Monty Mole

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

- Monty Mole

Monty Moles are enemies who make frequent appearances in the Mario games. First appearing in Super Mario World, they are moles who 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 -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.

Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, Monty Moles are first encountered in the level Yoshi's Island 2, and also appear in Cookie Mountain. They pop out of random spots in the ground to surprise Mario or Luigi and will either chase after him persistently or just walking around and hopping occasionally (though the latter behavior was not seen in future games). This 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. Monty Moles can be defeated by any attack method.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Although Monty Moles do not appear physically in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Ragumo is a confirmed relative to the Monty Mole species, as it was confirmed in multiple official Japanese sources.

Super Mario All-Stars / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3 marked the debut of one of the Monty Mole's relatives, Rocky Wrench. Monty Moles are not present in the original version, as this was before their debut in Super Mario World. However, the Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 remakes, the king of Iced Land is turned into a Monty Mole by Lemmy Koopa. Furthermore, in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Monty Moles are enemies in a World-e level titled Ground Work, some of which hide beneath grass patches and are released upon being plucked by Mario or Luigi.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Monty Moles appear in the Hazy Maze Cave and on Tall, Tall Mountain in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. In the cave, Monty Moles specifically reside in the toxic maze, though they remain outside the toxic cloud. Monty Moles were given a different attack pattern of throwing rocks at Mario (or Luigi, Yoshi, or Wario in the remake) before burrowing back down into another hole, later made a consistent attack pattern of theirs. 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 Nintendo 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 Super Mario 64 DS, Yoshi can defeat a Monty Mole by throwing an egg at it, although he cannot swallow them with his tongue.

Super Mario Sunshine
A Monty Mole, also called Chorobe or cannoneer, appears in Super Mario Sunshine as a mini-boss. 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 Monty Mole, he stops firing and tosses Bob-ombs at him. They can be disabled using F.L.U.D.D., and tossing a Bob-omb at the Monty Mole three times defeats him. Both battles with the Monty Mole are almost exactly the same.

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 replaces the Monty Mole from Episode 3 onward. In Noki Bay, the Monty Mole reappears in the Uncork the Waterfall mission, in which he corks up the waterfall, resulting in the water being polluted. After defeating the Monty Mole again, the waterfall is uncorked, flinging both the cork and the Monty Mole far away, in-which Mario can then collect the Shine Sprite (though the water still remains polluted in later missions).

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 as a mini-boss.

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 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. The bodies of the Monty Moles that were whacked pile up on the top screen.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Monty Moles only normally appear in World 6-4. Here, they retain their main attack method from Super Mario World. Once Mario and crew get near a Monty Mole's hiding spot, it jumps out of the wall and tries to charge into them. Like in most games, Monty Moles can easily be defeated by any attack method. Magikoopa can also turn platforms into Monty Moles during his fight with Mario in.

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.

Since this game, Rocky Wrenches use a variation of the Monty Mole model with added goggles.

Super Mario 3D Land
Monty Moles reappear in Super Mario 3D Land, with the cave level World 5-4 being the only level they appear in. This is a Monty Mole's first appearance in a 3D game where they appear outside the ground and have the ability to run. Monty Moles can be seen patrolling a small area, and if Mario or Luigi touch one, they get damaged upon contact. Unlike most Super Mario titles, Monty Moles do not actively chase Mario or Luigi, and only hurt them if they happen to be in their way. Monty Moles can be defeated with either a single stomp (during which the Monty Mole has a unique squished animation not shown in their other appearances) or a fireball.

Aside from Monty Moles' only level appearance, a few cutscenes of Mario obtaining a letter from Peach feature one or two Monty Moles in the background as he rushes to the next world to continue his journey to rescue her. Unlike the Monty Moles in World 5-4, these Monty Moles are partially underground, somewhat like in Super Mario 64. A Monty Mole also makes a brief cameo in the background of the photo seen in the World 7 letter.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
After an absence in New Super Mario Bros. 2, Monty Moles make a return in New Super Mario Bros. U and its Nintendo Switch remake, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, having the same behavior as in Super Mario World. Monty Moles only appear in the levels Yoshi Hill and Magma-River Cruise as well as 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.

In New Super Luigi U, Monty Moles appear in the levels Rolling Yoshi Hills, Magmaw River Cruise, and Stonecrush Tower, being a part of Magikoopa's boss battle in the latter.

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. If an enemy is placed on top of a Monty Mole underground, the enemy remains stationary until the Monty Mole is triggered from underneath.

Monty Moles are also prominent in the event level Shaun's Mossy Mole Mischief. At the end of it, there is also a Monty Mole "mech," shaped like their Super Mario Bros.-style sprite, and 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. Monty Moles only appear in the orignal four styles, although they were not given a Super Mario 3D World style. Monty Moles are now completely separate from Rocky Wrenches. One of the course creators, Mischievous Mole, is possibly a Monty Mole, and one of his courses features Monty Moles in it. The Googoo Onesie Mii outfit depicts the Super Mario World Monty Mole sprite on the bib.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.
Monty Moles, while absent from Super Mario Bros., appear in the clock function of Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., resuing their Super Mario World sprites. Monty Moles appear during 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.

Super Mario Kodansha manga
Monty Moles make various appearances in the Super Mario Kodansha manga. They use their sunglasses design for nearly every volume until the Super Mario 64 arc, which gives them their design from said game.

Monty Moles first appear in the first Super Mario World volume, in which one is among Bowser and his minions during his takeover of Dinosaur Land. Later on, two Monty Moles can be seen ambushing Mario and his friends, are then quickly get eaten by Yoshi. Later on, a Monty Mole, Koopa Troopa, Rex, and Koopa Paratroopa try to attack Mario and his friends, but are all swiftly eaten by Yoshi.

They make a very small cameo in the second Super Mario World volume, being seen on an island with other enemies seeing Caped Mario fly off to tell readers about the previous volume.

In the fifth Super Mario World volume, a Monty Mole can be seen first chapter alongside several of Bowser's other minions listening to what he says. Later on, several Monty Moles jump out of the walls to attempt to grab a Bob-omb before being burned by Fire Mario. In a later chapter themed after a festival, a Triceratops can be seen with a whack-a-mole-type game featuring Monty Moles.

In the sixth Super Mario World volume, a star with a Monty Mole face can be seen on the cover of the volume. Later in the actual story, several Monty Moles wearing mining gear can be seen after the Golden Mushroom in the museum is stolen. Mario interrogates them before paying the museum toll for him and Yoshi continuing to find the culprit. It is soon revealed that the Monty Moles are minions of a Mega Mole who actually stole the Golden Mushroom. The Monty Moles and the Mega Mole later return in a chariot shaped like Bowser that drills through the ground to attack everyone in the interrogation cell, throwing Bob-ombs at the group, until one explodes on them. The Moles then attempt to escape in a Wiggler-shaped cargo to make a quick getaway, but it is mostly eaten by Yoshi, causing the Wiggler vehicle to crash, defeating the Monty Moles.

