Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser

Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser
English logo
Developer	AlphaDream
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform	Nintendo 3DS
Release dates	October 5, 2017 October 5, 2017 October 5, 2017 October 6, 2017 October 6, 2017 October 7, 2017 April 12, 2018
Languages	English (United States) English (United Kingdom) Japanese Dutch French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Korean Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe)
Genre	RPG
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone[?] CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] USK: - All ages[?] GRAC: - All ages[?] ACB: - General[?]
Mode	Single player
Format	Nintendo 3DS: Game Card Digital download
Input	Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad

“As Mario and Luigi embark on a grand adventure, another quest is unfolding somewhere nearby... So begins the story of Bowser's Minions!”

—Unlock text, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser is a campaign exclusive to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions for the Nintendo 3DS, taking place simultaneously with the main story of the game. The campaign is unlocked when Mario and Luigi see Captain Goomba in Beanbean Fields. The story involves Bowser's Minions battling the enemies of the Beanbean Kingdom to rescue Bowser, after he is knocked out from Stardust Fields, led by Captain Goomba. The battles involve two armies automatically fighting against each other, though the player can choose which characters to send in, give more power to Special Skills by performing certain actions such as repeatedly pressing a button, and they can choose one of the Captain Commands available to the captain, the latter of which costs CP. At the end of a battle, there's a chance of one or more of the opponent's allies joining the player's team. There are three types of troopers: Melee (who only fight physically), Ranged (who fight exclusively with projectiles), and Flying (physical fighters who fly). The types follow a rock-paper-scissors triangle of strength and weakness (referred to as the "Power Triangle" in-game), with Melee units being strong against Ranged units but weak against Flying units, Ranged units being strong against Flying units but weak against Melee units, and Flying units being strong against Melee units but weak against Ranged units.

Story

The story of Minion Quest is shown as a movie, just like the main Superstar Saga story, in the Yoshi Theater.

The story starts off right after the Mario Bros. have defeated the first two enemies in the game, the two Goombas. After they are defeated, they are placed in barrels, and the one on the right complains about how he got trounced by the Mario Bros. again, with the one on the left saying that it's about time the Goombas rose up and made a name for themselves. These two Goombas would eventually become Captain Goomba and Private Goomp over the course of the coming events.

They are berated by the Koopalings Roy, Wendy, and Iggy, who tear into them and mercilessly taunt them about how useless, expendable, and trash they are and proceed to give them orders, but before they can do so, the Koopa Cruiser gets attacked by Fawful and starts to sink into the area around the border between the Mushroom and Beanbean Kingdoms, just like in the main story, and every one of Bowser's army of baddies is thrown clear of the wreckage.

Captain Goomba regains his consciousness and awakes in a cave on top of a huge mountain. He sees Bowser launch out of the cannon in Stardust Fields, and fly through the air into the distance. Deciding to rush after his leader, Captain Goomba takes off in pursuit of Bowser. After defeating two Beanies who come across his path, he comes across some of his fellow Goombas arguing over who should be the captain and lead the rescue. Captain Goomba offers to carry the captain's flag, and while the others mainly agreed to it because no one else wanted to, Captain Goomba slowly starts to win their sincere support throughout the story.

After defeating two Paragoombas who mistake Captain Goomba for an enemy, they explain that Fawful has captured Bowser, and has begun to brainwash all of Bowser's Minions with his headgear smoke. The minions make fun of the captain's "aura of stupidity"; this becomes a running gag throughout the story. Ludwig and Lemmy are encountered on the mountain, but they pay the squad no mind as they continue to look for Bowser themselves.

Fawful's Decree.

Captain Goomba soon comes across Fawful, who has Bowser with him. Before he can do anything, however, Private Goomp arrives to take credit for defeating Fawful. Fawful uses his brainwashing smoke to brainwash Private Goomp, but fails to brainwash Captain Goomba due to his true minion spirit. Captain Goomba and his squad fight against Private Goomp and his brainwashed forces, but after the battle, Fawful knocks Goomp and Captain Goomba off the mountain, and flees to the castle to retrieve the Beanstar, tying in to the main story. With Bowser having disappeared, Captain Goomba consults a Hoohooligan about Bowser's whereabouts, and jumps off the bridge to the base of the mountain, making a huge crash in the process.

