- This article is about Bowser's actual castle. For World 8 of Super Mario Bros. 3, also known as "Castle of Koopa" or "Bowser's Castle", see Dark Land. For the greater location of Bowser's Castle in Super Mario Odyssey, see Bowser's Kingdom. For other uses, see Bowser's Castle (disambiguation).
- Not to be confused with Castle Bowser or Neo Bowser Castle.
- "Gee, it's only the best castle ever made! Take a look from a distance! Powerful and awe-inspiring design choices slap your face! It's like looking at me!"
- —Bowser
Bowser's Castle (or simply Bowser Castle) is a recurring location in the Mario franchise. It is the domicile of the Koopa villain Bowser and the base of operations for his army. The castle's name, design and greater location vary from game to game, but the castle is usually a Western-themed castle and situated in a volcanic wasteland, and is characteristically an important base from which the Koopa King formulates his plans and summons his minions to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and carry out the capture of Princess Peach. Bowser's Castle is usually the final area that Mario and his friends visit to defeat Bowser and rescue Peach and is usually guarded by Bowser's most powerful minions. In the Super Mario spin-offs, the castle can serve as a go-kart course, a tennis court, a baseball stadium, etc., depending on the sport the game is based on.
In Super Mario series[]
Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[]
Bowser's Castle first appears in Super Mario Bros. at the end of World 8. In World 8-3, Mario battles Bowser's forces outside of the castle, which can be seen in the background; in World 8-4, Mario ventures into the castle itself, where he battles and defeats Bowser in order to save Princess Toadstool. It is also the setting of World 8-4 in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, except is shown to be located in the sky at the end of World 8-3. Additionally, it appears in World D-3 and D-4, where it is instead grounded. In Super Mario All-Stars, Bowser's Castle is easily distinguished from the other castles by having thunder and lightning flash in the background.
Super Mario Bros. 3[]
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Bowser's stronghold (as well as Bowser himself) is not seen until the very end of his kingdom, Dark Land (which is also called "Bowser's Castle" in later remakes). The mentioned castle itself is one of the longest levels in the game and is where Bowser is keeping Princess Toadstool captive. The map icon is animated in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. It is also the only actual castle level in the game.
Super Mario World[]
In Super Mario World, Bowser's Castle is found in the Valley of Bowser. There are two ways of entering the castle and many ways to reach the end of the level. There are two main corridors where Mario or Luigi will have to choose one of four possible doors. The player can also reach the Castle by using the Star Road that leads them to the front gate, bypassing the rest of the Valley of Bowser entirely. To get to the back gate, the player had to find the secondary exit in Valley of Bowser 2 and go through Valley Fortress. This takes the player straight to Back Door, skipping most of the level. The castle itself featured a neon sign with Bowser's name spelled out. Bowser is also seen flying in the background of the castle in his Koopa Clown Car, albeit in silhouette during occasional thunderclaps and his eyes glowing in the darkness otherwise. In Super Mario Advance 2, he is absent entirely after the level is cleared.
New Super Mario Bros.[]
Bowser's Castle in New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser's Castle is relatively similar in appearance to the one in Super Mario World. It is found rising out of a lake of lava and is at the end of a twelve-level-long path. Once inside, Mario/Luigi will encounter Thwomps, Dry Bones, burners, as well as Podoboos. The ? Switches in the castle have an unusual effect; once pressed, the gravity of the castle will invert and the Player, along with any enemies (excluding burners) will have their positions inverted. The second part of the castle is a looping room, similar to Worlds 4-4 and 7-4 of Super Mario Bros., with lots of lava, a single Podoboo and a single Fire Bar. Once the final boss door is reached at the castle's end, the Player will have to battle both Bowser Jr. and Bowser.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
Bowser's Castle in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Bowser's Castle about to collapse.
Bowser is again fought in his castle in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. After clearing World 8-
for the first time, the characters reunite with Princess Peach before Kamek takes her to Bowser's Castle, which was hidden behind a rock wall in the northern part of World 8. The wall then recedes, revealing the castle, and Bowser's evil laugh is heard as Kamek swoops down into the castle with Peach. The characters go through three parts: The first is a normal side-scrolling area with lava, Lava Bubbles and Fire Bars. The second part is a vertical area with draining lava which auto-scrolls downwards, more Fire Bars and some Dry Bones trying to stop Mario. The third is Bowser's lair. In the final battle, Kamek casts a spell to make Bowser grow massive and he chases Mario and the rest of the characters through his castle.
Later after the final battle, when six of the Koopalings flip Bowser on his belly, the castle starts falling down on top of them.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[]
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Bowser's Castle appears in the mission Breaking into Bowser's Castle.
Super Mario 3D Land[]
Bowser has two castles in Super Mario 3D Land, both located in World 8. The first castle is the World 8 Castle. Its appearance is similar to castles of the previous titles, as well as the previous castle levels in the game. At the end of the castle Mario fights Bowser and defeats him by pressing the switch at the end of the bridge, causing Bowser to sink in the lava below. Mario makes his way to Peach (which can previously be seen in the level using a pair of binoculars), only to discover that it is just a cardboard cutout. Bowser then appears with the real Peach in hand and flees to his larger castle, which is the true Bowser's Castle.
