Chai & 808 vs Mayday & Zuke (Hi-Fi Rush vs No Straight Roads)

 

"As a rock star, I have two instincts, I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both."

-Bono

Chai & 808, the synced-up new bloods of Vandelay Industries, freedom fighting hopes for the future and an upcoming band of Rockstars from Hi-Fi Rush! 

Mayday & Zuke, the guitarist and drummer of an indie rock star band, fighting against NSR and changing the system of Vinyl City - Bunk Bed Junction from No Straight Roads!

Rock - a genre of music that through the course of its existence evolved and got so many different styles, that it overall became revolutional in the music industry. And these rock bands got all the power of music to do just that with the corporation's system. But out of those 2 newcomers in the rock industry, which will get disbanded in this deadly music battle and whose performance will get applause? 

Before we start…

As you may have noticed, this MU will focus on teams of either band (so despite Chai & Mayday being basically heart of the MU, it is Chai & 808 vs Mayday & Zuke, NOT Chai vs Mayday; it doesn’t make sense to split up either team as they’re ALWAYS together throughout both games), and we’ll try to use both teams at their best, where possible (such as, giving them access to their full moveset rather than limiting their super moves capacity like in their games). We will also pretty much equalize technological surroundings for this Match Up, as some of the abilities for both Chai & 808 and Mayday & Zuke are specific to the surrounding their game is happening in, take it as just another form of verse equalization per say. Other than that, we’ll take a quick look at the Hi-Fi Rush Official Twitter for supporting statements, not too much to say, besides the obvious fact that the blog may contain Spoilers for Hi-Fi Rush and No Straight Roads. With that being said, have fun in this rock and roll battle of Chai & 808 vs Mayday & Zuke! 

Background

Chai and 808 

(Does his name mean Tea?)

"We got this far because of you. We're all here because of you. And I'm here fighting because of what you found, and what you're trying to stop... It only gives us a stronger reason to fight. As friends."

Sometimes what people need more than anything else, is a life full of adventure. Vandelay Industries was a revolutionary tech company, one of technological innovation, focused on helping everyone live a better life. More than anything it gave people a second chance, through its use of prosthetics and advanced medicines, it was able to cure the disabled of the world. Though like most things in Life, something changed, the company seemed to gradually lose that idea of helping people... and became corrupt without anyone noticing this transition. The company was no longer worried about helping people, but about making money, they'd control the populus through their own products and have free reign over the world. Despite this, there was a new hope, a new upcoming Rockstar who'd dismantle Vandelay from the inside; one of the newest prosthetic testes, Chai.

Chai was an adventurous and music-loving individual who came to Vandelay for a new arm implant. However, the procedure revealed an unexpected twist when it was discovered that Chai's body contained a CD player that synchronized the world to his music. This "defect" led Vandelay's staff to target him for elimination. In a fight for his life, Chai found out he had gained the power of Magnetism, allowing him to create a guitar and pursue his dream. Teaming up with 808, a robotic cat who could synchronize with Chai’s music and form a connection, they formed a resistance group. Their allies included Peppermint, the group's determined leader, Macaron, the powerhouse, and Korsica, a former Vandelay employee turned informant, oh- and CNMN for some reason. Together, they uncovered Vandelay's corruption and aimed to thwart the company's grand mind control scheme.

Their journey led them to Vandelay Tower, where they confronted Kale, Peppermint's brother and the mastermind behind the mind control technology called SPECTRA. Chai questioned his worth without the arm Kale had given him but realized, with the support of his friends, that he was a rockstar in his own right. Together, they defeated Kale and stopped his nefarious plans. The story ended on a positive note, with Chai joining a new company free from corruption, fulfilling his dreams. He continued to practice guitar, just in case, but the tale's core message emphasized that anyone, regardless of their background or limitations, could make a difference in the lives of others. It encouraged valuing one's own contributions and recognizing that anyone can play a role in the puzzle that is life.

Mayday and Zuke

(Is Rock better than EDM?)

"So tell me, Zuke, tell me. What are we gonna do to someone who messes with the good people of Vinyl City?"

"...Oh, we’re gonna bunka, we’re gonna junka, and we’re gonna BAM in their faces!"

The biggest change can come from the most unexpected individual. With the audience at the fingertips, all that is needed is a little push. Vinyl City was a big place with a big story, full of various musicians using their style of music. The talent wasn’t unnoticed. NSR - a company that became known for converting music into electricity, has been taking various artists to perform and give the city needed energy. However, despite various styles and approaches of artists, there was only one main genre - EDM. Tatiana - the CEO of NSR, saw the biggest opportunity of having control through EDM. That until one day an indie rock band decided to have pride and try to join the company to power up the city. Mayday and Zuke, also known as Bunk Bed Junction, wasn't a big band, but had a huge talent in music and strong ambition to bring back long forgotten Rock to the Vinyl City. Which was possible to notice considering they managed to perfectly pass all needed tests of NSR, surely that means they would accept them, right…? 

Well, even though performance was outstanding, Tatiana saw only chaos in Rock, opposite to the “control” of EDM. So much, that after Mayday and Zuke were disqualified, Tatiana fully prohibited Rock from the city. But as much as she’s seen control in EDM, it wasn't a perfect system, Vinyl City often had to face blackouts and NSR’s artists were only performing to power only a half of the city, and when blackouts do happen the energy that is left is being given only to NSR elites. That was the last straw for Mayday and Zuke, and only one choice was made of what to do with this music discrimination - start a revolution to change the whole system of Vinyl City. Gladly they weren’t operating alone, Kliff who became their fan ever since they hijacked the first concert of DJ Subatomic Supernova, was giving proper information on each NSR artist and their potential weakness. With each hijacked concert, the revolution of Bunk Bed Junction was growing bigger and bigger, Mayday and Zuke started to have more fans, more power and more control over the Vinyl City. It was a matter of time until they were fully ready to finally fight against Tatiana and dethrone her from controlling the city. 

But when they did, one truth was found out, as much as Mayday and Zuke have tried, their performance wasn’t far better than people of NSR. All in all it was only a cycle of a new ruler behind the city, no matter how the music revolution would have turned out, the problem would’ve stayed the same, whether if you play EDM or Rock. Upon realizing that, it was almost late, considering the main tower of NSR was about to be destroyed by the satellite. It was only with the combined power of Rock and EDM, that managed to save the city from a disaster. At the end of the day, this music revolution did make a change, for both Vinyl City, NSR and Bunk Bed Junction, the stage wasn’t just belonging to each of them alone. All of the people are in this together, and the sooner acknowledgement comes, the quicker it’s possible to work for a common goal. Everyone plays music for different reasons, some do it for self-importance, some do it to bond with their loved ones, and some do it to understand their purpose in life. The important thing to know is - there are no wrong answers. If we give everyone the opportunity to play their own music, we can build a world where creativity has no boundaries. And Vinyl City is steadily heading towards that direction. Being an artist is a wonderful privilege, that is something that Mayday and Zuke showed to Tatiana, NSR and Vinyl City, and wherever they are, we can be sure they’ll keep doing what they do best.           

Experience & Skill

Chai & 808

Chai and 808, despite having only met and fought together for less than a day, exhibit remarkable fighting prowess and musical talent. Their chance encounter led to a unique synchronization, aligning their personalities, motives, and abilities in perfect harmony (aka, they’re literally SYNCED up). Chai, despite having NEVER played guitar in his life, surpassed Mimosa, a seasoned musical celebrity's musical skills despite her entourage backing her up, defeated numerous formidable foes & Robot hordes at Vandelay, including the Department Heads who were all Superhuman due to their mechanical enhancements. However, their greatest asset is the support they receive from Peppermint, Korsica, and Macaron, who provide invaluable assistance from the sidelines, offering information, hacking enemy tech, or jumping into battle when needed, all thanks to their connection with 808. Even when outnumbered, Chai's exceptional field awareness allows him to engage multiple opponents simultaneously or create openings by splitting them apart. When trapped in seemingly impossible situations, such as an unbreakable harmonic box or Z-Plating, Chai's adaptability shines as he learnt to resonate and break through the harmonics on the spot, and learnt ways to destroy Z-Plating himself. Music serves as their guiding force, enabling them to adapt to any challenge they face, explaining their remarkable success as a duo. Although 808 typically takes a supportive role, offering assistance to Chai from the sidelines, she isn't afraid to dive into danger when necessary. In their first major battle against Kale, the strongest department head, 808 played a pivotal role, securing a significant victory and contributing crucial hits to take him down. With their combined talents and unwavering determination, it's no surprise that Chai and 808 are both hailed as true rockstars.

Mayday & Zuke

Despite being just a rock band, Mayday & Zuke possess a lot of fighting capabilities aside from being able to play rock really well. Mayday & Zuke generally know each other pretty long and during their relationship they became a great duo capable of playing rock on turn while fighting against their opponents. They did fairly well in NSR’s test which aside from playing music involved fighting against their own robots. In a short period of time they managed to hijack all NSR’s concerts and defeat their artists, all of which are also trained and versatile fighters despite being mostly artists (almost as if they’re necessarily prepared for a possible revolution). They also managed to fight back, restore hijacked concerts and save Vinyl City from being destroyed by a satellite all in a matter of 15 minutes. Even when at numbers disadvantage or if their opponent can heal themselves or even become invincible for a moment, Mayday & Zuke went through it all and managed to overcome the difficulties with their strong teamwork. In fact, Mayday & Zuke are such a good team that even when being separated by EVE into different rooms, they managed to keep their synergy and play the music together.        

Equipment 

Chai & 808

Chai’s Guitar

Chai’s most iconic weapon throughout the entire game, his Guitar, ironically… LITERAL GARBAGE… no like, it’s made of LITERAL GARBAGE. Using Magnetism Chai is capable of turning any Metal scraps in the area into his weapon of choice, which just so happens to be a guitar.

MP3 Player

After an accident involving his Arm Enhancement operation, his MP3 player he brought around to listen to music became a part of his body, and… let’s be frank, it literally warps reality itself. Everything in the world: movements, attacks, environments, and more… will ALWAYS sync up with his music, sort of like a sense of Precognition. Chai can ONLY be attacked on a beat and thus will always have a general idea for when an attack is coming. Outside of that it plays genuine music for when he’s in battle, so that’s pretty based… man brings his own soundtrack into a fight.

