Fungi Forums
Video Games => Mario Chat => Topic started by: Tv_Themes on July 05, 2009, 12:34:18 PM
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So yeah, in my honest opinion, Bowser hasn't aged well as a scary villain. It's really kind of sad how an ordinary plumber who has almost the same super power as he does constantly triumphing him with no weapons. But there have been times where it looks like Bowser really was being neutral evil (meaning truly evil) and not so chaotic.
He seemed to have the most power in Paper Mario. To be honest, I was disappointed he was the main villain in that game because it was supposed to be Super Mario RPG 2, I was expecting Bowser to fight on your side again. However, he really showed a lot of guts, courage and power in that game and was almost impossible to beat.
His most pathetic scheme, however, was found in the PC version of Mario is Missing. Luigi himself showed he literally had more strength than Bowser when he pulled his shell off by the tail! And get a load of Bowsers hairdo, that's so sad. Super Mario Sunshine comes in second, you can blame it on that poor cop-out when Nintendo wanted to retire the Koopalings. Good God when will people learn? Somebody's son doesn't need to look like a Midget Clone of dad, he especially doesn't need the same name.
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I don't see scariness as Bowser's main thing. He is supposed to be well rounded, with several different emotions. I wouldn't like Bowser as much if he was a 1 dimensional villain.
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It's really kind of sad how an ordinary plumber who has almost the same super power as he does constantly triumphing him with no weapons.
It's a video game.
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Bowser is more actually more successful than you might think. He is very competent in Super Paper Mario and SMRPG, and Mario probably died many times trying to get to Bowser, and trying to defeat him. Plus, he is a lot of fun to use in the Super Smash Bros series.
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Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Galaxy are probably his highest shining moments.
In Super Mario Bros., not only has he managed to lay siege to the entire kingdom, but anyone that stands in his way... is silenced. Turned into a block. Or a tree. His main motivation for capturing Peach this first time is simply because he can't let her or her retainers (hi guys!!) undo his work. However, it could be said that Bowser developed feelings for her during this time. ;) Also, his castle... his castle? World 8 in general appears to be a simple mountain area, with World 8-3 at the top. Even in All-Stars, it just looks like a huge castle in the background that he took over and pasted his picture all over.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably his greatest work. Introducing several large aircraft (and a few lines of ground and naval forces) and his children into the mix, Bowser seemed to be quite genius in this installment, expanding on his transformation plans from the first game and applying them to the kings of the whole Mushroom World. Plus, his castle was cooler, and actually looked like it belonged to him. Giant Bowser head outside, front yard of doom, etc.
Super Mario Galaxy: bringing back the airships, Bowser actually manages to do some serious harm in the end (it got better), and plus... he's going for a whole galaxy this time!
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Most threatening: Undoubtedly Galaxy. Like most every fight with him in any game ever* (except some others, including the Paper Mario series**), the battles were comical, but the initial raid on Toad Town was nothing short of impressive.
Most pathetic: Super Mario Kart.
*Super Mario Bros.: Not only does he resemble a cardboard monster made by a child or a Waluigi, his death calls to the classic, "Whuh-oh. I'm stading on thin air. Waaaaaaahhhh!!!"
*Super Mario Bros. 3: Basically a song about Bowser being fat. And too stupid to realize he's breaking a floor.
*Super Mario World: Koopa Clown Car.
*Super Mario RPG: Intentionally and explicitly comedic. His sobbing animation was memorable.
*Super Mario 64: That's right, this tiny Italian man is going to lift this enormous turtle by the tail, swing him around in circles and hurl him at a bomb.
*Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: The infamous final boss of the series... is the battle tutorial.
*Super Mario Galaxy: The whole burning tail gag.
**Yoshi's Island: Argh. Agh. AAAGH.
**Paper Mario: Bowser was as serious as it gets here. He beats Mario as part of the story. His dialog is only ever funny by way of, "Man his minions are not very good" or "So this is what an evil king does when not busy..."
**Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: I realize Bowser is comic relief for most of the game. However, the fight with him was very very serious. Not to mention unfair. The primary antagonist of the story is defeated, and Mario is tired... suddenly the primary antagonist of the series arrives, is tougher than the former, and has assistance. Nnnnnnnnnno.
**Super Paper Mario: Once again Bowser is a clown, this time an ally, but you do fight him. I don't remember so clearly, but I recall no funny business while fighting him.
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As a villain, Bowser was at his best in Galaxy. As a "good" guy, he was best in Super Paper Mario.
He is extremely pathetic in Mario Party.
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He did have a small crowning moment in Paper Mario 2 when he defeated Rawk Hawk effortlessly near the end.
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Not really all that tough though. Rawk Hawk is pathetic. Luigi could probably best him with a bit of effort. Wario would wipe the floor with him.
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I had always found the SMB-era Bowser's maniacal, emotionless glare to be far more unnerving than his latter-day antics. Of course, seeing that this is coming from a guy who used to be afraid of most Sesame Street characters for the same reason, my stance mightn't be valid here.
(https://themushroomkingdom.net/board/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoyogames.com%2Fextras%2Fimage%2Fname%2Fsan1%2F24%2F146024%2Flarge%2Fbowser_20-_20walk2.jpg&hash=ac2915d18e1c02960730170fc05fb28f)
KING KOOPA STARES INTO YOUR SOUL...
(https://themushroomkingdom.net/board/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Funrealitymag.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F04%2Fdennis-hopper-super-mario-bros.jpg&hash=fc6f335b59a0e65d968da1edb4439de8)
...AND LIKES WHAT HE SEES
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The SNES version of Mario is Missing had a pretty intense ending. Still cheap, but not nearly as comical: Bowser got launched into the ice (from the castle in Antarctica), froze solid, and then disintegrated. That's probably when Luigi was the most threatening.
I think Galaxy did the best job of making Bowser scary and epic while also being comical. Mario Teaches Typing 2 was probably Bowser's worst moment, though. Never even showed up and he got killed by a typewriter. A typewriter typing the work "kablooka", no less.
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Bowser wouldn't have looked quite so epic in Galaxy without all that space-wind flowing through his wavy locks.
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Bowser was most threatening in just about every Mario game he was in except for those spinoff games like the Mario Kart series. Bowser was most pathetic in Super Mario RPG when he was crying and being melodramatic enough to the point where he actually joined Mario's team to get his Keep back from Smithy.
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Not really all that tough though. Rawk Hawk is pathetic. Luigi could probably best him with a bit of effort. Wario would wipe the floor with him.
Rawk Hawk sat at the top of a tier of fighters, and the fight against him was nothing to sneeze at either. So no he wasn't.
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Mario beat him quite easily though. Just saying.
Most of the characters Rawk Hawk beat were generic enemies found throughout the game.
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I found Rawk Hawk to be more of a comic relief than an actual threat.
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Same, considering Bowser squashed him instantly and Mario has beaten Bowser many, many times.
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SMG and... maybe SMW Bowser are pretty formidable, I guess. He's usually more of a evil-ish lunk in the RPGS, which I think suits him okay (at the least, it explains how Mario bests him so often, and contrasts the series better with the pure-evil Ganon/dorf of Zelda).
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Most threatening: Undoubtedly Galaxy. Like most every fight with him in any game ever* (except some others, including the Paper Mario series**), the battles were comical, but the initial raid on Toad Town was nothing short of impressive.
I agree with this completely. It really seemed like war.
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The SMG sequence may have been quite threatening, but it fails for two reasons: Kidnapping Peach (my, what a surprise) and involving that baby clone who was not necessary to add to the Mario Universe (seriously, somebody's child doesn't need to look exactly like him).
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And in fact, he doesn't.
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Bowser Jr. looks EXACTLY like how dad looked in Yoshi's Island. Even so much to the fact they both have that "wabble wabble" talk.
