Banjo & Kazooie (SSBU): Difference between revisions

|ranking = 66

Banjo & Kazooie are ranked 66th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing them in the C- tier.

Banjo & Kazooie, like {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}, are a tag team that fight together as if they were a singular character. Together, they are a [[weight|heavyweight]], and are tied with {{SSBU|Snake}} and {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} as the 18th heaviest fighter in the game. As Banjo handles the duo's [[walk]]ing, their walking speed is below-average, and their initial [[dash]] and [[traction]] values are among the worst in the game. Conversely, Kazooie handles the duo's [[dash]]ing, in which she uses the Talon Trot to carry Banjo. In stark contrast to Banjo's walking speed, Kazooie's dashing speed is very fast; specifically, it is the 12th fastest in the game, and is only surpassed by {{SSBU|Charizard}} among heavyweights.

 

With Kazooie hidden in his backpack when the duo are not attacking or dashing, Banjo has a relatively average height and a somewhat wide [[hurtbox]], being rather short as far as heavyweights go. Kazooie, however, lacks a hurtbox of any kind outside of dashing and their up tilt. This means that all standard attacks involving her (other than up tilt) are [[disjointed]]. Similar to {{SSBU|Ridley}} and {{SSBU|Pit}}, Kazooie's Feathery Flap grants the duo a second [[double jump]]. Additionally, they have a fast [[falling speed]], high [[gravity]], slow [[air speed]], and average [[air acceleration]].

The majority of Banjo & Kazooie's grounded arsenal makes use of moves from their first two games, ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Banjo-Tooie''. The duo have a [[Neutral attack#Choosables|chooseable neutral attack]]: their standard neutral attack is a 3-hit combo that consists of Banjo using his Claw Swipe twice and then throwing an uppercut, whereas their [[neutral infinite]] consists of Kazooie's Rat-a-Tat Rap. It should be noted that the [[hitbox]] of Kazooie's neutral infinite is large enough to sometimes hit opponents standing directly behind the duo. This can cause the opponent to be continually jabbed into the duo's rear, keeping them locked in the hitbox and causing both of the fighters to be slowly moved backwards, often amounting to extremely high percentages by the time they reach the edge of a platform.

Their [[forward tilt]], Beak Bayonet, involves Banjo quickly thrusting Kazooie as a makeshift bayonet. Like Ridley's forward tilt, it can be angled and has a respectable amount of disjointed range, especially for its speed, making it useful for stopping predictable or vulnerable approaches. Their [[up tilt]] consists of Kazooie quickly propping Banjo upward in order for him to perform a stretch kick. Unlike most up tilts, it is strong enough to KO reliably, especially when it is used as a follow-up from their down throw. Despite its respectable power, its low base knockback and fairly low ending lag grant it minor combo potential at very low percentages. However, like {{SSBU|Pac-Man}}'s up tilt, it has almost nonexistent horizontal range in front of or behind them. Their [[down tilt]], Beak Barge, involves Kazooie thrusting her beak forward as Banjo slides belly-first along the ground. It launches at a very low [[semi-spike]] angle, making it a very potent [[edgeguarding]] and [[tech-chasing]] option, although it is laggy overall and has a meager damage output. Their [[dash attack]], Banjo's Forward Roll, looks and functions very similarly to {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}'s dash attack, but differs from his by having a noticeably stronger clean hit (which can function as a situational KO option) and fewer active frames.

Complementing their versatile tilts, Banjo & Kazooie sport very useful smash attacks. Their [[forward smash]], the Breegull Bash, involves Banjo swinging Kazooie as a makeshift bludgeon. It is a slow, yet long-ranged and powerful move that serves as a notable example of Kazooie's disjointed nature. The duo's [[up smash]] is the Bill Drill, a spinning attack with Kazooie's beak that is fairly useful as an anti-aerial and out of shield option, and is a reliable follow up to the duo's burying down throw, as the move is deceptively fast with a 7 frame startup. Their [[down smash]] is an original move, a wing-slam from Kazooie on both sides of them much like Ridley, albeit weaker and much faster, making it a useful tool for catching rolls. Notably, their forward and down smashes, especially the latter, have long-lasting hitboxes that slightly penetrate the stage downwards, making them both deadly 2-framing tools at the ledge.