In the Mario Open Golf volume, a Monty Mole cameos on the cover of the table of contents page.

In the Yoshi volume, a Monty Mole on top of a Mega Mole, can both be seen collecting flyers for Yossy's Pizza.

In the first Super Mario Kart volume, Bowser, along with a Monty Mole biker gang, arrives at the racing tournament. Bowser tells Mario that the Monty Mole biker gang will challenge him in the race. The Monty Moles in the audience proceed to steal the engine from Mario's car, saying that it is a waste of time to race without an engine. Later on in the story, the Monty Mole bikers block Mario's path, telling him that they do not care for the life of a "stupid gorilla". Mario uses a Boo to quickly disappear and make a quick getaway. Confused that Mario disappeared, the Monty Mole bikers try and find him, but they all accidentally fall down a cliff. Shortly after, they tell Bowser that they have failed their mission.

In the second Super Mario Kart volume, a Monty Mole is briefly seen when several characters stop for a pitstop. In a later chapter, Bowser uses his bazooka to fire a specific type of bullet known as a Choropū-dan (チョロプー 弾, Monty Mole bullet). The Choropū-dan creates several Monty Moles and a cat that fall down the sky. The Monty Moles skydive onto everyone, with Luigi and Donkey Kong Jr. crashing in the process. However, Mario is able to punch the Monty Moles (and cat) off of his kart. Later on, a Monty Mole can be seen amongst a crowd of several enemies that try to board a ship. In a mini-chapter based on Mario Paint, a Monty Mole can be seen throwing up after seeing a Beach Koopa on a pedestal.

In the third Super Mario Kart volume, Bowser calls upon several Monty Moles on multiple occasions that attempt to sabotage the race to make him win. This includes the Choropū Chika Butai, the Choropū Shinrin-tai, and Choropū-san. Near the end of the volume, everyone then goes to an abandoned underground city that the Monty Moles came from known as the Pū Tairiku after Luigi is stung by the scorpion that is thrown by Choropū-san.

In the first Yoshi's Safari volume, a Monty Mole can be seen commanded by Bowser alongside his other minions to take over Jewelry Land. Later on, several Monty Moles and Nipper Plants can be seen walking around Pipe Island.

In the second Yoshi's Safari volume, a Monty Mole alongside other enemies (now depicted with halos) are accidentally killed by Mario and his friends when they are trying to outrun a Chargin' Chuck. The souls of the enemies are absorbed into the Big Boo.

In the Mario & Wario volume, a Monty Mole, Koopa Troopa, Goomba, and a Sumo Bro throw pebbles at Mario's nose. Unfortunately, they all get crushed by Mario's nose when it unexpectedly grows larger.

In the first 4koma volume, the Iced Land king that was transformed into a Monty Mole in the Super Mario Bros. 3 remakes can be seen in the "7 Kings" (7人の王さま) strip alongside the other transformed kings when Peach asks which of the kings is her father. In the "GO! GO! Mario Paint ~Part 3~" (GO! GO! マリオペイント ~その③~) story, a Monty Mole and a Mega Mole can be seen singing karaoke, as well as watching an anime with everyone. Later on in the same story, a Monty Mole alongside various other characters can be seen wearing Mario masks on Valentine's Day. In the "Mario to the Depths of the Earth" (マリオ地底へ) strip, a Monty Mole jumps onto Mario, with Mario then thinking the Monty Mole is an item that can take him underground.

In the second Super Mario 64 volume, several Monty Moles and Swoops can be seen in Hazy Maze Cave. However, Metal Mario quickly defeats them on his way to get revenge on the Scuttlebugs.

Monty Moles make their final appearance in the manga in the third Super Mario 64 volume, in which several Monty Moles pelt Mario with rocks on his way up Tall, Tall Mountain. Ukkiki continues to help Mario climb up Tall, Tall, Mountain, but the Monty Moles quickly dig up in order to ambush them. Unfortunately, the Monty Moles are quickly crushed by the Iron Balls, falling into the abyss in the process.

Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater
Monty Moles have appeared in multiple volumes of Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater.

In volume 1, Monty Moles are first seen in a description for them reading,「地面の中に隠れていて、マリオが近づくとポーンと飛び出してくる. チョロチョロとすばしっこく、モグラのくせに地上でもやたらと元気がいい. 地下の世界には巨大化したやつもいる. 」("It hides in the ground, and when Mario approaches, it pops out. It is very cheerful, and even though it is a mole, it is very energetic even above the ground. There are also huge ones in the underground world.")

In the "Secret Pleasure" (ひそかなよろこび) strip, a Monty Mole tries ambushing Mario, but he quickly runs past it. The Monty Mole then goes back into the hole it came from, and is able to camouflage into the ground when a Koopa Troopa walks past.

A specific Monty Mole appears as a major character in the "Welcome to Wonderland" (ようこそワンダーランドへ) set of strips, first appearing in the "Monty Mole Appears" (チョロプー登場) strip. In this strip, the Monty Mole has a plan to ambush Mario from jumping out of the ground, but flees as Mario was underwater.

In volume 2, the number 2 for the volume features a Monty Mole face.

In the "Training" (トレーニング) strip, a Monty Mole asks a Koopa Troopa if they want to race. The Monty Mole quickly zooms past the Koopa Troopa and sits by a tree to wait for them to catch up, as Koopa Troopa's legs are too slow. The Koopa Troopa then carries the Monty Mole away, as they had fallen asleep while waiting for them. This strip is a parody of the fable.

In the "Big Heads Have Little Wit" (大男総身に知恵が回りかね) strip, a Mega Mole and Monty Mole meet up, with the Mega Mole then asking what it is doing. The Monty Mole says that it is waiting ambush Mario. As the Mega Mole leaves, the Monty Mole comments on how the Mega Mole is a more powerful and bigger species than it, who fails to notice Mario riding them.

In volume 3, in the "I want to go home" (帰りたいけど) strip, a Monty Mole makes a very brief background cameo.

In the "Happy Birthday, Mario" (ハッピーバースデー・マリオ) strip, a Monty Mole alongside a Goomba and Koopa Troopa can be seen crying when Mario and Luigi notice the lack of enemies on his birthday.