The real Bowser's Castle differs from previous castle levels, as Mario spends much of it riding Bone Roller Coasters. Mario then reaches a cannon which launches him to a tower with another cannon on it, which Mario uses to reach Bowser's tower. No Checkpoint Flags are found in this level, although there is an invisible checkpoint at the start of Bowser's fight. Mario then walks to the big red door and enters. Peach is tied up to the flagpole, but before Mario can rescue her, Bowser falls from above and attempts to crush Mario, which causes the floor to collapse and the final battle begins. Bowser attacks Mario with fireballs, spiked balls and barrels as Mario makes his way up the castle until they reach the second bridge. Mario tricks Bowser into clearing the path to the switch, which Mario presses, causing the bridge to collapse and Bowser to fall. However, as Mario continues to make his way up the castle, Bowser returns and pursues Mario, breathing purple flames which jet towards Mario, until they reach the final bridge, in which Bowser chases Mario until Mario reaches the final switch, which he presses, once again causing the bridge to explode, sending Bowser falling into the lava. Mario then rescues Peach and they head back home.
After completing the Special Worlds, Bowser kidnaps Peach again and Mario must return to his castle to defeat him and save Peach once again.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[]
Bowser's Castle reappears in World 6 of New Super Mario Bros. 2. Like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario and Luigi face Bowser twice at the end of the castle. Its appearance in this game is again similar to that of New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. U[]
Although Bowser's Castle itself does not appear in New Super Mario Bros. U, Bowser after capturing Peach's Castle in the beginning of the game starts renovating the castle to better resemble his own castle, ultimately succeeding by the time Mario fights Bowser Jr. for the final time.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[]
Bowser's Castle as it appears in Super Mario 3D World.
In Super Mario 3D World, Bowser's Castle reappears as World Castle, the seventh world of the game. The castle appears to be floating high above the Sprixie Kingdom, the game's setting. A second castle appears in World Bowser, the game's final world, and is themed after an amusement park.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[]
In Super Mario Maker, Bowser's Castle appears in the 10 Mario Challenges and the 100 Mario Challenges.
Super Mario Odyssey[]
In Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser's Castle is located in Bowser's Kingdom. The castle featured in the game was constructed specifically for Bowser's wedding with Princess Peach.[1] Unlike in most games, in which the castle has a Western design, the castle featured in this game is traditional Japanese castle, with a concentric series of walls and baileys, a traditional garden and tea house, and a central keep. Instead of the usual lava, its moats are filled with poison.
Super Mario Maker 2[]
In Super Mario Maker 2, Bowser's Castle appears as a background cameo in castle-themed Super Mario 3D World courses. In the version 3.0.0 update, it also appears as a world part for World Maker.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[]
Castle Bowser in Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Although the location itself does not make an appearance, a variation is used for the game where Bowser merged with his Koopa Clown Car and Prince Florian's castle to become Castle Bowser via the Wonder Flower's power. He uses this form to conquer portions of the Flower Kingdom.
In Mario Discovery series[]
Mario is Missing![]
Bowser's Castle in Mario is Missing!
Bowser's Castle is the main setting of the game Mario is Missing!, but instead of being located in the Koopa Kingdom, like in the other games, this castle is located in Antarctica. It contains many doors with portals to various cities around the real world.
Mario's Time Machine[]
The castle is also the main setting for the MS-DOS and SNES versions of the game Mario's Time Machine, specifically as the location of Bowser's Museum. In the NES version, Bowser's Museum is instead a separate building.
In Mario Kart series[]
A new Bowser's Castle course has appeared in every Mario Kart game to date. It is one of three settings with this property, alongside Mario Circuit and Rainbow Road. Unlike them, this even extends to titles outside the main series. Super Mario Kart introduces three Bowser's Castles, while Mario Kart: Super Circuit introduces four. While Mario Kart Tour does not introduce a fully unique Bowser's Castle course, it does feature RMX Bowser's Castle 1, a remix course based on Super Circuit's versions, particularly GBA Bowser's Castle 1.
Starting from Super Circuit, Bowser's Castle courses are the third course of the Special Cup. They typically feature lava, Thwomps, dangerous jumps, and giant statues of Bowser attacking the racers.
In addition to these, the Bowser's Castle from Paper Mario can be seen in the Mario Kart: Super Circuit version of Rainbow Road.
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[]
Bowser's Keep in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Bowser's Keep in the Nintendo Switch remake of Super Mario RPG
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the castle is localized "Bowser's Keep" and is isolated on a mountain of red, jagged rocks. The keep rests on the largest rock, which resembles Bowser himself. The castle can only be accessed by a long bridge that connects to the faraway Vista Hill. The halls of Bowser's Keep are lined with statues of Koopas of unclear type. The castle is originally guarded by Terrapin soldiers. At the very beginning of the game during a standard princess rescue, Mario goes through an entry room, a heavily guarded hallway, and a lava-filled room with bridges (the second of which collapses, being later replaced with Donut Lifts), before battling Bowser atop a chandelier in a large room.
The rescue is interrupted by the gigantic sword Exor crashing into the keep, scattering everyone inside. Exor destroys the bridge and proclaims the keep the new base of the Smithy Gang in Mario's world. Since Exor is the gateway to Smithy's dimension, the soldiers of the Smithy Gang have an easy time taking control of the castle. In fact, many of Bowser's soldiers defect or run away instead of fighting.
Eventually, Mario and his team make it back to the keep using the royal bus from Nimbus Land. After traveling through the original rooms, now full of stronger versions of early-game enemies, such as Terra Cottas, Pro Goombas, and Malakoopas, intermixed with some larger enemies. After passing through the room where Mario and Bowser fought in the beginning, they travel through a dark, twisted hall and meet up with the thief Croco, who offers to sell them items. Following this is a challenge of six doors known as the Six-Door Chamber. After four of the six are completed, they fall from a doorway into a tall room and get into a battle against the brainwashed Wizakoopa. After being defeated and freed from his mind control, Wizakoopa creates a magic treasure box and offers free healing, while a nearby Croco sells better items than before. The next room is a long hall filled with Thwomps (including a large one), while Blazers are shot from off-screen and lead to battle against Big Blasters if touched. The final room is a copy of the Bowser fight room and is held by Boomer. Once Boomer is defeated, the group is taken to the roof, where they battle Exor.
