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This article is about Diddy Kong's appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. For other uses, see Diddy Kong.

Diddy Kong (ディディーコング, Diddy Kong) is a returning veteran for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. He was announced on February 21st 2014, the international launch day of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

He currently ranks 3rd place on the tier list for his high speed, powerful combos between the ground and air, his versatile projectile game, and his good recovery. However, his recovery is predictable, he has slow air speed, and all his projectiles have vulnerabilities.

Attributes[]

Strengths[]

  • Fast dash speed.
  • High range for many attacks.
  • Can crawl.
  • Can wall jump and wall cling.
  • Great ground to air combo game.
  • Powerful combo throws.
  • Decent damage and knockback for most of his attacks.
  • Great edge-guard game.
  • Has two versatile projectiles: Peanut Popgun and Banana Peel.
  • A close range overcharged Peanut Popgun can deal extremely high knockback.
  • High recovery with Rocketbarrel Boost being able to be angled.
  • Has two Meteor Smashes: Down Aerial and Monkey Flip when used in the air.

Weaknesses[]

  • Has one of the lowest air speeds in the game.
  • Banana Peels and peanuts can be picked up and used by opponents.
  • Overcharging the Peanut Popgun will cause it to misfire, leaving Diddy vulnerable and causes him to take damage from it.
  • Easy target to combos since he is a fast-faller.
  • Very predictable recovery that is easy to intercept.
  • Diddy's Rocketbarrel will detach from him if he is hit, leaving him vulnerable.

Summary[]

Kuroham-diddykong

Diddy Kong's stats by Kurogane Hammer.

Diddy Kong is an All-Rounder character with high emphasis on Grappler tactics, with his most infamous one being the "Hoo-Hah" (Down Throw-Up Air), as known in the community. Diddy Kong has great neutral game and relatively balanced stats, with a solid moveset that is fast and strong, good variety of combos and follow ups, and decent resilience.

His strongest point is the utility of his moves, almost all being great combo tools and quick to rack damage. He also has great range, with many attacks making him stretch and/or grow his limbs. His Neutral Attack has great range, can be easily cancelled into his other moves, and deals decent amount of damage. His Forward Tilt has great range, high active frames and can be angled, while his Down Tilt is an excellent poking tool that can combo into itself and lead to setups for Forward Smash, Forward Aerial and grab. As for his Smash Attacks, Forward Smash has great priority and surprisingly high knockback scaling, being able to effectively KO opponents at mid-high percentages near the ledge. Down Smash sends opponents in a horizontal trajectory, being excellent to punish rolls.

Diddy Kong's aerial attacks are a great part of the core of his gameplay, with many ground to air setups, being an excellent juggler. He is both famous and infamous for his "Hoo-hah" setup, which consists on Down Throw to Up Aerial, being guaranteed on the entire cast until high percentages, where at this point he can rely on reads to score KOs. His Neutral Aerial is a great spacing tool, being able to break enemy combos. His Forward and Back Aerials are great for wall of pain and gimping setups due their high number of active frames, combo'ing with themselves. His Up Aerial, while having been nerfed in many patches, is very fast and his most reliable juggling tool. Finally, Down Aerial is a very potent and reliable Meteor Smash.

As for his Special Moves, they have lot of versatility. Peanut Pop can be charged to extend its range and angle, and also can be overcharged, which, at very close range, deals massive knockback, being more powerful than King Dedede's Forward Smash. Monkey Flip is a great move to start and end combos, with the ability to either kick or grab opponents; it is also fast enough to allow Diddy to use it as a retreat move, since it can change his momentum. Banana Peel is the staple of his game, being a very useful projectile in practically any situation: edge-guarding, combos, traps, reads and interrupting opponents. As for Rocketbarrell Boost, it is a potent recovery move that can be angled, and also has strong offensive capabilities, being able to Meteor Smash opponents at the startup, and also ram opponents, becoming unblockable.

