Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Challenger Pack 3: Banjo & Kazooie (DLC) (Nintendo Switch)

I've spent a lot of time watching couch lobbies go quiet the moment someone picks an unexpected character, and few picks have ever caused the kind of collective jaw-drop that Banjo and Kazooie generate in a room full of Switch owners. This was a Microsoft-owned property landing on a Nintendo platform, which felt genuinely impossible for years, and the fact that it actually happened is half the reason this pack carries so much weight. As a fighter, the duo lands somewhere in the middle of the road, and that is not a bad thing. The moveset is a love letter to the N64 originals, pulling Talon Trot as the run animation, Egg Firing and the Breegull Blaster for neutral pressure, Breegull Bash as a chunky forward smash, and the Bill Drill up-smash as a tight anti-air option. Three midair jumps plus Shock Spring Jump give the pair a reliable, versatile recovery that casual players will appreciate immediately. The star of the show is Wonderwing, the armored side-special that blows through almost every move in the roster, but it only has five uses per stock, so you have to actually count those golden feathers in your head during a match. That resource management adds a layer of tension that keeps experienced players honest while still letting newcomers feel like absolute legends the one time they pull it off to close out a stock. Competitively, the picture is messier. The duo sits in C-minus tier on the current community tier list. Their below-average ground speed, inconsistent grab game, and some noticeable lag on key moves mean they tend to struggle against faster, juggle-heavy characters offline. Some players have argued they shine more in online play where lag masks their weaknesses. That said, top player Toriguri has ranked in the top 50 globally on his own with this character, which proves there is a ceiling worth chasing if you commit. For the Saturday night crew mode crowd, none of that matters. The stage included in the pack, Spiral Mountain, has a rotating camera gimmick that cycles through recognizable backdrops, with Gruntilda on her broomstick, Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, and Tooty all making appearances in the background. It plays well, the rotation does not interfere with fights in any disruptive way, and it is genuinely one of the nicer-looking stages in the whole game. The music is the other big win. Grant Kirkhope himself worked on the arrangements, pulling from both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, and there are ten tracks total that hold up perfectly during late-night four-player chaos. Classic Mode is themed around duo characters, which is a nice thematic touch. The spirits content is decent, though a few fans have noted they wished there were more of them given how deep the Banjo-Kazooie roster of supporting characters runs. The pack does not reinvent what a Smash DLC looks like, but it does everything it promises: a fan-requested character with faithful mechanics, a great stage, and a soundtrack that will have anyone who grew up on a Nintendo 64 momentarily losing their mind.

Riley · Scout Team

Sports & racing

Be the first to comment on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Challenger Pack 3: Banjo & Kazooie (DLC) (Nintendo Switch).