Bowser’s Fury comes bundled with Super Mario 3D World‘s Switch re-release and let me tell you, so far, it’s bloody awesome. As far as I can tell, Super Mario 3D World is much the same as it was on Wii U, so I’m not going to be talking about it much. It’s a decent Mario game and something a little different than the standard (proper) 3D fare but Bowser’s Fury is the star of this package.
Set in a proper, fully 3D world, yes you can completely rotate the camera, Bowser’s Fury seems to be an amalgamation of Mario Sunshine and 3D World. Oh, and cats. So. Many. Cats. In this tropical world, Mario and Baby Bowser have teamed up after Bowser has done his nana and gone furious.
Not sure if he’s also fast, but he’s certainly furious.
In any case, the idyllic cat world he’s invaded is under threat and it’s up to Mario (and Baby Bowser for some reason) to save the day. The power of Bowser’s fury has made him grow to Godzilla size, though it’s also made him a tad sleepy. Sitting dormant on the open-world map for stretches of time, Bowser will periodically wake up, rain devastation upon Mario, then go back for another snooze.
In between these attacks is Mario’s time to (Cat) Shine.
Bowser’s Fury Preview
Spread around this sunny paradise are numerous Cat Shines for Mario to collect. The more he grabs, the less oily, black goo covers the world and the better chance he has of beating Fury Bowser. What’s more, collecting enough Cat Shines unlocks the Giga Cat Bell power-up which transforms Mario into Giga Cat Mario who’s a Super Saiyan version of Cat Mario, big enough to battle Fury Bowser one on one.
Essentially, fighting Fury Bowser as Giga Cat Mario is the Nintendo Equivalent of Godzilla v Rhodan.
It’s goddamn amazing.
Fighting Bowser isn’t all there is to Bowser’s Fury though. Collecting Cat Shines is the real meat of this particular dish and Nintendo has really done some of its best platform work here. Collecting some of the shines is quick and easy, allowing players to quickly unlock the Giga Cat Bell. But, many of them are much trickier, in true Mario fashion and require some precision and/or puzzle solving.
Cat Mario was an internet fave when he debuted and Nintendo knows it’s onto a good thing. That’s why everything, and I mean everything, is cat-themed in Bowser’s Fury. You’ve got Cat Goombas, Cat Koopas, Cat Bullet Bills, Cat Flowers, Cat Trees, Cat Cheep Cheeps and even Cat Seagulls. It’s absolute madness, but it’s cute madness. You can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous cat ears on a Bullet Bill as it tries to turn your Cat Mario into dust.
In typical Nintendo fashion, Bowser’s Fury looks and plays great and is a wonderful bonus for those purchasing the re-release of 3D World. So far we’re having a (yarn) ball and can’t see ourselves stopping anytime soon.
Look for our full review soon.