In the "BWOOM" (ガーン) strip, a Monty Mole gives flowers to Princess Peach on her birthday, greatly upsetting the Ninji.

In the "I like darkness - Takashi Ninji)" (暗いのが好き - 新山たかし) story, a Monty Mole makes a few background cameos.

In the "One hit attack" (一発屋) strip, a Monty Mole jumps out of the ground to attempt to ambush Mario, but they accidentally smack into a pipe.

In the "Smile 2" (にこ2) strip, a Monty Mole gets eaten by Yoshi as the example for meat.

The Monty Mole from the Wonderland series also makes a return in the "Wonderland again" (ワンダーランドふたたび) set of strips.

In volume 4, in the "Koopa Troopa Daily Life" (ノコノコの日記) strip, several Monty Moles cling onto a Koopa Troopa who is driving a kart. In the last panel, the Koopa Troopa and the Monty Moles then become circus performers (with it also revealing that the Koopa Troopa and the Monty Moles were children).

In the "Serious Affair" (一大事) strip, a Monty Mole makes a minor cameo in the second panel along with several other enemies attempting to save Princess Peach.

In the "Jump contest" (ジャンプ・コンテスト) strip, a Monty Mole competes against a Blurp and a Jumping Piranha Plant in a jumping contest to see which of them can jump the highest.

In the "Abuse of Securities" (証券乱用) strip, a Monty Mole and Jumping Piranha Plant are in the way of Bowser while he is driving his kart. Bowser then proceeds to claim that if anyone else gets in his way, they have to clean his entire castle.

Super Mario-kun
Monty Moles have appeared in many volumes of Super Mario-kun. Monty Moles wear sunglasses until volume 18, giving them a visible tooth and open eyes. Alongside the main volumes, Monty Moles appeared in multiple puzzles throughout volumes 4-10.

In volume 1, the first appearance of Monty Moles is a small cameo in the first chapter when Bowser talks about his army, where a Monty Mole is shown amongst other enemies. They make an actual appearance in the seventh chapter, where Mario and Yoshi attempt to steal the Monty Moles' coins (due to them being tricked by a Goomba). The Monty Moles then attack Mario and Yoshi for trying to steal their coins. As Mario tries using his Cape Feather to fly away and escape, he hits the ceiling. However, Yoshi manages to eat all of the Monty Moles. This causes an enlarged Monty Mole named Super Choropū to emerge. Super Choropū is angry at Mario and Yoshi for killing the Monty Moles, and seeks retribution by trying to kill Mario and Yoshi themselves. Mario manages to burn Super Choropū using several Fire Flowers. In a later chapter, Yoshi eats a Monty Mole alongside two Goombas. The final chapter features an original power-up for Mario called the Super Shades that transforms Mario into Mogura Mario, a form that is based on Monty Moles. Mario uses this form to dig through the dirt, with other Monty Moles being seen in the background.

In volume 2, Yoshi can be seen eating two Monty Moles during one chapter. In a later chapter, a Monty Mole can be seen with a Fall form seen with other Fall enemies, although Monty Moles do not have such a form in Super Mario World. The Fall variant of Monty Mole gives them a Mario mask while still keeping their sunglasses. A following chapter has a Monty Mole shop named Harajuku Popular Building (原宿人気館) that can be seen in the background of the fair Bowser and Roy make, although the location is never visited. Finally, in one of the 4koma strips, some fried Monty Moles can be seen with a bunch of other cooked enemies.

In volume 3, A Monty Mole makes a very brief cameo in the Mario's Super Dodgeball Winning Strategy Technique chapter, being one of the enemies that gets smacked by a dodgeball.

In volume 4, a Magikoopa smacks Mario with a Monty Mole disguised as a balloon. A later chapter shows a ghost Monty Mole alongside a ghost Morton and other ghost enemies in Hell. The puzzle preceding this chapter has a maze shaped like a Monty Mole.

In volume 5, Monty Moles can be seen in an artwork of Bowser alongside other enemies being in a Yoshi Egg. Monty Moles later appear in a puzzle, where several Monty Moles kidnap Yoshi and it is up to Mario to rescue Yoshi. Monty Moles have a major role in the chapter proceeding this puzzle, where a group of Monty Mole farmers see Luigi, Yoshi, and Mario, who has been turned into a mushroom. After Mario provokes the Monty Moles for trying to harvest him, the Monty Moles then attack Mario and Yoshi. Luigi tries planning a surprise attack by shooting fire at them but accidentally hits his friends instead, with the Monty Moles then hitting Luigi with a paddle stick. After defeating Mario and Yoshi, the Monty Moles have an idea to take them to their king, but the Monty Moles change their mind and instead attempt to feed Mario and Yoshi to their livestock. While the Monty Moles show Mario and his friends Butametto and Ushimetto, Luigi performs another surprise attack by kicking Mario into the Monty Moles, this time being successful at it. However, the Monty Moles then call a group of Swoopers to then fuse with them, creating a fusion of both species, the Monty Mole Swooper. The hybrids then eat the mushroom Mario, reverting him to his usual form while strengthening the Monty Mole Swoopers. They then send Butametto and Ushimetto to trample Mario and his friends, leading to Mario finding a coin in a Rotating Block. though unimpressed at first, Mario quickly finds out that the Monty Mole Swoopers are afraid of the light that the coin admits and him alongside Luigi and Yoshi use several coins to back the Monty Mole Swoopers into a corner. After the Monty Mole Swoopers forfeit, they tell Mario that Bowser's Castle is in the nearby pipe. Mario and his friends then leave through the pipe only to fall in lava. In a later chapter, a species of undead Monty Moles named Choropū Men'iwa appear and attack Mario and Yoshi alongside Urami no Iwa of other enemies that Mario and Yoshi have killed in the past. The gattai monster later in the same chapter also has Monty Mole paws.

In volume 6, a Monty Mole amongst other enemies are crushed into a Yoshi Egg to make Yoshi into Star Yoshi. Monty Moles appear in one maze puzzle which gives them open eyes and two fang-like teeth (this design heavily resembles their future redesign in volume 18). In a chapter featuring a Mega Mole, the Mega Mole refers to itself as a normal Monty Mole when Mario shrinks them with the Lightning (despite the Mega Mole still resembling a Mega Mole). In another chapter, Yoshi makes a stew consisting of a Monty Mole, a Goomba, and a Koopa Troopa, and proceeds to feed it to Mario. In a later chapter, a Monty Mole come to Bowser's lair to show him their flyer for Bowser that says,「地獄の サーキット場完成!! - 命の保障は いたしません. これるもんならきてみやがれ!! "かなやしかけもいっぱい"」("Infernal circuit field completed! We aren't responsible for your life. Come and see it anyway!! 'It's wonderful'"), with Mario, Luigi and Yoshi heading to said area. The Monty Mole is then instructed by Bowser to help Donkey Kong Jr. in his rematch at Donut Plains 1. Later in the same chapter, the Monty Mole from earlier in the chapter comes back to jump on Luigi's face while he is driving, which results in Luigi crashing into Yoshi. In a following chapter, Mario had many Monty Moles attaching to his face during when he is fighting Bowser in a Battle Mode. However, Mario uses a Fire Flower to quickly burn the Monty Moles and himself into a crisp (though Mario is fine afterwards). Finally, a Monty Mole appears in a spot-the-difference puzzle by a snowman. The Ragumo in the final chapter of this volume was heavily redesigned to much more closely resemble a Monty Mole.

