This article is about Bowser's appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. For other uses, see Bowser. Bowser is the main antagonist of the Mario series and is one of Nintendo's most recognizable characters, and arguably its most recognized villain. A veteran from Melee and Brawl, Bowser returns as a starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. His moveset has been changed to make him much stronger and faster than in Brawl, and he also stands much more upright, with an updated look to better match his appearance in the Mario games, such as his Crouch being similar to the one used in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Attributes
Strengths
- Heaviest character in the game, resulting in massive launch resistance.
- Is quite agile on ground, having the second highest dashing speed of all heavyweight characters, after Charizard.
- Super armor frames on various animations, enough to shrug off some normal attacks without flinching even when not attacking.
- Considerably fast for his size both on the ground and in the air.
- Most moves have huge knockback, specially his Smash Attacks, powerful enough to KO opponents at mid-low percentages.
- His high knockback combined with endurance makes him even more powerful under the effects of Rage.
- Powerful Throws that deal high damage and can KO.
- Fire Breath can rack up damage quite fast, which, allied with its high range and considerable low ending lag allows Bowser to stay at safe range.
- Flying Slam is inescapable once Bowser grabs his opponents, and can KO opponents below 100% damage once he hits them on the ground.
- Can perform Bowsercide with this move, although some characters can escape it.
- Bowser Bomb grants him powerful super armor, and deals high knockback when used on ground.
- Has amazing out-of-shield options, like the Whirling Fortress, which can easily pressure opponents.
Weaknesses
- Largest character in the game, which means big hurtboxes.
- High lag on some attacks.
- Fire Breath counts as a energy projectile, which means it can be reflected/nullified and absorbed.
- Bowsercide with Flying Slam will always favor the opponent, meaning Bowser will die first despite being on top of his opponent.
- In addition, some characters can escape this move right after Bowser dies; meaning that those with high recovery can return to stage safely, resulting in Bowser losing a stock over nothing.
- Mediocre vertical recovery.
- None of his Throws can lead to reliable follow ups, meaning he has few options for combos.
- High knockback on his attacks means he can't pull off many combos.
Summary:
Bowser is the heaviest character on the roster, and as a result is an utter powerhouse. He is capable of dishing out large amounts of damage and knockback with few blows, and can KO many characters even at low percentages with his high KO potential. His heavy weight combined with his high rate of super armor frames on many moves makes him extremely difficult to launch; weaker attacks sometimes fail to make him flinch whatsoever due his natural super armor frames.
One of his major problems, as in past games, is his massive size, which makes him an infamously easy target for faster characters. This plus his weight makes it easy for characters with low knockback scaling to pull a variety of combos on him with ease. He also has high lag on some moves, leaving him vulnerable and open to counter attacks. While his recovery has improved from Brawl, it is still one of his biggest flaws.
Bowser now stands upright, in contrast to his previous appearances in Melee and Brawl, in which he was hunched over. His change in stance gives him a significant boost in speed, making Bowser now not only a powerhouse, but a somewhat fast powerhouse.
Differences from Brawl
In the new games, Bowser has been subject to the most changes of all veteran characters. Pretty much all of his moveset and animations have been completely redone, with entire different attacks, as well receiving heavy buffs that makes him a more competitively viable character. Among his buffs include greatly improved recovery and faster attacks with higher reach.
His design has been to properly reflect his appearance in the most recent Mario Bros. games since Luigi's Mansion.
Attributes
- Physically larger and heavier, giving him more reach on all his attacks. However, his shell is slightly smaller, resulting in a less salient hitbox on his back.
- New animations for most moves, such as now running instead of cartwheeling.
- Has super armor on many moves, as well as overall higher launch and flinch resistance.
- He also has universal launch resistance for attacks that inflict very low knockback, such as the first hit of many grabs.
- Faster ground speed, specially for dashing, which now ranks him slightly above Marth.
- Faster attack speed. Most of his moves also now have considerably less ending lag.
- Slightly slower air speed.
- Second jump is higher.
