Giga Bowser

Giga Bowser (Giga Koopa; ギガクッパ, Giga Kūppā) (also known as Giant Bowser, named after Bowser's second form in most Mario franchise games) is the final boss of Adventure mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee. As his name suggests, he is a gargantuan version of Bowser, and can only be fought after completing Adventure Mode in normal or higher difficulty within 18 minutes without using any continues. In the cutscene that follows when the player accomplishes this, Giga Bowser is created when a Bowser trophy falls onto the Final Destination stage, and is then immediately struck by lightning, right after the player defeats the giant Bowser. This revives the trophy, but the energy surge from the lightning causes the strange mutation that turns Bowser into this monster. Defeating Giga Bowser in Adventure Mode awards the player 100,000 points, along with the Giga Bowser trophy.

Additionally, he is one of the opponents in the final Event Match, with Mewtwo and Ganondorf (of the Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda series, respectively) fighting alongside him. Giga Bowser is only playable using an Action Replay.

Giga Bowser returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as Bowser's Final Smash. Many of Bowser's moves are hugely powered up in this form, and his roar is deeper. However, some of his attacks are actually weaker than that of the regular Bowser (such as the forward smash). He still takes damage from hits, but he won't flinch, making him possible to KO only by hitting him when off-screen, and at the top border of the screen. Giga Bowser's Brawl trophy incorrectly states that he can't take damage at all. Because of his large size, Giga Bowser is able to easily attack and KO an opponent. The duration of this move is very short.

In addition to being much larger than the original king of the Koopas, Giga Bowser looks far more ferocious, with a larger body, a spikier scaled shell, surprisingly more muscular physique, and a new curve to his lengthened horns. As well as being an intimidating sight to behold, Giga Bowser is far more difficult to battle than his smaller counterpart.

Giga Bowser possesses the same moveset as Bowser, but several moves have an elemental effect; for example, his down smash can freeze opponents, and his forward smash is explosive. However, unlike Bowser, Giga Bowser does not have a swim animation; when the player jumps into the water, Giga Bowser will fall right through it and get KO'd. Giga Bowser also can't pick up items, but he can still possess the effects of the Bunny Hood and Superspicy Curry through Special Brawl.

Giga Bowser is officially considered to be a Super Smash Bros. character, and not a Mario character. In the game, his icon is not a mushroom (as is the case with Mario characters), but a Super Smash Bros. symbol (as is the case with Super Smash Bros. characters). In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Final Smash of Bowser has a mushroom icon, but this is because it is a move of Bowser's, and not a separate entity like the Giga Bowser in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Trivia

 * For some odd reason, Giga Bowser is the only transformation Final Smash that has a victory animation.
 * In the NTSC-U version of Super Smash Bros. Melee, an unused voice clip has the narrator referring to Giga Bowser as "Giga Koopa" (Giga Bowser's Japanese name) when the language settings are set to English.
 * Additionally, when the language is set to Japanese, the narrator calls Giga Bowser, "Giga Bowser", despite the fact that Bowser is named "Koopa" in Japan.