Outside Beanbean Castle Town, the Koopalings are discussing their plans about how to find Lord Bowser, and even wonder if he has been kidnapped. They easily dispatch a rowdy group of Beanies, but are ambushed by Fawful, who uses a more powerful spray to brainwash all the Koopalings after the normal one proved to be ineffective.

The Elite Trio prepare to fight.

Captain Goomba and his squad are able to recruit additional members to their ranks, such as a Shy Guy who joins as Captain Shy Guy, and a Lakitu who was captured by a brainwashed Larry. The group runs into Prince Peasley, and after a battle ensues with a few Piranha Beans, Captain Goomba humorously sends out one of them to attack Prince Peasley. The squad then encounters the Elite Trio, with Private Goomp declaring his intent to steal Captain Goomba's glory, so he, along with Sergeant Guy and Corporal Paraplonk, fight the squad, with Captain Goomba winning the battle. The Elite Trio then argue over why they lost, and the squad decides to ignore their squabble and continue. Eventually, the group confronts Larry, who is ordering his minions to help build a fortress for him, so he can conquer Beanbean Castle Town. Captain Goomba is able to defeat Larry, and convinces him to join their cause, although Larry strongly dislikes taking orders from a Goomba. He informs the squad that the Koopalings are scattered around the world, knowing the locations of three of the Koopalings: Iggy in Chucklehuck Woods, Wendy in Gwarhar Lagoon, and Morton in Teehee Valley. Heading into a cave to the next area, the squad encounters Professor E. Gadd, who talks about his ghost research and his inventions, including a time machine.

Professor E. Gadd.

In Chucklehuck Woods, Iggy is busy taking over the forest. Captain Goomba is lured into a cave by an addictive fragrance and finds Bubbles, who mistakes them for Iggy's minions, and opens a trapdoor with his feet, sending the entire squad plummeting down into the underground. The squad is able to escape the cave and continue through the forest, on the way recruiting Captain Boo and the Elite Trio's Sergeant Guy, as well as assisting Cork and Cask in retrieving the Red Goblet in exchange for info on Iggy's whereabouts. The squad is able to find Iggy at Mother Chuckalola and defeat him, where he joins the squad's team.

The "cute battle" contest.

In Gwarhar Lagoon, the squad encounters Wendy, who decides to host a "cute battle" to determine the cutest group on the island. The squad hopes to win the contest to snap Wendy out of her brainwashing. Among the contestants are Hermie III, who captures Starlow as a decoration for his shell. Spangle asks for help in rescuing Starlow, but upon doing so, Starlow refuses his advances and shooes away both Hermie and Spangle. Corporal Paraplonk is encountered training his Paratroopas for the contest, and after defeating him, he joins the squad. The cutie battle begins, and after earning enough points in the rounds, Wendy gets fed up at their success and decides to fight them before the final round. Wendy joins the squad after losing, and after Captain Goomba leaves, the Star Angels (Starlow, Spangle, and two Starkisses) end up winning the prize.

Popple trips on Bowser.

Back at Hoohoo Mountain, Bowser, who now has amnesia after being struck by a "hard object," encounters Popple in the village stealing food, and begins to follow him around. Captain Goomba encounters Popple when they return to Chucklehuck Woods. At this point, Popple has already made Bowser his Rookie, but loses sight of him and asks the squad for help in finding "Rookie," before he eventually double-crosses them. Rookie does show up after defeating Popple, but he does not recognize his former lackeys and leaves with Popple, presumably to steal the Chuckola Reserve.

The Invincibility Mushroom and the Poison Mushroom

The squad arrives at Teehee Valley, where Morton is attempting to take over the Toad village. Here they battle Private Goomp once more and are able to recruit him, and also recruit Captain Koopa Troopa, who has an affinity for rhyming. Encountering a Toad who runs the Little Fungitown arcade, they help him obtain an Invincishroom from a cave to serve as an arcade prize (Though they mistakenly obtain a Poison Mushroom instead, which contributes to Mario's Bean Fever). The squad finds and defeats Morton near the valley's edge, and he joins the squad. Preparing to leave the area, Popple is encountered again, now without Rookie and seeking a replacement (candidates include a Fighter Fly, a Beanie, a Paratroopea, a Tanoomba, and Birdo). Upset that the squad attacked him in the woods, Popple fights the minions, but is defeated again. Birdo, the only candidate left standing after the fight, carries Popple away. Meanwhile, the cutscene where Bowser becomes Bowletta plays, signifying the timeframe of events.

