Bowser's Fury

It's a peaceful, sunshiny day in the Mushroom, and Mario's going for a pleasant stroll. Everything is nice and calm... until Mario starts finding splatters of black goop everywhere. Following the goop, Mario suddenly finds himself pulled through a portal leading to Lake Lapcat, a once peaceful land that has been turned into the stomping grounds of a ferocious monster. And after a bit of exploring, Mario discovers that this monster is none other than his persistent enemy Bowser, whose anger has consumed him and warped him into a humongous, hellish monstrosity called Fury Bowser. Nothing can calm him down, not even Bowser Jr.! And once the kid explains everything, he and Mario set on an adventure to restore peace to Lake Lapcat and calm Bowser down.

Bowser's Fury is a 2021 game bundled as a companion piece to Super Mario 3D World for its Nintendo Switch rerelease. While very technically a side campaign, it has more than enough meat to feel like a full game in its own right. Many 3D World mechanics return, adapted to a more open-world format in the vein of Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Odyssey - Mario can tackle the various islands and their Cat Shine collectibles in whatever order you wish, while staying vigilant for the times Fury Bowser awakens and unleashes hell. Another major difference from 3D World is that instead of Luigi, Peach, Toad, and, Mario's main ally is Bowser Jr., who is always present as an AI helper or a human-controlled character for Player 2.


 * Adult Fear: A recurring NPC is a calico cat mom, whose kittens keep getting lost around Lake Lapcat. Until you safely return them, she'll be crying up a storm. There's also the notion of Bowser's wrath endangering even Bowser Jr. and leaving him worried sick.
 * Animal Motifs: If you think 3D World went over the top with the cat themes, you ain't seen nothing yet. Lake Lapcat has tons of cat imagery, whether it's the cat-shaped trees, cat statues at the Giga Bell shrines, the adorable kittens you can find wandering around, or all the cat-themed enemies running around.
 * Autobots Rock Out: During Fury Bowser's rampages, death metal can be heard playing in the background.
 * Battle in the Rain: Fury Bowser's attacks are heralded by sudden rainstorms, and every time you fight him the sky is blotted out by thick rainclouds.
 * Cats Are Mean: All the enemies you encounter are cat versions of normal Mario enemies such as Goombas, Hammer Bros, and Piranha Plants. And they're every bit as eager to end Mario's game as their normal counterparts are. The adorable, harmless kittens as well as the crying mama cat will also turn into dangerous shadow creatures during Fury Bowser's rampages.
 * The Corruption: The ink from Fury Bowser turns the kittens around Lake Lapcat into shadowy monsters.
 * Cute Kitten: Adorable little kittens can be seen around many of the islands, and if you put on a Cat Suit they'll be very friendly and affectionate towards Mario. Unfortunately, when Fury Bowser wakes up and attacks, his ink corrupts them into dangerous shadow monsters until he falls dormant again.
 * Dark Is Evil: And how. Fury Bowser is easily the most dangerous and frightening incarnation of Bowser yet, and he's colored jet black save for his eerie glowing hair, eyes, and spines.
 * Death Mountain: Mount Magmeow, which is a dangerous volcanic mountain filled to the brim with annoying Fire Bros and Fire Bars that get in your way.
 * Easy Level Trick: You're supposed to get the Ice Flow Cat Shine by waiting for a slow moving ice floe to emerge so you can ride it towards the Shine... or you can just grab it immediately with a well-timed dive and jump from Plessie.
 * Enemy Mine: Bowser Jr. isn't happy about it, but he begs for Mario to help him calm Bowser down. Mario is similarly wary of Junior, but agrees to help.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: Little Bowser Jr. is a real brat, and is rude to Mario to the point that he'll laugh at him if he gets hurt. But for all his meanness, the little guy still has a heart: the art he draws in the credits and postgame makes it clear that he's having fun adventuring with Mario, and if the plumber dies he'll be horrified.
 * Kaiju: Fury Bowser, who is so gigantic that most of Lake Lapcat's structures can only come up to his waist, while Mario himself is about as tall as his toes.
 * Knight of Cerebus: 3D World was a fun, cutesy romp, and as tough as he was is still ridiculous-looking and comical. Then comes Bowser's Fury and the terrifying monster known as Fury Bowser, who looks like a goddamn demon whose appearances are followed by what are practically hurricanes. It definitely drives home that the Koopa King isn't screwing around anymore.