Bowser's Tower Trouble

Bowser's Tower Trouble is a tower defense game for the Nintendo Switch developed by Crash Co. It is notable for being the first tower defense game in the Mario series, as well as the first game to star Bowser since Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. In the game, the player takes control of their Mii who Bowser hires to make sure Mario and co. do not reach Bowser's Castle after he steals Peach.

Gameplay

Bowser's Tower Trouble is a tower defense game. As the player's Mii, deemed Captain Mii, they will need to place different enemies across 2D Super Mario levels to prevent various Marios, Luigis, Yoshis, Toads, etc. from reaching the Flagpole at the end of the level. Bowser will give the player a certain amount of money to buy Towers, and place them on the level. Every Tower has special attributes that allow them to be more effective when placed in certain spots. For example, Goombas move back and forth, and as such are more effective in areas with no gaps, and Cheep Cheeps swim in water, making them more effective when Mario and co. must swim. Players are given 45 seconds on the start of each level to set up their initial line of defense. After this, Mario and co. will begin appearing, and will not stop until the level is cleared. Players must then add in Towers as the level goes on to account for more enemies appearing, as well as upgrading existing Towers to make them more effective.

Marios, Luigis, etc. are also able to take out Towers, and will attempt to do so more often as the game progresses in difficulty. As such, players must be smart about where they place their Towers. They must also watch their money. After defeating an enemy players will get a certain amount of money depending on their abilities, which must be used to buy more Towers and upgrading Towers already placed.

Towers

Basic Towers

Placing Towers is very similar to placing enemies in Super Mario Maker. Towers are selected from a row on the top of the screen, and are separated into several categories. Towers also have Alternate Variants, accessed by shaking them, much like some Course Elements in Super Mario Maker. They have no differences in gameplay and are purely cosmetic.

