Bowser Jr.'s Journey
| Bowser Jr.'s Journey | |||||||||||||||
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English logo | |||||||||||||||
| Developers | AlphaDream Arzest | ||||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||||
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS | ||||||||||||||
| Release dates | |||||||||||||||
| Languages | English (United States) English (United Kingdom) Japanese French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe) | ||||||||||||||
| Genre | Role-playing | ||||||||||||||
| Ratings |
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| Mode | Single player | ||||||||||||||
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Bowser Jr.'s Journey is a campaign exclusive to Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey with Bowser Jr. as the titular character. While Bowser is occupied during the main story, this story sees Bowser Jr. on an adventure to cure the blorbs himself after they cause numerous minions to balloon up to an immobile state. The gameplay is very similar to that of Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser in the case that it involves two armies automatically fighting each other in waves, with occasional quick time events that can sway the battle in the player's favor, such as Captain Commands which use CP, Button-mashing or button timing to defeat enemies, and the new special "Team-up" attacks that can be executed if the player has multiples of the same unit on the field. The rock-paper-scissors triangle of weaknesses returns, with Melee units being strong against Ranged units, ranged units being strong against Flying units, and Flying units being strong against Melee units. In this game, Bowser Jr. is always the captain and has the ability to change his unit type, though an additional First Officer slot is also available for Kamek or any of the Koopalings, with that unit having their own set of special abilities.
Story[edit]
The story begins in Bowser's throne room in his castle. Bowser Jr. is seen rolling into the room on what appears to be a Goomba afflicted by the blorbs. Kamek explains the disease to Bowser, telling him there seems to be no cure as of yet. Their discussion is interrupted by Birdley, who appears to tell Bowser that a conference for blorb prevention is going on at Peach's Castle. Bowser, angry he was not invited, storms off to the castle with Kamek to crash the meeting. Unbeknownst to Bowser, Fawful and Midbus are watching close by, ready to take over the castle (and also implied to have played a role in Bowser's not being invited to the meeting, specifically to lure him out of the castle). Fawful orders the Best Fitness Friends, Kaley, Dieter, and Beef, to infiltrate the castle while he goes to capture Bowser at Peach's Castle.
Bowser Jr. is seen fighting Captain Goomba and his Goomba squad multiple times for sparring practice. Nearby, Wendy and Roy discuss what to do about the blorbs, when the Best Fitness Friends appear to sell them their products. Although Roy shoos them away initially, they soon realize that their formula, Skeletone Formula:D, is able to cure the blorbs. Roy receives the recipe to make more Skeletone, which requires a Giga-carrot, an Omega Onion, and Ever Ice to create. Ludwig discusses a plan with the rest of the Koopalings to find the ingredients and cure the blorbs, while Bowser Jr., overhearing, sets off to find the cure himself, thinking it is what his dad would want of him. Ludwig decides to train Junior by teaching him the ropes of battle, using Captain Goomba, Boo, Shy Guy, and Koopa Troopa as examples. Bowser Jr. insists that he already knows how to battle, and does not like Ludwig patronizing him. He goes on to prove himself in subsequent battles. Roy joins Junior's team, followed by Ludwig and Morton. Larry challenges Junior, followed by Iggy and Wendy together, and finally the four minion captains again with King Bob-omb. Junior and the Koopalings (except Lemmy, who stays behind to guard Bowser's Castle) set off to Dimble Wood to obtain the Giga-Carrot. In the distance, Kaley, Dieter and Beef begin their plan to take over the castle.
