Worst Bowser's Fury Levels

Lucky Isle is the only island in Bowser's Fury playable merely during the post-game. Honestly, to call this island an "island" like the rest of the levels in this game might be a bit of a stretch. It's the smallest of all isles, floating randomly above certain locations in the game, and can only be accessed during the Fury Bowser phase. You must get to wherever it's floating above and then get a single shine. In total, there are five shines, so you need to go back and forth to different locations multiple times to get all five.

It's a really interesting concept, and it works. It gives you a reason to go back to islands you might've otherwise already completed. However, it really doesn't stand a chance against the other levels in the game, obviously. I mean, it really just is an island in the sky, and half of the time it's not even accessible. Is it good? Yes. Is it better than any other legitimate level though? No. For this reason, Lucky Isle is last on this list.

Fur Step Island, being an obvious pun on "first step," is the tutorial level of the game. However, unlike most tutorials, it is only accessible during the post-game. Yeah... let me explain. When you first start the game, you're just running to the end of this island to get a shine and get rid of Bowser quickly. Then you jump down, and there's no way up, even though there are multiple shines to be found on this isle. The only way back is when you beat Mega Bowser and gain the ability to teleport.

When you actually play the level for real, it's pretty nice. The atmosphere is just really laid-back, with the Lake Lapcat theme playing in the background, the yellowish autumn grass, and the pirate ship. The only problem is the linearity. It's really just a thick line, and there's not much exploration to be found, which is kind of disappointing for such a cozy island. In the end, it's definitely the weakest of the real islands in the game.

When you first play Bowser's Fury, you might be stumped at the lack of any boss battles. Aside from Fury Bowser, there really doesn't seem to be any other big boss to fight. Well, that's only until you get to Clawswipe Colosseum, where you fight not just Boom Boom but Pom Pom as well.

When I first got to this island, I was quite stumped. The idea of a battling colosseum for some reason really caught my attention. What caught my attention even more is that for every visit to this arena, it rose, so it became harder and harder to enter it. Even though Boom Boom and Pom Pom are still easy as ever, it was cool to battle them in a 3D platformer which didn't have a fixed camera.

In addition to this, Boom Boom has a second fight as well, when the floor is made of spikes. So much is going on in this fight: you have to avoid Boom Boom as he spins towards you and make sure you don't stand on vulnerable ground. They actually made Boom Boom a difficult boss. Hooray!

Now, as for my final opinion on this island, it's okay. Just like Fur Step Island and Lucky Isle, it's just so small. There really isn't much to do here after you've gotten everything. As cool as a colosseum is, in the end, it's still just a battle arena. All you do is battle, and while it's fun, it pales in comparison to what's coming up next.

Fort Flaptrap is the third island you visit on your journey. And for being such a small island, it's surprisingly fun! Even though it's just a cuboid on a beach, they sure made it interesting. One of my favorite gimmicks from Super Mario 3D World, but more importantly Super Mario Galaxy 2, is the flipping panels, which flip every time you jump. They are used creatively in this level, especially the first mission, where there's a bunch of bullies you need to, obviously, boil in the lava below the platforms. The game is quite creative with how you do it. You can either just knock them down, or trick them to walk on a flipping platform and then jump when they're standing on it.

It's one of my favorite missions in the game. The others are just kind of there. While this island is fun, it is, similarly to Pounce Bounce Isle, not very interesting aesthetically. It's better because of the Bully mission, but otherwise, there are definitely a few better levels in this game.

Slipskate Slope at #7 on the worst list might upset a few people. Similarly to Risky Whisker Island, this appears to be a fan favorite. I think it's good, but there are definitely a few things holding it back from the top five.

This is by far the longest level by size, looking at the map. It's also a strictly linear level, similar to Fur Step Island, which might confuse you, as I put that island near the bottom because of its linearity. What makes Slipskate Slope any different? Well, everything.

In this level, you use an ice skate to traverse a giant slope with spikes, rotating tunnels, etc. This makes it stand out in contrast to Fur Step Island, as the linearity is necessary for this level. However, it's still one of the slightly weaker islands in my opinion because I honestly hate controlling the ice skate. It feels like you're driving on ice in Mario Kart, and you don't have much control over it. So as you can see, the ice skate makes this island both better and worse.

