Play Online Mario the Goomba Juggler
You take control of Mario in a surprisingly charming twist on the classic platformer formula: instead of stomping on goombas, you’re tasked with juggling them. It kicks off with a simple tutorial that has you tossing one or two Goombas in the air, timing your catches almost like a rhythm game. Pretty soon, however, you’re juggling whole waves of these little brown buggers, chaining combos together until you feel like a circus performer in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Each stage comes with its own quirks—sometimes you’re in a dusty desert where sandstorms can knock Goombas out of your hands, and other times you’re in a lava-filled cavern where every missed catch sends your bouncing buddy souring into the flames. The controls are snappy and forgiving enough that you’ll feel in control of every high arc, but pull off a five-Goomba volley and you’ll get that little rush that makes you want to try for six.
To keep things fresh, there are power-ups that will freeze your Goombas midair, slow down time, or even send them ricocheting off walls for extra points. Between stages you can spend your coins on cosmetic outfits—Mario in a chef’s hat juggling Goombas with wooden spoons is a sight to behold—or on temporary buffs that let you rack up ridiculous scores. I haven’t felt this motivated to chase high scores in ages, especially thanks to the daily challenge mode that throws in random obstacles.
What surprises me most is how well it captures that classic Nintendo whimsy while feeling like something completely new. A quick five-minute burst will leave you grinning, and if you really get hooked, there’s depth in perfecting your juggling combos. It’s a weird concept, for sure, but it works—and once you start tossing Goombas with the best of them, you’ll wonder why it took so long for someone to think of “Mario the Goomba Juggler” in the first place.