In the epilogue, Exor crumbles to dust, and the castle is shown being repaired by the reestablished Koopa Troop.
In Paper Mario series[]
Paper Mario[]
Bowser's Castle in the sky
A Guard Door in the castle
In Paper Mario, a new Bowser's Castle is secretly built right underneath Peach's Castle and Bowser lifts it into the sky, kidnapping Princess Peach, along with her castle. The power used to lift the whole castle into the sky is the Star Spirits' and the Star Rod's power, both of which Bowser had stolen from Star Haven. Bowser also jails the Toad Minister and nine other Toads, a Dryite and a Bumpty who failed to escape during Princess Peach's party. There are two Toad Houses (made from the slate in the prison), a shop run by a Spiked Goomba, Storehouse and three Guard Doors. In the end, Mario manages to take back the Star Rod as well as save Princess Peach and her castle. Bowser's Castle, meanwhile, ended up destroyed alongside the nearby Power Platform, the latter due to it undergoing a meltdown due to the intensity of Mario and Bowser's fight. In this game, Bowser's Castle looks bigger than Peach's.
Notable residents include:
There is also a bored Spiked Goomba who sells items without Bowser's consent (Storehouse), and two Toads who make Toad Houses with the slate in the prisons.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[]
Bowser's Castle in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bowser's Castle does not play a major role, as only the outside and a hallway are seen. Its appearance is mainly to show Kammy Koopa explaining to Bowser what happened to the Princess.
Super Paper Mario[]
In Super Paper Mario, the castle has an equally minimal role, as it is where Count Bleck kidnaps Bowser's Koopa clan and Tippi takes Mario to Flipside. This is the exact same castle seen in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. However, in The Bitlands, Bowser found a set of several smaller castles, where several of his minions were located. After Mario destroyed them and defeated the Koopa King, the Princess convinced him to join them on their quest.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[]
Like in the first Paper Mario, Bowser's castle is the final area in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. It is initially disguised as a cliffhead. However, after Mario collects all Royal Stickers, he manages to reveal via paperization the true form of the cliff. Bowser causes castle to float to prevent Mario from entering, although Flutter helps Mario arrive. Mario later defeats Kamek in this castle and later defeated Bowser (who is currently using the sixth Royal Sticker after he accidentally obtained it).
Paper Mario: Color Splash[]
Black Bowser's Castle
Bowser's Castle, called Black Bowser's Castle in-game, appears as the final area in Paper Mario: Color Splash. It is on a floating island with an appearance similar to that of Bowser's Sky Castle, but with warp pipes leading into the rock.
The castle's entry hall consists of a hallway where Princess Peach's portrait is initially seen, just out of reach. When Mario attempts to lower it, a trapdoor opens, leading to a confrontation with Roy Koopa. A door in the pit leads to a factory where all of the stolen paint from Prism Island is brought and mixed into black paint, which is then used to color weapons such as Banzai Bills and Bob-ombs, which Black Bowser intends to use to paint the world black. Mario manages to destroy the tank holding the black paint, flooding the factory. The factory also has a warp pipe leading back to the entry hall.
Behind the wall where Peach's portrait was seen is a hallway leading to Bowser's throne room, with the princess now hanging above the throne. After Black Bowser is defeated, the castle begins to collapse from the black paint. Mario, Luigi, and Peach escape while Huey stays behind and, to ensure the black paint does not fall into the ocean, squeezes the castle, removing the black paint and transforming it into a card.
In battle, the Black Bowser's Castle card summons the castle and crashes it into opponents. It is also powerful enough to instantly defeat Black Bowser in battle.
Paper Mario: The Origami King[]
Bowser's Castle, having crash-landed into the Shangri-Spa Banquet Hall
The interior of Bowser's Castle in Paper Mario: The Origami King
In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Bowser's Castle boasts a similar design to that of the previous two games, although the design is about the same as Black Bowser's Castle from Paper Mario: Color Splash. When Mario and Olivia first arrive at Shangri-Spa on their quest to destroy the green streamer, they catch sight of a fortress with a scary-looking face in the distance that does not blend in with the area, also noticing that the streamer leads into the fortress. They soon meet Kamek, who explains that the fortress is Bowser's Castle, where Bowser had retreated after escaping King Olly's attack on Peach's Castle at the beginning of the game, but it was overrun with Folded Soldiers upon his arrival. Kamek had attempted to engage an emergency protocol for the castle, but pressed a button that shut down its engines instead, causing the castle to crash-land into Shangri-Spa's banquet hall. As a result, those who managed to avoid getting folded were forced to clean up the spa.
The entrance to the castle is initially guarded by an origami version of Boss Sumo Bro., who can only be reached with the help of Bowser Jr. After Mario defeats Boss Sumo Bro., the gang and a whole slew of uncorrupted minions (rallied by Kamek) barge into the castle and fight their way through the opposition. In the foyer, which also doubles as a mess hall, Mario can optionally fight the Folded Soldiers and earn 1,000 coins from each battle if the enemy was not instantly defeated with a First Strike in the overworld.