Diddy Kong flaws, however, lie in the patch notes. His damage has been nerfed severely, to the point of becoming below average. His combo potential has also been nerfed, with his "Hoo-hah" no longer being as effective in higher percentages. Also, being a fastfaller, Diddy Kong is very susceptible to combos and juggles. Lastly, Diddy Kong's biggest fault is his recovery, as even though he has high jumps, can wall jump and wall cling and has Special Attacks that cover long distances, they often leave him quite vulnerable, making Diddy Kong easily gimped. To make it even worst, Rocketbarrel Boost needs to be charged in order to cover long distances, and if Diddy Kong is hit during it, the Rocketbarrel will detach from his back.

Overall, Diddy Kong is a very potent character, with a combination of power, speed and versatile combos. Aided by his versatile Special Attacks, he can maintain a very good neutral game and control the space around him. Players, however, must be careful when dealing with other combo oriented characters as Diddy is an easy target for combos, combined with his gimpable recovery.

Differences from Brawl[]

Despite being a Top Tier in Brawl, Diddy received many buffs that further increases his versatility and power. However, more recent patches re-balanced his damage and knockback, lowering it to make him less "overpowered". However, he is still a force to reckoned with.

His appearance and proportions now reflects his design in Donkey Kong Country Returns, with a more stylized fur, and a smaller head compared to his body. Much like Donkey Kong, he also has more facial expressions and more fluid animations.

Attributes[]

  • Increased elasticity in most moves, making his limbs stretch farther, thus increasing his range.
  • Faster dash speed.
  • Slightly faster air speed and falling speed.

Ground Attacks[]

  • The third hit of his Neutral Attack can transition between rapid jabs and a finisher. However, all hits deal less damage.
  • Forward Smash deals more knockback, but less damage.
  • Up Smash has slightly different animation, has larger hitboxes and deals much more knockback on the last hit.
  • Down Smash's back hit deals more knockback. However the front hit deals deals less knockback and damage, and the move is slower.
  • Dash Attack's final hit deals more damage, but has increased ending lag.

Aerial Attacks[]

  • Neutral Aerial sends opponents more vertically.
  • Forward Aerial has less ending and landing lag, but deals less damage.
  • Up Aerial has a different animation, with Diddy Kong doing an axe kick, with high horizontal range. It is faster, deals more knockback and has larger hitboxes. It also sends opponents at a more diagonal angle, being more useful for combos. However, it deals less damage.
  • Down Aerial's sweetspot deals slightly more damage, and has less ending and landing lag.

Grabs and Throws[]

  • Grab has slightly more range and is faster.
  • Forward Throw deals less damage and is slower.
  • Back Throw deals more damage, but is slower.
  • Up Throw deals less knockback.
  • Down Throw sends opponents in a more vertical trajectory in front of Diddy, which allows for easier combos with two or more hits, most notably Up Aerial (a setup known by the competitive community as "Hoo-hah"). However, it deals less damage and hitstun.

Special Attacks[]

  • Peanut Popgun's overcharging explosion now has a damaging hitbox, dealing massive knockback. However, it deals much less damage when fully charged, and has more ending lag per shot, preventing spamming.
  • Monkey Flip now allows Diddy Kong to pummel opponents when grabbing, and the throw deals more knockback. However, kick version deals less damage.
  • Rocketbarrel Boost is now easier to control and can be angled into a more horizontal trajectory, increasing Diddy's recovery options. However, it takes longer to fully charge it, and the damaging hitbox deals less damage. On the other hand, Diddy Kong also no longer is put into helpless state once it covers full distance.
  • Banana Peel has been severely nerfed. Diddy can only have one active at time, and the item can be destroyed by the opponents. The peel will also disappear instantly after touching the ground twice.
  • The peanuts from Peanut Popgun and Rocketbarrel Blast no longer break into edible pieces.

Moveset[]

Ground Attacks[]

Jab[]

◾Jab – Jab: Swipes twice with his hands and then turns around and kicks back. 1% first two hits, 2% third hit

◾Infinite Jab – Swipes twice and then swipes with his tail repeatedly. 1% first two hits, 2% third hit, 1% each following hit, 3% finisher

Tilts[]

◾Up Tilt – Swipes in an arc above him. 6%

◾Down Tilt – Claps in front of him. 5%

◾Forward Tilt – Leans forward and punches with both fists. 7%

Smash Attacks[]

◾Up Smash – Swings upwards with one hand, going into a flip; he then attacks by kicking upwards with one foot and upon up-righting himself again finishes with a powerful uppercut. 11-15%

◾Forward Smash – Swings with one fist and then spins around to strike with his fist a second time. 16-22%

◾Down Smash – Spins around, sweeping his legs across the ground on each side. 12-16%

Other Attacks[]

◾Dash Attack – An attack from Donkey Kong Country. Performs a cartwheel attack.

