Donkey Kong
Page 2
Characteristics
-Shield
-Running
-Roll
-Jump
-Flight Path and Falling
Cpu Tendencies
Strategies
-Dodge Like Crazy
-Mastering the Punch
-Opportunist at Heart
-Spiking with DK
-Recovery with DK
Versus
-Luigi
-Mario
-DK
-Link
-Samus
-Captain Falcon
-Ness
-Yoshi
-Kirby
-Fox
-Pikachu
-Jigglypuff
Pros/Cons list
Final Verdict
Characteristics
Shield
Buttons: Z or hold R while on the ground.
Description: DK has a regular shield like most characters. It looks
like a translucent sphere that shrinks with every hit delivered on to
it. DK has the biggest shield of any character, which means his shield
can take more hits.
Running
Buttons: Tap control stick sideways while on the ground.
Description: DK is the slowest runner in the game. DK walks on his hind
legs, but runs on all four. He uses his knuckles to assist him in running.
It's better to run with DK because even though his run is slow, his
walk is even slower, so by running at least DK won't be left behind
as quickly as if he just walks. Besides, since he runs so slowly, it's
hard to run off the edge.
Rolling
Buttons: Z or hold R + push stick sideways
Description: For the forward "roll", DK basically hops forward
and turns around. He really does roll for the backward roll. Both rolls
are pretty quick. DK needs to roll a lot since he easily gets hit.
Jump
Buttons: Tap stick upwards or press any C buttons
Description: DK jumps straight up for his first jump, or he will somersault
backwards if you push jump and back at the same time. He somersaults
forward or backwards on his second jump, depending on which way the
control stick is pulled. DK is not a good jumper, but he is not the
worst jumper out there.
Flight Path and Falling
Even though DK is so heavy, he doesn't fall real fast when someone hits him hard. This probably due the fact that he has a big body that creates a lot of air resistance. Just joking. DK doesn't fly very high but not very low either, so most of the times his Spinning Kong recovery move should get him back on to the stage.
Cpu Tendencies
The cpu DK is quite easy to beat. He will use all his moves but he seldom uses the good ones. For example, cpu DK will charge his punch when not occupied, but he doesn't use it a whole lot. You still have to watch out for the punch nontheless because he can come out of nowhere and KO everyone with one punch. That rarely happens though. The cpu doesn't utilise DK's good moves as much as he should have, like the back throw. He likes to attack with weak hits, like the spinning kong and hand slap. Basically, cpu DK is pretty dumb and anyone that played smash for about a week should be able to defeat any cpu DKs with no problem.
Strategies
Dodge Like Crazy
DK is powerful and has excellent damage tolerance, but he is also very big, which means he'll get hit easily. The fact that DK moves and hits slowly doesn't help the situation. These facts all up together to the conclusion that DK easily gets caught in combos, especially by the likes of Kirby. This means that you, as a DK player, need to dodge like crazy in order to get a chance to hit back. Dodging is important to all characters but especially DK. You'll need to roll a lot to avoid getting hit, and use DK's quicker weak and strong attacks to give him some breathing room. Practice rolling with DK in training mode before you try to fight a level 9 or good human players with DK.
Mastering the Punch
The giant punch is DK's greatest weapon (mmm... the back throw may get more KOs... but oh well...) and to become a good DK player, you must master the timings for the punch so that in real battles you can use it. Start by using training mode. Start on the ground then progress into trying to hit the target while DK is in the air. To bypass the startup lag time, experienced DK players will jump first then start the punch. This way, DK will still be moving when he punches, so he'll be harder to notice. After you get good at it, play free for all against cpus. Killing cpus should become easy after a while. For example I can get more kills as DK then any other character in free for all against comps, partly because I know how to land the punch. Playing cpus is just for fun now. They are too easy for me. When they become too easy for you, try two on ones with two level 9s. Remember, a good human player will be able to defeat two or even three level 9s and they are a lot harder to hit then cpus. The only time you can get them is when they are preoccupied or not paying attention. Learning how to hit human players can be only done by playing against them many times. Experience is key here.
