Best and worst Bowser battles
- Thread starter Marioro
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- Fawfulthegreat64
All based on my experiences:
Best: Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 (except the final phase), Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Super Mario Odyssey
Worst: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (final phase), Paper Mario: Sticker Star, every "battle" in SMM levels where you just get infinite fire flowers and spam fireballs. The last one doesn't really count but I figured I'd mention it.
Best: Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 (except the final phase), Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Super Mario Odyssey
Worst: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (final phase), Paper Mario: Sticker Star, every "battle" in SMM levels where you just get infinite fire flowers and spam fireballs. The last one doesn't really count but I figured I'd mention it.
I'd say the Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros. U are the best of the ones I've played, though the most challenging was the New Super Mario Bros. Wii one. As for the worst, I'd say the Super Mario 3D Land, though challenging, felt too long and overly drawn out to me, and while the Super Mario Odyssey was a nice concept, I found it way too easy- we beat it on the second try, and it usually takes us at least five attempts to get anywhere.
I like how in New Super Mario Bros U you use the Clown Car to defeat Bowser, as if using Bowser's ally against him (since it's Bowser Jr operating it, after all). Super Mario 3D World is another contender, as with Super Mario Bros. 3 (because it has the concept of luring Bowser into a pit, something we don't see more of).
Thank you for reading.
EDIT: Dang, should have read the poll question more clearly, because I voted New Super Mario Bros. U. I would have voted NSMB2.
Thank you for reading.
EDIT: Dang, should have read the poll question more clearly, because I voted New Super Mario Bros. U. I would have voted NSMB2.
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Super Mario Galaxy 2's final boss fight should have had its music replaced with, idk, the stupidest, most unfitting music possible, because that fits more than the music they played for that pathetic boss fight.
YoshiFlutterJump
Power Star
- MarioWiki
- YoshiFlutterJump
Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy 2 have the worst final bosses, no question. You could say Mario 1's is worse than either of those, but I cut it some slack since it was the first.
I voted "Other" because Mario Sunshine is not in the poll for some strange reason.
I voted "Other" because Mario Sunshine is not in the poll for some strange reason.
Noct
Dry Bowser
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On paper I feel that SMG2 had potential for a great final battle, but completely flubbed it up in it's execution. I mean just the sheer concept of Mario duking it out with a colossally oversized Bowser fueled by the power of a Grand Star inside a black hole alone is awe-inspiring and the music associated with it would've be the perfect compliment to match a scene of such magnitude... or it would've been if the fight didn't end under a minute.
But the award for the lamest Bowser fight has to go to...
As for my favorites:
~ SMW
~ SMW 2: YI
~ SM64/SM64DS
~ SMG
~ PM
~ PM: CS
~ M&L: DT
~ MPDS
But the award for the lamest Bowser fight has to go to...
As for my favorites:
~ SMW
~ SMW 2: YI
~ SM64/SM64DS
~ SMG
~ PM
~ PM: CS
~ M&L: DT
~ MPDS
Yoshi the SSM
Dry Bowser
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- Yoshi the SSM
The best? Every single one of them 
. Just kidding. But, Bowser is a pretty good boss overall. The following quote says it best.
[quote author=Bowser from Super Paper Mario]But But I'm Bowser! I'm grade-A, 100% prime-cut final boss!...[/quote]
Now before reveal the true best, I am doing the worst first.
And to do this, I am going to name some honorable mentions. At the bottom of the list is the regular NSMB battles. They're basically the same as SMB1 without it being that. Though, NSMBU gets credit for an actual axe. They're saving grace is that it is updated enough. Up next is Tutor Bowsers in Superstar Saga, Partners in Time (baby version), and Bowser's Inside Story. They really don't show Bowser as a good boss. Though, Tutor Bowser being a tutorial for battles gives it the reason for its lowness. The final honorable mention is the first SPM fight. The player can only attack using Boomer (a bomb). Most bad players go into 3D to get out of Bowser's attacks. And Tippi is gone during the fight making the player figure out how to defeat Bowser. Though, they did use Boomer just before the fight. Luckily, it is not an hard fight once you know to use bombs, but not too easy either.
Now some others that are bad, but not the worst. And apparently they all been mentioned. SMG2 final fight part 2 and Super Mario 3D Land are the ones I am going to be picking as bad but not the worst. Also, 3D Land is probably the worst due to either the battle is too long or the attacks don't really matter. Only the final Bowser boss in that game was good, but still was long. So long that if one failed the last part, they're going to be a while to get back where they were. They only new one I can think of is Shrowser from Partners in Time. It is bad because of it relies on defend attacks. If the player is good at these, it is too easy. If the player is bad at these, it is too hard. It definitely feels like an unnecessary battle.
