"Justice Always Triumphs." - Ryu Hayabusa for Smash Switch! (Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive)

[Wonder Smash]

My only question regarding Hayabusa at this point is this: regarding his stage, would it be more retro inspired or be more based on the newer trilogy?

Probably the newer trilogy. Most likely Sky City Tokyo, which seems to be his own personal stage since it was also in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate and Warriors Orochi 3.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

That's really awesome... I'm wondering if this is the sole example of Ninja Gaiden and Nintendo content being in the same game?

Well besides Dead or Alive Dimensions, there was this one other (even wilder) time:

 

[iMACobra]

Well besides Dead or Alive Dimensions, there was this one other (even wilder) time:View attachment 294212

What's this from?

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

What's this from?

Abobo’s Big Adventure.

It’s a fan-made parody game, of course, but it’s actually pretty well done for what it is, and it’s cool how the designers threw in pretty much every NES icon into it.

That screenshot with Ryu, Link, Nana, etc. is from the last cutscene of the game btw.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Well besides Dead or Alive Dimensions, there was this one other (even wilder) time:View attachment 294212

Ha! That picture reminds me of those old Nintendo cartoons.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

Ha! That picture reminds me of those old Nintendo cartoons.

Yeah, well it’s no wonder given that Link and Eggplant Wizard’s designs are obviously ripped from both that questionable The Legend of Zelda cartoon and Captain N, respectively lol.

Ryu on the other hand gives me more of a Shredder (TMNT 1987) vibe.

 

[RETROROTER]

I’m still not sure in what form Ninja Gaiden is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I of course want him to be a fighter but that Mii Costume source is really wrinkling my brain at the moment, so honestly I don’t know how to feel right now, of course once again the leaker’s track record is only the Travis Mii Costume but hey that is something still. Brew says he still thinks he’s a fighter, god this is really hard to predict

 

[Wonder Smash]

Yeah, well it’s no wonder given that Link and Eggplant Wizard’s designs are obviously ripped from both that questionable The Legend of Zelda cartoon and Captain N, respectively lol.

Ryu on the other hand gives me more of a Shredder (TMNT 1987) vibe.

Yeah and that's pretty fitting too.

I'm almost certain Ryu would look like that if he was in Captain N.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I know a lot of you are going to question me and debate me about this, but I don't think Hayabusa is next. I believe Steve and FP8 were originally the planned E3 reveals before COVID ****** everything up. Plus I don't think Hayabusa is E3 material as iconic as he is. But nether is Palutena when you think about it.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

Yeah and that's pretty fitting too.

I'm almost certain Ryu would look like that if he was in Captain N.

Nah, his design would probably be way less spot on, given that it’s Captain N we’re talking about.

Speaking of which, it was never revealed but I still kinda like to think this ninja from a short scene in the show was supposed to be Ryu.

 

[RETROROTER]

I know a lot of you are going to question me and debate me about this, but I don't think Hayabusa is next. I believe Steve and FP8 were originally the planned E3 reveals before COVID ****** everything up. Plus I don't think Hayabusa is E3 material as iconic as he is. But nether is Palutena when you think about it.

I won’t debate you on that, I actually don’t think he’s next, I want him to be next but I don’t think he’s next

 

[Wonder Smash]

Nah, his design would probably be way less spot on, given that it’s Captain N we’re talking about.

Speaking of which, it was never revealed but I still kinda like to think this ninja from a short scene in the show was supposed to be Ryu.View attachment 294237

It's possible but then again, King Hippo wasn't really that different aside from his skin color. But Hayabusa had a very simple design, so I can't picture him being too different, except for maybe his personality.

Which episode was that, by the way?

 

[Oddball]

I can imagine Ryu looking like that if he was in Captain N.

He still looks perfectly like Ryu... which is more than I can say for his anime appearance

.

 

[Wonder Smash]

He still looks perfectly like Ryu... which is more than I can say for his anime appearanceView attachment 294256.

