Today was the long-awaited revealing of Nintendo's eighth major home console with the Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 livestream released today! I fondly remember the hype surrounding every anticipated launch of Nintendo's next system all the way back to before the Nintendo 64 hit North American stores! Back then, the waits were seemingly unbearable, as the release dates were often far in the distance. This time around, we only have to wait a little more than two months for the release (at least us lucky folk in North America!)

I remember watching a friend at school flip through a Nintendo Power magazine and seeing the dinosaurs will fly ad for the N64's release date, and watching the Change the System ad on TV. Seeing Bowser in full 3D graphics for the first time was absolutely mindblowing! The technological leaps in the hardware used to be huge back then. The next console reveal was the GameCube, and at E3 2001, I remember my jaw hitting the floor seeing Bowser rendered in FMV in the opening cinematic of Super Smash Bros. Melee. Admittedly, there seems to have been a bit of law-of-diminishing-returns on the boundary-pushing of graphical leaps ever since. It's possible that perhaps the graphics have gotten almost as good as they can get for portraying Nintendo characters. But hey, at least it makes for some pretty entertaining new screenshots and renders!

The whole Nintendo Direct release is worth watching in its entirety to learn everything that the new system will feature, but this update here will only focus on all the new Bowser content shown in the video! This is a biased website after all! The video starts with the unveiling of the next installment of the Mario Kart franchise with Mario Kart World, which will be a launch title. The introduction of the off-roading elements was the most intriuging to me, and I will be curious to see how racing would work in a more open-world design like that. I couldn't help myself but pause the video to screenshot one of Bowser's powerups, of which he is seen with his kart decked out with some sort of flaming exhuast, as he wears metal gaunlets and some sort of metal goggles or visor!

Bowser's official render for the game, which should hopefully show up to the right of this text, has him nearly falling off his ATV-like kart as he prepares to hurtle a red Koopa shell with a focused glare! In viewing the high res cover art for the game, his target is likely the current leader Mario. I love all the high octane action happening in the artwork, and I just love how much Bowser is leaning into his imminent shell toss!

The rest of the game just looks really fun! I'm a big stickler for very smooth and consistent framerate, and that seems to be exactly what the game will deliver! It's always so amazing how much power can be produced in such a small form factor (and keep the system cool as well!) I think Nintendo had such a good idea with merging their handheld and console systems into one like they originally did with the Switch. I also love the name Switch as well, and I find it interesting that they kept the name and just incremented the number by one like a true sequel. I guess why mess with a winning forumula that has been so successful for the past 8 years?

The next absolutely delightful treat as part of the Switch 2 reveal was another video featuring Bowser and Bowser Jr. showing off the new parental control for the Switch 2 (embedded video below). I noticed that they also re-released the original parental controls video to feature Switch 2 content as well, in case you'd like to see the adorableness all over again!

The new parental controls video features the new GameChat feature, along with some new adorable animations. The cutest is when Bowser Jr. goes to hug his dad and his tail is happily wagging back and forth like a dog. He also somehow manages to cling to him despite his arms not even being as wide as Bowser's belly! Seeing Bowser's massive thumbs also text on the tiny phone is also quite funny. I just love the idea of Bowser being depicted as an excellent father that's really invested in his son's wellbeing. It almost suggests that he's actually a super great guy in real life, and he's just an actor in the video games posing as the villain!

Finally, there was an upgrade pack announced for Mario Party Jamboree featuring a new mode called Bowser Live. It starts out with Bowser roaring into the microphone as if he's performing at some sort of death metal concert! Bowser then hosts a gameshow-like event of which teams compete to see who's the "liveliest" between the two. Way to go Bowser with making people bring that enthusiasm and energy!