Lakitu informs the crew that the Koopa Cruiser is being repaired in Joke's End, but Fawful appears to tell them he took over Bowser's Castle, and that Bowser is "no longer of this world anymore." Making their way to Joke's End, they find the Koopa Cruiser in ruins, so they decide to defeat brainwashed minions to gather repair tools, unaware they are being spied on by Roy. Once they have enough allies, Roy launches a surprise attack, but he comes to his senses and joins the squad, telling the squad to stop a bomb the Elite Trio had placed on the cruiser. With the cruiser repaired, the squad is able to get to Bowser's castle.

The seven Koopalings.

The castle is filled with the hardest enemies thus far. Ludwig and Lemmy are encountered and fought, and once defeated, the Koopaling team is complete. As a test of strength, Ludwig orders all the Koopalings to fight at the same time. Captain Goomba defeats them all, and they gain the Koopalings' respect.

The ending illustration, with Captain Goomba running away from Bowser.

The squad encounters Fawful once again, and although he taunts the squad mercilessly, they defeat him and make their way to Bowser's chamber, where Bowser (seemingly returned) immediately tells Captain Goomba to "destroy" Mario; it is presumed that the minions turn their attention to the Mario Bros. after this order. In reality, this "Bowser" was actually Bowletta in disguise, and when Captain Goomba confronts them about this, she and Fawful use a trapdoor to send the squad into a dungeon, which turns out to be a Mecha-Fawful factory. After a long final battle which tests all the skills obtained thus far, the minions defeat Fawful one final time and escape the dungeon. It is unknown what happened to Fawful after this; it is presumed he fled and proceeded to fight Mario and Luigi directly after.

After Bowletta's ultimate defeat, the minions reunite with a returned Bowser, only for the castle to explode, sending Bowser and his minions crashing into the screen. Later, Bowser gets stuck in the present in the airplane, and all the minions chase after it on their way home. Back at Bowser's castle, Bowser prepares to promote Captain Goomba for his efforts, only to realize he was the "hard object" that fell on Bowser's head and gave him amnesia. Bowser angrily chases after Captain Goomba, and his title and flag are taken away as the story comes to a close.

Levels

There are a total of 85 levels in the campaign, with 70 of them being available without the use of amiibo. Every level has a projected enemy level, corresponding roughly with the strength of the enemies within.

In the chart below, an asterisk indicates a boss level, with two asterisks indicating an optional level. Levels marked with an logo require an amiibo to unlock.