After finding that a door on the castle's second floor (where Bowser Jr. is trying to push himself through) is locked, Kamek guides Mario to his room for a key to the door, but mysteriously vanishes along the way, leaving Mario to find his way to Kamek's room himself. Inside a hallway lined with five doors, each leading to a room for a species of the Koopa Troop (from left to right: Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Kamek, Hammer Bro., and Spike) and with a Bowser portrait right above the door, Mario can peek through a small window to the left of each door for a hint of what he can find inside each room. There is a Flashy Mushroom behind some crates inside the room for Goombas, an Origami Koopa Troopa behind a Treasure Chest inside the room for Koopa Troopas, Luigi inside Kamek's room, an indicator for a hidden ? Block behind a toppled chair inside the room for Hammer Bros., and an Origami Spike inside another Treasure Chest plus a glimpse of a Collectible Treasure behind that chest inside a room for Spikes. The door to Kamek's room is initially camouflaged into a wall with a portrait of King Olly right above where the door would be; Mario must dislodge that portrait by hammering the wall right below the portrait repeatedly until it falls to the ground, revealing another portrait of Bowser. By doing so, a Magic Circle appears for Mario to use the 1,000-Fold Arms to peel off the wall, revealing the door to Kamek's room. After Mario enters the room, Luigi hands him a Key to Bowser's Castle; Mario uses the key to unlock the door on the second floor that leads into another hallway, which is littered with sliced pieces of the Koopa Troop. Here, he is forced into a battle with Handaconda, which has captured Olivia.
The Dual-Bladed Duelist: Scissors, boss of Bowser's Castle and guardian of the green streamer
After defeating Handaconda and freeing Olivia, Mario makes his way into the throne room, where he finds a spool for the green streamer, along with a recaptured Bowser. In that room, Mario runs into Scissors; before engaging Mario directly, Scissors sends out Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle as a warm-up for Mario. After Mario defeats Scissors in a near-death battle, a Magic Circle appears, allowing him to use the 1,000-Fold Arms to destroy the green streamer's spool. With the streamer cleared, the castle is officially back in Bowser's hands.
After being freed, Bowser directs Mario and Olivia to the castle's hangar on the first floor for a mode of transportation to Peach's Castle. First, in a room with nine Buzzy Beetle pillars arranged in a square, Mario must hammer a red button below a Bowser emblem on the west wall to activate a laser beam and hammer each pillar as necessary to create an S-shaped laser path through all nine pillars to another Bowser emblem on the north wall to unlock a door to the hangar. Inside the hangar, Mario must press a button on the left (next to the one that Kamek had pressed), which makes an airship emerge from a garage and dock itself at the hangar. Mario can read signs below the two buttons to reveal that their labels, one for "Secret Weapon" and the other for "Cut Engines" are wrong way round, for a very tiny writing on each sign states that the button's function is for the other one. After Bowser, Bowser Jr., Kamek, and the Koopa Troop board the airship, Mario must also get aboard and confirm to Bowser that he is ready to go for the airship to take off into the sky for Peach's Castle.
During the credits, a photo of Bowser Jr. and Bowser soaking in the Spring of Sanctuary shows Bowser's Castle undergoing repairs in the background.
In Mario & Luigi series[]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[]
The floating castle from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Bowser's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its 3DS remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, Bowletta goes back to the Mushroom Kingdom so she can use Bowser's Castle to attack the Beanbean Kingdom after being tricked into capturing Luigi disguised as Princess Peach, which allows him to retrieve the stolen Beanstar from the repaired Koopa Cruiser. In this game, the castle is in the sky, can breathe fire, and resembles Bowser. Towers act as the castle's "hands", and around the castle's "torso" are cannons and an opening. This flying castle design is reused in Yoshi's Island DS.
The castle acts as the final area of the game; Mario and Luigi fly there with Blablanadon near the end of the game to stop Bowletta after the latter hears about the castle attacking the Beanbean Kingdom and Prince Peasley being sent to stop it. The map of the game hides the castle throughout the majority of the game with a folded upper-left corner until it attacks Beanbean Castle Town; in the remake, the corner is not folded, and when Bowletta launches her attack, a picture of the castle is taped onto the map instead. Within the castle, the Mario Bros. must battle many of Bowser's troops and fight each of the Koopalings (some with Time Bob-ombs on their side) in their respective rooms in order to progress further, until they make it to Fawful.
After defeating Fawful, the Mario Bros. make it into the throne room where Bowletta resides. Bowletta reveals she will not only conquer the Beanbean Kingdom, but the Mushroom Kingdom as well, and attacks the Mario Bros. They fight and seemingly defeat Bowletta after a long battle, but a Time Bob-omb suddenly appears and knocks them out, and she then swallows the brothers. Inside her body, the Bros. must fight and defeat Cackletta's Soul; after they defeat her, they are ejected out of Bowletta's body before she is turned back into Bowser and Cackletta's spirit perishes. The Mario Bros., Peasley and Blablanadon then escape the castle before it blows up, courtesy of a time bomb planted by Prince Peasley. Bowser regains consciousness and begins wondering what he has been doing the whole time, only for the castle to explode moments later and send him flying into the camera. The castle's remains crash into Oho Ocean in the original game, while it simply explodes and disappears in the remake; Bowser is fortunately saved by Prince Peasley.
