Fake Bowser: Difference between revisions

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{{articleabout|false Bowsers from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''|the Bowser copy in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''|[[Bowser Clone]]}}
{{about|the fake Bowsers from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''|other uses|[[Fake Bowser (disambiguation)]]}}
{{species-infobox
{{species infobox
|image=[[File:Tanooki_Bowser.png|250px]]<br>Artwork of a '''Bowser Impostor''' in ''Super Mario 3D Land''.
|image=[[File:SMPJ Bowser Magic.png|250px]]<br>Artwork from ''Super Mario Party Jamboree''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[List of Mario games by date#1985|1985]])
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[List of games by date#1985|1985]])
|species_origin=[[Koopa]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' ([[List of Mario games by date#2014|2014]], cameo)
|variant_of=[[Koopa (Bowser's species)|Koopa]]
|notable=
|variants=[[Tail Bowser]]
}}
}}
'''Bowser Impostors'''<ref name=Smash>"''A Bowser Impostor?! In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Mario fights a blue fake Bowser before the real thing. That blue fake is his eighth color in this game!''" - ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' Tips</ref> are various standard enemies that were transformed by [[Bowser]]'s black magic into duplicates of himself. They first appeared in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
{{quote|It's shocking how much Impostor Bowser looks like the real [[Bowser|Mr. Bowser]]. Magic is an amazing thing, huh?|Lakitu|Super Mario Party Jamboree}}
A '''fake Bowser''', also known as '''Impostor Bowser''' and referred to as '''Bowser's decoy''' in ''[[NES Remix]]'', is a standard enemy that was transformed by [[Bowser]]'s black magic into a copy of himself. They first appear in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
 
==Concept and creation==
The concept of fake Bowsers came about during development of ''Super Mario Bros.'' Since all enemies have their sprites flipped upside-down when they are defeated (except for [[Piranha Plant]]s, which simply disappear, and [[Bullet Bill]]s, which stay rightside up), one of the programmers accidentally inserted an upside-down Koopa Troopa shell when portraying Bowser's death animation as if he were defeated with fireballs. The developers liked this idea, and as a result, this idea was extended to most of the Bowser battles in the game.<ref>https://www.giantbomb.com/false-bowser/3015-8320/{{better source}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Bros.'' / ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''====
====''Super Mario Bros.'' / ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' / ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe''====
[[Mario]] has to fight seven Bowser Impostors (one in each castle) before he can reach [[Bowser's Castle]] and fight the real one. Hitting a Bowser Impostor with [[fireball]]s reveals that they are really just common enemies disguised as their king with a spell (presumably put on them by Bowser). Some of these enemies are colored light gray (because of the castle's gray color palette), however. The enemies and their attributes are:
[[File:SMB W1-4 Fake Bowser Screenshot.png|thumb|The fake Bowser from World 1-4 in ''Super Mario Bros.'']]
 
In ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', the seven fake Bowsers are placed in each [[castle]], with [[World 8-4 (Super Mario Bros.)|Bowser's Castle]] containing the real one. Defeating a fake Bowser with five [[fireball]]s reveals that they are really just common enemies disguised as Bowser. The enemies and their abilities are the following:
*'''World 1''': [[Goomba]] - fire
*'''World 1''': [[Goomba|Little Goomba]] - [[Bowser's Flame|fire]]
*'''World 2''': [[Green Koopa Troopa]] - fire
*'''World 2''': [[Green Shell|Green]] [[Koopa Troopa]] - fire
*'''World 3''': [[Buzzy Beetle]] - fire
*'''World 3''': [[Buzzy Beetle]] - fire
*'''World 4''': [[Spiny]] - fire
*'''World 4''': [[Spiny]] - fire
*'''World 5''': [[Lakitu]] - fire
*'''World 5''': [[Lakitu]] - fire
*'''World 6''': [[Blooper]] - hammer
*'''World 6''': [[Blooper|Bloober]]<!--DO NOT CHANGE TO "BLOOPER". "Bloober" was the name at the time of this game and should be the name displayed here. --> - [[hammer]]
*'''World 7''': [[Hammer Bro]]ther - hammer
*'''World 7''': [[Hammer Bro]]ther - hammer
''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' additional worlds (in the ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' version, the final fake Bowser is now replaced with the actual Bowser):
*'''World A''': Goomba - fire ([[Family Computer Disk System|FDS]]) / [[Red Shell|Red]] [[Koopa Troopa]] - hammer (''All-Stars'')
*'''World B''': Green Koopa Troopa - fire (FDS) / Green [[Cheep Cheep|Cheep-Cheep]] - hammer (''All-Stars'')
*'''World C''': Buzzy Beetle - fire (FDS) / [[Bullet Bill]] - hammer (''All-Stars'')
*'''World D''': [[Spiny]] - fire (FDS)
The "You VS. Boo" challenge of ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'':
*'''1-4''': Green [[Cheep Cheep|Cheep-Cheep]]
*'''2-4''': [[Bullet Bill]]
[[File:SMBLL World D-4 Bowser Imposter.png|thumb|[[Mario]] facing the fake [[Bowser's Brother]] in [[World D (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)|World D-4]] of ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''.]]
Like Bowser, the blue [[Bowser's Brother]] in World D-4 is also a fake revealed to be a Spiny when defeated with fireballs, and only breathes fire. In ''Super Mario All-Stars'', both of these fakes are replaced with the real ones that only throw hammers, although Bowser's Brother is now green and looks identical to his twin. Due to ''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]'' also featuring Worlds A-D, all of the fake Bowsers from those worlds return, including the fake Bowser's Brother in World D-4.


