Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
If Bowser Jr. keeps Cart Dash at one fixed height through Cross, Axe, and Holy Water, Simon can simply hold the whip wall in place, so the matchup starts with Mechakoopa and Cannonball forcing Simon himself to move first. The table shows that after blocking Simon’s Jab 1, Jab 2, Rapid Jab Finisher, Up Tilt, Down Tilt (1), Down Tilt (2), Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral Air, Down Air, and Side B, Bowser Jr. can answer with Up Smash (7f), OOS Uair (9f), Grab (10f), and OOS Nair (10f), so close-range resets should be punished immediately. At the same time, Simon’s Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, and Neutral B are hard to punish right away on block, and forcing Cart Dash or jump there often just sends Bowser Jr. back into the next whip or Holy Water wall. Bowser Jr. should finish stocks by pushing Simon to the ledge with item pressure, then shrinking the getup and linear recovery routes with Fair, Bair, and Up Smash instead of dragging the game out in center stage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Bowser Jr. OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -21 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -23 |
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| Rapid Jab | 9/12/15… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -37 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -8/-7 |
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| Up Tilt | 10 | -17 |
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| Down Tilt (1) | 7 | -31 |
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| Down Tilt (2) | 8 | -42/-28 |
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| Dash Attack | 10/13/16/19/22/24 | -26 |
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| Forward Smash | 24 | -28/-26 |
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| Up Smash | 16 | -27/-26 |
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| Down Smash | 14/20 | -33/-30/-27/-24 |
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| Neutral Air | 8… | -12/-11 |
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| Forward Air | 14 | -6/-5/-8 |
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| Back Air | 14 | -6/-5/-8 |
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| Up Air | 14 | -6/-5/-8 |
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| Down Air | 13 | -21/-23 |
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| Neutral B | 30 | -6 |
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| Side B | 19 | -15 |
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| Up B | 6/9/… | ** | ||
| Down B | 18 | ** | ||
| Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 13 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 14 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Bowser Jr. should send Mechakoopa and Cannonball first so Simon’s jump and retreat path are fixed before committing to Cart Dash or Fair.
- After Bowser Jr. blocks Simon’s Jab 1, Jab 2, Rapid Jab Finisher, Up Tilt, Down Tilt (1), Down Tilt (2), Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral Air, Down Air, or Side B, immediately take the reachable punish from Up Smash (7f), OOS Uair (9f), Grab (10f), and OOS Nair (10f).
- After blocking Simon’s Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, or Neutral B, Bowser Jr. should not mash right away and should take the landing space or retreat lane before Simon can reset the wall.
- Once Simon is cornered, Bowser Jr. should avoid overchasing and keep the ledge trap tight with Mechakoopa, Fair, Bair, and Up Smash against the linear recovery.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeating Cart Dash at the same height into Cross, Axe, or Holy Water and challenging Simon’s wall straight on.
- Blocking Simon’s Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Down Air, Side B, or smash attacks and still letting the close-range reset go unpunished.
- Jumping in from a predictable high lane and feeding Simon’s Fair, Bair, or Up Air tipper range.
- Going too deep offstage, exposing Bowser Jr. after Up B, and losing stable ledge control before Simon’s recovery is actually trapped.