Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopesees the King of Koopas himself, Bowser, joined up with the mustachioed plumber when Cursa steals his army. Since he was confirmed to be aplayable character inMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, fans were eager to see him in action. His addition to the roster was welcomed by fans, but not many were actually surprised.
Bowser is the main antagonist of the Mario franchise, but it seems that the fire-breathing, princess-kidnapping, would-be tyrant of the Mushroom Kingdom is not all that bad. Sure, early games would see him and his minions kidnap Princess Peach (among others) and come up with some nefarious plot to expand his army and Koopa Troop kingdom, but recent games likeMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeshow that, without an army, Bowser can find himself on the side of good. He seems to be here more often than not, especially as of late.
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Bowser is Only Really a Villain Sometimes
Indeed,Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeis hardly the first time Bowser has teamed up with Mario. After losing his minions who are in fear of the Smithy gang, Bowser joins Mario and friends inSuper Mario RPG.Bowser fights Mario and Luigi a couple of times inMario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, including the credits, but ultimately aids the Mushroom Kingdom in his fight against Fawful and Dark Bowser, with Bowser himself and the entire plot revolving around Mario helping him. In the post-credit scenes, Princess Peach sends him a cake. He only serves as the final boss ofMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battlebecause he is infected with the Megabug, and Bowser Jr.’s actions are nefarious but practically more prank-like in nature, due to his young age.Paper Mario, Superstar Saga,and, if one wants to count them, thevariousMario Sportsgamessee Bowser appear in roles that support Mario instead of opposing him.
Usually, there is a method to this madness. Bowser is powerful, but for some reason, he relies more so on his supporters than his Raw strength. Whenever he is army deserts him, usually the result of a genuine big bad, Bowser is more than happy to join his eternal rival (if pretending it’s in reverse). Cursa, Cackletta, Smithy, and many others are much more nefarious; in fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bowser team up with Mario in the upcoming movie, especially withhis comedic actor Jack Black. The movie may go the more traditional route, but that would see Bowser repeat the obvious he always has, kidnap Princess Peach, try to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, and fail. It is unlikely that his antagonistic role in the movie is a red herring, but when factoring all of this in, a face turn would not be surprising either.
Bowser, like Mario, is carved into popular culture, even among non-gamers. Everyone always pictures him as the villain, and that’s never going to change. Yet, while his methods of villainy are predictable and stringent, his role as a character is more flexible. That makes Bowser much more than just a big bad, fire-breathing, princess-kidnapping Koopa.
Fact is, Bowser is a villain sometimes, but he’s also agood father to Bowser Jr.and lately, more often than not, an invaluable ally to Mario and friends. He is a villain, but only so much in how a game decides to proceed in the story. And the fact remains is this is a better, more fluid approach to Bowser. If he was always the big bad, it would grow dull, but seeing the antagonist team up with Mario instead of fighting him is always welcome.Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the latest to show evidence of this funny point: Bowser is always thought of as a villain, but his recent history especially shows he quickly turns face, should another big bad arise.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hopeis available now on Nintendo Switch.
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