808

(Well, duh)

Without a doubt, 808 stands as Chai's most invaluable ally in combat. Their synchronization enables seamless coordination during battles, communication with the rest of his team in a battle, & 808 can even attack on her own! Equipped with temporal displacement technology, 808 can summon allies like Peppermint, Macaron, Korsica, and CNMN to aid in combat when necessary… or heck from the Hideout the gang can hop in whenever they want. Additionally, 808 serves as a reliable indicator of the rhythm of the world, glowing in sync with the beats; which gives Chai clear cues for incoming attacks and lets him know optimal moments to strike for maximum damage (sort of like precognition!). One of 808’s more miscellaneous abilities is her use of electricity that she can use to overload tech, she can hack tech by syncing to it, & she has the ability… to duplicate items, or well just Gears. (via Gear Increase)

Laser Drones

In the Power Up Tower Up Tower Mode you’re capable of summoning and using Zanzo’s laser drones as a floor upgrade. They fire lasers at opponents in rapid-fire intervals and don’t need to be manually controlled.

Chips

Sold by Peppermint and Macaron in exchange for Broken Circuits, Chai has access to various chips that he can equip to increase his abilities! Whether it be stats, support, or other miscellaneous help, Chips can do it all!

Stat Name	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Peppermint Compatibility Reduce the amount of time it takes to call in Peppermint during combat after use.	Decreases Peppermint recharge time by 12.5%	Decreases Peppermint recharge time by 25%	Decreases Peppermint recharge time by 37.5%
Health Kick Increases the amount recovered by healing items.	Increases effectiveness by 10%	Increases effectiveness by 20%	Increases effectiveness by 30%
Battery Magnet Increases the amount of Reverb Gauge filled by batteries.	Battery item amount increased by +10%	Battery item amount increased by +20%	Battery item amount increased by +30%
Rhythm Meter Rush Slightly increases the rate in which the Rhythm Meter rises in battle.	Meter rise rate increased by 10%	Meter rise rate increased by 20%	Meter rise rate increased by 30%
Parry Health A Just Timing Parry will offer a small chance at manifesting a healing item.	Health item appearance rate increased by 20%	Health item appearance rate increased by 30%	Health item appearance rate increased by 40%
Parry Charge A Just Timing Parry will offer a small chance at manifesting a battery to fill your Reverb Gauge.	Battery item appearance rate will be increased by 20%	Battery item appearance rate will be increased by 30%	Battery item appearance rate will be increased by 40%
Invincible D-Parry Become invincible for a short time by performing a Just Timed Directional Parry.	Increases invincibility time by 4 beats	Increases invincibility time by 6 beats	Increases invincibility time by 9 beats
Damage Rebound D-Parry Increases the amount of damage reflected by the Parry technique.	Attack deflection power is increased by +20	Attack deflection power is increased by +40	Attack deflection power is increased by +60
Combo Holder Increases length of time before a combo ends. With this chip you can lengthen the time before a combo ends, so you can keep your combo going with a longer break between attacks.	Increases time (in beats) of combo duration by 3.	Increases time (in beats) of combo duration by 6.	Increases time (in beats) of combo duration by 9.
High Risk, High Return Increase Chai’s strength by a percentage, but at the same time, increases damage taken by the same amount.	Increase attack and received damage by 50%.	Increase attack and received damage by 100%.	Increase attack and received damage by 150%.
Rhythm Dodge Pull Plus Increases the distance items are pulled in when performing a Rhythm Dodge.	Increase pull distance by 3 meters.	Increase pull distance by 6 meters.	Increase pull distance by 9 meters.
Rhythm Dodge Pull Cancel Cancels the effect of pulling in distanced items automatically with Rhythm Dodge. I wanted to check if you actually read these descriptions before buying these chips, so I made one that is basically useless. Let’s see if you can pass this test, Chai. - Peppermint	Remove ability to pull in items from far away when dashing.
Instant Partner Recharge Pulls in one Reverb Gauge to energize 808 and instantly summon a partner who is recharging.  The chip will not work if Chai doesn’t have one Rhythm Gauge available to use.	Use 1 Recharge Gauge to instantly recharge partner cool down.
Peppermint Shock Advantage Increases time an enemy is “shocked” by Peppermint’s partner call in attack. A shocked enemy will be unable to attack or move.	Increase time (in beats) of Shock stun by 8.	Increase time (in beats) of Shock stun by 16.	Increase time (in beats) of Shock stun by 24.
Peppermint Shock Jump Allows Peppermint’s Partner Attack shock effect to “jump” to close by enemies, preventing all enemies from attacking or moving.	Successive affected enemies increased by 1.	Successive affected enemies increased by 2.	Successive affected enemies increased by 3.
Macaron Compatibility Reduces the amount of time it takes to call in Macaron during combat after use.	Decreases Macaron recharge time by 12.5%.	Decreases Macaron recharge time by 25%.	Decreases Macaron recharge time by 37.5%.
Macaron’s Lucky Punch Creates a percent chance that Macaron’s Partner Attack will do double damage, potentially destroying some shields with one hit.	Double Damage chance = 25%.	Double Damage chance = 50%.	Double Damage chance = 75%.
Macaron’s Aftershock Increases the range in which Macaron’s Partner Attack hits enemies.	Increased attack distance by 10%.	Increased attack distance by 20%.	Increased attack distance by 30%.
Korsica Compatibility Reduce the amount of time it takes to call in Korsica during combat after use.	Decreases Korsica recharge time by 12.5%.	Decreases Korsica recharge time by 25%.	Decreases Korsica recharge time by 37.5%.
Super High Alert Increases the time Korsica’s counter attack “High Alert” leaves enemies suspended in air. This allows for more added time to lead into an Aerial Rave or lift other enemies for multiple enemy air hits.	Air hang time increased by 10 beats.	Air hang time increased by 20 beats.	Air hang time increased by 30 beats.
Korsica Stun Extend Extends the amount of time Korsica’s wind attack increases stun damage to enemies. Highly effective against enemies who are hard to Stun.	Increase (in beats) of Enemy Stun time by 1.	Increase (in beats) of Enemy Stun time by 2.	Increase (in beats) of Enemy Stun time by 3.
Chip Sense Give 808 the ability to detect nearby Armstrong Circuits and other important items in levels. A cat’s sixth sense! When a circuit is nearby, look for a “!” above 808.	You’ll see a ! Mark appear next to 808 when near circuits.
Gear Increase Enabling 808 to convert gears into… more gears! I don’t know how it works but some things are better left unknown!	Gear pickups increased by 10%.	Gear pickups increased by 25%.	Gear pickups increased by 50%.

Items

Health Tank

It’s your tried and true basic healing item, whenever Chai stores enough energy he’ll gain a Tank that he can use to automatically restore all of his health when it’s depleted.

Batteries

Sometimes within a level Chai can stumble upon a Electric Reverb Core or a massive battery that he can carry around to restore a bar on the Reverb gauge.

Mayday & Zuke

Mayday’s Guitar and Zuke’s Drumsticks

Obviously Bunk Bed Junktion wouldn’t be a rock band without their musical instruments. While Mayday is a guitarist who not only uses guitar as an instrument to play music but also deals slow although heavy damage, Zuke is a drummer who uses NSR branded drums due to their high quality, who makes weak although rapidly fast hits like a combo. With the music on their side Mayday & Zuke can use various powers that your average musician instruments aren’t capable of, for instance with his drumsticks Zuke apparently can just summon drums to himself out of thin air in a form of “holograms” or how they can use their music as bullets attacking at their targets and more and more.  

Kul Fyra’s Guitar

At the end of the game Mayday had broken her guitar, however thanks to saving the Vinyl City Kul Fyra gifted her guitar instead, with this guitar Mayday can do all similar stuff she was able to perform with her old one. Possibly even using fire for massive area damage (though it’s more likely to be due to Kul Fyra’s own powers rather than Guitar’s).

Stickers

Scattered across Vinyl City inside small cases in various locations like streets, alleyways, or rooftops. Stickers can be applied to Mayday's guitar or Zuke's drumsticks for a small boost to their stats or abilities, depending on the level of the sticker. Worth mentioning that stickers are stackable and can be applied 4 times per instrument (possibly more if you wanna exclude game mechanics). There are big amount of sticker so to mention all of them:

Stat Name	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Health	+2% Health	+3% Health	+4% Health
Melee Damage	+3% Melee Damage	+4% Melee Damage	+5% Melee Damage
Shoot Damage	+2% Shoot Damage	+3% Shoot Damage	+4% Shoot Damage
Parry Damage	+1% Parry Damage	+2% Parry Damage	+3% Parry Damage
Combo Finisher Damage	+5% Finisher Damage	+6% Finisher Damage	+7% Finisher Damage
Movement Speed	+2% Move Speed	+3% Move Speed	+4% Move Speed
Transformation Speed	+3% Transformation Speed	+4% Transformation Speed	+5% Transformation Speed
Special Move Effectiveness	+3% Special Effectiveness	+4% Special Effectiveness	+5% Special Effectiveness
Parry Radius	+5% Parry Radius	+6% Parry Radius	+7% Parry Radius

Abilities 

Chai & 808 

Attacks & Techniques

(pretty self explanatory)

Double Jump

Wouldn’t be a 3D Platformer without a Double Jump. (or just one really big jump)

Dash

Chai utilizing his own rhythms can do three dashes consecutively to boost his momentum and if you’re one of those pros out there as seen above it can be done indefinitely.

Parry

It’s the typical Parry you’d see in any game, if Chai times his guard well, he’ll parry an enemy attack right back at the sender and become partially invulnerable himself.

Echo Splash

A ground combo that leads into an air combo/ Unbelievable! Well that's what you'll get with Echo Splash. Landing the 'Beat Hit' will send the enemies in front of Chai into the air where they can be rushed to with a dash or your magnet to continue further into an air combo. This one's a keeper!