In volume 7, Yoshi brings a lot of food products based on enemies. One of these food products is a canned Monty Mole labeled 100% Choropū Beetroot (チョロプー ビーつ 100%). A Monty Mole appears in a maze-like puzzle in which Yoshi has to eat a bunch of enemies. A Monty Mole appears in another puzzle, being among the several enemies accused of causing Princess Peach to cry. In a later chapter, a Monty Mole can be seen in Peach's Castle alongside other enemies attending a party. Monty Moles make two brief appearances in the last two maze puzzles of the volume alongside other enemies.

In volume 9, several Monty Moles alongside other enemies appear ordering from Mario and Yoshi's cookie shop. In the following chapter, a large ominous Monty Mole can be seen in the cover for the chapter. Later on in the actual chapter, Mario pulls a Venus Fire Trap out of their pipe after defeating it, with several Monty Moles seen attached to the stem. Yoshi then proceeds to eat the Monty Moles. Lighting then hits the pipe which combines the corpses of the Venus Fire Trap, a Muncher, a Nipper Plant, and a Monty Mole into a hybrid monster named Pakkun Mogura. Monty Moles also appear in one puzzle where they walk alongside other characters. In a much later chapter, a Monty Mole wearing a sun hat can be seen with Mario and his friends at the beach.

In volume 10, the pinball machine that Roy Koopa makes Mario go through has Monty Mole bumpers. A Monty Mole also makes a cameo in a maze puzzle, in which their Super Mario World design is used.

In volume 13, two Monty Moles can be seen in Bowser's photo in the museum alongside other enemies. In a later chapter, Morton makes Mario and Yoshi play a Virtual Boy game, which features a part with Monty Moles.

In volume 14, a Monty Mole is nearly eaten by Yoshi when he uses the Mole Tank to dig underground. Monty Mole's design is slightly different in this volume, with them having three hairs on their head, a rat-like nose, and short stubby claws.

In volume 17, a Monty Mole (who uses the Super Mario 64 appearance) owns a shop in the flee market that sells a crown, earrings, a necklace, and a ring. However, when Mario puts on the jewelry, he starts choking due to the jewelry being too tight, with the earrings then also being revealed to be small Chain Chomps as well. The Monty Mole offers Mario some to help, and Mario vomits it out after drinking it. In the end, Mario still buys the crown. On the side of page 59 (during these events), artwork of three Monty Moles is shown. While the first two Monty Moles use their Super Mario 64 appearance like the Monty Mole in the chapter, the third Monty Mole has a unique design with an "A" on its forehead, thick eyebrows, and a long chin. In a later Mario Kart 64-themed chapter, several Monty Moles (now using the traditional Super Mario-kun design) pop out of the ground and cling onto Mario's kart. Peach, however, throws a ! Block at Mario which blows up the Monty Moles.

In volume 18, several Monty Moles can be seen when Mario is about to throw baseballs at the targets. The Monty Moles pop out of the targets and throw the baseballs back at Mario. The Monty Moles then attempt to throw bombs at Mario, but he uses his Bunny Ears from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins to throw the bombs back at the Monty Moles. This is the first volume to use the current design used in Super Mario-kun (though one Monty Mole has sunglasses in-reference to the older design).

In volume 19, Bowser commands a group of Monty Moles to attack Mario, but they are quickly electrocuted by Mario's friends that he made throughout the Super Mario 64 arc. Dorrie can be seen chewing on a Monty Mole and King Bob-omb is seen holding one.

In volume 23, a big Monty Mole mother named Choropūko appears in a chapter alongside her children. Normal Monty Moles appear in a later chapter, were they help build Bowser an underground amusement park before the cave collapses. Like volume 18, both the redesign and the original design are seen.

In volume 27, a Monty Mole briefly appears in the Woody Woods adaptation from the Mario Party 3 arc when Mario is launched into the air. This is the last volume to depict Monty Moles with their design original to the Super Mario-kun manga (excluding the ghost Monty Mole in volume 55).

In volume 31, the Monty Mole from Super Mario Sunshine appears; he resembles the Monty Mole design from Super Mario-kun, but retains his hat from Super Mario Sunshine. During the events at Pinna Park, the Monty Mole (also accompanied by a Swipin' Stu) uses his cannon to shoot Bullet Bills at Yoshi and F.L.U.D.D.. Yoshi and F.L.U.D.D. then later come return in a giant Yoshi Egg, which they roll towards the Monty Mole. The Monty Mole attempts shooting them with Bullet Bills, but the egg deflects them. The Monty Mole then attempts to throw the Bob-ombs at the egg, but Yoshi rams into the Monty Mole, causing them all to explode (though the Monty Mole is the only one defeated). Later at Noki Bay, the Monty Mole returns once again to clog the waterfall with a giant cork, just like in Super Mario Sunshine. When Mario and Yoshi reach the Monty Mole, he starts shooting Bullet Bills and throwing Bob-ombs at them rapidly. Yoshi gives Mario some glue, which he uses to glue the Bob-ombs to himself. Mario then jumps towards the Monty Mole to kamikaze onto him and explode the both of them. Although the Monty Mole gets defeated from the explosion, Mario recovers from it rather quickly.

In volume 36, Mario is seen playing an adaptation of Whack-a-Monty by his house. When Mario accidentally smacks Luigi, one of the Monty Moles can be seen smiling due to not getting hit.

In volume 42, a Monty Mole makes a very brief cameo in the background with several Spikes when Mario and his friends are in World 6.

In volume 44, a Monty Mole with glasses can be seen briefly ambushing Mario in a chapter, although they do not attack him. In a later chapter, several Monty Mole miners named Chorozairu are seen working for a Buzzy Beetle.

In volume 45, a Monty Mole known as Choropū the Picasso (named after the famous artist ) appears as the main antagonist of the third chapter.