Banjo & Kazooie's aerial moveset also combines old and new moves. The duo's [[neutral aerial]] is the Twirling Wing Whack, a multi-hitting circular wing spin from Kazooie that functions very similarly to {{SSBU|Pit}}'s neutral aerial. This move has respectable combo potential, although its drag down follow-ups can vary due to the looping hits' launching angles. Neutral aerial is also reliable at scoring KOs offstage against vulnerable recoveries. Their [[forward aerial]] is a slow, but powerful overhand punch thrown by Banjo, much like {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}'s forward aerials. Its clean hit is strong enough to KO reliably while near the edge, and is almost always a guaranteed KO while offstage. Despite its power, forward aerial has the lowest amount of landing lag out of the duo's aerial attacks. When this is coupled with Banjo's paw being [[intangible]] during its active frames, it can be used to start combos at low percentages, cover the duo's approach, pressure shields, and edgeguard quite safely.

Kazooie's Rat-a-Tat Rap is used as their [[back aerial]]; unlike the neutral infinite version, this version hits three times, similarly to Ridley's forward aerial. This move has respectable power, and is a good out of shield option as well as a reliable (albeit unsafe due to its lag) KO option offstage. Banjo & Kazooie's [[up aerial]] consists of Kazooie flapping her wings together in a scissoring motion, similarly to {{SSBU|Sonic}}'s up aerial. Its minimal startup and ending lag enable it to combo into itself and, with proper timing, it can initiate combos very soon after the duo land on the ground. However, its minor damage output and knockback make it lackluster for juggling and almost unusuable for KOing. Beak Buster makes an appearance as their [[down aerial]]; it is a [[stall-then-fall]] attack that [[meteor smash]]es opponents during its initial frames, and has a fairly large hitbox upon impacting the stage.

Banjo & Kazooie's [[special moves]] are fairly versatile as well. Their [[neutral special]] is [[Egg Firing / Breegull Blaster]]. Egg Firing, activated when the special button is tapped, sends blue eggs out of Kazooie's mouth that are affected by gravity in a similar manner to {{SSBU|Mario}}'s [[Fireball]], and acts as their primary edgeguarding tool and gimping option; the move also briefly stalls the duo's aerial momentum when used in the air. Holding the special button causes the move to transition into Breegull Blaster, in which Banjo wields Kazooie like a gun as in ''Banjo-Tooie''{{'}}s first-person shooter segments, with low damage but faster and constant projectiles, all while being able to move and jump freely similar to holding items such as the completed [[Daybreak]] parts. This can be used to pressure enemies in a similar manner to {{SSBU|Mega Man}}'s neutral attack, and even start ladder combos, though because the move is a "mode" that takes a moment to be entered and exited, it is often difficult to use in close proximity.

Banjo & Kazooie's [[side special]] is [[Wonderwing]], which involves Banjo charging forward while Kazooie shields him with her magic-infused wings. It does high damage and knockback if it connects within the first half of the distance it covers, and its full-body [[invincibility]] that lasts through the entirety of the hitbox's duration allows it to out-prioritize nearly every other move in the game (exceptions include grabs and command grabs such as [[Buster Wolf]]). Wonderwing's duration and the size of its hitbox also allows it to act as a fantastic 2-framing option on the edge, as the duo will run in place at the edge for some time. Wonderwing can be an easy and effective way to brute force an opponent out of [[projectile camping]], though this may backfire if the opponent is [[baiting]] the move or otherwise ready for it. It also functions as an excellent recovery option with its horizontal speed and distance and does not induce [[helpless]]ness either. However, the move runs on a limited stock of five golden feathers that are not replenished until Banjo & Kazooie are KO'd, so its usage must be carefully considered; additionally, despite [[Cross-up|crossing up]] shields, Wonderwing's high ending lag and long-lasting singular hitbox make it fairly unsafe in any case where the opponent can see it coming.

