History of Bowser: Difference between revisions

Bowser reappears in ''[[Super Mario World]]''. Here, he kidnaps Princess Toadstool while she is vacationing with the Mario Bros. in [[Dinosaur Land]]. His Koopalings also capture several of the native [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshis]], trapping them in eggs guarded by them in one of their seven castles. [[Yoshi]] himself attempts to stop them, but Bowser traps him in an egg as well. Bowser's boss fight in ''Super Mario World'' has him on the roof of [[Bowser's Castle|his castle]], riding in his [[Koopa Clown Car]]. He throws [[Mechakoopa]]s and [[Big Steely|Big Steelies]] at the player, and tries to ground pound him as the battle progresses. After hitting Bowser with a Mechakoopa, he sinks into his car for a short time, while casting flames in the air and having them rain down. Bowser also attempts to ram into Mario with his Koopa Clown Car before returning to his previous tactics. Upon being defeated, he ends up losing control of his Koopa Clown Car and is ultimately forced to release Princess Toadstool upon the car turning upside down, before being knocked into the distance. Prior to fighting him, he also briefly appears in the Valley of Bowser Map's background flying around in his Koopa Clown Car, although only his eyes can be seen in the darkness, and only a silhouette appears during the occasional thunderclap. In the GBA remake, he is absent entirely after his level is cleared.

While his art is similar to his normal appearance, his in-game sprite appears differently, making him primarily green in color with two large fangs. The ''Super Mario Advance 2'' sprite corrects this, making his arms their normal color. In a 2017 interview, the game's graphic designer, [[Shigefumi Hino]], confessed that Bowser's green skin color here was merely a design oversight.<ref>[https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/c/article/cb34ab17-9135-11e7-8cda-063b7ac45a6d.html "Nintendo Mini Classics: Super Famicom" Launch Party Interview Part 5: ''Super Mario World'' and ''Yoshi's Island'', at Nintendo's Japanese website.]</ref> Additionally, an unused full-body sprite found in prototype source code shows him with the proper amount of fingers.<ref>[https://twitter.com/GamingAlexandri/status/1286734000057458689 Twitter post showing early SMW tiles]. Retrieved July 25, 2020.</ref>

Aside from his role in the game, he also was in the Mario Bros. remake included in the GBA remake ''Super Mario Advance 2''.

In both versions, Bowser is battled three times: once in [[Bowser in the Dark World]], once in [[Bowser in the Fire Sea]], and once in [[Bowser in the Sky]]. During each battle, Bowser can be attacked only by grabbing his tail, spinning him, and tossing him into one of several [[Mine|spiked orb]]s surrounding the arena. Tossing Bowser off the platform causes him to leap and land back on the arena. His fire breath sometimes leaves behind health-replenishing [[coin]]s. During each battle, he is quicker to face Mario, making it more difficult to grab his tail. When Bowser is defeated the first two times, he drops a [[key#Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS|Big Key]], allowing the player to open the door to another area of the castle. When he is defeated the third time, Bowser surrenders and flees, allowing Mario to collect the [[Jumbo Star]].  

When the switch is pressed, the floor collapses, and Bowser plummets into the abyss below. However, the Princess Peach in the cage nearby turns out to be [[Kamek|Magikoopa]] in disguise. He escapes from the cage and casts a spell over the chasm that Bowser has fallen down. After several moments, Bowser reappears, now at a gigantic size. He accidentally knocks Magikoopa off his broom and proceeds to chase after Mario. This form is called '''Super Bowser''' by the [[Prima Games]] strategy guide<ref>Fernando Bueno. ''When Super Bowser begins spitting fireballs, edge up against the right wall and jump over the fireballs to let them bypass you. When they hit the wall ahead of you, they'll demolish it, creating a path for you to continue.'' ''New Super Mario Bros Wii Official Digital Strategy Guide for Wii'', section ''Walkthrough - World 8-Bowser's World - World 8-Castle''.</ref> He attacks by spitting massive fireballs, as well as clawing away at the walls and leaping over to Mario if he is far enough away.  

Once more, Bowser appears as the final boss of ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. He is the boss of [[World 6 (New Super Mario Bros. 2)|World 6]], and he attacks using fire and iron mallets in a battle reminiscent of the original ''Super Mario Bros''. On the other side of him is a switch, which Mario presses to send him into the pit below the bridge. However, after he is defeated, the Koopalings appear in the Koopa Clown Car and use their wands' magic on Bowser. This causes him to transform into '''Super Bowser''',<ref>von Esmarch, Nick. ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' [[Prima Games|Prima]] Official Game Guide. Page 169.</ref> also knocking the Koopalings down into the rising lava pit in the process. While Mario is using the platforms to travel upward, Super Bowser swipes at them with his claws. In two segments of the battle, the platforms disappear, and Super Bowser breathes fire at Mario on a full platform. On the roof of Bowser's Castle, there is a massive [[! Switch]], similar to the one from ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' When the switch is pressed, Super Bowser plummets to his doom and the game is won.

The first part of his battle is similar to ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', where the player has to get to the other side and press the switch; alternatively, shooting several fireballs also works. This causes the axe to fall and make the bridge collapse, making Bowser fall. The gate then opens and [[Mario]] moves on. When Mario reaches the top of the castle, [[Princess Peach|Peach]] is being held up in the tower. After this, Bowser Jr. shows up in his [[Junior Clown Car]], and Bowser hops on top of the castle while he is huge. Bowser Jr. also fights the player. In order to defeat them, the player must jump on Bowser Jr., causing him to fall out of his Junior Clown Car. This allows the player to jump in and hover over Bowser to harm him. Like the Koopalings, he curls into his shell and spins around when hit. He is defeated after being hit three times by the Clown Car. After beating him, he falls off of the castle as Bowser Jr. witnesses this and is left with Mario, until jumping off on his own.  