Oh...yeah, He definitely looks different there. lol

So many video game characters had strange adaptations back then.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

It's possible but then again, King Hippo wasn't really that different aside from his skin color. But Hayabusa had a very simple design, so I can't picture him being too different, except for maybe his personality.

Which episode was that, by the way?

Ehh maybe. I guess you could theorize that King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard are the only ones in the show that eat a sneakers bar every once in awhile, if you catch my drift lol.

I’d definitely be all in if Ryu looked like that in Captain N (had he been a recurring character), or maybe even on a hypothetical 80’s style Saturday morning Ninja Gaiden cartoon show.

The scene is from an episode where Simon Belmont loses his memory and eventually thinks he’s Donkey Kong Jr. (pretty much the kind of farfetched stuff you’d expect from an average Captain N episode), and it’s called “Simon the Ape Man”.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Ehh maybe. I guess you could theorize that King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard are the only ones in the show that eat a sneakers bar every once in awhile, if you catch my drift lol.

I’d definitely be all in if Ryu looked like that in Captain N (had he been a recurring character), or maybe even on a hypothetical 80’s style Saturday morning Ninja Gaiden cartoon show.

The scene is from an episode where Simon Belmont loses his memory and eventually thinks he’s Donkey Kong Jr. (pretty much the kind of farfetched stuff you’d expect from an average Captain N episode), and it’s called “Simon the Ape Man”.

Well, I too think that that may have supposed to have been Ryu. With how popular the Ninja Gaiden series was at the time, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

EDIT: Just checked the air date of that episode and yeah, I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be the Ninja Gaiden world. Some people have said that it was possibly Wrath of the Black Manta but the episode aired just a little while before that game was even released in Japan, so I'm pretty sure they couldn't have known about that game at the time. So yeah, that had to be Hayabusa.

 

[kaithehedgefox]

If Ryu Hayabusa makes it in! I would love to see Yuri (Fatal Frame) get a mii costume since they are both owned by Tecmo. Also, Ryu Hayabusa and Bill Rizer (Contra) being playable in Super Mario Bros. Crossover made me want to support them.

 

[DarthEnderX]

It’s a fan-made parody game, of course, but it’s actually pretty well done for what it is

Except for that Zelda level. Man that sucked.

 

[RETROROTER]

I hope Ryu Hayabusa gets in as a fighter, we already have Yuri Kozukata as the only Koei Tecmo rep in terms of being in battles and I think he is the last major NES icon next to Bill Rizer, seriously needs to happen!

 

[MattX20]

Ryu's the only viable option for a Koei Tecmo rep since the Warriors games are another matter altogether

 

[TDDolphin]

Ryu's the only viable option for a Koei Tecmo rep since the Warriors games are another matter altogether

I agree. Though I wouldn't mind Kasumi since I have more of an attachment to the Dead or Alive series since I played DOA3 for the first time back in 2002, and she's my favorite DOA character. But, well you know...

 

[MattX20]

I agree. Though I wouldn't mind Kasumi since I have more of an attachment to the Dead or Alive series since I played DOA3 for the first time back in 2002, and she's my favorite DOA character. But, well you know...

Kasumi can show up in the game in some capacity since her regular blue outfit doesn't show as much skin as Mai's.

 

[kaithehedgefox]

Kasumi can show up in the game in some capacity since her regular blue outfit doesn't show as much skin as Mai's.

Do Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive take place in the same universe?

 

[MattX20]

Do Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive take place in the same universe?

They do, same is true for Nioh

 

[RETROROTER]

Do Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive take place in the same universe?

Ninja Gaiden is a shared universe between Dead or Alive, FATAL FRAME, and Nioh and out of this shared universe only one is currently in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, that being FATAL FRAME so I’d really like to see more of this universe in the game!

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

Hey wait a minute... if Samus and Ridley are in Dead or Alive, and if Samus is spotted napping at the Mushroom Kingdom in Legend of the Seven Stars, then that means...

