Does anyone really know what Bowser is? I mean, seriously, what the hell is he supposed to be? The character's original Japanese name referred to him as the 'Great Demon King', and Western outlets have labelled him as everything from a dragon to a severely distorted turtle. The most prevalent title afforded to Mario's nemesis though, is the 'King of The Koopa'. Yeah, that doesn't really help to clarify things: Bowser's a beast of an icon, either way. Bowser's initial rise to video game fame was undoubtedly due to the popularity of his Italian counterpart, but ever since then, Nintendo have managed to carve out a unique personality and backstory for the oversized Koopa outside of a fetish for kidnapping Princesses. In fact, he's even become the star of the show on several occasions to brilliant effect. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story was a terrific tongue-in-cheek exploration of what makes Bowser tick (literally, I might add) and span him as an ignorant hero unbeknownst to himself. Is Bowser the most iconic video game villain of all time? Nobody can say for certain, but he's easily up there with the best of them; still going strong today. Don't worry mate, you'll get your revenge one day on those detestable Brothers.
Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.