At the end, the Koopalings and Bowser Jr. are on their wrecked airship and fly away. Bowser notices and climbs on, but his weight causes the airship to crash. Bowser then holds onto Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car as he flies away on that, with the other Koopalings holding onto his tail and lined up like a chain.

[[File:Bowser Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png|thumb|upright=0.95|Artwork of Bowser in his [[Koopa Chase]] from ''Super Mario 3D World'']]

Bowser is the boss of the [[World 1 (Super Mario 3D World)|World 1]] castle, [[Bowser's Highway Showdown]]. Unlike most of his prior battles, Bowser does not fight Mario or the others in direct combat: instead, he confronts them from the back of [[Bowser's Muscle Car]], a car with a hood ornament of his face, throwing [[Kick Bomb]]s that must be knocked back at him to damage him and spitting fireballs that leave residue. After taking enough hits from the Kick Bombs, Bowser starts to breathe fire more often, only occasionally throwing Kick Bombs at this point. If the bomb is knocked back just by touching it, it damages the car, but if it is knocked back with an attack, it hits Bowser directly and deal triple the damage. Upon being struck by the final Kick Bomb, the Koopa Chase is sent bouncing forward and causes part of the road to collapse, destroying the car and ejecting Bowser from his own castle.

The player can only place up to three Bowsers on a single course layer, and if the player shakes Bowser, he changes into [[Bowser Jr.]].

For every other outfit, or before fighting him for the first time regardless of which outfit Mario is wearing,<ref>Shirrako (October 29, 2017). [https://youtu.be/y8U3hEwMLzM Super Mario Odyssey - Final Boss & Ending (Wedding Dress Mario Costume)]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved February 26, 2022.</ref> Bowser says, ''"Also, your outfit isn't halfway fancy enough for the occasion!"''

Concept art for the game included in a Japanese artbook indicated that Bowser would have used the [[capture]] ability on Princess Peach.<ref>Doolan, Liam (September 29, 2018). [https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/09/super_mario_odyssey_art_book_reveals_official_bowsette_concept_existed_long_before_the_fan-made_one Super Mario Odyssey Art Book Reveals "Official Bowsette" Concept Existed Long Before The Fan-Made One]. ''Nintendo Life''. Retrieved November 9, 2018.</ref>

=== ''Super Mario Bros. Wonder'' ===

Bowser appears as the main antagonist of ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''. He arrives at the [[Flower Kingdom]] to steal a [[Wonder Flower]], ultimately managing to succeed in front of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, the two Toads, Toadette, and Prince Florian. As a result, he merges with Prince Florian’s castle and his Koopa Clown Car to transform into a floating fortress modeled in his own likeness. In the level [[The Final Battle! Bowser's Rage Stage]], if Peach is chosen for this level, Bowser will call Peach his beloved and Peach will react in shock.

[[File:Mission to Save Princess Peach Bowser TV.PNG|thumb|upright=0.95|left|King Koopa, having emerged from Mario's television]]

King Koopa (as he is known in Japan) is featured as the main villain in the Japanese-exclusive animated film ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]''. The plot of the film is similar to that of ''Super Mario Bros.'' in that King Koopa is trying to conquer the kingdom and turning its inhabitants into inanimate objects; he even turns Princess Peach's fiancé, [[Haru-ōji]], into a dog going by the name Kibidango. King Koopa is also trying to marry Peach, making this film the first instance in which King Koopa has shown a love interest in her.

King Koopa first appears emerging from Mario's television to capture Princess Peach. Mario tries to stand up to him, but to no avail. Peach tries to fight back, but is grabbed and taken back into the television, where she is held at his castle. At one point, King Koopa attempts to make Peach love him, but Peach tricks him by having him transform into various things, eventually ending up as a teddy bear which she locks inside a box. However, King Koopa breaks free by transforming back to normal, leaving and locking her in her room.

Later, King Koopa commences the wedding ceremony with Peach, but it is interrupted by Mario and Luigi. Taking the princess, King Koopa and [[Shisai|the minister]] escape to another room to continue the ceremony, only for the castle to fall apart around them. After emerging from the rubble, King Koopa and Mario battle. During the battle, King Koopa is easily able to fight him, though after he consumes the three power-ups Mario becomes strong enough to grab King Koopa by the tail and send him flying, undoing his black magic over the land. In the end of the film, King Koopa appears at [[Grocery|Mario's Grocery]], working happily with his minions.

[[File:Mario gun.png|thumb|upright=1.1|King Koopa, defeated by Mario and his allies in ''Super Mario Momotarō'']]

King Koopa is also featured as the main antagonist in all three shorts in the Japanese-exclusive [[Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.|''Super Mario'' anime series]], which have him taking on the roles of various fairy tale villains. In the first story, ''[[Super Mario Momotarō|Momotarō]]'', King Koopa acts as an ogre that steals rare treasures from other areas of the galaxy. He hears of the beauty of Princess Peach, and, with the help of his Koopalings, she is kidnapped. Peach's grandparents try to stop him, but fail. During the time that the princess is kidnapped, King Koopa proposes to her, but she refuses and is thrown into a cell as a result; King Koopa then continues to plunder the galaxy as usual. As he is proposing to her again, he hears news that a strange ship is approaching; Mario and his friends, a [[Para-Beetle]], a [[Spike]], and a [[Boomerang Bro]] arrive at the city, face King Koopa and the Koopalings and defeat them. Having been beaten, King Koopa vows to never perform another bad deed.

