Bowser's Brother
- This article is about the blue-colored Bowser, who appears in the Family Computer Disk System version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. For the Bowser's minions transformed into fake versions of him and of Bowser, see Fake Bowser.
Template:Character-infobox Blue Bowser (direct translation from the Japanese 「クッパアオ」/ 「青クッパ」) is a member of Bowser's species who looks very similar to Bowser, except for the brown and blue color of his skin and shell. He appears in the Family Computer Disk System version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and its remakes. While considered to be Bowser's younger brother before the release of Super Mario All-Stars,[1][2][3] after his recoloring in that game making him indistinguishable from Bowser, the depiction of his identity changed over time, being first considered like a Fake Bowser,[4][5][6] then a blue-bodied Bowser whose identity is unknown.[7]
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.
Even though Blue Bowser does not appear in the original Super Mario Bros., the palette used for castle sections before the final boss battle causes a glitch in which Bowser has the same colors of Blue Bowser.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Blue Bowser makes his first appearance as a distinct character from Bowser in the Family Computer Disk System version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. There, he appears in World 8-4 and, according to the Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros., World 9-3. He tries to stop Mario or Luigi both by throwing hammers at them and by breathing fire.
While distinguished from Bowser through the color of his skin and shell, when defeated with fireballs he does not turn into one of Bowser's minions, revealing his actual identity as a member of Bowser's species, distinct from that of the Fake Bowsers.[8] On World D-4, a fake version of him appears that only breathes fire and, when defeated with fireballs, is revealed to be a Spiny.[9]
The color of his skin and shell are actually obtained through a palette swap commonly used in castle sections of the game, except for the parts in which the boss is fought. Because of this, standing near the end of a castle in a way so that Bowser is barely seen on the right-hand side of the screen causes him to appear blue, but he will revert back to his correct colors if Mario or Luigi advances any further. In the Super Mario All-Stars version of the game, on the other hand, Blue Bowser is recolored to look identical to Bowser and also appears in D-4 in place of the fake version of him.[10][4][11] Nonetheless, more recent sources rather stress Blue Bowser's body being blue as the main feature of the character, without mentioning him possibly having other coloring.[5][6][12][7]
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Blue Bowser returns in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. Here, he appears in World 8-4 of the game's Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (referred to in this game as "Super Mario Bros. For Super Players") port, having the same role and appearance as that game.
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
Blue Bowser doesn't actually appear in Mario Tennis, but one of Bowser's palette swaps features blue skin and a blue-colored shell similar to Blue Bowser's, but more saturated.
Super Smash Bros. series
While Super Smash Bros. for Wii U does not actually feature Blue Bowser, the eighth recolor of Bowser is said to be inspired by him.[5] This alternate coloration returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Family relationship
Initially mentioned as just another Bowser in the Japanese guides of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels,[13][14] without specifying what was his relationship to Bowser beside not being his twin,[15] in the character books of the '90s released before the release of Super Mario All-Stars Blue Bowser was described as being Bowser's younger brother,[1][2][3] with the Super Mario Zen Hyakka (Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia), a book written in collaboration with Nintendo, putting him as part of the King Tribe (「王族」) and thus a leader of the Koopa Troop and member of Bowser's royal family, along with the Koopalings and Bowser himself.[1][16] He was also stated to be Bowser's brother in the Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide,[11] which marked the only time that concept was referenced in the English language. However, after the release of Super Mario All-Stars and his recoloring to look identical to Bowser, he started being considered akin to a Fake Bowser.[4] This depiction is confirmed as well in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[5] and even in the Super Mario Pia, a memorial book written in collaboration with Nintendo and released in 2015.[6] Importantly, due to his recoloring in Super Mario All-Stars and his new status as Fake Bowser, no Japanese Nintendo Official Guidebook ever considered him a distinct character from the latters[17] until the release of the Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.. There, he is clearly distinguished from Fake Bowsers,[12] but his identity is stated to be unknown, leaving his current relationship with Bowser unexplained.[7]
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tip
- "A Bowser Impostor?! In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Mario fights a blue fake Bowser before the real thing. That blue fake is his eighth color in this game!"
References
- ^ a b c Page 144 of the Super Mario Zen Hyakka (「スーパーマリオ全百科」, Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia). Blue Bowser is referred to as 「クッパブラザーズの弟」, the younger of the Bowser brothers. The page also states that 「クッパの弟だ」, He's Bowser's younger brother.