Tune Up

A Rest Combo that attacks an enemy directly in front of Chai, but finishes up with a wide area attack that can hit multiple enemies and send them flying. A great option to mix up your repertoire for high scores as well as getting enemies away from close range.

Stomp Box

Jump up in the air and land the Beat Hit to do a full 360 degree area attack. This will send all weaker enemies flying back! A go-to attack for when you are surrounded!

Arpeggio Stab

What begins as a ground combo, lifts the enemy in the air and ends with multiple hit slash. While lacking a 'Beat Hit' finish, the enemy is left vulnerable to any other air combo. One of the best ways to rack up tons of hits in an Aerial Rave and still keep a combo going!

Pickup Crash

Chai builds up energy with his Heavy Attacks to power his guitar up with extra... garbage? The result is a powerful slash that sends enemies (and junk) flying back. Following up with a Magnet Grab can continue the combo and create a ‘Magnet Link’ Bonus.

Harmonic Beam

A high-level air combo attack. Combining weak and Heavy Attacks will not only damage enemies in the air, but send the enemy back down to the ground for you to finish them off from above with a powerful beam. The beam can even damage nearby enemies! 

Compressor Slam

A multiple hit air combo that ends with a smashing crash to the ground. 

Shred

Lean into your riffs with a real solo!  After the second Heavy Attack, Chai unleashes a fury of quick attacks! Landing the Beat Hit won't cause any extra damage, but will pull out batteries from surrounding enemies!

Staccato Launch

Chai charges up energy within himself that he let's loose for a quick burst of speed to slash enemies!

Gain Tornado

Chai attracts metallic junk to create the 'ultimate guitar', though it doesn't really look like a guitar anymore... when released it'll hit like a metal hurricane!

Quick Beat Hit

This is a basic combo starter, while doing minimal damage, it opens up opponents for a plethora of different combo opportunities.

Steal Counter

After a successful Parry, Chai grabs an enemy by impaling them with his guitar (yikes), then throws them which causes them to drop an item.

Magnet Backstab

A different use of your typical magnet, it allows you to quickly get BEHIND your opponents as opposed to just grappling to their front (it’s a nice mix-up).

Switch Kicker

Want to damage, want to take out shields and not do it alone? Call in Peppermint when you are doing a ground combo with a Beat Hit to perform a Jam Combo... finishing with launching the enemies into the air.

Master Blaster

A Jam Combo where Chai and Peppermint team up to pull out the big guns on an airborne enemy. By calling in Peppermint, she'll turn her blaster into a huge beam, doing multiple hits and huge damage to enemies.

Cannon Spike

A charge attack from Peppermint that quickly destroys strong barriers and stuns enemies.

Kick Shot

By calling Peppermint in after a parry, she'll counter the enemies attack and do significantly more damage to barriers than normal.

Double Bass Drop

A Jam Combo with Macaron! Call in Macaron on the Beat Hit timing to smash into an enemy and send weakened enemies spinning into the air while they hover, taking continuous damage.

High Strung

Team up in the air with Macaron to lay into your enemy and send them crashing back into the ground. An enemy knocked into the ground will lay stunned for a few moments allowing you to keep attacking them.

Gravity Well

Too many enemies to keep track of? When calling in Macaron, have him charge up his robotics and shoot out a force of energy that locks surrounding enemies in place, like a sort of gravity well... anyone caught inside will take more damage than normal.

Love Tap

Hit back an enemy with a knockout punch from Macaron! When successfully parrying an enemy, Macaron wll counter, if the enemy is shielded it will do significantly more damage to the point of destroying the shield in one blow!

High Security Risk

A Jam Combo with Korsica that unleashes a flurry of hits onto an enemy that leaves them stunned and will likely break their guard.

Tornado Lift

Using Korsica's wind energy to keep an enemy in the air as you attack from all sides, you'll deal incredible stun damage to an enemy.

Korsica Typhoon

Call in Korsica to charge up her wind energy, sending tornadoes out onto the battlefield to catch enemies, leaving them open for Chai to do attacks… It also makes it easier to stun enemies.

High Alert

Korsica comes in for a counter, knocking an enemy into the air with her baton.

Special Attacks

(STILL pretty self explanatory)

Power Chord

The very first Super that you acquire in the game, Chai starts a flurry combo that ends with an extremely powerful ending hit.

Double Riff

Team up with Peppermint to blast your enemies away, using Peppermint's arsenal and your musical energy! A Machine gun of damage will go forwards and damage anything in its path, before you blast them away with sound! (It's also particularly effective against barrier enemies and will deal damage to armored enemies.)

Hibiki

One of Chai's hardest hitting attacks, by dilating time he'll channel his inner rockstar, spinning around and then unleashing a large blast.

Rip and Tear

Chai harnesses the energy of the 'beast'. Some sort of evil within? None can know for sure, but an aura of beastily claws rip apart any enemies that are in front of Chai!

High Pitch Punch

Harnessing the power that Chai's arm holds... he unleashes a devastating uppercut sending enemies into the air. (SHORRRRYYUKEN!!!!)

808 Gigawatt Cat Attack

Quite possibly the STRONGEST ATTACK in fiction. 808 sticks out her DEVASTATING paw and zaps the enemy with an attack that upscales everything else in the series (no like really), while it has relatively short range, this purrfect attack can one shot most.

Air Guitar

You know Powerchord? Well it's that, but in the... air! Finish off your enemies in an air combo with this Special Attack, and deal some heavy damage to flying enemies.

Pick Slide

Chai's passion for guitar can't be held back! Let out a powerful riff that will build up the Stun Meter for an enemy in front of Chai. It's a quick way to knock back groups of enemies and quickly open up heavy enemies for attacks.

Pick Me Up!

Everyone needs a Pick Me Up, by drinking some sort of Cola, Chai manages to absorb a reserve Energy Drink that will give him a Health boost mid battle! (Landing the Beat Hit when drinking restores even more health!) 

Guitar Ride

Ride your guitar around the battlefield catching all enemies in your way and racking up a huge combo! Hit a kickflip at the end to send all the energy you've built up at the enemy and to cap off the slide!

Barrier Wall

Macaron senses danger and develops a barrier to protect Chai that follows him as he moves; the protective wall can defend against three separate strong attacks before it's destroyed.

Holo-Chai

Vandelay's technology harnessed to create a hologram of Chai! Does the world need another Chai? Probably not, but it is enough to confuse enemies to attack the wrong Chai and leave the real Chai to focus on his enemy of choice. 

Overdrive Slash

Chai dilates time to build up energy, unleashing a series of slashes that sends forward sound-based projectiles described as an 'echo of pain!' 

Twin Assault

Summon in Korsica to attack with her batons and finish it off with a combo hit!! With a wide range, it's likely to pull in multiple enemies with this attack.

Steal the Show

No one can resist... the power... of an adorable cat! (Unless you're Kale!) 808 literally steals the enemies' hearts via photoshoot, leaving them flustered and open to attack. Even some of Vandelay's strongest robots can't help themselves!

CNMANIAC

Utilizing 808, Chai summons in CNMN who apparently just wanted to do his best Mario impression! As he stomps continuously on enemies to breach their defenses effortlessly & then rockets them into the air with a fiery spin kick!

My Hero!

Smidge sorta just… TRACKS down Chai all across the campus, he presumably just RUNS there which is kinda creepy- but HEY; he’s a great offensive and defensive ally! He spins around Chai as a damaging forcefield, that both takes damage, and obliterates enemy defenses, EVEN Z-Shielding!

Magnetism

Chai’s Arm was actually supposed to be used for collecting Garbage by utilizing Magnetism, but Chai managed to find a different use for it! Like a Hookshot straight out of Zelda, Chai can make a Magnetic ‘line’ between him and a target, and pull himself right to them at high speeds, which makes it a great tool for staying close to a target or for improving mobility & getting around.

Fourth Wall Awareness

Chai just so happens to be very in-tune with the Fourth Wall, he makes very subtle jabs at it in normal gameplay, but there’s also really blunt examples. Whenever you quit and rejoin the game at crucial moments he’ll essentially just roast the player, more than that 808 can seemingly interact with the loading transition cards and manipulate them, even characters like CNMN has showcased such abilities, by managing to replay cutscenes before… which basically just means Chai and the gang has time travel. (LET’S NEVER MENTION THIS AGAIN!)

Resonance

Arguably Chai’s most devastating ability, using his ability to Sync up with music, he can vibrate an object at a certain frequency so that whatever he’s in contact with will shatter like glass. Even the impenetrable Harmonic wall which was indestructible even with his endgame abilities was broken effortlessly by this new on the spot tactic. 

Floor Abilities

Parry Wave: With every successful parry a wave of damage will shoot out from in front of Chai. Get up close and parry to send the hurt back!

Damage Dash: Connect dashes together consecutively to surround yourself in a damaging aura.

Instant Kill: Chai's attacks have a small chance of instantly destroying enemies. You've got quite the dangerous touch!

Reverb Hits: All attacks that hit an enemy will automatically refill a portion of your Reverb Gauge to use your Specials in quick succession (aka basically indefinite spammable Special Attacks).

Gravity Manipulation: All enemies hit will be automatically sent into the air and stuck for a period of time, completely helpless to incoming attacks.

Vitality Drain: Every single hit you land on an enemy will bring back a little bit of health to Chai.

Mayday & Zuke

Attacks

Mayday’s heavy hits

Mayday is a heavy-hitter type character. She has a 3-hit combo that deals heavier damage than Zuke, but her guitar is slower than his drumsticks. As well as later on she gets a finisher strike after each of 3 attacks, where she hits with her guitar way harder and with way wider range as demonstrated above.

Zuke’s 9-hit combo

Zuke is a combo-focused character. His attacks do less damage than Mayday's, but they're faster and with a longer combo that can get up to 9 hits. As well as during the combo he can perform the finisher which is higher in terms of damage. At best if Zuke performs finisher on 9th hit he fires a projectile.

Double Jump

I mean, yeah it’s pretty self-explanatory they can double jump, nothing much to say here.

Dash

Also pretty self-explanatory, after doing jumps they can do a pretty long and fast dash.