But now here is the worst Bowser fight that I encountered. I may seem unofficial due to it being in Super Mario Maker (for Nintendo 3DS), but it is Nintendo that made Bowser like this. They programmed Bowser to take 20 hits when regular and 40 hits when big. So, because of this number, I consider this the worst Bowser battle. Big Bowser in a Koopa Clown Car. But, that is not all I am saying about the battle. But officially, big Bowser in a Koopa Clown Car is the worst Bowser fight. First, there is the fact that it takes 40 hits to defeat him. Second, since he is in the Koopa Clown Car, he is going to be in the air rather than near the ground. Third, if a player loses to him, they're end up at the last checkpoint or the beginning of the stage; thus having to restart at 40 hits left. Fourth, he throws 4 lit Bob-ombs from the Koopa Clown Car, which explode soon afterwards. Now, the creator of a level can help the players out a bit for this fight. But, here I am going to show you the worst case for the player to be in while still be able to defeat Bowser. First, if Mario can't also fly, he is at a disadvantage due to Bowser almost always being higher. Second, the ground is flat and the arena is about one screen long. This removes any change of Mario getting higher than Bowser. Also, one screen is the best area for the fight. Too small and the player can't hit Bowser. Too large and the area to cover is too big. Third, the game style is New Super Mario Bros. U or Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World offers one thing that no other mode provides: the ability to stuff up. Without this, the player is stuck trying to lure Bowser down to get a hit on him. Super Mario Bros., on the other hand, removes all abilities to carry objects. This makes Super Mario Bros. impossible to defeat Bowser with with one exception, but this setting is still hard: Fire Flowers. Fire Flowers give the player fire balls to shoot. And because Fire Flowers are just a little more powerf
. Just kidding. But, Bowser is a pretty good boss overall. The following quote says it best.[quote author=Bowser from Super Paper Mario]But But I'm Bowser! I'm grade-A, 100% prime-cut final boss!...[/quote]
Now before reveal the true best, I am doing the worst first.
And to do this, I am going to name some honorable mentions. At the bottom of the list is the regular NSMB battles. They're basically the same as SMB1 without it being that. Though, NSMBU gets credit for an actual axe. They're saving grace is that it is updated enough. Up next is Tutor Bowsers in Superstar Saga, Partners in Time (baby version), and Bowser's Inside Story. They really don't show Bowser as a good boss. Though, Tutor Bowser being a tutorial for battles gives it the reason for its lowness. The final honorable mention is the first SPM fight. The player can only attack using Boomer (a bomb). Most bad players go into 3D to get out of Bowser's attacks. And Tippi is gone during the fight making the player figure out how to defeat Bowser. Though, they did use Boomer just before the fight. Luckily, it is not an hard fight once you know to use bombs, but not too easy either.
Now some others that are bad, but not the worst. And apparently they all been mentioned. SMG2 final fight part 2 and Super Mario 3D Land are the ones I am going to be picking as bad but not the worst. Also, 3D Land is probably the worst due to either the battle is too long or the attacks don't really matter. Only the final Bowser boss in that game was good, but still was long. So long that if one failed the last part, they're going to be a while to get back where they were. They only new one I can think of is Shrowser from Partners in Time. It is bad because of it relies on defend attacks. If the player is good at these, it is too easy. If the player is bad at these, it is too hard. It definitely feels like an unnecessary battle.
But now here is the worst Bowser fight that I encountered. I may seem unofficial due to it being in Super Mario Maker (for Nintendo 3DS), but it is Nintendo that made Bowser like this. They programmed Bowser to take 20 hits when regular and 40 hits when big. So, because of this number, I consider this the worst Bowser battle. Big Bowser in a Koopa Clown Car. But, that is not all I am saying about the battle. But officially, big Bowser in a Koopa Clown Car is the worst Bowser fight. First, there is the fact that it takes 40 hits to defeat him. Second, since he is in the Koopa Clown Car, he is going to be in the air rather than near the ground. Third, if a player loses to him, they're end up at the last checkpoint or the beginning of the stage; thus having to restart at 40 hits left. Fourth, he throws 4 lit Bob-ombs from the Koopa Clown Car, which explode soon afterwards. Now, the creator of a level can help the players out a bit for this fight. But, here I am going to show you the worst case for the player to be in while still be able to defeat Bowser. First, if Mario can't also fly, he is at a disadvantage due to Bowser almost always being higher. Second, the ground is flat and the arena is about one screen long. This removes any change of Mario getting higher than Bowser. Also, one screen is the best area for the fight. Too small and the player can't hit Bowser. Too large and the area to cover is too big. Third, the game style is New Super Mario Bros. U or Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World offers one thing that no other mode provides: the ability to stuff up. Without this, the player is stuck trying to lure Bowser down to get a hit on him. Super Mario Bros., on the other hand, removes all abilities to carry objects. This makes Super Mario Bros. impossible to defeat Bowser with with one exception, but this setting is still hard: Fire Flowers. Fire Flowers give the player fire balls to shoot. And because Fire Flowers are just a little more powerf