As it turns out, it is revealed Fawful obtained the "Lucky Shroom" from Dieter to use on Bowser. Upon approach to Dimble Wood, Bowser Jr. witnesses Dimble Wood being inhaled by Bowser after eating the Vacuum Shroom. Kamek appears to brief the group on what happened before leaving, and leaves to look for Bowser once again, whom he lost sight of. After making their way through Dimble Wood, Iggy notices that some of Bowser's Minions appear to be brainwashed by Fawful, which is quickly dismissed as impossible. The morale between Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings decreases, with The Koopalings continue to belittle and patronize Bowser Jr., and Bowser Jr. insisting he does not need their help. Ludwig leaves the party to investigate a hunch he has about "being watched," and is eventually dispatched by Beef. Roy abandons the group, fed up with Bowser Jr.'s behavior, and Wendy and Larry return to Bowser's Castle after being warned by Kaley about Fawful's attack on the castle. By the time Bowser Jr. reaches the Giga Carrot, only Iggy and Morton of the Koopalings remain with him. Since the carrot is too big to pull out, Junior takes a small bite of it instead to take back. Kamek then finds Junior once more and joins him on his way to Cavi Cape.
Junior, Morton, Iggy, and Kamek head to Cavi Cape to search for the Omega Onion. They pass by the large hole at the exact moment Bowser uses the Chakroad, causing the two groups to miss each other. At some point, Bowser Jr. frustratedly dismisses Iggy from the group; he is eventually defeated by The Best Fitness Friends, and Junior, finding his clown car on the floor, decides to use it for battle. After obtaining the Omega Onion from an Oho Jee, Kamek informs Junior that the last ingredient, Ever Ice, is actually being held in the cryogenic chamber in the basement of Bowser's Castle, in case Bowser ever had use for it. Bowser Jr, Morton and Kamek head towards the direction of Bowser's Castle.
Meanwhile, Bowser's castle is sent airborne by Midbus and is en route to Dimble Wood to attack Bowser. Dieter is able to dispatch Lemmy, Wendy and Larry; However, the rumbling of the castle due to Giant Bowser emerging allows Larry and Lemmy to escape.
Upon approach to the castle, Junior realizes that it is gone from its spot, and are confronted by several Goombas welcoming them to "Fawful Theater". Junior heads down into the basement with Morton and Kamek, and retrieve the Ever Ice after a dangerous encounter with the Shroobs. Though all the ingredients have been collected, they still need to put all the ingredients together to make Skeletone, so Kamek suggests visiting Broque Madame at Blubble Lake for help. Before departing, however, Kamek makes Junior swear to aid the minions under the control of Fawful, regardless of whether it would impress his father or not. When they visit Broque Madame, Junior and the minions work together to give her a massage, and afterwards, she creates two hundred servings of Skeletone Formula:D. On their way back to Bowser's Castle, however, Kaley and Dieter appear, steal the Skeletone, and mix it with the toxins of a Malodorous Fibbian to create the dangerous Malatone Formula:X. They use this formula to brainwash Morton, who dispatches Junior and Kamek into a nearby lake. The trio reveal their plan to eventually betray Fawful as well once the entire army has been infected with Malatone.
Bowser Jr. is found by Kamek washed up on Plack Beach. Although he maintains his bratty attitude, Kamek tells Junior that his behavior has isolated everyone around him, and asks him to treat all the minions with more respect. As Junior takes out the charred drumstick that Morton gave him earlier, he reflects on all of the times he berated the Koopalings and tears up. This marks a turning point in Junior's behavior for the rest of the game; he soon begins to enjoy the minions' company and speaks more politely to whomever he talks to, deciding to keep his promise to Kamek and save Bowser's minions.
Junior rescues Kamek after he is attacked by an army of Drillbit Crabs, and the two continue through Plack Beach, giving chase to Kaley and Dieter who are distributing Malatone Formula:X to all the minions. The two eventually find Iggy, who had acquired amnesia after being attacked by the Best Fitness Friends earlier. The star sage Kuzzle appears, claiming Iggy as his grandson "Charlie," so they fight him to help him regain his memory. Iggy rejoins the squad, and the three pursue Kaley and Beef, who are on their way to Dimble Wood in a hurry looking for Ludwig, who seemed to have escaped the castle. After catching up to Kaley and Beef in the woods, they prepare to fight; However, Ludwig had been disguised as Beef the entire time, and had actually defeated him a while ago and locked him in a Bob-omb storage room in Bowser's Castle (this can be seen in the main game). With Ludwig now in Junior's party, they are able to defeat Kaley. Ludwig presents Junior with RenewaLeaf, a substance that can remove the brainwashing of Malatone Formula:X, and informs Junior that the other Koopalings are at Blubble Lake.
