Kazuya comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and that is one of the most powerful additions to the unquestionably greatest crossover in video game history: the standard bearer of the Tekken series will bring the brutal style of karate Mishima to the chaotic Nintendo fighting experience , and that is synonymous with entertainment and fun.
A gift for those who are passionate about the golden age of arcade fighting games. Especially when legends of the caliber of Ryu, Ken or Terry Bogard have been so well integrated into the Nintendo game. However, this time there is a nuance to consider: Tekken’s fighting style shines in three-dimensional scenarios.
The solution of Masahiro Sakurai, the head of the Nintendo saga, when transferring Kazuya to Smash Bros. was to give the fighter unique characteristics and key elements that retained the sensations of the Tekken saga games and, in the process, introducing playable tools that are as ingenious as they are interesting to the Smash player.
In this way, the cold-blooded Leader will be able to unleash his fighting techniques and display his style at short distances, and although he will not be able to make great jumps, he will have powerful ranged attacks and mobility techniques thanks to his demonic form: Devil Kazuya no It will only burst into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a glorious Final Smash, but will be fully integrated into Kazuya’s own repertoire of moves.
Kazuya Mishima debuts on Nintendo Switch breaking expectations
Believe it or not, the Tekken series has been reluctant to appear on Switch. And that Bandai Namco took relatively little time to bring the troubles of the Mishima family to Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. It’s not that Katsuhiro Harada didn’t have Nintendo’s two-in-one console present, there we have the deluxe version of Pokken Tournament and Bandai Namco herself is a co-developer of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , but it was time to see someone from the Iron Fist saga on Nintendo Switch.
Regarding how the character has been transferred to the Nintendo crossover, once again Masahiro Sakurai has had the opportunity to show off a real challenge : the pace, the physics and the combat system of Tekken and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have very little to see. And yet Kazuya has access to his best shots and original mobility. But, also to new resources that align him with the rest of the fighters.
The main thing is that Kazuya is a very heavy fighter whose punches have a really limited range. His normal jump barely lifts him off the ground and his speed matches all of the above. And yet he is a bad beast in melee : not only can he chain punches in a terrifyingly simple way, but he also has devastating shots and armor capable of intimidating less powerful players.
Logically, the first thing one thinks when knowing these characteristics is that it is best to keep your distances and use them to your advantage. That’s where the news comes in: Kazuya will be able to call on the power of the Devil Gene to launch powerful lightning bolts over long distances or perform great double jumps and even glide through the air. In addition, of course, to boost his smash attacks with powerful charges of sheer force and evil.
On the other hand, the way to integrate Kazuya’s enormous repertoire of attacks in Smash is also a success: the commands have been simplified with great success (it is no longer necessary to distinguish between punches and kicks) and the eight directions of the crosshead are used. plus the neutral state to be able to unleash his special movements with his feet on the stage or in jump.
- As you might expect, we will be promoting simple strikes with special moves and more elaborate techniques, so that some attacks, like his Leaping Sidekick , will fully expose enemies who abuse the shield.
- In addition, like the Street Fighter and Terry characters from SNK, when Kazuya closes the distances in combat he enters one-on-one mode, so that after a jump he always falls positioning himself facing his opponent.
With the above in mind, one of Kazuya’s key characteristics is his ability to take advantage of pent-up anger . Inspired by the Rage mechanic introduced in Tekken 7 , and in a similar way to other Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters, if Kazuya accumulates a large amount of damage (depending on the mode, 100% or more damage or less than 25 % health) will automatically activate Rage mode.
In this state, Kazuya will radiate a reddish aura and the name of his character icon will start to flash, so that all his hits will do more damage and he will have access to the Rage Drive technique, which is activated by grab, performing the attack Heaven’s Door special or performing a sequence similar to that of the dragon fist (forward, down, diagonally down – forward plus the pressed blow).
The result? The Rage Drive is an assault that concludes in a brutal finish, although once concluded Kazuya will lose the state of Rage. Of course, well executed we will be able to send our objective beyond the limits of the screen. And this isn’t the only Ace up Kazuya’s sleeve.
Kazuya’s special moves
Although the bulk of Kazuya’s attacks and techniques are executed by performing sequences of blows, the integration of the Devil Gene is key to balancing the fighter himself and adapting to all distances, scenarios and situations. In this aspect, thanks to the special movements we can unleash his demonic power in the most literal sense of the expression.
The philosophy of Sakurai and his team when designing this version of the Tekken fighter is that normal attacks replicate with maximum fidelity the style of the original saga, while through aerial strikes, Smashs and specials the player could access a new variety of attacks that take advantage of the Devil Gene.
Devil Blaster
The normal special is a powerful beam that crosses almost the entire screen and all the enemies that cross its course. Of course, the damage inflicted is progressively reduced with each enemy hit.
While this long projectile launched from Kazuya’s chest is relatively high, at least high enough that shorter fighters are not hit, it is possible to direct the trajectory downward or execute it diagonally from the air.
Devil Fist
Kazuya’s side special performs an assault that ends in a powerful punch . It not only benefits from the damage dealt, which too, but from the added bonus that it pierces through the enemy and displaces them slightly in the process.
Its travel is very limited, but we can push ourselves high enough in the air to get back into the game and hang off the edge. In addition to this, if we hit the blow completely and from a short distance we will see how our objective collapses, allowing us to take the next initiative.