I can't wait to hear more about this "Bowser Live" mode. The segment in the video didn't last long, but definitely has the "what am I watching!?" factor. I also can't wait to see the full official render of Bowser with the microphone as seen on the left (which is just a crop, and is a link that will take you to the official website)

Well, that's all the major Bowser-related things I remember from the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal today! I was a bit surprised that there wasn't a new Mario flagship platformer game for launch like in Super Mario 64, or even another Smash Bros. iteration. We did get Mario Kart though. The new Nintendo Switch 2 will be available on June 5, 2025 for $449.99 (USD) with pre-orders starting April 9th.

I remember taking a break between sets of bicep curls a couple Thursdays ago and doing a quick social media spin to discover that #Bowser was currently trending. I figured it was just continued momentum from the Koopa King's big win over Eggman (an awesome video if you haven't already seen!). I never would have guessed that one of the greatest new Bowser renders had just been released! I received countless pings on my phone after from friends wondering if I had seen it. I certainly did, and I consider it one of the best Bowser renders of the past 25 years!

This new render goes so hard! The Koopa King's lounging lazily on his large throne, resting his cheek against one of his massive fists, with his huge thick leg bent, and he's shooting the most sinister glare and initimidating grin across his menancing mug that I've ever seen! The dude just knows how to strike a pose! He has such an aura of confidence and charisma surrounding him! Everything about his personality seems captured with one single snapshot!

I've said it many times before, but I'll say it once more: my most favorite depicitions of Bowser came from the Nintendo 64 era. Bowser was so menacing in Super Mario 64, with his scary and imposing figure, and booming laugh that would send shivers down your spine. He was a formidable adversary in that game, and a very convincing threat. I also was always in disbelief at these ultra high quality 3D renders that Nintendo would release in their promotional media for the time. Sadly, these versions were usually only seen in printed media, as the internet was so new at the time that most people were still on dial up modems, so getting high resolution artwork versions was practically a pipedream for the time.

I can't stop looking at how great this image is! Despite having orange as his primary scale color, Bowser still stands out strongly against a lava background and fiery lighting! The shadows and color balance is impeccable! I love the texture his shell and body were given. I like how the texture isn't overused or is too rough-looking. His snout/muzzle is smooth which helps define his features. In a world saturated with soulless AI-generated art, finally we get the heart of a human artist pouring out their full effort as a labor of love! Kudos to whoever made this offical artwork, as it is absolutely spectacular!

This amazing artwork graces the most recent issue of Nintendo Magazine in Japan (with English translation options). There is also an area to download wallpapers if you log in with your Nintendo account! I strongly recommend that you do so, as they are awesome! I have already set mine as my new phone lock screen and home wallpaper, and it looks stunning!

Sooo... dedicated solo Bowser game when? *Blinky eyes*

August 4th (8-4) is known as Bowser Day by fans of the Koopa King! Why 8-4 specifically? This was the final level in the original Super Mario Bros. NES game where you first encountered the real King Bowser Koopa in his castle!

How should one best celebrate Bowser Day? By doing anything related to Bowser! Draw him! Write a fanfic! Play a game featuring him! Or watch the Super Mario Bros. movie for the 88th time! There is no wrong way to do it if it involves the greatest boss character of all time in some way!

Updates have been a bit sparse over the past year. I don't even have a good excuse for it. I do get a bit lazy sometimes! Currently I'm watching a good friend of mine play through the Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door remake for the Nintendo Switch! He hands the controller to me every time Bowser has one of his hilarious little levels mimicking the original Super Mario Bros. While entertaining, it's 2024, and Bowser still hasn't gotten his own dedicated video game yet when every other Mario character has...

Happy Bowser Day to all Bowser fans!

Super Mario fans have been eating well lately with the recent release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on October 20, 2023, and this Friday, November 17, 2023, the Super Mario RPG remake launches!

The original Super Mario RPG game launched on May 13, 1996 in North America for the Super NES, and it was an instant classic! The game was made by legendary developer Square in their absolute prime! I cannot get over what a quality title this is, and how excited I am that we are about to be graced by what looks like a magnificent true-to-form remake that this fantastic game so wonderfully deserves!

