Banjo & Kazooie (Smash Plus)

Banjo & Kazooie are playable characters in Super Smash Brothers Plus for the Nintendo Switch Plus. Representing the Banjo-Kazooie universe, they are listed as Fighter #88 in Smash's modified numbering system, and are classified as a Heavyweight fighter. They are hidden at the start of the game, but can be unlocked through random encounters in Versus Mode or by defeating Gruntilda in Boss Rush mode.
Like Duck Hunt, Banjo & Kazooie form a tandem character. Banjo does most of the heavy lifting, while Kazooie augments with special attacks and disjointed followups. Banjo & Kazooie function as a all-rounder character, lacking in any fatal flaws but not having too many standout qualities either. Their biggest overall flaw is likely in their offense, as they lack strong KO ability (outside of the limited use Wonderwing move) and their combo game is subpar. However, Banjo & Kazooie are built to last, as they have great recovery potential both vertically and horizontally, making use of two midair jumps, the Shock Spring Jump Pad, and potentially the afore mentioned Wonderwing. This, combined with their great dash speed (which counters the slow initial dash speed and walking speed), give them a degree of mobility most heavyweights can't match. It also makes Banjo much more apt to a defensive playstyle, where players can wait for the right opportunity to nail one of the Bird and Bear's more powerful attacks to pick up the win. Banjo & Kazooie have three normal jumps and no additional movement options.
==Moveset==
===Basic Attacks===
*Neutral Jab- Banjo performs a three hit jab combo with two claw swipes followed by an uppercut. Rapidly pressing the button will lead into a rapid jab with Kazooie repeatedly pecking the enemy, finishing with a headbutt.
*Side Tilt- Banjo pulls Kazooie from his pack and stabs her forward, beak first, with a quick launching attack.
*Up Tilt- Kazooie props Banjo up into the air as he kicks straight up.
*Down Tilt- Banjo leans forward while ducking, allowing Kazooie to perform a low to the ground stab with her beak.
*Dash Attack- Banjo performs a forward roll attack that has decent power and good frame data.
*Grab & Pummel- Banjo reaches out with a short range grab, while Kazooie performs a peck attack for a pummel.
*Forward Throw- Kazooie pops partially out of Banjo's pack and kicks away the opponent with a double kick.
*Back Throw- Banjo spins around and then hurls the opponent behind him.
*Up Throw- Banjo tosses the opponent up into the air as Kazooie pecks them away.
*Down Throw- Banjo buries the opponent by powerbombing them onto the stage.
*Neutral Air- Banjo ducks down and Kazooie extends her wings, spinning them around in a circle around Banjo, hitting opponents multiple times before launching with the final hit.
*Forward Air- Banjos swings his fist down with a delayed overhand punch, spiking foes if it connects right at the start of the move.
*Back Air- Kazooie pokes her head out of the back and stabs with her beak three times behind Banjo.
*Up Air- Kazooie flaps her wings above the pair in a scissoring motion, creating a two hit attack with the second hit having launch power.
*Down Air- Banjo flips around in midair while Kazooie sticks her beak out of the pack, aiming straight down. The duo them fall straight down to the ground. Can meteor at the start of the move, and is virtually guaranteed to self-destruct if used over the blast zone.
===Smash Attacks===
*Side Smash- Banjo pulls Kazooie out of his pack and slams her hard against the ground in front of himself. It is a powerful move, with a large hitbox and impressive KO ability, but it is slow to come out and has a decent amount of endlag.
*Up Smash- Banjo ducks down while Kazooie extends her beak from the pack and drills upward, spinning around rapidly and hitting opponents multiple times before launching on the final hit. Has the worst endlag of all of Banjo's smash attacks.
*Down Smash- Banjo jumps up in the air and Kazooie extends her wings, slamming down on the ground with an extended hitbox that covers both sides of Banjo. The duo's quickest Smash Attack overall.
