Bowser's Keep - Bowser Video Archive

[Big Sean]

This is me last night with dash slash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc15HhwUKpE I could definitely use some pointers. I just can't get in vs heavy projectile play. How do you learn to perfect shield?

 

[Kyras]

You should try to take advantage of the auto-cancel (I think that's what you'd call it) on the aerial dash slash. You can short hop dash slash and it combos pretty seamlessly into basically any move with very little lag. I like to do it over their shield into a reversed f-tilt, or an f-smash if you're feeling ballsy. You did a lot of dash slashes on the ground for very little reason. A grounded dash slash has too much ending lag for basically no gain. I'm not a super experienced Bowser player or anything, just my two cents.

Edit: For example, around 8:38 if you'd done a short hop dash slash you could have immediately done a reversed f-tilt to hit Pikachu as he fell. And then around 9:18 or so you could have canceled it into another dash slash, even. You can go all the way across Battlefield using this method, and do it very quickly.

 

[Knee Smasher]

To Even The Field By Suicide [You Are Dead Meat, Again After Death You Will Face Defeat]
Me (Bowser) VS. Flippy456 (Mewtwo)

 

[Cassius.]

http://www.twitch.tv/gameonesports/b/653694922 (archive may be broken up, let me know)

made a trek out to buffalo, ny for a local tournament (i was there moreso for marvel but smash was there as well, so why not)

they streamed losers quarters onward, so it starts at 3:36:15. the game I lost against the Olimar was really, really bad. I had the read on his rolls in the back of my mind for about 5 minutes, but didn't actually try to punish it. That set was a lot closer than it needed to be...seriously.

it picks back up at 3:54:14 and then it's just me running through players until I pretty much get knocked out at grand finals by PikaPika 2-3. He beat me 2-0 in winners quarters, so I tried my best to turn that around, but life happens lol

for WHATEVER reason, I can't speedhug the ledge in this game. It was crucial in Brawl, and a lot easier. I can't get it to ledge trump properly to save my life lmao. You'll see me hang at the edge of the stage attempting to go for a ledge trump, and then nothing close to that comes out at all. I may get a dash, a dash turn, or maybe just fall off the stage completely. it's really annoying, so I really need to practice that more. In the matches above, I get it when I really need it so I suppose it's kind of okay.

I also Up-B'd a lot. I usually don't, so it was weird to introspectively notice that I was doing it so frequently, especially in situations where some other punishes may have been better. oh well.

I got a good amount of bowser bomb reads and the finishing hit just...did not connect, at all when I needed it to. I kept hitting him in the deadzone of the move, which sucks because I could've got the stock lead so much earlier and easier. It was pretty hard for me to react to the quick attack pressure as well. After a while, I started to get the read on when he would Quick Attack in, but tried to punish it instead of just shielding and waiting my turn.

you'll also probably see an aerial side-b whiff on game 5 in GFs that REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAALLY (!!!!!!!!!!!) irks me, and just adds to the list of reasons why I hate this move/game.

so yeah, i pretty much gave players too much respect on the ledge & got extremely lazy and just used up-b to cover options (meh, they got outplayed in neutral), up-b'd a lot (oops), and lost to mediocre hitboxes/dead zones on crucial kill moves.

 

[Big Sean]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is having issues speed hugging the ledge. I have literally been practicing it everyday for the last two months, and although I've gotten way better at it, it's still not tournament ready. Good **** on second though, I'll be studying these videos hard this week.

 

[Corgian]

Anyone got any videos of a custom Bowser in a tournament yet?

https://youtu.be/7LPvLehaqa8 CalmAnimal v Gyo (G&W)
https://youtu.be/4NbCQaRZRaM Gibus v Emery (DK)

With the introduction of the Customs Meta, I've noticed my favorite bowsers—Oco le Troof and CalmAnimal—have begun to disappear. However, I've also noticed that Fox usage has jumped, so it's a Lose-Win for me. Eventually, I'll have some tournament videos from the SFL scene. Its difficult being the only Bowser, but I'm putting in some work.

for WHATEVER reason, I can't speedhug the ledge in this game.

I've been practicing this for a few months now. The easiest way to get it done is by rolling the control-stick back towards the ledge immediately after getting to ledge. So if you're trying to ledge-grab from the left ledge, you'd until you go to ledge, then immediately as you get to ledge >>>.

MySmashCorner explains it really nicely at 2:28 here.
https://youtu.be/2vVug_cxA6A?t=2m28s

If you're still having trouble with it, practice it standing at the ledge first and once you get that consistent, then practice running towards the ledge.

