Summary
True, there’s something cozy about knowing what to expect sometimes.Mariogames excel at that. Bowser will probably invade one of the alarmingly large number of new kingdoms, he’ll probably kidnap Princess Peach in the process, and Toad is there for some reason.
But as proven by the excellent Princess Peach: Showtime, Peach doesn’t have to play into the tired damsel in distress trope. So Bowser has no obligations to his role as the big bad either. While he’s a fun villain, sometimes we need new baddies in the role, adding the bonus of Bowser occasionally joining the good guys with the enthusiasm of a 6-year-old at the grocery store.
Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario admittedly wasn’t the most popular entry in the Paper Mario series by nearly any metric. It’s still well-liked and all, but you probably don’t even remember who Count Bleck was. It’s a shame, because along with the game’s unique art style, the new characters themselves are honestly pretty fun.
Aside from main villain Count Bleck, the game also includes the chaotic Mimi, one ofmany obscure Mario characterswho deserve a comeback, and Francis, a pixelated iguana who shines a light on the darkest and yet somehow loudest corners of video game fandom. Meanwhile, Bowser gets an upgrade to a fully playable character.
Super Mario Bros. 2
If the internet was around when Super Mario Bros. 2 was revealed, it would have kicked off the sorts of very mature tantrums scarcely seenoutside the Star Wars fandom. The differences from its predecessor are stark, which contribute heavily to making it particularly memorable.
Gone are most of the aspects you’d expect after playing the original Super Mario Bros. thanks to Nintendo simply reskinning the game Doki Doki Panic to make the sequel. So there’s no Bowser, no stomping on enemies, and your big villain is a chunky frog named Wart.
Super Mario Land
Ah, who can forget those classic Mario villains like Bowser, Wario, Fawful, and… Tatanga? It’s true, Super Mario Land on the Game Boy wasn’t super interested in keeping things the same, but that’s what makes it special.
You might not remember the name Tatanga. But if you grew up in the early 90s, he and his legion of low-fi lackeys likely kept you company on many a family road trip. Bowser is nowhere to be seen in this story, which makes sense, since he’s probably too big to fit on that screen anyway.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Following in the footsteps of the first Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2 remained Bowser-less. But it did bring back a number of the elements players had come to expect, likeclassic Mario enemies goombasand koopas, the fireball power-up, and a soundtrack that refuses to leave your brain to this day.
But perhaps its most iconic addition to the Mario series is the debut of Wario, who has clearly seen some things. Wario serves as the main antagonist, having taken over Mario’s castle in a plot point that raises at least a few questions. Who knew Mario was so bougie?
Quick, you get three guesses on who the antagonist is in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and two of the guesses don’t count. Yes, the original Game Boy Advance version and Nintendo Switch remake both see Mario at odds with Donkey Kong yet again.
As a sort-of-sequel to the original Donkey Kong arcade game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong expands on its predecessor’s mechanics. You play as Mario jumping his way through conveyor belts and other platforming environments, all because Donkey Kong really wanted some toys. This might be as close as Nintendo gets to commentary on capitalism.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga wasn’t thefirst RPG in the Mario series, but it kicked off something huge in its own right. This tiny but dense little adventure on the Game Boy Advance ended up spawning several sequels, boasting a sense of humor that games are still trying to mimic to this day.
Bowser maintains a presence in the game, but his regular “bahahaha” role is now taken by the evil witch Cackletta from the Beanbean Kingdom. Despite sounding like a comedy bit about the Mario series, that’s actually real, and it also introduced the now legendary Fawful.
Let’s be real, you did not play Super Mario RPG for Smithy. You probably forgot who Smithy was. It’s okay, Smithy probably also forgot who Smithy was. The point is, he’s the big bad of Super Mario RPG, which frees up Bowser for more fun stuff.
This is one of the most notable instances of Bowser joining up with Mario, and it’s easy to see why. It’s also one of the first times Bowser gets the chance to really be funny, and he just runs with that ball. He insults Mario with a haiku. Absolutely legendary.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is a bit of a contested entryin the Paper Mario series. On one hand, it’s got some pretty forgettable combat, to the point where you’re able to actually just skip most battles. On the other hand, it’s hilarious.
Surprisingly, that hilarity has little to do with Bowser or a lack of Bowser. It’s just extremely well-written. Bowser has very few appearances here and the main villain is paper. Just a bunch of paper. That’s not the most glowing endorsement, but make no mistake, this game is absolutely worth your time.
There’s a reason Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remains one of the most beloved Mario games on both the Gamecube and Switch. Actually, there are several. Along with the excellent gameplay and battle system, it’s got such endearing characters and writing.
Even just trans joy icon Vivian would have been enough, but every companion is an absolute delight. Even the villains are good, though none hold a candle to Bowser on his little side story, several steps behind everyone else, constantly failing. If you’ve got a brand, you might as well stick to it.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the Nintendo 3DS is how it got a remake of DS masterpiece Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story after it was already well beyond its last legs. But on the bright side, now you have two versions of the game on one system.
Bowser’s Inside Story features Bowser as a co-protagonist alongside Mario & Luigi, who spend most of the game inside his body, Magic School Bus-style. The writing is phenomenal and hilarious, with Bowser andelevated Mario villain Fawfulat the top of their game.