At Blubble Lake, the Koopa Paratroopa Trio tell Junior that Larry and Lemmy ran in the direction of the castle, so Junior and his group head there. Along the way, they run into Mario, Luigi, and Starlow, with Starlow reassuring Junior that Bowser is working very hard. They catch up to Larry and Lemmy, who are trying to help Bowser after he was crushed by the Tower of Yikk. As Bowser grows giant, Larry and Lemmy try to run in to help him, but get injured in the process, forcing Junior to rescue them before they get crushed, despite several brainwashed minions getting in the way. Junior apologizes to Larry and Lemmy for his behavior, and the group, now with four Koopalings, head to Bowser's Castle to find Wendy, Roy, and Morton.
Upon approach to Bowser's Castle, they find it has returned to its original spot. Kaley, Dieter, and Beef (who escaped from the Bob-omb storage room) arrive on the scene with Wendy hostage, and easily dispatch Junior and the Koopalings. Before they can finish them off, however, Captain Goomba, Captain Boo, Captain Shy Guy and Captain Koopa Troopa all appear to help fight them back. Junior and his squad manage to deter the Best Fitness Friends and rescue Wendy, then give chase towards the castle. At the castle, they find Roy, who, ever since he left the group, was mercilessly attacked by numerous waves of brainwashed minions. On the verge of collapse after finally reaching the castle, Kamek heals him, but Roy is still too full of himself to listen to Junior, and continues to belittle him. Junior challenges Roy to a 1-on-1 duel out of love and wins, exhausting all his energy in the process. Roy, touched by this, rejoins the group, and they finally make their way to the final area.
In the castle, they find and cure Morton, thereby completing the Koopaling team. Now with all the Koopalings with him, Junior takes the moment to sincerely apologize for his past behavior and admits he only wanted to show-off before for his father. He also promises to be much better with them in the future. Junior, now filled with a stronger sense of leadership, leads the Koopa Troop to the final area, where the Best Fitness Friends await. As the world goes dark from the power of Dark Bowser, the Koopalings reminisce on Bowser ordering them to look after Junior, and discuss if they managed to do that well enough. Junior and the Koopalings then encounter Kaley, Dieter, and Beef in the throne room. Upon arriving, Dieter has Junior question the morality of himself and the Koopa Troop. Junior is under the impression that they are the good guys, while the Koopalings are well-aware they are bad guys. Junior comes to the conclusion that good and evil are subjective terms, and that everything is relative. Afterward, Junior and his forces engage in the final battle with the Best Fitness Friends. The trio sends out numerous waves of enemies, and eventually all three of them attack at once. When that fails, the three morph into a giant monstrous Malatone-infused creature with incredible power. Nevertheless, Junior and his troop defeat them for good, reclaim the Skeletone, and take back the castle's control.
Junior and the Koopalings walk out to the castle balcony just in time to witness the Dark Star exploding outside. As Junior decides to wait for Bowser to return, they are interrupted by Roy, who had been distributing the cure to all the Goombas. The game ends with Junior following after Roy, to enjoy a party with all the minions. In the post credits scene, Junior attempts to console his dad after his loss to Mario and Luigi. He gives his father the Skeletone, which inadvertently turns him into Dry Bowser after he ingests it all.
