Banjo & Kazooie (SSBU): Difference between revisions

'''Banjo & Kazooie''' ({{ja|バンジョー&カズーイ|Banjō & Kazūi}}, ''Banjo & Kazooie''), formatted in their reveal trailer as '''Banjo-Kazooie''', are a playable fighter in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', and are the first third-party fighter from [[Microsoft]]. They were revealed alongside {{SSBU|Hero}} during the E3 Nintendo Direct on June 11th, 2019 as the third [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|downloadable]] fighter from {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 1}}. Banjo & Kazooie were released as part of Challenger Pack 3 on September 4th, 2019. Although they are a team, they are collectively classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #73]].

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 small as far as heavyweights go; Kazooie, however, lacks a hurtbox of any kind outside of dashing and 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 wings grant the duo a second [[midair 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''. Banjo's Claw Swipe and Kazooie's Rat-a-Tat Rap comprise their [[neutral attack]]. The former serves as a 3-hit [[gentleman]] jab, while the latter is a standard [[rapid jab]]. It should be noted that the [[hitbox]] of Kazooie's jabs 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, is a quick stab with Kazooie's beak, functioning similarly to 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]], a powerful upward kick from Banjo as Kazooie lifts him up from underneath, is an original move, and functions similar to {{SSBU|Pac-Man}}'s up tilt. It has barely any hitbox towards the duo's front or rear, making it very situational, but it hits through most platforms and can be a reliable follow-up from down throw. Their [[down tilt]], Beak Barge, is a low-to-the-ground slide that launches at a very low [[semi-spike]] angle, making it a very potent [[edgeguarding]] and [[tech-chasing]] option. Their [[dash attack]], the Forward Roll, is very similar to {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}'s dash attack, but has more kill power and has fewer active frames.

Complementing their versatile tilts, Banjo & Kazooie sport very useful smash attacks. Their [[forward smash]], the Breegull Bash, involves Banjo swinging Kazooie forwards into the ground, in a slow, 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.

Their 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 is functionally very similar to {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}'s and {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s neutral aerials. This move has respectable amount of combo potential, as well as being an easy way of scoring KOs offstage against vulnerable recoveries. Their [[forward aerial]], an original move, is a slow but powerful haymaker punch from Banjo, much like {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}'s and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}'s forward aerials. The move's clean hit is almost always a guaranteed KO offstage; additionally, Banjo's hand is intangible during the active frames, making the move great for covering the duo's approach, pressuring shields and edgeguarding. Rat-a-Tat Rap makes a second appearance as a [[back aerial]] that 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]] is a two-hit move that has Kazooie close her wings together in a scissor motion that weakly launches opponents upwards, allowing the move to be chained into itself, but its awkward knockback direction combined with its weak power doesn't allow it much juggling or combo utility. 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. [[Wonderwing]] has Banjo charge 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]] makes an appearance as their [[up special]]. It is a decent vertical recovery move that does not leave them helpless and preserves their midair 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 football-like shape and launches opponents upward. The 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 ledge trapping, comboing, camping, and neutral 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 air, but has too much end 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 less bury time. The only one of the duo's throws that has consistently good usage is their back throw, a spinning throw almost identical to Mario's but more powerful, and is an extraordinary KO option at the ledge at high percentages, while its damage and trajectory allow for powerful follow-ups or edgeguarding in other situations. As a whole, for Banjo & Kazooie, grabbing 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 an hurtbox, which means that they will generally have issues trading blows with conventional swordfighters. Similar to 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 fifth-worst, 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 the lowest [[traction]] in the game alongside {{SSBU|Mii Gunner}}. 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 a fairly unorthodox character that can be considered to fall in the heavyweight trapper archetype, similar to {{SSBU|Link}}, R.O.B. and Snake, being centered on maintaining stage control with the help of a powerful explosive item, while at the same time being capable of fighting melee and having access to a strong finisher in Wonderwing. However, their capabilities fall somewhat short next to comparable characters; Grenade Eggs are not as good as they could seem at controlling space due to their limited lifetime, Wonderwing is very easy to punish if mistimed or read, and the duo's overall frame data and KO power is unimpressive for this archetype, limiting their potential to act aggressively. As such, they are a quite versatile fighter that can adapt to multiple playstyles even over the course of a single match, though they are more adept to turtling, or more methodical playstyles.  

Banjo & Kazooie were buffed slightly via game updates. Their only noteworthy buffs were knockback increases for their up tilt and forward smash via update 12.0.0, slightly improving the moves' already respectable KO potential. Due to the other changes they received being strictly quality-of-life adjustments, Banjo & Kazooie's competitive reception has remained virtually unchanged since their release. While public opinion is uncertain, most competitive players believe that Banjo & Kazooie are low-tier or mid-tier at best, due to the amount of work required to earn results similar to their fellow heavyweights. Their competitive presence has been fairly minimal due to a lack of confidence from professional players, and the reliance on online tournaments across the board due to the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] have further enforced their unimpressive status, though the duo have garnered some strong results from players such as {{Sm|Raito}} and {{Sm|Tearbear}}, both online and off.