Tower	Description / Upgrades
Goombas
Goomba 50 Coins	Goombas are small mushroom-like creatures. When placed, Goombas will simply walk around, falling off ledges. Being jumped on will simply defeat them.
	Fleet Feet: Goombas will walk faster. [30 Coins] Bait 'n' Switch: When an enemy jumps on Goombas, both will get defeated instead of just the Goomba. [80 Coins] Goomba Smarts: When an enemy tries to jump on a Goomba, they will change directions to try to avoid being attacked. [120 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Paragoomba 75 Coins	Paragombas are red, winged Goombas. When placed, they will move like regular Goombas, but will occasionally hop. If an enemy jumps on it, it will lose its wings and become a regular Goomba.
	High Hops: Paragoombas will jump higher. [45 Coins] Dodge Jump: If an enemy fires a projectile, Paragoombas will jump high to dodge it. [70 Coins] Target Practice: When a Paragoomba jumps when an enemy is nearby, they will gain some extra lateral distance to try to jump on them. [130 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Headbonk Goomba 115 Coins	Headbonk Goombas are white Goombas with the ability to jump forward and hit enemies. They act like normal Goombas when placed, but have the ability to jump into opponents to damage them.
	Enhanced Eyesight: Headbonk Goombas are able to target enemies from farther away. [60 Coins] Armored Launch: Headbonk Goombas will not take damage while launching at enemies. [100 Coins] Multi-Target: Headbonk Goombas are able to plow through multiple enemies after launching rather than rebounding off of the first enemy hit. [160 Coins]
Galoomba 65 Coins	Galoombas are round Goombas that are native to Dinosaur Land. When placed, they act near identical to Goombas in that they move around and fall off ledges, but enemies jumping on them will only stun them rather than defeat them. However, enemies can pick them up and throw them at other enemies to defeat them.
	Wake-Up Call: After being stomped on, Galoombas will begin walking around faster. [40 Coins] Living Cannonball: Enemies throwing a Galoomba at an enemy will only defeat the target; the Galoomba will not be defeated. [60 Coins] Boudin': When a Galoomba walks off an edge and lands on the ground, it will bounce and roll around, damaging enemies. [90 Coins]
Shoe Goomba 90 Coins	Shoe Goombas are, as their name suggests, Goombas with Goomba Shoes. They will hop around the area in an attempt to stop Mario. However, if they are hit from below, enemies can use their Goomba's Shoe.
	Brick Break: Shoe Goombas can break through Brick Blocks by landing on them. [50 Coins] Stomp Shockwave: Shoe Goombas will create a shockwave when they land, which damages nearby enemies. [100 Coins] No Shoes, No Service: Enemies cannot use the Goomba's Shoe when a Shoe Goomba is defeated. [170 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Koopa Troopa
Green Red Blue Yellow Koopa Troopa 60 Coins Koopa Troopa 70 Coins Koopa Troopa 85 Coins Koopa Troopa 90 Coins	Koopa Troopas are walking turtle creatures. When placed, they will walk around, though they have different behaviors depending on their color. Green Koopa Troopas will walk off ledges, red Koopa Troopas will turn at ledges, blue Koopa Troopas act like red ones but faster, and yellow Koopa Troopas will chase down enemies. If an enemy jumps on them, they will crawl into their shell, and can then be kicked to take out other Towers.
	Quick Escape: After being jumped on, Koopa Troopas will crawl out of their shell faster. [45 Coins] Iron Shell: Koopa Troopas become immune to projectiles thrown by enemies. [70 Coins] Safe Shell: After an enemy kicks a Koopa Troopa shell, it will jump over Towers to avoid hitting them. [170 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Green Red Blue Yellow Koopa Paratroopa 70 Coins Koopa Paratroopa 80 Coins Koopa Patatroopa 95 Coins Koopa Paratroopa 100 Coins	Koopa Paratroopas are Koopa Troopas with wings. When placed, they will use their wings to move around, and they act differently depending on the color. Green Koopa Paratroopas bounce along the ground, red ones fly vertically, blue ones fly horizontally, and yellow ones will target opponents in an attempt to fly into them. If an enemy stomps on a Koopa Paratroopa, it will lose its wings and become a regular Koopa Troopa.
	Fly By: If an enemy is about to jump on a Koopa Paratroopa, it will quickly fly backwards in an attempt to dodge them. [30 Coins] Gusty Wings: The wings of a Koopa Paratroopa create wind gusts as they flap, pushing enemies away and throwing them off-course. [80 Coins] Sturdy Wings: It takes three hits to remove a Koopa Paratroopa's wings rather than one. [180 Coins]
Dry Bones 170 Coins	Dry Bones are undead Koopa Troopas. They walk back and forth, like a regular Koopa Troopa. However, if stepped on, it will disassemble instead of being defeated, reincarnating itself soon after. Additionally, Dry Bones are immune to fire projectiles.
	Arise: If disassembled, a Dry Bones will reincarnate itself faster. [70 Coins] Skelly Sprint: Dry Bones will walk around faster. [60 Coins] Bone Pickin': Dry Bones can occasionally throw bones forward, which can damage enemies. [120 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Spikes
Spike 70 Coins	Spikes are Koopa-like creatures with small shells. They have the ability to spit out spiked balls and throw them at enemies. They walk around the area, spitting spiked balls from time to time.
	Faster Spitting: Spikes will spit out spiked balls at faster intervals. [50 Coins] Big Balls: Spikes will spit out larger spiked balls, making them harder to dodge. [90 Coins] Bouncy Balls: Spiked balls that a Spike throws will bounce up and down as they travel, amking them even harder to dodge. [180 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Stone Spike 60 Coins	Stone Spikes are blue Spikes that spit out rocks instead of spiked balls. Rather than moving around, Stone Spikes will stay in place and throw rocks below.
	Faster Spitting: Stone Spikes will spit out rocks at faster intervals. [50 Coins] Debris: Rocks that a Stone Spike throws will break a bit, sending debris flying around, which can damage enemies. [100 Coins] Hot Rocks: Stone Spikes' stones will be covered in fire. They will leave a fire patch on the ground where they land for a short time, which damages enemies. [200 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Snow Spike 80 Coins	Snow Spikes are white Spikes in winter wear. Rather than spiked balls, they will throw snowballs, which will grow in size as they move forward. Bigger snowballs, however, can defeat other Towers, so positioning is important.
	Faster Spitting: Snow Spikes will spit out snowballs at faster intervals. [50 Coins] Snow Plow: Snowballs that a Snow Spike spits will grow in size faster. [90 Coins] Friendly Fire: Snow Spikes' snowballs will never damage other Towers. [250 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Lakitus & Spinies
Lakitu 200 Coins	Lakitus are Koopas that ride in clouds. They will fly above enemies and throw Spiny Eggs below, which hatch into Spinies. Because they are in the air, it is difficult for enemies to attack it, though defeating it will allow an enemy to use the Lakitu's cloud.
	On a Roll: Lakitus will alternate between red Spiny Eggs, which function as normal, and green Spiny Eggs, which will roll across the ground to chase enemies. [130 Coins] Cloud Nine: A Lakiru's cloud will disappear after being defeated, meaning enemies can'r use it. [140 Coins] Spiny Surge: Lakitus will throw Spiny Eggs at a much quicker rate. [230 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Thunder Lakitu 250 Coins	Thunder Lakitus are pink Lakitus. Instead of throwing Spiny Eggs, they will throw thunder balls at enemies that, when they hit the ground, create a shockwave that damages all enemies that get hit by it. They have the same weaknesses as a regular Lakitu however.
	Bigger Waves: Thunder Lakitus' shockwaves will extend farther than normal. [140 Coins] Aftershock: When a Thunder Lakitu throws a thunder ball, the place it lands will be covered in fire for a short time, damaging all enemies that hit it. [160 Coins] Faster Fire: Thunder Lakitus will throw thunder balls at a faster rate. [290 Coins]
Shy Guys
Shy Guy 60 Coins	Shy Guys are masked mischief makers that wear multicolored robes. They act similarly to Goombas, in that they walk around the area. However, they will also try to jump to higher areas, and it will take three jumps to defeat them.
	Jumping Shoes: Shy Guys can jump higher. [30 Coins] Masked Runner: Shy Guys can move at a faster pace. [50 Coins] Slingshot: Shy Guys have an additional attack where they take out a slingshot and fire a rock at a nearby enemy, damaging them. [90 Coins]
	Alternate Variants
Snifit 80 Coins	Snifits are Shy Guys that wear gas masks on their faces. They act similar to Shy Guys when placed, walking around and jumping to higher areas, but they will occasionally fire bullets forward, which can damage enemies.
	Piercing Bullet: Snifits' bullets will damage three enemies instead of one. [65 Coins] Faster Fire: Snifits can fire bullets faster. [105 Coins] Heat-Seeking Bullets: Snifits will fire red bullets that will home in on enemies, damaging them. [130 Coins]
	Alternate Variants