[[Shock Spring Jump]] functions as Banjo & Kazooie's [[up special]]. It is a decent vertical recovery move that does not render them helpless and preserves their double jumps; it can be charged to increase its travel distance, and when used in the air, the Shock Spring Pad itself possesses a damaging hitbox that can be used to [[gimp]] some recoveries. [[Rear Egg]], their [[down special]], has Kazooie lay an explosive Grenade Egg behind them. It bounces in an unpredictable fashion due to its shape and launches opponents upward. The Grenade Egg also functions as an item; it is catchable and throwable despite its much shorter fuse compared to similar explosive-related attacks. All of these properties make Rear Egg an incredibly versatile projectile that can be used for edge trapping, comboing, camping, and neutral game control in general. Overall, their four specials have impressive utility with both physical and projectile options.

Apart from slightly above-average reach, Banjo & Kazooie have an unremarkable [[grab]] game. While each of their throws have vastly different functions, only in very specific situations are they useful outside of getting the opponent away from them (with the exception of their [[back throw]]). [[Forward throw]] is only really useful for putting opponents off-stage, with its awkward angle and high base knockback making it useless for combos while its nearly nonexistent knockback growth prevents it KOing. [[Up throw]] is useful for setting up juggles with up aerial, but has too much ending lag to actually have any true follow-ups. [[Down throw]] [[buries]] the opponent, leading into various guaranteed follow-ups at very high percentages, although it is generally inferior to {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s similar down throw due to its burial's duration being shorter than K. Rool's.

The duo's only throw that is consistently useful is their [[back throw]], which is one of their best KO options and is even capable of being used for follow-ups or edgeguarding in other situations. As a whole, Banjo & Kazooie's grab game is a high-risk, low-reward undertaking that usually only sets stocks when their opponent is at a very high percentage; at other times, the best that their throws can do is to rack up damage and put distance between them, only subtracting from their options for getting out of the disadvantage.

Alongside their grab and throws, the pair have other considerable weaknesses to balance their strengths. Outside of their smash attacks, Wonderwing, and offstage aerials, Banjo & Kazooie's potential to KO is somewhat limited despite their status as a heavyweight fighter. Most of their moves are unremarkable among their weight class in terms of power, and unlike other fighters with poor KOing abilities, Banjo & Kazooie have a very limited combo game. The duo's range is also unremarkable, despite Kazooie's lack of a hurtbox, which means that they will generally have issues trading blows with conventional swordfighters. Similarly to {{SSBU|Wario}}, Banjo & Kazooie have a wide hurtbox, and they are susceptible to combos and juggles due to their heavy weight, fast falling speed, slow air speed, low jump height, and lack of fast escape options. Their overall mobility is unorthodox; their excellent run speed is offset by their poor initial dash speed, which is tied for the 5th slowest, their high vertical recovery options are hampered by their low jumps, poor air speed, and fast falling speed, and their grounded mobility is hindered by their [[traction]] being tied with the {{SSBU|Mii Gunner}}'s for the lowest in the game.

Additionally, the duo's special moves, while strong, have significant flaws. Egg Firing has a slow firing rate on its own, and weak power when the pair transitions to Breegull Blaster; also, Breegull Blaster's eggs become weaker with repeated use, discouraging excessive use of the move. If the pair runs out of golden feathers, they lose access to Wonderwing, eliminating a potent move with plenty of offensive and defensive utility; Wonderwing is also vulnerable to grabs despite its invincibility, although due to its speed, an opponent taking advantage of this is relatively rare, and is notoriously unsafe on shield and on whiff, further punishing heavily its misuse. Rear Egg, while being a relatively potent combo tool, can be turned against the duo as opponents can grab it and use it due to its status as an [[item]], as well as the fact that that a previously-laid grenade egg must explode or reach the blast zone before a new one can be laid, meaning the player must wait a while to try again if an egg misses an opponent. Shock Spring Jump requires slight charge time to make their recovery reliable, and it also does not have a hitbox outside of the Shock Spring Pad itself, making it vulnerable to aggressive edgeguarding.