''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' additional worlds:
====''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''====
*'''World 9''': [[Bowser]] - hammer and fire (FDS) / Bowser - hammer ([[SNES]])
In ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', a fake Bowser appears as a boss in the [[World-e]] level [[Classic World 1-4]], where it plays a similar role to that played in ''Super Mario Bros.'', though it looks identical to the game's real Bowser. It is revealed that the fake Bowser is a Goomba if it is defeated with fireballs.
*'''World A''': [[Goomba]] - fire (FDS) / Red [[Koopa Troopa]] - hammer ([[SNES]])
*'''World B''': [[Koopa Troopa]] - fire (FDS) / Green [[Cheep-Cheep]] - hammer ([[SNES]])
*'''World C''': [[Buzzy Beetle]] - fire (FDS) / [[Bullet Bill]] - hammer ([[SNES]])
*'''World D''': [[Spiny]] - fire (FDS) / Bowser - hammer ([[SNES]])


The [[You vs. Boo]] section of ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'':
====''Super Mario 3D Land''====
*'''1-4''': Green [[Cheep-Cheep]]
While typical fake Bowsers do not appear in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', variants powered by [[Super Leaf|Super Leaves]] known as [[Tail Bowser]]s make their first appearance.
*'''2-4''': [[Bullet Bill]]


In ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'', Bowser Impostors also appear in Worlds 8-4, 9-3, and D-4, along with the real Bowser. Unlike the other Bowser Impostors, these Bowsers have more of a mint-green body with a brown muzzle instead of the normal color. This type of Bowser is a magical copy of the real one; it also breathes fire and throws [[hammer]]s in all levels encountered except in World D-4, where it is a Spiny which breathes fire, just like the one at the end of the level.
====''Super Mario Run''====
In ''[[Super Mario Run]]'', fake Bowsers appear at the end of [[castle]] courses, excluding [[World 6 (Super Mario Run)|World 6]]'s [[Bowser's Bob-ombing Run]] and [[Make the Cut!]] which have the real Bowser. [[World 1 (Super Mario Run)| World 1]]'s castle, [[Bowser's Castle Hangout]], has a Goomba as the Fake Bowser. [[World 3 (Super Mario Run)|World 3]]'s [[Fire Bar Castle! Youch!]] has a Green Koopa Troopa as the Fake Bowser, and [[World 5 (Super Mario Run)|World 5]]'s [[Rings of Fire!]] has a Buzzy Beetle as the Fake Bowser. They walk back and forth along their bridge, occasionally shooting a [[Bowser's Flames|Bowser's Flame]], jumping, or jumping and briefly staying in the air to shoot a Bowser's Flame. A [[Pause Block]] is placed directly before the bridge, and a cutscene forces the player to stop on it the first time the player enters the area per run of the course. Fire Bar Castle! Youch! adds a [[Fire Bar]], while Rings of Fire! adds a [[Fire Chain]]. An [[Axe]] on the other side collapses the bridge, causing the Fake Bowser to reveal its true identity before falling into the lava.


