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Bowser (Nintendo character)

King Bowser Koopa, a fictional turtle from Nintendo video games, is Mario and Luigi's arch nemesis. He constantly kidnaps Princess Peach Toadstool and attempts to conquer Mushroom Kingdom since his first appearance in Super Mario Brothers. In Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, he had seven children who helped him. In Super Mario World 2 we learn that Mario and Bowser first encountered each other when they were babies. In Super Mario RPG Bowser teams up with Mario, Peach, and their two new friends Mallow and Geno in order to get his castle back from an extraterrestrial named Smithy (or Kajioo in Japan).

In Super Mario 64, he steals Peach's castle. In Yoshi's Story, he converts Yoshi's Island into a storybook, and in Paper Mario he steals Peach's castle again with the Star Rod.

Bowser also appears in secondary Mario Games like Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, The Mario Party Series, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Tetris Attack and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Bowser never succeeds in his goal because either Mario, Luigi, or Yoshi always foils his plans. Yoshi foiled Bowser's very first plan in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Bowser has been known by different names over the years, which have since amalgamated into his current title. In Japan, he has always been known as simply Koopa. When Super Mario Brothers came out in the US, he was given the more American name of Bowser, King of the Koopas. Somewhere along the line the two names merged, and he is now known in America as being Bowser Koopa, with "Koopa" as his, and his children's last name.