The player can go on extra challenges after the game is done, such as a fight with Bowser, in which Bowser and Bowser Jr. are seen to be evenly matched. Bowser can be recruited as a partner, and the remaining challenges include various fights with Malatone-infused minions in Plack Beach and finally a battle with dark Koopalings and Bowser in Bowser's Castle.
Levels[edit]
This section needs Mario & Luigi improvement. Specifically:
- Description column akin to Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser#Levels, giving a brief summary of what is introduced, common troops, and light plot details.
There are a total of 73 levels in the campaign. Every level has a projected enemy level, corresponding roughly with the strength of the enemies within.
Levels marked with an asterisk are boss levels. Levels marked with two asterisks are only available after completing Like Father, Like Son.
Allies[edit]
Captain[edit]
| Captain | Type | Special | Description | Starting CP | CP upgrade levels | Strong against | Weak against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bowser Jr. (Melee) |
Melee | Whomping Wallop | Lord Bowser's only son. Rumored to be especially strong against Magikoopas. | 3 | 4, 5, 9, 17, 31, 35, 40 |
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![]() Bowser Jr. (Flying) |
Flying | Smack Back Attack | |||||
Bowser Jr. (Ranged) |
Ranged | Rain of Pain |
First Officer[edit]
| Name | Type | Special | Description | Starting level | Starting CP | CP upgrade levels | Strong against | Weak against | Team bonus | Team title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flying | Air Bash | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. The only Flying type of the bunch, he's been known to fly around in a snazzy Clown Car. | 8 22 (re-recruited) |
5 | 25, 28, 36, 41, 42 | Trick Star: All stats 5%↑ | Iggynition | |||
| Melee | Spitfire Fury | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. Has incredibly high EVASION. | 28 | 7 | 33, 37, 41 | Whackrobat: EVASION 10%↑ and HP 10%↑ | Lemmy Atom | |||
| Ranged | Piercing Projectile | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. She has a powerful boomerang ring attack and is pretty scary when she's angry. | 5 31 (re-recruited) |
5 7 (re-recruited) |
35, 38, 42 |
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Ringsleader: POW 10%↑ and SPIRIT 10%↑ | Wendy Storm | ||
| Ranged | Throw the Fight | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. Uses his racket to send flaming balls flying with impressive accuracy. | 5 28 (re-recruited) |
4 7 (re-recruited) |
31, 35, 40 |
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Super Sniper: ACC. 10%↑ and LUCK 10%↑ | Larry Trigger | ||
| Ranged | Chain Shot | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. A quick thinker who's quite good at lying, negotiating, and managing tricky situations. | 2 24 (re-recruited) |
6 | 32, 35, 40, 42 | Mastermind: SPEED 5%↑ and HP 15%↑ | The Wigleader | |||
| Melee | Chain Stomp | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. Moves slowly, but just one attack can break through rock. | 2 34 (re-recruited) |
5 | 12, 18, 38, 40, 42 | MORTON CRUSH: DEF 15%↑ and HP 5%↑ | More Tons | |||
| Melee | Spin to Win | One of the seven notorious Koopalings. With immensely high HP, he's the toughest of the group. | 2 33 (re-recruited) |
5 7 (re-recruited) |
38, 40, 42 | Bad Boy: POW 20%↑ | Hoo Roy | |||
| Flying | Chain Shot | Bowser Jr.'s attentive caretaker. Flies about on a broom shooting off powerful attacks. | 11 | 5 | 20, 30, 34, 38, 42 | Bowser Jr. | Scheming: POW 10%↑ and DEF 10%↑ | Kamekiavellian |
Troops[edit]
- L2 Indicates that up to two of these minion troops can be recruited at a time. If a third is recruited, one must be dismissed.