Bosses

Bosses, unlike Towers, cannot be purchased with money. Instead, special Bowser Coins are rewarded for beating levels depending on how well they do, which can be used towards purchasing Bosses. They do not upgrade like regular Towers. Instead, by placing enough Bosses players are able to unlock their Final Boss variant, which is stronger.

Boss	Description / Final Boss variant
Boom Boom 10 Bowser Coins	Boom Boom is a large, muscular Koopa Troopa with a short temper to match. When placed, Boom Boom is able to flail his fists around while he charges at enemies. After awhile, he will stop as his shell's spikes appear, which will defeat any enemy that touches them. After being hit once, Boom Boom will begin jumping around to mix up his attack pattern. After being hit twice, Boom Boom becomes faster and more difficult to hit.
	Boom Boom's Final Boss variant has different attack patterns once attacked. He at first acts similar to his normal counterpart, flailing his fists as per usual. If attacked however, Boom Boom will grow wings, which he will use to fly around as swoop downward to damage enemies. If hit twice, Boom Boom will become enraged and grow in size, making him more difficult to dodge.
Pom Pom 15 Bowser Coins	Boom Boom is a pink Koopa Troopa and a common foe Mario and co. face on their adventures, often appearing as Boom Boom's sidekick. When place, Pom Pom will throw boomerangs around the area, which can damage enemies. She may also perform a jumping attack to try and land on enemies. After being hit twice, Pom Pom becomes faster, and starts throwing two boomerangs at once.
	Pom Pom's Final Boss variant sees her replacing her boomerangs with large throwing stars, which fl straight forward at a fast speed to damage enemies. She may also throw red ones that home in on enemies. Her jumping attack also now causes a shockwave, damaging enemies that she barely misses.

Enemies

Tower	Description / Upgrades
Small Mario	Small Mario is the most basic enemy in the game. All he will do is run around and jump. He can be defeated in a single hit.
Small Luigi	Like Small Mario, Small Luigi can be defeated in a single hit. He has worse traction, meaning he has a higher chance of falling down a bottomless pit, though he does have higher jump height.
Mario	Mario under the effect of a Super Mushroom. He is a bit stronger than Small Mario, and can break Brick Blocks. Hitting him transforms him into Small Mario.
Yoshi	Though Yoshi can be taken out in one hit, he can eat Towers in front of him, Flutter Jump over threats, and use a Ground Pound to break through blocks.