Ground Attacks
- Neutral Attack has a slightly different animation, now being two punches instead of two claw swipes. It is faster and causes more knockback, specially the second hit. It also covers slightly more horizontal range, but a bit less vertical range.
- Forward Tilt is faster, has higher range and deals more damage and knockback.
- Up Tilt has a slightly different animation, with Bowser slashing in a wider arc, allowing him to hit enemies in front of him as well. It has slightly less startup and ending lag. However, it deals less damage and knockback.
- Down Tilt has a slightly different animation, now being two punches instead of two claw swipes. It has slightly more range, specially the second hit.
- Forward Smash has a different animation, where Bowser hops doing a dropkick instead of headbutting. It is now a single hit attack, with a more reliable hitbox placement. It is much faster and has a higher reach. It deals much higher knockback, now being the strongest Forward Smash in game, tied with King Dedede's. The move also grants him super frames with long duration. However, it has higher ending lag and deals much less damage, 10% less, where the two hits contributed for high damage.
- Up Smash has a slightly different animation, with Bowser hopping and spinning while hitting with his shell. Has larger hitboxes that allows Bowser to hit enemies on his sides. It has faster startup and ending lag, as well higher priority and damage.
- Down Smash now causes Bowser to spin in place rather than tilting to the sides, much like in Melee, resulting in slightly less range. It traps opponents better between hits, however all hits deals less damage.
- Dash Attack has a different animation, now being a side flying kick instead of a headbutt. It is faster, with less ending lag and covers more distance. However, it deals slightly less damage and knockback.
Aerial Attacks
- Neutral Aerial has a different animation, with Bowser spreading his arms and legs and spinning in the air, similar to Kirby's Neutral Aerial. It is now a multi-hit attack, with higher reach and more knockback, as well lower ending and landing lag.
- Forward Aerial has a slightly different animation, with Bowser slashing diagonally, more in an arc, covering more range- including immediately above him. Additionally, its sweetspot is much larger, and has less ending and landing lag, now being able to auto-cancel in short hops.
- Back Aerial has a different animation, with Bowser dropkicking backwards, similar to Mario, Luigi and Dr. Mario's Back Aerials in Melee, instead of hitting with his shell. It is faster, with much less ending and landing lag, now being able to auto-cancel in short hops.. Also, it deals more damage and has much higher knockback scaling, enough to KO opponents below 100% near the ledge.
- Up Aerial has a different animation, with Bowser doing a headbutt in an arc, similar to Donkey Kong's Up Aerial, rather than swiping with his claw. It has slightly less range, but with less startup lag. However, it deals less damage and knockback.
- Down Aerial is now a stall-then-fall move, capable of Meteor Smashing opponents during the first frames, and causing diagonally vertical knockback on the other frames. Unlike in past games, this attack deals a single hit that causes more damage and much more knockback, as well slightly lower ending and landing lag. It is a risky Meteor Smash to use off-stage, due to the high self-destruction possibility, specially since it doesn't auto-sweetspot the ledge. Additionally, it has powerful pushboxes once it hits the ground, producing a shockwave, making it a much safer attack to use and keep enemies at bay.
Grabs and Throws
- Grab and Dash Grab have much higher reach, now having the one of the highest ranges of all non-tether grabs. Bowser now grabs his opponent with one hand rather than using both to hold, similar to his old Koopa Klaw grab.
- All his Throws are much more powerful and faster.
- Forward Throw has a different animation, where Bowser biting and swinging his enemy forward, similar to Charizard's Forward Throw. It deals more knockback, enough to KO at high percentages.
- Back Throw has a different animation, where Bowser tosses his opponent backwards in a side-way motion with his hand, looking similar to Donkey Kong's Back Throw. It deals more knockback, enough to KO at high percentages.
- Down Throw but it now has higher base knockback, as well as some super armor immediately before the body slam. It deals the highest damage of all his throws.