 

[Koopakid 64]

Guys what do i need to work on in this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SX2MGiFTVk

 

[Corgian]

Guys what do i need to work on in this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SX2MGiFTVk

Overall, pretty good stuff from an offensive standpoint. You kept stage control over Diddy very nicely. That being said, your defensive game needs a bit of work. Your spot dodges were on point, you spaced yourself nicely for most of that match. However, several of those times you could have prevented being tripped by the bananas with shielding or landing on ledge. For example, at 0:46 you landed right in front of him, when the ledge was available. Also, limit your dairs. Dair is a situational move, and unless you're doing it to bait your opponent, it's a dangerous option since it's Bowser's laggiest move on landing. I wasn't sure if you were doing it to condition your opponent for the shield break, but you never went for the shield break so I'm not sure why it happened.

Very fun match to watch, both of your kills were hype. Biggest suggestion would be to play better players

 

[Wirutan]

Hi guys! I just did a test recording from my 3DS.

https://youtu.be/15KFj7_ul5g

I'm not at a really high level yet and still make lots of mistakes, but I think I might be getting there.

I have a pretty hype match on the Japanese sumameito ladder from time to time, so I might try to post on occasion.

Btw, any tips on recording from 3DS? The size seems decent, but not being able to see the damage % is rather unfortunate...

Thanks

P.S. HAIL KOOPA

 

[arcticfox_14]

Hi guys! I just did a test recording from my 3DS.

https://youtu.be/15KFj7_ul5g

I'm not at a really high level yet and still make lots of mistakes, but I think I might be getting there.

I have a pretty hype match on the Japanese sumameito ladder from time to time, so I might try to post on occasion.

Btw, any tips on recording from 3DS? The size seems decent, but not being able to see the damage % is rather unfortunate...

Thanks

P.S. HAIL KOOPA

One of the hardest habits for me to break was the urge to d-air whenever threatened in the air or simply up there too long. There do exist perfect opportunities to use it, but you should try and make it through whole matches without it just to shake the habit. I think you connected with it the first time, but every time after that you ate an upsmash or dash attack for using it.

Way to go with the bomb-to-ledge use, he either knew the timing really well or got lucky twice when he managed to intercept, but overall it's a great skill to have.

One suggestion that's pretty specific to the Yoshi (maybe Wario, too) matchup is when he uses forward b and you shield: the moment the rolling egg touches the shield the hitbox is briefly nullified, so you can go immediately into fortress OoS and beat it every time.

Nice comeback though.

Edit: when I recorded on 3DS I would just pull the camera back just enough to capture the %s on the bottom screen. I think there's an option to put the %s up top, but I don't know if it works well with replays.

 

[Wirutan]

Thanks dude.

I will be careful with the dairs. I'm probably not usually this bad with them, but he wasn't punishing too well anyways.

I often like to use dair (and ledge bomb too for that matter) just to get to the ground ASAP and avoid being juggled.

I think there's no way to display damage % on the top screen on 3DS, but please correct me if I'm wrong... I will experiment more with filming too.

Definitely will post again when I have some good matches.

Thanks again.

 

[Matty89]

 

[Cassius.]

I'm not particularly sure what reaction you're looking for; if I didn't feel as though I was sent back to 2008 by a "Bowser guide", I definitely do now. Thanks.

 

[MagiusNecros]

Most of the video gives me the how not to play Bowser guide feeling.

The content consists mostly of killing blows against players with little experience and doesn't really serve to help other Bowser players.

 

[Hitman JT]

With the introduction of the Customs Meta, I've noticed my favorite bowsers—Oco le Troof and CalmAnimal—have begun to disappear.

Give me a week.

 

[Corgian]

I often like to use dair (and ledge bomb too for that matter) just to get to the ground ASAP and avoid being juggled.

Yeah, this is a common sentiment by many bowsers considering it is our greatest weakness. That being said, we do have other options. If you ever watch any of Oco le Troof matches, the moment he gets put into the position that he's above stage and at risk of being juggled, he stops playing Smash 4 altogether, and begins playing keep away. Aim for a high platform, aim for the ledge, but don't try to get down offensively. It's way too predictable and punishable, and simple mobility will give you a better chance of reentering neutral safely.

 

[Volkrion]

Hi everyone, aspiring Bowser player for Smash 4 here.

Anyways I have some tourney set videos (non custom tournament) that I was wondering I could get thoughts on? Like what I did right and wrong and what to improve on?

Also I'm planning to try to start implementing customs into my playstyle, would dash slash and fire roar be good?

Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2Q7vv-E18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWeZZ5sNlMw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49OA4YYWsxs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn-7kGYpYf4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_0IEJScMHw

 

[Cassius.]