My favorite mission is the one where you need to get the key back to the top by walking on the ledges of the slide. This is one of the most creative missions in the entire game, and I kind of wish more areas in the game did something like this. It is my favorite aspect of this level, and the main reason this island is so good for me!

This is a unique one. I'm surprised Nintendo managed to create a level entirely out of donut platforms, and not only that, but it actually worked! Welcome to Risky Whisker Island, one of the smaller islands in Bowser's Fury.

From what I've seen, this is usually one of the fan favorites, surprisingly, which I have a bit of a hard time understanding why. This level is creative and a bit difficult. Even though you won't die if you fall off the stage, you will still need to take the clear pipe back up to the start. You really need to be on your toes for this island.

However, it's also the level that feels the most artificial. The entire level is just a bunch of donut blocks. No more, no less. I mean, it's fun to play, but it feels fake. Compare it to something like Clawswipe Colosseum, which was a huge battle arena, or Fur Step Isle, which has a pirate ship. Risky Whisker Island is just donut blocks, and it feels kind of dead as a result.

Is it fun to play? Yes. Is it boring aesthetically? Kind of. It doesn't stand much of a chance against the other levels in the top ten of this list.

Pounce Bounce Isle is just what the name implies. You bounce, you pounce, on an island. And it's great. This is one of the first levels you play in the game, and it is mainly centered around the jump panels, which will send you high up in the air when you jump while standing on them. As such, this is also a vertical level where you travel upwards a lot. Well, not as much as some other vertical levels, but yeah.

Being the second island you visit, it's pretty straightforward. It offers some exploration, but overall, there just isn't that much to it. It's definitely more interesting to explore than the three levels we just talked about, but overall, it just kind of lacks an interesting environment. Pounce Bounce Isle feels a bit artificial, and it's no wonder why, as the level is made up of processed stones. I've always been more of a nature guy, so it's understandable.

It's nowhere near as artificial as Risky Whisker Island. I still think it's super fun, and the missions are a joy. It's just not as great as some of the upcoming levels on this list.

If you told me that Trickitty Tower was just two circles, I would have no faith in you. Trickitty Tower is by far the most interesting level to play on.

When you first look at it, it doesn't seem very fascinating. Just a shine in the middle of nowhere. So you walk up to it and, hey, what's this invisible wall? In order to get it, you have to actually walk on an invisible pathway, and the only part of it you can see is what's directly under you.

The main game of Super Mario 3D World had these invisible paths as well, but they weren't utilized very creatively. Here, you have pathways going all over the place, and it's actually difficult trying not to fall off. It really puts your mental skills to the test, and I love it!

Now, the reason it's not higher on the list is because, well, there isn't much to look at. How a level looks is important to me. Not as much as how it plays, but still, it gives the area an atmosphere. But since you can't actually see this level, yeah. Obviously, it doesn't make it bad. It's still a blast to play through. It's just its own thing. In the end, Trickitty Tower is a great level!

Scamper Shores is the first island you visit in Bowser's Fury, and boy, is it good! Sure, you start on Fur Step Island, but you can't really do anything on it until the post-game. Scamper Shores is more of a starting island, and it does a really freakin' good job at it! I'd say it's one of the greatest first levels in any Mario game, up there with Cascade Kingdom and Bob-Omb Battlefield.

The main thing about Scamper Shores that really gets me is the atmosphere. I kind of complained about the industrial feel of Fort Flaptrap and Pounce Bounce Isle, and that's because I much prefer the more nature-based Scamper Shores. It's a nice blend of autumn, cliffs, etc., and it makes the entire island just feel very comfortable.

The missions themselves are also fun. Exploring the island is satisfying, the collectibles are hidden in good spots, and the music is just great. It's one of those tunes you know will be nostalgic in 10 years, kind of like Mario Kart Wii's title theme or Cap Kingdom. Overall, I really have nothing to complain about. It's simply a nice level with a cozy atmosphere.