Super Mario 64 appearance. A Monty Mole also makes a cameo in the photo seen from the World 7 Peach letter.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Monty Moles once again appear in New Super Mario Bros. U. They act the same as in previous games. They only appear in the levels Yoshi Hill and Magma-River Cruise. They also appear during Magikoopa's boss battle in Slide Lift Tower. Monty Moles are also featured in the Challenge Mode levels Mole to Goal and Mole to Goal Returns, where the goal is to transport a Monty Mole to the Goal Pole. Monty Moles return in the New Super Luigi U equivalents of their New Super Mario Bros. U levels, including Rolling Yoshi Hills, Magmaw River Cruise, and Stonecrush Tower, once more a part of Magikoopa's boss battle in the latter. Monty Moles return in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which contains their role from both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies. They function the same as previous games. In the Course Maker, they are made by shaking a Rocky 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 a Super Mushroom or given wings (the former will simply enlarge them and the latter will make them jump around while running, similar to a Paragoomba). They can be blocked from coming out of the ground by placing an object like a P Switch on top of where they will emerge. They can be placed in Blocks, Pipes, Bill Blasters, and on tracks. They are also prominent in the event level Shaun'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

Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario Maker 2 as enemies, sharing the same behavior as in Super Mario Maker. Unlike in Super 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.

Although Monty Moles never appeared in the original Super Mario Bros., they do appear in Game & 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. Their Super Mario World sprite is reused for this appearance.

Super Mario Kodansha manga

Two Monty Moles seen in the first Super Mario World volume

A Monty Mole in the second Super Mario 64 volume

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

In the Super Mario World volumes, Monty Moles notably facing off against Mario and Yoshi over a Golden Mushroom in the sixth volume based on the game, using vehicles shaped after Bowser and a Wiggler. They additionally appear in various roles in volumes based on Super Mario Kart, Yoshi's Safari, and Super 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 the Choropū Chika Butai, the Choropū Shinrin-tai, and Choropū-san.

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

Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater

A Monty Mole and Mega Mole strip in the second volume

Monty Moles appear throughout Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater, interacting with Mario and his friends as well as multiple enemies that appear in Super Mario World such as Eeries, Dino Rhinos, Banzai Bills, and Mega Moles. A notable interaction happens in a strip involving a Magikoopa practicing their magic, using a spell to transform a Monty Mole into a Rotating Block

Like in KC Mario, Monty Moles are typically antagonistic towards Mario, emulating their behavior of jumping out of holes from Super 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 flashes Princess Peach.

Super Mario-kun

The cover for volume 1 chapter 7 of Super Mario-kun

Monty Moles in volume 17

Monty Moles have appeared in many volumes of Super 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 with Swoops 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 named Pūko who gives them a tour of the festival.

Monty Moles also appear in various volumes based on games such as Super Mario 64 in volume 19, Mario Party 3 in volume 27, and Super 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 the Pakkun Mogura in volume 9, which is a fusion of some Monty Moles, Venus Fire Trap, and several Nipper Plants and Munchers.

Nintendo Adventure Books

Although Mega Moles appear frequently in the Nintendo Adventure Books, Monty Moles only appear once as a cameo in one of the puzzles from Dinosaur 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 their Super Mario World artwork.

NES Open Tournament Golf

While Monty Moles do not appear within the actual gameplay of NES Open Tournament Golf, what seems to be one appears on the coverMedia: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

Monty Moles in Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land

In the interactive OVA Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land, after Iggy's horde of Koopa Troopas, Rexes, and Chargin' Chucks is defeated by Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, he summons a group of Monty Moles and Koopa Paratroopas. They are quickly disposed of when Yoshi swallows a Green Shell and breathes fire on them. The puzzle shortly before this also had Mario stomping on four Monty Moles.

Super Mario World television series

Several "Gophers" pinning Cheatsy Koopa to the ground in the Super 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 as Gophers, appeared in the episode "Gopher Bash" of the Super Mario World animated series.

In the episode, several Gophers acted as minions of Cheatsy Koopa, aiding him in his plot to steal all the crops grown by the cave-people of Dome City. These Gophers are eventually defeated by Mario, Luigi and Yoshi, 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 at all. This is also one of the few times Gophers are fully voice-acted.

Super Mario Adventures comic

A Monty Mole in Super Mario Adventures

In the Super Mario Adventures comic, a Monty Mole alongside a smaller Monty Mole can be seen coming out of the pipes and surrounding Mario and Luigi alongside other enemies. However, they are quickly defeated by Mario when he spits a Goomba 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.

