Whirling Fortress
Whirling Fortress is a move that can only be used byBowser andGiga Bowser in theSuper Smash Bros. series. Bowser and Giga Bowser can activate this move whenever a player presses Up and
simultaneously. Bowser (or Giga Bowser) conceals himself inside his shell and spins around with it in the air. If it hits any of the other players, they take a relatively large amount of damage, depending on how long they are in contact with the spinning shell. The attack can also be used on the ground, instead of just in the air. If used in the air, it will put Bowser and Giga Bowser into a helpless state after it finishes.
InSuper Smash Bros. Melee andSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Whirling Fortress only delivers up to two hits when it is used on the ground, but it delivers up to 11 hits when used in the air. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, while Giga Bowser's Whirling Fortress remained unchanged, Bowser's Whirling Fortress can deliver up to 8 weak hits on the ground, with the final hit delivering the most knockback, making the attack more effective to use as an out-of-shield attack, and safer to use against shields.
Whirling Fortress received two custom variants inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U:Flying Fortress andSliding Fortress. Giga Bowser cannot perform these and will retain his default move if one is chosen.
- Flying Fortress doubles the vertical distance of the move, but offers less horizontal distance. Also, while the in-game description states that it does not deal any damage, it can actually deal minor damage to opponents.
- Sliding Fortress greatly increases the horizontal distance of the move, enabling it to travel the entire length of theBattlefield stage. However, the attack takes longer to start up, and it only delivers a single hit on opponents with reduced knockback, making it less effective to use as an out-of-shield attack.
Gallery[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Giga Bowser's Whirling Fortress inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
Whirling Fortress inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U
Flying Fortress
Sliding Fortress
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スピニングシェル[?] Supiningu Sheru | Spinning Shell | |
| Italian | Vortice di aculei[?] | Spike vortex | |
| Spanish | Fortaleza giratoria[?] | Spinning fortress |
Notes[edit]
- Whirling Fortress is similar to the attackLudwig von Koopa performs inSuper Mario World after being attacked. Bowser uses a similar move as hisSpecial Shot inMario Power Tennis, known as theSpinning Shell Dash. Bowser also uses a similar move inMario Sports Mix, inSuper Paper Mario in one of hisStylish move animations, inNew Super Mario Bros. U, inMario & Luigi: Dream Team, inMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle asMegaDragonBowser during the final phase of the final boss fight, and inMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope for his dash and spinning animation.
- Prior toMelee, the only instance of Bowser performing a similar move was theNES version ofMario's Time Machine.