The "main" grounded Bowser's Castle appears in the credits when the Toad Express drops the present containing Bowser through its roof. In the remake, only the exterior walls remain here, and the Minion Quest ending has the castle being rebuilt after Bowser is dropped.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[]
Baby Bowser's Castle seen in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the Mario Bros. visit Baby Bowser's castle in the past, after the Koopa Cruiser crashes into the castle upon being shot down by the Shroobs. Though the quartet are initially split up, they eventually reunite there and start their adventure together. Baby Bowser himself is never seen inside the castle during the entire game, though the Mario Bros. discover a Cobalt Shard that he is keeping inside a chest. There is also a time hole there which links to Peach's Castle in the present. Oddly, the castle on the map in the present looks the exact same as the one in the past and still depicts Baby Bowser.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[]
- See also: Fawful Theater
Bowser's Castle, shortly before being taken over by Fawful, in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, the castle, here labeled as "Bowser Castle", is taken over by Fawful, with Midbus taking control of operations. After Bowser helps fire a Banzai Bill at his hijacked castle from Dimble Wood, Midbus commands the castle to elevate, dodging the Banzai Bill, and then lands it on top of Bowser. Mario and Luigi must travel to Bowser's Rump Command and cause Bowser to grow large enough to fight his castle.
In battle, the Castle's main attack is a flying ram, which Bowser must counter by punching. Its main tactic is opening its entrance doors and releasing Spinies, which prevent Bowser from punching. After the castle is defeated, Midbus retreats and the castle is returned to its original location. Later, as Bowser attempts to enter the castle, Midbus commands it to hover out of Bowser's reach. After wandering to the opposite side of the area, Midbus fires a giant cannonball at Bowser, who Mario and Luigi must help by building up energy in his arms. With their assistance, he throws it back at the castle, damaging it badly enough to force it to land. Bowser then gains access to the castle, where he discovers that Fawful has not only brainwashed his minions, but had also turned his training facility into a theater. In the meantime, Bowser decides to see the show Fawful puts on. After a few minutes, the doors to the theater open. Inside, a Goomba acting under the orders of Fawful tricked him into sitting in a VIP chair, which fires Bowser onto the stage and forces him into a fight against Midbus.
After Bowser beats Midbus, Bowser is forced to eat a "victory feast" that Boos feed him. This causes him to become so fat that he gets stuck in the floor. After a strange hand grabs Princess Peach, Bowser falls through the floor and lands on a treadmill, where he manages to lose the excess weight. He is then blasted out by exploding Bob-Ombs and sent into the Tunnel.
Later in the game, Bowser must return here to look for the second Star Cure, which he had stolen before the events of the game. Fawful has blocked the path to his treasure stash, and Bowser must push a Fawful statue off the castle balcony to break the barrier. However, his brainwashed minions begin to push against the statue too, trying to save the statue and push Bowser off the balcony, forcing the Mario Bros. to assist him and provide extra leg strength once more. Bowser finally makes it to his treasure vault with the assistance of some Monty Moles, only to learn his Monty Mole minions had deserted him for Fawful and turned the tunnel into a railway for the Fawful Express.
Artwork shown before fighting the Gauntlet version in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
After battling the Fawful Express, Bowser return to the Treasure Chamber to obtain the Star Cure from the safe. After recalling the combination with Mario, Luigi and Starlow's help, Bowser opens the safe and grabs the Star Cure. However, his minions Private Goomp, Corporal Paraplonk and Sergeant Guy then push him into the safe and trap him in it, announcing their betrayal and defection to Fawful. The safe is then moved eventually to Peach's Castle.
Curiously, the castle has a cold-storage vault, in which a large part of the Shroob invasion force from the events of Partners in Time is kept frozen, along with their princesses, who somehow survived their defeat. If Mario and Luigi find the password required to enter this room, they can fight three of the Shroobs (which they inadvertently defrost) as optional bosses. According to Bowser Jr.'s Journey, the cold-storage vault was originally created by Kamek to store the Ever Ice as a means to preserve it, despite its permanent nature, in the event that Bowser Jr. needed it - which he ultimately did thanks to the Blorbs outbreak at Bowser's kingdom.
During the credits, Bowser's minions are repairing the damages done to the castle. After being beaten by Mario and Luigi back at Peach's Castle, Bowser is carried back to his castle, and a Magikoopa treats him while he is bedridden. Birdley and Starlow arrive at the castle to deliver a present for him; a cake from Princess Peach. Before Bowser opens it, Starlow chats with him for a bit, and re-accepts Private Goomp, Corporal Paraplonk and Sergeant Guy back into his troop once they apologize for their betrayal, telling them to work on the repairs of his castle.
Bowser's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey.
In the remake, the castle is labeled as "Bowser's Castle" and in the main game plays the same role as the original. There are no major changes in the rematch in the remake's Challenge Node, other than the fact that the Shy Guy-manned airships move faster and fire faster cannonballs more rapidly. In the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode, it is revealed that after Fawful took over Peach's Castle, his treasonous minions the Best Fitness Friends took control of Bowser's Castle for themselves. In this mode, the castle's basement is labeled as the Lava Lair, which Bowser Jr., Kamek and Morton explore after the Castle had taken off for Dimble Wood. Additionally, Bowser's Castle is the final area for Bowser Jr.'s Journey. In the post game, due to Bowser challenging Bowser Jr. to a personal battle and neither one admitting defeat, the castle's repairs ended up undone.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[]
While Bowser's Castle itself does not appear in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, a new castle conjured from the Dream Stone is created during the events of the game, and serves as the stronghold for Bowser and Antasma on Pi'illo Island. At the end of the game, this castle is destroyed due to its source, the Dream Stone, being shattered as well as its rulers, Antasma and Bowser, being defeated.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[]
- See also: Neo Bowser Castle
Bowser's Castle as seen in a cutscene in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Bowser's Castle appears as an area located near Doop Doop Dunes. The castle can also be seen off in the distance at several points in the game. The castle also has a cannon built into the roof, which Bowser uses to destroy the bridge connecting his castle to Doop Doop Dunes as well as knock out Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario.