Special Attacks
- Fire Breath has larger flames that cover more distance, with faster startup and ending lag. However, the flames can't flinch at furthest distance, at the later hitboxes. Also, connecting with the opponent will push both him/her and Bowser away, reducing the damage output the move can do, but also making the attack safer if the opponent DI from it.
- Flying Slam has higher range, but a bit more startup lag after grabbing. It has higher knockback scaling, being able to KO at mid-high percentages, and Bowser has powerful super armor frames after grabbing the opponent. It can now hit enemies when descending, and is much easier to control. However, when performing a suicide attack, Bowser will lose his stock before his opponent, making the Bowsercide technique much more situational and less advantageous, specially since his opponent will be released from his grasp and some can recover back. Also, the Koopa Hopping advanced technique is no longer possible.
- Whirling Fortress moves faster and goes much higher when used in mid-air. Has increased range for sweetspotting the ledge. Distance covered increases to an extent if the Special button is tapped repeatedly while Bowser is flying. Additionally, when used on the ground, the attack deals multi-hit damage, with powerful trapping hitboxes that make it useful to be used out of shield.
- Bowser Bomb deals much more damage and boasts higher knockback. It deals much higher shield damage, now being able to break shields if all hits connect, and inflicts larger hitlag. It is also much faster to descend, specially when used on ground.
- Giga Bowser lasts for a shorter amount of time, but his attacks cause higher knockback. Also, while in this form, Bowser's animations are the same as his Brawl animations.
Moveset
Ground Attacks
Normal Attacks
- Standard Attack - Punches twice in quick succession. The first punch deals 5% damage, while the second blow deals 7% damage with minor knockback. Relatively high priority allows this move to cancel out some types of projectiles.
- Dash Attack - A running low kick. Deals 10% damage and has great vertical knockback. The significant ending lag from Brawl is no longer as prevalent, making this a move a much more practical option.
- Strong Side - Shifts his weight forwards and delivers a powerful punch. Deals 12% damage and has decent horizontal knockback, making this move a possible KO option at higher percentages.
- Strong Up - Slashes directly above himself. Deals 10% damage and has fairly good juggling potential. It has slightly lower KO potential than it had in Brawl, however it retains its speed. It has the potential to KO at higher percentages. Towards the end of this attack, it is possible to also hit opponents directly behind Bowser with the swipe.
- Strong Down - Crouches and performs two quick claw swipes. The first blow deals 14% damage, while the second blow deals 11% damage. It has decent knock back and speed, and has some KO potential at higher percentages.
Smash Attacks
- Side Smash - Leaps forward and delivers a devastating drop kick. Deals 25% damage uncharged, and 33% damage fully charged. This side smash replaces Bowser's headbutt from SSBM and SSBB, and greatly increases his range while still retaining the power. This move has incredible KO potential, and is capable of taking out enemies with low percentage, and even OHKOing lightweight or floaty characters such as Jigglypuff. The attack is relatively slow, however. If fully charged, the attack has decent shield break potential.
- Up Smash - Rears himself on all fours and leaps upwards, delivering a powerful blow with his shell. This attack has a hitbox positioned directly atop Bowser's shell that deals significantly more damage and knockback (15 percent uncharged without hitbox, 22 percent uncharged with hitbox). When fully charged, The attack deals 28% damage. This attack has incredible vertical KO potential, along with relatively high priority. It has invincibility frames that makes him able to counter counters like Vision, Double Team and Slip Counter.
- Down Smash - Retreats inside his shell, and performs a rapid spinning attack along the ground. This attack is a multi hit, dealing 15% damage total uncharged and 23% damage fully charged. Has high knockback, however to a lesser extent than his other smash attacks. The range of this attack is significantly increased from Brawl.
Other attacks
To be added
Aerial Attacks
- Neutral Air - Spins vertically in the air, hitting with his fists and feet in a multi hit attack. Deals 15% damage if all blows connect, and has decent knockback. It has the potential to KO at higher percentages, although this move is primarily useful for combos.
- Side Air - Slashes directly in front of him. A very fast attack that deals 13% damage. A great move for performing combos. It has some KO potential at higher percentages.
