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Whirling Fortress: Difference between revisions
Added a bunch of info and history. I feel like this page is organised a bit poorly, but it's not the end of the world.
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
When using Whirling Fortress, Bowser retreats into his shell and spins rapidly while damaging nearby. It is similar in execution to [[Donkey Kong]]'s [[Spinning Kong]], being a move that causes the user to quickly spin around as a mostly-horizontal recovery. | When using Whirling Fortress, Bowser retreats into his shell and spins rapidly while damaging nearby foes. It is similar in execution to [[Donkey Kong]]'s [[Spinning Kong]], being a move that causes the user to quickly spin around as a mostly-horizontal recovery, though in later times the two have been somewhat differentiated. Because of how fast the startup is, Whirling Fortress is notorious for being a strong [[out of shield]] option in every ''Smash'' title, being a key part of how Bowser gets out of disadvantageous game states. | ||
[[File:Bowser Whirling Fortress SSBM.png|thumb|Whirling Fortress in ''Melee''.]] | [[File:Bowser Whirling Fortress SSBM.png|thumb|Whirling Fortress in ''Melee''.]] | ||
In ''[[Melee]]'', Whirling Fortress is known for the defensive and maneuvering attributes it adds to Bowser's | In ''[[Melee]]'', Whirling Fortress is known for the defensive and maneuvering attributes it adds to Bowser's metagame, which fills several holes in Bowser's otherwise slow [[metagame]]. As a result, it is widely regarded as one of the few benefits in Bowser’s kit there. Several unique properties make it highly beneficial to Bowser's kit: | ||
*It has very little start-up (5 [[frame]]s), during which Bowser is [[invincibility frame|invincible]], and has relatively little cooldown [[lag]]. | *It has very little start-up (5 [[frame]]s), during which Bowser is [[invincibility frame|invincible]], and has relatively little cooldown [[lag]]. | ||
* | *Bowser cannot get [[shield grab]]bed if used in sequence. | ||
*It hits throughout most of its animation (on the ground). | *It hits throughout most of its animation (on the ground). | ||
*It allows Bowser to move quickly and suddenly in one direction. | *It allows Bowser to move quickly and suddenly in one direction, being much faster than his normal movement speed. | ||
*It has high [[knockback]] on the ground, and inflicts high [[damage]] in the air (32% if all hits connect perfectly). | *It has high [[knockback]] on the ground, and inflicts high [[damage]] in the air (32% if all hits connect perfectly). | ||
*In ''Melee'', it can be used to [[edgeguard]] quickly and efficiently. | *In ''Melee'', it can be used to [[edgeguard]] quickly and efficiently. Spinning off the side of a stage leads directly to an [[edgehog]], known as Fortress hogging. | ||
The above properties make Whirling Fortress a versatile move. It can also be used as a damaging and effective replacement to Bowser's quick but laggy roll, [[jump-canceling|jump-canceled]] [[out of shield]] to discourage overly aggressive opponents, and clank with an opponent's move with decent timing. However, the ground attack can only deal up to two hits, and if any of the hits get blocked, Bowser will be highly vulnerable to punishment by his opponents, which includes getting grabbed. As a result, the ground attack is not safe to use against [[shield]]s. | The above properties make Melee's iteration of Whirling Fortress a versatile move. It can also be used as a damaging and effective replacement to Bowser's quick but laggy roll, [[jump-canceling|jump-canceled]] [[out of shield]] to discourage overly aggressive opponents, and clank with an opponent's move with decent timing. However, the ground attack can only deal up to two hits, and if any of the hits get blocked, Bowser will be highly vulnerable to punishment by his opponents, which includes getting grabbed. As a result, the ground attack is not safe to use against [[shield]]s. | ||
In ''[[Brawl]]'', the move | In ''[[Brawl]]'', the move had its damage output and knockback slightly lowered, though the the aerial version was made to provide more height, which greatly assists with Bowser's previously meagre recovery. It was slightly worsened as an out of shield option, being made frame 6 rather than 5, which has continued to be the case ever since. Fortress hogging was also removed, a notable blow to Bowser's edgeguarding. | ||
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', pressing the special move button repeatedly during the | In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', pressing the special move button repeatedly during the move—specifically after the initial rise for best results—will give Bowser marginally more height (similarly to [[Dr. Tornado]] in said game), and is capable of grabbing ledges from behind. It also travels much faster and further than before. As an attack, the ground attack now delivers multiple weak hits (up to 8 hits, with the last hit delivering the most knockback) instead of two strong hits, making its use as an out of shield option even more reliable. The attack is also safer to use against shields, as the multiple hits make it harder for opponents to punish Bowser; they can still take the full impact of the final hit if they drop their shield too early. This trend continued into ''Ultimate'', though its massive damage in the air was significantly nerfed. | ||