===Special Moves===
*Neutral Special: Egg Firing/Breegull Blaster- Pressing the special button will cause Kazooie to fire a single egg forward. This egg is affected by gravity and will bounce across the stage doing moderate damage. Holding the special button causes Banjo to pull out Kazooie and begin firing her like a cannon, constantly shooting eggs. Players can maintain this stance indefinitely (until they are hit or until Banjo shields), but are unable to use any other attacks or their double jump abilities. The eggs fired while in Breegull Blaster mode fire in a straight line, doing only minimal damage that decreases over time, with the damage effect reset once the Bregull Blaster is ended.
*Side Special: Wonderwing- Kazooie sticks her wings in front of Banjo, empowered by a golden feather, while Banjo charges forward a large distance. While Wonderwing is active, Banjo & Kazooie are virtually invulnerable from the front, and in the initial dash will deal a massive amount of damage and knockback, with the power of the move drastically decreasing (especially in terms of knockback) at lower percentages. Wonderwing can only be used 5 times per stock (indicated by the limited number of golden feathers that appear above Banjo's head when the move is activated). Attempting to use the move without a feather will leave Banjo vulnerable. The bird and bear are also vulnerable from behind while using the move.
*Up Special: Shock Spring Jump- Banjo summons a green Shock Spring Jump Pad into existence, while Kazooie braces herself on it with Banjo on her back. Once the special button is released, the two jump high into the air while the pad (if used in midair) plummets to the ground as a projectile. Holding the special button will cause the jump to be higher, and summoning the jump pad stalls the pair in the air, giving them maximum time for timing their recovery. The move also doesn't send Banjo into freefall, allowing the duo even greater recovery flexibility.
*Down Special: Grenade Egg- Banjo crouches down and Kazooie shoots a Grenade Egg behind them. The egg bounces on the stage with a timer of roughly 2 seconds before it explodes. It also explodes if it hits an enemy or item. The egg can be picked up by anyone and used as an item itself. Only one Grenade Egg can be on stage at a time, and the explosion of the egg can hurt Banjo & Kazooie.
*Final Smash: The Mighty Jinjonator- Banjo & Kazooie summon the stone Jinjo statue in front of them, hitting multiple opponents. However, only the first enemy hit by the statue is sent to a cinematic scene in which Banjo summons the Mighty Jinjonator, which then flies into the prone opponent, hitting them several times before delivering a final tackle to knock them away as the cinematic ends.
===Miscellaneous===
*Entry Animation- Banjo hops out of a Jiggy silhouette, Kazooie stretching her wings, as the bear gives a bow and prepares to fight.
*Idle Animation 1- Kazooie pops her head out of Banjo's backpack and looks around, while Banjo idly watches her.
*Idle Animation 2- Kazooie pops out of Banjo's backpack and playfully pecks him a couple of times in the back of the head, snickering.
*Side Taunt- Kazooie pops out of the backpack and the two look at each other, with Kazooie flapping her wings and Banjo giving a Thumbs Up and a "Guh-Huh!"
*Up Taunt- Banjo stretches his arms while Kazooie pops her head up and yawns.
*Down Taunt- Banjo bows twice in front of the camera, saying his signature "Guh-Huh!"
*Victory Animation 1- Banjo throws a Jiggy in the air, catches it, jumps up and then poses, giving a thumbs up and a hearty "Guh-Huh!"
*Victory Animation 2- Banjo marches in place briefly before bowing twice with a "Guh-Huh" each time, while Kazooie pops out of the backpack with a pose.
*Victory Animation 3- Banjo performs a dance while both he and Kazooie play their respective instruments in time with their victory theme.
==How to Unlock==
Banjo & Kazooie can be unlocked any of the following ways:
*Playing Versus Matches until they randomly show up as a "Challenger Approaching" fight. Defeat them to unlock them.
*Defeating Gruntilda in the Game's Boss Rush Mode.
*Unlock them in the finale of world of light by defeating them.
*Pay 1,000 gold in a shop, where they can randomly appear (though rarely.)
Category:Super Smash Bros. Characters
Category:Super Smash Bros. (series)
Category:Smash Plus Characters