Devil Wings
The upward special is, as usual, a mobility resource with many possibilities. In the case of Kazuya, he spreads his wings and makes a huge vertical ascent capable of damaging during the start of it.
A very ingenious way to balance Kazuya’s limited jump in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with an additional advantage: we can also use this special move to plan and take better advantage of our descent.
Heaven’s Door
The down special is one of the fighter’s most powerful and interesting techniques: in essence, it is a frontal grip that culminates in a brutal jump shot , but it has very exceptional qualities – such as stone armor – that give it a very dangerous priority. .
Like all jump shots, Heaven’s Door is a double-edged sword when used near the edges of the stage. On the other hand, it is highly recommended to master this technique, since with the Rage Drive system it becomes one of the key resources to turn the fight around.
Kazuya’s Final Smash: Final Blaster
Inspired by the Rage Art of Tekken 7, Kazuya unleashes a brutal fan of Devil Blasters from all parts of his demonic body, covering practically the entire screen and taking any enemy that has not been protected.
While Final Blaster’s range is spectacular, there is a weakness to be aware of: Kazuya’s Final Smash will only fully deploy if the first bolt manages to hit an enemy, so a timely dodge will quickly end the initiative.
The New Stage: Mishima Dojo
Kazuya has entered Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but Heihachi Mishima’s vain scoundrel has managed to sneak into the biggest crossover in video games through his own setting: the Mishima Dojo. We did not expect anything else from him.
The original scenario is a replica of the one shown in Tekken 7 full of details and tributes to the Bandai Namco game, but it also offers a very unique combat environment: its edges are closed and it does not have many platforms. Something that, in many ways, benefits Kazuya’s fighting style.
This means that in order to beat the rest of the fighters we must destroy the side walls or the ceiling beforehand or turn fully to inflict direct damage. In addition, although it is possible to destroy all the walls, they regenerate automatically after a while.
Of course, for a more competitive experience it is always better to go for the alternate versions of Battlefield and Omega, with the Heihachi setting retaining all the original beauty in a design where chaos is assured.
New content coming along with Kazuya
An interesting detail about Kazuya is that he has two different aspects , so that in addition to the four colors of his fight pants – with embroidered flames – there are four variants of his suit to match the corporate trench coats that he wears in story mode. from the Tekken saga. Some more elegant and others more striking.
In addition to the stage and the fighter, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players who bet on the Applicant Pack 10: Kazuya will receive a new batch of content with which to put the Tekken fighter to the test, starting with a thematic route in the Smash Arcade designed expressly for Kazuya.
In addition, and as in the previous Aspirant’s Pack, the fighter comes with his own additional spirit board, which translates into an extra series of challenges inspired by the characters and the Tekken saga itself, as well as rewards with which complete our collection of spirits.
No less interesting, especially for Tekken fans, is the musical selection that accompanies the batch. Sakurai has included in the Kazuya Aspirant Pack no less than 39 music tracks from the entire Tekken series, including classic installments or pieces from the most recent installments.
Last but not least, Sakurai has shown the Amiibo look for Min Min , the first bonus fighter from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass 2. The bad new? Except for surprise, we will have to wait until 2022 to get the hang of this figure.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Mii Fighters Dress Up For Battle
Special mention is made of the new batch of costumes for Mii fighters that will go on sale in the eShop on the same day as Kazuya Mishima’s launch. Four aspects that, although they do not count as added characters, will delight four much-loved series:
- Shantae, the funny genius of the Shantae saga
- Lloyd Irving, the protagonist of Tales of Symphonia, no less.
- Dante, the relentless demon hunter from Devil May Cry
- The Dragon Blood, the legendary protagonist of Skyrim. Perfect for yelling FUS, RO, DAH when sending the enemy to the moon.
These skins are sold separately and at a price of 0.79 euros per piece . Some of them, in fact, even add musical themes to the game itself, which makes them even more sweet.
Availability and Price of Applicant Pack 10: Kazuya
Kazuya is one of the most unique fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and although it will not be easy to master him, those who know how to take advantage of his combos and demonic power will be at a clear advantage. Luckily, it won’t take long for us to get the hang of it.
The Applicant Pack 10: Kazuya is on sale now and can be downloaded from June 29, 2021 for 5.99 euros. In addition to Kazuya’s own character, the pack includes:
- The new stage the Mishima Dojo
- A route for Kazuya in the Smash arcade
- A musical selection made up of 39 songs from the Tekken saga.
- An additional spirit board
It is worth remembering that the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 includes the Applicant Pack itself 10 along with five other Applicant Packs with Min Min from ARMS, Steve from Minecraft, Sefirot, Pyra and Mythra and another fighter for announce. Seeing what has been seen, the 29.99 euros at which the lot is valued are paid for themselves.
On the other hand, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate only has one fighter left to announce before finally completing its panel of selectable characters. Crash Bandicoot? Waluigi? Rayman? Let’s hope that Sakurai makes good use of that last place that, hopefully, will not be given to a swordsman.
Other Super Smash Bros. Ultimate guides
- All about Sefirot in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- All about Steve and Alex from Minecraft in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- All about Min Min in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Everything about Byleth and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Everything about Terry Bogard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Everything you need to know about Pyra and Mythra in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