| Name | Type | Special | Description | Strong against | Weak against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goomba |
Melee | Rocket Headbutt | The go-to soldiers among Bowser's Minions. They move fast and charge into foes! |
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Paragoomba |
Flying | Cranium Crush | Goombas who soar the sky with grace. With a spin they can do a Cranium Crush. |
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Goomba TowerL2 |
Melee | Whomping Wallop | They can use Whomping Wallop to attack all foes in front of them. Weak against balance-breaking boomerang attacks. |
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![]() Big Tail GoombaL2 |
Melee | Spin Cycle | Bulky blokes with high POW and HP. They can sweep up foes by spinning their tails. |
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Captain Goomba |
Melee | Rocket Headbutt | One of the legendary original captains who saved Bowser and the Minions from catastrophe. Charges into action with gumption and stylish eyebrows. |
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Private Goomp |
Melee | Rocket Headbutt | A Goomba with dreams of grandeur. He's quite good at dodging attacks and avoiding being lectured. |
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Koopa Troopa (Green) |
Melee | Mega Tackle | Don't trust those innocent eyes. Their green shells provide a tough defense, but they're said to be weak against boney enemies. |
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Koopa Troopa (Red) |
Melee | Charging Champ | Don't trust those innocent eyes. Their red shells provide a tough defense. Rumored to know Para-Biddybud's weakness. |
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Captain Koopa Troopa |
Melee | DEF Up | One of the legendary original captains who helped save Bowser and the Minions from catastrophe. His jokes are bad, but his rhymes are rad. |
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K. Paratroopa (Green) |
Flying | Cranium Crush | A beautiful harmony of green shell and white wings. They focus on their target and shoot straight for the head! |
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K. Paratroopa (Red) |
Flying | Cranium Crush | A beautiful harmony of red shell and white wings. A bit more powerful than their green brethren. |
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Koopa Paratroopa Trio |
Flying | Super Stomp | Three Koopa Paratroopa brothers who live for each other and their duty. No one stands a chance against their perfectly syncopated brotherly blows! |
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Corporal Paraplonk |
Flying | Cranium Crush | An elite Koopa Troopa with big dreams. The bucket on his head gives him a tough defense. |
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Buzzy Beetle |
Melee | Mega Tackle | Those hard shells aren't just for show! But these pitiful fellas are awfully jealous of flying Para-Beetles. |
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Spike Top |
Melee | Hit 'Em Up | Their backs are well protected by sharp spikes and a solid shell. Try to dispel their spike attacks as much as possible. | ||
Para-Beetle |
Flying | Dive Attack | Parabuzzies are flying fortresses. They're bitter rivals with Buzzy Beetles and hate fighting against them. |
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Spiny |
Melee | Hit 'Em Up | The spikes on their shells can be used for both defense and offense. They seem to hate fighting against Lakitus. |
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Mechakoopa |
Melee | Mega Tackle | What they lack in power, they make up for with agility and sheer numbers. An easy target for mechanically-inclined enemies. |
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![]() Broozer |
Melee | Smack Back Attack | Those deep red gloves are proof of their strength. They especially like to break mechanical enemies. |
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PokeyL2 |
Melee | Whomping Wallop | They may move slowly, but their HP is a point of pride. They have protective spikes on their bodies but are weak against boomerang attacks. |
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![]() Chain ChompL2 |
Melee | Charging Champ | Unstoppable when they're off their chains. Difficult to control and highly destructive. | ||
![]() Chargin' Chuck |
Melee | Smack Back Attack | That padding makes for high POW and DEF. They tend to go overboard with their brawn and are weak against Mechakoopas. |
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Horned Ant Trooper |
Melee | Hit 'Em Up | Silent soldiers who keep their cool while cornering enemies. They like to catch foes off guard with powerful attacks. | ||
Bob-omb |
Melee | Kaboom Bash | They have explosive power upon impact. Handle these Melee troopers with care. |
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![]() Bully |
Melee | Smack Back Attack | The go-to blokes for a strong frontal offense. Their specialty is to push through their foes using their heavy bodies. | ||
Dry Bones |
