In the world of performance art, in the world of athletic events, in the world of storytelling, pro wrestling stands in a unique position. It’s a world that challenges reality as we know it, only to crash into it in some of the worst possible ways. Pro wrestling is a fake fight in terms of stats and competition, but a real fight against physics, convention, and time. That said, wrestling is also very, very silly, and its cross-section between its own diegetic unreality and the real conventions of live entertainment means… weird stuff happens in cross-promotion campaigns. That’s why in the diegetic fiction of the WWE, Brock Lesnar has real-life UFC credentials, WrestleMania 2020 took place in closed sets and empty arenas (and a magic graveyard???) due to COVID-19, and The Muppets and Robocop are actual, living persons. That’s also why it’s totally reasonable John Cena is the most powerful fighter in the King of Fighters universe.
Yeah, so, for the last couple weeks the fighter/brawler hybrid The King of Fighters ALLSTAR has been running a WWE crossover event. Mobile games run crossovers all the time (especially the ones run via Japanese properties), but this one has attracted attention because… it’s weird! Wrestling always operates in this sort of intersection of nerd culture, memes, and cultural curiosity in addition to the regular fanbase, so it makes sense a lot of SNKheads out there are confused. But thanks to the fun characters, goofy art, and limited event storyline that is all about just having fun with this situation, it seems like everyone is having a good time with it.
Netmarble and SNK did hook us up with some premium currency, and over the course of things I’ve gotten a hold of most WWE content. I believe I’m equipped enough in King of Fighters ALLSTAR to make a value judgment on the event stuff, and am pretty confident in my opening statement. John Cena, the good ol’ Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect version, the “lookin’ like a box of Fruity Pebbles edition,” is absurdly powerful. At first I was disappointed Cena’s alter ego, the Doctor of Thuganomics, wasn’t as good. But after spending some time and resources into building this guy up, the path I’m on is super exciting. And ultimately, the added ironic value of BRRRRRAPADOOO blaring from my phone every time I win a fight is a long-term plus.
To get the most out of The King of Fighters ALLSTAR John Cena, you do unfortunately need almost a full WWE roster. This is a situational team setup, and the situation is having luck, money, or access. As you might expect, the WWE characters have good synergy together, much like the Tekken and Samurai Shodown event characters. But thanks to a specific combination of John Cena, the Undertaker, and some pre-existing King of Fighters cards you can get through normal play, a well-equipped WWE team will absolutely dominate everything but ALLSTAR’s sloppy PvP systems.
First off is the easy part; John Cena’s leader skill nets a ludicrous 55% ATK bonus to WWE Superstar characters. Now, Cena isn’t the only fighter with this ability. Both Tekken and Samurai Shodown have respective characters in that spot. Some others have a higher ATK bonus, but those come with drawbacks. While the upfront ATK boost is amazing, the real booster comes from the Undertaker. Pairing the two together nets the WWE Legends bonus, which increases ATK by 10% of overall DEF. Of course, Cena is built like a tank and his Never Give Up option card provides a good boost to DEF. From there, I picked out the Kula’s Vacation card set, each of which boost DEF… but if you get all three, say hello to another ATK bonus conversion, this one a whopping 40% of your DEF. WWE Legends also shortens skill cooldowns, so giving Cena Unreal Peace for his second option card gives even more DEF, plus a boost to the cooldown side effect. Everything else is just gravy, including such clean juggle states on Cena’s moveset it’s almost impossible to miss chaining everything together.
I have Becky Lynch and People’s Champion The Rock rounding out my team, paired with Seth Rollins and Doctor of Thuganomics John Cena respectively. Kofi Kingston is cooler than Rollins, but Rollins’ striker ability is a bit more useful. That said, Kingston is much easier to boost up since his cards are available via the event dungeon, and can also sit in Becky’s spot as well. Those three are pretty interchangeable based on what you can pull. They sync up well with each other, and of course whoever you place benefits from Cena’s leader skill bump. As an aside, I put The Doctor of Thuganomics in my other Yellow team even though he isn’t great, because of the joy this image brings me every time I see it:
The King of Fighters ALLSTAR John Cena, like the characters set up to be the overall leaders in other events, is a great option as leader thanks to a big, upfront ATK boost. But it’s his synergy with converting DEF to additional attack with The Undertaker and Kula’s Vacation that makes him a dominating force. Obviously your mileage may vary when it comes to limited event content, and I’m sure there are amazingly powerful combinations I haven’t found yet, since I’m playing ALLSTAR pretty casually. But considering the nonsense I’ve pulled off with my Cena team, I’m standing by my assessment for now. Cena’s got his soul straight, he’ll brush your mouth like Colgate, and he’s the most powerful King of Fighters competitor.
The King of Fighters ALLSTAR is available on compatible iOS, Android, and Amazon devices.