Technology Manipulation/Transformation

In the world of No Straight Roads music is pretty much key for how everything works. Converting music into energy, giving Mayday & Zuke a variety of powers and in this case, transforming seemingly common pieces of technology into technology of their own, practically changing their original purpose to help Mayday & Zuke simply via their own music nonetheless. While Mayday’s technological transformations are more offensive, Zuke’s are more supportive, and in each district they practically have their own unique transformation as shown below:

Mayday

Rocket Launch Pad

Basically Mayday transforms tech into high speed rockets that launch right into the target, the higher level, the bigger and stronger the rocket becomes.

Pufferfish Turret

Blowfish that automatically shoots all nearby opponents with their spiky projectiles. In further levels it creates larger blowfishes.

Auto Turret

A transformation that creates turrets which aim and shoot at nearby opponents. Leveling of which is pretty identical to Engineer’s Team Fortress 2 Turret, that being level 1 just shoots bullets, level 2 turns into a minigun and level 3 additionally shoots rockets. 

Catapult

Practically transforms surrounding tech into catapults that throw explosives at nearby opponents. At higher levels it throws larger explosives, all for about 10 seconds.

Sculpture Turret

Transforms tech into hand-standing turrets that automatically target and shoot at all nearby opponents, at higher level fire rate increases and instead of just bullets it starts to shoot massive tank shells

Record Hit Radio

Transforms tech into phonograph turrets that automatically target and shoot at nearby opponents with homing attacks. Fire Rate increases per level.

Zuke

Speed Pad

Transforms tech into a speed pad, usage of which increases Mayday & Zuke’s movement and attack speed, if levels are higher effect is much longer.

Shell Shield

A holographic clam that projects a protective zone around it, preventing anyone inside it from taking damage, making Mayday & Zuke practically invulnerable for some time in the epicenter of Shell Shield. The higher levels are, the bigger range Shell covers along with staying for much longer.

Turbine Converter

Basically creates fans that convert any incoming projectile into notes that Mayday & Zuke can use against their opponents. At a higher level it becomes bigger, lasts longer and gives more notes.

Shield Disruptor

With this transformation Zuke creates a device that nullifies all nearby barriers around its range. The higher level is, the further range of the device goes.  

Bait and Snitch

Transforms tech into hovering decoys that make attacks focus on them instead of the band for some time. Multiple decoys are deployed equal to the level so level 1 has 1 decoy, level 2 has 2 and level 3 has 3. Additionally at Level 3, they carry bombs that blow up over time.

Time-stopper

Zuke transforms technology into record players that slow the movement speed of projectiles and opponents inside its projected field. So slow, to the point that almost no movement is done. Zone grows larger per level.

Parry

Mayday & Zuke can reflect projectiles back at opponents, though similarly to Cuphead, trick works only on pink projectiles. Can be practically anything pink or whatever that is close to pink really - lasers, “planets”, digital fish, notes and so on and on.  

Sound Attacks/Note Bullets

Aside from transforming technology by their music they also can use it in a more obvious way…attacking! By using “note bullets” as the ammo and their instruments as weapons Mayday & Zuke can continuously shoot sound based projectiles at opponents. Said projectiles are homing and come directly into the opponent. 

Immersion/Wire Travel(?)

Somehow Mayday & Zuke can just…enter the virtual world, and travel in it just as fine as in real world, but not only that, while entering it, they can directly get to other people through their computers, so they can just jump out of your computer directly to you…how? No idea, they don’t explain that either, it just happens, we probably better not give it too much thought either frankly. 

Skill Tree

All of the above can be further upgraded through the Skill Tree. There are Bunk Bed Junction upgrades that are given to both Mayday and Zuke, upgrades for only Mayday and upgrades for only Zuke Mayday’s and Zuke’s personal upgrades are separated into “Strike”, “Shoot” and “Transform” categories, with “Strike” upgrading melee attacks, “Shoot” ranged attacks and “Transform” upgrading transformations. All of that requires more fans to get access to all abilities, throughout their journey Mayday & Zuke got the entire Vinyl City to their side with likely millions of fans supporting them throughout their journey, quite impressive for a band that lives in sewers isn’t it. With that being said thanks to their fans Mayday & Zuke got access to various upgrades to their abilities such as:

• Bunk Bed Junction Skill Tree:

• Playing music regenerates their energy bar

• Collecting additional ammo while having maximum amount converts them into energy

• When Rock is played their Energy Bar dramatically regenerates (meaning Rock as a music is basically their source of power in a way)

• Finishing off enemies with finisher attacks gives Mayday & Zuke more ammo and energy

• A successful parry gives both Mayday & Zuke 6 ammo

• Upon lethal damage can be instantly resurrected, only once per battle however 

• Mayday Skill Tree:

• Melee hits/kills award with 3 ammo

• Ranged attacks restore Mayday’s health

• Ranged attacks have a chance to not consume ammo

• When number of ammo is at peak damage of ranged attacks is further upgraded

• All transformables deal double damage

• Successful transformations grant Mayday energy

• Transformables can stay in battle for way longer

• Zuke Skill Tree:

• Upon finishing his 9-Hit combo Zuke can release a projectile

• Melee hits restore Zuke’s health

• Consecutive melee hits increase its damage

• Successful transformations give Zuke more ammo and restore his health

•  Transformations require less time to be completed

• If Zuke is attacked while transforming he will take damage but won’t be interrupted from finishing transformation

Mods

Remember the “energy” being mentioned in the skill tree section? This is what said energy is being used for. A modification for Mayday”s Guitar and Zuke’s Drumsticks with which Mayday & Zuke can perform various special techniques but requiring them to use part of the energy bars. While Mayday takes 2 big bars to perform massive techniques, Zuke got 8 small bars, Zuke’s are usually more reliant on his combo chain attacks and pretty quick, while Mayday’s are oppositely more instant and produce larger effect. 

Mayday

Mars Attack

Mayday revs up her guitar, then throws it like a flaming boomerang, which upon usage can hit multiple nearby enemies at once, requiring 1 energy bar.

Purifying Water

Mayday plays a soothing tune, basically restoring more than half of her health, also requiring 1 energy bar.

More Than One Transformer

Mayday slams her guitar on the ground, summoning vines to transform all nearby technologies all up to level 3, requiring 2 energy bars.

Missile Launched!

Mayday summons the power of a warship, and rides a guided missile into out of reach enemies requiring 1 energy bar.

Two Sided Mayday

Mayday puts on a Zuke face mask, and therefore creates a bond with him, basically making herself invulnerable and whatever damage she takes is converted to heal Zuke instead, a strong but also expensive move which requires 2 energy bars.

Zuke

One with the Universe

Zuke enters a brief zen-like state, then drums away to regain health slightly. If Zuke executes this technique at a higher drum combo however, healing is heavily increased, either way requiring 1 energy bar.

Trident of Nepyune

Zuke transforms his drumsticks into magical tridents, increasing his melee range and damage. Similarly like with the aforementioned technique upon being executed at higher drum combo, melee range and damage vastly increases, also requiring 1 energy bar.

Arpeggio Assault

Zuke launches homing musical notes with precision at out of reach enemies. If said move is executed at higher drum combo damage of said note is increased, also requires 1 energy bar.

Bio-Tactical Shield

Zuke basically creates a protective forcefield around himself making him invincible to any damage, if executed at a higher drum combo duration of shield is way longer, requiring 2 energy bars.

Burning Hair Fashion

Zuke dashes a short distance forward with fire in his hair, burning everything in his path, with increased damage if executed at higher combo, 

Ultimate Duet

Aside from mods, Mayday's & Zuke’s more powerful moves are the ones when they are together (most of which they got after fighting DK West in a Rap Battle), using all of their energy bars to utilize them (with the exception of the last two).

Shadow Dancer

Mayday & Zuke while dancing summon large shadow fists that hit all opponents with high damage in the area. 

Healing Boogaloo

Mayday & Zuke perform a sacrificial dance during which they fully restore their health.

Rock'n Rodeo 

Mayday & Zuke summon DK West’s giant shadow bull who charges towards the opponent with high damage.

Showstopper

Basically their finisher move which is used when the opponent is at their limit. They charge themselves up a little and shoot big energy projectiles right into the opponent, ending the fight.  

The Power of Rock

Their final technique they have used at the end of the game, “The Power of Rock” - a move during which Mayday & Zuke charge up with electricity and release massive area attack, not only one shotting all nearby enemies, but also restoring power to other nearby tech (as well as somehow fixing piano???).

Support

Chai & 808

Peppermint

“Get up, slacker. We've got work to do.”

Peppermint is the most integral part of the team, serving as one of its cornerstones. She keeps everything together and is the catalyst for the entire adventure. Upon discovering her brother's corruption within Vandelay, she, alongside Macaron, hacked into their servers and uncovered files discussing a Mind Control program. This discovery led her to join forces with Chai and 808. They have been inseparable ever since, forming a cohesive team. While excelling in various areas, Peppermint's tactical prowess in combat stands out, her main purpose is targeting faraway objects with her guns & overloading shields that enemies have, which is most present in her feats:

• Her gun has enough firepower to knock back 6 Bots simultaneously.

• Broke a sign.

• Can hack multiple access panels, terminals, computers, doors, surveillance, and more!

• Huh… most important character on the team basically has no feats, that’s really funny

Macaron

“I was thinking of a non-violent solution!” 

Macaron, formerly a respected Head of Department in the pre-corruption era of Vandelay, discreetly embarked on a journey to unveil the depths of its corruption. Gradually, he forged an alliance with Peppermint, serving as her trusted informant within the organization. Undoubtedly the most intellectually gifted member of the group, Macaron's expertise extends beyond being an exceptional hacker; he's also the mastermind behind many of the campus's bots. Despite his inclination to avoid physical confrontations, he possesses formidable strength that’s even capable of destroying Z-Shielding & readily contributes when called upon, as evidenced by his impressive track record of feats:

• He can launch Boulders really far.

• Is capable of destroying Z-Plating which is next-gen Body Armor.

• Macaron stops a giant Robot Arm with his bare hands.