I'll start with what I'm noticing so far and then I'll go into the specifics. The other video analyses won't be anywhere as detailed as the first's because I'll outline anything glaring that I see and elaborate and then it'll just be a reference point from there. So:

General stuff:

You are using Up-B a lot. A LOT. Up-B is a gift and a curse. Think of it this way--While it is pretty much the standard Bowser move (everyone who's decent at Smash will probably tell you that Bowser's UpB is a pretty good move), it's something that you should use with thoughtful consideration. Don't make it become your panic move. You seem to just be using Up-B in an autopilot fashion.

It's not a bad thing; in fact, I'd be more glad to see someone using Up-B too much as opposed to something like DAir or Bowser Bomb. All this means is that you just have to optimize your punish game.

You have to stop airdodging so much, man. There's nothing wrong with just landing in a different spot. You don't have to airdodge. Unfortunately, a lot of Bowser's options that cover his ass are pretty easy to anticipate, albeit a somewhat easy challenge to react to under pressure, so consider either landing in a different spot, coming down with an attack, or just retreating to the ledge if you can't afford to take damage or lose momentum.

I repeat myself a lot with this, but if you have your opponent above you on a platform, and they're shielding, you HAVE to, HAVE TO, exert some kind of pressure. Whether it be by just cutting it and going for a command grab, or whatever, do something.

Video 1, Game 1:

• An interesting start against Diddy Kong. Using fire to size up your opponent is a pretty good option.
• At :18 when Diddy got across your firebreath, he really had no business rolling into you. Up-B was a good cover as far as possible options go, but I can tell that the Up-B you used was completely pre-emptive. It's fine, since you were at 0%, but be aware that these are the kinds of Up-B's that will cost you momentum, stage control, and in the worst case scenario, stocks. If he had just stood still, sat in his shield or actually jumped, he would have avoided your Up-B completely and punished you for it.
• At :22 when you had him in the air after you hit him with the Up-B, you dashed away. Why? If he was going to use side b, you could have just walked out of range and still been in range to cover any option he would have chose. With all of the stage control you had, you also chose to Dash Attack instead of using an offensive shield-grab, or even another Up-B.
• Between the :30s, there were a series of Up-B's you used where Diddy was actually put into a trip state and you just decided to Up-B instead of become proactive and going for a tech chase with grab/pivot grab/side b, etc.
• :39: Spotdodge -> Up-B. I don't know if this is a good option, or the worst option in the world, but every Bowser has done it at least once, so I'm not going to talk about that.
• :44: At this point as a player I would have noticed already that you have an easily exploitable airdodging habit, and this is really only 29 seconds into the first game of the set. How the airdodge into the ground went unpunished and how you got an Up-B off is beyond me, but good job lol
• Between 1:10 and 1:17, you had him stuck in his shield on a platform. You do have a command grab (Side-B). Consider using it in those situations when your opponents are on platforms to plow through their shield and make them reconsider doing it again.
• More instances of panic air dodges and up-b's to cover the option. Like I mentioned before, be more careful about that. You are showing your weaknesses that a lot of players would be willing to exploit. Your defense has to be rock solid.
• Good roll read at 1:38. Had you reacted a bit faster, you may have been able to go for a more damaging option, but it shows that you are playing the Bowser game. Good job.
• The rest of game 1 just builds off of what I had mentioned already. Be more aware of the options you're choosing after whiffed moves. You're just going into Up-B after whiffs/a defensive option without really considering where your opponent actually is. There was a point where you whiffed a move and just Up-B'd and the Diddy just sat there.
• 2:53: it happens. I've lost games because of it and I'm sure others have as well.
• Consider ledge trumping in certain situations when your opponent is recovering. It's a good way to put the thought into your opponent's head to play that trump meta mindgame, and can also help you secure kills earlier if performed successfully.

Video 1, Game 2:

• standard stuff I mentioned about Up-B. There was an instance again where you just Up-B'd and he just stood there lol
• Good tech read off of the banana toss
• Nice FSmash. You caught him, but that was risky as **** and would've killed you if that whiffed.
• Almost as if you read my mid-game commentary, you started airdodging a bit less and started using DAir a bit more.
• For the end of your first stock, there was no real reason for you to try to Up-B to the SV platform. Diddy's FAir was stale but probably would have killed you if got to that situation. You could have just recovered the regular way, I highly doubt Diddy's FAir would've killed you if he came out to the drop zone.
• Coming back after losing your stock, you went for a pivot grab and used Up-B almost immediately afterward (are you buffering it?) Take like, half a second and pay attention to what your opponent is doing/where their position is relative to yours before you use Up-B to cover a whiff.
• There was an instance where you double-jumped in an attempt to BAir him. If you're down that much, you don't have to play so desperately. Bring the game back with solid play (pivot grabs, jabs, etc).
• You kind of went all in with the FSmash attempt at the end, which I can kind of sympathize with since it was either that or you had to outplay him in neutral a bit more. It is what it is.

