Bowser's Brother
Template:Character-infobox Bowser's Brother[1] is a character similar to Bowser who appears in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. His identity varies in supplemental material, with the only consistent characteristic being his blueish color that was removed in Super Mario All-Stars.[2]
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.
Even though Bowser's Brother does not properly appear in the original Super Mario Bros., the palette used for castle sections before the final boss battle causes an unintended consequence in which Bowser has the same coloration. This is due to color of Bowser's skin and shell being 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 dark shades of teal, but he will revert back to his correct colors if Mario or Luigi advances any further. The same graphical oversight can be seen in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Bowser's Brother makes his first appearance in the Family Computer Disk System version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. There, he appears in World 8-4 and 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 (brown and teal, respectively), when defeated with fireballs, he does not turn into one of Bowser's minions, revealing him to be distinct from the fake Bowsers. In World D-4, a fake version of him appears that only breathes fire and, when defeated with fireballs, is revealed to be a Spiny.
In the Super Mario All-Stars version, Bowser's Brother is recolored to look identical to Bowser and also appears in D-4 in place of the fake version of him.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Bowser's Brother returns in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. Here, he appears in the game's port of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (referred to in this game as "Super Mario Bros. For Super Players"), having the same role and appearance as the original game.
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
Bowser's Brother does not appear in Mario Tennis, but one of Bowser's palette swaps features blue skin and a blue-colored shell similar to his original depiction, but more saturated.
Super Smash Bros. series
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate the eighth recolor of Bowser is said to be him in the tips.
Identity
Initially mentioned as just another Bowser in the Japanese guides of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels,[3][4] without specifying what was his relationship to Bowser besides not being his twin,[5] in the character books of the '90s released before the release of Super Mario All-Stars the blue Bowser was described as being Bowser's younger brother,[6][7][8] with Super Mario Zen Hyakka, a book written in collaboration with Nintendo, putting him as part of the 「王族」 (Ō-zoku, literally "King Tribe") and thus a leader of the Koopa Troop and member of Bowser's royal family, along with the Koopalings and Bowser himself.[6][9] Due to his recoloring from blue in Super Mario All-Stars, he was not considered a distinct character from fake Bowsers in the Japanese official guide book.[10] However, he was named "Bowser's Brother" and stated to be his twin in the Nintendo Power guide for Super Mario All-Stars.[1] After the release of Super Mario All-Stars and his recoloring to look identical to Bowser, he started being considered a fake Bowser.[2] In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the English text suggests this depiction[11] while the Japanese version leaves the nature of the blue Bowser ambiguous.[12] Super Mario Pia, a memorial book also written in collaboration with Nintendo, supports the interpretation that the blue Bowser is a particular fake Bowser.[13] Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros., which was released around the same time, distinguishes him from fake Bowsers[14] but states that his identity is unknown.[15]
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U / Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 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!"
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | クッパ・アオ[6] Kuppa Ao ニセクッパ[13] Nise Kuppa クッパ(青)[14] Kuppa (Ao) |
Blue Bowser Fake Bowser Bowser (Blue) |
| German | Bowser (blau)[16] |
Bowser (blue) |
| Italian | Bowser Blu[18] |
Blue Bowser |
| Spanish | Bowser azul[17] |
blue Bowser |
Trivia
- Due to his blueish coloration, Bowser's Brother resembles Shigeru Miyamoto's original blue depiction of Bowser in artwork for Super Mario Bros., prior to the character's redesign in artwork for Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
References
- ^ a b Page 62 of the Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide has the heading "BOWSER'S BROTHER" and states "You're in for a surprise. Bowser's got a twin."
- ^ a b Page 65 of 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten, or "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 Collection he became the same green." while the two captions state "Obviously fake blue Bowser." and "He can't be distinguished from the real thing."
- ^ Page 50 of 「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 Hisshō Dōjō ⑦ Super Mario Bros. 2, or "Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑦ Super Mario Bros. 2") refers to the blue Bowser as 「1匹めのクッパ」 (the first Bowser), also noting that he isn't the real Bowser: 「こいつ真のクッパではない。」
- ^ Page 62 of 「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 Hisshō Dōjō ⑪ Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2 Kami Waza Taizenshū, or "Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑪ Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2 Great Complete Work on Miracles/Glitches"). 「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」 (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 the blue Bowser...)
- ^ Page 89 of 「スーパマリオブラザーズ2<裏ワザ大全集>」 (Super Mario Bros. 2 < Urawaza Taizenshū >, or "Super Mario Bros. 2 Great Complete Work on Secret Tricks") has the 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。」 (Oh! Bowser is here again. That is to say, the Great Demon King Bowser is actually a TWIN, not! Idiot.) Note that the author is mocking the reader for believing that Bowser has a twin.
- ^ a b c Page 144 of 「スーパーマリオ全百科」 (Super Mario Zen Hyakka, or "Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia"). The 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 「クッパの弟だ」 (He's Bowser's younger brother).
- ^ Page 155 of 「全スーパーマリオ大百科」 (Zen Super Mario Ōhyakka, or "Complete Super Mario Great Encyclopedia") states of the blue Bowser: 「クッパ兄弟の1匹目はよけろ!」 (The first of the Bowser brothers!)
- ^ On page 36 of 「スーパーマリオ大図鑑」 (Super Mario Bros. Daizukan, or "Super Mario Bros. Great Picture Book") 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！」 (In "Mario 2", Bowser's little brother was a strong enemy who had the same strength as Bowser's body doubles.)
- ^ On page 89 of 「スーパーマリオ全百科」 (Super Mario Zen Hyakka, or "Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia") the 「王族」term, meaning King Tribe, is given the following explanation: 「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。」 (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, the blue Bowser is referred to as 「ニセクッパ」 (Fake Bowser).
- ^ "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.
- ^ 「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。」 (Fake Bowser!? In Super Mario Bros. 2, a blue Bowser appears. Defeat him and beyond is the usual green Bowser. In Smash Bros., the 8P color is the blue-colored Bowser.) - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Tips.
- ^ a b On page 22 of 「スーパーマリオぴあ」 (Super Mario Pia), the blue Bowser is labeled as 「ニセクッパ」 (Fake Bowser) while still stressing his body being blue.
- ^ a b Page 27 of 「スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guide Book, or "Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book")
- ^ Page 30 of 「スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guide Book, or "Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book"). 「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。」 (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.)
- ^ Page 27 of Super Mario Encyclopedia – Die ersten 30 Jahre.
- ^ Page 27 of Enciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario.
- ^ Page 27 of Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia.
