Goomba-Thump Minigame Guide and Tips in Super Mario RPG

Ace the Goomba-Thump minigame in Super Mario RPG (2023)! Learn strategies for Goombas, Gold Goombas, and Spikys to earn Flower Tabs, Jars, and Frog Coins.

Alright, so after you've navigated the tricky Forest Maze, you'll find a path leading to an optional area called the Pipe Vault. It's a bit of a lava-filled place, so be ready to do some jumping! You'll need to hop across gaps while dodging those pesky Lava Bubbles that pop in and out of the fiery pits. Keep pushing forward, and you'll eventually climb some stairs past some Goombas. At the top, a Thwomp will try to knock you back, so time your jump perfectly for when it slams down. Once you're past that, look for the last green pipe – take it down to the next section.

This next area is packed with pipes. Some of them actually hide treasures, but we're here for the minigame! Make your way to the second-to-last green pipe and take it down. In this final room, you'll see four green pipes, a spring, and a mole. Chat with the mole, and you'll kick off the Goomba-Thump Minigame!

Goomba Minigame Tips

This minigame is all about your reflexes, kind of like a high-speed whack-a-mole. Goombas will pop out of the green pipes, and your job is to jump on them. You'll also see Gold Goombas and Spikys pop up. The main goal is to hit at least 20 points within 40 seconds. Landing on a regular Goomba gets you 1 point, a Gold Goomba is worth a sweet 3 points, but watch out! If you accidentally land on a Spiky, you'll lose a point. The enemies appear randomly, so there's no set pattern to memorize, but here are some tips to help you rack up those points:

You don't have much time before a Goomba pops back down, and the Gold Goombas are even quicker, disappearing almost instantly. Honestly, you can mostly ignore the Spikys. If you hit one, it's not the end of the world, and you'll likely make that point back up quickly.

Try to chain your jumps to hit multiple Goombas at once – it really makes a difference, especially towards the end!

Rewards and Costs

When you first beat the minigame with 20 points, you'll snag a Flower Tab. Keep playing, because the next reward requires 22 points and gets you a Flower Jar. For the ultimate prize, aim for 26 points to earn a Frog Coin. Each attempt costs 10 Coins, which is pretty cheap at this point in the game, so feel free to try as many times as you need. After you've grabbed all the main rewards, you can keep playing, and you'll still get a Frog Coin each time, though the score requirement will increase by two points for each subsequent win.

Strategy Tips

• When you land on a Goomba, try to immediately move towards another one while you're still in the air. If you're fast enough, you can snag two, maybe even three points before they disappear!
• Unless you have lightning-fast reflexes, it's often best to ignore the Gold Goombas. They're super quick, and trying to get them might cause you to miss regular Goombas, which hurts your overall score. The regular Goombas are more than enough to hit your target.
• Keep jumping! Don't stand around waiting. As soon as you see a Goomba pop up, jump and hit it as it rises. This also helps with the first tip – hitting multiple Goombas in quick succession.
• Don't stress too much about the Spikys. Losing one point is easily recoverable on your next jump.
• To nail those Gold Goombas, you have to jump the moment they appear. If you hesitate even a second, they'll vanish back into the pipe.
• The game kinda tells you this, but staying in the middle is genuinely the best spot. It gives you the best access to all the pipes.
• Once you've unlocked it, you can fast-travel back here! Just select Pipe Vault on your map, and you can warp right to the minigame.

Honestly, there's not a ton of deep strategy here; it's mostly about how quick your thumbs are. But with these tips, you should be able to snag those main rewards in no time!