Video 2, Game 1:

• A much more aggressive start for the first 20 seconds. I'm a fan! Don't be afraid to jab the **** out of your opponents sometimes. It's one of my favorite Bowser moves, and has been for years now.
• Again, the situation came up where your opponent is stuck, scared on the mobile SV platform. Command grab them.
• :55: Really really good jab pressure when you had him trapped on the edge. Jab->DTilt is a great option, and you got him with the third hit. Another fan favorite is Jab->Bowser Bomb because of the very limited space they have when trapped in that situation. You were also only at 12%, so you can definitely take a gamble or two if need be. At best, he dies/gets shield broken, you laugh in his face. At worst, you take damage/get stringed a bit. Walk it off. You're Bowser.
• Good job checking your opponent with the DAirs and the Bowser Bombs with landing. You should always check and see if your opponent is truly aware/able to anticipate those options.
• You lost your stock, came back and read his roll again. Good job.
• Third/fourth instance in a row where him landing on the platform goes unpunished.
• That's one hell of a way to lose the first game LMAO I would feel so bad for him.

Video 2, Game 2:

• Great beginning again. Confident jabs to get him off of you.
• You had a good start and then became a bit too overzealous with the smash attacks and he brought it back as a result. Don't forget what got you that considerable lead early in the game. Just outplay him in neutral until you can punish him hard for the kill. it doesn't have to come early.
• What do we do when our opponents are above us on platforms AND shielding? Say it with me: Command Grab. You would've gotten the stock. You have to exert some kind of pressure (well, just by being underneath him, you are; he's shielding. lol)
• You reached a bit too deep with the dropzone FAir at the 4:43ish mark. Meta Knight isn't someone I would necessarily want to challenge offstage unless I have a good reason to do so. You could've lost your stock for that.
• good fast punish on the dimension cape.
• why why why whywhywhywhywhy did you let his shuttle loop go unpunished at 6:20?? You could've won the set right there.
• since you got ledge trumped and died, in that situation, you could have done one of two things:

1. used your double jump (jumped out and away), and try and boost your up-b so that you wouldn't have had to grab the ledge at all
2. hold down as you were mashing on up-b so you wouldn't grab the ledge and would have landed onstage

you were essentially dead regardless, so it's whatever.

Video 2, Game 3:

• not much to say, good job.
• just optimize your punish game more.
• He was really going hard for the kill, so you could've let him hang himself and won the game free by just doing that. MK doesn't necessarily have any killing throws, so sitting in your shield would've been an okay option considering how big of a commitment shuttle loop actually is.
• consider ledge trumping in future sets.
• good roll-read after your stock loss again. I'm picking up on a theme here. Try to apply those roll reads to your neutral game!

I do want to take a break and point out, since I noticed the date of the videos:

Great job improving your level of play overall in just a matter of two weeks. There was a pretty big increase in your confidence and competence of play between those two videos, although there were a few subtle things (command grabbing opponents who are shielding) that you can fix.

Video 3, Game 1:

Bladewise is a pretty known player and I think he's ranked, so this will be interesting. I hate Rosalina's guts, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to offer anything worthwhile aside from the basic MU information I know.

