Shrowser
- “Mmm... I can feel a power burning in my belly! What in the world did you feed me?”
- —Shrowser, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Shrowser is the form that Bowser takes after ingesting the mushroom of the Elder Princess Shroob. He is the final boss to be encountered in the game Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time; oddly, the boss battle is more like a mini-game. After Bowser ate the purple mushroom that held the essence of Elder Princess Shroob, he got possessed by her. Mario, Luigi, and their baby forms had to fight this new threat in Princess Peach's Castle.
This fight is unique because, as Shrowser says, the player cannot attack. In order to defeat Shrowser, the player must Jump over or hit back with the Hammer 20 fireballs, 10 fire orbs, or a combination of both, in order to destroy purple mushrooms, which indicate Shrowser's life. After destroying all mushrooms, Elder Princess Shroob will disappear, causing Bowser to faint. The bros. cannot heal, so they must be careful not to take damage in the fight.
While Bowser is possessed, he retains his normal appearance (for the most part) and personality, although he flashes purple, has purple clouds around him, purple eyes and an afterimage effect (probably showing his high speed, thus explaining why Mario and Luigi cannot attack).
The music during the Shrowser battle is the same as during the earlier battle against Bowser with his baby counterpart.
Shrowser's attacks can be countered by looking at the Elder Princess Shroob. She will point with her left or right hand. If she points with her right hand, Shrowser will attack the two Marios. If she points with the left hand, Shrowser will attack the two Luigis.
Names in Other Languages
Because the brothers are unable to attack, the name "Shrowser" never appears in-game. However, it does appear as a string in the ROM. This string is translated in some releases of the game, revealing probable names for Shrowser in those languages.[1]
Trivia
- Unlike Bowletta and Dark Bowser, who retain the personality and characteristics of their original forms (Cackletta and the Dark Star, respectively), Shrowser still retains the original Bowser's personality, despite being possessed by Elder Princess Shroob's ghost. His pre-battle dialogue even indicates that he may be unaware of Elder Princess Shroob's presence.
- Shrowser is one of two bosses in the series who can only be defeated by countering and countering only. The other boss is Thunder Sass from Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, although Items were allowed in that fight.
- On Super Mario-Kun, Baby Bowser was the one to eat the Shroob Mushroom.
- Because the fireball barrage will still continue after all of Shrowser's mushrooms are destroyed, it is possible that all the bros. can be defeated during the remaining barrage and both sides would lose all their health. In this case, Bowser does not faint, and it will result as a game over for the bros.
