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Bowser's Fury 2021
Bowser's Fury is a 2021 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It represents an original 3D platform entry within the Super Mario franchise and functions as a spin-off title that draws mechanical inspiration from Super Mario 3D World (2013). The narrative centers on Mario assisting Bowser Jr. during a series of cat-themed islands encircling Lake Lapcat, which are under threat from an empowered version of Bowser known as Fury Bowser. This transformation results from mysterious black sludge that has also contaminated the various island regions.
The gameplay of Bowser's Fury moves away from the linear design seen in 3D World, instead offering an open-ended sandbox environment covering the Lake Lapcat islands. This structure incorporates elements found in non-linear 3D Mario titles like Super Mario 64 (1996), Super Mario Sunshine (2002), and Super Mario Odyssey (2017). Players control Mario with the goal of gathering Cat Shines by completing platforming tasks across the island landscapes. Unlike previous sandbox Mario games, Lake Lapcat forms one continuous open world navigable on foot or via Mario’s dinosaur companion Plessie on water. During gameplay, Fury Bowser occasionally awakens and blankets the area in darkness, requiring players either to hide until daylight returns or fight him directly using Cat Shines to transform Mario into a comparable-sized figure, initiating kaiju-style confrontations.
The game was mainly created by Nintendo EPD. It was unveiled during the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary celebration in September 2020 and launched on February 12, 2021. The title does not exist as a standalone release but comes bundled with an improved version of 3D World for the Switch as part of a larger package. Reviews were largely favorable, emphasizing its open world layout, significant departures from both 3D World and prior 3D Mario entries, and its nonlinear design approach; however, some criticism focused on its lack of technical refinement, recurring tasks, and disruptive Fury Bowser encounters. By March 2024, Bowser's Fury had sold 13.47 million copies globally in conjunction with the Switch version of 3D World, positioning it among the top-selling console titles. In 2025, the game received a visual upgrade for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Crew
Details
- Developer
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Series
- Super Mario