This special attack is shared by [[Giga Bowser]], both in his boss appearance in ''Melee'' and in his [[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|playable appearance]] in ''Brawl'' and ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. It grants him multiple frames of invincibility, making it difficult to attack him out of the move. In ''Melee'', Giga Bowser's Fortress also gave him much more vertical [[recovery]] when used in midair, and the ground attack can deliver multiple hits to nearby opponents; in ''Brawl'', however, the ground attack only deals up to two hits, reducing its overall damage output. | This special attack is shared by [[Giga Bowser]], both in his boss appearance in ''Melee'' and in his [[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|playable appearance]] in ''Brawl'' and ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. It grants him multiple frames of [[invincibility]], making it difficult to attack him out of the move. In ''Melee'', Giga Bowser's Fortress also gave him much more vertical [[recovery]] when used in midair, and the ground attack can deliver multiple hits to nearby opponents; in ''Brawl'', however, the ground attack only deals up to two hits, reducing its overall damage output. | ||
===Fortress hogging=== | ===Fortress hogging=== | ||
{{YouTube|oGgg8YomIDI|'''Fortress hogging'''}} is a [[:Category:Techniques (SSBM)|technique]] | {{YouTube|oGgg8YomIDI|'''Fortress hogging'''}} is a [[:Category:Techniques (SSBM)|technique]] exclusive to ''[[Melee]]'' that allows {{SSBM|Bowser}} to grab onto the edge after simply using his Whirling Fortress on the stage. It was popularised by {{Sm|MagnuM}}. Fortress hogging is performed by timing the Whirling Fortress so that the end of the animation allows Bowser to fall past the stage and in turn, grab on to the edge. However, on stages where there are sloped edges, like [[Yoshi's Story]], Bowser will automatically Fortress hog onto the edge regardless of the position he is facing, given he is not facing away from the stage after falling. | ||
Fortress hogging can be useful to quickly [[edgehog]] a recovering opponent | Fortress hogging can be useful to quickly [[edgehog]] a recovering opponent and allow Bowser to reach the edge faster than he normally would by walking or running. | ||
==Instructional quotes== | ==Instructional quotes== | ||
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==Origin== | ==Origin== | ||
[[File:WhirlingFortressOriginSMW.gif|left|thumb|Ludwig von Koopa's shell move in ''Super Mario World''.]] | [[File:WhirlingFortressOriginSMW.gif|left|thumb|Ludwig von Koopa's shell move in ''Super Mario World''.]] | ||
While unique to ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Smash Bros.]]'', it is similar to how [[supermariowiki:Koopa Troopa|Koopas]] retreat into their shells when jumped on in the [[Mario (universe)|''Super Mario'' series]] which, can be held and thrown or kicked by the {{s|supermariowiki|Mario}} [[supermariowiki:Luigi|Bros.]] as a spinning attack. In ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'', when the player jumps on any of the [[Koopalings]], they will fly in the air inside their shell. [[Koopalings#Ludwig von Koopa|Ludwig von Koopa]] had a move similar to Whirling Fortress in ''[[Super Mario World]]''. | While unique to ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Smash Bros.]]'', it is similar to how [[supermariowiki:Koopa Troopa|Koopas]] retreat into their shells when jumped on in the [[Mario (universe)|''Super Mario'' series]] which, can be held and thrown or kicked by the {{s|supermariowiki|Mario}} [[supermariowiki:Luigi|Bros.]] as a spinning attack. In ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'', when the player jumps on any of the [[Koopalings]], they will fly in the air inside their shell. [[Koopalings#Ludwig von Koopa|Ludwig von Koopa]] had a move similar to Whirling Fortress in ''[[Super Mario World]]''. In {{s|mariowiki|Mario Kart: Double Dash!!}}, released a few years later, a special item called the "Bowser's Shell" was given to [[Bowser]] and [[Bowser Jr.]], featuring a large, spinning Bowser shell, vaguely similar to Whirling Fortress. | ||
Despite the above, Bowser himself never used this move, and in fact was never seen retreating into his shell in any Nintendo-developed game prior to the move's debut in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''. Like the [[Egg Roll]] and [[Green Missile]], however, the move's concept later led back into the Nintendo-affiliated ''Mario'' series starting with an appearance as Bowser's defensive power shot in ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Power Tennis}}'', and Bowser also has used the move in ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros U}}''. In ''{{s|supermariowiki|Super Paper Mario}}'', Bowser performs a similar move in one of his {{s|supermariowiki|Stylish Move}} animations. In ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle}}'', Bowser (as {{s|mariowiki|MegaDragonBowser}}) uses the Whirling Fortress during the final phase of the final boss fight. | Despite the above, Bowser himself never used this move, and in fact was never seen retreating into his shell in any Nintendo-developed game prior to the move's debut in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''. Like the [[Egg Roll]] and [[Green Missile]], however, the move's concept later led back into the Nintendo-affiliated ''Mario'' series starting with an appearance as Bowser's defensive power shot in ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Power Tennis}}'', and Bowser also has used the move in ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros U}}''. In ''{{s|supermariowiki|Super Paper Mario}}'', Bowser performs a similar move in one of his {{s|supermariowiki|Stylish Move}} animations. In ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle}}'', Bowser (as {{s|mariowiki|MegaDragonBowser}}) uses the Whirling Fortress during the final phase of the final boss fight. | ||