 

[kaithehedgefox]

Ninja Gaiden is a shared universe between Dead or Alive, FATAL FRAME, and Nioh and out of this shared universe only one is currently in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, that being FATAL FRAME so I’d really like to see more of this universe in the game!View attachment 294411

Could you please explain how Dead or Alive and Fatal frame take place in the same universe. So is Fatal Frame a Ninja Gaiden spinoff?

 

[iMACobra]

Could you please explain how Dead or Alive and Fatal frame take place in the same universe. So is Fatal Frame a Ninja Gaiden spinoff?

Ayane from Dead or Alive makes a playable appearance in her own scenario in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water on Wii U which plays more like a stealth game than the usual exorcising of ghosts with a camera. She is contracted to help find a spirited away girl named Tsumugi Katashina at Mt. Hikami, infested with vengeful spirits.

Fatal Frame and Ninja Gaiden are separate series and not spin-offs of one another. I don't know the full details but apparently Ayane was in Fatal Frame at the request of Nintendo themselves. Personally, I'd say Fatal Frame is technically separate from Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive canon because Ayane is pretty much an outlier (not to mention optionally playable; not part of Fatal Frame's main story) in this case. Same for Nioh having an ancestor of Muramasa and the Hayabusa Ninja Clan included, they both have tangentially related references that still make them perfectly separate series if you subtract those cross-references. It's unlike how Akuma from Street Fighter is canon to Tekken 7's story, anyway.

 

[Wonder Smash]

I personally believe that Nioh takes place in the same universe as Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, just centuries earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if Fatal Frame does too. When you look at all the demonic elements and sci-fi features of both series, creepy ghosts doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary.

 

[kaithehedgefox]

Ayane from Dead or Alive makes a playable appearance in her own scenario in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water on Wii U which plays more like a stealth game than the usual exorcising of ghosts with a camera. She is contracted to help find a spirited away girl named Tsumugi Katashina at Mt. Hikami, infested with vengeful spirits.

Fatal Frame and Ninja Gaiden are separate series and not spin-offs of one another. I don't know the full details but apparently Ayane was in Fatal Frame at the request of Nintendo themselves. Personally, I'd say Fatal Frame is technically separate from Ninja Gaiden/Dead or Alive canon because Ayane is pretty much an outlier (not to mention optionally playable; not part of Fatal Frame's main story) in this case. Same for Nioh having an ancestor of Muramasa and the Hayabusa Ninja Clan included, they both have tangentially related references that still make them perfectly separate series if you subtract those cross-references. It's unlike how Akuma from Street Fighter is canon to Tekken 7's story, anyway.

So Fatal Frame is in a shared universe with Ninja Gaiden, but not a spinoff, but is Dead or Alive a Ninja Gaiden spinoff?

Has Ryu Hayabusa ever used his sword in the Dead or Alive series gameplay?

 

[MattX20]

So Fatal Frame is in a shared universe with Ninja Gaiden, but not a spinoff, but is Dead or Alive a Ninja Gaiden spinoff?

Has Ryu Hayabusa ever used his sword in the Dead or Alive series gameplay?

He usually used his fists

 

[iMACobra]

So Fatal Frame is in a shared universe with Ninja Gaiden, but not a spinoff, but is Dead or Alive a Ninja Gaiden spinoff?

Has Ryu Hayabusa ever used his sword in the Dead or Alive series gameplay?

Yes, Fatal Frame is not a spin-off of Ninja Gaiden. As for if they share the same universe... I guess? Nothing refutes that claim for sure so I'll let you think whatever you want. Dead or Alive is also not a spin-off of Ninja Gaiden, they're just separate series that do share the same universe.

Ryu, does not use his sword in Dead or Alive but he almost always has it with him anyway.

 

[kaithehedgefox]

He usually used his fists

I've seen gameplay footages of Ryu using punches and kicks.

Ryu, does not use his sword in Dead or Alive but he almost always has it with him anyway.

Hmm. I guess Ryu's sword is kinda useless in terms of Dead or Alive gameplay. Does Kasumi use her sword in Dead or Alive gameplay too?