World	Description	Levels
		Level Name	Lv.
Hoohoo Mountain	The first area of the game. Melee, Ranged, and Flying units are introduced one at a time. Captain Commands are then introduced, all culminating in a boss fight with Private Goomp. Common units include Goombas, Hammer Bros., Paragoombas, and Beanies.	Go, Goomba, Go!	1
		This Beans War	1
		For the Love of Hammers	2
		Winged Traitors	2
		The Hoohoo Melee Brigade	4
		The Great Hammer Barrage	4
		Don't Fear Flying Foes	3
		Goombas vs. Goombas*	5
		The Amnesiac Koopa King	7
		Goombas Galore**	8
Beanbean Fields	Captain Goomba meets two key allies here: Captain Shy Guy and Lakitu. Critical hits are introduced here. Larry is the boss of this area. Common units include Shy Guys, Fire Stalking Piranha Plants, and Troopeas.	Oh, Hi, Shy Guy!**	11
		Shell Brigade, Move Out!**	12
		Turnip Tantrum	5
		Minions vs. Minions	6
		Hunger Pains	7
		A War of Shy Guys and Flybys	6
		Battle Tail	7
		Beanbean Crossfire	9
		The Rival Trio	8
		Larry's Fortress*	10
		Captain Shy Guy Trial**	35
		Professor E. Gadd's Research**	11
Chucklehuck Woods	Captain Goomba and his troop meet Captain Boo in this area, where he is recruited. Sergeant Guy is also recruited here. Iggy is the boss of this area. Magikoopa units are also introduced. Common units include Boos, Spear Guys, Buzzy Beetles, and Fuzzbushes.	Popple's Partner	15
		Captain Goomba Trial (Gold)**	35
		The Sweet Smell of Soda	10
		Deep Trouble	9
		Forest Masquerade	11
		Reclaim the Red Goblet!	11
		Gold Beanie Appears	13
		Invisible Leaderership	12
		Ice Guys Finish Last	13
		The Tough-As-Nails Squad	13
		Forest Fight*	14
		Shy Guy Goes Overboard**	15
		King of the Boos**	16
Gwarhar Lagoon	Spiky enemies are introduced here. Most of this area is focused on the "Cutie Battle Contest", which results in Corporal Paraplonk and Wendy being recruited. Common units here include Spinies, Chargin' Chucks, Boomerang Bros., and Starkisses.	The Power of Koopa Troopas**	20
		A Gaggle of Goombas**	21
		A Cloudy Day	15
		The Minions Are...Famous?	14
		Spangle's Honey Pie	15
		Gold Beanie Returns**	16
		The Paraplonk Squad's Secret!	16
		Battle Beach	17
		Cutie Battle Contest, Round 1	17
		Captain Goomba Trial**	35
		Cutie Battle Contest, Round 2	18
		Captain Koopa Troopa Trial (Gold)**	35
		Cutie Battle Contest, Semifinals*	19
Teehee Valley	This area involves Captain Goomba and his troop trying to stop Morton from taking over Little Fungitown. On the way, Private Goomp is fought and recruited, and Captain Koopa Troopa is met, who is the last captain in the game. Common units here include Dry Bones, Spikes, and Gritty Goombas.	A Dry Bone to Pick	19
		The Trouble with Toads	19
		Flying Beans in the Desert	18
		Find the Invincibility Mushroom!	20
		Gold Beanie Spotted!**	21
		Silly Ol' Goomp	20
		Ice Bros. Feel the Heat	23
		The Lonely Koopa Troopa	22
		Captain Koopa Troopa Trial**	35
		Toad Rescue*	24
		A Goomba Tail**	25
		A Muster of Masks**	26
		Popple's Partner, Part 2	25
Joke's End	This area revolves around collecting parts to repair the Koopa Cruiser, which is resting here. Roy is fought and recruited here, but he is not the boss. The Elite Trio betray the protagonists and battle them one last time as the true boss of this area. Common units here include Broozers, Bomb Boos, Goomba Towers, and Clumphs.	Goombas Unite	23
		Gather the Cruiser Parts!	24
		Power Play	26
		Spear Party on Ice	25
		Monochrome Explosion	24
		Gold Beanie Fights Back!**	26
		Return of the Koopa Cruiser	27
		The Trio's Last Stand*	28
		Captain Boo Trial (Gold)**	35
		Boo Party!**	29
		Shy Guy Barrage**	29
Bowser's Castle	The repaired Koopa Cruiser is used to take the protagonists here. Lemmy and Ludwig are fought and recruited. Before they encounter Fawful, Ludwig gathers the other Koopalings and challenges Captain Goomba to a battle in order to prove that he is worthy of being a captain. Fawful is then fought twice as both the penultimate and the true final boss. Units from all parts of the game reappear here. Common units here include Mechakoopas, Bandits, Magikoopas, and Mecha-Fawfuls.	The Beastly Bean Battalion**	43
		Fireball and Boomerang Crossfire	27
		Chain Chomp and Spike Stomp	28
		A Tale of Tails	30
		Double Trouble Koopaling Caper*	29
		Pokey Panic	29
		Rumble in the Castle!	31
		Gold Beanie's Final Stand**	31
		Goomba's Worth*	32
		Showdown Time!!*	34
		Captain Boo Trial**	35
		Believe in Bowser*	36
		The Mightiest Minions**	39

