Welcome to the seventh article of Smashboards Character Analysis! These articles will not be looking at why a character is or isn’t likely, so please do not expect that going in. Instead, they will focus on how a character might play in Smash and how their series might be represented within the boundaries of the Fighter’s Pass.
Introduction to Ninja Gaiden and Ryu Hayabusa
Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Kid Icarus, Castlevania, and Mega Man are excellent examples of classic franchises featuring scrolling gameplay elements. However, one of the more notable series that often doesn’t get much attention is Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden. The first game was released on arcades and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) at the same time in 1988. It featured tight gameplay, in-game cutscenes, and an innovative fighting system. The series saw additional games including Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos in 1990 and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom the next year. Also in 1991 was the Gameboy port, Ninja Gaiden Shadow. Unfortunately for the series, it would fail to see a new installment until 2004 in the next generation reboot on the Xbox. This would become what fans call the “modern series” with the originals being the “classic series”.
The reboots was a large departure from the series with HD graphics, 3D worlds and gameplay, an emphasis on combos, and very graphic blood and gore. In the rebooted series, the player could use a variety of items and weapons including the trademark Dragon Sword, scythes, daggers, shurikens, tonfas, clawed gauntlets, and even Ninja arts called Ninpo. With these, the player could harness the elements and bend them to their will.
Ryu Hayabusa is the son of renowned ninja, Jō Hayabusa, and a member of the Dragon Blood lineage. He is a skilled ninja but, due to his destiny, he must walk his path alone. In addition to his Ninpo techniques, he possesses superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and durability. In the original timeline, Hayabusa traveled to America to put a stop to Jaquio, the leader of the Cult of Nostradamus. This cult managed to release every criminal from American prisons but also took control of every city as well as the ICBM missiles. In the modern series, Ryu Hayabusa was training with another clan when his village was burnt down and destroyed by demonic fiends. In the slaughter, his childhood friend, Kureha, was also slain. This was the catalyst for Hayabusa to set off to seek revenge for these actions and to put a stop to the fiend’s campaign of destruction.
Ryu Hayabusa Character Overview
Ryu Hayabusa is an extremely fast character who has high mobility, excellent standard attack-based combos, and zoning abilities thanks to his specials. Ryu Hayabusa can get in, deal damage, and then retreat to set up his next strategy while pressuring opponents with his shurikens and Ninpo. His ground speed is far faster than his airspeed so a grounded Ryu is extremely deadly in the right hands. His high mobility partially is thanks to his quick walk to dash transition which would be among the best in the game. He also has a fast rolling animation which further adds to his impressive mobility. One of the most interesting aspects of Hayabusa is his ability to Wall Run. Most characters will automatically stop when running into a wall but this is not the case with Hayabusa. Instead, he will begin to run up the wall before coming to a stop via a Wall Cling. Pressing backward on the control stick or pressing the jump button will cause Hayabusa to push himself away from the wall. Inputting a standard attack initiates his Wall Run attack which will be covered later in the article. As mentioned earlier, Hayabusa can wall cling but he can also wall jump and crawl.
The character isn’t without faults though and one of his most glaring weaknesses is his lackluster defensive capabilities aside from his mobility. He has an extremely weak shield compared to other players and breaks faster than most. Also, thanks in part to his small and light mid-weight frame, he is susceptible to being launched even at mid-range percentages. While, technically speaking, he can out-maneuver most heavy-weights; getting hit by one of their attacks spells certain doom for the Ninja. One hit by a fully charged Donkey Kong’s Giant Punch, even at 30%, could result in a KO so Hayabusa’s placement relative to other characters is key to his survival. Hayabusa’s attack damage isn’t great either. Most of his standard attacks lack killing potential while his Specials have great power; they are ones that can OHKO below 40%. Even his most-damaging special, Art of the Inferno, can’t OHKO middleweights until around 60-70%.