• Punched the head off of a giant Stone Kale Statue. (40.8 Tons of TNT)

• Managed to outhack a PGR-0101 Model (like explicitly) which are said to be able to enhance their speed by 5x in comparison to normal humans. (Which would require Macaron is physically MOVING/TYPING faster than the bots can react to, since it was actively struggling; so it gives us room to add a multiplier onto Chai’s speed feats if need be)

Korsica

”If possible, I’d like to make it up. It would be a honor to work for the company… the REAL Vandelay that I admired.”

Originally serving as the head of Security at Vandelay, Korsica made a pivotal decision to align herself with Chai's group, aiming to dismantle the company's corruption from within. Possessing a plethora of formidable attacks and techniques, her mastery over the element of wind stands out prominently. Capable of conjuring tornadoes and imbuing her batons with the force of the wind, her main ability is stunning enemies & breaking enemy guard, Korsica proved to be a formidable ally after joining forces with Chai, achieving numerous remarkable feats:

• Overloads a Museum Generator with Wind. (Debatably 12.5 Tons of TNT)

• Experienced at countering hacks. 

CNMN

“Was I "dope", Mister Chai?”

CNMN is one of Macaron's most beloved creations, a Psych-AI that tells the truth no matter how much it hurts. Brutal Honesty is always the best policy! He is the least utilized member of the group, but actually does provide great support: in Combat, gathering information, and by using genuine comedy. He’s also responsible for one of the strongest feats against any of the Mech Bots:

• Used a massive hand connected to his body to shoot a laser that vaporized a massive Robot. (3.86 Megatons)

• CNMN hacked a Display. (lol)

• Can perform environmental scans.

Smidge

“I just wanted to tell you that, because you ignored me, I will no longer tell you my hint!"

Vandelay Smart Fridge VA-SF07, otherwise known as Smidge, is a little bit of a weird case. Smidge was originally built by Macaron, but has sorta turned into a stalker, he’s ALWAYS around, he ALWAYS knows too much (seconds after Chai got his powers, he knew EVERYTHING about them), is part of a hive-mind of hundreds of separate Smidges (look in the background, there’s like ten in every level), and as opposed to teleporting in like the rest of your comrades prefers to RUN to your location at blinding speeds.

• Seemingly Indestructible. (May or May Not be a Masochist)

• Possibly Omniscient; he knows a lot about you 🙂

• Stopped a closing Steel Door with his body.

• Runs so fast he leaves behind a dust trail.

• Can run to you in milliseconds; regardless of where you are on the Vandelay Campus (Mach 44.82)

Mayday & Zuke 

Elliegator

During events of No Straight Roads, Mayday & Zuke lived in the sewers, and besides getting a big audience, they got a pet alligator. Elliegator! By itself, it doesn’t do much, however it can do one thing no other Gator can to this day…

Ellie pad

That’s right folks, it is smart enough to control a small helicopter for them, (yes you did read that correctly this gator can pilot a helicopter, a dream come true), and very proficient at that, being able to pilot Mayday & Zuke across all of Vinyl City. Additionally during the fight when Mayday & Zuke are heavily wounded, Ellie can gun opponent down with their napalm strike (yes it’s called specifically napalm strike) as well as give Mayday and Zuke lots of food to restore health during the whole fight.

Feats 

Chai & 808

Overall

• Took down all the Vandelay Heads and freed the Industry from corruption.

• Beat a season performer like Mimosa alongside her entire entourage in a Music Battle despite never haven played Guitar a day in his life.

• Shadowdropped on a Console, proceeded to become successful, and became one of the coolest games ever made.

• Met Doom Guy (also 808 can apparently illegally emulate Doom).

Strength

• Can severely damage Gold Kale statues and cause them to steam.

• Can destroy portions of walls.

• Broke the QA-1 Millions Metal Harness.

• 808 can produce a Gigawatt per second of energy. (0.72 Tons of TNT)

• Broke through the ZP-1500’s arm. (23.3 Kilotons)

Speed

• He can launch Robots far away and then OUTSPEED them in slow motion.

• Can parry missiles from the QA 1 Million.

• 808 can create afterimages by moving their paws really fast.

• Can react to an incoming Blimp while moving past clouds really fast. (Mach 6263.39)

• Can parry Security Drone lasers. (22% SoL) (See Before the Verdict)

• Can dodge Lasers Beams from a Security System. (40% SoL) (See Before the Verdict)

• Dodges Lasers from the GNR-020 Robots. (75% SoL) (See Before the Verdict)

• Grabbed Korsica and Dodges a Laser after it was fired. (3.9 c) (See Before the Verdict; really important for this feat)

Durability

• Tanks the fabled SLAPS.

• Can survive being crushed by a Trash Compactor.

• Survived being hit by a Giant Robot Explosion, albeit he was quite a distance away.

• Survives hits from Air-1N who can make explosions this large. (0.0056 Tons of TNT)

• Can tank hits from falling Volcanic Rocks.

• Got sent through multiple separate walls by a punch (as seen above).

• Survived holding onto a Lift while it was flipping around with enough force to LITERALLY Pulverize by the time it stopped. (3.04 Kilotons)

• Chai was launched out a Canyon to the Vandelay Tower. (Low-End: 85.04 Kilotons; Mid-End: Debatably 43.61 Gigatons; High-End: Debatably 2.91 Teratons, should be noted Low-end is the safest option out of 3)

Mayday & Zuke

Overall

• Took down all professional NSR artists, while also making it to the top charts in the world

• Saved Vinyl City along with changing its system

• Fought equally with DK West in a rap battle

• Managed to have hundred thousands to millions of fans in a matter of a few days

Strength

• Mayday managed to punch TV hard enough to break it…twice (as shown above)

• Mayday destroyed Yinu’s Piano with her Guitar (additionally hitted so hard, golden rose exploded afterwards)

• Mayday & Zuke can punch human sized robots hard enough to throw them around

• With their Showstopper were able to send DJ Subatomic Supernova directly into space (355.83 Kilotons of TNT)

• Along with other NSR artists moved NSR Tower at insane high speeds (313.3 Kilotons of TNT)

• All to stop massive Satellite from destroying the tower (2.475 Megatons of TNT)

• With their music are capable of moving districts of Vinyl City (9.15 - 15.25 Megatons of TNT)

• Said feat is possible to be done by other NSR artists. Considering Mayday & Zuke can produce just as much energy as all NSR artists combined it’s possible they can perform more powerful than said feat (22.87 - 38.12 Megatons of TNT) (See Before the Verdict)

Speed

• Are capable of parrying Yinu’s sound notes

• Can dodge falling objects from space while piloting a helicopter

• Sent DJ Subatomic Supernova into space in a short timeframe (Mach 32)

• Can parry and dodge 1010’s lasers (Debatable)

• Can dodge laser in EVE’s art gallery (32% SoL)

• Can also parry laser from “eyes” of EVE’s Gallery (Debatable)

• Are capable of dodging DJ Subatomic Supernova's electromagnetic waves (41% SoL)

Durability

• Tanked Golden Rose exploding while falling down from high height (as seen above)

• Can tank several explosions while facing off against NSR artists

• Can tank DJ Subatomic Supernova tossing “planets” at them at high speeds

• Can tank Yinu’s Mother’s shockwaves

• Tanked Neon J’s Ship crashing

Scaling

Chai & 808

Rekka

”You want to be successful? You wanna be productive? Then you've gotta be AGGRESSIVE!”

As Chai began his departure from the Vandelay campus, he encountered an unexpected obstacle in the form of his first genuine adversary: Vandelay's 'ofproduction,' REKKA. A towering figure, REKKA exuded raw strength and a straightforward demeanor. Her motivations for aligning with Vandelay appeared uncomplicated – a penchant for destruction coupled with the thrill of unleashing her Wrestle-like combat style, all in the pursuit of sheer enjoyment. For Chai and 808, she represented their inaugural true test, showcasing an array of impressive abilities including:

• Punches so hard she can make gusts of wind.

• Could crater steel flooring just by dive kicking.

• Absorbed a power cable's electricity into her body.

• Can create pipes out of thin air.

• Her death caused an explosion that vaporized her. (0.07 Tons of TNT) 

• Could discharge electricity from her body and along the floor.

• Held up the planet in a poster.

• THAT’S IT THE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF.

Zanzo

"Ugh, you common folk don't understand quality--you just crave explosions! Well, if that's what you want..."

In every team, there's often a wildcard whose brilliance is matched only by their eccentricity, and that role is perfectly embodied by the head of the Research and Development Department at Vandelay. Zanzo joined the organization with a singular objective: to conduct experiments to his heart's content, unbounded by convention or cost, all in the pursuit of genuine innovation. Though he typically assumes a less handson role compared to other Head Departments, Zanzo's contributions are nonetheless significant. Leveraging his expertise in AR technology, he plays a noteworthy part in advancing Vandelay's endeavors:

• Chai could destroy the AR Device which was struggling to contain all of that energy and when it’s overworked or hit enough it has enough explosive power to obliterate walls.

• His AR device instantly created an Alternate Reality that recreated his entire Underground Laboratory down to the very last detail… and added a bunch of new additions like spontaneous volcanoes with what can only be described as Reality Warping. It’s Virtual Reality that’s SO REAL that it HURTS, by ‘recreating missed opportunities’. It seems pretty clear that the core itself is upholding the reality at all times, as Zanzo’s Budget only goes down when it’s active and spending budget, and when destroyed the reality instantaneously disappears. (78.5 Megatons) [All of this is accomplished via natural volcanic energy]

Korsica(again)

”You trying to hack into my computer? The head of Security? You broke my concentration. So how 'bout I break you?”

At some point in life, everyone feels the urge to enact change within society. Korsica happened to be one of the fortunate individuals who crossed paths with Vandelay before its descent into corruption and darker pursuits. Despite receiving the least amount of trust among the Department Heads, Korsica remains steadfast in her dedication to her duties. Fueled by her strong sense of justice, her eventual alliance with Chai was sealed after a decisive confrontation with Kale. But before joining forces with Chai, Korsica achieved several notable feats:

• Can create gusts of wind akin to Mini Tornados.

• Was knocked several feet into the air and then got rammed into several steel doors while unconscious.

