Bowser's Fury

As WiiU games continue to get ported to the Switch, Nintendo keeps trying to find ways of making them worth buying for owners of the original versions. Why would you buy Super Mario 3D World at full price for your Switch when you just bought it for a third of that price on the WiiU? The quality of life changes may be nice, but they usually aren't enough to make me double up on a purchase. However, a full new game would absolutely warrant my attention. That's what we got with Bowser's Fury. The way it was originally presented made me worried that it would just be some kind of inconsequential side mode like that of the Mario & Luigi remakes, but thankfully that was not the case. It does end up being a rather short game, but it is still a full, standalone experience, and it probably makes for the best re-release pack-in yet.

Bowser's Fury starts with Bowser Jr. attempting to recruit Mario in an effort to defeat Fury Bowser. In Bowser's hunger for power, he went a bit too far and completely lost control over himself. This ridiculously overpowered king of the koopas may prove to be a threat to the Mushroom Kingdom, but for now, Bowser Jr. just wants his dad back. Mario agrees to help, and what follows is a phenomenal cat-themed blend of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 3D World that ended up being the most polished three-dimensional Mario adventure I have played thus far.

Like in Super Mario 64, you travel from one location to the next in order to collect cat-shines (like stars), and once you have enough, you can challenge Bowser and unlock even more places to explore. Each location has five cat-shines to collect, with the terrain, enemies, and items changing slightly to align with the cat-shine you are trying to earn. Plus, there are secret cat-shines scattered throughout the world, requiring you to explore every little island in Lake Lapcat if you want to complete the game. Like in Super Mario 3D World, the titular protagonist lacks any direct combat techniques like punching or spinning, instead relying on the tried-and-true jumping on enemies, six different powerups, and Bowser Jr.'s aggression. Being able to use the cat and tanooki suits in a sandbox Mario game just feels so right, and I can't wait to see if Nintendo manages to implement them into whatever ends up being Super Mario Odyssey's successor.

I managed to fully complete Bowser's Fury in just a few hours, but I wasn't really disappointed by how short the game was. For a pack-in bonus, it was way more than I had expected, and the game was designed in such a way that it may have overstayed its welcome if it lasted any longer. As it stands, I think Nintendo could do a lot with this game's structure if they wanted to, and I genuinely hope that they do. However, this is still an easy recommendation as is. 

The game is available for Switch here (as of 6/7/21): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/super-mario-3d-world-plus-bowsers-fury-switch/

Popular posts from this blog

Meow Tower: Nonogram Pictogram

Image
I seem to have a thing for mobile games about cats, and I am a huge fan of Nintendo 's Picross series. Normally those two interests don't overlap, but Meow Tower changed that. Combining the fun of befriending cute cartoon cats and solving intricate number puzzles hooked me immediately. While it's technically not a Picross game, seeing as that is a Nintendo trademark, the nonogram puzzles are still the same, and I loved being able to play them on my phone. Granted, there have been plenty of options to play these kinds of puzzles on the phone for years, but Meow Tower  sets itself apart from the rabble thanks to its stellar aesthetic. The developers behind this game are true artists. While it's a solid, straightforward nonogram game at its core, Meow Tower just looks so much better to play than any of the numerous generic options that crowd the app stores. The bubbly sticker-book style used for the art and menus gives Meow Tower a lot of charm and personality from t
Read more

Space Lich Omega

Image
Inspired by the ever popular Candy Box and Candy Box 2 , Space Lich Omega is an browser-based RPG adventure with an almost entirely ASCII display. However, it chose to step away from the established fantasy style of it's inspiration for a more science-fantasy theme. I ended up having a fun time with this game, despite its need for a little polish, thanks to the unique story and hilarious pop-culture Easter eggs that can be discovered throughout the different explorable locations. Despite the crude-ish interface, I never had any trouble navigating throughout the game. I actually ended up beating it in a relatively short time, especially when I had my gunk production going all out, allowing me to jump my health up enormously. Although I did need to do a little grinding every now and then for an item that I missed, that didn't interfere with my enjoyment too much. Ultimately, this is no Candy Box , but it still has its merits and is worth playing if you ever find yourself in
Read more

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Image
Reusing game engines has proven to be pretty popular in the Zelda series. It offers developers a chance to craft more experimental and risky games, as the initial investment on the engine was covered by the previous, more traditional release. As a huge fan of A Link Between Worlds , I was ecstatic to learn it was getting a pseudo-follow-up. My excitement only grew when Nintendo sent me an early-access demo, and I somehow had no concerns that this was another multiplayer-focused game, despite my preference for solo play. Since the previous multiplayer Zelda games had pretty functional single-player modes, I anticipated that I could expect the same here. Unfortunately, that wasn't an entirely accurate assumption. Like its predecessors , Tri Force Heroes is level-based in order to accommodate its multiplayer focus. All of the stages are designed like dungeons, so they hold up really well for puzzle-solving challenges, but they lack a lot of the same charm you can find in Four Swor
Read more