Bowser’s Fury: How Nintendo made Bowser a threat again
Scaring children since ‘85
The recent release of Super Mario 3D World on Switch finally brought one of Nintendo's tightest designed games to the masses. The tried and true methods Nintendo uses to construct levels is in full force in the game and even if aesthetically it is a little by the numbers it's great fun nonetheless. Coming bundled with this version of the game is the new Bowser's Fury mode. It's basically the inverse of 3D World, what with it's open world structure and remixing levels with new challenges but is still a great experience. It does however nail one aspect that is very exciting for longtime Mario fans - the portrayal of Bowser.
Over the years Bowser has gone from a crazy fire breathing dragon-thing hiding at the end of the castle stage to a well known icon in his own right. He's Mario's enemy, he captures Princess Peach, he uses his army of minions to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. These things have stayed constant but his actual character has changed over the course of decades. Super Mario Sunshine sees him as basically a confused dad, the Mario & Luigi games turn him into a bit of a foolish oaf, and Paper Mario often uses him for comedy. He's lost the edge he once had as the fearsome boss who spews fire at you from the dark. Enter Bowser's Fury, a game that restores the King Koopa to his former glory and goes beyond making him something to be feared.
Nintendo transformed Bowser into a terror this time around in two key ways. His implementation into the structure of the game and his physical portrayal. Starting with the latter, Bowser's Fury gives him a makeover for the ages. Gone are the garish greens and yellows of his tradition design with him now sporting an inky black coating that is accented by flaming eyes and brow. He towers over the player, is accompanied by a new heavy metal theme, and is just generally menacing. The game literally opens with you falling into the giant footprint he left on the world. This is quickly followed by him being silhouetted with lighting from a thunderstorm he caused. He will eventually tire himself out and need to retreat, but is then best compared to a shark-fin signaling to the player that he is only resting before he strikes again.
The analogy of a shark is apt since, when Bowser want to bring the heat, he brings the heat. His attacks this time around are amped way up. The basic fire ball of yore is replaced with a nearly unavoidable sweeping blast that requires the player hide behind some bit of the world. He rains spikes down altering the landscape (and changing the way the player navigates the level, which is a brilliant touch). Add to this a near constant steam of flaming meteors falling from the sky and you need to be ready when Bowser awakens.
Bowser's impact on the gameplay extends beyond the moment to moment gameplay as well. As mentioned he acts like a shark's fin while resting, literally being viewable from every other part of the world forcing his way into the back of your mind constantly. He also acts as a bit of a ticking time-bomb since his gradual rise out of the water signals when he will awaken to go on the offensive. This rest-then-attack cycle culminates in cinematic battles with Super Saiyan Cat Mario which is also the gate that unlocks the next chunk of the world to play through. The entire game is structured around Bowser and it's a version of Bowser that is much more of a threat.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Bowser is angry in a game called Bowser's Fury, but this is Nintendo we're talking about. It's not hard to imagine a similarly structured game, just with all the stylistic edge sanded down. Bowser could have been a paper tiger and the game would still be seen as quite an interesting departure for 3D Mario titles. Instead Nintendo gave Bowser some of his old menace back, and gave the game an identity in the process. Bowser's Fury will be remembered for it's wild thunderstorms, screen covering fire blasts, and ultimately the portrayal of Fury Bowser - and I wouldn't want it any other way.
King Koopa looking i-con-ic.