Dad Sakurai tells us in depth about another dad, Kazuya Mishima: will Tekken’s anti-hero get away with in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Finally Kazuya Mishima, after the suspicious timing of both the Sonic event and the game update, is the protagonist of an explanation of Masahiro Sakurai per Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Of course, the goodies of this update are certainly not lacking, including moves, music, easter eggs and costumes for the Mii Warriors. Obviously we will not fail to implement (temporarily, in view of the last character who will be among us in the fall) the deepening today in the guide to the cast of the game. This explanation and the one for Pyra and Mythra will be removed at the release of the seventeenth episode.
Kazuya Mishima joins the fight!
Masahiro Sakurai opened his explanation to the mechanics of Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with the return of the same video shown at its reveal, and then explain to us what it consists of Tekken. Implementing the mechanics of a fighting game like the series born in 1994 was not easy, given the mobility in three dimensions as the main focus of Tekken. The Devil Gene, or the demonic power of Kazuya, was inherited from the mother and passed on to the son. The father, Heihachi, he does not have one, and Sakurai has expressly explained that this is why the Mishima leader (and degenerate father) is just a costume for the Mii Fighter. If you don’t want spoilers, find the video below.
Special Moves – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sakurai started with Kazuya’s special moves in his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate presentation. They are the ones that we will also resume in seventeenth episode of our guide when the last character will be released in autumn (or in any case “by the end of the year”).
- Devil Blaster (B): Kazuya transforms into her demonic form (as with any other special move) and hits players in front of her with a piercing beam. In fights with more than two players, the power decreases with each character hit with the same move. It can be directed immediately after pressing the button, either as an anti-aircraft move (↑) or against lower opponents (↓). In the air, it strikes exclusively downwards. The beam is subject to reflectors (Fox, Falco, Palutena, Joker) and absorption (Mr. Game & Watch, Inhabitant, Fuffi).
- Devil Fist (↔+B): Kazuya transforms and slings forward with a punch. If the opponent is far away it rejects it, while if it is close it stuns him. Can’t do anything to shields.
- Devil Wings (↑+B): Kazuya transforms and uses the wings of her demonic form to give herself a generous upward momentum. Contrary to other “classic” fighters like Little Mac, Ryu, Ken and Terry, Kazuya’s second jump is much more suited to recoveries. It is also valid as an upward attack. Like Banjo and Kazooie, Kazuya also manages to make his ↑ + B without falling helpless, thus allowing a lateral recovery with Devil Fist.
- Heaven’s Door (↓+B): Kazuya transforms, lunges forward and makes a grapple followed by a swoop, similar to the Bowser Bomb of… well, Bowser. Just like Bomba Bowser, here too suicidal techniques are penalized: Kazuya will perish first, and the opponent (if with little damage) will be able to recover.
Pure Rage – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Kazuya was introduced by Sakurai in the clip of the latest Nintendo Direct dedicated to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with the words “it looks like Tekken”, and the mechanics Rage is here to prove it. Once 100% damage is reached, or if a fight in energy mode brings the character below 25%, once per life (or “once per encounter”, according to the translation error in the Italian video) Kazuya enters his furious state. The effect translates into a 10% boost to attack power. Performing a grapple or Heaven’s Door results in the deadly attack Rage Drive, one of the most devastating seen so far. The Rage only ends by taking a certain amount of damage or using Rage Drive.
Smash Finale – Sakurai presenta Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The range of action of Final Blaster is subject to the same limitations as Devil Blaster, but if the beam hits Kazuya can perform what Sakurai has proven to be one of the best range super moves in the game. In a reference to his role as the final boss of Tekken 7, Kazuya strikes with a kind of variant of the Final Smash of Samus, Dark Samus and Mii Rifleman. The difference is the fan beam, which allows you to trap other opponents as well. The video showed that it is possible to activate it during a grab (!) And, if used at the edges, eliminate an opponent even at 0% damage (!!!).
General Features – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Beyond the range and slowness of some of the moves, Sakurai made no secret of how much Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hits like a truck. Predictably, this also places him among the characters in the medium-heavy range. Just like Ryu, Ken and Terry, in one-on-one fights (whether starting with more or less players) it will always be facing the opponent automatically. There supercorazza protects him from gusts if he doesn’t have much damage, thus allowing him to counterattack.
