Wednesday 13 January 2021

Bowser’s Fury Shall Be Fuelled This February

How my fellow gamers in Britain and I have to succumb to a third national lockdown at the beginning of a new year may be very upsetting [25], but we can all still hope for many beloved gaming franchises to continue blossoming with remarkable and refreshing new establishments, thus looking forward to them. Firstly, an expansion on Super Mario 3D World, Mario’s adventure that was originally for the Wii U was announced and a new mode for it was briefly teased in association with the celebration of his 35th anniversary back in September 2020 [29] [30]. In February 2021, a new urban legend will begin on the Nintendo Switch with quite a lot of new features, including the new mode that is named “Bowser’s Fury” where the legend lies [11] [24]. Whether a player would like to consider new and exclusive aspects of an expanded port canon or not, it is important for those aspects to seem consistently refreshing in order for the port to have its own credibility besides bringing an already existing game from a previous console to the next one. It worked for Catherine: Full Body since it introduced a third love interest and ways to tame intense difficulty from the original Catherine [1] [2], right?

Here is the European cover of the forthcoming port of Super Mario 3D World. [24]

Stay alert, Nintendo nerds! I have a bad feeling about what might happen in a…usually light-hearted trailer. [11] [20]
What can I say about the brand new location being introduced in the forthcoming port besides faintly updated visuals and the fact that the enhanced port will be compatible with amiibos, including the upcoming Cat Mario and Cat Peach figures [29] [30]? Examples of what to look out for in the gameplay of the exclusive mode include:

  •        Boomerang Bros. to eliminate with a playable character’s boomerang [6] [18] [20].
  •        A flock of Conkdors piercing holes in a wooden bide with their beaks [6] [18] [20].
  •        Plessie to ride across the clear water on once again [6] [18] [20].
  •        Rotating fences to climb on and leap from [6] [18] [20].
  •        Medals that resemble a cat’s face to collect [6] [18] [20].

Throughout a beautifully designed and rendered obstacle course, the gameplay still ought to be engaging with non-stop ambition in fair amounts of difficulty and the requirements of intense focus and radical skills in platforming like a plumber, along with new gameplay features that enhance the abilities of each playable character, including,

  •       Roaming faster in more than eight directions [24]
  •       Rolling in mid-air [24]
  •       Playing together with three other players locally and online in multiplayer mode [24]

Surely the new gameplay alternations might reduce the challenge, but there is still hope for the difficulty to remain balanced.

One notable example of a challenge within the gameplay shown in the trailer would be Mario having to dodge those spikes whilst skating through gold rings in a giant ice skate. [11] [20]

If this is not more glamourous than walking on a red carpet in Hollywood, then I do not know what is. [11] [20]
The theme of brand new location to explore in Bowser’s Fury just screams “obstacle course for cats”, even though the trailer for the expanded port of Super Mario 3D World shows Mario in his Tanooki suit and his Boomerang Bros. cosplay outfit [6] [18] [20]. There are few “cat” variations of enemies, including:

  •         Goombas
  •         Piranha Plants
  •         Cheep Cheeps [24]
  •         Stingbies
  •         Pom Pom who seems to clone herself during a boss battle for some reason

I adore the designs of the trees as the tops of them resemble cat ears. The same applies to the coloured arches. Aside from many aesthetics giving the location a “cat” theme, more aspects of creativity include a bridge made entirely out of blue hexagons that can only be made visible by Mario’s footing and the bottom of a new ally’s transport and giant cogs with wooden platforms attached to them rotating as advanced platforms [6] [18] [20]. I suppose I can close my eyes and imagine being there with my boyfriend in the sunshine in Summer…or on a rainy night as I hear some intense metal music. Is anyone up for a parody of a song from Cats based on this new location in a new mode [3]?

