Editing Bowser (PM)

{{ArticleIcons|pm=y}}

|name         = Bowser

|image       = [[Image:Bowser SSBB.jpg|250px]]

|mod         = Project M

|base         = ssbb

|altcostume   = {{s|supermariowiki|Dry Bowser}}

|moveset1     = Bowser (SSBM)

|moveset2     = Bowser (SSBB)

Hailing from the ''{{uv|Mario}}'' universe, '''Bowser''' is a playable character in the ''[[Brawl]]'' mod ''[[Project M]]''. His moveset in ''Project M'' comes from a combination of his ''Brawl'' and ''Melee'' movesets, though with heavy buffs. <!--tier position paragraph-->

[[Image:PMBowserAlt.png|thumb|Bowser's alternate costume.]]

Bowser in ''Project M'' is the classic super heavy weight fighter. His moves are generally slow but hit incredibly hard. He is the largest and heaviest character of the cast, and has widely spread [[armor]] on many of his moves. Bowser's armor mechanic allows him to absorb the knockback and flinch effects from weak to medium attacks while performing certain moves. This can be used defensively to nullify what would otherwise be a potentially combo starting move, and it can be used offensively to plow straight through an attack intended to stop Bowser from advancing. Even though he is a slower character, Bowser has surprising speed in some areas. He has an above average [[dash]]ing speed, and Bowser Bomb can be jump canceled, giving Bowser what has been dubbed a super-jump. It allows for terrifyingly quick follow-ups into the air for a finisher with moves like his up or forward air, or Koopa Klaw, which has returned from ''Melee'' with more power. Whirling Fortress maintains its previous range and power, its viability as an [[out of shield]] option, and its ability to [[fortress hog]].  

However, Bowser's high gravity, large size, and heavyweight make him susceptible to being [[combo]]ed, hit with [[projectiles]], and just being hit in general. Despite his speed in some areas (getting to the edge, getting into the air for a follow up) he remains very easy to out-maneuver, as he has poor aerial speed and his long jumping animation gives him a very slow [[wavedash]]. While it is difficult to send Bowser far due to his extreme weight, it is fairly easy to send him off the bottom of a stage or [[gimp]] him, as he suffers from an extremely predictable [[recovery]] that does not cover much vertical distance.

As Bowser was bottom tier in his former iterations, he was heavily buffed overall from ''Melee'' to ''Project M'', being much stronger than in ''Brawl'' (which buffed Bowser from ''Melee'', but not enough to significantly raise his tier position). In addition to being overall much more powerful, Bowser received widespread [[launch resistance]] of varying levels depending on the move, and favorable traits from ''Melee'' such as the [[Koopa Klaw]] and [[Fortress Hogging]] return.

*{{change|Bowser now emits a roar during his on-screen appearance.}}

*{{change|Bowser's third idle pose from ''Brawl'' now replaces his down [[taunt]], and he additionally emits a roar from his ''Super Mario 64'' incarnation, which is also the Wii Remote sound for Bowser in Project M and ''Brawl''. Giga Bowser also has this taunt, but instead uses his own roar.}}

*{{change|Bowser now has his own victory theme, which is now a rock version of the prelude to his final battle theme in ''Super Mario 64''.}}

*{{change|Despite being still considered part of the {{uv|Mario}} universe, Bowser now has his own series symbol consisting of an icon of his face usually associated with him in the ''Mario'' series.}}

*{{change|Bowser is significantly larger, approximately twice as large; this gives him more [[reach]] in his attacks, but also makes him even more vulnerable to projectiles and combos.}}

*{{buff|Bowser is slightly heavier (117 → 118).}}

*{{buff|Several of Bowser's moves and animations now have some sort of [[launch resistance]]; his [[crouch]], [[crawl]], and [[dash attack]] give him light armor while his [[neutral aerial]] grants him medium armor and [[Bowser Bomb]] gives him heavy armor. All of his smash attacks grant variable armor from light to super armor depending on how much they are charged.}}

*{{buff|Many of Bowser's attacks, notably his [[forward tilt]], [[forward smash]], [[up smash]], [[back air]], [[up air]] and [[down throw]], do much more [[damage]], [[shield damage]], and [[knockback]] than either one of his past incarnations.}}

*{{buff|Second hit of [[down tilt]] is now optional, activated by pressing the attack button a second time; this allows Bowser to either launch the foe with a single hit to then follow on, or punish [[shield]]ing or [[crouch cancel]]ing foes with a second hit, while formerly Bowser was forced to stay in place using the two hits. This change does not apply to Giga Bowser.}}

*{{buff|Forward smash deals far more damage and knockback, making it the strongest forward smash in ''Project M''.}}