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Actually, Bowser Jr. and YI Baby Bowser are pretty different looking. It's the PIT Baby Bowser that looks exactly like him, because Alphadream wasn't paying attention.
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Or it may have been their intention to retcon his original appearance and make Bowser Jr. a spitting image of Bowser.
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That game is responsible for destroying the one last shred of sense that any conceivable non-link between Bowser, Jr. and Baby Bowser had.
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Am I the only one who doesn't find it weird? There's already an incredibly strong link; they're the same thing but one has no As.
Baby Bowser: Bowser as a kid
Bowser Jr.: Bowser's kid
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they're the same thing but one has no As.
Then how does he take a... oh.
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Why is it so weird for a kid to look just like their parents? I see it all the time. In fact, I'm pretty much the spitting image of my father when he was my age.
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That game is responsible for destroying the one last shred of sense that any conceivable non-link between Bowser, Jr. and Baby Bowser had.
It was fine when it was just Baby Bowser, in fact, I LIKED Baby Bowser, that little pain. However, it is clear Bowser Jr. was inspired by him, so I don't know if I like him or not anymore.
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And Jacket Wario was inspired by Adventuring Wario
!
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Hm, I found Bowser the most threating in SMB3, SM64 (Bowser in the Fire Sea) and SMG. He was very pathetic in Mario Party games.
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Most of the characters Rawk Hawk beat were generic enemies found throughout the game.
Generic enemies in large groups. You know nothing is more menacing than five Goombas!
I guess I'm in a minority here, but along with thinking Bowser is menacing in the platforming games (SMB, SMW, SM64, SMS, SMG, etc..) I actually think he is a bit menacing in the Mario Party series. Who else would have the gall to have a revolution named after themselves and distribute all coins equally, or steal all items from the losers of the minigame? How is that not menacing??
Least menacing is probably any of the spinoffs where he's playable and all characters have more or less equal values (Mario Kart, Golf, Tennis..)
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Geez, why cant people grasp that the mario series isnt supposed to be "scary" or "serious". I like that hes not super threatening.
Although of what ive played he was at his best in Super Mario Sunshine
edit: your aware the koopaling are returining in New Super Mario Bros Wii, right?
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Yes, we are.
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Yeah, Bowser is probably his most hardcore in Paper Mario and Galaxy. If you want to count the cartoons, he did wreak some havoc in the real world a few times which was kinda threatening.
I think it was mentioned earlier, he was pretty pathetic in Mario Party. An evil monster king, and he gets reduced to some misanthropic, antisocial jerk who has nothing better than to crash parties. Though to be fair, the parties often involve insane mythological stories revolving around stars and wishes and with that much on the table, he was mildly menacing.
But really, Mario Tennis on N64 takes the cake, considering how he drops in and scares everyone, but then smiles and basically reveals "Oh hey guys! I'm totally not here to attack you or do anything wrong. I'm just here for a good old fashioned tennis match. Sure we're archenemies, but let's put that all behind us and be friends for the rest of this tournament." I mean come on, at least in other sports titles he's still an antagonist.
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Most Threatening: Tie between PM and SMG.
Most Pathetic: Tie between Mario Tennis for the N64 and the Mario Party series.
Meh, they're both ties.
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I'd say he was the most threatening in either Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy. In Super Mario Sunshine, after you beat Corona Mountain, you see a cutscene of Peach and Bowser Jr. in the Shine Sprite-shaped tub of goo. Near the end of the cutscene, you see an enormous Bowser, and he yells, "Mario! How dare you disturb my family vacation!" When I saw Bowser that big, I said, "Whoa."
In Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser tries to take over the universe and create his own empire.
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Most threatening: Tie between Paper Mario and SM64
Most Pathetic: Mario Party 3
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Every time I see basic responses to this thread, I keep thinking of those old "BEST and WORST MARIO ____" threads.