Disadvantage & Pikachu : Bowser Match Ups Analysis

[@phy_]

Some of the most common video requests I get are for how to deal with disadvantage and a series going over how to win matchups, especially bad ones. So I figured we’d kill 2 birds with 1 stone in this video and go over both disadvantage, and how to handle one of bowser’s worst, if not his very worst, match up in the game: Pikachu. If you'd like more match up dedicated videos like this one, be sure to hit the thumbs up and let me know in the comments below! and subscribe for more :)

[@bobstevemd3265]

Phy you are a legend we had questions and you came through ! Thank you bro

[@GEECK939]

Man, you know it’s a good night when Phy uploads. This was a really good video, I always rush in too much sometimes in Advantage and it ultimately gets me killed. Pikachus are such a bad mu for our heavies but patience is what helps us get the the win. Thanks for this Phy and keep the good content comin bro!

[@phy_]

ooh man I'd imagine for ganon it's significantly worse. Thanks for watching Rob!

[@GEECK939]

@@phy_ No problem bro, your videos are always the best. And yes, a good pika is scary for Ganon

[@sweettea5166]

2:40 this is a great video and alot of what you say is accurate its just that the player in this situation is over committing to alot of his options and getting punished for it. If he swapped his play style on the fly by playing significantly more defensive, this would be a whole different video. But it goes to show you can beat the hyper aggressive play style.

[@KarateGirl999]

This was equally very helpful and entertaining. Today I came across a good Pikachu player, except instead of using Bowser I was using Byleth. Staying in shield for more than one hit is stupid useful, and I found that Byleth's forward air eats through Pikachu's jolts easily. What makes it better is that f-air is one of Byleth's safest moves. I did try to incorporate some big moves, and I sealed off the match with an up smash kill at 70. Beating good Pikachus with slow, hard hitting characters is the most satisfying thing EVER. I still feel euphoric from it, so I can only imagine what it's like to teach Pikas a lesson with Bowser.

[@bugtussle5720]

Awesome video! I just wanna add a couple things that help me out in the match up 1) Make use of shield tilting. Pikachu has a lot of multihits that will like you, and you can get around a lot of it by tilting your shield. Usually you want to tilt it up and/or towards pikachu, but it depends 2) SDI back air! If you have good SDI you'll fall out of either the second or third back air depending on how close the pika was to you when you got hit You also want to SDI lightning loops. I ususally SDI away to try to get to ledge so the combo ends, or I SDI in as a mixup, but if the pika is ready for that you can take even more damage One more thing to SDI is fair. Especially offstage since it gets you out of combos/edgeguards 3) Practice and use recovery mix ups. This is incredibly important for avoiding edgeguards. Aerial up b has so much depth, but just as an example, if you're not too far away and parallel to the ledge, you can hit b twice, and you'll grab the ledge while putting a hitbox above you that makes it hard for pika to down air You can do a similar mix up if you're below ledge. You can hit b twice to stall your vertical movement, then mash at the end to go up to ledge. You can stall and make pikachu whiff this way, similar to using your double jump. Mix up between the normal and stalled up b so it's harder for pika to know where you'll go offstage

[@dawsondegraaf8143]

As a DK main this was a joy to watch. The rats are my most hated characters to fight. And I cry everytime I run into one online. They're somehow even more mashy characters than even yoshi and ness and still get away with everything. Thank you for this analysis. I will come back to this video in the future for helpful tips :)

[@phy_]

ooh I'd imagine it's even worse for DK, thanks for watching !

[@TheCrimsonWolf]

Nice... I see that patience is key with this matchup. But once they begin to read into your reads, they'll push you around all over again... It's up to you to overcome! You can do it Bowser mains, mess that mouse up!

[@phy_]

Yup definitely gotta mix up the return options in disadvantage

[@retrozilla1999]

As a Bowser main this is very helpful to know how to play against Pikachu! It's clearly better to play more defensive than aggressively against Pikachu because one interaction playing aggressive and in neutral could mean getting combed into oblivion or sent off stage. Keep up on the great work to help us Bowser's out there!

[@YoungsterJoey151]

Love your Bowser videos man! Recently swapped to Bowser as my main and you've really helped explain matchups and Do's & Don'ts. I know you've been doing a lot of Seph content but would love to see some more Bowser 👀

[@Frilleon]

3:28 nice pun 😂😂

[@phy_]

🤣

[@niterush361]

Thanks phy for the late night video 😁 This video was helpful.

[@bormahtiid]

Yes my guy! This video is amazing! I’d love some more videos about winning mus so I can continue to expand my knowledge. I’m finally understanding the Snake mu but I need to continue practicing it. Keep up the great work!

[@phy_]

Glad to hear it bro! I will def be trying to make more of these

[@bormahtiid]

@@phy_ I can def help out with Piranha Plant. I fight a very good Piranha Plant daily 😅

[@Mrplasticuppolitics]

Great video man!!