The castle is first seen during the first cutscene involving Bowser, where after a disagreement and then a brawl, he and his paper counterpart decide to team up. They proceed to kidnap their respective Princess Peaches and return to the castle. The castle is later seen in Doop Doop Dunes, where upon entering the area, the Mario Bros. and Paper Mario spot Bowser's Castle in the distance, which they must cross the desert to reach. As they come close, the Bowsers notice and decide to blast the gang with cannonballs. The first shot misses them, but destroys the bridge connecting the castle to the desert, while the second shot knocks them all out cold. Wendy, Roy, Larry and Ludwig then arrive to take them to the Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, while the Bowser Jr. duo collects the book containing Paper Mario's world.
Much later in the game, the group reaches Bowser's Castle in order to rescue the princesses and get the book back. They learn the Trio Glider before encountering the two Kameks and Papercraft King Boo, who is controlled by Morton and Lemmy. Toadette also arrives just in time with a Papercraft Yoshi to fight the Papercraft King Boo. After the victory, Kamek kidnaps Toadette to bring the production of papercrafts to a stop, then prepares to build Papercraft Bowser. The gang later rescues Toadette before encountering the Bowser Juniors on guard duty.
The Princess Peaches then escape and greet the team, but are caught by the Bowser Juniors. They mean to fight, but after accidentally revealing they possessed the book the Bros. are after (which they did not know they had), the pair flee. The group eventually catches them and forces them to hand over the book, but the Juniors escape after giving them a decoy book. The gang chases them down and engages in a battle with them, defeating the pair. Before they can get the book back, the two Bowsers enter the room, enraged at their sons' defeat. They then activate "the boosters", lifting Bowser's Castle out of the lava moat and dubbing it "Neo Bowser Castle". The gang escapes, forgetting the book, and the Bowsers retaliate for their sons' defeat by firing on Peach's Castle and ravaging it. The castle is presumably returned to ground level after the Bowsers' defeat.
Unlike other Mario & Luigi games, the castle's design is based on its designs from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. 2 and lacks the Bowser head and "arm towers" of the previous designs. Additionally, Bowser's Castle is located at the edge of a desert instead of a volcanic wasteland, although a giant lava moat is built around the castle. Additionally, this design does not have a stone head of Bowser anywhere, but instead has a green Bowser-like emblem logo in the center. Further reflecting on the designs of contemporary main series incarnations, the castle sports a large number of spiked green domes that resemble Bowser's shell.
After Bowser's Castle becomes Neo Bowser Castle, its original location at the end of Doop Doop Dunes can no longer be explored, even when the game is completed.
In Mario Party series[]
Bowser's Castle makes infrequent appearances in the Mario Party series. The minigame Bowser's Lovely Lift in Mario Party 7 takes place in the castle, although only the tower holding the lift is seen. Several cutscenes in the story mode of Mario Party DS take place in Bowser's Castle. It is where Bowser's Pinball Machine is located and the final boss minigame, Bowser's Block Party, takes place in the throne room of the castle. Chaos Castle from Mario Party 10 takes place within the castle: The first part of the board takes place on the exterior, the second part takes place inside the castle with a factory theme before ending in the throne room. The Bowser Board in amiibo Party is also based on the castle. World 4 of Mario Party Star Rush is based on Bowser's Castle.
In Mario Pinball Land[]
Bowser's Castle in Mario Pinball Land
In Mario Pinball Land, Bowser's Castle appears as the final area, being called the Fiery Stage by the manual. It is only accessible after Mario has defeated all the other bosses and collected at least 15 stars. The bosses can all be found and battled in the castle once more. Bowser must also be battled and defeated here in order to beat the game.
In Super Princess Peach[]
As Super Princess Peach takes place on Vibe Island, rather than the Mushroom Kingdom, the castle itself is not seen during the events of the game. However, Bowser built a villa there, which is considered to be another castle.
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3[]
Bowser's Castle appears as a basketball court in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. The court has many gimmicks, including Thwomps, Lava Bubbles, and Bombs.
In Mario Sports Mix[]
Bowser's Castle is one of the fourteen courts of Mario Sports Mix and appears in all of the sports for the players to compete in.
In Mario Tennis series[]
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)[]
Bowser's Castle appears as the location of the Bowser Stage in Mario Tennis for Nintendo 64.
Mario Power Tennis[]
Bowser's Castle returns as the site of the Bowser Castle Court in Mario Power Tennis. Unlike the Bowser Stage in the previous game, it functions as a standard court.
Mario Tennis Open[]
Bowser's Castle in Mario Tennis Open
Bowser's Castle returns as a tennis court in the game Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS.
Mario Tennis Aces[]
In Mario Tennis Aces, Bowser's Castle is located in the center of Inferno Island. It is the location of the Battle the Treasure Guardian! mission. Instead of the usual Western theme, it is a temple-like structure.
In Yoshi franchise[]
Yoshi's Safari[]
Bowser's Castle is the last level in the final area in Yoshi's Safari, which is the Dark Realm of Jewelry Land. After being defeated, Bowser retreats.
Yoshi's Island series[]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[]
Bowser's Castle walls in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Bowser's Castle is located atop a tall mountain in World 6. The last level takes place here and it requires the player to go into one of four random doors. Afterward, a giant playroom for Baby Bowser is discovered inside. After defeating Baby Bowser, Kamek will come by and make him extremely large. The player fights on the top of the castle which, throughout the battle, is slowly destroyed. The castle is later entirely destroyed after the final battle.
Yoshi's Island DS[]
Bowser's Castle in Yoshi's Island DS
In Yoshi's Island DS, Bowser travels back to the past searching for the seven Star Children so he could rule the universe. He takes over the castle of his younger self. After Baby Bowser is defeated, Bowser himself is faced. When he is defeated the first time, Kamek makes Bowser gigantic and destroys the castle in the battle.