[[File:SMIssun-boshi Mario Bowser.png|thumb|upright=1.1|left|Mario standing triumphantly on an awakened King Koopa's face in ''Super Mario Issun-bōshi'']]

The second story, ''[[Super Mario Issun-bōshi|Issun-bōshi]]'', features King Koopa with a somewhat minimal role, as a bully to both Princess Peach and Mario. While harassing Princess Peach, Mario tries to stand up for her, but King Koopa simply tries to stomp him, which later leads to him eating Mario. However, Mario starts slashing and stabbing at his insides with the makeshift sword he was given by [[Papa Mario|his father]]. This causes King Koopa to experience a horrific stomachache and regurgitate Mario, falling unconscious. However, when King Koopa wakes up, Mario is on his head, but he slices off his horns and eyebrows as he leaps off. Embarrassed, King Koopa runs away from the two, dropping a magical hammer on the way. This hammer allows Mario to be grown to a normal size.

[[File:AnimeLuigiTwo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Luigi]] appearing and attacking Queen Koopa in ''Super Mario Shirayuki-hime'']]

The final story, ''[[Super Mario Shirayuki-hime|Shirayuki-hime]]'' (''{{wp|Snow White}}''), has King Koopa playing the role of the Wicked Queen. She is a selfish tyrant, who often asks her mirror who is the most beautiful in the land, with the mirror's response being an image of herself. However, one day, when asking the mirror the question, Koopa is shocked to see the image of Princess Peach appearing on the mirror, making him angry. After much frustration, she has the Koopalings attack her, but she is saved by Mario, who defeats them. Angered by the failure of the Koopalings, Koopa asks the mirror the question again; this time the mirror tells him that Peach is hiding in Toad's house. In her laboratory in the basement, Koopa creates a poison, which he then injects into several apples. While both the Toads and Mario are gone from the house, Koopa, disguising himself using a cloak, gives Peach a poisoned apple, which causes her to fall into a comatose state, and flies back to her castle.

 

Once Mario, Peach, and the Toads arrive at Koopa's castle, she has her Koopalings attack Mario. They succeed with their attack, but the Toads combine with Mario, increasing his strength and allowing him to once again defeat them. Koopa attempts to escape, but Mario chases after her. However, Mario stops when he sees Koopa holding a knife at Peach. At that moment, Luigi unexpectedly enters the scene with a hammer and attacks Koopa. The brothers then take her and throw her head first into her mirror to defeat her.

Bowser, though only commonly referred to by the name of King Koopa (very rarely was he called Bowser Koopa), is featured as the main antagonist of all three of [[DIC Entertainment]]'s ''Super Mario'' cartoons, ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' and [[Super Mario World (television series)|''Super Mario World'']]. He later gets his own show in ''[[King Koopa's Kool Kartoons]]'', a live-action DIC production. Bowser's appearance in the shows is based on his in-game sprite from the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' and also bears some resemblance to [[Wart]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', whose army, the [[8 bits]], are loyal to Koopa in the shows along with the original Koopa Troop. In all three cartoons, Bowser was voiced by Harvey Atkin, who also starred in other shows such as ''{{wp|Goosebumps (TV series)|Goosebumps}}'' as Mr. Malik, ''{{wp|The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police}}'' voicing Sam, and in ''{{wp|Cagney & Lacey}}'' as Sergeant Ronald Coleman. According to an interview with writer [[Perry Martin]], King Koopa's portrayal was based on comedian {{wp|Don Rickles}}.<ref name="Perry">Brett Homenick (September 11, 2018). [https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2018/09/11/do-the-mario-perry-martin-on-scripting-the-cartoon-adaptations-of-the-super-mario-bros/ DO THE MARIO! Perry Martin on Scripting the Cartoon Adaptations of the Super Mario Bros.!]. ''Vantage Point Interviews''. Retrieved October 05 2018.</ref>

====''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!''====

[[File:BlackbeardKoopa.jpg|left|thumb|Blackbeard Koopa, one of [[King Koopa's alter egos]] in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'']]

In ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', Bowser, having seemingly been banished from the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] sometime after the events of ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', returns to it to cause havoc, with the aid of his seven [[Koopalings]] (referred to as the "Koopa Kids"). In ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', Bowser stops his use of aliases and costumes and his plans became somewhat odd in nature, such as turning his children into giant, ninja warriors for the sole purpose of kidnapping [[Prince Hugo]], only to end up transforming him into a poodle. Bowser is occasionally referenced as "Bowser Koopa" in ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.''

[[File:SMWM&YALBowser.png|thumb|King Koopa in ''Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land'']]

King Koopa appears as the main villain in the Japanese-exclusive interactive OVA ''[[Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land]]''. As the plot is the same as the game it is based upon, King Koopa kidnaps Princess Peach while she is on vacation in [[Dinosaur Land]], conquers the Yoshis and sets up fortresses, putting the Koopalings in charge of them. He eventually faces off against Mario and Luigi in his [[Koopa Clown Car|Koopa Clown]], and is defeated, spinning out of control into the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==''Mario Teaches Typing'' series==

[[File:Mariotype.jpg|left|thumb|Bowser's appearance in ''Mario Teaches Typing 2'']]

Bowser also makes some minor appearances in the two ''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]'' games, such as appearing when the letter "B" is typed in the first game's alternate game mode. Additionally, a Bowser portrait also appears in the room where the Koopa Troopas are playing cards in ''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''. In both games' story modes, Bowser is not featured, but his castle is, though it is destroyed by Mario and Luigi at the end. In the second game's story mode intro, the [[Magical Typewriter]] gives them a message that states it is "the key to beating Bowser."

==''Mario Kart'' series==

Bowser is always a default-unlocked heavyweight character in the ''Mario Kart'' games. He also always has his own course, aptly named [[Bowser's Castle#Mario Kart series|Bowser's Castle]].

In ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'', he and [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] have the heaviest weight and highest speed, but at the same time suffer from poor acceleration and steering. If controlled by a computer, Bowser can toss fireballs onto the track. In the Japanese release of the game, every character's awards ceremony victory animation involves a bottle of champagne, but part of Bowser's involves drinking it. This is changed in English releases, in which Bowser simply waves the bottle above his head.

===''Mario Kart 64''===

In ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', Bowser and the other heavyweight characters have poor speed, acceleration, and steering, but high weight, allowing them to ram lighter racers out of their way.

 

 

Bowser also makes an appearance in the three ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP]]'' games; ''Mario Kart Arcade GP'' has no weight stat to classify characters by, but ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]'' classifies him as a power racer, and ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]'' places him in the heavyweight category. The second game also gives him a personal kart in addition to a standard kart; Bowser's resembles his shell, with spikes lining the sides and on the tires. In the first two games, Bowser has four special items: Bowser Shell, the same item from ''Double Dash!!''; [[Shell Body]], which makes him invincible; [[Flaming Tender]], which damages any rival that hits it; and Thwomp, which squishes any driver that drives under it. Bowser also receives his own two-course cup in the first two games, both of which consists of [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Arcade GP)|Bowser's Castle]] and [[Castle Wall]], which takes place on the wall surrounding his castle. In the first game, beating the Bowser Cup allows the player to face Bowser in a battle as the challenge stage. The player must leap over the streams of fire Bowser spits at them while tossing shells at the supports for his platform. If the player is playing as Bowser for this challenge, they instead face Mecha-Bowser. In ''Mario Kart Arcade GP DX'', the Bowser Cup consists of [[Bowser's Factory]] and [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Arcade GP DX)|Bowser Castle]].

 

In ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', Bowser's [[Koopa Clown Car]] appears as his unlockable kart, the [[Hurricane (kart)|Hurricane]]. His default karts are a standard kart (Standard BW), like the other racers, and the [[Tyrant]]. Once the game is beaten, Bowser can drive any of the thirty-six karts in the game. He also appears as the ghost on Airship Fortress with a time of 2:07:748 on the Hurricane, on Bowser Castle on the Hurricane with a time of 2:19:661, and on GBA Bowser Castle 2 with a time of 1:52:258 on the Standard BW. In Missions Mode, Bowser is the character played as for missions 3-2, 4-5, 5-4, 6-1, 6-8, and 7-7. In addition, he also appears as the opponent to be raced against for mission 7-2. He and [[R.O.B.]] are the heaviest characters.

 

In ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', Bowser has the highest weight bonus for his class size, which makes vehicles like the [[Offroader]] and [[Piranha Prowler]] heavier than normal. He also offers decent speed and drift bonuses, which make the [[Jetsetter]] and [[Shooting Star (bike)|Shooting Star]] faster and easier to control. The Staff Ghosts that use Bowser are Nin*YABUKI at [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Kart Wii)|Bowser's Castle]] in the [[Piranha Prowler]], with a time of 3:04:836 with no Wii Wheel and manual drift. The expert staff ghost is Nin*Masa with the same settings, except this time, Bowser is on the [[Flame Runner]] with a time of 2:42:098.

 

In ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'', Bowser returns as a heavy racer. He has one of the best speed and weight boosts in the game. His Koopa Clown Car also has an appearance as the Koopa Clown, an unlockable kart body. The staff ghosts using Bowser are Ret*Matt M on Bowser's Castle, with the standard kart body, [[Monster (tire)|Monster]] tires, and the [[Super Glider]] with a time of 02:34.815; the expert staff ghost also uses Bowser in the [[Blue Seven]] with [[Red Monster]] tires and the [[Beast Glider]], the time being 02:15.244. He is also both ghosts on {{classic-link|GBA|Bowser's Castle 1|Bowser Castle 1}}; the normal ghost, Nin*Hayata, uses the [[Kart|Pipe Frame]] with [[Standard (tire)|Standard]] tires and the Beast Glider and has a time of 01:31.030, while the expert, Nin*hokwai, uses the Koopa Clown with the [[Roller]] tires and the Super Glider, and has a time of 01:22.221. If using a glider with a stem (Super Glider, Flower Glider etc.) while playing as Bowser, the stem of the glider is bent to go around his shell; for the other characters it is straight.

 

Bowser is a playable character in ''[[Mario Kart 8]]''. He is one of the heaviest racers in the game, having the exact same statistics as [[Wario]], [[Morton Koopa Jr.]], [[Dry Bowser]], and heavy [[Mii]]s, while rivalling the weight of [[Metal Mario]] and [[Pink Gold Peach]]. In the [[Nintendo Switch]] port ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'', Bowser is still among the heaviest characters, but instead shares statistics with only Morton. He also runs an oil company called [[Bowser Oil]], which appears as a sponsor in this game, and also has a racing team called [[Lord Bowser (team)|Lord Bowser]].

 

Bowser makes an appearance in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' as an unlockable Super driver, available since launch. Like in ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'', his special item is Bowser's Shell. The [[Winter Tour (2020)|2020 Winter Tour]] introduced a variant of Bowser in a Santa Claus costume with Christmas lights on his shell, called '''Bowser (Santa)''', who is a High-End driver that utilizes the [[Coin Box]] as his special item. Meowser also appears in the game starting from the [[New Year's 2022 Tour]]. Bowser in his doctor outfit from ''Dr. Mario World'', called '''Dr. Bowser''', later debuted in the [[Peach vs. Bowser Tour (May 2022)|May 2022 Peach vs. Bowser Tour]].