In volume 46, Monty Moles first appear in the table of contents page, mimicking their New Super Mario Bros. U artwork. Monty Moles make a major role in the fourth chapter, when Mario, Luigi, and Toad stumble upon the「もぐらまつり」(Mogura Matsuri, Mole Festival), a festival filled with Monty Moles, some of which are wearing headbands. There, they meet Pūko, a female Monty Mole (also a Rocky Wrench, as seen in the first chapter) who gives them a tour of the festival. One of the areas of the festival is a whack-a-mole game which has Mario being whacked by Monty Moles as he tries to whack them, which Pūko reveals it to actually be「チョロプーがたたくゲーム」(Choropū ga tataku gēmu, a game where Monty Moles whack the player, since the Japanese name of "whack-a-mole",「モグラたたき」(mogura tataki), literally translates to "mole whack" and can be interpreted as the moles being the subject instead of the object). While Pūko continues the tour for Mario and his friends, a Morty Mole destroys the festival due to it taking place in its home. As a result, the Monty Moles then flee. While Mario fights the Morty Mole, Pūko gives Mario a super-metal, invincible power suit that was handed down for generations in the Monty Mole family, which Mario takes off immediately after feeling uncomfortable wearing it. As the Morty Mole attacks Mario, Luigi wins two Statue Leaves from a raffle run by a glasses-wearing Monty Mole, and use it to defeat the Morty Mole and save the Mogura Matsuri.

In volume 47, a cooked Monty Mole with sauce on its head can be seen as one of the foods Yoshi gets to eat alongside other cooked enemies. In a later chapter, Nabbit steals a Monty Mole's fur. In a later chapter, Nabbit steals a Monty Mole's fur. Later in the same chapter, Nabbit puts Luigi's face on a Monty Mole while he is putting his and Yoshi's faces on several enemies.

In volume 54, a mother Monty Mole named Choropū (Haha) asks Mario and Yoshi to give her children, the Choropū (Kodomo-tachi), a great Christmas.

In volume 55, when Yoshi takes a picture in Slaparazzi, several ghosts of enemies that he has eaten in the past can be seen, including a Monty Mole. The ghost Monty Mole also uses the design original to Super Mario-kun, being the first time it is referenced since volume 27.

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 NES Open Tournament Golf itself, what appears to be one is shown on the game cover. The mole has round sunglasses, three hairs, and a square tooth similar to modern appearances. The mole is also atypically small in comparison to Mario.

Mario Golf
In Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, if the player successfully putts the ball into the hole from a long distance and scores under par, a Monty Mole may pop out of the hole. The name "Monty Mole" may also appear on the scoreboard. They use their Super Mario 64 design in this game.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Monty Mole's name can sometimes be seen on the tournament board.

Mario Golf: Advance Tour
In Mario Golf: Advance Tour, a Monty Mole appears in Links Club Practice Center. The player must shoot three shots at it, to earn a Super Drink. They also use their Super Mario 64 design in this game.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Monty Moles appear in Mario Golf: World Tour. Many Monty Moles appear in the Castle Club mode as NPC characters. Their name can also appear on the tournament scoreboard. Two enlarged Monty Moles also appear in Hole 7 of Wiggler Park, and dig underground if they get hit by the ball.

Mario Golf: Super Rush
"Piece of advice. If you're always goin' for full power, your accuracy might drop."

- Monty Mole

Monty Moles appear in Mario Golf: Super Rush where they appear as NPCs, mostly appearing in Bonny Greens, though a singular Monty Mole also appears in Ridgerock Lake. Monty Mole's name also appears on the Bonny Greens Open scoreboard.

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 incorrectly showed Mario jumping on several Monty Moles instead of Chargin' Chucks.

Super Mario World television series


Monty Moles (though never called as such and always named Gophers) appear exclusively in the episode "Gopher Bash" of the Super Mario World television 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. The Gophers helped Cheatsy by stealing the crops and replacing them with Piranha Plants. The following morning, when Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi discover the crops have been stolen, Cheatsy and the Gophers use the Piranha Plants to attack them. However, Yoshi manages to eat the Piranha Plants. When Yoshi is about to eat the last Piranha Plant, one of the Gophers attempted to save the Piranha Plant along with Cheatsy and the other Gophers shortly after. However, Yoshi pulls the stem of the now eaten Piranha Plant out of the ground, causing the Gophers and Cheatsy to be pulled out of the ground and be exposed. Cheatsy then tells Mario and Luigi that the only way they are gonna get their crops back is by shopping at the Koopamart, before him and the Gophers quickly go back to their underground lair.

Back at their cave lair, Cheatsy tells the Gophers that they did a splendiferous job stealing the crops and that the Cave People will have to buy their crops back from him or else they will starve. Cheatsy and the Gophers then sing a self praising song called Cheatsy's Life, with the Gophers singing backup on how Cheatsy's Life is a lot of fun when there is underhanded evil to be done; this is one of the very few times where Monty Moles are fully vocalized). However, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi secretly snuck into Cheatsy's lair and proceed to kidnap the Gophers one by one while they are singing, tying them up and suspending them onto the ceiling. After Cheatsy finishes singing, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi then drop the suspended Gophers onto Cheatsy which crushes him. Mario and his friends then proceed to take the crops back to Dome City, before Cheatsy makes a remark on how much he hates those plumbers.

Super Mario Adventures comic
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.

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.

Mario Kart 64
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.

The North American and Australian instruction booklet appears to refer to Chubby in the singular form, as if it were a character, although the Moo Moo Farm graphic shows a few red X's representing "Watch out for Chubby!", as Monty Moles are encountered in a few different parts of the course.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, Monty Moles appear as obstacles in Moo Moo Farm and Peach Gardens, returning from Mario Kart 64 in the former. Monty Moles are depicted with their design introduced in Super Mario 64 DS, but they act the same as in Mario Kart 64. In Mission 3-6, the player's task is to hit five Monty Moles with Green Shells.

In the game, Rocky Wrenches look somewhat similar to Monty Moles, though their designs are not as similar as in games that came after New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii, they appear as obstacles in Moo Moo Meadows as well as 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.

Monty Moles originally used 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
Donut Plains 3 and Moo Moo Meadows return in both 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 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 fit with the theme of the course.

In the third wave for the Booster Course Pass in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Monty Moles reappear in Peach Gardens. Unlike in Mario Kart Wii, the Monty Moles are not stationary and rather dig around like in the other two courses.

Mario Kart Tour
Monty Mole makes his playable appearance in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart Tour since the Flower Tour, released on May 6, 2020. 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 cup bearing his name, Monty Mole Cup. Ironically, many of the courses in the cup do not usually have any correlation to Monty Mole.