Mamma mia! Now that is just trolling! [11] [20]
The cats surrounding Cat Mario before the arrival of a new threat are adorable, just like the characters of Kitten Catfé [5]! But what is the meaning of the black ink-like substance that covered the tops of lighthouses and a familiar spiky shell? [11] [20]

Bowser Jr. returns in his own Koopa Clown Car whilst holding the giant paintbrush he wielded as Shadow Mario in Super Mario Sunshine [6] [9] [18] [20]. But wait! What is this? Is he helping Mario by knocking out some enemies and retrieving power-ups from walls with the tip of his magic paintbrush?! No way! I would not expect the son of the plumber's nemesis to be a supporting character with similar duties of the playable Luma from Super Mario Galaxy 2 [12]. The only difference is that Bowser Jr. will be under the influence of artificial intelligence [24]. Well, maybe unless an assisting second player can play as him with a separate joy-con or controller. I hope he will not get grounded for it as the mentioning of how lonely he can be in the Wii version of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games might have something to do with him going along with the adventure without threatening any of the other playable characters [16]. When it comes to whole new character development, there will need to be an understandable reason for why an antagonist suddenly becomes an ally of a protagonist, so we are yet to find out exactly why Bowser Jr. is working with Mario [6] [18] [20].

At first, I thought Bowser Jr. was going to hinder Mario by the power of his giant paintbrush. But instead, he is assisting him. Since they were arch enemies in Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros. [7] [9], there must be some legitimate reason for the kid to switch sides. And I think I might already know why. [11] [20]

I am bewildered at brand new forms of two arch enemies. The colour palette of a new form of Bowser is volcanic, which matches his enhanced abilities to breathe out an astonishing amount of fire and fire flames from the spikes of his shell [6] [18] [20]. During what seems to be the regular platforming for the final boss battle within the new location that is exclusive to Bowser’s Fury, how the clouds in the sky are all grey and the fact that it is suddenly raining really add to the feeling of facing an intimidating interpretation of the prime antagonist. Is this the most powerful form of the king of the koopas? Or does that honour still go to Giga Bowser from the Super Smash Bros. series [13] [14] [15]? Looks like Bowser is not the only big guy in the battle as Mario’s cat suit takes the mega mushroom to a new level of catkind [7], thanks to an enormous Super Bell [6] [18] [20]. What if the same power level will apply to Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach and Rosalina in their car suits [10]? If so, they all get to feel like Super Mario equivalents of Super Sonic and Super Shadow from Sonic Adventure 2 and so on [21] [22] [23]. Bring on the battle, big guys!

Could this interpretation of Bowser actually be an impostor who is possessing the real Bowser against his will, similar to how Venom encases Spider-Man’s suit in a new colour and influences him in Spider-Man 3 [26]? If so, that would explain why Bowser Jr. is siding with Mario. It seems like he just wants to save his dad from the possession. [11] [20]

What is Mario’s power level when he touches a Super Bell? It appears to be over nine-thousand [4]!! [11] [20]

I do not doubt that some of my fellow Nintendo nerds will be facing the challenges within the adventure in the port of Super Mario 3D World for a blue and red Mario-themed edition of the Nintendo Switch [19]. I suppose the forthcoming thrill is a highly interesting start of 2021 for many fans of the Mario series [6]. An enhanced port of a game that was released for a previous generation console ought to consist of new features to increase its credibility for the current generation console. It seems like Bowser’s Fury will be mostly to thank for allowing the Switch version of Super Mario 3D Land to remain familiar yet be quite fresh for those who played the original port and brand new players [10] [11]. Will Bowser be released from being encased in the substance that caused him to fight in a powerful volcanic form after his fury [6] [18] [20]? As much as I would love to witness a somewhat remastered re-release of Petz 5 for the current generation of PC gaming and perhaps a new series of instalments of the Nintendogs franchise for the Switch [8] [17] [27] [28], I hope my fellow Nintendo nerds who purchase the enhanced port will remain courageous against Bowser’s fury. Meow!

Bring it on, Fury Bowser! Your defeat will be for your own good and for the sake of your son! [24]
References

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  25. The Sun. (2021). Breaking: Boris Johnson announces third UK National lockdown. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhdUB9VyCkI. Last accessed 12th Jan 2021.
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