Yoshi's New Island[]
Yoshi inside Bowser's Castle in Yoshi's New Island
In Yoshi's New Island, Yoshi ventures to Bowser's Castle to save Baby Luigi and the Stork from the clutches of Bowser. Throughout the level, Yoshi must collect four keys to reach Baby Bowser. The final boss fight is very similar to that of the previous games; Yoshi must throw three eggs at him to proceed. In the second phase, however, Baby Bowser grows giant and attacks from the background, requiring Yoshi to throw Mega Eggdozers at him. Once he takes three hits, Yoshi rescues Baby Luigi and the Stork, and the Mario Bros. are delivered to their house.
If the player has completed every level in the game without using Flutter Wings or Golden Flutter Wings (excluding special levels), Bowser will travel back in time to serve as the true final boss of the game. During the first phase of the battle, Bowser will attack by rearranging the ground and blowing fire at Yoshi. To defeat him, the player must hit him with Metal Eggdozers three times. The second phase of the battle is nearly identical to the second phase of Baby Bowser's battle; however, this time Kamek will cast spells at Yoshi. Once the player throws three Mega Eggdozers at him, Bowser returns to his own time, and Yoshi saves Baby Luigi and the Stork once and for all.
Yoshi platforming series[]
Yoshi's Story[]
Bowser's Castle in Yoshi's Story
In Yoshi's Story, Baby Bowser's Castle is split into four different areas: Mecha Castle, Lift Castle, Ghost Castle, and Magma Castle. No matter what part of the castle Yoshi decides to go to, he will always meet up with Baby Bowser. The outside of the castle will also be seen whenever one of the Yoshis gets defeated, captured and brought to the castle, along with when White Shy Guy retrieves one. It is also seen in the ending sequence when Baby Bowser's minions carry him away.
Compared to most of the castle's other appearances, which at least look cartoonish in some way, this iteration of the castle looks much more ominous and menacing.
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[]
Yoshi in Bowser's Castle in Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, Yoshi chases after Kamek to Bowser's Castle to save his fellow Yoshis. Once he enters the castle, he must seek yarn balls of four different colors to open the door to Baby Bowser. The first phase of the boss fight is very similar to that of previous games. Yoshi must throw a yarn ball at Baby Bowser, stomp him, and repeat the process two more times to proceed. In the second phase, Baby Bowser grows giant and becomes Mega Baby Bowser. He jumps into the background and hurls big yarn balls at Yoshi. To win, Yoshi must throw these big yarn balls back at Mega Baby Bowser. Upon victory, the player unlocks eight new Yoshi colors, as well as Baby Bowser Yoshi if all five Wonder Wool in the level were collected.
Yoshi's Crafted World[]
In Yoshi's Crafted World, Bowser's Castle reappears in the boss stage The Great King Bowser. Here, the Yoshis must defeat Baby Bowser. In his first phase, the Yoshis should defeat Baby Bowser's robot. During the second phase, the Yoshis need to defeat Mega Baby Bowser. This level has to be completed to not only beat the game, but also unlock Hidden Hills.
Crossover appearances[]
Itadaki Street series[]
Bowser's Castle in Fortune Street
Bowser's Castle also appears as a game board both in Itadaki Street DS and Fortune Street, based on the castle settings from New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros Wii, respectively.
Mario & Sonic series[]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[]
Bowser's Castle appears in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as the location for Dream Ice Hockey. A background based on it also appears for the second segment of the Mario World routine in Dream Figure Skating. Blizland in the Nintendo DS version also has elements of Bowser's Castle, combined with elements of Dr. Eggman's factories.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[]
A large portion of Mario's Figure Skating Spectacular in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games features a layout inspired by Bowser's Castle based on its appearance in Super Mario 3D Land.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[]
Bowser's Castle appears in Road To Rio mode in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but it is not explorable and is only seen on the overworld.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[]
Bowser's Sky Castle in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, a stage based on Bowser's Sky Castle from Paper Mario: Sticker Star appears in the Paper Mario stage. At certain intervals, the castle's eyes may light up and the castle entrance (modeled after Bowser's head) may turn or close its mouth, heavily damaging any character inside.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Molten Fortress sub-area in the World of Light adventure mode is modeled after Bowser's Castle. Paper Mario also returns and Bowser's Sky Castle appears in the same role it did in the previous game.
Mario + Rabbids series[]
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[]
Bowser's Castle appears in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle as the final stage of the Lava Pit. The castle is shown to be flying and appears to be in a ruined state. The only seen room is the throne room where Mario and his team fight MegaDragonBowser and destroy the Megabug.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope[]
Although Bowser's Castle itself does not appear in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the area where Darkmess Bowser is fought resembles the castle.
In other media[]
Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen![]
King Koopa's castle as seen in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!
In the anime movie Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, King Koopa turns Peach's Castle into his own after kidnapping Princess Peach and conquering the Mushroom Kingdom. While under his control, the building is situated on a tall mountain and is furnished to King Koopa's liking, among other things featuring catacombs filled with traps to stop Mario and Luigi. The castle is destroyed after Luigi accidentally floods it while mining for coins; once King Koopa is defeated, his spell on the Mushroom Kingdom is broken, restoring Peach's Castle to its original form.
