Rate your Bowser playstyle...

[Raiden mk-II]

how would you rate your Bowser play? What are you particularly good at using the King of the Koopas in Smash 4, and what do you feel you have to work on?

For me:

The good: dash-dancing, feinting, and faking out agile opponents (ZSS, Greninja) to get a feel of their style of play. Being able to land a charged Fsmash with reliable frequency (55% KOs are awesome).

The bad: My aerial game needs a lot of work. I cannot land Bair reliably enough, and that is Bowser's most potent aerial kill move. Comboing. Dealing with spammers and campers of all kinds. When I try to Fortress out of shield upon a high shieldstun move, I end up jumping and Fortressing, resulting in a major punishment against me, because I input too early; this is a habit I need to break.

 

[Mr. Bones]

For me:

The good: Mixing up my playstyle to fit the pace of the fight, rushing down campers with perfect shield-running, edge guarding/going offstage to finish a stock, keeping just out of an enemy's reach until an opening presents itself

The bad: The Mother****ing Rosalina/Luma MU, lack of exact knowledge on all dodge roll distances, failure to utilize ledge-trumping, not utilizing spot dodge and dodge roll to my full advantage, Mother****ing Gordos

....

Lol this. RosaLuma must be our roughest MU. It legitimately feels like everything she throws out can beat us and I always have trouble punishing her. Maybe I'm missing something? I feel like I can be damn near unstoppable if I could get a handle on this MU. =o Jabbing more often against her seems to help. It's usually the safest thing I can poke with until I get an opening for a stronger attack.

Gordos are meh. I don't lose to enough DDDs to concern myself about it, but they make landing/approaching tough as balls.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

Gordos are meh. I don't lose to enough DDDs to concern myself about it, but they make landing/approaching tough as balls.

I hate Gordos. Most D3's I encounter usually start the match by tossing a fast Gordo at me. I punch the Gordos back at them. Some shield, and others get smacked by the returned Gordos haha. It changes their approach to fighting me. If they try to trump my landing with Gordos, sometimes Nair can knock away a Gordo.

 

[Kooky Koopa]

For me:

The Good: Patience and reading. I picked up this skill as of late but it has become one of my better strengths to be able to take the time (while fighting of course) to get a good idea how my opponent plays, but far from infallible of course. As well, I find myself rarely having to resort to down-b, f-smash or other super flashy moves, I stick to a basic but efficient toolkit and think I have my OOS up-b down fairly well. I'd also say my Rosaluma MU is quite decent, I find it surprisingly manageable as Bowser.

The Bad: D-air. Oh god the D-air. I've asked for feedback from a number of people on different sites on my play and it's always been D-air. And yet for some reason I just can't kick the habit, cause when it lands it works so well. It makes my return to the ground very predictable and as a result punishable. Also Diddy Kong (good ones). Got no idea what to do against them but it hurts so much!

 

[Mr. Bones]

I hate Gordos. Most D3's I encounter usually start the match by tossing a fast Gordo at me. I punch the Gordos back at them. Some shield, and others get smacked by the returned Gordos haha. It changes their approach to fighting me. If they try to trump my landing with Gordos, sometimes Nair can knock away a Gordo.

Most DDDs I fight are fairly competent and don't just throw them randomly. They usually do it to trump my landings, to make a really safe retreat, or when they know I can't hit the Gordo without being punished.

That being said, it's an annoying road-block I have to cross for this mostly winnable MU.

For me:

The Good: ...I'd also say my Rosaluma MU is quite decent, I find it surprisingly manageable as Bowser.

uwotm8

 

[Raiden mk-II]

After putting up some videos of my Bowser play on YouTube, a comment I have received is that I can read my opponents extremely well. I can land a fully charged F-smash with moderate success, as noted in my match versus Greninja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ1fggAr5wk

A criticism I received is that I need to make use of more of Bowser's tools, such as Up Tilt. I have started using Up Tilt recently, and I was ecstatic that I can juggle with it. Having other people critique my Bowser play only serves to make me a better Bowser player.

 

[Anragon]

My turn :

The good : Landing motha f*ckin Dropkicks, being unkillable and living for eternity 'cause Booza2fat, moving fast and positionning correctly when I try to read my opponents. Also, I always try to pick the best damaging option to punish something. Almost forgot : B-REVERSE FIRE BREATH IS LOVE.

The bad : I'm able to do the best things but so I can do the worse. My focus abilites have no consistency and that makes lose games I could win fairly easily. Sometimes, I am the embodiment of sandbagging so I spent a whole painful minute not touching my opponent while eating sh*t loads of hits.

TL;DR. I'm supposed to be a good player but I play most of times with a derp face. It gets me a lot of friends 'cause I'm funneh (I also appreciate that, don't worry) but I won't win any tourney if I don't become serious and focused.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

Here is an updated "Good and Bad" report, based on critiques by others and myself on my Bowser play from the videos I posted.

