Baby Bowser

"Ahh...nothing quite like good cookies and some evil milk."

- Baby Bowser

Baby Bowser (called King Bowser or Prince Bowser by his minions) is a recurring villain in the Yoshi series designed to be the baby form of Bowser. Although he is the child of his father and mother, his henchman Kamek was mainly responsible for his child rearing. He looks very similar to his adult form's eighth child, Bowser Jr.

"Two Plumbers and a Baby"
Although Baby Bowser's first game appearance was Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island his actual first appearance was in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, in the episode "Two Plumbers and a Baby". Baby Bowser appeared in the ending of the episode. King Koopa fell in the Fountain of Youth and was turned into a baby.

"Toddler Terrors of Time Travel"
Baby Bowser also appears in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Toddler Terrors of Time Travel"; in this episode, King Bowser Koopa is regressed to an infant state when the Time Travel Tube he used to travel to Brooklyn, New York to stop Mario and Luigi from ever coming to the Mushroom Kingdom malfunctioned and changeed him into a baby, along with Kooky Von Koopa, Mario, Luigi and Toad.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Baby Bowser is the final boss battle in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. However, he didn't seem to be too involved with Kamek's plans at capturing the Baby Mario brothers, only trying to get a ride on Yoshi. He would try to kick Baby Mario off Yoshi's back and ride Yoshi himself. He would also send out shock-waves by ground pounding. Yoshi could give him a taste of his own medicine by hitting the spoiled prince with his shockwaves. After three hits Baby Bowser was beaten, then Kamek showed up and used his magic on him. Most of the castle was then destroyed as Baby Bowser grew to a giant size and rose up in the background. He begun the final battle by sending debris tumbling down and destroying some of the floor that Yoshi was standing on. He then started shooting large fireballs out of his mouth at Yoshi. During the battle, Yoshi eventually noticed a balloon carrying a Giant Yoshi Egg. Yoshi snatched the egg and, with precise aim, launched it at Baby Bowser, sending him farther back.

Yoshi had to continue to throw eggs at Giant Baby Bowser, because if he gets too close would make the entire platform collapse, instantly defeating Yoshi. Once Yoshi hit Giant Baby Bowser enough times, he would send more debris falling down, crumbling even more of the floor. Yoshi pelted a few more eggs at Giant Baby Bowser until he couldn't take anymore, and finally decided to just charge. One more hit, and he fainted and returned to his normal self. Kamek flew off with him, but not before vowing revenge. Yoshi then ran up to The Stork and Baby Luigi, freeing them both, and handing Baby Mario to the stork as well.

It is possible to defeat him even when the platform is gone, and if so, he falls down, and Yoshi falls, landing on a platform, where Baby Luigi and the Stork are. Yoshi would notice Kamek, who vowed revenge and flew off. Then the rest would be normal.

Yoshi's Story
Baby Bowser got that revenge in Yoshi's Story when he stole the Super Happy Tree, the source of all the happiness in Yoshi's Island, and to make matters worse he turned the island into a pop-up book! It was up to a bunch of Yoshi babies to stop him. After some adventuring the Yoshi found Baby Bowser in his castle and the two started to fight. Yoshi had to hit Baby Bowser with Bob-ombs while the prince was riding his "pet" and knock him off. The battle is then on the ground where Baby Bowser would shoot fireballs, throw bombs and send shock-waves and Yoshi would have to hit him a few more times to beat him. This battle is actually pretty easy because the Super Happy Tree is right there so Yoshi can recover health whenever.

Yoshi's Island DS
Baby Bowser is, surprisingly, playable in Yoshi's Island DS for the later half of World 4, which is the ice area. He is able to shoot fire balls, but that replaces the ability for Yoshi to swallow enemies. In certain levels, he shows up to, as the Nintendo Power Player's Guide puts it, "kick some major enemy butt, of course!". His fireballs are very handy for melting ice cubes found around his levels.

Baby Bowser was at his castle when Bowser shows up from the future to kidnap the Star Children and gain control of the universe. His younger self was abducted by the Kamek from the future and brought to Bowser's castle. When Baby Bowser realizes what's going on, he insults his grown-up self and his plan, calling him an "old geezer". Enraged, Bowser kicks his younger self out of the castle, and Baby Bowser swears revenge as he plummets.