• as far as throws go, I think UThrow is the one that has hitboxes on it that can damage Luma as you're throwing Rosalina, but good job controlling Luma during your first stock.
• ~1 min mark: Ledge trumps, ledge trumps, ledge trumps. You gotta implement that into your game. NOW I'm seeing points where it could've been a huge boost in your momentum if used correctly. Good DTilt coverage despite that, though. You didn't let him back on for free.
• 1:11 was a pretty big turning point in the first game. You did a really bad Dash Attack, I'm sure you know. He could've punished that with a smash attack OoS and probably killed (I'm not certain) but he opted for sending you offstage and regaining stage control, which is never a bad play, ever.
• Piggybacking off of that--In that instance, you had a lot of control and momentum, and this was evident in him shielding at the edge of the stage. At this point, a top tier Bowser play would've been to either go for a command grab, or scare him into going for a defensive option. These are things you learn for the future, of course. He took advantage of your airdodging habit which resurged, again, out of nowhere, and took your stock, as a result. All because of the bad Dash Attack play.
• After the dash attack at 1:32, I would have opted to try and get the kill on Luma. it's not that hard since Bowser hits like a truck, so one FTilt would have sent it packing, and then you could've handled Rosalina.
• You're not getting punished for it too heavily, as far as I'm watching, but please be careful with double jumping/jumping in general. It gives up a lot of stage control and puts you in the air, which, is pretty bad for Bowser.. You did come down with Klaw, which is kind of an okay option, but the move blows. jumping is just too much of a high-risk option. Stand your ground.
• Exhibit A of why jumping blows: after you get the command grab to take the first stock (1:50ish), instead of standing your ground, you jump and get UAir'd for it, airdodge back into the ground (goes unpunished) and now have to fight your way back to center stage in neutral.
• yo, what is with you not autocancelling FAir or BAir with Bowser? at 2:18 that was really weird.
• if you ever up-b and catch rosalina, your next priority is to get luma and hit it so you can get it to desync with rosalina and possibly drive it offstage. that would've been a turning point in the game.
• Good job exerting pressure with the DTilts. You had him at the ledge. Alternatively, you could have forced his hand and made him whiff a grab or perform a defensive option and got the read. But you won anyway so whatever. gg

Video 3, Game 2:

• you start the game out by empty hopping backwards and then using fire. I'm not going to talk about how or why empty hopping backwards is bad, because Zigsta has a whole thread about it that you can read about. I will say this: think about how much stage control you gave up by empty hopping backwards, twice, mind you. You essentially handed him the winning position in neutral. You put yourself in the corner by doing that.
• anyway, he just abused your airdodging habit/the fact that bowser can't land on top of the fact that you chose some bad landing options, and you lost the game. I don't want to say that empty hopping backward cost you that game, but it did kind of put you on your ass in the first five seconds; from there you pretty much spent the entire game trying to land.

Video 3, Game 3:

• Again, with the empty hopping backwards in the beginning. What does that accomplish? If you're in the air, you can't even really shield the start bits zoning. Just walk/dash forward and shield. If he's zoning from his corner of the stage, move to center stage! exert your positional pressure--get control over the stage!. From center stage, you could have went for a Short Hop Air Dodge cancelled special move (up-B probably would've caught him and Luma), or anything else. Just consider this; I cannot stress that point enough. Stop doing that. I want you to stop doing that more than the panic up-bs you were doing last month lol
• nothing else to really say. You SD'd and you tried your best to bring it back. Aside from the overzealous FSmashes, you played that pretty well. I figured an Up-B would eventually cost you a game/set, so yeah.

Video 4, Game 1:

• I don't know how in the world you let that aerial go unpunished since he hit your shield. Someone like you who enjoys using Up-B didn't punish that? Anyway, reasonable tradeoff despite the first exchange in the set since your aerial up-b didn't get punished too hard and he pretty much gave the stage back to you for two pot-shots from the blaster.
• right at the 1 minute mark where you caught him with the firebreath and forced him to use up-b to recover would've been an ideal ledge trump situation/a chance to force a situation based on your positional advantage.

Video 4, Game 2:

• Shulk? meh.

Video 5, Game 1:

• This video is only 4 minutes long, and even less so considering the intro and outro are a thing. I'm assuming that this is a body bag.
• you really have to punish those whiffed grabs a lot harder than you were (letting some go unpunished, etc) especially since he was actually gambling with dash grabs as well.
• you're just letting him zone you with ZAirs and NAirs. This is a MU where walking/dashing and shielding and getting those perfect shields is really important, and is quite honestly the only way you're gonna keep up with ZSS' superb frame data.

Video 5, Game 2:

• same as what I said for the previous match. You just got tossed, there's not much else to it. It's a pretty difficult MU that actually scales to the players' levels. Ranging from your run of the mill FG monster to Choco, I've played a variety of ZSS players and it really just depends on their style and their competence of the character/game, but in general what ZSS has in her quick startup just makes it really difficult for Bowser to get anything going. You just have to hit her and return to maintaining your control over the stage. Walking and getting the perfect shields, as I mentioned, is absolutely crucial. You have to remain in control of the stage at all times.
• Throughout the set you were really aggressive with trying to land back onstage. You need to just chill and land properly. Don't try and DAir all the time (he didn't punish you too heavily for it)
• and the random FSmash got punished, so yeah. cut that out lol

As far as implementing customs into your gameplan goes, there's a thread about whether Dash Slam or Dash Slash is good, and for what situations. A variety of Bowser players have dropped some knowledge in the thread, but I will say this:

• Fire roar is not useful. You're better off with the default.
• As far as customs go, they're cool, but do not forget that they are all essentially gimmicks. Don't fall too deep into a niche set. If you can't play neutral well--if you can't play Smash 4 well, no amount of jank a custom move has will be able to save you. You will be outplayed.
• All three of his custom side B's have uses, and they're all very important and cater to a different style of Bowser play and a specific type of player. You have to experiment with them and see which one you like best for what kinds of players/MUs/situations.
• Additionally, if your tournaments are consistently not legalizing customs, I'm not particularly sure when/where you'd get the practice to implement customs into your play

But yeah, that's all I have to say. Hope it helps!

