Bowser (character)

Bowser (/ˈbaʊzər/; known in Japan as Koopa (クッパ, Kuppa)) is a video game character and the primary antagonist of Nintendo's Mario franchise. In Japan, the character bears the title of Daimaō (大魔王, lit. "Great Demon King"). In the United States, the character was first referred to as "Bowser, King of the Koopa" and "The sorcerer king" in the Super Mario Bros. instruction manual. Bowser is the leader and most powerful of the turtle-like Koopa race, and has been the enemy of Mario ever since Bowser's first appearance, in the game Super Mario Bros.

His ultimate goals are to kidnap and marry Princess Peach, defeat Mario, and conquer the fictional Mushroom Kingdom. Since his debut, he has appeared in almost every Mario franchise game, usually serving as the main antagonist. Bowser has been called "the most successful video game character". Currently, Bowser is voiced by Kenny James. In addition to his usual animated and video game appearances, he also appears in 1993 critically reviled live-action film, where he is portrayed by Dennis Hopper. In the movie he is shown as the crooked and corrupt President/King Koopa, unopposed king and acting president of Dinohattan. Unlike his in-game counterpart, President Koopa is a humanoid of reptilian inter-dimensional origin, descending from the Tyrannosaurus Rex (most people in Koopa's dimension descend from dinosaurs, as well).

Character

Character(s) may refer to:

Art and entertainment

Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. (known as Koopa Jr. (Japanese: クッパＪｒ., Hepburn: Kuppa Junia) in Japan), or sometimes simply Jr., is a video game character who appears in Nintendo's Mario franchise as a recurring antagonist. As his name implies, he is the son of the series' primary antagonist, Bowser. Since his debut in Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. has been a recurring character in the Mario series, and has been made playable in several spin-offs, such as Mario Superstar Baseball, Mario Strikers Charged, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. He wants to do nothing more than his father's will (kidnap Princess Peach and defeat Mario).

Design and characteristics

Bowser Jr. is a yellow-skinned Koopa similar to his father with the same yellow and tan skin complexion, as well as a light green head and a tuft of red hair. He has one small tooth in his mouth and a large snout, as well as small circular eyes that are beady and black in color. His shell is lined with a green encasing with small white spikes. By contrast, Junior typically wears a white bandanna (garment) that's decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask (however it is absent in Mario Strikers Charged, and he wore a blue bandanna with Mario's mustache in Super Mario Sunshine).This bandanna is also often worn over his stomach. Bowser Jr. also has two metal wristbands, while Bowser wears four that are all spiked.

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as Dairantō Smash Brothers (Japanese: 大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ, Hepburn: Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu, lit. "Great Melee Smash Brothers"), is a series of crossover fighting games published by Nintendo, that primarily featuring characters from franchises established on its systems. All five games have been directed by Masahiro Sakurai.

The gameplay objective differs from that of traditional fighters by aiming to knock opponents out of the stage instead of depleting life bars. The original Super Smash Bros., released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, had a small budget and was originally a Japan-only release, but its domestic success led to a worldwide release. The series achieved even greater success with the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee, which was released in 2001 for the GameCube and became the best-selling game on that system. A third installment, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was released in 2008 for the Wii. Although HAL Laboratory has been the developer of the first two titles, the third game was developed through the collaboration of several companies. The fourth and fifth installments,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, were released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, respectively. The 3DS installment was the first series title to be released on a handheld platform.

Super Mario

Super Mario (Japanese: スーパーマリオ, Hepburn: Sūpā Mario) is a series of platform video games created by Nintendo featuring their mascot, Mario. Alternatively called the Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ, Sūpā Mario Burazāzu) series or simply the Mario (マリオ) series, it is the central series of the greater Mario franchise. At least one Super Mario game has been released for every major Nintendo video game console and handheld.

The Super Mario games follow Mario's adventures in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, usually with Mario as the player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and occasionally by other members of the Mario cast. As in platform video games, the player runs and jumps across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario rescuing the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first title in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established gameplay concepts and elements prevalent in nearly every Super Mario game since. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give Mario special magic powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing into giant and miniature sizes.