Ryu Hayabusa Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Shuriken/Windmill Shuriken
Hayabusa takes a shuriken and throws it forward. It's a very quick projectile that has low ending lag. Charging the attack causes Hayabusa to throw the Windmill Shuriken which acts much like Simon and Richter’s Side Special Cross where it will fly forward and then come back to Hayabusa who can either catch it by pressing special again or let it continue to pass.
Damage: Shuriken: 2.2%, Windmill Shuriken:10% (initial throw), 15.8% (return back),
Pros:
He pulls out this sacred bow and fire a two-pronged arrow that deals devastating damage. Unlike the other specials, this one doesn’t change to another move when charged since holding down the special button increases the attack and damage. It is capable of penetrating opponents and passing through to damage anyone behind. It’s capable of doing this twice after the initial attack. The attack would be the only one in the roster that deals more damage to particular characters. This increase in damage affects those with an affinity to darkness, is canonically evil, or has a monstrous or fiendish appearance or personality. Characters that are affected include:
<- That axe is evil!
Hayabusa
Damage: 8.5% (normal first hit), 5% (normal second hit), 3.2% (normal third hit),9.2% (special first hit), 6.1% (special second hit), 4% (special third hit)
Pros:
Hayabusa will jump straight into the air. Following this, he launches a barrage of very quick sword strikes while moving back and forth at fast speeds that gradually rises upwards. This type of movement could be likened to a weak version of Greninja’s Final Smash that slowly rises upward. Charging the attack changes it from a simple rise-and-attack to a more Falcon Dive/Dark Dive-esque command grab where Ryu Hayabusa will launch himself up. If he connects with an opponent, he initiates a more damaging version of Flying Swallows.
Damage: Flying Swallow: 1.5% (per hit, capable of 8 hits together), Flock of Flying Swallows: 2% (initial knock-up), 1.8% (per hit, capable of 10 hits)
Pros:
Hayabusa summons a rotating sphere of four fireballs that function similarly to Mega Man’s Down Special, Leaf Shield. This attack is Hayabusa’s most damaging attack. This attack doesn’t only protect Hayabusa but can also damage opponents. Pressing the down special again will fire off one of these balls. Charging the down special input causes Hayabusa to fire off a massive fireball, similar to Samus’s Charge Shot. It causes a large explosion with high damage and knockback output.
Damage: 5.5% (per contact hit), 8% (per throw. Fireball), Art of the Inferno: 20.3% (close), 17.2% (far)
Pros:
Ryu Hayabusa summons a large swirling vortex of fire that rotates around him once. Anyone caught within it gets trapped within a cinematic Final Smash. It will transport the opponent to a desolated area charred with fire set against a setting sun. Hayabusa appears and summons three orbs of fire. These three orbs are then crushed together which explodes; covering Hayabusa in flames. Using this flame, he transforms into a massive dragon made of fire using the legendary art of Ninpo. He flies around those trapped in the attack while dealing tremendous damage to them. The dragon will then release a wave of fire before ascending into the sky. Following this, it explodes with a tremendous force that launches opponents.
Damage: 10% (initial attack start up),14.2% (dragon startup), 20% (dragon contact), 27.5% (explosion) 71.7% (total)
Ryu Hayabusa Smash Attacks and Other Notable Attacks
Wall Run Attack: After running into a wall, Hayabusa can initiate a wall run where he runs upwards along the wall. Inputting the attack button during this causes Hayabusa to use his Dragon Sword and deliver a quick slash backwards while running.
Damage: 5.3%
Standard Attack + Infinite Jab: Hayabusa performs a downward slash. The second input is a horizontal slash and then the infinite jab is a series of diagonal vertical slashes in rapid succession followed by a powerful downward slash as the jab finisher.
Damage: 3% (first), 3.7% (second), 2.1% (infinite jab)
Dash Attack: Ryu performs a flying kick attack that is rather unique. After connecting with the initial first hit, pressing the attack button again shortly after connecting will initiate a secondary follow-up attack. It’s a good attack that keeps Hayabusa airborne and propels him forward.