 

[Big Sean]

Ok so I know @ Cassius. already covered this, but I'm going to use this analysis to see through the eyes of one of my favorite Bowser players. This is more for me then it is for you, but I figure I might as well post it. In instances where me and @ Cassius. disagree, trust @ Cassius. I only covered the first video for now, but plan on editing this post later on for the other videos.

Set 1 Game 1:

0:37 with better reaction that was a guaranteed grab.

0:38 instead of spot dodge up b, consider pivot grab back throw. just as safe but a stronger punish and it would have gotten you stage control

0:42 when you saw he was coming toward you a fair on reaction should have beaten either the grab or the kick if not clanked.

0:43 air dodge was unnecessary but it’s good realize that up b is kind of a get out of jail free card in situations where you’re kind of ****ed. If you think you have a bit more time after landing, consider pivot grab.

0:47 i’m not sure what situation you were hoping for for that up smash. in those situations i like to a) stay in shield and punish their landing options, b) late fair if it’s anyone other than diddy since he has crazy priority with his fair, c) pivot grab d) dash under him and up smash

0:49 gave away stage control maybe unnecessarily but I understand being scared of landing against diddy

0:52 dash towards the edge, never give up the center without a reason

0:54 your dash in was a good idea, but since an aerial was almost certainly coming you should have gone for a dashing shield and done some kind of OOS punish.

0:57 believe it or not i think you could have drop shielded and bowser bombed that fair. push the limits of bowser bomb, you would be surprised what kind of punishes you can get. Either way though back throw was a great option since now you have stage control.

1:10 that was an opportunity to fair him and possibly take the stock

1:15 it’s hard to know what to do when a diddy is above you. What you did was fine, but another option would have been a well spaced up tilt. The range on it is such that it covers almost the entire ledge, meaning it punishes him rolling. That might not have been a great option since it’s easily punished by diddy, but something to consider, especially when your opponent rolls a lot or your trying to get a tech chase.

1:19 I know you were super scared, but at that distance I think the correct “omg he’s going to punish me” reaction is 1) don’t air dodge, and 2) jab 1.

1:30 diddy is easily gimped by up + b. see https://youtu.be/kTWzORlp7eE?list=PLafWKd-RfF3dpCv8v1LSAZDb-k1a-_W2T&t=99, and https://youtu.be/Mqq_bP680vs?t=243

1:41 this was another gimp opportunity. i’m also not sure why you didn’t keep pressuring him near the ledge

1:52 rolled back for no reason giving up stage control

1:57 beware that trip where the diddy wants you to grab the banana. I’m not sure the right move here, just be hyper aware that it’s totally a trap.

1:58 it looks like you were DI-ing into his fairs. You might not have escaped them anyway but try to DI down and away.

2:09 kind of gave up your second jump for no reason. you might have been able to fair, or fast fall and punish his landing.

2:14 watch those air dodges

2:20 missed gimp opportunity. in this case a ledge trump was also a good option

2:40 gave up your second jump for no reason

2:44 great down tilt punish for the roll. I usually punish with up smash or pivot grab, but I think that down tilt might be the superior option depending on the percentage.



Set 1 Game 2

3:23 the up smash was a bit ambitious but i definitely get it.

3:31 this is the danger of landing with fire breath. I stopped doing it after foxes would sneak under me and up smash. I’m not saying to give it up entirely, but realize that most a lot of the time you do it, you can be punished super hard, and you don’t necessarily get much in return for trying it.

3:36 don’t give up your second jump

3:51 ditto

3:56 this was an awesome tech chase. If you feel like you realize you will actually get the tech chase, try going for a bowser bomb. It beats everything but another immediate roll.

4:00 oh man down air is so dangerous unless you’re sure you have it.

4:09 dope side smash, I don’t think i would have landed it, but i think it was guaranteed.

4:42 you should have been able to make the ledge but it’s understandable you tried to make the platform. even the ledge was going to be difficult to survive unless the diddy made a mistake. In those situations i try to land my up b a little below and to the side of the ledge. It’s hard to punish if you get the perfect ledge snap.