*{{change|Forward smash has an explosive effect.}}

*{{buff|Forward aerial retains its slashing trail from ''Brawl'', which now has a sweetspot dealing more damage and knockback than the ''Melee'' hit.}}

*{{buff|[[Pummel]] now involves biting opponents like with Koopa Klaw in ''Melee'', dealing 4% damage as opposed to most pummels' 3%, allowing to rack up damage quicker.}}

*{{bugfix|Down throw now properly damages {{PM|Jigglypuff}} and {{PM|Mr. Game & Watch}}.}}

*{{buff|Fire Breath retains its ability to be angled from ''Brawl''. Bowser now also bites in front of him when the move is stopped, hitting foes pretending to punish him out of the move's ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|[[Fire Breath#Flame cancel|Flame cancel]]ing has been removed.}}

*{{buff|Back throw with [[Koopa Klaw]] is much more powerful, dealing 15% damage (up from 11%) and KOing near edges more reliably. Bowser can now also perform a down throw with it which [[meteor smash]]es foes for the grounded version, allowing him to tech-chase with it on the ground and KO recovering foes grabbed near edges; when performed in midair, it will [[spike]] opponents, thus improving his edgeguarding potential. However, Giga Bowser is not capable of performing the down throw.}}

**{{nerf|Koopa Klaw can no longer bite opponents, weaking its damage potential. It can also no longer be held indefinitely; Bowser will automatically perform the forward throw a few seconds after grabbing the opponent.}}

**{{change|Forward throw with Koopa Klaw is now a head smash.}}

*{{buff|Bowser Bomb is much stronger, and can be canceled with a jump before the max leap height when used from the ground, letting Bowser follow up combos or even KO them outright after using a move that knocked his foe airborne. It can still grab ledges from both sides as in ''Brawl'' so it can be reliably used from the stage to then be [[Edge-canceled Bowser Bomb|edge-canceled]], equipping Bowser with a deadly [[edgeguard]] in this move.}}

[[Image:PMDryGigaBowser.png|thumb|Giga Bowser's alternate costume.]]

[[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|Giga Bowser]] remains as Bowser's [[Final Smash]] in ''Project M''. However, by holding a shield button at both the character and stage selection screens, it is possible for Bowser to start and participate as Giga Bowser permanently during the match, similar to how {{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}} was playable in ''Brawl''. Starting from v3.0, Giga Bowser can now receive knockback in addition to damage, as well as now being vulnerable to status ailments like [[sleep]]ing or getting [[buried]], though his moveset has been improved to compensate for this, and he still cannot be [[grab]]bed. In 3.6, he gained the ability to pick up items and use the majority of them. Giga Bowser's main flaw is that he is extremely prone to combos because of his size and weight. His duration when summoned via Final Smash was also increased to almost twice as long. In addition to receiving most of Bowser's changes, some changes to Giga Bowser include:

*{{buff|[[Dashing]] now produces hitboxes in front of Giga Bowser's feet, which repeatedly inflict 3% damage while weakly pushing enemies forward. His heavy landing also produces a 6% damage hitbox that sends any grounded opponents that are close enough to him straight up.}}

*{{buff|Koopa Klaw forward throw deals 20% damage, up from 15%.}}

*{{buff|Landing with Bowser Bomb produces an enormous [[quake]] hitbox that affects all grounded opponents (no matter the platform in which they are standing) near him, similar to [[Venusaur]]'s Earthquake in ''Melee''.}}

**{{buff|Bowser Bomb hits opponents powerfully in different directions depending on when they get hit; at the apex of Bowser Bomb, they are sent upwards; while Giga Bowser is falling at any other point of the attack, they are spiked downwards; if they are on the ground and directly below Giga Bowser, they are buried and then sent horizontally.}}

*{{buff|Down throw now involves Giga Bowser forcefully slamming his opponent with his hand into the ground, which is faster than the original throw, and hits nearby characters.}}

**{{nerf|Down throw deals 19%, down from 21%.}}

*{{nerf|Vulnerability to knockback now leaves Giga Bowser heavily susceptible against [[combo]]s due to his large size, especially against [[juggling]] ones.}}

==Revisions==

===v2.5b===

 

*{{buff|Dash attack now hits a second time; when Bowser lands on the ground.}}

*{{nerf|Corrected a mistake where crawl armor was much stronger than light armor when not moving.}}

*{{nerf|Up Smash deals less damage when jumping.}}

*{{change|Up Smash hit stats have been altered.}}

**{{change|Disjoint on hand hitbox is reduced while body hitbox is enlargened.}}

**{{nerf|Charge time now determines how strong the Smash’s corresponding armor is. Scales from light armor (no charge) to super armor (full charge). While Bowser now has access to super armor, it takes him a much longer startup to achieve the armor strength he had on his smash attacks in v3.5, particularly the forward smash.}}