Damage: 4% (first kick), 6% (second kick)
Side Smash: Hayabusa uses the massive Eclipse Scythe and performs an upward slash forward that has a wide attack range. The attack knocks opponents upwards and is an excellent killing move due to its damage output and range. When fully charged, it creates a vacuum effect before releasing the blade which draws in opponents.
Damage: 18.2% (uncharged), 26.2% (charged)
Up Smash: Hayabusa takes the Lunar Staff and thrusts it upwards with one strike when uncharged. However, he thrusts it upwards up to four times at different angles when fully charged. The fully charged smash also delivers an explosive final strike with the staff wrapped in fire. It’s an excellent anti-air with amazing range.
Damage: 10.1% (uncharged), 6.4%, 9.8% (mid charge two hits), 3.3%, 3.8%, 5.2%, 8.8% (hits 1-4 including explosive final hit)
Down Smash: Hayabusa takes the twin Vigoorian Flails and performs a low spin while slashing on both sides. It’s an excellent attack that deals high damage. In addition, the attack lacks noticeable ending lag allowing players to launch into another attack afterward. Charging the attack to it’s full unleashes a burst of electrical energy which is a reference to his lightning-based Ninpo. The electrical blast hits on all sides.
Damage: 12.2% (front uncharged), 18.9% (front charged), 10.6% (back uncharged), 16.4% (back charged), 8.4% (thunderblast)
Neutral Aerial: Hayabusa performs a downward slash attack with the Dragon Sword. While it has lackluster damage output, it’s a good attack to use in aerial combos.
Forward Aerial: Hayabusa takes out the Kusari-Gama and lashes forward in a slashing attack. It has both long start-up and ending lag but is a great spacing tool with its long reach.
Damage: 6.2%
Down Aerial: Hayabusa does a stall-and-fall while stabbing down with the Dragon Sword. Unlike Link’s down aerial, this one is far faster and lacks the floaty second sword bounce. When it strikes the opponent, it deals damage but it also has a unique property when it directly hits a grounded opponent. When it does connect, it will bury the opponent instead of launching them. This aspect is absent if Hayabusa doesn’t hit the opponent directly and, instead, hits a little off-center.
Damage: 8.2% (grounded), 7% (airborne)
Forward Throw: Grabs the opponent, flips over them, and then uses the momentum to throw them forward. It’s a good throw to create a distance between Hayabusa and the opponent.
Damage: 7%
Back Throw: Hayabusa performs a handstand and grabs the opponent with his feet. He then flips them overhead and slams them down opposite of him. This is a very damaging throw but is easily punishable in matches with more than two players due to the ending lag.
Damage: 9.2%
Up Throw: Hayabusa grabs the opponent, launches himself high in the air, like Kirby’s Up Throw, and then crashes back down while rapidly spinning. This throw is easily the strongest in his moveset and can even damage other opponents as he comes back down. It’s largely based on his signature move, the Izuna Drop.
Damage: 2% (jump), 2.7% (descent), 8% (crashland), 5.5% (collateral descent)
Down Throw: Takes the opponent and trips them with his foot. He then performs a downward punch, stunning them, and then takes out a ninja knife and stabs downward dealing more damage. This is a good set-up option as it has large amounts of hitstun after the final hit with no ending lag for Hayabusa allowing players to come up with the next strategy.
Damage: 1.4% (trip), 3.3% (punch), 6.2% (stab)
Classic Mode: Quest for the Ninja Scroll
Both the opponents and the stages are based on a series that features side-scrolling action in their debut appearance. The stages are all stages that scroll along a path.
Round 1 - Vs.
Dream Land GB
youtu.be
Round 2- Vs.
Spirit Train
youtu.be
Round 3 - Vs.
Rainbow Cruise
youtu.be
Round 4 - Vs.
Big Blue
youtu.be
Round 5 - Vs.
Pac-Land
youtu.be
Round 6 -Vs. &
Mushroomy Kingdom
youtu.be
Final Round Vs.
Rathalos
Inspired partially by the Dark Dragon battle from the modern Ninja Gaiden series.
Fighting Stance
While not pulled directly from Dead or Alive, this is the general feeling for the victory screens.