[@ATozz-1337]

Another excellent vid. Also, I am no expert but I have a buddy who mains Pikachu very well and Bowser's up tilt can easily stop Pikachu's quick attack on and off stage while offensively covering your whole body.

[@raccoonz_1809]

yooooooooooooooo i actually needed help with pika mu and this video is very helpful so thank you phy💯💯💯👍

[@malachistone88]

Let's go Phy! This was super helpful 👌

[@KAJU_smash]

I am a Pikachu main and this was very interesting. I like your gameplan and disadvantage offstage for Bowser is definitely key since Pikachu isn't that powerful on stage. I think you could punish a mashing Pikachu more with fair or up B but staying patient is good too. Sadly these players didn't have optimized combos on Bowser and their edgeguard were just throwing move with hope (I don't get why the 2nd would down B at ledge). Anyway good video

[@stsalty1788]

Oh yeah I got my first character in elite aka BOWSER finally lets goooo all thanks to those up throw combos

[@phy_]

YOO congrats!!

[@ShadyBowser]

This is great advice bro thank you

[@zenaxia8063]

pika mu is so annoying i really cant deal with that rat and the thing is that i only really get in advantage as meta knight if they make a mistake.

[@derp4752]

Very helpful!!

[@markhumphreys4496]

I don’t hate many characters except Pikachu because he literally has no weaknesses. And he is behind Shulk for the potential best character in Ultimate.

[@IronFerret62]

I think the Pikachu mu isn't as bad as everyone says it is. I do think that Pikachu has more chances to mess up Bowser but Bowser can mess up Pikachu as well. The LeoN vs Esam ft10 to me at least gives a good idea of the mu, at least online. To me Pikachu is hard but he definitely can't have room to mess up like he does against other heavies.

[@zenaxia8063]

yeah i agree the mu is probably even online leon practiced for weeks tbf before that ft10 and he was completely ready not to mention it was online so the mu is better for bowser imo offline its prolly winning for pikachu by alot

[@IronFerret62]

@@zenaxia8063 LeoN's a completely different type of beast, and I think got a win on a Pika player that wasn't Esam offline. But online I think both characters get buffed. I think offline Pika wins but it isn't unwinnable. A lot of people think Pika is the best character in the game, but LeoN, and Phy both show that even gods can bleed.

[@zenaxia8063]

@@IronFerret62 yeah i think that pikachu isnt nerfed or buffed by online but stays the same whereas bowser is buffed and so the mu becomes even i think that pikachu just needs to be played differently online vs offline since online u cant react to a combo starter and such thats why esam sucks online but is good offline.

[@kuwabara_ssbu8389]

Pls for the love of god do WiFi Palu next, I’m tired of losing to a player worse then me in bracket just bc they play palutena, she’s such a rage fueling character to me and she gets me so tilted every single time

[@HELLOttttp]

This was so helpful !!!!

[@marcosfreire5037]

Me as a pika main: 👀 Btw I love your videos even though I don't main bowser but I love facing good bowser. Very scary lol

[@phy_]

Haha thanks for watching ! I actually don’t hate the match up either, it’s a good challenge. I’d way rather play against a pika than WiFi samus I tell ya

[@Adventureruler]

I see you with the Final Fantasy 7 remake music 😏

[@edgargarcia6764]

Most players mash like ness and yoshi. Typically I take a defensive approach in this match up.

[@lamshana5445]

Idk why going aggro with Ike works on Pikachu

[@phy_]

I can actually see that, throwing out that disjoint to keep pika out

[@lamshana5445]

@@phy_ yeah his sword was slapping pika at times I do play passive with Ike when the pika know what there doin instead of going in

[@huey2261]

Does Bowser does good against Mewtwo because I fought a mewtwo and I lost to the mewtwo all the time.

[@alexcaron9427]

Bowser does do well but like any character, the mu doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you’re looking for

[@phy_]

I'd say Bowser wins it but there's a specific way to play it. Big moves to kill early for sure, and can't let them set up shadow ball

[@Miniom56785]

LMAO as i was watching this video i got matched up against a pika, it was like having a coach right next to me and i won the match/

[@HELLOttttp]

so helpful!!

[@MrSeraphant]

Ima pika and im tempted to challenge you.

[@miracleeevee4158]

As a Pikachu main, I definitely believe Bowser can be incredibly difficult, despite what the matchup charts say. Bowser just *refuses* to die.

[@Mori-man]

0 dislikes as of the date of this comment. 154 likes. NICE

[@Mori-man]

I love how you can reply to and like your own comment

[@ohcomeon1111]

This pikachu was awful lol

[@MrSeraphant]

Ima pika and im tempted to challenge you.