Fake Bowser

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Split-arrows.svg It has been suggested that this page be split into the following: Bowser Impostor, Tail Bowser. (discuss)
This article is about the fake Bowsers from Super Mario Bros. For other uses, see Fake Bowser (disambiguation).

Template:Species-infobox A fake Bowser (also called Bowser Impostor or Bowser's decoy) is a standard enemy that was transformed by Bowser's black magic into a duplicate of himself. They first appear in Super Mario Bros.

Background

Concept and creation

The reason for the fake Bowsers in the original Super Mario Bros. is due to the fact that, while the game was still in development, since all enemies have their sprites flipped upside-down when they are defeated (except for Piranha Plants, which simply disappear, and Bullet Bills, which stay rightside up, while defeated Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles turn into upside-down shells), one of the programmers accidentally inserted an upside-down Koopa Troopa shell when portraying Bowser's death animation as if he were defeated with fireballs. The developers liked this idea, and as a result, this idea was extended to most of the Bowser battles in the game.[citation needed]

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

A fake Bowser
A fake Bowser in Super Mario All-Stars.

In Super Mario Bros., the seven fake Bowsers are placed in each castle, with Bowser's Castle containing the real one. Defeating a fake Bowser with five fireballs reveals that they are really just common enemies disguised as Bowser. The enemies and their abilities are:

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels additional worlds:

  • World A: Goomba - fire (FDS) / Red Koopa Troopa - hammer (SNES)
  • World B: Green Koopa Troopa - fire (FDS) / Green Cheep-Cheep - hammer (SNES)
  • World C: Buzzy Beetle - fire (FDS) / Bullet Bill - hammer (SNES)
  • World D: Spiny - fire (FDS)

The "You VS. Boo" challenge of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe:

Like Bowser, the blue Bowser's Brother in World D-4 is also a fake revealed to be a Spiny when defeated with fireballs, and only breathes fire. In Super Mario All-Stars, both of these fakes are replaced with the real ones, although Bowser's Brother is now green and looks identical to his twin.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, a fake Bowser appears as a boss in the World-e level Classic World 1-4, where it plays a similar role to that played in Super Mario Bros., though it looks identical to the game's real Bowser. It is revealed that the fake Bowser is a Goomba if it is defeated with fireballs.

Super Mario 3D Land

Screenshot of a Tail Bowser from Super Mario 3D Land.
Screenshot of a Tail Bowser from Super Mario 3D Land.

Fake Bowsers, referred to as Tail Bowsers,[1] appear in Super Mario 3D Land. They have spiky raccoon tails, and they attack like they do in Super Mario Bros., breathing giant fireballs and jumping around the stage, though they do not throw hammers.

However, unlike in Super Mario Bros., only two Tail Bowsers appear: one in World 1-Castle and the other in World 5-Castle. They are also immune to projectiles. In order to defeat a Tail Bowser, Mario or Luigi has to press a switch at the end of bridge to make it collapse and send the Tail Bowser into the lava. After falling into the lava, Tail Bowsers bounce upwards and show their true forms (a Goomba in World 1, and a Magikoopa in World 5) with a Super Leaf beside them.

Super Mario Run

In Super Mario Run, fake Bowsers appear at the end of the fortress levels in Worlds 1, 3 and 5. They are a Goomba, a green Koopa Troopa, and a Buzzy Beetle, respectively.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

While a fake Bowser never appears physically in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, one appears on a Battle Card, taking its design from Super Mario 3D Land.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Tail Bowser in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
A Tail Bowser as it appears in Dream Figure Skating chasing the real Bowser, Bowser Jr., Dr. Eggman, and Mario.

A Tail Bowser appears as a boss in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, specifically in the Mario World version of Dream Figure Skating. The appearances of the stage and its boss are based off Super Mario 3D Land. He chases the team across a giant collapsing bridge, spitting fireballs at them. The team must hit four buttons at the same time to cause the fake Bowser to fall into lava, where he turns into a Goomba and a Super Leaf.

Game appearances

Title Description Release Date System/Format
Super Mario Bros. Boss 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Boss 1986 Family Computer Disk System
Super Mario Bros. Special Boss 1986 PC-88, X1
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Boss 2003 Game Boy Advance
Super Mario 3D Land Boss 2011 Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Boss 2013 Wii U
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Cameo on Battle Card 2015 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Run Boss 2016 iOS, Android

Gallery

Name in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese にせクッパ
Nise Kuppa
しっぽクッパ[2]
Shippo Kuppa

Fake Koopa

Tail Koopa

Dutch Nep-Bowser
Fake Bowser
Korean 가짜 쿠파
Gajja Kupa
Fake Koopa

Russian Поддельный Боузер
Лже-Боузер (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)
Poddelny Bouzer
Lzhe-Bouzer

Fake Bowser

Spanish Bowser falso
Fake Bowser

Trivia

Cardboard Bowser
A cardboard Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

References

  1. ^ von Esmarch, Nick. Super Mario 3D Land PRIMA Official Game Guide, pages 28 and 76.
  2. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario 3D Land section, page 180.