Alternate Costumes
Conclusion
Ryu Hayabusa has a lot going for him currently, he has often been featured on a lot of “leak lists”, Koei-Tecmo has still yet to be represented, and he’s certainly not a stranger to crossovers. Ninja Gaiden is one of the few series that has had such an impact in the early years of gaming. While this was just a hypothetical moveset, there are tons of attacks, weapons, and ninpo that Ryu Hayabusa could draw from beyond what was listed here. Ryu Hayabusa and Ninja Gaiden would be a perfect addition to Smash with all of its lore and content that comes from the series.
Credits
Editing: @Zerp
Graphics: @Zerp,
Venus of the Desert Bloom
Social Media: @Zerp
Special Mentions:
NonSpecificGuy
(for help as I never played the game), Ninja Gaiden Wiki
Author’s Note: Do you support Ryu Hayabusa and Ninja Gaiden getting that coveted Smash invitation? What did you think of the moveset? Are there others moves you think fit the character better? Let us know below and make sure to check back for Part 2!
”Ryu Hayabusa Infiltrates Smash” Ryu Hayabusa Character Analysis
Introduction to Ninja Gaiden and Ryu Hayabusa
Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Kid Icarus, Castlevania, and Mega Man are excellent examples of classic franchises featuring scrolling gameplay elements. However, one of the more notable series that often doesn’t get much attention is Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden. The first game was released on arcades and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) at the same time in 1988. It featured tight gameplay, in-game cutscenes, and an innovative fighting system. The series saw additional games including Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos in 1990 and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom the next year. Also in 1991 was the Gameboy port, Ninja Gaiden Shadow. Unfortunately for the series, it would fail to see a new installment until 2004 in the next generation reboot on the Xbox. This would become what fans call the “modern series” with the originals being the “classic series”.
The reboots was a large departure from the series with HD graphics, 3D worlds and gameplay, an emphasis on combos, and very graphic blood and gore. In the rebooted series, the player could use a variety of items and weapons including the trademark Dragon Sword, scythes, daggers, shurikens, tonfas, clawed gauntlets, and even Ninja arts called Ninpo. With these, the player could harness the elements and bend them to their will.
Ryu Hayabusa is the son of renowned ninja, Jō Hayabusa, and a member of the Dragon Blood lineage. He is a skilled ninja but, due to his destiny, he must walk his path alone. In addition to his Ninpo techniques, he possesses superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and durability. In the original timeline, Hayabusa traveled to America to put a stop to Jaquio, the leader of the Cult of Nostradamus. This cult managed to release every criminal from American prisons but also took control of every city as well as the ICBM missiles. In the modern series, Ryu Hayabusa was training with another clan when his village was burnt down and destroyed by demonic fiends. In the slaughter, his childhood friend, Kureha, was also slain. This was the catalyst for Hayabusa to set off to seek revenge for these actions and to put a stop to the fiend’s campaign of destruction.
Ryu Hayabusa Character Overview
Ryu Hayabusa is an extremely fast character who has high mobility, excellent standard attack-based combos, and zoning abilities thanks to his specials. Ryu Hayabusa can get in, deal damage, and then retreat to set up his next strategy while pressuring opponents with his shurikens and Ninpo. His ground speed is far faster than his airspeed so a grounded Ryu is extremely deadly in the right hands. His high mobility partially is thanks to his quick walk to dash transition which would be among the best in the game. He also has a fast rolling animation which further adds to his impressive mobility. One of the most interesting aspects of Hayabusa is his ability to Wall Run. Most characters will automatically stop when running into a wall but this is not the case with Hayabusa. Instead, he will begin to run up the wall before coming to a stop via a Wall Cling. Pressing backward on the control stick or pressing the jump button will cause Hayabusa to push himself away from the wall. Inputting a standard attack initiates his Wall Run attack which will be covered later in the article. As mentioned earlier, Hayabusa can wall cling but he can also wall jump and crawl.