 

Bowser causes much trouble in the real world during ''[[Mario is Missing!]]''. Bowser plans to use several hairdryers to melt [[Antarctica]], which would result in the [[Earth]] flooding. However, because he cannot afford the amount of hairdryers needed to enact the scheme, Bowser sends his [[Koopa Troopa|Koopa]]s across the world to steal rare and valuable artifacts to sell.

 

Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi head to Antarctica to stop him, but Mario is captured by Bowser. Mario's kidnapping, however, differs between the three versions. In the PC version, Luigi remains outside with Yoshi, as he is too scared to go in, so Mario enters by himself; Bowser, disguised as a butler, gives Mario some candy, and he is caught in a net afterward. In the SNES version, Mario falls down a pit trap activated by Bowser. In the NES version, Bowser catches him in a sack. Either way, Mario is kidnapped, forcing Luigi to save Mario using the skill of deduction.

 

The endings differ from the console as well. In the PC version, Bowser advances toward Luigi, but Luigi forcefully removes his shell, making him a "Beach Bowser", much to his humiliation. When Bowser returns, Luigi lies to Bowser by gestering that he threw his shell off the balcony. When Bowser looks over the ledge, Luigi kicks him off and he lands in the snow. He then emerges from a pile of snow, dazed, and falls into unconsciousness. After Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi leave, Bowser appears in the corner, looking in that direction before the credits roll. In the SNES version, Bowser leaps down from above after Mario is saved. However, Luigi pulls a nearby switch that causes Bowser to fall into a hole, into a cannon. He is then shot out of his castle and into the Antarctic snow; he freezes instantly after, then shatters. When the player saves Mario in the NES version, Luigi and what appears to be Bowser fight, but he flees as a [[Beach Koopa|Koopa without a Shell]]. Bowser is later seen outside his castle, crying over his defeat in the snow.

 

Of note is that Bowser is extremely off-model in the NES release. There are two sets of sprites used, with the one in the opening being green and hornless, and the one during battle being orange with horns. Both sets appear to use an edited version of [[Morton Koopa Jr.|Morton]], [[Ludwig von Koopa|Ludwig]], and [[Roy Koopa|Roy]]'s body from ''Super Mario World'', along with an edited version of [[Lemmy Koopa|Lemmy]]'s head from the same game. As such, he is uncharacteristically short in this game, being even shorter than Mario and Luigi. When retracted into his shell, the sprites use the normal Koopa shell sprite from ''Super Mario World'', except with all original detail removed and completely-square spikes added on. Finally, after defeat, he is knocked out of his shell and appears as an ordinary Koopa without a Shell. During the credits, however, he appears as normal.

|[[File:Smrpg bowser.gif|110px]][[File:Bowser SMRPG Remake.jpg|112px]]|Bowser as he appears in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' (left) and ''Super Mario RPG'' for the Switch (right).|size=222

Bowser serves as Mario's ally in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' and its [[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|Nintendo Switch remake]], making this game the first time they have teamed up. At the beginning of the ''Super Mario RPG'', Bowser, in his Koopa Clown Car, flies to [[Mario Bros.' House|Mario's Pad]] to kidnap Princess Toadstool and take her back to his keep. However, Mario, hearing Toadstool scream, is on his tail. Bowser and Mario face each other atop a pair of chandeliers in the throne room. During battle, he attacks Mario by swiping him with his claws and launching his back spikes at him. At first, Bowser seems to be unbeatable, but the princess then advises Mario to attack the [[Kinklink]] chain holding up the chandelier. Once the Kinklink is damaged enough, it lets go of the chandelier, and Bowser plummets to the ground below. Not giving up, however, he throws [[Hammer]]s at Mario's chain, bringing him down as well, but before he can hit the ground, Mario [[jump]]s off of Bowser's head, giving him a boost up to the princess to free her. After the battle, a huge sword named [[Exor]] crashes into Bowser's Keep, sending Mario, Toadstool, and Bowser flying in different directions.

While traveling through [[Rose Way]], Mario and [[Mallow]] spot Bowser, with a small army of minions consisting of several [[Terrapin]]s, [[Magikoopa]]s, and [[Goomba]]s, headed respectively by [[Jagger]], [[Kamek|Magikoopa]], and [[Goomba (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars character)|Goomba]]; he gives them some pep talk, then they head off to reclaim his keep from the [[Smithy Gang]]. Later, at [[Moleville]], Bowser is conveniently there at the same time as Mario once again; however, most of the minions he had earlier are now gone, including all of the Terrapins.

Upon arriving at [[Booster Tower]], Bowser is once again sighted; this time, however, he is sulking because all his remaining minions have abandoned him. After noticing Mario behind him and Toadstool on the balcony, he leaves, but returns after Mario finds the door is locked. Realizing that Mario needs his assistance, Bowser rams the door in and joins Mario, naming him, Mallow, and [[Geno]] honorary Koopa Troop members. After returning her to [[Toad Town|Mushroom Kingdom]], the [[Toad Minister|Chancellor]] and fellow Toads are surprised to see that Mario is working with Bowser. Although he is nervous to tell the truth, he is able to stretch it to some extent with the others when they explain what is happening.

After the defeat of [[Exor]], Bowser decides to abandon the group to return to his keep, having finally reclaimed it, and telling Mario that, as a Koopa Troop member, he is required to help with repairs. However, Geno stops him and reminds him that, as long as Smithy is still active, the keep remains at risk. This convinces Bowser to stay with the group.

