Editing Donkey Kong (SSBU)

From SmashWiki, the Super Smash Bros. wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
Warning You aren't logged in. While it's not a requirement to create an account, doing so makes it a lot easier to keep track of your edits and a lot harder to confuse you with someone else. If you edit without being logged in, your IP address will be recorded in the page's edit history.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.

Latest revision Your text
Line 17: Line 17:
Donkey Kong retains his gorilla-like grunts and roars from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', instead of using his voice actor, Takashi Nagasako.
Donkey Kong retains his gorilla-like grunts and roars from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', instead of using his voice actor, Takashi Nagasako.


Donkey Kong is ranked 68th out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the D+ tier. This is a significant drop from his 22nd out of 54 placement in ''SSB4'', and it is his worst placement in the series to date. Donkey Kong has surprisingly good mobility for a superheavyweight, having both a good dash and air speed, while possessing good KO power fitting for his weight class. He has the highest amount of conventional [[meteor smash]]es by default (forward and down aerials, [[Headbutt]] and [[Hand Slap]]), which gives him many options to net early kills on recovering opponents. His down tilt has a chance to trip; his up tilt is a solid anti air that can kill at high percents, his forward tilt is a good spacing tool, and his dash attack is a long-reaching, general-purpose move that has late-hit combo potential. His aerials are all good as they serve their purpose in Donkey Kong's strong advantage state, with back aerial as a good walling and edgeguarding option, up air as a strong juggling and KO tool, and neutral aerial as a good get-off-me or landing option. Donkey Kong also possesses one of the best throws in the game with his cargo throw, which works exceptionally well against characters with poor to mediocre recoveries, and can also net early KOs while on platforms. His specials are also effective: [[Giant Punch]] can now be used in the air without becoming [[helpless]]; Headbutt can punish overuse of shields and can [[armor]] through opposing attacks; grounded [[Spinning Kong]] has armor and functions as a powerful kill move and [[out of shield]] option; and Hand Slap can be used to set up for kill confirms and deny grounded approaches.
Donkey Kong is ranked 68th out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the D+ tier. This is a significant drop from his 22nd out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. Donkey Kong has surprisingly good mobility for a superheavyweight, having both a good dash and air speed. He also has a strong set of normals in his moveset. His down tilt has a chance to trip; his up tilt is a solid anti air that can kill at high percents, and his forward tilt is a good spacing tool. His aerials are all good as they serve their purpose in Donkey Kong's strong advantage state, with back aerial as a good walling and edgeguarding option, up air as a strong juggling and KO tool, down aerial and forward aerial for spiking opponents offstage, and neutral aerial as a good get off me or landing option. Donkey Kong also has a strong grab game, with cargo throw, being his main way of throwing opponents offstage, which is a reason why he does fine against a lot of characters with poor to mediocre recoveries. His specials are also improved as [[Giant Punch]] became a more viable move to challenge opponents; [[Headbutt]] has the ability to break shields; [[Spinning Kong]] can be a useful out of shield option; and [[Hand Slap]] can be used to set up for kill confirms.


Despite his strong advantage state, Donkey Kong is held back by notable flaws, the biggest being his disadvantage, which is among the worst in the game. He has one of the largest hurtboxes, and many of his limb-based moves lose [[intangibility]] once their hitboxes cease, meaning Donkey Kong is frequently in danger of being clipped by attacks compared to other fighters. He also has little to no option to escape from combos due to his frame 4 air dodge, and not having many moves that are fast enough to combo break, while most of his out-of-shield options are too slow or high-risk. As a result, this makes him one of the easiest characters to juggle. Alongside this, Donkey Kong has a lackluster and risky [[neutral game]], as many of his attacks have high ending lag and a decent chunk of them are unsafe on hit at low percents. His recovery is also one of the most exploitable in the game, as a simple spike is enough for Donkey Kong to quickly lose his stock, since [[Spinning Kong]] offers very little vertical distance.
Donkey Kong has a lot of flaws to counteract his strengths. Despite having a strong advantage state, his disadvantage state is among one of the worst in the game. Donkey Kong has little to no option to escape from combos due to his frame 4 air dodge, and not having many moves that are fast enough to combo break. As a result, this makes him one of the easiest characters to juggle. His recovery is also one of the most exploitable in the game, as a simple spike is enough for Donkey Kong to lose his stock since [[Spinning Kong]] offers very little vertical distance.


Overall, Donkey Kong is a speedy heavyweight with unique tools and the potential to convert a single throw into early KOs; however, his disadvantage state means a simple mistake can make it hard for him to keep the pressure on. Although historically an unpopular character in competitive play, dedicated players such as {{Sm|ChunkyKong}}, {{Sm|Rarikkusu}} and {{Sm|HIKARU}} have regularly achieved high placements and great wins with the character, improving his representation and perception as time went on.
Donkey Kong is a character who can do a lot of damage and get early KOs but one simple mistake might make it hard for him to get back into the game. He has seen some results from players, such as {{Sm|ChunkyKong}} and {{Sm|HIKARU}}, taking him decently far in tournaments.