The character isn’t without faults though and one of his most glaring weaknesses is his lackluster defensive capabilities aside from his mobility. He has an extremely weak shield compared to other players and breaks faster than most. Also, thanks in part to his small and light mid-weight frame, he is susceptible to being launched even at mid-range percentages. While, technically speaking, he can out-maneuver most heavy-weights; getting hit by one of their attacks spells certain doom for the Ninja. One hit by a fully charged Donkey Kong’s Giant Punch, even at 30%, could result in a KO so Hayabusa’s placement relative to other characters is key to his survival. Hayabusa’s attack damage isn’t great either. Most of his standard attacks lack killing potential while his Specials have great power; they are ones that can OHKO below 40%. Even his most-damaging special, Art of the Inferno, can’t OHKO middleweights until around 60-70%.
Ryu Hayabusa Specials and Final Smash
Neutral Special: Shuriken/Windmill Shuriken
Hayabusa takes a shuriken and throws it forward. It's a very quick projectile that has low ending lag. Charging the attack causes Hayabusa to throw the Windmill Shuriken which acts much like Simon and Richter’s Side Special Cross where it will fly forward and then come back to Hayabusa who can either catch it by pressing special again or let it continue to pass.
Damage: Shuriken: 2.2%, Windmill Shuriken:10% (initial throw), 15.8% (return back),
Pros:
- The shuriken comes out very quickly with no animation start-up lag.
- Unlike other weak projectiles, this does hitstun as well as damage.
- The regular shuriken can be spammed with repeated projectiles one after another.
- The regular shuriken is extremely fast and hard to spot after being thrown.
- Windmill Shuriken can strike behind Hayabusa if he fails to catch it. This is good for mind games and to trick one’s opponent.
- It does more damage on the return trip.
- Catching the Windmill Shuriken causes it to have reduced start-up lag if used quickly again.
- Both shurikens have a straight forward trajectory.
- The regular shuriken has a set distance it travels before vanishing.
- The shuriken barely does any damage and, even when it does, it’s rather weak. The shuriken isn’t a reliable killing move in the slightest.
- Windmill Shuriken does low damage initially and, for both the start-up and the return trip, it’s not a reliable killing move.
- If the player fails to catch it, the Windmill Shuriken must vanish before either versions can be used again. This is done by it reaching a certain distance or coming into contact with another force.
- Both projectiles are easily predictable in their initial start-up.
He pulls out this sacred bow and fire a two-pronged arrow that deals devastating damage. Unlike the other specials, this one doesn’t change to another move when charged since holding down the special button increases the attack and damage. It is capable of penetrating opponents and passing through to damage anyone behind. It’s capable of doing this twice after the initial attack. The attack would be the only one in the roster that deals more damage to particular characters. This increase in damage affects those with an affinity to darkness, is canonically evil, or has a monstrous or fiendish appearance or personality. Characters that are affected include:
<- That axe is evil!Hayabusa
Damage: 8.5% (normal first hit), 5% (normal second hit), 3.2% (normal third hit),9.2% (special first hit), 6.1% (special second hit), 4% (special third hit)
Pros:
- The attack is good at penetrating and breaking shields.
- It can penetrate and damage the first opponent. Any opponents behind the initial target can also be damaged but with reduced damage output.
- Bringing the Bow out and arming it has very little start-up lag allowing players to quickly pull it out to fire it.
- Charging the attack increases the length the arrow flies.
- If Hayabusa is damaged before firing the arrow, he experiences a lot of hitstun.
- Charging the attack doesn’t increase the damage dealt.
- It can penetrate shields but doesn’t damage the opponent.
- Characters from the above list with a reflect ability can reflect the arrow back and will also add the damage multiplier to further increase the damage output.
Hayabusa will jump straight into the air. Following this, he launches a barrage of very quick sword strikes while moving back and forth at fast speeds that gradually rises upwards. This type of movement could be likened to a weak version of Greninja’s Final Smash that slowly rises upward. Charging the attack changes it from a simple rise-and-attack to a more Falcon Dive/Dark Dive-esque command grab where Ryu Hayabusa will launch himself up. If he connects with an opponent, he initiates a more damaging version of Flying Swallows.
