Super Smash Bros./Donkey Kong

Introduction

Donkey Kong is 7th on the Tier List for his powerful moves and his infamous grab release, however he is somewhat slow, and is the largest and heaviest character in Super Smash Bros., making him viable for many combos and target practice. In high level play, Donkey Kong is known for his incredible priority Spinning Kong and back throw gimps. Donkey Kong is a hard counter to Jigglypuff, as a Donkey Kong player can grab, cargo release, and re-grab into a Giant Punch for KOs. Donkey Kong however has problems with projectiles, and characters like Fox, Kirby, and Captain Falcon combo him too heavily for him to rise on the tier list.

Normal Move Analysis

Ground Moves

Normal

• Neutral attack: Jab, 2-4%, followed by an uppercut for another 2-4%. Comes out fast, but short range.
• Forward tilt: Extended Punch. A somewhat slow punch forward with decent range and good knockback. 12%
• Up tilt: Upward Knock. Donkey Kong swings his hands in an arch above him. Hitbox is the arch above him and foes standing on the ground close to him. Can chain into itself, but opponent can DI. Sets up aerial combos. KOs around 130%. Good anti-air move is timed right. Some ending lag. Can also lead into a down smash at lower damage percentages. 13%
• Down tilt: Low Slap. A quick hand swipe aimed downwards with a little start-up. 8%
• Dash attack: Konga Kick. A very awkward move where DK sticks his foot out and stops. Bad range and duration, lots of lag, and easily shielded. Will not hit foes that are floored. 12%

Smash attacks

• Forward smash: Big Slap. Donkey Kong reels his hand back and thrusts it forward. Very noticeable start-up, but good range and excellent knockback. 20%
• Up smash: Upward Clap. Donkey Kong claps directly above him, with some start-up lag. Grounded enemies near him will not be affected at all. Best used under a platform where an opponent is standing or a well timed anti-air attack. Very powerful. 21%
• Down smash: Spinning Splits. He does a 360° spin while doing a split, which comes out surprisingly fast, for a move of Donkey Kong, and hits on both sides at the same time. However, it does have some ending lag. 19%

Other attacks

• Ledge attack: Hoists himself onto the stage back-first, ramming into opponents. Long range, low knockback, 5-6%
• 100% ledge attack: Climbs back onto the stage slowly, slapping opponents in front of him. Very short range, low knockback, 5-6%
• Floor attack- Kicks while on his back, forcing his body down, then picks himself up and kicks on the other side. 6% damage

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial: Spin. Donkey Kong spins around with his arms out. Somewhat long duration, decent defensive move. 15%
• Forward aerial: Spinning Spike. Donkey Kong does a front flip with his fists clasped together, smashing them into opponents. A powerful spike if the foe is hit near the end of the animation. 12%
• Back aerial: Backwards Kick. Donkey Kong puts his feet together and thrusts them out behind him, his body moving sideways with them. Some long duration, but good range. This attack is Donkey Kong's Sex Kick, since it not only has long duration, but gets weaker as it stays out. Donkey Kong's Neutral Aerial isn't a sex kick, him being the only character other than Fox to have a SK other than the neutral aerial. 14% damage.
• Up aerial: Upward Knock. Donkey Kong swings his hands in an arch almost exactly like his Up Tilt. However, it is very weak, barely KO'ing above 150% in most cases. Its only real use is juggling. Some ending lag. 12%
• Down aerial: A simple near-instantaneous Meteor Smash where Donkey Kong thrusts his feet down. His feet grow slightly as he's doing so, and slightly longer hitbox than most spikes. 13%

Grabs & throws

• Forward throw: Trap Throw. Donkey Kong holds his opponent on his back, dealing 8%. He can then move around before throwing them forward for another 8%. This throw is based on his ability in Donkey Kong Country to effortlessly carry barrels on his back. However, foes will eventually automatically escape from his grasp. The throw has good knockback, although it can be DI'd. Can be used to perform the infinite throw trap (covered below).
• Back throw: Backwards Throw. Turns around and tosses the opponent. Powerful in terms of both damage and knockback. Effective for both gimping and KO'ing. 18%

Matchups

Matchups	Pikachu	Fox	Kirby	C.Falcon	Mario	Yoshi	DK	Ness	Puff	Luigi	Link	Samus	Total
DK	3.5	4	4	4	4	4	-	6	6	5	5	6	51.5	DK
	Pikachu	Fox	Kirby	C.Falcon	Mario	Yoshi	DK	Ness	Puff	Luigi	Link	Samus	Total