• Tanked an explosion that destroyed a Lift, albeit it knocked her and Chai unconscious. (84.32 Tons of TNT)

Mimosa

“The crowd's in the palm of my hand. And they want to see a REAL performance. Let's see who they're here for.”

Mimosa is a bona fide celebrity on Vandelay Island, renowned for her extravagant performances and mastery of the stage arts. Her fame precedes her, with not a soul unfamiliar with her name or her dazzling shows. It's hardly surprising that she found her place within Vandelay, drawn to its stage-like atmosphere. When Chai set his sights on her key next, it was a challenge that wouldn't be taken lightly. With her extensive experience, Mimosa stood as one of the most seasoned among all the Department Heads.

• Can shoot Speed of Sound Music Notes. (343 m/s)

• Can fire beams of light that reflect off her suit, Chai’s Guitar, and fire through a Disco Ball. (0.35 c)

• While the Lights are turned off she moves so fast that it looks like she’s teleporting.

• Her death caused a firework explosion and potentially launched her pass-key to Horizon-Wide Distances.

• Has the sickest music segment in the entire game. :)))

Roquefort 

”This is a waste of time. And you know what TIME is? MONEY! And I am not gonna waste any more of that.”

Rogueport undeniably holds the title of Vandelay's most perilous member. Rescued by Kale from the streets when others saw nothing in him, Rogueport dedicated himself wholeheartedly to becoming a crucial asset to Kale. Empowered by advanced implants bestowed upon him by Kale, he possesses the ability to transform into a towering mechanical wolf… which is why many of the Staff Members saw him as a ‘Wolf in Sheep's Clothing’. Coupled with his significant anger management issues, Rogueport can sustain his ferocious fighting style as long as he can tap into his rage. During his confrontation with Chai, while channeling his aggression, Rogueport demonstrated the following capabilities:

• Broke through a Golden Steel Inforced Vault door in his Wolf Form. (1.42 Tons of TNT)

• Can create small tornados.

• Can move faster than eyesight.

Kale Vandelay

“You know how you get to the top? Having a VISION. Something all of YOU lack.”

Kale has consistently expanded his empire through a potent combination of jealousy, intellect, and influence... making him a formidable 'final boss'. His resentment began in childhood, fueled by jealousy towards his sister, who was poised to inherit Vandelay. When she absconded, leaving the family's legacy in disarray, Kale's mother still denied him the coveted role, intensifying his simmering rage. Years of relentless innovation bore fruit when he developed a groundbreaking technology: the Mind Control Program, ‘SPECTRA’. Capable of subjugating individuals with Vandelay implants, Kale initiated his campaign by manipulating his own mother, clearing the path for his ascension to power. With his insidious 'SPECTRA' technology, Kale aimed to coerce not only the island's inhabitants but the entire globe into purchasing Vandelay Products, transforming them into unwitting marionettes. As he laid the groundwork for global domination, Kale's ambition knew no bounds.

• Could fire SPECTRA Wi-Fi Signals relative to the Speed of Light that Chai reacted to [you really gotta slow down the video]. (Relativistic Reaction Speed; though if you take the tandem movement literally it can get MFTL movement speed)

• His Butterfly Robots can shoot lasers.

• Could create surges of electricity that protrude from the ground.

• Absorbed the power of the SPECTRA tower, which could affect a storm surrounding him and Chai while fighting. (Debatably 189.9 Megatons) (See Before the Verdict)

• Creates a massive explosion upon death.

• Dumbass got boxed out by a Cat.

Mayday & Zuke 

DJ Subatomic Supernova 

"Don't you know who I am? I. AM. DJ Subatomic Supernova! My music will reach the furthest corners of the galaxy. What have you done today, simpletons?"

When starting their music revolution, their first target was a space themed DJ representing Disco Stellarum music. This proud man was originally an Astrophysicist, so he is without a doubt the smartest of the NSR bunch. However, due to him being a deeply self-important and self-centered person, joining NSR is only a means for him to achieve his ultimate goal: to be some kind of avatar for Earth. Whatever that means. With all being said though, DJ Subatomic Supernova was their first opponent and obstacle in achieving the music revolution, which Bunk Bed Junction overcame. DJSS in a single boss fight managed to demonstrate various feats such as: 

• Growing himself to the size of a planetarium

• Spinning clouds around himself

• Telekinetically launching “planets” at Mayday & Zuke

• Was able to use Pulsar to shoot electromagnetic waves at Mayday & Zuke

• After having his glass ball broken, creating a “black hole”.

• Survived being launched into Space at high speeds.

Sayu

"It seems like I have no choice but to defeat you with the power of…LOVE LOVE Sayu, pyuu~n"

Mayday & Zuke’s second opponent standing in their way, was an actual cutecore vocaloid in the form of a singing mermaid. While Sayu was a tricky opponent to fight Bunk Bed Junktion was able to use her weakness of connection to people who created her, even though it took them to whistand her powers first which includes:

• Causing explosions with her trident

• Can create small tsunamis with her legs.

• Can hit large rocks.

Yinu (& her Mother) 

"I'll show you why they call me the Golden Maestro of Vinyl City!"

You know everyone in our life back in childhood if we were learning to play musical instruments we probably had that period when we directly or indirectly had seen a child younger perform at such high skills you could only dream of…well this kid basically generates the same vibes. Yinu - The Golden Maestro of Vinyl City, is a child pianist prodigy who pretty much perfectly plays piano since her childhood, representing neoclassical music. Despite being physically only a child, her music was still capable to cause troubles to Bunk Bed Junktion, especially since she herself is protected by her Mother who meanwhile greatly compensates for Yinu’s weak durability as she is big and strong. Both as a team were able to perform various feats such as:

• Mother was able to cause a shockwave by hitting the ground with her hand.

• Mother was able to survive falling back down to ground level while in her Giant form.

• Was able to casually destroy the concert hall in rage.

• While doing so, she also was able to telekinetically lift dozens of rock structures and fly to the skies.

• In rage, Yinu was able to play triplets on her piano based on how said final part was played, she basically was playing both bass and treble sounds which normally would be impossible to do for a kid with hands as small as hers. 

1010 (& Neon J)

"You better put on your tactical thermal goggles because…we’re gonna bring the heat!"

First we beat a DJ, second we beat Vocaloid, third we beat a child and now we’re beating a robot K-Pop group. Day couldn’t get any more bizarre now. Assigned by their manager and creator Neon J, after multiple prototypes, the final product - 1010 were ready to entertain girls and kick your ass while being at it. They alongside Neon J were able to put up a good fight against Mayday & Zuke while performing various feats:

• Neon J was able to tank this big explosion.

• Neon J’s mech was able to cause a small tornado. 

• 1010 models can shoot lasers (Debatable)

Eve

"So, open your mind, sink into my gaze, and let yourself be reborn again!"

The top artist of the NSR who represents psydub genre of music, and one of the closest friends of Zuke - Eve was the last artist needed to defeat before facing the big bad of the whole crew. Despite being a long and good friend in the past, it doesn’t mean she was holding back in this battle. In fact, while she does have feelings for Zuke she was going all out on Mayday when separating both. But even when separated Mayday & Zuke proved to be a solid team that put a good fight against illusionary artist capable of performing multiple feats such as:

• Using giant feet to cause big amount of cracks on the floor 

Tatiana Qwartz

"You didn’t compete with my artists on a level playing field. You merely set up a circus act by hijacking their concerts. It swayed public opinion alright, but it was all flash! In truth, your “music revolution” agenda is nothing more than an act of impulse! Tell me, how do you intend to run the city if you win? What about the hundreds of NSR employees who will be thrown out of work? Have you considered the inevitable insurgence from the people who still genuinely love EDM? Can you really run the city under those circumstances?"

The final and most powerful foe from the NSR company as well as its CEO and Founder - Tatiana has proved herself to be a stern, authoritarian figure and despite the amount of responsibilities on her shoulders calm and well-restrained. However it did not stopped Mayday & Zuke to push Tatiana to her limits and fight at her full might demonstrating how mighty her strength can be if you’re standing on her way:

• Tanked the blast from the key that shattered all glass in the NSR’s tower

• Same key attack managed to recreate the Rock scene from the past.

• While using her guitar made a massive fire explosion destroying all nearby NSR robots. 

• Uppercuts Kliff

Weaknesses

Chai & 808

Despite their impressive performance in combat, both Chai and 808, along with the entire hideout gang, have notable weaknesses. Chai is lacking in any real experience with team-oriented combat, which is furthered by how he's only really known everyone for a few days AT MOST canonically at the end of Hi-Fi Rush, rendering his strategies with backup somewhat improvisational, or really ANY strategies for that matter (he’s really bad at them). He tends to approach situations like he's feeling out a beat, which as you’d expect often results in straightforward tactics in a battle. Additionally, while 808 is an invaluable asset, she typically refrains from participating in fights unless absolutely necessary, preferring to provide support to Chai from right beside him. Though most detrimental, if 808 were to be destroyed, Chai would lose the ability to summon allies, significantly hampering his capabilities in battles where he finds himself outnumbered. (Also, he doesn’t know how to play Guitar… stay losing Chai bros #Fraudstars)

Mayday & Zuke

Mayday & Zuke are talented musicians and strong fighters, but they obviously share some weaknesses. For one, they are seemingly more naive, as their entire music revolution was led by Kliff, the person who they never knew before and just suddenly emailed them after a fight with DJ Subatomic Supernova without giving any suspicion to Mayday & Zuke (Mayday generally isn’t hard to manipulate as she even was adored by her enemies’ romantic compliments). Aside from that, Mayday, being a more hot-headed member of the duo can constantly overreact to what’s going on around herself, occasionally leading her to make not so smart decisions. Zuke on the other hand, while more cool-headed and rational, due to that can occasionally not  keep up in pace with Mayday outside of music and battles. Most importantly however is that they are for most part a team and while they have proven to have strong bonds even when being separate, while far away from each other they won’t be able to perform their most powerful moves.  

Before the Verdict

What’s Wrong With Using The Rehearsal Pass for Debates?