Upon reaching Smithy, the entire party demands that Smithy hand them his Star Piece, Bowser demanding that he leave his keep. He declines, and the group face him in the final battle. Once Smithy is defeated for good and the seventh Star Piece is claimed, Geno wishes the group goodbye, and they all witness as the Star being possessing the Geno doll, actually named ♥♪!? but going under the name of the doll for the entire game, leaves the doll and returns to the newly repaired [[Star Road (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)|Star Road]]. The credits show that Bowser returns to his castle to help in its repair. Additionally, during the end credits parade, Bowser flies after [[Croco]] and a [[Crook]] in the Koopa Clown Car after they rob his keep. Some time later in the parade, Booster's [[Snifit (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)|Snifit]]s have what Croco stole, Croco and the Crook are chasing after them, Booster is chasing them in the Koopa Clown Car, and Bowser is chasing after him, with several beetles behind him.

Bowser's weapons are mostly variations of [[Chain Chomp|Chomp]]s and his claw, as well as tossing Mario at enemies using the [[Hurly Gloves]]; Bowser's weapons themselves are Chomp, [[Chomp Shell]], Hurly Gloves, [[Spiked Link]], and [[Drill Claw]]. Bowser's special attacks are [[Terrorize]], in which he summons a Big Boo to attack; [[Poison Gas]], in which he summons a [[Mokura]] to poison enemies; [[Crusher]], in which he creates a large column of earth that emerges from the ground and strikes enemies; and [[Bowser Crush]], which involves Bowser summoning a giant Mechakoopa to attack enemies. Additionally, while fighting the enemies in Bowser's Keep, having Bowser as an active party member can scare away some of the monsters. If he is not, his mood can instead confuse them.

In this game, whenever Bowser uses a [[Special Move]], a diamond is superimposed over his body. In the Japanese version, when Bowser is one of the active party members during battle, he does a gesture similar to giving the middle finger for his victory pose<ref>[https://www.themushroomkingdom.net/smrpg_j-e.shtml The Mushroom Kingdom] (Accessed on 9-19-08)</ref>. This was changed before the game was released in America. The theme that plays during Mario's battle with him is a cover of the final battle theme in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.

When Mario reaches Bowser's castle, he notices the Koopa King outside, putting the final touches on his fortress. He panics when he notices Mario, but regains his senses and decides to battle him. However, once he is beaten, Bowser is forced to watch as his fortress is destroyed. He is depressed at the sight of his building falling apart, but is then angered at Mario, and vows revenge.

[[File:MP3 Bowser and Coins Artwork.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Artwork of Bowser in ''Mario Party 3'']]

[[File:Mp4 fb3.png|thumb|left|Yoshi facing Bowser in [[The Final Battle! (minigame)|The Final Battle!]], the last minigame in ''Mario Party 4'']]

Bowser is the main antagonist in ''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]''. In the introduction to [[Bowser's Tower]] mode, Bowser is jealous that he was not invited to the party. At that moment, he decides to "make his own party" by creating Bowser's Tower and "lock away the fun" of the [[Party Islands]] inside of bubbles.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATezmAVIB3U]</ref> When the character reaches the top of the tower, Bowser reveals that the destroyed Bowser was a decoy (or that he pretended to be beaten when the player has chosen Bowser Jr.) and proceeds to knock the character and Green Toad off the tower far away, saying they can come back anytime. If the player uses [[Bowser Jr.]] in Bowser's Tower, he gives his son unique dialogue. Also, Bowser has his very own board called [[Bowser's Peculiar Peak]], which is the only board in the game that he, and not [[Yellow Toad (New Super Mario Bros. series)|Yellow Toad]], hosts.

Bowser reprises his role as a playable character in ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]''. He is billed as a Power type character. His default partner during doubles matches is Bowser Jr.. Bowser uses his [[Fire Breath]] for his [[Offensive Power Shot]] and his [[Defensive Power Shot]] is [[Spinning Shell Dash]], where he ducks into his shell and spins around to recover the ball. During an award ceremony after winning a singles tournament, Peach claps out of jealousy, and a red Birdo appears in an attempt to smooch Bowser, which prompts Bowser to avoid it but fall off the podium in the process, causing Peach to laugh.

Bowser joins forces with Mario in ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' as one of the four heroes destined to save all dimensions from destruction. During the opening for the game, Mario and Luigi hear from Toad that Princess Peach has been kidnapped, and they head to Bowser's Castle, thinking that he is the perpetrator. However, when they accuse him for this, he surprised as well, for he is still only preparing to kidnap Peach at the time. A mysterious figure named [[Count Bleck]] then appears, knocks Mario unconscious, and abducts Luigi, Bowser, and his minions. Count Bleck warps everyone to [[Castle Bleck]], his base of operations, where he forcefully marries Bowser and Peach in order to unleash the [[Chaos Heart]]. The heart's purpose is to open [[The Void]], to end all worlds, although Bowser is unaware of his plans.

{{Quote2|*huff* Hey, slow down! I'm walkin' with my face here! Nobody makes Bowser walk with his face! I mean...obviously they DID... But they're not gonna get away with it!|Bowser|[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]}}

Although Bowser himself does not appear in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' or [[Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS)|the remake]], he was mentioned by [[Madame Clairvoya]], where she says that Bowser had been defeated soundly by Mario a while back.

 

Luigi eventually does fight what appears to be Bowser when [[King Boo]] sends him into a painting with his image on it (in reality Mario's). However, when Luigi beheads him using the explosive spiked balls that Bowser throws, King Boo comes out; revealing "Bowser" to be nothing more than a mecha suit controlled by him.<ref>Hinckley, Jill. ''Nintendo GameCube Collection: 4 Guides for the Price of 1'' Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Page 80. "''Wait a minute! That isn’t Bowser at all! It’s a mechanical puppet controlled by the cunning King Boo! When a successful strike knocks ”Bowser’s” head off, King Boo wobbles out of his Bowser suit while Bowser’s head fires shards of ice at you.''"</ref> Eventually, Luigi defeats King Boo and traps him in the [[Poltergust 3000]], leading to the Bowser suit and its unattached head falling to the ground motionless.

