Super Mario Odyssey: Ranking Every Boss Encounter From Worst To Best

Over the years, Bowser has gone from being a serious antagonist to something which borders on affectionate anti-hero status. He may be worryingly obsessed with Princess Peach, but much of the threat associated with the Koopa King has gone. His appearance in Odyssey mirrors this, bedecking him in a fancy white tuxedo and giving his boss fight a comedic edge.

Bowser is fought twice during the game, with the second battle just being a harder version of the first. The villain will fling his top hat at Mario, who must attack it and put it on his head, then make use of its Inspector Gadget-like robotic punching arms to assault his rival. It’s hard to take Bowser seriously when his boss battles contain such humorous visuals. It’s not that the fight isn’t satisfying, but it lacks the epic scope and menace of Bowser encounters from previous 3D titles.

The level which immediately follows the boss more than makes up for any disappointment with the final fight, as Mario captures Bowser and - for the first time in a 3D Mario game - the player is able to play as the antagonist. Players must escape the crumbling moon base, accompanied by another of Pauline’s original songs. It’s just a shame that the boss battle itself couldn’t be as good.