Nintendo has managed to send out a signal to gamers by tweeting Bower as a riddle, who is the enemy of Mario, and many which have thus led to the speculation that the company is going to launch a game with the bad guy as the main character. “Every hero needs a timeless rival” was what the tweet said and it came with a video showing the montages of Bowser from different eras clashing with Mario. The tweet sparked off arguments among people who were not sure and were speculating not only about the game’s story but also about the company’s plans.
The video that was released by Nintendo featured segments from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, and Super Mario Odyssey, and it depicted he changed his role from being the first big obstacle Mario had to overcome to the ultimate villain over time. Nevertheless, gamers remarked that most probably the footage was from the Nintendo Switch Online’s N64 emulator since the interface could also be seen. Some of the players joking about the editing skills of Nintendo while others interpreted it as a signal that the company is internally playing these classic titles.
Gamers’ responses were so prompt and so loud, just as always when Nintendo sends out such enigmatic tweets. A number of fans directly asked whether this was a hint for a game featuring Bowser. One user tweeted “@NintendoAmerica Does this mean we’re getting a bowser game?” while another one commented “Bowser will get his own game one day 🔥”. This scenario is not outlandish at all – Nintendo has been making character-centric games for a long time and has been a favorite among the fans since the very beginning.
Not everyone, though, saw the word “rival” in a positive light. One user expressed his point of view: “the word ‘rival’ is not applicable. to be a rival it should be two sides wanting the same thing. it is clear that Bowser’s goal is to rule the kingdom while Mario’s is to protect it.” This ignited a controversy of no less than a philosophical nature, which one could even argue is at the core of the whole concept of rivalry and hero-villain dynamic in gaming stories. Just think about it, don’t they really want the same thing? Dominance and Carmen for Bowser while Mario is just… rescuing the princess and the kingdom? Wait, what was I saying again?
Incontrovertibly, the debate had its development in a very unexpected manner, which is the usual thing with internet discussions. Someone brought up Wart from Super Mario Bros. 2 and insisted “@NintendoAmerica Bring back Wart 😔 which actually, fair point – where on earth HAS that dude been? Another user even went as far as to propose a “shadow the hedgehog” kind of game for Bowser, that would be “dark and gritty,” which, honestly, sounds either very good or very bad, there is no middle with that idea.
Of course, the gaming community was a factor and the replies quickly changed to memes. The phrase “So long, gay Bowser!” from Super Mario 64 was quoted several times while others were grumbling about the difficulty of Bowser throws in the N64 classic. One user said, “@NintendoAmerica All due respect bro you gotta work on your Bowser throws,” and another one stated, “The Bowser throws were the hardest part of the entire game,” and they are certainly not wrong, those circular battles could be pretty brutal.
There was also some misunderstanding regarding the content rating that was presented in the video, with one observant player noting “@NintendoAmerica Wait which of those games is rated T because that is confusing (none of them are)” which only helps to build the mystery of what exactly Nintendo was trying to show.
Amidst the whole Bowser speculation, there even was drama surrounding a different game – The Great Rebellion: Edition 2084 was said to be delisted from the eShop by Nintendo due to the fact that the content “could be damaging to Nintendo’s reputation or brand.” That is a completely different story which somehow got tangled with the Bowser discussion because, you know, the internet.
What adds to the intrigue of this timing is that Nintendo has not yet revealed its big holiday title and people are already impatient for news. The Switch is still going strong, but everyone is wondering what will be the next thing. A Bowser game would definitely be a radical switch in the use of the Mario franchise and considering that the character has been portrayed in such a way that he is not only a villain but also a sympathy-sparing one, it may actually work.
The audience is divided between those that see this tweet merely as a tribute to the classic villain by Nintendo and those that regard it as an actual sneak-peek for something bigger to come. Using the word “timeless” and depicting his transformations across different eras that certainly imply that they are contemplating the king’s legacy, which could encompass anything from a new game, perhaps even one for PlayStation or Xbox.