◾Ledge Attack – Gets up on the ledge, turns around and hits with his tail. 7%

◾Get-Up Attack – Stands up on one hand and kicks to one side and then using the same leg kicks over his head on the other side. 7%

Aerial Attacks[]

◾Up Aerial – Kicks above him with one foot. 6%

◾Down Aerial – Puts his fists together and swings them downwards between his legs. 10%

◾Neutral Aerial – Performs a cartwheel in midair, hitting with all of his limbs. 6%

◾Forward Aerial – Kicks forwards with both feet. 10%

◾Back Aerial – Kicks behind him with one foot. 9%

Grabs and Throws[]

◾Pummel – Headbutts the grabbed opponent. 2% each hit

◾Forward Throw – Hurls the opponent forward with one hand. 9%

◾Back Throw – Hurls the opponent backwards using both hands. 12%

◾Down Throw – Does a hop and bounces the opponent on the ground beneath him, launching them behind him at the end of the move. Referred to as the 'Hoo Hah' combo when followed by an up air. 7%

◾Up Throw – Tosses them above him and the flips upside down to perform an upward kick to the opponent. 5%

Special Moves[]

Diddy Kong's Special Moves
Brawl 3DS/Wii U Ultimate
Standard Special Peanut Popgun
Side Special Monkey Flip
Up Special Rocketbarrel Boost
Down Special Banana Peel
Final Smash Rocketbarrel Barrage Hyper Rocket Barrel

Diddy Kong's Custom Special Moves
Custom 1 Custom 2
Standard Special Exploding Popgun Jumbo Peanuts
Side Special Back Flip Flying Monkey Flip
Up Special Rocketbarrel Attack Rocketbarrel Kaboom
Down Special Shocking Banana Peel Battering Banana Peel

Taunts[]

Up Taunt: Diddy flips his hat and lands it on his head

Side Taunt: Diddy holds both his hands to the side and shakes his head, making a horse-like noise with his lips

Down Taunt: Diddy hops and claps

In competitive play[]

Since the game's release, professionals noticed that Diddy Kong gained heavy buffs despite already being one of the best characters in Brawl, and soon, his players became extremely dominant in early competitive play. Diddy's throws perfectly set up his strong aerial game, with his infamous up/down throw to up aerial combo (known as the "Hoo-Hah") being an unavoidable KO confirm at a wide range of percentages, and his Banana Peel offered strong stage control in spite of its nerfs. Aside from this, his up aerial had the speed and range necessary to KO easily without the need of the "Hoo-Hah", as well as many of his moves being both speedy and hard-hitting and with good range (like forward smash). These traits resulted in him being deemed the best character in the game.

As a result of how disproportionately good Diddy Kong was for how easy he was to play, many professionals such as Mew2King and ZeRo picked him up, resulting in an abnormal number of Diddy dittos at the highest level of play. Even players who did not actively practice the game, such as Leffen and Armada, were able to gain strong results using him. Likely as a result of this, Diddy was heavily nerfed by updates 1.0.6 and 1.0.8, and his representation dropped significantly, becoming largely abandoned while Sheik was considered the best character instead. Despite this, the top players who continued playing Diddy, such as Angel Cortes, Jtails, MVD, Nietono, and most notably, ZeRo and Zinoto, continued to push his metagame, adopting a newer, more creative playstyle that emphasizes Diddy's strong neutral game (which was not nerfed).

