Bowser's Fury?

Discover the game flow of Bowser's Fury! Learn how Cat Shines, Giga Bells, and Fury Bowser battles unlock new islands and progress you through Lake Lapcat in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.

Alright, so you've jumped into Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, and you're wondering what this whole 'Bowser's Fury' thing is about, right? Let's break it down!

First off, you'll meet Bowser Jr. pretty much right at the start. He's in a bit of a pickle because his dad, Bowser, has gone all berserk thanks to some kind of curse. Bowser Jr. wants your help to snap his dad out of it. He'll tag along on your adventure, offering support. Fun fact: if you've got a buddy playing with you, they can actually take control of Bowser Jr.! He can help out by taking down enemies and grabbing coins, but honestly, you can even dial down his assistance in the game's options if you want to do most of the work yourself.

You'll also notice these question marks on walls as you explore. If you use the R Button, you can aim a cursor using motion controls at these marks, and poof! A random power-up will appear. It's a neat little way to get a boost.

Once you get past the intro, you'll find yourself in Lake Lapcat. This place is huge and broken up into tons of little islands. Your main goal here is to collect Cat Shines, which are the big collectibles you need to progress. There's no strict order you have to tackle things in, but you won't be able to reach every single island right away.

This is where the Giga Bells come into play. As you gather Cat Shines, you'll eventually unlock the ability to use a Giga Bell in the area you're in. Now, here's the kicker: whenever Fury Bowser shows up (and trust me, he will!), and you've collected enough Cat Shines to unlock that Giga Bell, you can grab it. Doing so kicks off a battle with Fury Bowser. Beat him, and you'll unlock a new part of Lake Lapcat with more islands to explore. This cycle of beating Fury Bowser to unlock new areas is pretty much the core loop of the game.

After you defeat Fury Bowser for the second time, the whole map of Lake Lapcat opens up. You still won't be able to grab every single Cat Shine at that point, but don't sweat it. Once you finish the main story, the postgame content unlocks, giving you access to absolutely everything. So, keep collecting those Cat Shines, use those Giga Bells wisely, and you'll have Bowser back to his old self in no time!