 

During the battle, Luigi must throw [[Spike Ball|spiked ball]]s at the suit, which beheads it and causes King Boo to come out. During that, the floating Bowser head fires icy flames at Luigi until it puts itself back on its body. When King Boo's HP is down to two hundred, the Bowser head reattaches itself backwards when he returns to the body, which causes the suit to run around aimlessly, but it soon puts its head in the right position.

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When Mario, Luigi, and the babies reach the bottom of [[Thwomp Caverns]], Bowser and Baby Bowser appear before they can save the princess and challenge them, revealing that they have teamed up. They are the tenth boss of the game. Bowser can attack by jumping, which creates a shockwave, which can either be slow or fast moving. If it is the fast shockwave, it also sends down debris to be jumped over; normal rocks hit both bros., red [[Thwack]]s hit Mario, and green ones Luigi. He can also breath a stream of fire, though he sometimes fakes it and does it a second later; the player can tell if he is when Bowser laughs before he attacks (In the Japanese version, Bowser automatically uses this attack after being attacked, and is one of three bosses that counterattacks no matter whose turn it currently is.<ref name="PIT Japan">[https://themushroomkingdom.net/mlpit_j2e.shtml TMK | Mario in Japan | Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]. The Mushroom Kingdom. Retrieved January 3, 2016.</ref>). Some of Baby Bowser's attacks also involve Bowser. One attack involves ground pounding Bowser to have him spit flames at them, and another involves Bowser retreating into his shell, and Baby Bowser using his hammer to smack him at Mario and Luigi; if the attack is deflected enough Bowser spins off-screen and does not return for another turn. Finally, Baby Bowser can restore 100 HP to Bowser (60 HP in the Japanese and European versions<ref name="PIT Japan"/>) with a Mushroom. When the duo are defeated, a lava geyser sends the Thwomp they are on flying out of the volcano. Bowser is knocked off by a Shroob UFO, telling his baby self to grow up and become stronger and more evil before falling into the time hole back to the present.

In the third [[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'']] game, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', Bowser is the main protagonist, and his playability is a major plot point, as well as him being the namesake of the game; much of Mario and Luigi's side of the plot takes place inside [[Bowser's body]]. At the beginning of the game, Bowser barges into the [[Conference Hall]] to once again kidnap Peach, partly out of not being invited to the emergency blorbs conference beforehand, but Mario stands in his way. During the resulting battle, Bowser only attacks by spitting small fireballs at Mario. After he is defeated, Bowser is flung to [[Dimble Wood]]s by Princess Peach and [[Starlow]]. After he recovers and explores the woods, he finds a stand owned by a cloaked person that gives him a "[[Vacuum Mushroom|Lucky Mushroom]]," claiming it will allow him to defeat Mario. Bowser carelessly eats the mushroom, which causes him to start inhaling his surroundings and places him under Fawful's control. Returning to the castle, he inhales the occupants of the conference room before passing out and being dragged to [[Cavi Cape Cave]], where he is awakened by Mario and Luigi. After leaving and fighting Midbus, Bowser learns that Fawful has set out to take over his castle, with his main focus being to return and undo what the mad Beanish has done. He attempts to find a Banzai Bill to breach the castle's defenses, although in the process of searching for an adequate substitute via the [[Giga-carrot]], he is forced by a Wiggler to eat the whole thing in a minute when he was caught trying to uproot it, and then forcing the Wiggler upon beating it to hand over his Banzai Bill. He then fires it at the castle, only for it to start flying at him (thanks to Midbus and Fawful's modifications to the castle) and squish him. Thanks to [[Rump Command|help]], however, he survives and [[Super Bowser|becomes giant]], doing enough damage to his castle to force a retreat by Midbus. He then arrives at the castle, (which, by then, had been turned into the [[Fawful Theater]]) and beats Midbus. Unfortunately, his victory is short-lived when Fawful and some Boos fatten him up with a "victory feast", with the former extracting Peach from him and then leaving him to literally burn off the excess fat via a treadmill and setting off the castle's Bob-omb caches in the process.

During the game, Bowser's gameplay is mapped to the {{button|ds|X}} and {{button|ds|Y}} buttons. His normal battle system is mostly the same as Mario and Luigi's; his fire breath and punch are his equivalent of the Mario Bros. hammer and jump attacks, respectively. Bowser's special attacks involve various Koopa Troop soldiers coming to his aid. Bowser also has the Vacuum Block, which allows Bowser to inhale small enemies, items and parts of enemies, and sometimes Blitties. Any enemies that are inhaled are fought by Mario and Luigi. When being attacked, Bowser has two forms of defense: He can curl into his shell with {{button|ds|Y}}, or he can counterattack by punching with {{button|ds|X}}. However, while on the overworld, he can run into smaller enemies to instantly defeat them. Stat wise, Bowser holds superior HP, Attack and Defense compared to Mario and Luigi, but has mediocre speed.  

====In Battle====

A [[List of badges in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|badge]] of Bowser can be obtained from the badge machine.

In [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Arcade Edition|the arcade version]], Bowser is also a Power-type character. He is the only playable character to have his statistics changed from the arcade version of the previous installment; while he still has the highest power statistic and below average technique, his speed is now the lowest of the playable cast.  

Bowser returns in ''[[Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope]]'', this time as one of the nine playable characters in the game. He wields a weapon called the Bowzooka, a giant bazooka-like weapon that fires flaming rocks. He is able to summon target-seeking [[Rabbid Mechakoopa]]s.  

