Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is here, and players are diving into Lake Lapcat’s new adventure. Exploring the wide-open waterfront in Bowser’s Fury is all about collecting Cat Shines to ward off the bottomless wrath of Fury Bowser. No need to get angry yourself, though, as we’ve got details on how many of these Shines you can find and whereabout you’ll get your paws on ‘em.
How many Cat Shines are there in Bowser’s Fury?
Across Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury’s Lake Lapcat, you’ll find 100 Cat Shines.
Where are Cat Shines in Bowser’s Fury?
When you first start playing Bowser’s Fury, the available area of Lake Lapcat will be pretty small. Collecting your first few (straightforward) shines will expand the explorable areas. The simplest way to break down the map is into three main sections. These are Lakeside, Ruins, and Wasteland.
Each of these is marked by their own Giga Bell, which have their own surrounding islands both big and small. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to head next, keep an eye out for Lighthouses. Even if they’re covered in goop, they can guide you to where you need to go since there are always multiple Cat Shines located near Lighthouses.
Every Lighthouse Island has five Cat Shines to collect. Since there are 12 of these Lighthouse Islands total (four near each Giga Bell), completing all of their associated objectives will get you 60 Cat Shines! You’ll know you’ve cleared a main island of all its Cat Shines once the Lighthouse starts flying a Cat Flag.
Three of those Lighthouse objectives will be unique to the Lighthouse itself, while two are always the same. These are collecting five Cat Shine Shards and destroying Fury Blocks. We’ll explain those Blocks in a bit, but for Cat Shine Shards, keep an eye out for these red, floating kitty faces as you take care of other Lighthouse objectives. Once you grab the last, a Cat Shine will be granted right on the spot.
As a note, if the island you’re interested in doesn’t seem to have a new objective, we suggest checking out another island. Bouncing between islands will “refresh” each of them with the latest Cat Shine objective, with the best way to make sure being to pass through each island’s Cat Arch.
The rest of the Cat Shines are located on and around Lake Lapcat itself. Some of these will be smaller islands with one or two Cat Shines of their own, some involve riding Plessie through gates or to grab collectibles, and others task you with returning lost kittens to their parent. Keep an eye out for calico cats!
You will not be able to get all 100 Cat Shines before taking on Bowser’s Fury’s final boss, though. Some Cat Shines can only be found post-game, including a few from the earliest area of Bowser’s Fury (Fur Step Island) and on a special island that only appears once the story is complete.
What should I do when Fury Bowser appears?
First of all, don’t panic. Fury Bowser is a big part of getting through Bowser’s Fury, and some Cat Shines are only available via Fury Bowser.
The Fury Blocks I mentioned earlier are tough stuff, and easily identifiable by Bowser’s face/logo appearing on them. When Fury Bowser awakens, stay near some of these until he breathes a jet of fire. If you’re worried about getting hit, take cover if available or dive underwater either by ground pounding as Mario or with Plessie. Fury Bowser should eventually position himself so that his fire will take out the Fury Blocks and reveal a Cat Shine! This is how you take care of each island’s Blast the Fury Blocks mission.
Collecting a Cat Shine will also immediately send Fury Bowser away. If you don’t want to deal with his titanic tantrums, you can cut them short by grabbing Cat Shines at the right time. This also has the added benefit of trimming some health from his health bar, making direct fights with him a little easier.
Lastly, if you find an area is tough to platform through while collecting Cat Shines normally, it might be worth trying while Fury Bowser is awake. Though the fireballs won’t do you any favors, the blocks Fury Bowser summons can sometimes make an area a little easier to ascend and will often give you access to Power-Ups if you need them.
How many Cat Shines do I need to unlock Giga Bells in Bowser’s Fury?
Other than tracking your progress, the main use of Cat Shines is to clean the goop off and awaken Giga Bells. Each Bell has a set number of Cat Shines needed to access their power so you can take on Fury Bowser as Giga Cat Mario.
The amount of Cat Shines you need for each Giga Bell are:
- First Giga Bell Unlock – 5 Cat Shines
- Second Giga Bell Unlock – 15 Cat Shines
- Third Giga Bell Unlock – 20 Cat Shines
- Fourth Giga Bell Unlock – 40 Cat Shines
- Fifth Giga Bell Unlock – 50 Cat Shines
More Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury guides
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Written by Ricky Berg
When he isn’t writing for Nintendo Wire, Ricky’s anticipating the next Kirby, Fire Emblem, or if the stars ever align, Mother 3 to be released. Till then he’ll have the warm comfort of Super Smash Bros. to keep him going.