Monty Moles are also obstacles in Donut Plains 2, Donut Plains 3, 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, where racers can perform a Jump Boost off their trails and holes.

Mario is Missing!
Monty Moles appear in Mario is Missing! Deluxe, where they can be called on occasion and can be asked questions about the country Luigi is in. Upon answering all of the questions correctly, he gives money from the mayor as a token of appreciation and encourages Luigi to find Mario. This is one of the few times a Monty Mole has full version acting.

Yoshi's Safari
In Yoshi's Safari, Monty Moles appear in the levels Pipe Island and Cornice Cave. They attack by popping out of pipes and moving toward Mario and Yoshi. The player can defeat a Monty Mole by shooting it using the Super Scope.

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 can 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.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Monty Moles appear as an enemy in Yoshi's Woolly World and its Nintendo 3DS remake Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. Here, they appear in the levels Big Montgomery's Fort, Perils of the Perplexing Pyramid, Yoshi and Cookies, Big Montgomery's Bubble Fort, Woollet Bill's Last Ride, and Big Montgomery's Ice Fort.

Monty Moles either burrow around underground (usually under carpets) or they can pop out of the wall and chase Yoshi like in Super Mario World. Yoshi can defeat a Monty Mole by either using a yarn ball, stomping on them, or eating them. Eating a Monty Mole turns it into an orange yarn ball.

There is a boss named Big Montgomery, a bigger Monty Mole enlarged by Kamek, who appears as the mid-boss of World 1, World 3, and World 5. Monty Moles are support enemies during Big Montgomery's second and third battles. The game also features Monty Mole Patches, which are sentient drawings of Monty Moles that, when unraveled, begin to chase Yoshi like a normal Monty Mole would. In the Scrapbook Theater, a normal Monty Mole pops out of a scarf roll and runs around the stage.

Yoshi's Crafted World
In Yoshi's Crafted World, Monty Moles are enemies in the levels Spring Sprung Trail, Monty-Mole-B-Gone, Haunted Maker Mansion, and The Countdown Begins. Monty Moles usually walk or dig around the foreground or background in the levels that they appear in. Yoshi can defeat the Monty Moles using the same methods as in the Super Mario series and the Yoshi's Island series.

Monty Moles play a notable role in Monty-Mole-B-Gone, a level bearing their name, where Yoshi has to defeat as many Monty Moles as possible to receive all the Smiley Flowers. Their larger counterparts, big Monty Moles, also debut in the Yoshi franchise.

In some levels that Monty Moles appear in, Yoshi can hit a red Time Cloud to begin a short timed challenge where Yoshi has to defeat every Monty Moles as well as a big Monty Mole in the background in order to receive a Smiley Flower. In the world map for Origami Gardens, a giant spring-like Monty Mole can be seen moving up and down above where the level Monty-Mole-B-Gone is. Some cardboard Monty Moles also make a cameo as circus spectator crafts in the level Hoop-Jump Hop, along with cardboard Shy Guys.

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
In Game & Watch Gallery, Monty Moles (referred to as Chubbies in the cast credits) appear in the Modern version of Manhole. Chubbies usually pop up on occasion to throw a heart at Yoshi. This is one of the few games where Monty Moles act as an ally to Yoshi.

Game & Watch Gallery 2
Monty Moles reappear in Game & Watch Gallery 2, in which they are featured in the Modern version of Vermin. Four Monty Moles appear when the player earns 200, 500, and 700 points. When the Monty Moles appear, they throw a heart which Yoshi can smash to restore a third of the damage done to the Yoshi Eggs. This is similar to what the Monty Mole does in Game & Watch Gallery, also making it one of the few appearances where they are allied with Yoshi.

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", although they have a different Japanese name, suggesting that they are a unique variant.

Paper Mario: The Origami King
Monty Moles reappear in Paper Mario: The Origami King where, unlike the first Paper Mario, Monty Moles are friendly non-playable characters instead of enemies. An unnamed Monty Mole auctioneer appears in Overlook Mountain, where he sells one of the shell stones. Multiple Monty Moles appear in Breezy Tunnel, giving the player dialogue (and sometimes an item). According to the Monty Moles, Breezy Tunnel is the workplace for them to find valuables to sell to Bowser. The Monty Moles also confuse Olivia for a female bee. A Monty Mole also confirms that they do not support bee bullying, as one scolded Mario for making Olivia (who they through was a bee girl) cry. The Monty Moles later forgave Mario after he made Olivia happy.

Breezy Tunnel also has a shop with a Fun, Funky, and Functional Monty Mole and a regular one. A Toad mechanic and his two Monty Mole assistants help provide repairs to the Super Marino.

In the alternate textures for Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, it is shown that multiple Monty Moles were among the many victims that had their faces severed and put on the boss. Finally, a Monty Mole can be seen in the final cutscene, being seen working at a Soccer ball shop.

In concept art, it is shown that Monty Moles were originally going to have an origami variant, which was later scrapped for unknown reasons.

Mario Party 3
Several 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 their face. A Monty Mole can be paid five coins to switch the signs from one direction to another. Monty Moles 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 by landing on a Happening Space. Monty Moles also appear in Storm Chasers as obstacles that the characters 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, causing them to go back underground. A Monty Mole also appears in Pirate Dream, where he hosts a board event where a character can mine for coins.

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, despite never appearing in Garden Grab.

Mario Party Advance


In Mario Party Advance, there is only a Monty Mole character, who appears in the Town Area of Shroom City.

Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, a Monty Mole appears on the board Pyramid Park. They appear when the player lands on the Green Space on the far right of the board, next to three pots. He offers to play a small minigame, where the player must hit the cobras but not the Monty Mole. If the player hits the Monty Mole, the minigame will automatically end. In the minigame Sphere Factor, three or four Monty Moles 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. These Monty Moles also appear in the ending for the minigame as well. Three Monty Moles also appear in the minigame Monty's Revenge, a reverse of Whac-A-Mole where the moles, Monty Moles, are the ones trying to whack the characters with hammers.

This is the first Mario Party game where Monty Moles use their modern design, although an unused, textureless model suggests that they would have originally reused their design from previous Mario Party games.