*{{buff|Forward smash start up|34 frames|30 frames}}  

**{{nerf|Knockback reduced. Base 50 -> 60, Growth 100 -> 70.}}

*{{buff|Down smash startup|13 frames|10 frames}}  

***{{nerf|Damage lowered|18|23|}}

| rowspan="3" | || 17% (clean), 11% (late) || rowspan="3" | Extended his arm and delivers a backhanded punch with good knockback. This move can be angled up or down. Bowser's left arm is [[intangible]] while the hitboxes are out.

| || 13% (early), 8% (late) || Swats the air above him with his left claw. Has good knockback and can set up combos well. Bowser's left arm is intangible while the hitboxes are out.

| rowspan=2 | || 13% || rowspan=2 | Slashes along the ground with both his claws. The second attack is optional by pressing the attack button again, though Giga Bowser is forced to perform both swipes.

| || 12% (ram), 8% (fall) || Bowser tackles the opponent. Has heavy armor during the initial frames of the attack.

| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|26}} || Bowser rears back for a short moment, and hits incredibly hard with his head. If it connects, an explosion occurs. The attack is a great finisher at low percentages, and has light armor during the frames before contact. Unfortunately, it has rather massive starting lag.

| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|20}} (leap), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|12}} (landing) || Bowser jumps upward, hitting opponents with his spikes of his shell. Causes an earthquake when coming down. Opponents who avoid the leaping hitbox can still be hit by Bowser whenever he lands, during which it inflicts a [[meteor smash]]. Bowser's shell is intangible while the hitboxes are out.

| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|2}} (hits 1-6), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|6}} (hit 7) || Bowser spins around in his shell, doing great damage and hitting multiple times. Has strong armor during the initial frames.

| || 13% || Bowser spins around in his shell. Has heavy armor during the first loop.

| || 17% (clean), 10% (late) || Bowser thrusts his shell backwards. Has high [[landing lag]].

| || 16% (hit 1), 0% (throw) || Bowser places the opponent on the floor and body slams them.

| || 8% || Quickly spins onto the stage, then retreats back a bit.

| || 10% || Slowly climbs onto stage and does a quick claw swipe.

| [[Fire Breath]] || 1-3% (flames), 3% (bite) || Bowser lets out a stream of flames that can be angled up or down. Over time it loses its range, but gains slightly more power.

| [[Koopa Klaw]] || 15% (throw), 10% (claw tip), 12% (claw body) || Bowser grabs the opponent to then throw them either forward, backward, or downward. If no one is grabbed, Bowser does a forceful swipe. The aerial version of the downward throw [[spike]]s opponents. Giga Bowser cannot perform the down throw.

| [[Whirling Fortress]] || Ground: 13%/10%/8%/6%<br/>Air: 10% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-6), 1% (hits 7-11) || Bowser spins rapidly in his shell to gain height. Can be used for [[edgehogging]].  

| [[Bowser Bomb]] || 25% (drop), 10% (landing body), 7% (shockwave close), 4% (shockwave far) || Bowser jumps into the air and lands on the opponent with force if used on the ground. In the air, Bowser slams over what he is over. Has heavy armor during the jumping animation and when hitting the ground. Can be jump cancelled before the flip.

| [[Giga Bowser]] || Varies || Bowser transforms into an enlarged, much more powerful version of himself, which uses elemental effects such as [[fire]], [[electricity]] and [[darkness]] during most attacks. Lasts for roughly 24 seconds, and can receive knockback, though he becomes significantly heavier and immune to grabs.

===Notable players===

*{{Sm|Kirk|USA}}

*{{Sm|Nick Riddle|USA}}

*{{Sm|Odds|Canada}}

*{{Sm|Pluttergub|USA}}

{{s|supermariowiki|Dry Bowser}} appears in ''Project M'' as Bowser's alternate costume. In the game ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros.}}'', Bowser falls to his apparent doom in a pit of lava, only to emerge and be fought later on in his skeletal form, Dry Bowser. He is an undead skeleton of Bowser (similar to how {{s|supermariowiki|Dry Bones}} are apparent skeletons of [[supermariowiki:Koopa (species)|Koopa]]s) with an orange tuft of hair and his shell intact, though badly burnt. As of v3.5, Bowser's eyes gain an orange glow during certain attack animations as Dry Bowser. However, Bowser's moveset, and sounds remain the same while playing as Dry Bowser.

|colspan=8|[[Image:Bowser Palette (PM).png|frame|center|Bowser's alternate costumes in PM]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadBlackSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadRedSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadBlueSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadWhiteSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadBrownSSBB.png]]

|[[Image:BowserHeadDryPM.png]]

*[http://projectmgame.com/en/characters/bowser Project M character page]