Ranged | Rain of Pain | Their calcium-deficient bodies are weak. They despise losing to Koopa Troopas. |
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Parabones |
Flying | Dive Attack | Behold, the flying Dry Bones! For some reason, they're especially confident against Bro. foes. |
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Lakitu |
Flying | Chain Stomp | They hustle through the air atop a cloud. They're strong against Spinies, and their weakness is Captain Shy Guy's turnip attack. |
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Boo |
Flying | Discord | These Minions love dark, spooky places. They're also fond of using Discord to damage enemies and lower their SPEED. | ||
Bomb Boo |
Flying | Kaboom Bash | A rare type of Boo that goes kaBOOm! After exploding, they won't return until the next battle. Keep that in mind! | ||
Tail Boo |
Flying | Spin Cycle | A rare type of Boo with a tail. Getting hit with the swinging tail really smarts! |
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![]() Big BooL2 |
Flying | Piercing Projectile | An incredibly large Boo. What it lacks in speed it more than makes up for in stamina and power. | ||
Captain Boo |
Flying | EVASION Up | One of the legendary original captains who saved Bowser and the Minions from catastrophe. He feigns indifference, but cares a lot more than he lets on. | ||
Para-Biddybud (Red) |
Flying | Dive Attack | Red Biddybuds that fly through the air. When they see a Fawfulcopter, they can't help but dive attack. |
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Para-Biddybud (Green) |
Flying | Super Stomp | Green Para-Biddybuds that fly through the air. Their specialty is Stomp. |
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Para-Biddybud (Yellow) |
Flying | Cranium Crush | Yellow Biddybuds that fly through the air. Their specialty is Cranium Crush. |
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Para-Biddybud (Purple) |
Flying | Mega Tackle | Purple Biddybuds that fly through the air. Word has it they know the weakness of Shy Guys. |
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Swoop |
Flying | Discord | They charge straight at enemies, even in the dark. The sound of their wings can weaken mechanical enemies, as well as certain other types. |
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Shy Guy (Red) |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | You can't beat that poker face. They pride themselves on their strength. |
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Shy Guy (Blue) |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | Keep your eyes on those cool moves. They pride themselves on their speed. |
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Shy Guy (Yellow) |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | Don't be fooled by their cool style. They love throwing turnips at Goombas of any kind. |
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Shy Guy (Pink) |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | Don't get caught in one of their sneak attacks! They love throwing turnips at Koopa Troopas of any kind. |
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Fly Guy |
Flying | Mega Tackle | Shy Guys who fly gracefully through the sky. Some say they've learned the weakness of Parabiddybuds. |
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Spear Guy |
Ranged | Rain of Pain | Known for throwing their spears at foes. They seem to be invested in hunting for a mysterious red and blue creature. |
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Captain Shy Guy |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | One of the legendary original captains who saved Bowser and the Minions from catastrophe. Shy, but fly. He's especially strong against Lakitu. |
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Sergeant Guy |
Ranged | ACCURACY Up | An elite Shy Guy with big dreams. His cowardly nature is great for dodging. |
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Ninji |
Ranged | Hurt or Heal | They're ever ready for battle, with shuriken in hand. They supposedly like to discipline foes with a tail. |
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Hammer Bro |
Ranged | Rain of Pain | Those hammers are deadly from a distance. Their Rain of Pain attack is to be feared! |
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Ice Bro |
Ranged | Throw the Fight | That chilly ice is especially strong against Fire Bros. They're weak against Fly Guys, but keep that a secret! |
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Fire Bro |
Ranged | Rain of Pain | Strong against plantlike enemies like Treevil, but weak against the ice that Ice Bros. throw. |
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Boomerang Bro |
Ranged | Piercing Projectile | They throw boomerangs with ample gusto. Their specialty is to attack the bellies of tall enemies like Pokeys. |
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Fire Stalking P. Plant |
Ranged | Spitfire Fury | The fire it spits works well against plant-like enemies. It just has to remember not to burn itself. |
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