When I was growing up with a younger brother, my parents only bought 2P games so we could both play them together and we wouldn't fight. As a result, I came pretty late to the party to Super Mario RPG. I remember only being able to catch glimpses of the game when seeing schoolyard friends playing it at their house. I would sometimes also see a bubbly-looking Bowser on the SNES game cartridge box or in a magazine of some sort.

What made this game so incredible for a Bowser fanatic like me is that Bowser was a playable character in the game. I'm not talking about a cameo, a side character, or a character acting as comic relief (although Bowser is quite hilarious in the game!) - I'm talking about a major main character that is pivotal to the entire story! It's important to realize the significance of the timing of this game. As seen on the Bowser Game List, the only Mario games that preceded this one in the main canonical storyline was the original Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Kart. Bowser was just known as the main dragon turtle antagonist final boss at the end of these games, and did not talk.

Then came Super Mario RPG, which is entirely responsibile for forming the majority of Bowser's initial character development! He was bratty and brutish, comical and oafish, and frankly just downright all-round lovable. He would display a range of emotions in the game from jumping up and down with balled fists of rage, to nearly falling over on his keester from fright, to crying waterfalls, etc. This was a clever game that took the risk of forking the traditional Super Mario formula of Bowser stealing the princess into its own original story with original villains. Yes, the game starts out with the traditional formula, but there's an early twist where Bowser gets kicked out of his own castle keep.

As an example of being true to character, Bowser laments the loss of his keep, feeling jealous of other characters that have one, and when the opportunity arises, he "convinces" you - the player - to join his crew of minions so that he can get his keep back (because he needs your help). Bowser gets tons and tons of playtime throughout, and has a very unique set of attacks. The animations were all great in the SNES original, and I can't wait to see all the recreations.

I find it so cute and hilarious that they are reusing all the character's short and stubby models, with big heads and short bodies, making for quite a pint-sized Bow Bow! In many of the scenes, Bowser almost looks like a plushie on the screen, haha! Bowser's in game model looks very good, with tons of detail on his shiny shell, with wonderful proporitons and terrific animations!

Taking the focus off the Koopa King for but a moment (this is a very biased website after all), and talking about the entire game as a whole, everything about it is freaking fantastic! The story is deep and engaging, and the game is also very long! I will admit that since I never really got to play any 1P games growing up, I'm not much of an RPG fan, but I LOVE this game! It is so rich with content, so clever in its delivery, and challenging as well!

Then there is the music! All of the tunes are seemingly instant classics that will stay stuck in your head as earworm for years! I was playing an extended loop of Forest Maze earlier today, and I was just taken back in a land of nostalgia. Then there's the fun "Fight Against Monsters" Battle Theme, which you will hear a lot. And perhaps one of my personal favorites is the faster tempo "Fight Against an Armed Boss". OK, basically all the music is good!

All the footage I have seen looks very true to the original, and we are even going to get brand new cutscenes as well! This absolutely has the feeling of a high-effort remake that I have tons of confidence in. All of the comments above are my own and of my own free will! I will be absolutely buying this game on launch day, and I must absolutely recommend you consider the same!

Today is August 4th (or 8-4 in the American MM-DD date standard), which has been observed as Bowser Day by fans of the Koopa King for every year since 2012! World 8-4 in the original Super Mario Bros. game was the final level of which one finally got to lay eyes on the king of all Koopas (in all of his 8-bit glory)!

Honor this momentous day by absorbing everything related to the colorful dragonturtle! Play your favorite Super Mario game that has him as a playable character! Watch the new Super Mario Bros. Movie by Illumination released earlier this year! Draw fan art of him or write fan fiction, if one possesses such talents! Anything you can think of!

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like Bowser has been getting steadily more popular over the years! When I was growing up as a kid, I seemed to be the only one rooting for the bad guy! He's not bad he's just... misunderstood! Yeah, that's it!