Opportunist at Heart
DK is not great for close combat since he's easy to hit and has slow moves, but his arsenal of moves makes him a great opportunist. This works especially in free for alls, since it's more likely that no one is paying attention to DK. The strategy is simple: charge the punch, wait until the other people get their damage up to 50% or more, then jump in and give it to them. Repeat until you kill them all or they come after you and make you stop. This is a style of fighting that'll make everyone hate you, so do it only once in a while, since it's hard trying to fend off three enemies at once. Your back throw also comes handy here. One throw on a high damaged enemy and you got an easy KO. DK is good at these kind of things.
Spiking with DK
This section is dedicated to DK's spiking techniques. Usually DK should
use his air forward A to spike people. This spike works best if the
targe is in front of DK. The technique for most spiker is to use one
jump to go out and the other jumps to get back on to the stage. For
DK, who doesn't jump all that well, don't jump very far from the edge.
DK can only safely spike people who comes in high and tries to drift
back on to the stage. The diagonal angle of the spike can send people
down even if they are above the stage. You need lots of hands on practice
in order to master this spike.
I don't recommend using the down A stomp as a spike, but there are situation
that calls for it. One situation where you can use this to spike is
when there is a platform above and near the edge. When you use this
spike, do not jump off the stage. Stay above the stage and use the move
during the rising part of DK's jump so DK won't lose too much altitude.
If DK is on a platform near the edge, just jump down and send the victim
down. Make sure DK can land on the stage. If you really need to jump
out and use down A, then do so with DK's back facing outside and double
jump first to gain some altitude. This way DK can grab the edge after
spiking.
Recovery with DK
Because of the way DK recovers and DK's big size, he is an easy target for spikers. To make it harder for people to spike, DK should either aim straight for the edge or try to get as higher than the spikers. Try to aim DK's fists at the spiker to hit him/her out of the way. It's going to be tough trying to come back with DK, so you should improve your skills and become the spiker in battles against your friends or the comp.
DK vs...
Luigi
Luigi has faster smashes then DK, so try to avoid a close fight. DK has longer reach so try to keep Luigi a bit away. DK can out throw Luigi so do that if you want. Be careful of Luigi's drill kick/fire punch since DK is so big. The Luigi tornado can be dangerous as well. If you block the tornado, hold the shield until the move finishes, or else the more powerful last hit might hit DK. Avoid Luigi's fire balls if you can. Use DK's superior power and physical reach to defeat Luigi. If Luigi tries to drift back on to the stage, jump up and send him down.
Mario
Mario is about the same as Luigi, but he has no fire punch but a better running move. Use the same strategy as the one used for Luigi to beat Mario.
Donkey Kong
DK vs. DK. A battle of the titans!!! To win, you'll have to out throw, out smash, and out smart the other DK. When edge guarding, use the forward smash or better, use the giant punch if have one charged. Because of the way DK recovers, using the forward A spike won't be too easy, so you can use the down A spike to send him down. Refer to DK's spiking section for techniques.
Link
Link is another powerhouse like DK. DK will want to avoid Link's powerful sword attacks, especially his down and forward smash, spin slash, and forward and down air attacks. The boomerang is annoying too so get out of the way or block if you see it coming. If Link tries the down A, dodge it and hit Link while he's recovering. Another opportunity is if Link tries to grab with his hookshot. Dodge the hookshot and DK gets a free hit. Since Link is quite heavy and hard to kill outright, it'll take more work to star finish him. It's much easier to kill link over the sides since Link falls fast and is bad at jumping back. Edge guard him and he should die easily. You better pray that DK don't get knocked off the stage with Link as the edge guarder. Link is one of the best edge guarders and he can make sure DK can't come back on to the stage. DK can out throw Link easily so turning the battle into a throwing contest isn't a bad idea. Link doesn't adjust too well to cheap plays so playing cheap will help you win.