4:48 not sure what you were hoping to punish. It’s ok to make speculative attack guesses, but you really want to be doing it with safer stuff like jab1 or fair.

4:56 he’s show that he will never be hit by the fair, i can tell your nervous but you should be telling yourself when your nervous never to dair or bowser bomb from the air.

5:17 again the bad up smash

5:20 gave up the second jump

As far as customs go, I think dash slash is great and I've only been using dash slash in tournaments and practice for the past few months. However, there is something to be said about having a command grab that kills at 130% or sooner. When I look at most of my kills, they generally come from offstage fairs. When you look at @ Cassius. 's kills they mostly come from klaw. It's a move that's incredibly safe if whiffed, super easy to pull off, and can even be used when the opponent thinks there safe (i.e. on top of a platform.) Bowser definitely has more mobility, punish options and general combo power with dash slash, but getting kills can often be more dangerous and harder to get without Klaw. Don't take your side b choice lightly.

 

[Volkrion]

Hey thanks for the responses Limit & Cursive!

I'll be looking at this in more detail after work today.
Last night I was trying out dash slash, I can see the potential it has but I've been facing problems killing so I might end up sticking with vanilla klaw for now but not sure yet, I'll be pondering this more. Fire roar didn't really seem that good either, so I'm ditching that one for sure.

I'm not entirely sure if dash slash may be the right option for my playstyle, since I think flying slam is one of the two ways I kill the most. Would you guys say that I follow more of a defensive style then what dash slash focuses on?

Thanks!

 

[Cassius.]

yo, should I take over this thread? There have been a bunch of Bowser videos posted but the OP hasn't been updated in months.

 

[Jaycen_Thunda]

Hey, Just finished a for glory session. I do first to 2 wins and then move on to next opponent.
Uploading and posting the sets I felt showed a smart opponent, as minimum lag as possible, whether I win or lose.

I'll try to post here once everyday, let me know if that is too much.
I'm trying to advance from Casual to Competitive, so Critiques are always welcome.

For Glory ---
-----------------
Vs.
Played full 3 matches, I won the 2 outta 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtDtVOQKzNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afRIdsUK2eY
^ 2 matches in one video.

Vs.
Played 2 matches, I lost the 2 outta 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFl6qRYkIyc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3k2bBcYhvU

 

[a stray cat]

Here's a playlist of tourney Bowser play maintained by Big Sean: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLafWKd-RfF3dpCv8v1LSAZDb-k1a-_W2T

 

[Big Sean]

@ a stray cat i'm big sean by the way!

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

@ Jaycen_Thunda You commit to attacks too easily. The sanic player didn't really punish you for it (very weak punishes), but the Wario player sure did. Other than that, there's not much to say since input lag could be the cause of many things.

Jab 1 to hit confirm is good and can catch dash grabbers by surprise. Throwing out Pivot FTilt and Pivot Grab is fine, but you shouldn't do it at the expense of stage control.

I do think that you have a good grasp on shielding, so if you can keep that up while gaining experience with what works OoS in a particular MU and what doesn't, you have a bright future ahead of you.

 

[Jaycen_Thunda]

@ UltimaLuminaire
Thanks for the feedback! Let me just ask a silly question about a couple terms you used.
1. What does it mean to "commit to attacks too easily"?
2. How do I know if I have "stage control" as Bowser? I thought only someone with a projectile could have "stage control".

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

@ Jaycen_Thunda

1. To commit to an attack/approach means to throw out moves either in hopes of catching a random opening or making a hard read. This includes throwing out attacks like DSmash randomly or rolling preemptively. Many characters can punish their opponent once they've committed to something. In certain MUs, such as against , this can lead to instant death.
   
2. Stage control is a term that combines option coverage with the spacing/zone at which you can successfully intercept and punish an opponent for committing to an attack or defensive maneuver. Just because someone has a projectile doesn't necessarily mean they exert stage control from range all the time (as projectiles have openings as well as strengths and weaknesses).

These two points tie heavily into the concept known as "the neutral game."

 

[Zigsta]

@ Cassius. now has control of this thread. Thank @Aerodrome for it--moderators for some reason no longer have the ability to change thread ownership, but super mods and above still can.

 

[Jaycen_Thunda]

Okay had a competitive friendly session online with a friend. Lag was fine.
Posting what I felt was the best matches of 7 I had against his ROB.

I tried to put into action what feedback I got earlier into these fights, I guess I'm going to need some more practice. I did notice also that I'm acting to what's in my head faster than what is actually happening. Critiques/Opinions would be awesome.