Captains

Captain	Type	Special	Description	Starting level	Strong against	Weak against
Captain Goomba	Melee	Rocket Headbutt	The go-to soldiers among Bowser's Minions. They move fast and charge into foes!	1
Captain Shy Guy	Ranged	Throw the Fight	You can't beat that poker face. They excel at evasion and pummeling Lakitus and Lakipeas with turnips.	8	Lakitus Lakipeas
Captain Boo	Flying	Evasion Cloak	For Bowser's sake, they won't be frightened! No, really! Prone to mocking their foes and attacking from above.	14
Captain Koopa Troopa	Melee	Rock Solid	They look innocent, but their shells provide a tough defense. Dry Bones may share their bone structure, but beware-they know their weakness!	23		Dry Bones
Captain Goomba (Gold)	Melee	Rocket Headbutt	The go-to soldiers among Bowser's Minions. They move fast and charge into foes!	N/A
Captain Boo (Gold)	Flying	Evasion Cloak	For Bowser's sake, they won't be frightened! No, really! Prone to mocking their foes and attacking from above.	N/A
Captain Koopa (Gold)	Melee	Rock Solid	They look innocent, but their shells provide a tough defense. Dry Bones may share their bone structure, but beware-they know their weakness!	N/A		Dry Bones

CP

The bottom screen in a level with some of the Captain Commands that can be used.

CP (Captain Points) are used to activate Captain Commands. The higher the captain's level is, the more CP and Captain Commands he will have; each captain can have a maximum of 10 CP. After a battle, some CP is restored; by 1 if the captain has a maximum of 1-5 CP, 2 if the captain has a maximum of 6-8 CP, and 3 if the captain has a maximum of 9 or 10 CP. The only other way to increase CP in a level is through the Chance Captain Command; if the player is lucky, they will get 5 CP out of it, but it costs 3 CP to use.

Captain	Starting CP	Levels where CP is increased
Captain Goomba	4	5, 6, 12, 19, 27, 35
Captain Shy Guy	5	9, 15, 21, 28, 35
Captain Boo	6	20, 24, 29, 35
Captain Koopa Troopa	8	27, 35

Captain Commands

Name	CP used	Captain Goomba level	Captain Shy Guy level	Captain Boo level	Captain Koopa Troopa level	Description
Deny	1	1	8	14	23	Surprises an opponent and cancels their Special Skill before they can pull it off.
Rally	4	7	8			Cheers on the whole squad and raises their SPIRIT for a limited time.
Chance	3	5		14	23	Creates a block that can be hit to score a bonus.
Play Dead	4	16	12	18	23	Feigns defeat on the battlefield so enemies will turn their attention elsewhere.
Lightning	7			32	30	Shrinks and weakens enemies for a limited time.
Parry	5	10	18	22	23	Completely blocks two enemy attacks. Time it perfectly to counterattack!
Pass the Bob-omb	6		24	26	23	Starts a game of catch with the enemy captain using a Bob-omb on the verge of exploding.
Thwomp Thump	6	30	32			Drops a mean Thwomp that deals heavy damage to everyone on the ground! Can be avoided by jumping.
Clash of Captains	6	23				Exclusive to Goombas. A showdown with the opposing captain. Be mindful of the damage that will be taken from the enemies along the way!
Call for Backup	4		8			Exclusive to Shy Guys. Sends in one of your reserve troopers to charge into battle and back you up.
Sneak Attack	6			15		Exclusive to Boos. A stealthy attack from behind an enemy captain. Can it be pulled off against types you're weak to?
Shell Shock	4				23	Exclusive to Koopa Troopas. A spinning shell attack! Damages all nearby foes.

