The One About Villainy (Pt. 2)

Note: I do have a good reason for slacking on delivering this update, I have been desperately getting applications prepared for summer employment. Yes, that infamous Real Life strikes again, unfortunately.

Seeing as the last post is directly underneath this one, there's no need for some dramatic recap. On to Bowser in 1996!

Super Mario-o RPG...it is the only one just for me...ahem. SMRPG needs little introduction. Blending a Mario backdrop with Square's famed RPG-making talents, as well as a healthy dose of humor, and you have one amazing title. One of the biggest eye-catchers to Mario fans is the fact that Mario and Bowser...work together??

Yes, it happens. Bowser in SMRPG has more dialogue than ever before, and he's extremely hard to place. At times he's at the level of "joke villain," stupid and completely unaware, other times he's contemplatively reciting haiku, terrifying enemy troops by sheer presence, and using positive reinforcement to build up his minions. Bowser displays a willingness to get the job done himself in SMRPG, but he's often reduced to sheer blustering. A strange, if humorous role for him, and a sign that the Mario/Bowser conflict was reaching legendary status.

Things took a complete turnaround later that year with Super Mario 64. When considering Bowser's portrayal throughout the 64 era, it occurred to me just how integral music and sound was to shaping the character. In SM64, there are three musical pieces dedicated to the Koopa King. First, Road to Bowser, the suspenseful track that plays in the stages prior to Mario's clashes with Bowser. Perhaps most famous is the track accompanying the first two Bowser battles. Driven by a powerful drum beat, this song really enforces Bowser means business. Finally, a haunting organ piece punctuates the final battle.

Music aside, Bowser's voice really gives him a sense of menace. His trademark laugh is finally given aural representation, and he springs across the arenas while screeching like a cougar. Indeed, Bowser's vocals throughout the 64 era (and Smash Bros. Melee) really foster the image of an inhuman monstrosity. While there wasn't a "true" Mario game through the majority of the 64's lifespan, SM64 reasserted his menacing image as quickly as SMRPG had softened it.

At the very end of the 64 era came Paper Mario. Like SMRPG, it was a somewhat self-referential, humor-driven story. Unlike its spiritual predecessor, Bowser retained his role as primary antagonist. What results is a strange hybrid of the self-parodying Square rendition of the character and SM64's confident menace. Intelligent Systems' Bowser muses on trivial details, occasionally says something dopey, smacks an innocent, defenseless character out of a window, brings the Mushroom Kingdom under siege, and remorselessly leaves Mario for...as close to dead as you're allowed to get in a Mario game (Game Overed?). Not to mention he got another driving theme song that sadly has yet to be reprised. This odd portrayal truly works for the character. While Bowser could come off as a true terror when things were left to the imagination in the 8-bit era, in an age where dialogue and cinematics were coming to the forefront, his inability to really back up his evil reputation (because of the family-friendly nature of the Mario series) made an all-serious Bowser just seem shallow. But inserting self-awareness and a sarcastic streak breathed new life into Mario's arch-nemesis.

Until Super Mario Sunshine proved just how generic a serious villain comes off in a kid-friendly game. Furthermore, going back to my point on sound: Sunshine kicked off a GameCube era that featured a much more cuddly Bowser than his 64 self. Now, maybe he's more cuddly because the polygons he's comprised of no longer threaten to poke eyes out, but the bigger problem-- one that almost anyone who got to Bowser in Sunshine that I've spoken to immediately point out-- is that VOICE.

64 Bowser sounded like a monster. His actual spoken words were left to the imagination, but his roars and laugh (and the "got hit by something" cry originating from Kart 64) truly sound like a beast. Sunshine Bowser sounds like some friendly middle-aged guy trying to come off as vaguely gruff. And this trend continued throughout the remainder of the GameCube era. (Luigi's Mansion and Melee deserve praise for presenting perfectly intimidating takes on Bowser pre-Sunshine).

Unfortunately, the games that portray Bowser as even more of a comical lug than the average Cube sports game belong to a series I otherwise adore. Alphadream's Mario & Luigi titles display writing and accessibility on the level of the Paper Mario games, but their portrayal of Bowser is humiliating to the poor king. He's effortlessly beaten down by Mario and Fawful (two separate occasions) within the game's first ten minutes, captured by a fourth rate boss, gets amnesia and becomes a lackey for the persistent mobster Popple and regains his memory only to be possessed by the temporarily defeated Cackletta.

In Partners in Time, his role is not as large, though he still comes across as an utter moron (failing to recognize his younger self). Still, he and his baby incarnation give the Mario Bros. of past and present a stiff challenge, and after eating the remnants of the Shroob Princess, he manages to break a pretty important RPG rule: allowing the player to attack. Also, Baby Bowser is quite clever and witty in this game, and manages to temporarily steal two Cobalt Star Shards from the Bros. His Koopa Cruiser is also quite a formidable vessel, routing Shroob forces until it runs out of ammo.

Meanwhile, the Paper Mario series offers a lighter take on Bowser as well in Thousand Year Door. Bowser is something of a third force in this game, competing with the X-Nauts and Mario's party to collect Crystal Stars. He has a run of terrible luck here too, but has some impressive moments, such as literally flattening the mighty Rawk Hawk.

Super Paper Mario probably casts Bowser in the most heroic light yet. Still, the reason for it is clearly defined, and while this Bowser is given to stupid blustering, he is clearly physically formidable and is competent (and witty) when he's focused.

Galaxy goes in the complete opposite direction, and I don't think Bowser has ever been more villainous. He assaults the Mushroom Kingdom with an aggressive airship bombardment, blasting citizens (well, freezing them, but still), efficiently abducting the entire castle, and successfully preventing a Mario rescue. Bowser's ambitions are bigger than ever, and the presence of airships throughout the various galaxies really lends weight to the impact of his conquest.

Again, sound plays a major role as Bowser's voice has changed. He no longer speaks audible English, rather "talking" with roars and grunts, which are much more guttural and less human than the GameCube era. The battle theme is accompanied by a choir at points, really heightening the ominous nature of the encounter. Road to Bowser makes a return from Mario 64 as well.

I'm really fond of both of Bowser's 2007 appearances, but it's extremely difficult to reconcile the two. I still feel the original Paper Mario offers the best take on the character, self-aware of his long history as a menace, a serious threat, but at times sarcastic and at other times a bit of a doofus (you have to be to line your battle arenas with axes or bombs you don't intend to use). Where Bowser will head next is anyone's guess, but it appears Mario & Luigi 3 is up to bat next, and I hope a playable Bowser points to a slightly more competent one than the game's predecessors.

~Waluigious: Here's to future villainy, Bowser, be it goofy or menacing.