Bowser, under the persona '''Dr. Bowser''', appears in ''[[Dr. Mario World]]'' as a playable character. Dr. Bowser's attire is somewhat reminiscent of his normal self's wedding attire from ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', which is made evident by similar shoes. He carries a stethoscope with his insignia on it around the back of his neck, though it appears to be too small for him to use. He appears in stage 3 in stage mode, where he decided to aid Dr. Mario and Dr. Peach in eliminating the viruses, mostly due to his own minions being affected by them. He is available as a special stage reward in [[World 23]], which takes place in Bowser's Castle.  

Dr. Bowser skill fires beams and clear random row(s) on the board<ref>Nintendo Mobile (June 17, 2019). [https://youtu.be/8b4DNKfs_tU Welcome to Dr. Mario World]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved June 20, 2019.</ref>, where it is two rows wide in stage mode and one, two or three rows wide in versus mode depending on the level. The row(s) affected by this skill would have at least one object that can be cleared, but unlike other doctors whose skills target randomly, viruses are not prioritized meaning that rows that do not have viruses are potentially targeted even though there are still viruses in the stage. In the case this skill clears two or three rows, if the topmost row(s) are empty or has unclearable objects and there are at least two rows of clearable objects next to each other, this skill might target the unclearable row(s) near the top alongside the clearable row(s) even if there are enough rows for this skill to clear.

Bowser appears as the main antagonist of the 2023 film ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''. His goal is marrying Princess Peach through coercion, using Super Star that he stole from the Snow Kingdom as a bartering chip, while he and his army conquer Mushroom Kingdom and the other surrounding lands, including Jungle Kingdom. [[Kamek]] is his assistant, who helps Bowser with his wedding speech and other plans. Throughout the film, he also captures Luigi, who is lost in the Dark Lands. He also tries to stop Mario, who arrives with princess Peach to save the lands and rescue Luigi. He is voiced by [[Jack Black]] in the English version of the film, who provides a slightly deepened voice to portray the character. His voice actors in the film's dubs in other languages include [[Kenta Miyake]] in the Japanese version. The film features a dedicated [[Peaches|song]] to Bowser, who plays a piano and serenades about his love for Peach.<ref>@JoeMoor01284044 (March 10, 2023). [https://twitter.com/GameXplain/status/1634263510715891712 "''The Super Mario Bros. Movie Got A Brand New TV Spot And Had New Footage. We’re So Close To April 5th!''"] ''Twitter''. Retrieved March 10, 2023.</ref>

==Other appearances, cameos, and references==

Although Bowser appears in the book ''[[How to Draw Nintendo Heroes and Villains]]'', he is erroneously called "Kerog". This name is used in the filename of one of Bowser's renders from ''Super Mario 64'' contained in a resource CD distributed by Nintendo.<ref>Biblically Accurate Sasquatch [@basedd0rf] (July 26, 2020). [https://twitter.com/basedd0rf/status/1287561090889650178 there is a wip art asset in the big nintendo leak of bowser in almost the exact pose labled kerog, @MarioBrothBlog mystery solved?] ''Twitter''. Retrieved May 21, 2023. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20230522010647/https://twitter.com/basedd0rf/status/1287561090889650178 Archived] May 22, 2023, 01:06:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> This mistake is corrected in the follow-up book ''[[How to Draw Nintendo Greatest Heroes & Villains]]''.

Bowser also makes a number of cameos in non-''Super Mario'' video games, as well as in other forms of media such as movies, TV and print publications. Minor appearances include his presence in ''F-1 Race'', where he and other Nintendo characters wave at the driver when they complete a circuit (with Bowser in particular only appearing during the tail-end of the ending sequence of the game), and the inclusion of a ''Super Mario Bros.'' sprite of Bowser in ''[[List of references in Nintendo video games#Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSi)|Art Style: PiCTOBiTS]]''.

For the Wii U port of ''{{wp|Bayonetta}}'' and its sequel, ''{{wp|Bayonetta 2}}'', [[Bayonetta]] is able to summon Bowser while wearing the [[Princess Peach]] costume, although only Bowser's arm and legs are visible during the summon<ref>[http://platinumgames.com/2014/06/20/wii-u-bayonetta/ Platinum Games' official blog]</ref>.

Bowser, alongside his son and the rest of the principle ''Super Mario'' cast, appeared in the ''Nintendo Switch Online Service'' trailer on the September 13, 2018 Nintendo Direct. He had a prominent role in the NES library section. In particular, he was playing the NES game ''Ghouls 'n Goblins'' (''Super Mario Bros. 3'' in the European version of the trailer), and was so focused on it that he ignored his son requesting that he let him play with him before realizing it as he noticed him walk away, and then offered a second Joy-Con controller to his son so they could play ''Ice Climbers'' together. Later, he witnesses his son playing ''Dr. Mario'' remotely with Princess Peach, causing him to be baffled at the situation.  

Like Mario, Bowser cameos or is referenced in numerous television or film productions, but only Bowser makes an appearance in the Disney film ''{{wp|Wreck-It Ralph}}'', as the story team could not find a proper place to utilize Mario in the story.<ref>https://www.inquisitr.com/334657/wreck-it-ralph-explains-why-mario-wont-make-an-appearance/ Interview explaining in greater detail why Mario and Luigi were not featured in the film, the claims of money reasons having been a joke taken literally. (Retrieved December 7, 2012)</ref> In the film, Bowser is a member of "Bad-Anon" (Bad Guys Anonymous) along with the titular character, Ralph,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1283105305/ ''Wreck-It Ralph'' trailer.] ''IMDb''. Retrieved June 7, 2012.</ref> listening to Ralph talk about his problems and reciting the Bad Guy Affirmation with the other video game villains. Once Ralph states he does not want to be a villain anymore, Bowser breathes fireballs in shock. Throughout the meeting, Bowser stirs a cup of coffee and does not have any dialogue, instead coughing most of the time.

[[Category:Histories|Bowser]]