Overall, Banjo & Kazooie are fairly unorthodox characters that can be considered to fall in the heavyweight trapper archetype, similarly to {{SSBU|Link}}, {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} and {{SSBU|Snake}}. As a result, their game plan is centered on maintaining stage control with the help of their projectiles, yet also being capable melee fighters who have access to a few strong finishers (the most notable of which being Wonderwing). However, Banjo & Kazooie's capabilities fall somewhat short next to comparable characters: Rear Egg is slightly inconsistent at controlling space due to its Grenade Egg's short fuse, Wonderwing is very easy to punish if it is mistimed or read, and the duo's overall frame data and KO power are unimpressive for the heavyweight trapper archetype, limiting their potential to act aggressively. As such, they are quite versatile fighters that can adapt to multiple playstyles even over the course of a single match, though they are more adept at turtling or more methodical playstyles.  

|nairdesc=Kazooie's [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Wing_Whack Wing Whack]. Functions similarly to {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}}'s shared neutral aerial, with this move's looping hitboxes even sharing the exact same properties as those of that move. Has rather slow startup (frame 10) relative to its damage output and knockback. Compared to Pit's neutral aerial, the combination of this move's slower startup with its surprisingly high landing lag (15 frames), inability to autocancel from a short hop, and the final hit's strangely diagonal launch angle makes it far less useful for starting, extending or finishing combos. It has immense utility for approaching and interrupting vulnerable recoveries, although this is counterbalanced by the final hit's low knockback scaling and aforementioned diagonal launch angle. Its looping hits can drag opponents downwards to follow into most of the duo's grounded moves, although this can be difficult due to the move's aforementioned high landing lag and the looping hits' unpredictable launching trajectory; the move itself is also a very reliable followup from up or down throw. [[Autocancel]]s from a full hop.

|bairdesc=An aerial three-hit version of Kazooie's Rat-a-Tat Rap. The first hit comes out on frame 8. It has a good overall range and startup, making it a reliable aerial for edgeguarding. The first two hits use the [[autolink]] angle; while it has extremely high landing lag (18 frames), making combos from the first two hits read-dependent, forward tilt is a decently reliable followup on most fighters. Autocancels from a short hop.

|uairdesc=Kazooie flaps her wings upwards in a scissoring motion, similarly to {{SSBU|Sonic}}'s up aerial. Hits twice, with the first hit leading to the second. Has a wide hitbox with good range, with the first hit being able to hit grounded opponents if performed while the duo is falling. Additionally, it is fast in general (frame 7) while also being interruptible extremely early; this allows the duo to perform up to four up aerials while using their jumps, similarly to {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}'s up aerial strings. Easily juggles into itself at low to medium percentages, and can potentially lead into other aerials. Even further boosting its utility is that its first hit can set up KO confirms into forward smash, forward aerial and Wonderwing on landing. However, it has very low hitstun due to its low damage and slightly higher ending lag compared to other weak up aerials, making the move easily escapable. The first hit may also occasionally launch opponents away from the second hit, and the move is extremely weak, having almost no KO potential even at extremely high percentages.

|dairdesc=Kazooie's [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Beak_Buster Beak Buster]. It is a [[stall-then-fall]] that meteor smashes at its beginning, with the later hitboxes dealing slightly diagonal vertical knockback. The move has a very weak landing hit that has little use aside from granting minimal protection. The move lasts for an extremely long time, often making off-stage use an inevitable [[self-destruct]], though it is possible to recover if it is used from high enough. It is mostly useful for returning to stage quickly, as the non-meteor smashing hitbox is unable to KO past realistic percentages. The move's high landing lag (27 frames) greatly limits its combo potential.

|fthrowdesc=Banjo faces away and Kazooie performs a double-footed stretch kick. The move's generally horizontal launch angle, along with its somewhat decent base knockback, makes it useful for creating space between Banjo & Kazooie and their opponent on-stage, as well as setting up edgeguards and potentially also tech-chases.