Samus
Samus shouldn't be too hard to beat with DK. DK can easily out hit and out throw Samus. You do need to watch her charge shot because DK is such a big target. Her screw attack can get quite annoying too, so don't approach her from straight above. Trick her into grabbing and dodge it to get a free hit on Samus. When coming back against Samus, come in either from below or high above since Samus is a good spiker. Samus shouldn't be too hard if you know what you are doing.
Captain Falcon
Falcon is another powerhouse character and he can run circles around
DK. However, most of this KO moves leaves him open for a long time,
especially the falcon punch. Of course, experienced Falcon players will
seldom use that move, but you still need to watch out for it. The punch
will still send DK pretty far. DK needs to beware of the fire kick smash,
which comes out faster than you think and is pretty powerful. The falcon
kick can also come out of nowhere to hit you, but there's considerable
recovery time for the kick, so if DK dodges it or blocks it, then he
can counter attack. Falcon excels in the air, so it's better for DK
to keep it on the ground where he is stronger. The up A juggle is especially
annoying and is quite powerful. Falcon is capable of spiking but he's
not a very good at send downs because of his poor jumping, but you be
aware of his ability nonetheless. Falcon players might use the Falcon
Punch to edge guard DK, so it's best to come back from above when fighting
against Falcon.
Like Link, Falcon is hard to KO outright because his weight but is easy
to hitting him off the sides of the stage due to his poor recovery capabilities.
When edge guarding Falcon, watch out for the falcon dive recovery move
that can deal 20% of damage and send DK flying away. If you can time
your edge guard hit well then Falcon doesn't stand a chance. DK has
a better grab and throws than Falcon so feel free to turn it into a
throwing contest.
Ness
Nesses like to throw, spike and juggle. Good Ness players will also use
their step kick to combo, so avoid that as well. The PK fire can also
cause headaches. When coming back against Ness, you better cross your
fingers and aim for the edge. Ness' down smash yo-yo is a potent edge
guarding tool and also coming back by floating will surely get the attention
of Ness' foot in the form of a step kick send down.
DK probably won't lose out to Ness when it comes to throwing and DK
has a much longer reach. Nesses smashes aren't much faster than DK's
so DK should use his smashes, since Ness isn't very quick. Keep the
fight on the ground since Ness is better than DK when in the air. Ness
is light, so it wouldn't be hard for DK to launch him off the stage.
Don't try to jump out at Ness because his recovery move can cause a
lot of damage. Just continue to bash Ness off the stage when you get
the chance.
Yoshi
As DK, you have the advantage of the fast grab over Yoshi, so chuck him whenever you get a chance. Even though Yoshi is pretty heavy, he is quite easy to kill. Get his damage up then knock him off the stage. When he tries to jump back with his second jump and he's starting to fall downwards, jump out and hit him back out. Since Yoshi has no third jump, he's basically screwed. Do not try to hit Yoshi during the rising part of the jump unless you are using the giant punch because none of DK's other moves are not strong enough to cancel out the jump's momentum and Yoshi could in fact spike DK down with his tomahawk headbutt in mid air. You don't want to get smashed by Yoshi, especially the up smash which is the most powerful smash attack for sending people over the side boundaries. Good Yoshi players will combo with the flurry kick (air down A) withe the up smash and that could do some tremendous damage. DK should watch out for it more than others since he is so big and therefore an easy target. The ground pound is dangerous as well but it is easy to avoid and its slow recovery gives DK the chance to hit back. DK shouldn't be too worried about Yoshi spiking him down if you always aim for the edge or aim DK's fists at Yoshi's face during the spinning kong. Some Yoshi players will try to egg you over the side. If you get turned into an egg near the edge, use the analog stick to control where the egg lands and mash the buttons to get out faster.