- ^ a b Page 155 of the Zen Super Mario Ōhyakka (「全スーパーマリオ大百科」, Complete Super Mario Great Encyclopedia) calls Blue Bowser 「クッパ兄弟の1匹目はよけろ!」, The first of the Bowser brothers!.
- ^ a b On page 36 of the Super Mario Bros. Daizukan Dr. Mario states 「『マリオ２』ではクッパの弟が影武者だったクッパとおなじ力をもった強敵だったぞ！」 which translates to In "Mario 2", Bowser's little brother was a strong enemy who had the same strength as Bowser's body doubles..
- ^ a b c Page 65 of the Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten (「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」, Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia). The text states A fake Bowser appears in the Famicom version of Super Mario. Since his color is blue, you can tell at a glance that he's a fake, but unfortunately in Mario All-Stars he became the same green. while the two captions state Obviously fake blue Bowser. and He can't be distinguished from the real thing.
- ^ a b c d "A Bowser Impostor?! In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Mario fights a blue fake Bowser before the real thing. That blue fake is his eighth color in this game!" - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Tips. The Japanese version is 「にせクッパ!? 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ2』には、青いクッパが登場する。倒すとその先にいつもの緑のクッパがいる。『スマブラ』では8Pカラーで青いクッパになる。」, explicitly using the term 「にせクッパ」 used for Fake Bowsers.
- ^ a b c The bio of Blue Bowser in the Super Mario Pia, Blue Bowser is referred to as Fake Bowser (「ニセクッパ」) while still stressing his body being blue.
- ^ a b c Page 30 of the Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros. states 「謎の青いクッパ! W8-4でクツパと対決する直前、体の青いクッパと戦うことになる。クッパと同等の能力を持つが、その正体は不明。W9-3とWD-4にも登場する。」, which translates to Mysterious Blue Bowser! In W8-4 just before confronting Bowser, a blue-bodied Bowser must be fought. He has the same abilities as Bowser, but his true identity is unknown. He also appears in W9-3 and WD-4..
- ^ NitnendoComplete (September 1, 2013). Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels) Famicom Playthrough - NintendoComplete. YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2017. Blue Bowser is defeated with fireballs both in the fight on World 8-4 and in the fight in World 9-3.
- ^ World of Longplays (November 17, 2010). NES Longplay [070] Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan). YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ MasterOfHyrule (June 2, 2013). Unmasking The Fake Bowsers in Super Mario Bros 2 / The Lost Levels (Super Mario All Stars on SNES). YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ a b Page 62 of the Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide is titled Bowser's Brother and states "You're in for a surprise. Bowser's got a twin."
- ^ a b Page 27 of the Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros..
- ^ Page 50 of the Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō ⑦ Super Mario Brothers 2 (「ファミリーコンピュータ必勝道場⑦スーパーマリオブラザーズ2」, Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑦ Super Mario Bros. 2) refers to Blue Bowser as 「1匹めのクッパ」, the first Bowser, also noting that he sin't the real Bowser (「こいつ真のクッパではない。」).
- ^ Page 62 of the Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō ⑪ Super Mario Brothers 1 & 2 Kami Waza Taizenshū (「ファミリーコンピュータ必勝道場⑪スーパーマリオブラザーズ1&2神わざ大全集」, Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑪ Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2 Great Complete Work on Miracles/Glitches) states 「1匹めのクッパはむりして倒さなくていいよ!そのうちの1匹めは,青いクッパなんだけど」 which translates to It's ok if you try hard but don't defeat the first Bowser. In worlds 8-4 and D-4, Bowser appears twice. The first of those is Blue Bowser.
- ^ Page 89 of the Super Mario Brothers 2 < Urawaza Taizenshū > (「スーパマリオブラザーズ2<裏ワザ大全集>」, Super Mario Bros. 2 Great Complete Work on Secret Tricks) has this paragraph: 「おお一つと！またグッバがいた。ということは、大魔王クッパはふたごだったのか、なんちゃって。アホ。」 . It translates to Oh! Bowser is here again. That is to say, the Great Demon King Bowser is actually a TWIN, not! Idiot. The author is mocking the reader because he believed that Bowser is a twin.
- ^ On page 89 of the Super Mario Zen Hyakka (Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia) the 「王族」term, meaning King Tribe, is described as 「クッパ軍団を統率する王家の面々。クッパ、コクッパがこれにあたる。」, which translates to Every member of the royal family that leads the Bowser army corps. Bowser and the Koopalings apply here.
- ^ On page 92 of the Nintendo Official Guidebook of Super mario Collection, Blue Bowser is referred to as 「にせクッパ」, the Japanese name of Fake Bowser.