 

[iMACobra]

Hmm. I guess Ryu's sword is kinda useless in terms of Dead or Alive gameplay. Does Kasumi use her sword in Dead or Alive gameplay too?

No, she doesn't, neither does Ayane, Rachel, and Momiji use their weapons.

 

[kaithehedgefox]

No, she doesn't, neither does Ayane, Rachel, and Momiji use their weapons.

As far as I know, I think swords are pretty much useless unfortunately in the Dead or Alive gameplay. I already know that Ryu uses his sword in his other games, but when does Kasumi use her sword?

 

[iMACobra]

As far as I know, I think swords are pretty much useless unfortunately in the Dead or Alive gameplay. I already know that Ryu uses his sword in his other games, but when does Kasumi use her sword?

Kasumi is playable in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge where she uses a sword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91puy7TehBs

 

[Wonder Smash]

As far as I know, I think swords are pretty much useless unfortunately in the Dead or Alive gameplay. I already know that Ryu uses his sword in his other games, but when does Kasumi use her sword?

None of the characters in the DOA series use any kind of weapons, except for some of the bosses.

 

[iMACobra]

I totally forgot but a SPARTAN, Nicole, is playable in Dead or Alive 4 and is even referenced in later Halo canon so Halo is apparently canon to Dead or Alive because she traveled through time to the 21st Century, if you wanna take this seriously.

SPARTAN-458

"Leave now. There's nothing here for you but a shortcut to hell..." —SPARTAN-458 in Dead or Alive 4 SPARTAN-458 (read as "SPARTAN Four-Five-Eight"), also known by her real name Nicole, is an unlockable character from Dead or Alive 4, created to be like a character from the Halo series. During...

deadoralive.fandom.com

Honestly though, I do not agree with accepting cross-references like this as canon because they are just cameos or references and have no bearings on the main story. So no, I do not take Halo being canon to Dead or Alive seriously. If you believe that, you must also believe that Naotora Ii from Samurai Warriors being in Dead or Alive 5: Last Round through time-travel is also canon but this is contradictory if you believe that Nioh is canon to Ninja Gaiden just because of its references and even then, Nioh portrays some of the same characters that are in Samurai Warriors drastically different in terms of appearance. They are technically alternate universes at this point. Another point, Mai Shiranui's story in Dead or Alive 6 also never states how she is in the world of Dead or Alive as if she always existed yet NiCO summoned Kula Diamond from an alternate dimension but Kula is from the same game series (King of Fighters) as Mai so why is Kula from a different world and not Mai? Also, what about the 4 Virtua Fighter characters? Inconsistencies like these are why I wouldn't take cross-references seriously in terms of overall scope and canon of unrelated series.

 

[MattX20]

The one thing that is generally accepted is that Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden do take place in the same universe

 

[RETROROTER]

So my final prediction is that Ryu Hayabusa is going to be one of the Challenger Packs for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I mean there’s a lot going for it, I mean Nintendo and Koei Tecmo are extremely close with each other doing collaborations forever now, Vergeben has said that negotiations have taken place between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo specifically about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, They are one of the last major Japanese gaming companies on the level of SEGA, Bandai Namco, SNK, and more to not have a playable rep yet, they already have content in the game already similar to how ATLUS and Rare had content at launch and then got their own reps later as part of the Fighters Pass, Nintendo seems to be very interested in Koei Tecmo’s IP’s as someone here already mentioned a few posts back that Nintendo requested Ayane to be in FATAL FRAME: MAIDEN OF THE BLACK WATER and I mean their the ones choosing the DLC, Yosuke Hayashi (father of Hayabusa and head of Team Ninja at Koei Tecmo Games) has given his blessing for Hayabusa to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series as a fighter, and literally so much more. There are so many reasons that it would be a shame to waste such a partnership on something like a Mii Costume or a Spirit Event, so I do feel as though Nintendo and Koei Tecmo are planning to release a character from their side during this Fighters Pass, and honestly Ryu Hayabusa is the only candidate to fill that spot with Kasumi from DOA being 2nd.