- Up Air - Delivers a blow with his horns aimed directly above himself. Deals 15% damage and has good KO potential at higher percentages.
- Back Air - Delivers a powerful back kick. Deals 19% damage. This attack has good horizontal knockback and is an excellent KO move. However, there is significant ending lag.
- Down Air - Retreats inside his shell and drops directly downwards at a surprising speed. Deals 16% damage if Bowser lands directly on top of an opponent, but the attack also creates a slight shock wave that deals 2% damage to either side of Bowser when he lands. Has significant ending lag after Bowser hits the ground, but has very good KO potential at higher percentages.
Grabs and Throws
- Pummel - Headbutts the opponent, dealing 3% damage. A relatively slower pummel compared to some of the other fighters.
- Forwards Throw - Picks up the opponent with his horns and rears his head back, then swings it forwards, sending them flying. Deals 12% damage, and can KO opponents above 150%.
- Up Throw - Throws the opponent on top of his shell and spins, slashing them with his spikes. A multi hit attack that deals 10% damage total. Has mediocre vertical knockback, but has the potential to KO lighter characters at high percentages.
- Down Throw - Places the opponent on the ground, and body slams them with his full weight as they squirm in fear. Deals 12% damage. has low KO potential, but sends foes flying directly away from Bowser, leaving them open for another attack.
- Back Throw - Throws the opponent over his shoulder. Deals 12% damage, and can KO opponents above 130%. It is Bowser's strongest throw in terms of knockback.
Special Moves
Taunts
Up taunt: Roars and throws his head back.
Side taunt: Gnashes his teeth and bites the air in front of him.
Down taunt: Hops up on one foot and waves his arms around.
In competitive play
To be added
Other features
To be added
Trophy Description
Bowser
Mario's archnemesis and the reason Peach spends more time in "another castle" than in her own. His plans almost never work out, and he occasionally even finds himself on Mario's side. In Smash Bros., he's a serious heavyweight who laughs off weaker attacks. You've gotta hit him hard to send him flying!
NES - Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)
N64 - Super Mario 64 (09/1996)
Bowser (Alt)
Bowser makes good use of his heavy physique with his down special Bowser Bomb, slamming down with his bottom. If he's on the ground, he'll jump into the air before crashing down. Also, he can gain a bit of altitude if you press the special button repeatedly while executing Whirling Fortress, his up special.
Bowser + Standard Kart
Bowser has tricked out his kart exactly like Mario's. With a level playing field, it all comes down to the driver's skill. Well, and luck. And if the driver got a good night's sleep... Only the goddess of victory knows who will win. That's part of the fun of Mario Kart!
Paper Bowser
Bowser's defense team argues that, considering his latent savageness and the promises of wish-granting power, it could only be expected that Bowser would try to grab the Sticker Comet. Who could resist something like that? Bowser was just a victim of circumstance!
Paper Bowser (Second Form)
The Royal Stickers can grant wishes, both good and bad. One sticker enhanced Bowser's natural greediness and rage, making him so powerful that Mario had to beat him twice in a row--the recycled Bowser even bigger and more powerful than before!
Costume Gallery
Trivia
- Compared to other "Smash" Games Bowser appeared in, he stands more upright in the Fourth "Smash" Title, instead of hunching over, like in the previous games. This was pointed out by Masahiro Sakurai in a Wii U & Nintendo 3DS Developer Direct video.
- Also pointed out by Sakurai is his running animation, which was fixed to make him run as opposed to "riding/sliding" (mimicking Heavy Lobster of the Kirby Series) like he did in previous "Smash" titles.
- Much like Meta Knight, Bowser has a different Victory Theme than other characters from the Mario Universe, a rock-based remix of the sound clip that would play when Mario reaches the end of a level in Super Mario Bros. This theme is shared with Bowser Jr.
- Bowser's eight costume is based on the Bowser Imposter from Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.
Gallery
.jpg "Bowser SSB4 (4).jpg (127 KB)")
External links
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