====''Super Mario All-Stars''====
Fake Bowsers do not have an entry in the Notebook. Rather, a Fake Bowser counts as the enemy using the disguise. Thus, the results screen for a course shows that enemy, and adds one to the number of that enemy defeated for the purposes of [[level up|leveling up]] that enemy.
In ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'', they also lack their alternate coloration and look identical to Bowser. Because of this and the fact that this Bowser is the only Bowser that appears in World 9, players unaware of the original version of the game have mistaken them for the real Bowser. However, one means of distinguishing them from the real Bowser is the music that plays; the real Bowser's music is different.


On a side note, all Bowser Impostors in Worlds 9-D only throw hammers in the ''Super Mario All-Stars'' remake. Strangely, the real Bowser in World D-4 also only uses hammers, unlike in World 8-4, where he uses hammers and spits fire.
In Remix 10, some areas end in castles, with the [[VS Bowser]] course. A Fake Bowser must be defeated, through the same means as before. For doing so, the player receives all three of the course's [[Bonus Medal]]s. The Fake Bowser is always the disguised form of a Goomba. VS Bowser allows the player to enter with a [[Super Star]] or while [[Invincible Mario|invincible]], and touching a Fake Bowser while invincible defeats it instantly. It is knocked off the bridge without losing the disguise. Area 30's version instead has the real Bowser.


====''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''====
===''Super Mario Party Jamboree''===
In ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', a Bowser Impostor appears as a boss in the e-world level "Classic World 1-4", where it plays a similar role to that played in ''Super Mario Bros.'', though it looks identical to the game's real Bowser. It is revealed that the Bowser Impostor is a Goomba after being defeated.
{{new subject|section=yes}}
{{quote|Bet you didn't see that coming. Bye-bye, Toady! Hello, humongous Impostor Bowser!|Kamek|Super Mario Party Jamboree}}
In ''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'', [[Kamek]] transforms a [[Toady]] into a massive fake Bowser called Impostor Bowser. Unlike other Fake Bowsers, Impostor Bowser has a purple glow and Magikoopa magic symbols coming out of him. He replaces Bowser himself as the host of [[Bowser Space]]s due to Bowser being a playable character.


====''Super Mario 3D Land''====
Impostor Bowser appears prominently on the [[King Bowser's Keep]] board, where he is in the middle of the Bowser Byway. Periodically, he will change the direction of travel and transform more spaces on the byway into Bowser Spaces. Uniquely on this board, he will grab players that land on Bowser Spaces instead of them being transported to another location. He also serves as the boss of that board in the Party-Planner Trek mode, being faced in the [[Bowser Crashers]] [[minigame]].
[[File:SM3DL - False Bowser Screenshot.png|thumb|Screenshot of a Bowser Impostor from ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''.]]
Bowser Impostors appear in the [[Nintendo 3DS]] game, ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''. They have [[Tanooki]] tails like [[Tanooki Mario]], and they attack in a similar way as in ''Super Mario Bros.'', breathing several giant fireballs from a far place and jumping around the stage.


However, unlike in ''Super Mario Bros.'', only two Bowser Impostors appear: one in {{world|1|castle}} and the other in {{world|5|castle}}. They are also immune to [[Fire Mario]]'s fireballs and any other projectiles. In order to defeat a Bowser Impostor, Mario or Luigi has to press a switch at the end of bridge to make it collapse and send the Bowser Impostor into the lava. After falling into the lava, Bowser Impostors bounce upwards and show their true forms with a [[Super Leaf]] beside them. The Bowser Impostor in World 1 is actually a [[Goomba]], while the one in World 5 was a [[Magikoopa]].
Aside from Mario Party mode, Impostor Bowser is also a focal point in the "Bowser Challenges", Koopathlon and Bowser Kaboom Squad. Both involve surviving attacks from Impostor Bowser, with the ultimate goal of the latter being to defeat him within the time limit.