Starting from something rather simple, one of the stickers in No Straight Roads is “Rehearsal Pass” which grants Mayday & Zuke complete immunity to all sorts of damage in the levels with the twist being that we don’t get any rewards (like rank or fans) either. With that being said, is there a reason it isn’t being used? While it’s pretty complicated, it’s rather more likely that said sticked is being used to test the levels before going to actually play them, and generally speaking it’s likely thing is mostly game mechanic related which isn’t really acknowledged in game, since it isn’t something what can be found in Vinyl City like with all other stickers, nor it is not something that you get as a reward for something like 100%ing game for instance, kind of the opposite actually as we get it at the very beginning with no explanation behind it. So it’s unlikely if said sticker can actually be used in fight if it was used in fight whatsoever.

Legitimacy of Lasers in Hi-Fi Rush

It’s understandable why some people would be hesitant to accept the Laser’s in Hi-Fi Rush as legitimate, though it seems to be the intention at this point. It stands to reason that given all these Lasers are made by the same Company, they wouldn’t change that much across the board since they’re all variants of the same tech models & are often used for the same applications. Vandelay lasers are called ‘lasers’, these beams are said to shine and called literal light, they are said to burn and produce Lumens more plentiful than the actual Sun (Lumens referring to how much Light is produced), they move in straight lines, and are fired through lenses. (like it literally meets all the criteria) The only problem is there are some various points like in gameplay for example where you seem to get knocked back by them, though at this point they’re almost certainly beams comprised of light- so it’s most likely that knockback as a whole is just a gameplay mechanic since SOMETHING has to happen when you’re hit by an attack. There’s that and the fact that a Lumen count that high would feel like an uppercut to the face, the sun only produces 127,000 Lumens per square meter, though this is in the BILLIONS. Secondly there’s the example of a Laser destroying a Cargo-Lift, but this can be explained by Superheating, it’s a giant lift with gears, engines, motors… any of that can heat up to a point of exploding, which would explain why it went kaboom to begin with. Even if we say they do showcase ‘force’ the lasers already follow so many points and are so obviously light-compromised that it wouldn’t matter, Light contains photons, photons are relative to the Speed of Light, it’d still be usable for Light-Timing.

Vinyl City & “Control over it”

To summarize, music in No Straight Roads is how at least nearly all of Mayday’s & Zuke’s powers work, and upon defeating each artist who controlled their own district, Mayday & Zuke were taking said control to themselves. The moment they can control the district they can basically control movement and placement of all buildings within the district. While they technically are doing it through vinyls they get after beating the artists (meaning normally they can’t just toss around buildings at you with their music), it does mean their music is powerful enough to give energy to move said buildings at high speeds, making it a pretty powerful feat. Take vinyl as a key and district of a city that is moved as a lock, you still need to use your force so a key could open the lock, same here, while vinyl is a key to moving districts, Mayday’s & Zuke’s music is powerful enough to give movement to a district in the first place. As well as same was possible to be done by all other NSR artists, as they had control over the district before being taken over by Mayday & Zuke, and from here it is possible Mayday & Zuke can be even stronger, as the energy output Mayday & Zuke produce for Vinyl City is pretty much same as energy output from all of NSR artists (that being…47%). With that in mind it’s plausible to assume May and Zuke’s music performance is good enough to give larger energy output than the average NSR artist whose music is powerful enough to move controlled districts. Considering there are 5 NSR artists and Mayday & Zuke perform together, single handedly Mayday & Zuke can perform 2.5 times better than mentioned feat.

Do Summons Actually Drain Chai’s Stamina?

This one's pretty straightforward: no, it just doesn't add up. There's no explicit statement indicating that summons drain Chai's stamina; it wouldn't make any sense. The summons are a product of 808's technology and usage, as evidenced by cutscenes where Chai doesn't need to activate them for his allies to appear—they can simply activate 808's temporal technology and join the fray. While 808's technology has a cooldown, it can be used repeatedly without negative effects (like it has MULTIPLE times cutscenes and gameplay wise). The only real argument used towards Chai getting tired after summoning is that he seemed to get tired post battle in a cutscene where summons appeared around 12 seconds before, now obviously there’s a LOT of problems with this…. Chai is not only a very over exaggerated & goofball-type character, but BEFORE ALLLLLL of this… Chai had undergone surgery, got thrown through 5 walls, been knocked unconscious, repaired an entire power grid, and fought over 100 separate horde battles at this point… to say he has the RIGHT to be exhausted is an understatement. Regardless, after the summons scene, he shows no signs of strain (mf just having fun out there), it happens almost 10 seconds after the fact… (WHY THE HELL WOULD THERE BE THAT LARGE A DISCONNECT) there’s literally NO way to prove correlation, it’s HEADCANON to put it simply. Chai has had allies on the field for extended periods in other instances without showing any fatigue and has been just fine; his only limit is the cooldown and time limit, which they themselves have extended up to around a minute in that SAME SCENE, as well as other times (and even some where ALL his summons were used BACK to BACK). 

‘Perspective’ of the NSR Boss Fights & Feats

Here comes a bit more tricky part of the discussion, whether or not some feats that are happening in No Straight Roads are real. Now from starters, no the intent isn’t to say that everything that is going on in the game is fake like Karen mother becoming massive or DJSS being big or Virtual World to an extent and so on and on, most of the stuff that is going on in No Straight Roads isn’t just an illusion or fantasy but is an actual thing. What is however more questionable are some feats that happen during said boss fights. For instance EVE during her boss fight creates some sort of pocket dimension in which she fights Mayday & Zuke, cool huh? But this one has actually a pretty straightforward answer, since it was stated directly that she was just messing with their minds, meaning a bunch of notable stuff that was happening in her boss fight are more so an illusion. With other boss fights there is less notable stuff to question if it’s real or not but there is one NSR artist that is practically a reason for this section to begin with, that being first boss - DJ Subatomic Supernova. The guy performs pretty insane stuff like how he eventually turns the whole battlefield into a galaxy, or how at the climax of the battle his helmet literally turns into a black hole sucking in everything we see nearby. Even mid fight before these potentially cosmic feats that likely are illusionary we see him spin clouds around, pretty cool until you notice he also somehow spins the moon as well, implying either he somehow spun Earth or Moon hard enough. These feats basically get from planetary to Solar System/Galaxy in scale but the problem is even the most obvious feat that could be non fake (moon/cloud spin) is likely an outlier in context of No Straight Roads narrative where the whole point is to give city more energy, would be strange to have these problems in a first place with the guy “creating” galaxies and black holes along with being powerful enough to spin the Moon or Earth, energy to do all that can be enough to practically make energy output near infinite, which contradicts the story of NSR.     

Legitimacy of Kale’s Storm Feat

At first glance, the notion of Kale conjuring a storm might seem peculiar, but upon closer examination, numerous factors align in his favor. Prior to the showdown, the sky was relatively clear, with only a few wispy strands, which the dark sky was seemingly caused by a giant Laser firing moments earlier regardless. However, when they enter the building for only about a minute, SPECTRA is turned on (hence why the tower is generating electricity), and as Kale leads Chai to the rooftop, a ferocious storm suddenly erupts, intensifying the atmosphere dramatically (coincidence? I THINK NOT). Furthermore, it becomes apparent that the tower itself is intricately linked to the storm's behavior. The storm mirrors the tower's energy output, initially manifesting as blue lightning coinciding with the tower's usage of the same, transitioning to purple when Kale enters his second phase, and finally both the tower and storm unleash orange lightning when Kale empowers himself with corresponding energy. This undeniable correlation strongly suggests that Kale is not only harnessing the energy, but also possibly generating it through the creation of the storm, which both Chai and him would scale physically… IF you buy energy correlating in that fashion but that brings us to the follow-up below.

Electricity Energy Arguments (Hi-Fi Rush & NSR)

Now here’s sort of the issue with both, while both can use Energy arguments persay, it’s very likely not the intent given how crazily it is above both sides normal feats. You can basically say an endless amount of bullshit to get crazy numbers for either, for example, Hi-Fi Rush takes place millions of years into the future (994543515 Days without a Defect = 2724776.75 years, which is 2 million years of service ahead of what we can assume is the 2000s atleast), Spectra is supposed to supply the whole planet with hypnotic Wifi signals so thick you can literally see it visibly, plus they have tech lined along ‘bottomless pits’ like… from a story perspective it just wouldn’t make sense that Chai could bust an island, or planet, or literal universe. So while you could technically make an argument for Chai’s side being real, it just doesn’t really fit the game; outside of even that you have to assume that Kale in some way is tanking the force of the lightning or really creating the storm himself rather than just using the Specter Tower. And if you manage to get around ALL of those loopholes, you also have to account for how Kale didn’t take a full force shot regardless; it took minutes to even create the storm and the shot he tanked was literally only seconds of exposure to electricity. We don’t really have enough info to formulate how much the falloff would be if we used it. On the opposite side of the Spectrum Mayday and Zuke also have electricity arguments, the entire city is being powered by the District Heads (since in No Straight Roads universe, technology advanced to the state that it converts music into the electricity and possibly gives more energy than real world does in more common methods) playing music and Mayday and Zuke together can match the power of all the heads. Based on this it reasonably stands that they can scale to half the energy output of the entire city (as previously mentioned, 47% single handedly just as much as all NSR artists do combined), while it also takes place realistically in the future we have much less of an idea of ‘when’ in the future so it’s already not as good as Hi-Fi Rush’s variant. It’s important to understand that the energy built up as a whole did not have to be done all at once, it was only said that Mayday and Zuke could MATCH the districts in power, but it’s never said how long those districts took to charge the city, it could have easily been done over time; as long as they keep some sort of supply going they can always keep the electricity on for the city. This is supported given when all the district heads are stopped during the endgame the cities power doesn’t suffer whatsoever even after a prolonged amount of time. Electricity Arguments in this case are just weird to use in general, like AGAIN you CAN use them, but for the sake of the blog we’re merely addressing them.

