>>1042778
Bowser's Inside Story is terrific. AlphaDream remade it for 3DS, and I eventually completed it there, but on DS first. Bowser was playable in RPGs before, which Super Mario RPG started, but Inside Story was Bowser's first time as the main character. Fawful's rightfully promoted from Cackletta's sidekick in Superstar Saga to the main antagonist of Inside Story, and his unusual syntax and manic energy in both was endearing.
You may appreciate Brothership, the newest Mario & Luigi. It released this month, as an isekai for the brothers, and Bowser too, who isn't playable, but whose character's the best since Inside Story. I worried he'd be ideologically captured by the politics of his writer and Disneyfied into a cautionary cudgel against fascism, patriarchy, or toxic masculinity, but Bowser does the opposite. He makes strong leadership cool, and he's revered for it by his son Bowser Jr., first after this depicted speech that energizes his minions.
The game explores Bowser's bond with Jr. with no 2024itis. Bowser's no diaper-changing house husband, he's like Liam Neeson from Taken. Brothership's antagonist Zokket extracts dark energy from Spite Bulbs to infect islanders with Glohm so they're gloomy and break their bonds. Zokket implies Bowser's paternal bond with Jr. is unbreakable by normal Glohm, so "bad guy" Bowser's the only Brothership character, besides Mario and Luigi, with a bond implied that strong, in a story that explores strong bonds. A story that doesn't condemn Bowser's masculinity, but is sympathetic to Bowser, and keeps him tough and larger than life.
Zokket rules the Concordian air. When Bowser's transported there, he wastes no time setting up a base on Offandon Island, building a castle on Wayaway Island, and preparing a coup to "crush Zokket's circuits." First for power, later it's personal. Bowser's introduced with menacing style and primal flair in a full-scale war scene where Bowser's minions attack Zokket's forces, before Bowser turns his air force on you. As Mario and Luigi, you recon Bowser's base at Offandon, then invade his castle at Wayaway twice, for Ampberries to cure Glohm and machine parts for Shipshape Island. You also battle Bowser twice, and each battle is grand.
Requesting a WebM of Bowser's debut in Concordia, sliced from this cutscenes video, between 220 and 336 seconds:
https://www.youtubetrimmer.com/view/?v=mxc1oxe1uz8&start=220&end=336&loop=0