===''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''===
==List of appearances==
A Bowser Impostor makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''. It is seen in a special area inside [[Bowser's Castle]], which is a side-scrolling level imitating a ''Super Mario Bros.'' level, and appears at the end of that level. The Bowser Impostor appears to be made of cardboard, and Mario must run underneath him and hit the [[axe]] to make him fall.
{|class="wikitable sortable" width=100%
!width=50%|Title
!width=20%|Description
!width=20%|Release date
!width=10%|Format
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
|Boss
|1985
|[[Family Computer]] / [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''
|Boss
|1986
|[[Family Computer Disk System]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''
|Boss
|1993
|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World]]''
|Boss
|1994
|Super Nintendo Entertainment System
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]''
|Boss
|1999
|[[Game Boy Color]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
|Boss
|2003
|[[Game Boy Advance]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition]]''
|Boss
|2010
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[Super Mario Run]]''
|Boss
|2016
|iOS, Android
|-
|''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]''
|Boss
|2024
|[[Nintendo Switch]]
|}


===''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games''===
==Gallery==
A Bowser Impostor appears as a boss in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'', specifically in the Mario version of [[Dream Figure Skating]]. The appearances of the stage and its boss are based off ''Super Mario 3D Land''. He chases the team across a giant collapsing bridge, spitting fireballs at them. The team must hits four buttons at the same time to cause the Bowser Impostor to fall into lava, where he turns into a Goomba and a Super Leaf.
<gallery>
SMB W1-4 Fake Bowser revealed Screenshot.png|The fake Bowser of World 1's true form: a Goomba
Bowser_Impostor_All-Stars_Version.png|A fake Bowser in ''Super Mario All-Stars''
BowserMP8.png|Artwork from ''Super Mario Run''
SuperMarioRun - screen3.jpg|The first fake Bowser in ''Super Mario Run''
</gallery>
{{br|right}}
{{br|right}}


===''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''===
==Names in other languages==
According to one of the randomly generated tips in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', Bowser's eighth alternate coloration in these games is based upon the Bowser Impostor that appears in World 8-4 of ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''.<ref name=Smash/>
===Fake Bowser===
{{foreign names
|Jap=にせクッパ<ref name=SMBsite>{{cite|author=[[Nintendo]]|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/characters/smb/index.html|language=ja|title=CHARACTERS of ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario Bros. 2''|date=2020|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=March 20, 2021|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210074011/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/characters/smb/index.html|archivedate=February 10, 2021|deadlink=yes}}</ref>
|JapR=Nise Kuppa
|JapM=Fake Bowser
|JapN=Shared with [[Bowser Clone]]
|Dut=Nep-Bowser
|DutM=Fake Bowser
|Fre=Faux Bowser
|FreM=Fake Bowser
|Ger=Falscher Bowser
|GerM=Fake Bowser
|Ita=Finto Bowser
|ItaM=Fake Bowser
|Ita2M=Fake Bowser
|ItaC=<ref>{{cite|date=November 15, 2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia]]''|publisher=Magazzini Salani|language=it|isbn=889367436X|page=22}}</ref>
|ItaN=''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia''
|Kor=가짜 쿠파
|KorR=Gajja Kupa
|KorM=Fake Bowser
|Rus=Поддельный Боузер
|RusR=Poddelny Bouzer
|RusM=Fake Bowser
|Rus2=Лже-Боузер
|Rus2R=Lzhe-Bouzer
|Rus2M=False Bowser
|Rus2N=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|Spa=Bowser falso
|SpaM=Fake Bowser
}}