Monty Moles use both the Super Mario World design and their sunglasses design throughout Super Mario Adventures.

Mario Kart series

Super Mario Kart

Monty Moles (referred to as Gophers in the instruction booklet) are obstacles in Super Mario Kart, in Donut Plains 2 and Donut 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

Chubby

Monty Moles (referred to under the name Chubby in the instruction booklet) appear in Moo Moo Farm of Mario 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 the Boo item like a Super Star, while other versions make the player go through them.

Mario Kart DS

In Mario Kart DS, they are referred to by their usual name, and mainly appear in N64 Moo Moo Farm and Peach Gardens with the same behavior as previous games. In one of the missions, 3-6, the player's task is to hit five Monty Moles while playing as Luigi.

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

In Mario Kart Wii, they appear as obstacles in Moo Moo Meadows as well as DS 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 in DS Peach Gardens like in previous games. They originally had their model from Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros., as well as a different jumping animation for a placeholder before being completely reworked in the final game.

Mario Kart 7

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

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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

Mario Kart Tour

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

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

Mario is Missing!

A Monty Mole appears in the CD-ROM Deluxe version of Mario is Missing! as a Curator, 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

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

Hotel Mario

In Hotel Mario, Monty Moles appear mostly in Larry's Chillton Hotel, though they also appear in Bowser'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 proceed with their antics again.

Game & Watch Gallery series

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

Mario Golf series

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

—Monty Mole, Mario Golf: Super Rush

In Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, a Monty Mole, using its Super Mario 64 design, may pop out of the hole if the player successfully putts the ball into the hole 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 in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Golf: World Tour as well as the Bonny Greens Open scoreboard in Mario Golf: Super Rush.

In Mario Golf: Advance Tour, a Monty Mole appears in Links Club Practice Center, similarly maintaining its Mario Golf design. The player must shoot three shots at it to earn a Super Drink.

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

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

During the events of Paper Mario, Monty Moles appear at Mt. 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 in Flower 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

Monty Moles reappear in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Unlike in Paper Mario, they act as NPCs rather than enemies, and their modern design is used. One Monty Mole appears on Overlook Mountain running an auction for a Shell 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 in Breezy 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

Mario Party 3

A Monty Mole in Mario Party 3

Monty Moles appear in Woody Woods in Mario 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 in Storm Chasers as obstacles the player must avoid.

Mario Party 5

In Mario Party 5, Monty Moles appear in the minigame Flatiator. 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 in Pirate Dream hosting a board event where the player can mine for coins. Most games around this era starting from this game use the Super Mario World design, though with more saturated colors and orange fur.

Mario Party 6

In Mario Party 6, Monty Moles are in the minigame Mole-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 the Star Sprint level Meadow Road as obstacles the player can avoid but can also be defeated by dashing into them. Monty Moles also appear in the Miracle Book in the "Poppin' Out of the Pipe" and "Bountiful Harvest" sections, respectively based on Mole-it! and Garden 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

Artwork of a Monty Mole in Mario Party Advance

“Go to it! And have fun, you dig?”

—Monty Mole, Mario Party Advance

Monty Mole appears as a character in the town area of Shroom City in Mario 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 the Town Game Room A has much more to win than the Town 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 the Game Mage. The ending of the game states that he stopped gaming and got married.

Mario Party 7

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

In Mario Party 7, a Monty Mole appears on the board Pyramid Park. He appears when the player lands on the Green 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 minigame Sphere 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 minigame Monty'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.

Mario Party 8

Monty Moles make another party appearance in Mario Party 8. This time they appear in the minigame Crops '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 minigame Moped 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 the Carnival Wagon.

Mario Party DS

Monty Moles appear again in Mario Party DS as owners of the Item Shops. Once players enter the Warp Pipe, they can buy items from it. Monty Moles also appear in the minigame Mole 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

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

Mario Party: Island Tour

Monty Moles make various minor appearances in Mario Party: Island Tour. In both Match Faker and Tap Dash, they can possibly appear as one of the options to choose from. They cameo in the background of Drive for Show and Bumper Thumper. A Monty Mole constellation resembling Mario Party 9's Hello Mole can sometimes appear in the minigame Starring Artist. In Perilous 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

Although normal Monty Moles do not appear in Mario Party 10, an enlarged Monty Mole known as Mega Monty Mole appears as the mid-boss of Airship Central. He appears in the minigame Mega Monty Mole's Maze Mischief.