|neutraldesc=A combination of Banjo's [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Claw_Swipe Claw Swipe] and Kazooie's [https://banjokazooiewiki.com/wiki/Rat-a-tat_Rap Rat-a-Tat Rap]. If the button is held, Banjo will perform two alternating Claw Swipes and then throw an uppercut. If pressed repeatedly, he will Claw Swipe twice before crouching on all fours in order for Kazooie to perform the Rat-a-Tat Rap that concludes with Kazooie performing a headbutt. The first hit starts at frame 4, making it the duo's fastest ground attack. The third hit of the Claw Swipe launches opponents vertically, which can allow it to set up juggles due to its reasonably low ending lag. Forward aerial and up aerial are consistent followups, especially if opponents miss a tech on platforms, though this can be air dodged out of. Unlike most neutral attacks, Banjo will not repeat the first claw swing if the attack button is held down. Rat-a-Tat Rap has very meager damage output for a neutral infinite, although this can be mitigated if an opponent is hit extremely close to the duo while they perform the infinite, specifically around where Banjo's backpack is. This can result in the opponent being pushed back alongside the duo while they attack, allowing the move to rack up large amounts of damage.

|utiltdesc=Kazooie props Banjo up in order for him to perform an upward roundhouse kick. It is somewhat slow on startup for a tilt attack (11 frames), but it has impressive knockback, being able to KO most grounded opponents under 140%. The move also has a fairly large hitbox above Banjo's body, which makes it effective as both an anti-air and as a follow-up from down throw for a KO confirm, although it has barely any hitbox towards the duo's front or rear, strictly limiting its usage to the aforementioned scenarios. Despite its respectable power, it has fairly low ending lag; when combined with its vertical launch angle, this can allow it to set up juggles, with it following into itself against some heavyweights at low percentages. Unlike their other attacks, Kazooie possesses a hurtbox during this move, preventing the duo from evading low-to-the-ground attacks.

|dsmashdesc=Banjo slams one fist downward while Kazooie slams both of her wings downward on both sides, similarly to {{SSBU|Palutena}}, {{SSBU|Charizard}}, and {{SSBU|Ridley}}'s down smashes. Deals the same amount of damage and knockback throughout the move. Hits on frame 13 and has the fastest [[interruptibility]] out of the duo's smash attacks while having good power despite its speed, being able to KO at the edge at around 85%. As a result, it is the duo's most reliable smash attack for quick punishes. Its long-lasting, constant hitbox also makes it reliable as a deadly 2 framing tool, alongside forward smash (although this move is less powerful and lasts longer).

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. Their viability was strengthened with {{Sm|Tweek}}'s 5th place at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}}. 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, quickly became a problem. Despite their flaws and Tweek dropping the duo almost immediately after Glitch 7, opinions on Banjo & Kazooie's viability remained somewhat positive, as they garnered a sizeable playerbase that included {{Sm|huto}}, {{Sm|Raito}}, and {{Sm|Trela}}, the latter of whom defeated {{Sm|VoiD}} at {{Trn|The Big House 9}}. As a result, the early consensus among professionals, such as {{Sm|Mew2King}} and {{Sm|ESAM}}, was that the duo was between mid tier and the lower end of high tier.  

However, ever since the end of 2019, Banjo & Kazooie have seen a decline in both results and reception, with several players such as the aforementioned 3 dropping them. Many players believe that they are only at their strongest in an online environment, while others believe that they are low tier overall. While Banjo & Kazooie are generally considered a respectable fighter, their viability as a solo main is widely disputed due to their competitive results being quite lacking compared to metagame-relevant fighters. As a result, they rank 66th on the first and current tier list.

*{{Sm|huto|Japan}} - The best solo Banjo & Kazooie player in Japan but has since dropped the fighter. Placed 5th at both {{Trn|Waseda Festival 2019}} and {{Trn|Seibugeki 4}}, 25th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|shky}}, {{Sm|Umeki}}, and {{Sm|yuzu}}. Currently ranked 35th on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

*{{Sm|OwlBBs|UK}} - Known for using multiple characters and is considered the best Banjo & Kazooie player in Europe. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|BIG LAB: Awakening}}, 5th at {{Trn|UKIE Ultimate Circuit Finale}}, and 7th at {{Trn|Invasion}} with wins over {{Sm|Streakz}} and {{Sm|RobbieAK47}}. Online, placed 1st at {{Trn|The Quarantine Series: Europe Edition!}} and 2nd at the {{Trn|Coca-Cola Breakpoint Ultimate - Finale}}. Ranked 19th on the [[PGRU v3 EU]].

Banjo & Kazooie's Classic Mode comprises opponents featured as a duo, akin to themselves being partners. Several of the music and stage combinations reference various worlds from the first ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game.

Banjo & Kazooie amiibo.png|Banjo & Kazooie's amiibo

SSBUWebsiteBanjo&Kazooie1.jpg|Performing their side taunt on Spiral Mountain

SSBUWebsiteBanjo&Kazooie4.jpg|Crouching with {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} on [[Windy Hill Zone]].

*According to [[Masahiro Sakurai]], Banjo & Kazooie were highly requested in the ''[[Smash 4]]''-era Fighter Ballot, closely following the overall winner, {{SSBU|Sora}}.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1455931229564387332</ref>

*Banjo & Kazooie are the first playable characters to be from a formerly second-party Nintendo franchise.