Mario Party 8
Monty Moles reappear in Mario Party 8. Some of them appear in the 2-vs-2 minigame Crops 'n' Robbers, featuring two teams where one character has to whack Monty Moles in the holes while their partner collects the carrots. It is also confirmed that the Monty Moles in this minigame created up a shop in the garden for the harvest season. A Monty Mole also appears in the bonus minigame Moped Mayhem as one of the characters competing in the race. Monty Moles occasionally appear in the lobby, and 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. Monty Moles also appear in the 2-vs-2 minigame Mole Thrill. Here, each team has to dig with their partner through the dirt. It is not possible for the Monty Mole to reach the characters, so their goal is to instead be the first to escape. Monty Moles 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. Monty Moles also appear out of the holes in the minigame Hole Hogs, where they distract the main player from trying to whack the other players. Monty Moles are also background characters in Magma Mine, usually hiding when the lava begins to rise. In addition, Monty Moles also their own constellation named Hello Mole.

Mario Party: Island Tour
Monty Moles reappear in Mario Party: Island Tour for the Nintendo 3DS. They appear as options to choose from in the minigames Match Faker and Tap Dash. They cameo in the background of Drive for Show and Bumper Thumper. A Monty Mole constellation (similar to Hello Mole from Mario Party 9) can be seen 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. Here, he is fought in his own boss minigame, Mega Monty Mole's Maze Mischief.

Mario Party: Star Rush
Mega Monty Mole retains his 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
"This could be fun. Sure, I'm in!"

- Monty Mole

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 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 "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.

They can also cameo in Absent Minded as one of the characters that can be chosen, though they only appear if no-one is playing as Monty Mole.

Monty Mole also appears as one of the puzzles in Puzzle Hustle in their Super Mario World sprite form.

Monty Moles can also 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, during the Last Five Turns Event, it is ocassionally a Monty Mole who predicts which player they think will win. Monty Moles also reprise their roles in the minigames 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 Mega Monty Mole appearing in that game.

Mario Family
A Monty Mole is one of the sewing designs in Mario Family.

Mario Pinball Land
Monty Moles (referred to as 1-up Moles by Nintendo Power) appear in Mario Pinball Land. A singular Monty Mole can be found in every level except The Fun Fair. A Monty Mole peeks out from one of its holes. If Mario hits a Monty Mole, he gains 500 points and the Monty Mole is stunned briefly before moving to another hole. The Monty Mole eventually returns to their previous hole if they are not hit after a while. If Mario hits the Monty Mole enough times, they will go to the background and then proceed to drop a 1-Up Mushroom due to digging underneath it. After this, the Monty Mole cannot be hit further. Due to their behavior, the only way a Monty Mole can be defeated is with a Super Star. Each level that a Monty Mole appears in also has a unique costume for them specific to that level; Grassy Greens Stage has a normal Monty Mole; Frosty Frontier Stage has a parka-wearing Monty Mole; Shifting Sands Stage has a fez-wearing Monty Mole; and Fiery Stage has a Monty Mole wearing a Viking helmet.

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 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 Superstar Baseball
A Monty Mole appears in Mario Superstar Baseball as an unlockable character, and is the first game to feature one as a playable character. Monty Mole is unlocked by completing challenge mode with Mario's team. Monty Mole is a Speedy character with fast running, weak batting and pitching and average fielding. In Challenge mode, Monty Mole is on Mario's team. Monty Mole has the Ball Dash ability, allowing it to run very fast while in possession of the baseball. Monty Mole has good chemistry with Shy Guy, Goomba, and Paragoomba, and doesn not have any bad chemistry with any character.

Monty Moles are among the species seen in the stadium crowds. Unlike the playable Monty Mole, who uses his design from Super Mario 64 DS, the Monty Moles in the crowd use 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
In Mario Super Sluggers, Monty Mole returns as an unlockable playable character, still being a member of Mario's team. While Monty Mole still has speed as his highest stat, its other stats are slightly below average. Monty Mole's Ball Dash ability was replaced with the Burrow ability, where Monty Mole can dig underneath the base person without knocking them over and be able to reach the base. Monty Mole has the same chemistry as in Mario Superstar Baseball, although brown Miis now share good chemistry with Monty Mole.

In Story Mode, the playable Monty Mole can be found buried in the sand. If he is awoken by any of the team captains, the Monty Mole angrily asks why they woke him up, and proceeds to tell the team captain that they are no match for Bowser Jr. and his minions. The Monty Mole then challenges the team captain to a baseball match. Once the player wins, Monty Mole joins the team, and is unlocked in general.

Monty Moles appear in many of the cutscenes either being in the crowd or cheering Mario. Unlike the previous game and Mario Strikers Charged, Monty Moles use their modern design in the cutscenes rather than their models from their early Nintendo GameCube appearances. Monty Mole's artwork from Mario Super Sluggers was later reused in several of his subsequent appearances.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Monty Moles make their Mario & Luigi debut in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (not counting the Presenters in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga). One Monty Mole is encountered in the Gritzy Desert, where he prevents Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi from progressing unless they can complete his challenge. In the challenge, Mario and Luigi have to quickly reach the end and hit the block before time runs out. Two more Monty Moles are seen in the beginning of Gritzy Caves and they both run an Item Shop named Monty Mart.

Two more Monty Moles appear in Gritzy Caves, and run two more challenges that Mario and Luigi have to complete as well; the first challenge is a matching challenge where the player has to squirt the correct target that is shown, while the second challenge is a speed challenge similar to the one in Gritzy Desert. When talking to the Monty Mole after beating the speed challenge, they have a hard time remembering what just happened, explaining that they have bad memory due to getting older.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
A group of five Monty Mole brothers, 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 to finish Project K, an underground railway network. Aside from the Monty Bros., regular Monty Moles do not appear, although at one point the Monty Bros. tell Bowser that they outsourced the project to other fellow Monty Bros..

Aside from the Monty Bros., a Fawful-themed variant of Monty Mole, called Mawful Mole, appears as enemies in Blubble Lake and as support enemies for the Tower of Yikk fight. Mawful Mole also has a stronger metal variant called Metal Mawful Mole, which appear in Peach's Castle Garden.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Monty Moles make a minor enemy appearance in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Here, they act as support enemies for exclusively for the Bowser Jr. battle at the end of the Battle Ring's Battle Medley. The Monty Moles burrow above the ground and start making repairs to the Junior Clown Car after it explodes. If the Monty Moles get hit by a Taunt Ball, they take longer to repair the Junior Clown Car. After finishing their repairs, the Monty Moles burrow back in the ground.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Monty Moles return as an enemy in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. They battle in holes that they dug in 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. If the Golden Eggs are countered, they give the Mario Bros. a few coins. Monty Moles are first encountered in Sunbeam Plains, and slightly stronger ones are later encountered in the haunted area of Gloomy Woods. Monty Moles also additionally appear in a few missions, such as enemies the Mario Bros. need to avoid in Fly Guy Flyby, as well as in a few questions of some of the quiz missions like Toad Trivia and Toad Brain. Monty Moles can also appear during one of the attacks from the Wiggler boss fight, in which Paper Mario has to hit several Monty Moles and Paper Spear Guys blocking his way with his hammer while he is being chased by Wiggler.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, bowtie-wearing Monty Moles replace the Presenters from the original Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, which was affirmed by Play Nintendo. Regular Monty Moles do not appear in the original version.