After Baby Bowser lands, he yells into the sky in a futile attempt to remind his older self that they are one and the same. He then sees Baby Mario and tells him he saw Baby Luigi at Bowser's castle. This is when he realizes that he had just landed on Yoshi, and he excitedly gets a ride from him. He helps out Yoshi and his friends through the later half of World 4, but after the defeat of Big Guy the Stilted, he again finds Kamek from the future. Kamek flies off to tell Bowser, and Baby Bowser separates from Yoshi's group in an attempt to catch a ride on his broomstick, but he loses his grip and falls off. He later rejoins Yoshi's group, along with Baby Wario, when they had finally reached Bowser's castle. However, at the end of the game, the snotty brat turns traitor (because he thinks the others are after his treasure), attacking Yoshi and the babies! The fight goes much like the previous one, but faster. Yoshi beats the little prince, and Kamek takes him away revealing Bowser, who after beating, is blown up to huge proportions (even bigger than Baby Bowser in the first game) and Yoshi must smack him down with help from all of the babies and Yoshis. At the end, the Koopa Star Child falls off Kamek's broom, plummets down into Bowser's treasure, and starts arguing with Baby Wario... again.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Baby Bowser showed up again in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time at the start of the game where he tried to kidnap Baby Princess Peach and was stopped by Baby Mario with ease. Unfortunately the victory was short lived because just then the Shroobs attacked the castle. Luckily everyone managed to escape on Baby Bowser's Koopa Cruiser which then picked up a time displaced Mario and Luigi. Unfortunately the ship was attacked by the Shroobs and crashed into the Prince's castle where the Babies and the normal Bros. found the Prince had a Cobalt Star Shard, also finding a time hole that brought them to the present. Baby Bowser showed up a lot in the game, mostly being an annoyance doing things like stealing the Bros. Cobalt Star Shards and stealing all the cookies on Yoshi's Island. Eventually Baby Bowser teamed up with his future self to defeat the four Mario Bros. in Thwomp Volcano although they were unaware of who the other's true identity. They ended up being beaten after a fierce battle and flung into the sky, where Bowser ended in a time hole and Baby Bowser ended up in the Shroob Mothership. He showed up again after the Bros. beat Princess Shroob and, despite being warned, he put the Cobalt Star together and released the Elder Princess Shroob. He was then turned into a Shroob Mushroom. Baby Luigi's tears later turned him back to normal. He showed up at the end of the game going home and complaining about losing the Cobalt Star.

At the start of the game, all Baby Bowser had to attack is a standard fireball move that can be easily dodged by jumping. Since Baby Luigi was entertaining Baby Peach, Baby Mario was on his own so he only attacks Baby Mario. The second time you face him, he is teamed up with his adult form, Bowser. Many attacks are used by Bowser alone, but some aren't. For example, when Bowser does the slow ground pound, Baby Bowser will leap in the air and after spinning once will ground pound Bowser's head which will spurt a flame at one of the Mario Bros. The unscary lizard tyrant will spin counterclockwise when the flame hits Mario and clockwise when hitting Luigi. Occasionly he will leap so high he goes off the top screen and land on Bowser who will spurt two flames at both of the Mario bros. at the same time. When Baby Bowser hits Bowser with his hammer, he lets the hammer down low when he is hitting Luigi and hammer high when hitting Mario. Unfortunately this was Baby Bowser's weakness, as if he was hit by the shell he would be alone temporarily. The attack worked in a similar way to determine who Baby Bowser attacks when he is alone. But this time he spits fireballs in the air to preform a more dangerous attack.

Personality
A spoiled child, Baby Bowser frequently throws tantrums in hopes that his minions, Kamek and the Koopa Troop, will give him what he wants. He is greedy and also very gluttonous, as shown in Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, where he eats a huge pile of Yoshi cookies, and the Cobalt Star. Toadbert calls him a 'little piggie'. He even insulted adult Bowser in Yoshi's Island DS.

Trivia

 * Baby Bowser, Baby Yoshi and Baby Wario are the only babies who didn't appear in Mario Super Sluggers.
 * Baby Bowser has several similarities to the Koopa Kid that is playable in Mario Party 5 and 6
 * Baby Bowser bears a striking resemblance to Bowser Jr..
 * In Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser is apparently the only baby who can talk, commanding Yoshi to give him a ride when he meets him. His talking of the same subject was also in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, but, he was not playable in that game.