Hands on with Smash Ultimate Banjo and Kazooie

Super Smash Bros. Smash Ultimate has just added Banjo and Kazooie to the lineup, bringing some classic N64 vibes. After playing with the character for a bit, I can tell they’re full of nostalgia and new gameplay. Not only this, but the map Spiral Mountain has been added, alongside the track Mumbo’s Mountain.

Banjo and Kazooie Skills

Like with many players who enjoy Smash, knowing the character’s abilities are essential to playing them. Banjo and Kazooie feature some interesting classic abilities that we saw within the original N64 game.

B – Egg Firing/Breegull Blaster

Like in the original game, you can shoot eggs directly from Kazooie’s mouth. A new addition to Smash is being able to hold Kazooie like a gun and shoot.

B + Thumbstick <-> – Wonderwing

The golden feathers are back! Banjo is invincible again, and this time smashes through enemies at a fast speed causing damage.

B + Thumbstick ^ – Shock Spring Jump

A magical Shock Spring appears out of nowhere and springs Banjo and Kazooie upward. Like in the original game, it’s green and has a Kazooie foot on it. Can confirm, this can save you when you’ve fallen off the map.

B + Thumbstick v – Rear Egg

Kazooie poops out eggs again! This time giant grenades that cause damage to your enemies.

B Smash – Final Smash ‘The Mighty Jinjonator’ 

The Jinjos are back! Banjo and Kazooie summon a giant Jinjo statue, and if it hits an opponent it breaks open unleashing a giant Jinjo to attack them.

Spiral Mountain and Mumbo’s Mountain

The new Smash map Spiral Mountain is a perfect way of welcoming Banjo and Kazooie to the game. It’s the opening map of the original game, and features Banjo’s house, the garden, and Grunty’s lair. The map rotates throughout the game with the arrows in the middle, to show off the rest of the map that you can’t see. Highlighted below are some special background characters and items that I noticed when playing. It feels like a perfect map and way to express how the classic Banjo and Kazooie game was.

Banjo and Kazooie Color Changes

If you’re like myself and enjoy seeing the alternate colorings for the characters, then you’ll be happy for what they’ve added for Banjo and Kazooie. There are eight full color swaps available to choose from, which make Banjo look like a classic bear, or even Hulk-ish.

Playing with Banjo and Kazooie

Aside from my extreme nostalgia feels, Banjo and Kazooie are a much slower character than I’m used to. I prefer playing Sheik or Peach which have faster movement speeds, whereas Banjo and Kazooie only have fast movement when using Wonderwing. The major benefit for the character is Shock Spring Jump, which can definitely save you from falling off the side if you’re quick enough. And most importantly, the Final Smash. The statue has a large hit range to it, so you’re almost always guaranteed to get at least one enemy with it. Not to mention the animation for it is beautiful.

Banjo and Kazooie is a new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character with the pass, and definitely worth paying for!