==Gallery==
===Impostor Bowser===
<center><gallery>
{{foreign names
File:FalseBowsa.PNG|Bowser Impostor from World 1-4.
|Jap=ニセクッパ
File:FalseBowsa2.PNG|Bowser Impostor of World 1's true form: a Goomba.
|JapR=Nise Kuppa
File:Superstarfalse.PNG|Bowser Impostor in ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''.
|JapM=Fake Bowser
</gallery></center>
|JapC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Japanese website|url=nintendo.com/jp/switch/a7hla/index.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|accessdate=October 14, 2024}}</ref>
{{br|right}}
|Dut=Nep-Bowser
|DutM=Fake Bowser
|DutC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Dutch game page|url=nintendo.com/nl-nl/Games/Nintendo-Switch-games/Super-Mario-Party-Jamboree-2591147.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=nl|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|Fre=Faux Bowser
|FreM=Fake Bowser
|FreC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Canadian French game page|url=nintendo.com/fr-ca/store/products/super-mario-party-jamboree-switch/|publisher=Nintendo|language=Canadian French|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official European French game page|url=nintendo.com/fr-fr/Jeux/Jeux-Nintendo-Switch/Super-Mario-Party-Jamboree-2591147.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=fr|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|Ger=Trug-Bowser
|GerM=Deception Bowser
|GerC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official German game page|url=nintendo.com/de-de/Spiele/Nintendo-Switch-Spiele/Super-Mario-Party-Jamboree-2591147.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=de|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|Ita=Bowser finto
|ItaM=Fake Bowser
|ItaC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Italian game page|url=nintendo.com/it-it/Giochi/Giochi-per-Nintendo-Switch/Super-Mario-Party-Jamboree-2591147.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=it|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|Kor=가짜쿠파
|KorR=Gajja Kupa
|KorM=Fake Bowser
|KorC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Korean website|url=nintendo.co.kr/switch/a7hla/|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|accessdate=October 14, 2024}}</ref>
|Por=Bowser Impostor
|PorM=Impostor Bowser
|PorC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Brazilian game page|url=nintendo.com/pt-br/store/products/super-mario-party-jamboree-switch/|publisher=Nintendo|language=pt-br|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|SpaA=Bowser impostor
|SpaAM=Impostor Bowser
|SpaAC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official Mexican Spanish game page|url=nintendo.com/es-mx/store/products/super-mario-party-jamboree-switch/|publisher=Nintendo|language=es-419|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|SpaE=Bowser de pega
|SpaEM=False Bowser
|SpaEC=<ref>{{cite|title=Super Mario Party Jamboree official European Spanish game page|url=nintendo.com/es-es/Juegos/Juegos-de-Nintendo-Switch/Super-Mario-Party-Jamboree-2591147.html|publisher=Nintendo|language=es-es|accessdate=October 16, 2024}}</ref>
|Rus=Лжебоузер
|RusR=Lzhebouzer
|RusM=False Bowser
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Although not discretely noted as such, [[Bowser???]] in ''[[Paper Mario]]'' and the "Bowser" used by [[King Boo]] in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' seem to be similar bogus Bowsers.
[[File:Superstarfalse.png|thumb|A cardboard Bowser in ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''.]]
*The World 3 and C (''All-Stars'' version of ''The Lost Levels'') Bowser Impostors are the only Buzzy Beetles and Bullet Bills that can actually be defeated by fireballs.
*The World 3 and World C (original) fake Bowsers are the only Buzzy Beetles that can be defeated by fireballs (outside of ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]''), and the World C (''All-Stars'') and "You VS. Boo" 2-4 (''Deluxe'') ones are the only Bullet Bills that can be defeated by fireballs.
*In the ''All-Stars'' version of ''The Lost Levels'', Bowser Impostors that appear before the end of the stage were given Bowser's normal palette instead of the minty-green and brown palette used in the Famicom Disk System release.
**The World A and World C fake Bowsers in ''All-Stars'' are the only fake Bowsers whose true forms are right-side-up instead of upside-down.
*In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]'', an exaggerated cardboard Bowser suspended by a pair of ropes over a bridge is seen at the end of a special area inside [[Bowser's Castle]], which is a side-scrolling level imitating a ''Super Mario Bros.'' castle. [[Mario]] must move underneath the stationary object and touch the [[axe]] to make it fall.
*If the player beats [[Bowser's Sky Scuffle]] with any character barring [[Bowser Jr.]] in ''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]'', Bowser will reveal that the "Bowser" they defeated had been a decoy, which may have been a reference to the fake Bowsers.


==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references/>
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{{Koopas}}
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{{SMB3}}
{{SM3DL}}
{{SMR}}
[[Category:Enemies]]
{{SMPJ}}
[[Category:Koopas]]
[[Category:Bowser lookalikes]]
[[Category:Shapeshifters]]
[[Category:Fire creatures]]
[[Category:Bosses]]
[[Category:Bosses]]
[[Category:Koopa Troop]]
[[Category:Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros.]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels enemies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3]]
[[Category:Super Mario Party Jamboree characters]]
[[Category:Fire Creatures]]
[[Category:Super Mario Run enemies]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]
[[de:Falscher Bowser]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D Land]]
[[it:Bowser finto]]
[[Category:Forms]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Characters]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Enemies]]
[[Category:Shapeshifters]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]
[[it:Bowser Falso]]

Latest revision as of 17:33, October 31, 2024

This article is about the fake Bowsers from Super Mario Bros. For other uses, see Fake Bowser (disambiguation).
Fake Bowser
Impostor Bowser artwork for Super Mario Party Jamboree
Artwork from Super Mario Party Jamboree
First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)
Variant of Koopa
Variants
“It's shocking how much Impostor Bowser looks like the real Mr. Bowser. Magic is an amazing thing, huh?”
Lakitu, Super Mario Party Jamboree

A fake Bowser, also known as Impostor Bowser and referred to as Bowser's decoy in NES Remix, is a standard enemy that was transformed by Bowser's black magic into a copy of himself. They first appear in Super Mario Bros.

Concept and creation[edit]

The concept of fake Bowsers came about during development of Super Mario Bros. Since all enemies have their sprites flipped upside-down when they are defeated (except for Piranha Plants, which simply disappear, and Bullet Bills, which stay rightside up), one of the programmers accidentally inserted an upside-down Koopa Troopa shell when portraying Bowser's death animation as if he were defeated with fireballs. The developers liked this idea, and as a result, this idea was extended to most of the Bowser battles in the game.[1]

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels / Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[edit]

Fire Mario encounters the Fake Bowser in World 1-4 of Super Mario Bros.
The fake Bowser from World 1-4 in Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario Bros., the seven fake Bowsers are placed in each castle, with Bowser's Castle containing the real one. Defeating a fake Bowser with five fireballs reveals that they are really just common enemies disguised as Bowser. The enemies and their abilities are the following:

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels additional worlds (in the Super Mario All-Stars version, the final fake Bowser is now replaced with the actual Bowser):

  • World A: Goomba - fire (FDS) / Red Koopa Troopa - hammer (All-Stars)
  • World B: Green Koopa Troopa - fire (FDS) / Green Cheep-Cheep - hammer (All-Stars)
  • World C: Buzzy Beetle - fire (FDS) / Bullet Bill - hammer (All-Stars)
  • World D: Spiny - fire (FDS)

The "You VS. Boo" challenge of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe:

Like Bowser, the blue Bowser's Brother in World D-4 is also a fake revealed to be a Spiny when defeated with fireballs, and only breathes fire. In Super Mario All-Stars, both of these fakes are replaced with the real ones that only throw hammers, although Bowser's Brother is now green and looks identical to his twin. Due to All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. also featuring Worlds A-D, all of the fake Bowsers from those worlds return, including the fake Bowser's Brother in World D-4.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, a fake Bowser appears as a boss in the World-e level Classic World 1-4, where it plays a similar role to that played in Super Mario Bros., though it looks identical to the game's real Bowser. It is revealed that the fake Bowser is a Goomba if it is defeated with fireballs.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

While typical fake Bowsers do not appear in Super Mario 3D Land, variants powered by Super Leaves known as Tail Bowsers make their first appearance.

Super Mario Run[edit]

In Super Mario Run, fake Bowsers appear at the end of castle courses, excluding World 6's Bowser's Bob-ombing Run and Make the Cut! which have the real Bowser. World 1's castle, Bowser's Castle Hangout, has a Goomba as the Fake Bowser. World 3's Fire Bar Castle! Youch! has a Green Koopa Troopa as the Fake Bowser, and World 5's Rings of Fire! has a Buzzy Beetle as the Fake Bowser. They walk back and forth along their bridge, occasionally shooting a Bowser's Flame, jumping, or jumping and briefly staying in the air to shoot a Bowser's Flame. A Pause Block is placed directly before the bridge, and a cutscene forces the player to stop on it the first time the player enters the area per run of the course. Fire Bar Castle! Youch! adds a Fire Bar, while Rings of Fire! adds a Fire Chain. An Axe on the other side collapses the bridge, causing the Fake Bowser to reveal its true identity before falling into the lava.

Fake Bowsers do not have an entry in the Notebook. Rather, a Fake Bowser counts as the enemy using the disguise. Thus, the results screen for a course shows that enemy, and adds one to the number of that enemy defeated for the purposes of leveling up that enemy.

In Remix 10, some areas end in castles, with the VS Bowser course. A Fake Bowser must be defeated, through the same means as before. For doing so, the player receives all three of the course's Bonus Medals. The Fake Bowser is always the disguised form of a Goomba. VS Bowser allows the player to enter with a Super Star or while invincible, and touching a Fake Bowser while invincible defeats it instantly. It is knocked off the bridge without losing the disguise. Area 30's version instead has the real Bowser.

Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]

This section is referring to a subject in an upcoming or recently released game. When the game is released, or more information about this subject is found, this section may need major rewriting.
This notice should be removed after a month has passed since the game was first released.

“Bet you didn't see that coming. Bye-bye, Toady! Hello, humongous Impostor Bowser!”
Kamek, Super Mario Party Jamboree

In Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kamek transforms a Toady into a massive fake Bowser called Impostor Bowser. Unlike other Fake Bowsers, Impostor Bowser has a purple glow and Magikoopa magic symbols coming out of him. He replaces Bowser himself as the host of Bowser Spaces due to Bowser being a playable character.

Impostor Bowser appears prominently on the King Bowser's Keep board, where he is in the middle of the Bowser Byway. Periodically, he will change the direction of travel and transform more spaces on the byway into Bowser Spaces. Uniquely on this board, he will grab players that land on Bowser Spaces instead of them being transported to another location. He also serves as the boss of that board in the Party-Planner Trek mode, being faced in the Bowser Crashers minigame.

Aside from Mario Party mode, Impostor Bowser is also a focal point in the "Bowser Challenges", Koopathlon and Bowser Kaboom Squad. Both involve surviving attacks from Impostor Bowser, with the ultimate goal of the latter being to defeat him within the time limit.

List of appearances[edit]

Title Description Release date Format
Super Mario Bros. Boss 1985 Family Computer / Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Boss 1986 Family Computer Disk System
Super Mario All-Stars Boss 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Boss 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Boss 1999 Game Boy Color
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Boss 2003 Game Boy Advance
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Boss 2010 Wii
Super Mario Run Boss 2016 iOS, Android
Super Mario Party Jamboree Boss 2024 Nintendo Switch

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Fake Bowser[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese にせクッパ[2]
Nise Kuppa
Fake Bowser Shared with Bowser Clone
Dutch Nep-Bowser[?] Fake Bowser
French Faux Bowser[?] Fake Bowser
German Falscher Bowser[?] Fake Bowser
Italian Finto Bowser[3] Fake Bowser Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia
Korean 가짜 쿠파[?]
Gajja Kupa
Fake Bowser
Russian Поддельный Боузер[?]
Poddelny Bouzer
Fake Bowser
Лже-Боузер[?]
Lzhe-Bouzer
False Bowser Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Spanish Bowser falso[?] Fake Bowser

Impostor Bowser[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ニセクッパ[4]
Nise Kuppa
Fake Bowser
Dutch Nep-Bowser[5] Fake Bowser
French Faux Bowser[6][7] Fake Bowser
German Trug-Bowser[8] Deception Bowser
Italian Bowser finto[9] Fake Bowser
Korean 가짜쿠파[10]
Gajja Kupa
Fake Bowser
Portuguese Bowser Impostor[11] Impostor Bowser
Russian Лжебоузер[?]
Lzhebouzer
False Bowser
Spanish (NOA) Bowser impostor[12] Impostor Bowser
Spanish (NOE) Bowser de pega[13] False Bowser

Trivia[edit]

Cardboard Bowser
A cardboard Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
  • The World 3 and World C (original) fake Bowsers are the only Buzzy Beetles that can be defeated by fireballs (outside of Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!), and the World C (All-Stars) and "You VS. Boo" 2-4 (Deluxe) ones are the only Bullet Bills that can be defeated by fireballs.
    • The World A and World C fake Bowsers in All-Stars are the only fake Bowsers whose true forms are right-side-up instead of upside-down.
  • In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, an exaggerated cardboard Bowser suspended by a pair of ropes over a bridge is seen at the end of a special area inside Bowser's Castle, which is a side-scrolling level imitating a Super Mario Bros. castle. Mario must move underneath the stationary object and touch the axe to make it fall.
  • If the player beats Bowser's Sky Scuffle with any character barring Bowser Jr. in Mario Party: Island Tour, Bowser will reveal that the "Bowser" they defeated had been a decoy, which may have been a reference to the fake Bowsers.

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://www.giantbomb.com/false-bowser/3015-8320/[better source needed]
  2. ^ Nintendo (2020). CHARACTERS of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo (Japanese). Archived February 10, 2021 from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  3. ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 22.
  4. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Japanese website. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Dutch game page. Nintendo (Dutch). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Canadian French game page. Nintendo (Canadian French). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official European French game page. Nintendo (French). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official German game page. Nintendo (German). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Italian game page. Nintendo (Italian). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Korean website. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Brazilian game page. Nintendo (Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official Mexican Spanish game page. Nintendo (Latin American Spanish). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  13. ^ Super Mario Party Jamboree official European Spanish game page. Nintendo (European Spanish). Retrieved October 16, 2024.