The good:
*I can read my opponents extremely well. I can land a dropkick of doom with what seems like regularity.
*I can put the pressure on my opponents. Given that I know the tougher matchups (Samus, Sheik, Rosalina&Luma, Duck Hunt Dog) I can pressure them into making mistakes and capitalizing them.
*I force opponents to make changes to their approaches at times. When they figure out my tactics, I try my best to change up and mix up things on the fly. It is a combination of mindgaming and adaptation.
*I know how to use Bowser's strength to its fullest. if I can get a good combo going, I can bring an opponent from 0% to 70% in one go.

The bad:
*My aerial game needs a lot of work, still. A criticism I received is that I tend to let my opponents land back on stage too much, which sets me up to be brutally punished. I need extra help in improving my Bowser air game, so if anyone can offer tips, I would gladly appreciate it.
*I have a bad habit of overusing the air-dodge. More skilled opponents, for example Yoshi players, can punish me due to Yoshi's superior air game.
*I need to stop Bowser Bombing in the air out of reaction. I've been only successful Bowser Bombing opponents who seek to punish my landings. I should work on using the grounded Bomb more, especially as a punish.
*I do not utilize all of Bowser's weapons at his disposal. One critique I received on my videos is that I do not use Up Tilt often. In a more recent match against another campy Samus, I started using Up Tilt more, and learned that it can juggle. It made this win versus Samus much less painful than the Samus match I posted on YouTube.
*I tend to make grave mistakes often, such as accidentally Bowser Bombing while right over a pit or misjudging Bowser's recovery when trying to go for a low recovery.
*I still have not mastered the Circle Pad, so sometimes when I want to do a grounded Fortress, I end up using the Klaw. When I want to side roll, I end up spot-dodging.

 

[S_B]

After putting up some videos of my Bowser play on YouTube, a comment I have received is that I can read my opponents extremely well. I can land a fully charged F-smash with moderate success, as noted in my match versus Greninja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ1fggAr5wk

A criticism I received is that I need to make use of more of Bowser's tools, such as Up Tilt. I have started using Up Tilt recently, and I was ecstatic that I can juggle with it. Having other people critique my Bowser play only serves to make me a better Bowser player.

I'd also suggest grabbing more often. The two videos I saw of yours didn't include many grabs, but Bowser's grab is really good.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

I'd also suggest grabbing more often. The two videos I saw of yours didn't include many grabs, but Bowser's grab is really good.

I try to grab whenever I can. I whiff my grabs fairly often, so I conditioned myself to be cautious with using grabs. I can work on not being afraid to use grabs more often.

Try to put up your videos as well. There's probably a tip or two I can give you as well.

 

[PedroSmashFan2014]

For me:
Pros:
Heavyweight
good attacks
nice grabbing
seems faster in this game
projectile
last-long shied
Cons:
target pratice
not so good recovery
few combos

 

[Raiden mk-II]

For me:
Pros:
Heavyweight
good attacks
nice grabbing
seems faster in this game
projectile
last-long shied
Cons:
target pratice
not so good recovery
few combos

Try to make a list of the good and bad of how you play as Bowser, not list Bowser's strengths and weaknesses in Smash 4.

Bowser's recovery is actually very good in this game. It may still have poor horizontal recovery but the vertical recovery is much better here than in past Smash games.

 

[S_B]

I try to grab whenever I can. I whiff my grabs fairly often, so I conditioned myself to be cautious with using grabs. I can work on not being afraid to use grabs more often.

Try to put up your videos as well. There's probably a tip or two I can give you as well.

I've had all of no time to devote to SSB or put up videos. :\

 

[PedroSmashFan2014]

Try to make a list of the good and bad of how you play as Bowser, not list Bowser's strengths and weaknesses in Smash 4.

Bowser's recovery is actually very good in this game. It may still have poor horizontal recovery but the vertical recovery is much better here than in past Smash games.

Oh...
The Good:
I´m not predictable with him
can kill fairly early with him
Can take lots of damage before getting KO´ed
fair combo ability
Cons:
don´t know much about bowser´s playstyle
I do not explore Bowser´s aerial game
Don´t use grabs
I do not fully use Bowser´s potencial.

 

[S_B]

I try to grab whenever I can. I whiff my grabs fairly often, so I conditioned myself to be cautious with using grabs. I can work on not being afraid to use grabs more often.

Try to put up your videos as well. There's probably a tip or two I can give you as well.

Actually, you made me realize something I hadn't considered and that's to try punishing with grounded down+B on a regular basis when I only have time to do it since it's instantaneous.

Can it still be airdodged like in Brawl or have they fixed that?

 

[BSL]

The Good: I'm the best
The Bad: Nothing

 

[Raiden mk-II]

Actually, you made me realize something I hadn't considered and that's to try punishing with grounded down+B on a regular basis when I only have time to do it since it's instantaneous.