Vs
Losses:
https://youtu.be/z1_Q6YWeTTE
https://youtu.be/SEfOgwoOEtk

Wins:
https://youtu.be/UWvrc3Dvxmw
https://youtu.be/eBAWCjfQkKQ

 

[Cassius.]

Sick, thanks Chris & Aerodome. And Luminaire too, I saw the PM but forgot to respond. I'm gonna update the OP at some point during this weekend. I have nothing artistic to offer, but everyone who's thrown a video at this thread so far will most likely have a spot.

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

@ Jaycen_Thunda Baby steps, my friend. Nothing happens over night.

Thoughts:

Spoiler

For now, you're repeating past noted mistakes, preventing you from retaliating against an opponent's aggression. Additionally, you've shown a habit of committing yourself to rolling away from your opponent, especially when crossed-up, shutting down Fortress or BAir as an OoS option. These issues make it easy for your opponent to shift momentum in their favor, causing your execution to take a hit. The victories you had were good. You solidly out-played your opponent. There were several times, however, where your opponent didn't punish optimally. There were one or two times when you decided to recover onto the stage instead of escaping to the ledge, and your opponent could have won the stock (and thus the game). Be wary of the down time from landing after UpB.

In conclusion, be sure to watch your opponent. Get used to judging whether they are respecting you or not, and think about your own actions/feelings. Are you showing fear? Are you being too rash? Haste makes waste, especially when you are trying to master both yourself and a tough MU. You're on the right track. Keep thinking about how you are mentally affecting your opponent and you will always grow.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

Been busy lately since transferring to UCSD in the Fall of 2014, but here's a recent Bowser match against Mario on the 3DS version. I am working on breaking many of my bad habits that end up killing me: Down Air on panic, Ledge get up roll (however you call it) right into my oppoents' smashes, and more that I want to fix.

EDIT: A match against Little Mac:

I lost to him a few matches before, and for this video, I've made the adjustments to my game to be able to keep up with him. I missed many punish opportunities and the Mac player also missed a few, as well as me falling into a counter that could have potentially killed me early. Otherwise most of this match is pure neutral play and spacing. I had utmost respect for this Little Mac's skills, and he appeared to have the same for mine.

 

[Kirby Phelps (PK)]

Okay, I'm pretty new to Bowser. That being said, could someone please, like, analysis this match move-for-move and tell me what the heck I did wrong? It was a really infuriating match. All the Link did was spam items and roll around, but it worked. Whenever he'd roll toward me, I'd prepare to punish with a grab usually, but he'd just roll again passed me. I was so lost...

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

@ Kirby Phelps (PK) You roll too much instead of anticipating Link's rolls or aggression. Walk -> power shield and watch how your opponent reacts. Fortress OoS if you just need a more consistent way to shift momentum back in your favor, as you are whiffing with a lot of grabs OoS. MUs against projectile heavy characters will always rely on your ability to pressure your opponent into creating distance (either by throwing out another attack or rolling) and punishing them for it.

 

[Kirby Phelps (PK)]

I know rolling too much isn't good and I really wanna break that habit, but I dunno, it seemed to work for that Link pretty well....

 

[UltimaLuminaire]

@ Kirby Phelps (PK) Bowser's roll is horrible. It may not have immediately soured the match, but in a tournament, you will be punished horribly for spamming Bowser's roll. Link's roll, while better, won't save him from an anti-cross-up tool like Fortress, a dash grab, or a pivot grab. That's Mac territory, as his roll is supposed to be better than everyone else's.

 

[Uncle]

THE TIME HAS COME. Some of my matches from a recent customs-on local (almost two weeks ago) got recorded on stream, guys. This is the first time I've posted any videos of myself playing Smash 4, so it'll be great to get critique from my Bowser Brethren. Any advice would be much appreciated, because I know for damn sure that my play was nowhere near perfect.

vs. /
http://www.twitch.tv/kneedeepgaming/b/660102976?t=1h49m000s

vs.
http://www.twitch.tv/kneedeepgaming/b/660102976?t=2h19m49s

vs.
http://www.twitch.tv/kneedeepgaming/b/660102976?t=2h52m37s

 

[Big Sean]

Everyone needs stop what they're doing, and behold the power of dashslash https://youtu.be/DcWFhJESquI?t=58

 

[MagiusNecros]

Everyone needs stop what they're doing, and behold the power of dashslash https://youtu.be/DcWFhJESquI?t=58

Personally Calm Animal wants to jump around and be in the air too much. He won the first match but then got too predictable. And he whiffed a couple jab trap opportunities. Bowser wants to be on the ground. Stay there.

 

[Big Sean]

I should have probably made a gifycat because I really just wanted to show off the hype 76% death string