As a result of these factors, Diddy was ranked 9th on the first 4BR tier list, near the bottom of the A tier, but thanks to continued strong results from multiple top players, along with the nerfs to Sheik, Zero Suit Samus and Bayonetta, some matchups that previously caused him trouble in updates 1.1.5 and 1.1.6, he then took the 1st spot, at the top of the S tier, on the second tier list, despite not being as dominant as he was originally. He has since then seen only a very slight drop to 2nd place in favor of Bayonetta in the third tier list, and then to 3rd place in favor of Cloud in the fourth and current tier list; although he remains at the S tier and is still considered to be one of the most viable characters in the game, the larger dominance of the former two characters in other regions has caused views on Diddy to slightly dwindle.

Since ZeRo's retirement, however, Diddy Kong has not won any major tournaments at all and his strong results are still considered to be inconsistent in comparison to other characters like Bayonetta, Sheik, Cloud, Mewtwo, Fox, Zero Suit Samus, and Rosalina, who have managed to obtain overall higher and more consistent results with the character. On top of this, Diddy Kong still has some very troublesome match ups as Fox, Mario, Rosalina, Sheik and even some high and mid tiers such as Olimar and Mega Man do very well against him. Due to this, Diddy's tier placement is debated on as some say that the character has dropped slightly in the meta with some smashers like ANTi, Dabuz, ESAM and even ZeRo himself saying that the character shouldn't be ranked as high as he is.

Trophy Description[]

Diddy Kong[]

DiddyKongTrophyWiiU

Donkey Kong's trust partner. He sports his signature look: red hat, red shirt, Rocketbarrel Pack. In Smash Bros., he's incredibly agile. Charge the Rocketbarrel Pack by holding down the button before launch; you can steer with left and right. Don't forget to drop banana peels--enemies love it!

  • SNES - Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)
  • SNES - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (11/1995)

Diddy Kong (Alt)[]

DiddyKongAltTrophyWiiU

The Banana Peel Diddy throws when you use his down special can be picked up and used against you, so be careful. His Monkey Flip side special is a rolling leap followed by a grab (or a kick if you press the button again midjump). If you grab someone, press the button again to attack or jump off them to go high into the air.

Other features[]

To be added

Costume Gallery[]

Diddy Kong Palette (SSB4)

Trivia[]

  • Early versions of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U show Diddy Kong retaining his render from Brawl, seemingly because his final render hadn't been completed yet.

Gallery[]

Trivia Extra[]

  • Diddy's Down Throw to Up Aerial combo has come to be known as the 'Hoo Hah!'. It has become popular among the Smash community and the chant can often be heard at Smash tournaments when a Diddy Kong player performs the combo. After patch 1.0.6, where it was nerfed, the chant has been used less.
  • There was a glitch with Diddy Kong in patch 1.1.1 that if his shield gets hit by a multi-hit move and drops it, he will be unable to be grabbed by any character, attacking the shield again will stop it. The glitch has been fixed in patch 1.1.2.
  • Diddy Kong's confirmation was the first time a character was revealed for an international release of a game as opposed to just the Japanese release.
  • The elastic quality of Diddy Kong's limbs is similar to another Donkey Kong 64 character, Lanky Kong.
  • Diddy Kong is the only character in the roster to be created by non-Japanese game developers, as Diddy Kong is created by Rare which are British. (Same for Brawl)

External links[]

DKSymbol Donkey Kong universe
Characters Donkey Kong (64  · Melee  · Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
Diddy Kong (Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
King K. Rool (Ultimate)
Side Characters Boss Giant Donkey Kong
Assist Trophy Klaptrap
Mii Fighter Costumes King K. Rool  · Dixie Kong
Background characters Cranky Kong
Stage Hazards Klaptrap  · Donkey Kong
Enemies Kritter  · Tiki Buzz
Other Funky Kong
Stages Kongo Jungle  · Kongo Falls  · Jungle Japes  · Rumble Falls  · 75m  · Jungle Hijinxs
Items Hammer  · Barrel Cannon  · Spring  · Peanut
Music List List of Music (Donkey Kong series)
Song "Gang-Plank Galleon"
Collectibles Trophies Melee Trophies  · Brawl Trophies  · 3DS Trophies  · Wii U Trophies
Stickers List of Stickers (Donkey Kong series)
Spirits List of spirits (Donkey Kong series)
Masterpiece Donkey Kong
Related universes Mario  · Yoshi  · Wario  · Wrecking Crew
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