Baby Bowser

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

- Baby Bowser

Baby Bowser (called Prince Bowser by his minions) is a recurring villain in the Yoshi series designed to be the baby form of Bowser. Although not related to him, Kamek was mainly responsible for his child rearing. He looks similar to his adult form's eighth child, Bowser Jr..

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Baby Bowser was the final boss battle in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. However, he doesn't seem to be too involved with Kamek's plans at capturing the Baby Mario brothers. He appeared in King Bowser's Castle when Kamek demanded that Yoshi hand over Baby Mario at the end of the level. The area turns to his room, after which Baby Bowser complains about Kamek making noise that woke him up and literally pounded him flat as paper and kicks him away. He then noticed Yoshi and immediately wanted to ride him. He tried 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 shock waves. After three hits, Baby Bowser was beaten, and 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 began 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 further back.

Yoshi had to continue to throw eggs at Giant Baby Bowser, because if he got too close he 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. After one more hit, he was defeated, knocked out, 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. If so, he falls down, and Yoshi falls, landing on a platform where Baby Luigi and the Stork are. Yoshi would notice Kamek, who would vow revenge and fly 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. 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 was then on the ground where Baby Bowser would shoot fireballs, throw bombs and send shock-waves; Yoshi would have to hit him a few more times to beat him.

This battle is actually pretty easy because the Super Happy Tree was right there, so Yoshi can recover health whenever. However, if the player plays the later levels of page 6, the amount of fruit that the tree creates will diminish, with page 6-4 (Magma Castle) giving out the least amount of fruit.

Yoshi's Island DS
During the events of Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser was at his castle when Bowser showed up from the future to kidnap the Star Children and gain control of the universe. His younger self was (ironically) abducted by the Kamek from the future and brought to Bowser's castle. When Baby Bowser realized what's going on, he insulted his grown-up self and his plan, calling him an "old geezer". Enraged and oblivious to the fact that his younger self was one of the Star Children, the Koopa King kicked Baby Bowser out of the castle.

As he falls, Baby Bowser swore revenge and once he landed, he yells into the sky in a futile attempt to remind his older self that they are one and the same. He then saw Baby Mario and tells him he saw Baby Luigi in Bowser's castle. He then realized that he had just landed on Yoshi, and he was excited to get a ride from him. Baby Bowser is, surprisingly, then playable for the remainder of World 4; as the Nintendo Power Player's Guide puts it, he showed up to "kick some major enemy butt, of course!" While carrying Baby Bowser, Yoshi can't swallow enemies, as this move is replaced with the young Koopa's ability to breathe fireballs; this defeats enemies and melts ice cubes. Once Big Guy the Stilted is defeated, Baby Bowser leaves Yoshi's group in an attempt to hitch a ride from the future Kamek as he flew off to report to the adult Bowser. However, Baby Bowser lost his grip and falls off of Kamek's broomstick.

He later rejoined Yoshi's group, along with Baby Wario, when they reached Bowser's Castle. Baby Bowser eventually betrayed them and attacks Yoshi and the other babies, believing they are after his treasure. The fight goes much like the previous one, but faster. Yoshi beats the little prince, and Kamek takes him away, leaving the group to the future Bowser, who is eventually defeated himself. At the end of the game, Baby Bowser falls off Kamek's broom and lands on a barge carrying his treasure, now claimed by Baby Wario; an argument between the two young misers inevitably ensues.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Baby Bowser's first and only appearance in the Mario & Luigi series was in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time in another attempt to kidnap Baby Peach. Luckily, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi had just shown up to play with Baby Peach. After Baby Mario defeats Baby Bowser, however, the Shroobs attacked Princess Peach's Castle. Luckily, everyone managed to escape on Baby Bowser's Koopa Cruiser. On the way to his castle, Baby Bowser picked the Mario and Luigi from the future to get Baby Peach to stop crying. On the Koopa Cruiser, Baby Bowser received a transmission from Princess Shroob at Shroob Castle. She told the crew something in the Shroobs' language and shot down the Kooopa Cruiser with a Shroob missile.

Baby Bowser was flung away from the Koopa Cruiser on the impact, into his castle. Eventually, he realized that the Mario Bros. had stolen the Cobalt Star Shard from his castle and tracked the Bros. at the Vim Factory, where he stole both his Cobalt Star Shard, and the one the Bros. had just found from Swiggler.

Baby Bowser then fled to the peak of Yoshi's Island with his caretaker, Kamek, where he ordered Kamek to steal the Yoshi Cookies from the Yoshis. When the Mario Bros. caught up to Baby Bowser at the peak, he scarfed down all the Yoshi Cookies, but started choking. He then left to the other side of the peak after Kamek had given him some "evil" milk. After the Mario Bros. defeated Kamek, they cornered Baby Bowser at the other side of the peak. Without thinkng, Baby Bowser ate the Cobalt Star Shards. Soon after, Baby Bowser and the Mario Bros. were eaten by Yoob.

Inside Yoob, Baby Bowser, along with the Yoshis already eaten, was put inside an egg. When the Mario Bros. confronted Sunnycide, a monster within Yoob, Sunnycide threw the egg Baby Bowser was in at Luigi, breaking it open. After the Mario Bros. defeated Sunnycide, Baby Bowser and all the swallowed Yoshis escaped Yoob.

Back on Yoshi's Island, Baby Bowser had told the Yoshis that he saved them from Yoob. Having believed him, the Yoshis gave him the rest of their Yoshi Cookies when the Mario Bros. and Toadbert showed up and told the Yoshis that he was lying. Baby Bowser then ate all of the Yoshi Cookies and got sick. He threw up the Cobalt Star Shards, which, seemingly with a mind of their own, hit him and flung him off of Yoshi's Island.

Later, Baby Bowser went to Thwomp Volcano to build a new castle, where he met his future self, Bowser. After a little argument, Baby Bowser and Bowser teamed up, not knowing the other ones identity, against the Mario Bros. They ended up being beaten after the battle and flung into the sky by a Thwomp, where Bowser ended up in a time hole and Baby Bowser ended up on top of the Shroob Mothership.

He showed up again after the Bros. beat Princess Shroob and, despite being warned, he put the Cobalt Star Shards together and completed the Cobalt Star, releasing 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 was a standard fireball move that can be easily dodged by jumping. This was mainly just a tutorial as Junior Shrooboid was. Interestingly, he was the first battle in the game, not just the first boss in the game. He might not even be a boss as the music is the typical normal battle music.

The second time the player faced 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 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 is Baby Bowser's weakness, as if he was hit by the shell he would be alone temporarily. The attack workes in a similar way to determine who Baby Bowser attacks when he is alone. But this time he spits fireballs in the air to perform 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 looks and sounds exactly like Bowser Jr. in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, although his bandana is different in appearance.
 * Baby Bowser was referred to as "King Bowser" in the English version of Yoshi's Island. Subsequent games replaced his title with "Prince" Bowser.
 * Baby Bowser has 20 HP during the first battle of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. However, Baby Mario automatically wins after five attacks. If the player could somehow cause 20 HP of damage before five turns expired, the game would freeze.
 * Baby Bowser, Baby Wario and Baby Yoshi were the only babies who did not appear in Mario Super Sluggers.