In the recent-ish past, I wrote about my experiences playing Yoshi’s Island for the very first time, a really charming and unique game for the SNES.  One of the biggest highlights for me was the fun and unique boss fights.  While there were many memorable examples, the boss fight that stood out the most to me was, naturally, the final showdown against none other than Bowser himself.  Dare I even say that this might have been one of the best Bowser boss fights in Mario history?…

Though most people reading this are probably already aware, Yoshi’s Island follows the adventure of the Yoshies as they try to get baby Mario to his kidnapped brother Luigi and return the two babies to their parents.  Not only was this game baby Mario’s debut, so, too, is it the first time we see baby Bowser (not to be mistaken for Bowser Jr…a confusing pair of characters if there ever was one).  As expected, Bowser was a spoiled, little brat since childhood, a fact that is made quite obvious by his attempts to ride Yoshi (whom he calls a “gween donkey”) and the crayon scribbles all over his bedroom wall.  All of which I find utterly hilarious.  Seriously, baby Bowser is great!

But after you defeat him, it’s not over, as Kamek uses his magic to make baby Bowser huge, just as he’s done with every previous boss.  As the next part of the battle starts, things get serious.  The backdrop is a dark sky, the sun lost over the horizon and preparing to set.  And this huge form rises from the shadows, the massive form that baby Bowser’s taken on.  If this isn’t one of the most epic and intimidating moments in Mario history, I don’t know what is!

Baby Bowser is a truly formidable foe.  He seriously looks like a gigantic t-rex…only so much bigger and more terrifying!  Most of the wall beneath your feet is broken up into much smaller platforms as the fight begins, and baby Bowser proceeds to shoot huge fireballs your way as rock music plays, which would previously seem out of place in such a cute, crayon-coated game, but is more than fitting here.  Yoshi must throw huge eggs at Bowser to knock him backward, though I found out the hard way that if you don’t hit him quickly enough, he will eventually reach you, filling up the screen with his mighty bulk and killing you instantly as the wall crumbles to dust.

This isn’t exactly the most difficult battle out there, but boy, is it intimidating!  I must admit that I had some false impressions about this game going into it.  It looks so darn cute and innocent that I never expected it to be as challenging as it ended up being, nor did I expect such an awesome finale!  And that is why the final boss fight of Yoshi’s Island is one of my most memorable Nintendo moments ever!

Video from YouTube User: Virtual Bastion

Now it’s your turn to share, dear readers!  What was your favorite Bowser battle?  Feel free to let us know in the comments below!