In my (biased) opinion, Bowser absolutely stole the show in the Super Mario Bros. animated movie - especially with Jack Black's monster performance and Peaches piano solo (75 million views at the time of writing!). Last year, an entire website dedicated to Bowser Day launched (mostly featuring artwork). Perhaps these few examples do back my point that this iconic character and villain is capturing more and more hearts with time!

As a reminder, every day should be Bowser Day to every true Bowser fan! But for today, let us celebrate with pomp and ceremony!

(No spoilers!)(No spoilers!)(No spoilers!)

Hey I can use the internet again! I put myself on a self-imposed blackout for the last 48 hours to ensure I could see the movie cold and not see anything outside of what Illumination released pre-launch! Although I am now "safe", I will ensure to remain careful and respectful with my words that follow so that everybody gets a chance to see the movie themselves in the same condition.

I just came out of the late show on opening night for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which I was highly anticipating, and which I knew I would have to see opening night! It was so weird to have such a big movie release on a Wednesday night, which is still a work/school night for many. I will discuss no plot/stories details below, and only describe what my impression of the feature film was. I will have to keep it short anyways with it being a work night.

As a mega-obsessed hardcore Bowser fan, I could not have realistically asked for any better. This was by far the best Bowser we have ever seen by far! I was cautiously optimistic from the very beginning when the star-studded voice cast was first announced, despite the consensus at the time treating the announcement with near ridicule. Jack Black seemed born to play this role, and this character, and he absolutely nailed it out of the park! It seemed like he had so much fun doing it too!

But it's not just Bowser that was given tremendous service and justice - all of the Mario characters were portrayed in their best light ever! I really like how they did Princess Peach, Mario & Luigi, Toad, DK, and every other character that appeared in the film. They are all memorable in their own way. On top of that, the animation is outstanding!

The movie is very fun and plays out like a video game. You learn more about the characters that might have never been covered in any of the games (which may very well be considered canon going forward for all we know). The movie is only 92 minutes long, but packs so much in there and never seems to waste a second.

There must have been so much pressure for the studio to deliver on such an iconic franchise, and I think they delivered on that task in a big way! It was everything I could have hoped for! I have to give it a perfect 10/10 score, and I'm so overjoyed by that! It's worth multiple viewings for sure, and I already can't wait to see it again soon!

In a (I think Spanish) Super Mario Bros. Movie TV spot, there is an extra second or less of frames of Bowser heaving in a deep breath before unleashing his flames of fury. Yes, one second more of Bowser footage is enough to excite Bowser fans!

I spent a good deal of the evening manually cutting all the frames and making it into a GIF below:

Wow, Bowser's really stepping into that flamethrower, isn't he?

Next week...

That's definitely some 5-second Bowser glory!

Next Wednesday can't come soon enough...

The Super Mario Bros. Movie had its final release date moved two days forward to April 5, 2023, and released its final trailer today!

If you couldn't tell, I am SO excited for this movie! I just cannot believe the kind of Bowser we will be getting! It will probably be the best Bowser we've ever seen to date!

This is basically his "come at me, (Mario) bro!" pose!

Today, we were treated with not one, not two, but THREE new movie posters for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie with the Koopa King being the center of attention:

Notice how he's demonstrating how he'll be carrying this entire movie in a couple of months?

Us Bowser fans have been spoiled by at least half a dozen of these high quality movie posters already! I'll probably have to make a dedicated section on The Bowser Shrine just for the movie posters! Finally everyone is recognizing what we have already known for nearly four decades: Bowser is the GOAT!

Bowser looms over everybody with a sinister grin spread wider than his head in this great movie poster for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie:

Bowser just can't help but look good at all times! It looks like he'll be given the justice he deserves for the great character that he is! The release date of April 7th, 2023 is coming very quickly, and I for one am very excited about it!