Bowser's Incompetence: Yay or Nay?

Okay, here we go.

Until Paper Mario, Bowser was, for the most part, a competent villain. He was actually evil and a challenge, and didn't like Peach. He kidnapped Peach in order to control the Mushroom Kingdom, not to make goo-goo eyes at her. In short, the violent despot he should still be.

In Paper Mario, we witnessed the beginning of the end. It soon became apparent that Bowser had a crush on Peach, and was a little more goofy. He was still quite a fearsome villain, having collected the Star Rod. This was a good balance.

However, soon afterwards, more games followed suit. Now Bowser is the comic relief of the series. Since Paper Mario, when has Bowser been the main villain? Since when has he kidnapped Peach just to control the kingdom? Since when had he carefully thought out his plans before executing them?

Not since.

In Paper Mario 2, we saw Bowser at his near worst. He was goofy, clumsy, cocky, lazy, idiotic, and generally just comic relief. He was a powerful boss, to be sure, but he was only there by fluke, and even his entrance was a blooper.

In SuperStar Saga, he's no longer competent at all. He's the first enemy and is too easy to defeat. You can't lose that battle! And then we see just how clumsy he is. He's stuck in a cannon, acts like a crybaby, and then is shot out by an irritated Starshade Bro. In the Popple battles, he's like a little kid! After Cackletta takes control, it soon becomes apparent that Bowser had no reason to be around, and Bowletta was just a way to get him more into the story.

Partners in Time, you only fight him once! He hardly shows up, and his plan instantly fails. His younger self is more appropriate and matches all the ideals of the Baby Bowser from the Yoshi series, but the older Bowser's still a buffoon, from what little we see of him.

Super Paper Mario, Nintendo is clearly done with him being a villain. He voluntarily becomes a good guy and Spoilers:

even saves the others at one time! He celebrates the saving of the multiverse!

We now realize that Nintendo has nowhere to go with the Koopa King.

In the sports titles, he's just there. Just there. In the Tennis and Golf openings, he is also used for comic relief.

So what's the deal Nintendo?

The problem is, other series have had villains that stood the test of time. Ganon is still one of Link's more deadly foes; in each incarnation, he is just as cold and caculating as before. He's never reduced to comic relief, save for the Puppet Ganon in Wind Waker. Even then, it's kind of a freaky boss.

In Metroid, Samus has an array of foes, but the constant in the series is the Space Pirates. Since their appearance in Super Metroid, they've appeared in every Metroid game since, as some of the tougher foes to beat. In the Prime series, they're one of the main threats as well, with the Phazon mutation research.

Sonic the Hedgehog has also failed the test of time. Eggman was always comic relief, yes, but recently he's been forced in NEARLY EVERY SINGLE SONIC GAME SINCE ADVENTURE to team up with the good guys and save the day. In Sonic X, he even forges a truce with the team!

Kirby has a myriad of foes, but the Nightmare, 0, and Dark Mind are all major villains in some games.

Star Fox has actually pulled off the feat of multiple foes. While the first half deals with Andross, after Assault we find that time passes in that world. Aparoids come and go and several comebacks in the Command series tie in.

All I'm saying is, Bowser was there from the start, and he's been around longer than any other villain in the Mario series. I think he should get back on solid ground as a truly evil villain.

I kind of like that he's more of a comic relief character because he's honestly not very interesting otherwise. He really didn't have any sort of personality in the older games beyond "rar I'm evil"

I like the old bowser.

The End.

I never thought of Koopa/Bowser as a competent villain, ever. In SMB he guarded a bridge in his own castle over a lake of lava with an axe at his end of the bridge; that's not very smart. In SMB3 he replaced his bridges with breakable bricks and tried stomping Mario; that wasn't very smart either. In SMW he was scary looking but still very goofy, especially after you hit him. He couldn't even keep the Princess inside the clown car.

In Mario 64 it was clear from his dialogue that he was pretty goofy and not too smart. Hell, he put bombs around his own reigning platform.



In short, I like Bowser the best when he still knows his place as the villain and Mario's enemy, but is still an idiot. Paper Mario 2 had the best personification of the Bowser character, in my opinion.

True, but at least his plans were relatively good and he didn't sit in front of Peach's cage and make frickin' goo-goo eyes at her.

Old Bowser. At least he'll be evil in Super Mario Galaxy.

I don't think he's the villain. Does he even appear?

then there's the fact that he drove a clown helicopter thing to begin with, you don't see Ganondorf or Ridley bustin' out with one of those

He's been in some of the screenshots, so yes

True this.

All good villains are a little incompetent. Almost all the good ones end up saying their master plan infront of the hero or gamer in general.

Ganon kicks major ass and he's not incompetent at all.

I'm sad the clown car hasn't been used ever since then, and I don't think the opening cut scene of Gamecube Mario Golf counts.

Also, let's not even get INTO SMRPG's Bowser. EDIT: lawl, I forgot Bowser had his clown car for a short amount of time in SMRPG.

He's always been entirely incompetent, but I can understand why you'd just be noticing this now.

It was in Superstar Saga :O

Was that used by Bowser, or Bowletta?

I think just Bowletta, unless Bowser used it in the credits too and I forgot about it

I don't think so, he was in a big box the whole time I think, and dropped in the water. Unless I'm not remembering right.

CASE IN POINT: He really should use that clown copter more often.

I know, but he ends up telling Link what he's doing.

Like I was saying. There isn't really a choice like this in the poll. I also still don't really believe he was ever competent to begin with, but he was always "evil," or just plain selfish and badass.

I think in the SMB tv shows bowser liked her

the thing is, how many spin-off games do these series have?