Mario Party: Star Rush

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

Mario Party: The Top 100

Monty Moles reappear in Mario Party: The Top 100, reprising their roles in the minigames Storm Chasers (now using their modern design), Monty's Revenge, and Sphere Factor. In Mini-Game Island, a cardboard Monty Mole holding a hammer can be seen by Monty's Revenge.

Super Mario Party

Super Mario Party is the first Mario 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 in Super Mario Party for the first time in the Mario Party series, though it is Monty Mole's fourth time being playable in any Super 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, and Pom Pom to participate in the party to be crowned the Super Star. Monty Mole's Dice 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 minigame Rhythm 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. In Absent Minded, Monty Mole is a possible guess, but only if nobody is playing as Monty Mole. In Puzzle Hustle, Monty Mole can appear as one of the puzzles, in their Super 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

Monty Moles appear in Mario Party Superstars as part of Woody Woods, retaining their role from Mario 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 in Storm Chasers and Monty'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 every Mario Party after Mario Party 3, despite not appearing in Mario Party 4. Mario Party 10 is also listed, despite only having Mega Monty Mole.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

Monty Mole reappears in Super Mario Party Jamboree as a playable character. Additionally, mechanical versions of Monty Moles appear in the Noggin Knock minigame, where players must strike them with hammers for coins in the vein of Whack-a-Mole. A golden variety of Monty also appears, which grants the player more coins than normal.

Mario Family

Monty Mole appears as one of the sewing designs in Mario Family.

Mario Pinball Land

Monty Moles (sometimes referred to as 1-up Moles) appear in Mario Pinball Land. They can be found in every level except the Fun Fair, peeking out from one of their holes. If Mario hits a Monty Mole, he gains 500 points 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 a 1-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 an Invincibility Star. Each level also has a unique costume that Monty Moles can be seen wearing. The Grassy Greens Stage has normal Monty Moles; in the Frosty Frontier Stage, they wear snow hoodies; in the Shifting Sands Stage, they wear fezzes; and in the Fiery Stage, they wear helmets.

Mario Tennis series

Mario Power Tennis

In Mario Power Tennis, a few Monty Moles can be seen among the crowd in the opening watching Wario and Waluigi be chased by the police, and also in the crowd when Wario, Waluigi and Bowser attempt to destroy the stadium. Monty Moles also appear in the Chain-Chomp Challenge minigame, where they man cannons identical to the ones in Super Mario Sunshine. The moles themselves, however, use the revamped Super Mario World design seen in previous Nintendo GameCube games. They shoot tennis balls and bombs at the players to hit back at the Chain Chomps.

Mario Tennis Aces

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

Mario Baseball series

Mario Superstar Baseball

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

Monty Mole also appears in Mario 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 from Super Mario 64 DS, in the crowd there are Monty Moles with their model from Mario Power Tennis and Mario Party 6. Monty Mole's description in this game reveals that the holes they jump out of are their dens.

Mario Super Sluggers

“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 the Mario Super Sluggers opening.

In Mario 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 with Shy Guy, Goomba, and Paragoomba, 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 for Bowser 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

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

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Monty Moles appear in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. One is encountered in the Gritzy 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 of Gritzy Caves and they both run an Item Shop called the Monty 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

A group of five Monty Moles, called the Monty Bros., appear in Mario & 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 below Toad Town. They do not make much progress however, so Bowser has to finish their duties.

The Monty Bros. later reappear in the Treasure Chamber in Bowser's Castle, betraying Bowser and claim that Fawful bribed them and ordered them to get rid of Bowser. They attack Bowser in a giant train called the Fawful 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 called Mawful Moles and Metal Mawful Moles can be also be found in this game.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

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

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

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

Dr. Mario-kun

The Monty Mole in episode 39 of Dr. Mario-kun

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

In episode 39, the Monty Mole shovels through the ground to tell Dr. 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 a Koopa Troopa all wear Monty Mole costumes.

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

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

Mario Strikers Charged

Monty Moles are sidekicks in Mario Strikers Charged

Monty Moles are a sidekick in Mario Strikers Charged. They are Power Players, which means they are good at shooting and tackling, but cannot pass very well. Their Skillshot is Dirt Drill, where they go underground with the ball, dig towards the goal, and pop up near the goalie, 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 early GameCube games.