Allies

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!
Paragoomba	Flying	Cranium Crush	Goombas who soar the sky with grace. With a spin they can do a Cranium Crush.
Big Tail Goomba	Melee	Spin Cycle	Bulky blokes with high POW and HP. They can sweep up foes by spinning their tails.
Goomba Tower	Melee	Whomping Wallop	They can use Whomping Wallop to attack all foes in front of them. Weak against Boomerang Bros.		Boomerang Bros. Beanerang Bros.
Koopa Troopa	Melee	Rock Solid	They look innocent, but their shells provide a tough defense. Dry Bones may share their bone structure, but beware—they know their weakness!		Dry Bones
Koopa Paratroopa	Flying	Cranium Crush	A harmony of heavy shell and light wings. They spin around in the air and attack their enemies from above.
Koopa Paratroopa (Red)	Flying	Cranium Crush	A harmony of heavy shell and light wings. Strong against Spear Guys and other spear-wielding enemies.	Spear Guy Chuck Guy Elite Chuck Guy
Dry Bones	Ranged	Chain Shot	Their calcium-deficient bodies are weak. They despise losing to Koopa Troopas.	Koopa Troopa
Boo	Flying	Evasion Cloak	For Bowser's sake, they won't be frightened! No, really! Prone to mocking their foes and attacking from above.
Bomb Boo	Flying	Kaboom Bash	A rare type of Boo that explodes! They are especially strong against Ice Snifits.	Ice Snifit
Tail Boo	Flying	Spin Cycle	A rare type of Boo with a tail. Getting hit with said tail really smarts!
Big Boo	Flying	Piercing Projectile	A big ol' Boo. It's slow, but it flies and has incredible HP and POW.
Broozer	Melee	Air Bash	Those deep red gloves are proof of their strength. They especially like to break mechanical things.	Mecha-Fawful X Mecha-Fawful Y Mecha-Fawful Z Mechakoopa Bob-omb
Shy Guy	Ranged	Throw the Fight	You can't beat that poker face. They excel at evasion and pummeling Lakitus and Lakipeas with turnips.	Lakitu Lakipea
Spear Guy	Ranged	Rain of Pain	They like to throw their special spear and weave about. Especially strong against Pestnuts, but weak against red Koopa Paratroopas.	Pestnut Elite Pestnut	Koopa Paratroopa (Red)
Fly Guy	Flying	Mega Tackle	Shy Guys who fly through the sky. No lie! Some say they know the weakness of the Ice Bros...	Ice Bros.
Bandit	Ranged	Throw the Fight	Their constant movement masks their lack of power. Just who are those mischievous eyes targeting?!
Buzzy Beetle	Melee	Rock Solid	Those hard shells aren't just for show! They boast the Rock Solid ability, and their defense is airtight.	Para-Beetle
Para-Beetle	Flying	Dive Attack	A veritable flying fortress. Their bodies are protected by a hard shell. Weak against their rivals, the Buzzy Beetles.		Buzzy Beetles
Hammer Bro	Ranged	Rain of Pain	Those Hammers are deadly from a distance. Their Rain of Pain attack is to be feared!
Fire Bro	Ranged	Rain of Pain	They throw fireballs as well as a Mario Bro! Burning Fuzzbushes and Pokeys is a cinch, but they're weak to Ice Bros.	Fuzzbush Pokey	Ice Bro
Ice Bro	Ranged	Throw the Fight	That chilly ice is especially strong against Fire Bros. They're weak against those expressionless Fly Guys.	Fire Bro	Fly Guy
Boomerang Bro	Ranged	Piercing Projectile	They throw boomerangs with ample gusto. Strong against Pokeys and Goomba Towers.	Pokey Goomba Tower
Spiny	Melee	Spin to Win	They have a hard shell and painful spikes. Though small, their spin attack is mighty! They seem to be weak against Lakitus.		Lakitu Lakipea
Lakitu	Flying	Chain Stomp	They hustle about atop a cloud. They're strong against Beanies and Spinies, but their weakness is a Shy Guy's turnip attack.	Sharpea Spiny	Shy Guy
Pokey	Melee	Whomping Wallop	They may move slowly, but their HP is their pride. Watch out for the spines that cover their bodies! Weak against boomerang wielders.		Boomerang Bro Beanerang Bro Fire Bro Fire Stalking Piranha Plant
Chain Chomp	Melee	Charging Champ	Unstoppable when they're off their chains. Difficult to control and highly destructive.
Chargin' Chuck	Melee	Air Bash	That padding makes for high POW and DEF. They tend to go overboard with their brawn and are weak against Mechakoopas.		Mechakoopa
Fire Stalking Piranha Plant	Ranged	Spitfire Fury	They walk about while spitting out powerful flames. Hey, aren't Fuzzbushes and Pokeys flammable?	Fuzzbush Pokey