DIC cartoons[]
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![]
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, King Koopa owns a wide range of castles, ranging from fortresses, towers and even an ice palace; most often at the end of an episode, the featured castle of King Koopa would be destroyed and if not, would likely not be seen again. Unlike the games, the various castles seen in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! lack the abundance of traps that would normally appear in a castle owned by Bowser.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[]
Kastle Koopa as seen in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 migrates away from the concept of King Koopa owning several castles and, instead, he only owns one castle, located in Dark Land. This castle is interchangeably referred to by the names "Kastle Koopa" and "Koopa Kastle". Kastle Koopa largely resembles its video game counterpart, with Bowser's image engraved on it, although it is blue in color and lacks the towers. Kastle Koopa also possesses a large hall filled with portraits, as well as bedrooms for the Koopalings and a laboratory most often used by Kooky von Koopa.
Super Mario World television series[]
The Neon Castle from the Super Mario World cartoon.
In the Super Mario World cartoon produced by DIC Entertainment and Nintendo, the main base and home for Bowser and the Koopalings is called King Koopa's Neon Castle. Apparently located in a lava filled wasteland, Neon Castle lacks the amount of towers its game counterpart possesses, only having one; Neon Castle also possesses a rectangular shape and, like the Japanese version of the game, has "KOOPA" flashing in neon lights on its front, instead of "BOWSER". The castle carries over many of its game counterpart's traps, like Ball 'N' Chains, lava, fire-breathing statues and various kinds of minions. In the episode Mama Luigi, Mario refers to it as King Koopa's "Coney Island Disco Palace", possibly based off of the final section of Bowser's Castle in that game, which featured a "disco ball" that illuminated it.
Super Mario Adventures[]
In Super Mario Adventures, Bowser's Castle is only seen near the end of the comic and is portrayed as a large fortress, having many spike-covered towers and a large great hall, capable of holding several hundred different creatures. Catacombs and a lava filled chamber inhabited by Blarggs are also depicted in this version of Bowser's Castle.
Monopoly Gamer[]
Bowser's Castle is the sixteenth and final property on the game board in Monopoly Gamer. It is one of two properties in the Dark Blue Color Set (along with Peach's Castle).
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[]
Bowser's Castle in the Snow Kingdom in The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Bowser's Castle is located on a giant floating airship (referred to as Bowser's ship by Cranky Kong, Bowser's airship in the bonus features,[2] and Bowser's Island Castle in a Jakks Pacific playset) that Bowser and his forces use to travel between kingdoms. The ship consists of a volcano and lava similar to those seen in the Dark Lands, as well as a massive figurehead depicting Bowser's head and a giant pool of lava, resembling depictions of Bowser's Castle from Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, respectively, complete with Spike Balls attached to chains like the former acting as anchors to help it descend. Additionally, the volcano's crater, as seen during Peach and Bowser's wedding held at the castle, is later revealed to also double as a missile silo used to launch the Bomber Bill Bowser plans to use to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom once the wedding gets thwarted by the heroes.
After Bowser obtains the Super Star from the penguin army, he holds a celebration in his castle with his minions. Later in the film, Luigi is captured by the Shy Guys and Snifit and transported to Bowser's Castle, where he is imprisoned along with the penguin army. The Kong army is also later captured and imprisoned at the castle after being ambushed by Bowser's minions. After getting sucked into Brooklyn through the mysterious pipe, the ship and castle are destroyed by Mario and Luigi with the use of the Super Star.
Names in other languages[]
[Edit] Language |
Name | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified) | 酷霸王城堡 Kùbàwáng Chéngbǎo |
Bowser Castle | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 庫巴城堡 Kùbā Chéngbǎo |
Bowser Castle | |
| Dutch | Bowsers Kasteel | Bowser's Castle | |
| French | Château de Bowser | Bowser's Castle | |
| German | Bowsers Festung | Bowser's Fortress | |
| Italian | Castello di Bowser | Bowser's Castle | |
| Japanese | クッパ城 Kuppa Jō |
Bowser's Castle | |
| Korean | 쿠파 성 Kupa Seong |
Bowser Castle | |
| Portuguese | Castelo do Bowser | Bowser's Castle | |
| Romanian | Castelul Koopa (The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3) Palatul disco de pe Coney Island (Super Mario World television series, referred to as such by Mario in "Mama Luigi") Castelul de Neon al Regelui Koopa (Super Mario World television series, referred to as such by Luigi in "Mama Luigi") |
Castle Koopa The Disco Palace on Coney Island King Koopa's Neon Castle |
|
| Russian | Замок Боузера Zamok Bouzera |
Bowser's Castle | |
| Spanish | Castillo de Bowser Castillo Koopa (The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3) Koopa Castillo de Neón (Super Mario World animated series) |
Bowser's Castle Castle Koopa Neon Koopa Castle |
Trivia[]
- In both Nintendo Comics System and Nintendo Adventure Books, Bowser's Castle was infrequently seen and was shown to have a labyrinth like construction, possessing various passages, bridges and doorways.
- In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, a course known as the Bowser Badlands is located near Bowser's Castle.
- According to an article on Movoto.com, a real-life version of Bowser's Castle based on its appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3 would be 212 stories high, 52 stories taller than the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. However, due to the assumption that the castle should be merely 60 inches wide, it would cost only $455,000.[3]
- In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bowser can find an unseen item by checking one of the Bowser statues. A similar occurrence also happens with the bushes in Twilight Town.
Gallery[]
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To view Bowser's Castle's image gallery, click here.
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References[]
- ↑ The Art of Super Mario Odyssey, page 263.
- ↑ "Leveling Up: Making The Super Mario Bros. Movie" bonus feature subtitles
- ↑ Movoto: Real-Life Bowser’s Castle: Jump on this Deal Before Mario Does. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
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Source: This article contains content from the article Bowser's Castle from the Super Mario Wiki A list of the original authors can be found on that article's history page or on the local history page. |