Mario Sports Mix

In Mario Sports Mix, a single Monty Mole can be seen as a spectator, cheering on the players when they play at Western Junction.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

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

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World

A Monty Mole in Yoshi's Woolly World

Monty Moles appear as an enemy in Yoshi's Woolly World and its Nintendo 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 orange yarn balls. There is also a boss called Big 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 the Scrapbook Theater, a normal Monty Mole pops out of a scarf roll and runs around the stage.

Yoshi's Crafted World

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

Dr. Mario World

A Monty Mole from Dr. Mario World

Monty Moles appear in Dr. 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 with Sledge 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 of World 6 when the area is cleared.

LEGO Super Mario

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

Other appearances

Monty Moles appear in Nintendo Badge Arcade as part of the Super Mario Maker arcade using their Super Mario World style sprites, as well as in the Super Mario Bros. arcade using their sprites in that game style from Super Mario Maker.

Unused appearances

Dr. Mario 64

Monty Moles may have been planned to be playable in Dr. Mario 64 since their name can be seen in the game files. However, they are not seen in the final game at all or have any known graphics.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Concept art of The Thousand-Year Door characters, featuring a mole-based iteration of the Pianta Syndicate

Monty Moles were originally intended to appear as Rogueport criminals in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, being led by a Mega Mole. The design of both is based on Mega Mole's Super Mario World artwork, with a black suit and fedora; as such, they have a pointy brown nose and pointed sunglasses, unlike in the first Paper Mario. They are replaced with Don Pianta's Pianta Syndicate in the final game.

Super Paper Mario

Unused sprite of a Monty Mole in Super Paper Mario

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

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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

Monty Moles were going to appear as enemies in Paper Mario: Sticker Star but were cut from the game. Additionally, a crowned purple Monty Mole boss named King Choropu (キングチョロプー) was intended to appear.

Other appearances

In early builds of Wii Fit Plus, Monty Mole's model from Mario Kart Wii was used as a placeholder for the moles in that game before eventually being removed.

Profiles and statistics

Main article: List of Monty Mole profiles and statistics

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery: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

Additional names

Internal names

Game	File	Name	Meaning
Super Mario Sunshine	tyorobe_model1	Tyorobe	A mispronunciation of the Japanese name

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	チョロプー[?] Choropū	Zooming Rocky Wrench; portmanteau of「チョロチョロ」(chorochoro, an onomatopoeia meaning "darting around") and「プー」(Pū, Rocky Wrench), officially romanized as "Choropoo"
Chinese (simplified)	胖鼹鼠 Pàng Yǎnshǔ	Fat Mole
	黄鼹鼠 Huáng Yǎnshǔ	Yellow Mole
Chinese (traditional)	黃鼴鼠[?] Huáng Yǎnshǔ	Yellow Mole
Dutch	Monty Mole[?]	-
French (NOA)	Topi Taupe[?]	From taupe ("mole")
	Monty Mole[?]	-	2007–2008
	La taupe Monty[?]	The Monty mole	Super Mario World manual
French (NOE)	Topi Taupe[?]	From taupe ("mole")
German	Monty Maulwurf	Monty Mole
	Monty	-
Italian	Tantatalpa[?]	From tana ("burrow"), tanta ("a lot of"), and talpa ("mole")
Korean	쪼르뚜[?] Jjoreuttu	From 쪼르르 (jjoreureu, a term for small creatures running fast) and 뚜 (Ttu, "Rocky Wrench")
Portuguese (NOA)	Monty Toupeira	Monty Mole
	Toupeira Monty		Super Mario World manual
Portuguese (NOE)	Toupeira Monty[?]	Monty Mole
Romanian	Gofăr	Transliteration of "gopher"	Super Mario World animated series
Russian	Крот Монти[?] Krot Monti	Monty Mole
Spanish (NOA)	Topo Monty[?]	Monty Mole	Also spelled "topo monty" in the Latin American Spanish localization from 2012 to 2019, when species names were always written in lowercase.
	Monty Mole[?]	-	2007-2008
Spanish (NOE)	Topo Monty[?]	Monty Mole

Trivia

• Incidentally, Monty Moles share a name with a British video game protagonist.
• In the 54th issue of the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, Monty Moles were called "gophers."
• In the official Nintendo Power guidebook for Super Mario Sunshine, the section for the Monty Mole in Noki Bay is called "The Full Monty", a reference to the 1997 comedy of the same name.