Damage: Flying Swallow: 1.5% (per hit, capable of 8 hits together), Flock of Flying Swallows: 2% (initial knock-up), 1.8% (per hit, capable of 10 hits)
Pros:
- Both versions deal large amounts of damage as a command grab which allows for great combos.
- Both are great anti-airs.
- Both have a wide radius of attack which allows opponents to be caught within it even if they aren’t right next to Hayabusa
- Flock of Flying Swallows is great at ensuring Hayabusa recovers thanks to it’s priority as a command grab.
- Both have limited vertical recovery and almost zero horizontal recovery.
- While the move deals lots of hits, it lacks any real killing power. Therefore, it doesn’t make a good finisher for a combo.
- After the command grab Flock of Flying Sparrows, Hayabusa enters into a freefall state and can’t act out of it unlike the aforementioned Falcon Dive/Dark Dive.
- Despite its flashy animation, it can easily be beat out by other attacks.
Hayabusa summons a rotating sphere of four fireballs that function similarly to Mega Man’s Down Special, Leaf Shield. This attack is Hayabusa’s most damaging attack. This attack doesn’t only protect Hayabusa but can also damage opponents. Pressing the down special again will fire off one of these balls. Charging the down special input causes Hayabusa to fire off a massive fireball, similar to Samus’s Charge Shot. It causes a large explosion with high damage and knockback output.
Damage: 5.5% (per contact hit), 8% (per throw. Fireball), Art of the Inferno: 20.3% (close), 17.2% (far)
Pros:
- The fireball sphere can protect Hayabusa from incoming projectiles.
- The attack will spin faster if the single last ball of fire is present rather than all four of them.
- Opponents got by the rotating fireballs will not only deal damage but also push opponents back.
- Art of the Inferno deals incredible damage with high knockback and is an excellent killing move with the ability to OHKO most light to medium characters as well some heavies as low as 60%.
- The fireballs will vanish if hit by an attack or if they make contact with an opponent.
- The fireballs will vanish if hit by an attack or if they make contact with an opponent.
- If Hayabusa fires all his fireballs in quick succession and then inputs the attack again, only two fireballs will spawn instead of four. This also applies to Hayabusa losing all his fireballs due to an opponent’s attack.
- Using Art of the Inferno while having Art of Fire Wheels present causes all the fireballs to be consumed to fuel the attack; even if only one is present.
Ryu Hayabusa summons a large swirling vortex of fire that rotates around him once. Anyone caught within it gets trapped within a cinematic Final Smash. It will transport the opponent to a desolated area charred with fire set against a setting sun. Hayabusa appears and summons three orbs of fire. These three orbs are then crushed together which explodes; covering Hayabusa in flames. Using this flame, he transforms into a massive dragon made of fire using the legendary art of Ninpo. He flies around those trapped in the attack while dealing tremendous damage to them. The dragon will then release a wave of fire before ascending into the sky. Following this, it explodes with a tremendous force that launches opponents.
Damage: 10% (initial attack start up),14.2% (dragon startup), 20% (dragon contact), 27.5% (explosion) 71.7% (total)
Ryu Hayabusa Smash Attacks and Other Notable Attacks
Wall Run Attack: After running into a wall, Hayabusa can initiate a wall run where he runs upwards along the wall. Inputting the attack button during this causes Hayabusa to use his Dragon Sword and deliver a quick slash backwards while running.
Damage: 5.3%
Standard Attack + Infinite Jab: Hayabusa performs a downward slash. The second input is a horizontal slash and then the infinite jab is a series of diagonal vertical slashes in rapid succession followed by a powerful downward slash as the jab finisher.
Damage: 3% (first), 3.7% (second), 2.1% (infinite jab)
Dash Attack: Ryu performs a flying kick attack that is rather unique. After connecting with the initial first hit, pressing the attack button again shortly after connecting will initiate a secondary follow-up attack. It’s a good attack that keeps Hayabusa airborne and propels him forward.
