Clown Kart Dash
Clown Kart Dash is Bowser Jr.'s side special move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Junior Clown Car transforms into a kart, revealing a set of wheels and a pair of tailpipes, reminiscent of the Koopa Clown in Mario Kart 7, and speeds ahead to ram into any opponents in his path. Pressing the Control Stick or Circle Pad forward causes the kart to speed up, allowing the attack to deal more damage overall.
After some time, the kart will spin out, which deals more damage to opponents than ramming into them; this can also be forced by holding back on the Control Stick or Circle Pad, or pressing an attack or grab button. Bowser Jr. can also cancel the move by jumping, which can help his recovery to an extent, but doing this uses up his mid-air jump if he has not used it yet. Also, canceling the move prevents Bowser Jr. from using it again until he touches ground.
This move has two customizable variants in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U:
The first one is Koopa Drift, which enables the spin out to deliver multiple weak hits, but its travel speed is slower, it deals less knockback than normal, and the jump height when canceling the move is shorter as well. However, if Bowser Jr. spins out immediately upon starting the move while airborne, he gains a large amount of horizontal distance without affecting his vertical height much, which greatly improves his horizontal recovery.
The second is Grounding Dash, which increases the startup time of the move, but in return, it travels faster than the other Clown Kart Dash variants, and it can bury anyone that it runs into. However, the move cannot deal any damage while airborne, and the spin out does not deal any damage at all. Additionally, the move is not able to travel as far as the other Clown Kart Dash variants, and the jump height upon canceling the move is quite low, which hurts its recovery potential. During the startup period, this move grants Bowser Jr. super armor.
The Junior Clown Car also engages its kart mode when Bowser Jr.'s down taunt is used. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bowser Jr. keeps his double jump when jumping out of the Junior Clown Car, though he can no longer air dodge out of it. Additionally, the Junior Clown Car has super armor on all hitboxes of the attack.
Tips[edit]
- "Input a jump while performing this, and you'll cancel the dash. This can be handy for recovery, as a lead-in to other moves, or as a feint."
- "The Junior Clown Car becomes a kart and charges forward. The higher the speed, the more damage it will deal."
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | Scatto kart clown[?] | Clown kart dash | |
| Spanish | Atropello[?] | Accident |