The Monty Moles have the same functions and dialogue as the Presenters in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and are found in hidden areas and give items to Mario and Luigi. Like the Presenters from the original game, the Monty Moles wont give any extra items after being talked to again and instead call Mario and Luigi greedy for trying to get more items from them. There are 11 Monty Moles, and they are found in the same locations as the Presenters in the original game. However, some of the Monty Moles provide different items than the Presenters.

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, the Monty Mole can be seen eating the floor of Dr. Mario's hospital after eating the food that Waluigi made.

In episode 59, the Monty Mole can be seen on the final page, waving in the distance along with various other characters.

Mario Strikers Charged
Monty Moles make their second playable appearance are a sidekick in Mario Strikers Charged. Monty Moles are Power Players, which means they are good at shooting and tackling, but cannot pass very well. Monty Mole's Skillshot is Dirt Drill, where they go underground with the ball and dig towards the goal, before popping up near the goalie and shoving them aside to kick the ball into the goal. If the move is too close, Kritter shoves his hand into the ground and pulls Monty Mole out, thereby blocking the shot. If the move is too far away, Kritter just catches the ball.

Monty Moles also appear in the crowds in the opening, using their design from early GameCube games (making it the last appearance of said design).

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

Nintendo Badge Arcade
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 Super Mario Bros.-style sprites from Super Mario Maker.

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, Desert Pokey, and Yoshi's Gift House sets. Like most other enemies, when a Monty Mole gets stomped on by Mario, Mario gains a coin from the Monty Mole. In the Monty Mole & Super Mushroom set, Mario can fling the Monty Mole out of their burrow to then be able to jump on them.

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.

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
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 Choropū.

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.

Physical appearance
Monty Moles are consistently depicted as having light brown or orange fur, a white belly, a few claws on their hands and feet, and squinted eyes (sometimes covered by sunglasses). They usually have a pair of whiskers and either a round or an elongated nose. Several appearances also depict Monty Moles as having a large bucktooth. Although Monty Moles were introduced as a relative of Rocky Wrenches, many games since New Super Mario Bros. Wii use a variation of the Monty Mole model for Rocky Wrench but with added goggles. While it is not confirmed, this suggests that Rocky Wrenches retroactively became a variant of Monty Moles or that this is only applicable to certain game appearances.

In Super Mario World, Monty Moles 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 Super Mario 64, 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 Super Mario Sunshine, 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.

Around the release of 'Mario Party 5, most of Monty Mole's appearances use the Super Mario World design, though with more saturated colors and orange fur.

Since most games after Super Mario 64 DS, Monty Moles were given 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 the "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.

In Mario Strikers Charged, Monty Moles have headlights, something that they do not have in any of their other game appearances. Monty Mole's prominent tooth also atypically appears as a pair of teeth (which also happened in other games like the Mario Baseball titles). Monty Moles are also shown to have black dot eyes when their shocked (though their shocked expression eyes would be redesigned in future games).

Characteristics
Being moles, Monty Moles spend most of their time beneath the ground. They do not act much differently from moles in the real world, and are not blind. On some occasions, a Monty Mole opens its eyes, particularly when they are shocked or startled. Monty Moles are bipedal, and this allows them to pick up objects and use them, such as in Super Mario 64, where their attack is to pick up and throw rocks at Mario. Monty Moles also seem to have a happy and cheerful personality in some games such as most of their playable appearances and in Hotel Mario. Monty Moles also seem to have an affinity for several sports. Monty Moles love baseball, and according to their Mario Superstar Baseball description, they usually hop out of their dens due to getting fired up for a game of baseball (and they sometimes get too fired up when they get the ball). Although not explicitly said, Monty Moles also seem to like soccer as they are playable in Mario Strikers Charged. Monty Moles also have an affinity for golf, as the Monty Mole NPCs in Mario Golf: World Tour and Mario Golf: Super Rush usually give golf tips to the player and talk about their experience playing it. In some appearances, Monty Moles talk with a country accent (though in some other appearances they talk normally). Monty Moles tend to live most commonly in cave areas (such as World 5-4 and Breezy Tunnel), mountain areas (such as Tall,_Tall_Mountain and Cookie Mountain), grassland areas (such as Sunbeam Plains and Yoshi Hill), and farm areas (such as Moo Moo Farms and Moo Moo Meadows), though occasionally they can be found in other areas as well.

Alignment
Monty Moles are typically shown to be working for Bowser, usually commanded to attack Mario and his friends like other Koopa Troop minions. However, Monty Moles sometimes do other things for Bowser like the Monty Bros. in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story making Project K for an easy escape tunnel to kidnap Princess Peach, and the Monty Moles in Breezy Tunnel from Paper Mario: The Origami King attempting to mine valuable resources that Bowser could sell. Despite this, in pre-release builds of Paper Mario: Sticker Star, a king Monty Mole named King Choropū was suggested to have been the true leader of the species (though prior to this appearance he was also indirectly mentioned in volume 5 of Super Mario-kun). Monty Moles have also sometimes worked for someone else like the Monty Bros. in 'Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story' betraying Bowser to work for Fawful, due to him making them elite employees, and changing Project K to be a train track that Fawful could use to travel across the Mushroom Kingdom. Another Monty Mole variant named Mawful Mole and their metal counterparts, Metal Mawful Moles, seem to also be Fawful minions as well.

Monty Moles usually have a hatred towards plumbers (specifically Mario and Luigi), due to plumbers causing leaks from pipes to have their tunnels filled with muck, and Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi typically harming Monty Moles as well. However, in some instances Monty Moles have been nice or helped Mario in a few of the games and manga.

Species history
Monty Moles seem to have been around for a long time, as in the third Super Mario Kart volume of the Super Mario Kodansha manga, it is confirmed that the species originated from an ancient city named Pū Tairiku, though not much is known about how the Monty Mole species evolved there. Monty Moles have also appeared in games set the past, such as in parts of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and several Yoshi games.

Trivia

 * Incidentally, Monty Moles share a name with.
 * In the 54th issue of the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, Monty Moles were called "gophers." However, later issues simply referred to them as just moles.
 * 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.
 * Despite Monty Moles being called gophers in some pieces of media, gophers are not biologically related to moles in real life.