Can it still be airdodged like in Brawl or have they fixed that?

With the return of hitstun in Smash 4, it is impossible to airdodge once you are caught in Bowser's horns in the initial hit. Though sometimes, the move backfires and Bowser does not headbutt his victim to the proper height for him to Bomb on the way down.

Regardless of that fluke, grounded Bomb works quite well as a punish out of shield. I will try to incorporate that one more often, since if you shield an attack with a high shield stun, trying to do a Fortress out of shield by inputting too quickly will make you jump and do an aerial Fortress instead, setting you up for a costly punishment on you. This is a habit I need to break.

 

[Mr. Bones]

Also, as a general rule, I'm probably more aggressive with Bowser than most people. I'm really trying to push the boundaries with what I can get away with so that I'm not like everyone stuck in the rut of dodging every five minutes.

I gravitate towards my opponent without falling into traps, and I always follow everyone off stage for a stock. Baby, I go deep.

The Good: I'm the best
The Bad: Nothing

This would make sense, except I'm the best.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

Also, as a general rule, I'm probably more aggressive with Bowser than most people. I'm really trying to push the boundaries with what I can get away with so that I'm not like everyone stuck in the rut of dodging every five minutes.

I gravitate towards my opponent without falling into traps, and I always follow everyone off stage for a stock. Baby, I go deep.

Your playstyle sounds exactly like mine. I consider myself a very aggressive Bowser. The few times I fall on the defensive if I run into elite players who can space like a god. I don't know if an aggressive Bowser can punish godly spacers; only a more skillful Bowser than I am can answer that.

Early on, my Bowser aerial game was non-existent, so I relied on F-smash and U-smash for my kills. Nowadays, I've added Back Airs (sometimes on opponents far off stage), Forward Airs, and even a spiking Down Air to my kill repertoire. In addition, I've worked in throws to mix things up.

My weakness is my carelessness which causes me to make stupid mistakes that cost me matches. I have just a 41% win rate overall, but my last 100 matches have been in the 60% win rate range.

 

[BSL]

Also, as a general rule, I'm probably more aggressive with Bowser than most people. I'm really trying to push the boundaries with what I can get away with so that I'm not like everyone stuck in the rut of dodging every five minutes.

I gravitate towards my opponent without falling into traps, and I always follow everyone off stage for a stock. Baby, I go deep.



This would make sense, except I'm the best.

Fight me

 

[Popi]

Good:
-Playing very aggressively and unpredictably to get early mixups and strings
-Getting early kills and punishes
-Bowserciding to even the stock count
-Can apply aerials to combo game
Bad:
-Miscalculating recovery range and overextending
-Can't play well against Diddy mains as a whole.
-Being too greedy with Bowser Bombs
-Don't know good stage matchups and overall character matchups
-Can't deal with campers/projectile people like Robin and Diddy.

 

[Raiden mk-II]

and I always follow everyone off stage for a stock. Baby, I go deep.

Kind of like this?

 

[Mr. Bones]

Kind of like this?

DEEPER

But yeah, kind of like that. ;3 Good job.

 

[-Kagato-]

The Good:
-I can edgeguard players quite well.
-I mix up my style a lot to keep the opponent guessing. Can basically be full aggro or defensive turtle at will.
-I can use Bowser's dodge-cancelling tricks more to my advantage than disadvantage
-Able to play well against campers
-Tech-chase reads are often successful
-Strong aerial game
-Early kills
-I'm The Final Boss, so I'm badass from the start! (shameless >.>)

The Bad:
-I haven't adapted Down-B fully as a better punisher than grabs/fortress/flying slam in most situations, dealing less damage overall than I probably could.
-I rely on Flying Slam a little too much, but the recent nerf will force me to use it sparingly anyway.
-I don't use d-air appropriately half the time and get punished for it.
-I sometimes get too greedy with bowser bombs from above, misreading my opponent.
-I panic under extreme pressure and make dumb mistakes I shouldn't be making (this applies to all characters and not just Bowser)

 

[Mr. Bones]

-I'm The Final Boss, so I'm badass from the start! (shameless >.>)

If you're The Final Boss, I'm the Secret Boss that you have to unlock at the end of the game. Intense Difficulty.

XD Let's fight!

 

[BSL]

Wow, trying to get away from me, eh?

 

[LF {Ess}]

I would like for someone to rate my Bowser in a set...hit me up and we can exchange NNIDs or FCs...I would really appreciate it and any room for improvement I will take.

This looks like an amazing site by the way.

 

[Mr. Bones]

Wow, trying to get away from me, eh?

Actually, no. I'll take you both on. =P I can fight you tonight if you like. I just forgot.

 

[BSL]

Not sure if I'll be available tonight