Damage: 4% (first kick), 6% (second kick)
Side Smash: Hayabusa uses the massive Eclipse Scythe and performs an upward slash forward that has a wide attack range. The attack knocks opponents upwards and is an excellent killing move due to its damage output and range. When fully charged, it creates a vacuum effect before releasing the blade which draws in opponents.
Damage: 18.2% (uncharged), 26.2% (charged)
Up Smash: Hayabusa takes the Lunar Staff and thrusts it upwards with one strike when uncharged. However, he thrusts it upwards up to four times at different angles when fully charged. The fully charged smash also delivers an explosive final strike with the staff wrapped in fire. It’s an excellent anti-air with amazing range.
Damage: 10.1% (uncharged), 6.4%, 9.8% (mid charge two hits), 3.3%, 3.8%, 5.2%, 8.8% (hits 1-4 including explosive final hit)
Down Smash: Hayabusa takes the twin Vigoorian Flails and performs a low spin while slashing on both sides. It’s an excellent attack that deals high damage. In addition, the attack lacks noticeable ending lag allowing players to launch into another attack afterward. Charging the attack to it’s full unleashes a burst of electrical energy which is a reference to his lightning-based Ninpo. The electrical blast hits on all sides.
Damage: 12.2% (front uncharged), 18.9% (front charged), 10.6% (back uncharged), 16.4% (back charged), 8.4% (thunderblast)
Neutral Aerial: Hayabusa performs a downward slash attack with the Dragon Sword. While it has lackluster damage output, it’s a good attack to use in aerial combos.
Forward Aerial: Hayabusa takes out the Kusari-Gama and lashes forward in a slashing attack. It has both long start-up and ending lag but is a great spacing tool with its long reach.
Damage: 6.2%
Down Aerial: Hayabusa does a stall-and-fall while stabbing down with the Dragon Sword. Unlike Link’s down aerial, this one is far faster and lacks the floaty second sword bounce. When it strikes the opponent, it deals damage but it also has a unique property when it directly hits a grounded opponent. When it does connect, it will bury the opponent instead of launching them. This aspect is absent if Hayabusa doesn’t hit the opponent directly and, instead, hits a little off-center.
Damage: 8.2% (grounded), 7% (airborne)
Forward Throw: Grabs the opponent, flips over them, and then uses the momentum to throw them forward. It’s a good throw to create a distance between Hayabusa and the opponent.
Damage: 7%
Back Throw: Hayabusa performs a handstand and grabs the opponent with his feet. He then flips them overhead and slams them down opposite of him. This is a very damaging throw but is easily punishable in matches with more than two players due to the ending lag.
Damage: 9.2%
Up Throw: Hayabusa grabs the opponent, launches himself high in the air, like Kirby’s Up Throw, and then crashes back down while rapidly spinning. This throw is easily the strongest in his moveset and can even damage other opponents as he comes back down. It’s largely based on his signature move, the Izuna Drop.
Damage: 2% (jump), 2.7% (descent), 8% (crashland), 5.5% (collateral descent)
Down Throw: Takes the opponent and trips them with his foot. He then performs a downward punch, stunning them, and then takes out a ninja knife and stabs downward dealing more damage. This is a good set-up option as it has large amounts of hitstun after the final hit with no ending lag for Hayabusa allowing players to come up with the next strategy.
Damage: 1.4% (trip), 3.3% (punch), 6.2% (stab)
Classic Mode: Quest for the Ninja Scroll
Both the opponents and the stages are based on a series that features side-scrolling action in their debut appearance. The stages are all stages that scroll along a path.
Round 1 - Vs.
Dream Land GB
Kirby's Dream Land - Full Game Walkthrough
Enjoy my Gameplay of Kirby's Dream Land - Full Game Walkthrough►Timecodes00:13 Stage 1 - Green Greens02:50 Stage 2 - Castle Lololo05:51 Stage 3 - Float Islan...
youtu.be
Round 2- Vs.
