Bowser’s hidden power

Bowser has some intriguing Brawl-exclusive tech that was relatively underexplored during Brawl’s competitive lifespan, mostly due to the character’s nonexistence in the higher levels of play. However, these techniques provide Bowser with uncommon abilities that, when developed further, could have allowed him to slowly climb the tier list if the Brawl metagame had continued to develop.

In Brawl, Bowser’s grab release is unique in that he has 11 frames of advantage over most other characters, allowing him to regrab every character in the game after a ground release besides Donkey Kong, Jigglypuff, and Yoshi. Bowser can force a ground release by pummeling every 28 frames, allowing him to effectively chain grab most characters across the stage whenever he gets a grab. After air releases, Bowser is guaranteed some good follow-ups, such as aerial side-B (Flying Slam) on Kirby or Mario.

Bowser can also use Flying Slam to koopa hop, or perpetually stay in the air by inputting jumps immediately after using side-B. This movement technique allows Bowser to threaten both aerial and grounded attacks simultanously and affords him the ability to mix up opponents by weaving through the air menacingly.

It’s almost surprising that we never saw a top-level Bowser player ruthlessly chaingrab an opponent across Final Destination during Brawl’s heyday. Is Bowser’s frame data truly so horrible that it renders his koopa hop useless? Or is Bowser the top tier that never was—secretly viable for all the years of competitive Brawl, but underestimated by all? Unless a top-level Brawl diehard like Vishal “V115” Balaram develops a Bowser, we’ll never know.

Though it had many flaws, Brawl was a nuanced and technical game that might have flourished if game-breaking characters like Meta Knight and Ice Climbers didn't dominate the metagame. However, the competitive Brawl scene is far from dead. Last year's biggest Brawl tournament, Super Smash Con 2017, drew a whopping 182 entrants!

More importantly, the modern Brawl metagame is no longer eclipsed by the aforementioned top tiers. While Nairo won Super Smash Con 2017 with his infamous Meta Knight, only one other Meta Knight main was able to make his way into Top 8. That player, Cody, is proof that there are opportunities for new (or at least new-ish) blood to break through to the highest level of Brawl: though he's competed in Brawl tournaments (using the tag Quest) since 2012, Smash Con was Cody's first major Top 8.

There's still plenty of glory for the taking in the modern Brawl scene, and these advanced techniques are necessary knowledge for anyone trying to cut themselves a slice of it. If this article tickled your fancy, consider firing up your Wii, practicing your koopa hops, and joining the fun!