Kirby
Kirby is probably the hardest opponent for DK to beat. Kirby can out
run, out grab and out smash DK. Kirby's most dangerous weapon is his
forward smash lunge kick, which happens to be the most powerful forward
smash in the game and is quick and combos very nicely. Kirby's running
combo consisting of lunge kicks and tackles are very effective and hard
to escape if your damage is low. Do not get trapped between Kirby and
a wall, because Kirby will bounce DK against the wall like a pinball
or trap him there with his infinite combo. Kirby can also spike very
well and the lunge kick is a good edge guard so comebacks will be difficult.
Kirby's air moves are also formidable with an array of power moves and
drill kicks. The stone also hurts a lot, but you should be able to dodge
it if you pay attention and get DK to hit back when Kirby transforms
back.
To win agains Kirby, DK needs to roll a lot, get behind Kirby, and get
some hits in. Kirby is quite light so DK's power moves should make short
work of Kirby. DK will probably use his back throw a lot since it's
his fastest power move. Don't let him steal DK's power. Beating a skilled
Kirby is not easy with any character, especially DK.
Fox
Fox is fast and nimble, and he juggles real well. Don't try to be above Fox because his juggle kick and up smash are very powerful. Fox also has his annoying blaster that he likes to peg people with. Avoid getting hit by the blaster and never run straight at Fox because he'll peg you like crazy. DK doesn't have to worry much about the reflector since DK has no projectiles. If Fox wants to do the run and throw, show him who's boss. He might have a faster grab, but DK's grab has a longer reach and his back throw will own any of Fox's weak throws. Use DK's power moves when you get a chance to knock Fox out.
Pikachu
Pikachu is pretty fast and nimble also, but he doesn't juggle like Fox. Pikachu players like to throw a lot and for good reason. Pikachu has one of the fastest grabs in the game and has a very strong back throw, but DK can counter with his own throws. Pikachu is also good in the air with his electric drills and kicks. As DK, you should try and keep the fight on the ground where you can use your powerful smashes. Pikachu's forward smash is great for edge guarding, but too slow for hand to hand combat, so make him pay by dodging the hit and then pay him back with a power move. His other smashes are pretty quick so DK will need to do some fancy dodging and quick blocking. Do not block for too long or Pikachu will throw DK. Pikachu is pretty light, which means DK can kill him pretty easily. Pikachu will usually recover from attempts to knock him out of the stage sideways, unless of course you send him over the boundary outright. Watch out for Pikachu's thunder jolts which can get annoying and try to avoid being straight above Pikachu because he'll probably thunder DK.
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff is an easy opponent unless the player is extremely skilled. Jiggly is basically a weakened and lightened version of Kirby with less jumping ability. Jigglypuff is simply too light to do much. He'll get killed at absurdly low percentages, so DK, the most powerful character of all, should be able to kill him easily. The two things you should watch out for against Jiggly is the up smash, which isn't any weaker than Mario's headbutt and the drill kick/rest combo which can kill at really low damages. Avoid the drill kick by dodging or using the overhead hand swat to counter. Jiggly also has a pretty good back throw, and the pound move can become annoying over time. Anyways, Jiggly shouldn't be too hard for DK. Any of DK's power moves will send the pokemon packing. The easiest way to kill this balloon is DK's back throw.
Pros and Cons List
Pros:
-powerful
-long reach for his attacks
-surprisingly good horizontal jumping ability
-excellent damage tolerance (very heavy)
Cons:
-his big size makes him a big target
-easy victim for spiking
-not good at vertical jumping
-moves are slow to start and slow to recover
-slow walking and running speed
Final Verdict
Because of his attributes, DK is not for everybody. DK can be a formidable force when you learned how to use him. Otherwise he will just seem slow and awkward. Anyways, DK is the perfect opportunist and he can get more KOs then anyone in free for all against comps. DK is my favourite character, and I kick ass when I use DK (or at least I think I do). DK is also the best character for single player due to his weight and many moves that can get him through team levels quickly. Try him out before you dismiss him a big stupid lug.
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