|uthrowdesc=Banjo throws the opponent overhead and Kazooie pecks them upwards. The move has high ending lag after the opponent is thrown, has no true follow-ups, and cannot KO opponents. It is generally considered to be Banjo & Kazooie's worst throw.

|floortdesc= Banjo claps behind and then in front of himself. One of the only attacks to use a "slap" sound effect, with the others being [[Pound]] and {{SSBU|Peach}}/{{SSBU|Daisy}}'s shared neutral attack. Unlike those moves, the "slap" sound effect plays even if Banjo does not successfully hit any opponents.

|nsdesc=For '''Egg Firing''', Banjo gets down on all fours while Kazooie spits out an egg. These eggs will obey gravity, bounce off the ground and linger for quite some time (around the length of half of Final Destination) before breaking on their own, and become weaker as time passes. It is a slow-moving projectile, similar in function to moves such as [[Fireball]]. It also stalls the duo's vertical momentum slightly if used in midair.<br><br>If the special button is held, the duo will instead perform the '''Breegull Blaster''', where Banjo takes Kazooie out of his backpack and uses her in a manner similar to the [[Super Scope]]. In this mode, pressing either attack button will cause Kazooie to quickly fire smaller and weaker eggs that travel in a straight line and as far as a third of Final Destination's length; subsequent eggs gradually deal less damage. These smaller eggs cause minimal flinching at long range and weak vertical knockback at close range. Banjo can move and triple jump freely while in this mode, and can turn around (the latter is not possible while firing). Crouching or shielding will put Kazooie away, which has minimal ending lag. Notably, Breegull Blaster is a very effective combo move if the close-range vertically-launching egg hitbox is landed, with close-range eggs comboing into more close-range eggs among other things. Breegull Blaster also has a KO confirm into up tilt at high percentages.<br><br>Due to the mechanics of this move, Egg Firing can only be done repeatedly if the player button mashes, since holding the button transitions into the Breegull Blaster. To compensate for the lack of a dash while Kazooie is out, Banjo's walking speed is 10% faster than normal when Breegull Blaster is being used (although the duo maintain their two midair jumps).

*{{Sm|Toriguri|Japan}} - The best Banjo & Kazooie player of all-time, and the only solo-Banjo & Kazooie player to place top 8 at a major, doing so at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 14}}.

Banjo & Kazooie were initially met with a mildly positive reception due to their strong and flexible moves (such as forward aerial, forward tilt, smash attacks, [[Wonderwing]], and [[Rear Egg]]), their ability to zone and edge trap effectively, and their versatile recovery. However, the duo's flaws, including their below-average speed, problems with juggling and scoring KOs, fairly noticeable lag on their moves, and a barely adequate grab game, were also noted. This has led to Banjo & Kazooie garnering below-average results compared to the rest of the cast, although they had some notable success from players such as {{Sm|huto}}, {{Sm|Raito}}, and {{Sm|Trela}}; {{Sm|Tweek}} also utilized Banjo & Kazooie at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}, although he promptly dropped them following that tournament. As a result, the early consensus posited the duo within the lower end of high tier at best and within the mid tier at worst.  

However, by the end of 2019, Banjo & Kazooie saw a decline in both results and reception, with many players dropping the duo. Many players believe that they are only at their strongest in an online environment due to the input lag benefitting their most useful attacks. Conversely, others believe that Banjo & Kazooie fluctuate between the lower end of the mid tier and the low tier. Although Banjo & Kazooie are generally considered respectable fighters, their viability as a solo main has been questioned due to their best players often co-maining them or using them as a secondary. Despite this perception, {{Sm|Toriguri}} has managed to consistently achieve success at major tournaments while using Banjo & Kazooie as his sole main ever since the early metagame. Overall, Banjo & Kazooie are ranked 66th on the current tier list, which posits them as lower end mid tier fighters.

*Banjo & Kazooie, {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, Hero, {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}, {{SSBU|Pyra}}, {{SSBU|Mythra}}, and {{SSBU|Sora}} are the only fighters to use their walking animation when navigating through the map in [[World of Light]].