Spirit Train
Kid Icarus (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
A playthrough of Nintendo's 1987 NES game, Kid Icarus. Here's a fantastic Nintendo classic that doesn't get anywhere near its due - my guess would be that it...
youtu.be
Round 3 - Vs.
Rainbow Cruise
Metroid (NES) - Full Game
I recently watched Aliens 1-4 again (though 4 is utter crap and 3 is mediocre) and I suddenly had the urge to play Metroid. Then I thought why not play them ...
youtu.be
Round 4 - Vs.
Big Blue
Castlevania (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
A playthrough of Konami's 1987 NES game, Castlevania.For the full review, screenshot gallery, and soundtrack, check out my write-up at http://www.nintendocom...
youtu.be
Round 5 - Vs.
Pac-Land
Mega Man (NES) Playthrough- NintendoComplete
A playthrough of Capcom's 1987 platformer for the NES, Mega Man. If you'd like to read my full write-up on the game, please check out http://www.nintendocomp...
youtu.be
Round 6 -Vs.
& Mushroomy Kingdom
Super Mario Bros. (1985) Full Walkthrough NES Gameplay [Nostalgia]
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Pii0519 PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Pii89YT Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ Sūpā Mario Burazāzu?) is a 1985 pl...
youtu.be
Final Round Vs.
Rathalos
Inspired partially by the Dark Dragon battle from the modern Ninja Gaiden series.
Fighting Stance
- Based on his sprite from the original Ninja Gaiden, Hayabusa keeps his left arm in front of him in a Ninpo formation while holding the hilt of the Dragon Blade while sheathed.
- Slightly similar to Link’s stage entrance from before where he rides in on a whirlwind. This is based on several aspects of his character in the original games.
- Up Taunt: Hayabusa momentarily vanishes using his Ninpo while a swirl of leaves and cherry blossoms swirl around. He then reappears. This taunt is unique as this makes him intangible and unable to be damaged for a very brief second.
- Side Taunt: Steps backward slightly while shaking his fist in front of his face. He then swipes his fist downwards.
- Down Taunt: Hayabusa prostrates himself to the ground and bows deeply. He then gets back up.
- Holds his fingers forward in a Ninpo pose.
- Stands up straight and raises his fist forward.
- Hayabusa runs towards the screen, jumps, and then performs a pose by holding out his fists in ninja-like fashion.
- The camera zooms up as Hayabusa does a Ninpo-pose by holding his fingers. He then vanishes in a flurry of flower petals.
- Hayabusa performs a few backflips before landing and holding his hand in front of his face in dramatic fashion.
Alternate Costumes
- Black (Default)
- White (Based on Ninja of the Future)
- Red (Based on the Dragon Muscle Suit)
- Purple (Based on the Fiend cosmetics as well as armor)
- Blue - Based on Ryu’s appearance in the original Ninja Gaiden series.
- Grey - Based on the Ninja enemy from the original Ninja Gaiden.
- Yellow - Based on the Sword Man from the original Ninja Gaiden.
- Green - Based on the Sword Ninja from the original Ninja Gaiden.
Conclusion
Ryu Hayabusa has a lot going for him currently, he has often been featured on a lot of “leak lists”, Koei-Tecmo has still yet to be represented, and he’s certainly not a stranger to crossovers. Ninja Gaiden is one of the few series that has had such an impact in the early years of gaming. While this was just a hypothetical moveset, there are tons of attacks, weapons, and ninpo that Ryu Hayabusa could draw from beyond what was listed here. Ryu Hayabusa and Ninja Gaiden would be a perfect addition to Smash with all of its lore and content that comes from the series.
Credits
Editing: @Zerp
Graphics: @Zerp,
Venus of the Desert Bloom
Social Media: @Zerp
Special Mentions:
NonSpecificGuy
(for help as I never played the game), Ninja Gaiden WikiAuthor’s Note: Do you support Ryu Hayabusa and Ninja Gaiden getting that coveted Smash invitation? What did you think of the moveset? Are there others moves you think fit the character better? Let us know below and make sure to check back for Part 2!
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