Verdict

Now we’ve reached this very moment of truth, this Matchup is frankly really interesting to look at. Not only from a narrative perspective of how similar these games’ premise and their message are, but even when it comes to something minor like feats or small events or gags. But let’s not get way too ahead from the topic though. First of all let’s talk about the most obvious part here - stats. Chai & 808 are very obviously faster, no matter what ends you use they’ll always be nearly double Mayday and Zuke’s (41% vs 75% the speed of light), or upwards of 9.5x as fast (41% the speed of light vs 3.9 x the speed of light) which is not the sort of gap you want in a high-speed fight. Strength was way closer, generally speaking Hi-FI Rush and No Straight Roads have very similar feats: like how both have a powerful feat involving a gigantic hand, or how both have an argument for electricity but perhaps the most impressive feat on Bunk Bed Junction’s pocket is district control feat, powerful enough to move them up to 38.12 Megatons of TNT, the only real thing keeping Chai ahead is Zanzo’s AR Reality Feat, which finally leads us to discuss it. Unlike most ‘energy’ feats it’s not really an energy feat at all, it’s literally creating a replicated ‘chamber’ which yields around 78.5 Megatons given the heat energy… though scaling Chai is sort of the issue. The one saving grace of the feat is that it’s constantly upheld by the existence of Zanzo’s device, once destroyed, the reality dissipates instantaneously meaning the energy likely correlates to its physical body and capabilities, it was even shown struggling during the whole ordeal trying to contain all of the energy (meaning it’s always being channeled through itself); though it’s important to note Chai ONLY takes AP if you use this feat it’s sort of like taking a look at his high-end stats. Though given it doesn’t contradict anything previously established in our QNA we’ll be using it for the verdict. This means that using Mayday and Zuke’s peak feat of 38.12 Megatons and comparing it to the Zanzo feat which got 78.5 Megatons (and multiply it by the 1.5 x chip for a buff to 117.75 Megatons) it’s only around a 2-3x gap in Chai’s favor. Meaning across the board Chai took stats overall, at least using both sides' higher ends.

So while stats are not way too far behind and stuff like hax or arsenal are largely important in this matchup, it’s also worth to note some tertiary stuff. For instance is that while Chai does have numbers advantage, Mayday & Zuke already fought multiple opponents at once, or while MP3 makes movement predictable, Mayday & Zuke via virtue of coming from a rhythm related game can adapt to its reality warping rather quickly. Plus May & Zuke are just…a lot better at teamwork than Chai and his crew. Despite how Chai and 808 ‘linked up’, 808 is a lot more hands off than Zuke making this more like a 1v2 with the eventual pitchin from all of Chai’s summons, moreover, since M&Z known each other for a long time and built a perfect synergy with each other that they managed to do a great teamwork even while separated.

What was MUCH more clear was Arsenal, it was no real debate in terms of who had much more to throw at the other, and Mayday and Zuke were packing a lot! While both sides could make stuff like Shields, Decoy Distractions, both could make music energy constructs, and both had plenty of healing… even though Chai has Laser Turrets which AREEE helpful… M&Z’s side could create automated turrets, fire Music Ammo is always going to be a better ranged tool than anything Chai can throw out, they have assortments of missiles, and they had much more healing equipment on hand to help themselves out and aid any damage. Their entire strategy in a fight is usually to overwhelm and outlast opponents, which complements their Arsenal perfectly. Generally speaking both have a good amount of potential advantages to take here, on Chai’s side, Chips are a lot more reliable and versatile tools than Stickers for Mayday & Zuke despite the latter being stackable, and practically, so is Chai’s… and to a much greater extent. In terms of their tools what especially is worth talking about are their music shenanigans. Chai’s MP3 player for instance is a tool that despite helping Chai also unintentionally supports Mayday & Zuke in a way. Since by playing music it can warp reality to its rhythm but considering most of the music player plays is well…rock, which is something Mayday & Zuke are using in battle as an energy for their attacks basically, means the CD player also gives off its energy to them allowing them more often to do their moves, or more specifically Mods and Ultimate Duets. Zuke’s own defensive transformers can also serve lots of help during the fight, for instance if Chai has a holo version of himself to distract an opponent or even 808 simply being cute (which is something May would probably fall for but Zuke won’t due to him being more level-headed) Zuke meanwhile can create own decoys for distraction which can also carry bombs for that matter (something Chai’s simply can’t do), if Chai has Macaron who can create force fields and Peppermint who can shoot theirs down or hack them, Zuke can create either a forcefield as well or even counter Chai’s forcefield with Shield Disruptor, just like how he did against 1010. Additionally stuff like Speed pad which increases speed, or Turbine Converter which can convert projectiles into ammo or Time-stopper is just great tool to either stop projectiles or possibly even nearby opponents, all give Mayday & Zuke decent amount of openings to use (especially helpful since Zuke can’t be interrupted while doing transformations even though he can be damaged). And that’s without mentioning lots of other ways Mayday & Zuke can heal each other throughout the fight, most notably perhaps being ‘Two Sided Mayday’ which not only makes May invincible but also converts all damage she takes to heal Zuke. And lots of their ranged attacks most of which also are homing in combination to some of their massive Area attacks like “Power of Rock” it’s possible for Bunk Bed Junction to do continuous damage and keep themselves in a fight for a long period despite being worse in stat department….though that’s not to count Chai out. As obviously Mayday and Zuke take Arsenal, Chai actually kinda slammed in the Hax department. Believe it or not he had a lot going for him, while Chai’s CD player is definitely benefitting M&Z as well, it’s still giving him a pretty big indicator on when both are going to attack, even if both adapt to the gimmick it’s an ever present ability that will give Chai some sort of minor precognition. Instant Kill, as the name implies- just instantly defeats enemies on Chai’s level, given he’s stronger there’s really no reason to say that Instant Kill wouldn’t just… KILL both of them after enough contact hits. Outside of that he had four hackers on stand-by that could potentially shutdown a lot of M&Z’s Arsenal, as well as abilities neither have really dealt with before: Anti-Gravity Manipulation completely shutdown their ability to try and keep away from Chai as it kept them in one place, one they’re DEFINITELY not comfortable in, which is the air. Parry Wave made for a very good AOE option whenever something hit Chai, Reverb Hits essentially meant just like M&D both sides would have indefinite energy to work with, and Vitality Drain while not as effective as M&D's healing options meant that Chai could maintain his full health just by hitting them a lot which he could do with his superior speed. Some of Chai's Ultimates could slow down the flow of time similar to how Zuke could with Time-Stopper, which essentially meant they would cancel out if they interacted in that regard, Guitar Ride buffed Chai's already insane mobility even more (which makes their keep away game with arsenal even harder), and attacks from Korsica would stun M&D whenever her tornadoes landed keeping them still. While Mayday and Zuke have an arsenal that could potentially overwhelm Chai, he has the Hax and Energy to always make sure that they’re close enough to continue the fight… or y’know, just potentially end it in one blow.

Summary

Chai & 808

"You might not see it... We're in this together... And I know it now... I don't need a guitar. I AM a rockstar."

Advantages:

• Chip Buffs are very blatantly better than Sticker buffs in terms of percentages increased.

• Mayday and Zuke have no counters to Instant Kill Attacks via Floor Abilities.

• Gravity Manipulation would leave Mayday & Zuke sitting ducks in the air (as Chai excels at basically anything up close even if in the air), it’d even work on technology both placed down.

• At minimum Mayday would be infatuated with 808 once his ability is used. 

• Reasonably Stronger (plus has a Chip to increase Attack by 1.5x).

• Decently Faster.

• Way better at up-close combat, his entire gameplay style is getting close to an opponent.

• Regardless of how you slice it, his CD Player is always giving him a pretty clear idea for when to expect attacks coming his way.

• Summons are a Godsend making it so Mayday and Zuke are fighting a 2v7, at least every so often since he’ll always be limited by cooldown.

• Peppermint just straight up invalidates any shields that Mayday or Zuke use.

• 808 can overload a lot of Tech that is thrown down on field, including their shields and turrets.

• Magnetism gives Chai a direct opening for getting close whenever he decides to.

Disadvantages:

• Way Less Versatile when combat revolves around ranged options.

• Way less experienced at working together as a duo, Chai and 808 only have around a few days worth of experience in that regard.

• …Zuke should be unaffected by 808’s attraction given his more level-headed nature.

• Notably Less Healing Methods.

• …though this can also be seen as a disadvantage considering Chai is essentially fighting a Bullet Hell against Note Ammo.

• …Mayday and Zuke would be able to adapt to his Music Based Reality Warping Given time.

• Revives gives Mayday and Zuke multiple opportunities to continue the fight.

Mayday & Zuke

"There’s only one way to end this!”

“Right you are, Zuke!"

Advantages:

• Have experience dealing with multiple opponent as well as can easily adapt to Chai's rhythm reality warping (via being musicians…duh)

• Have known each other far longer thus better experience working together.

• More versatile at long ranged combat. 

• Chai MP3 player playing Rock music means Mayday & Zuke can passively get energy to do their moves during the fight directly from the opponent.

• A lot more and better healing options.

• Including Ellie Pad which offers them bonus health, ammo throughout the entire fight and attacks the opponent...

• Have ways to compensate for both small strength disadvantage and speed disadvantage (such as stickers that increase stats a bit or Power of Rock which by itself is an attack with massive Area of Effect)

• At least know how to play an instrument. 

Disadvantages:

• Slightly weaker, especially with highest ends. 

• Slower using all ends.

• Still are at a number disadvantage despite how it’s traditionally going to play out as a 1v2.

• Mayday is easily charmed and can be distracted by 808.

• ...though Smidge does the exact same thing for Chai.

• Way less versatile at close range.

Conclusion

Overall, it is a quite tricky match and pretty debatable at that, both have a similar amount of feats but stats overall lean to Chai’s advantages. Mayday & Zuke however have shown to be a better team which either faced what Chai can throw at them or can even replicate some stuff here and there. And with large amount of healing options, turrets, abilities, ways of getting energy to fight, they could take the victory in a decent amount of scenarios, but Chai & 808 aren’t way too behind them and has own amount of insane abilities where he can put a situation to his advantage, especially thanks to his speed advantage. 

Both are strong rock stars at their hearts and hands (or else how they’d break so much stuff with just their musical instruments or junk), and this fight surely took no straight road, but Chai & 808 have all the tools and power to rush Bunk Bed Junction and end their song.

The winners are Chai & 808!

NEXT TIME