Mosse standard – Sakurai presenta Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Kazuya’s standard moves are many and varied, and Sakurai tacitly reminded us that with him we will really want to use the GameCube controller. Every move by Kazuya performed with A, in fact, it can be combined with eight possible directions, and as for Terry, the Tekken representative also implements “back” (<) o “forward“(>). You can find in the video above all the explanations of the case, but it is enough to know that for one 10 hit combo in true Tekken style, just hold down A while standing still, and the last shot breaks the shields.
However, we report some of these moves. With Left Splits Kick (>,>, A) it is possible to reflect some bullets. Oni Front Kick (> + A) throws opponents with a low trajectory, which will automatically force them to recover. Many standard moves can be used by combining inputs to thesquatting (↓), but only after bending down. Demon God Fist requires that you crouch first and then press A as soon as you get up. The result stuns the opponent like Ryu and Ken’s Focus Punch. Let’s now move on to the Smash attacks: they are all performed with the right analog lever, or if you prefer by pressing A and B together or with one click (<< / >> / ^^ / vv) of the left lever together with the A button.
Smash Attacks – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Even with the Smash attacks Kazuya hits really hard, and the first one Sakurai shows us reveals the full power of the character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Glorious Demon God Fist (right analog lever + ↔), at the cost of a pinch of vulnerability, allows you to overcome even the Falcon Fist in its devastating power. Like Marth’s sword, this punch also hits best from (relatively) far away. The scope of Devil Twister (right lever + ↑) is small, but the move is powerful and quick to launch even in the middle of a combo. In the variants of The Ruins, the attack crosses the platforms from below.
Lion Slayer (right lever + ↓) is an atypical low smash attack as it is part of the minority that attacks only from one side. The move is excellent for breaking shields, but to make it the flagship of Kazuya’s moveset is the other side effect of the attack. This shot is also valid as a Meteor Smash, and can also be used against opponents hanging from the edges. As if that weren’t enough, all of the character’s Smash attacks are subject to his own supercorazza, with variable effectiveness. A fighting game character who hits really hard, in short.
Air Strikes – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Jumping Knuckle (A in the air) can be interpreted as a scale version of Lion Slayer, as Sakurai has revealed that Kazuya can also perform a deadly meteor attack in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Football Searing Edge (A +> in the air) should be used mainly on the ground, thanks to the reduced initial jump of the character. Jumping Dude (A +
Catches and Throws – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The real gem with which Kazuya implements Tekken’s gameplay, as Sakurai shows us, are the framing changes that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate allows with holds and throws when used in single-player battles. The upward toss (catch and then ↑), Air Inferno, not unlike Mewtwo’s forward throw hits the opponent with an immediate diagonal projectile. The special grip Gates of Hell requires a particular input: diagonal forward (> + ↓), down (↓), again diagonal forward (> + ↓) and finally a grip. Crouch Dash: forward (>), down (↓) and diagonal forward (> + ↓). Using A at the end of the Crouch Dash generates multiple different moves.
Easter egg and practicality in fighting – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Luigi is no longer the only character on the roster to have a provocation capable of inflicting damage: Kazuya’s lateral provocation (digital cross + ↔) is Demon’s Wrath, a sequence of side kicks that inflicts little damage but which, as Sakurai points out, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a useful diversion. And we will need diversions when playing in more than two: the focus on Kazuya’s combos in fact exposes him to annoying interruptions by other fighters. The advice in this case is to focus less on technique and more on simple but effective moves, as for Terry after all.
New scenario: Mishima Dojo – Sakurai introduces Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
We now know that Kazuya’s scenario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the Mishima Dojo, more related to Heihachi than to his son. Not unlike the King of Fighters Stadium, you first have to hurl your opponent vehemently against the walls to break through them. However, the similarities end there: the dojo can in fact break in some specific points, and then regenerate itself after some time. Heihachi will appear in the background and react to eliminations, but he is the one and only guest of the arena. So don’t expect to see 3D models of the entire Tekken cast during the clashes!
Musica – Sakurai presenta Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Masahiro Sakurai wasted no time in specifying that i tracks legati a Kazuya e al Mishima Dojo in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate…