Sorry, Ryu
After the announcement that Kazuya was entering Smash Ultimate, I never really stopped to consider how cool his entrance artwork could be. Or that the Tekken team would be the one to do it! Well, I was incredibly happy to see Katsuhiro Harada, resident Tekken boss, share this new piece on Twitter.
Showcasing Kazuya’s raw power, he’s holding Ryu over a cliff, ready to send him to his death. I love the little details, like the shocked characters, the ones coming to Ryu’s aid, and the Min Min arm that’s attempting to catch his fall. Just amazing stuff and a ton of attention to detail. Harada notes that this illustration is from the Tekken Project.
This piece of art has a lot of history in it, as Capcom and Bandai Namco have collaborated on several occasions for crossover projects: so to see two of their most iconic fighting game characters come together in some form is a treat.
As a reminder, Sakurai’s rundown of Kazuya will be held on June 28 at 10AM ET. Generally, DLC characters are released later that day or that same week.
It’s easy to see why Nintendo chooses some of these characters. The prospect of smoothing over a relationship (like say, Microsoft with Steve) is incredibly enticing, and could open up doors for both parties involved. Harada seems excited!
Oh, and here’s where he fits into the official gigantic mural:
Kazuya looks unfazed by the threat of the fighters around him. With his addition, there are now 85 total fighters on the #SmashBrosUltimate roster! pic.twitter.com/u9JJIYHBN2
— Nintendo Versus (@NintendoVS) June 15, 2021