==Attributes==
==Attributes==
Line 47: Line 47:
His biggest buff, however, comes from a vastly improved forward throw (cargo throw), which is much harder to mash out of and has had its cargo throws' properties improved; this grants him much more options and turns it into his most versatile throw, and arguably the best throw in the game overall. His [[dash attack]] also has less ending lag, giving him another combo starter if the late hit is landed and making it much safer if shielded. Donkey Kong's already impressive KO power has been further increased as well, as most of his moves deal more knockback. Further miscellaneous buffs include [[up smash]]'s previously infamous hitboxes being larger, making the move much easier to land.
His biggest buff, however, comes from a vastly improved forward throw (cargo throw), which is much harder to mash out of and has had its cargo throws' properties improved; this grants him much more options and turns it into his most versatile throw, and arguably the best throw in the game overall. His [[dash attack]] also has less ending lag, giving him another combo starter if the late hit is landed and making it much safer if shielded. Donkey Kong's already impressive KO power has been further increased as well, as most of his moves deal more knockback. Further miscellaneous buffs include [[up smash]]'s previously infamous hitboxes being larger, making the move much easier to land.


Finally, Donkey Kong also benefits from some of the universal changes, as his already great mobility has improved from faster walking and dashing speeds, the universal 3-frame jumpsquat change improves his ground-to-air [[out of shield]] game and allows him for with combo opportunities, and the increased [[shieldstun]] and reduced [[landing lag]] on aerial attacks makes his attacks even safer on shield (despite the reduced shieldstun on aerials).
Finally, Donkey Kong also benefits to some of the universal changes, as his already great mobility has improved from faster walking and dashing speeds, the universal 3-frame jumpsquat change improves his ground-to-air [[out of shield]] game and allows him for with combo opportunities, and the increased [[shieldstun]] and reduced [[landing lag]] on aerial attacks makes his attacks even safer on shield (despite the reduced shieldstun on aerials).


However, the few direct nerfs Donkey Kong received were severe enough to eclipse his buffs. Like {{SSBU|Bowser}}, his biggest nerf is to his previously infamous combo throw — his cargo up throw now has more knockback, which makes its combo potential more strict and noticeably neuters the effectiveness of its infamous "Ding Dong" KO confirm at high percentages unless it's initiated on a platform, often requiring a specific amount of [[rage]] to work. Although his grab game was overall buffed, Donkey Kong is one of the characters who suffers the most from the universal nerfing of grabs, making them less safe for him to use. His pummel was nerfed as well, making it less reliable for racking up damage. Thus, this makes it less feasible for Donkey Kong to rely on his grab as his main way to rack up damage, forcing him to use other methods to do so.
However, the few direct nerfs Donkey Kong received were severe enough to eclipse his buffs. Like {{SSBU|Bowser}}, his biggest nerf is to his previously infamous combo throw — his cargo up throw now has more knockback, which makes its combo potential more strict and noticeably neuters the effectiveness of its infamous "Ding Dong" KO confirm at high percentages unless it's initiated on a platform, often requiring a specific amount of [[rage]] to work. Although his grab game was overall buffed, Donkey Kong is one of the characters who suffers the most from the universal nerfing of grabs, making them less safe for him to use. His pummel was nerfed as well, making it less reliable for racking up damage. Thus, this makes it less feasible for Donkey Kong to rely on his grab as his main way to rack up damage, forcing him to use other methods to do so.
Line 55: Line 55:
Although he has gained some notable benefits from them, the universal changes to gameplay mechanics hamper Donkey Kong more than they help him. While the universal increase in mobility, faster jumpsquat, and reduced landing lag on aerials improve his own mobility and combo game, it also means opponents are more likely to close the distance on him, giving them more combo opportunities. The increased shieldstun, reduced landing lag, and the universal nerfing of grabs also make it harder for Donkey Kong to react to a shielded attack; the universal nerfing of grabs is especially harmful, as it's one of the key points to his gameplan. Altogether, this hinders his grounded out-of-shield game, limiting him to directly contesting them by making use of his moves' super armor to muscle through them, which can be risky despite his large weight. Lastly, the changes to [[air dodging]] worsen Donkey Kong's recovery, as they give him less protection and make him easier to edgeguard. All of these changes worsen Donkey Kong's defensive game, which is further notable since the game's engine prioritizes more aggressive playstyles than defensive ones. This forces him not only to [[approach]] more, but to be more unpredictable at doing so.
Although he has gained some notable benefits from them, the universal changes to gameplay mechanics hamper Donkey Kong more than they help him. While the universal increase in mobility, faster jumpsquat, and reduced landing lag on aerials improve his own mobility and combo game, it also means opponents are more likely to close the distance on him, giving them more combo opportunities. The increased shieldstun, reduced landing lag, and the universal nerfing of grabs also make it harder for Donkey Kong to react to a shielded attack; the universal nerfing of grabs is especially harmful, as it's one of the key points to his gameplan. Altogether, this hinders his grounded out-of-shield game, limiting him to directly contesting them by making use of his moves' super armor to muscle through them, which can be risky despite his large weight. Lastly, the changes to [[air dodging]] worsen Donkey Kong's recovery, as they give him less protection and make him easier to edgeguard. All of these changes worsen Donkey Kong's defensive game, which is further notable since the game's engine prioritizes more aggressive playstyles than defensive ones. This forces him not only to [[approach]] more, but to be more unpredictable at doing so.


In the end, Donkey Kong has potentially received many more options for racking up damage and being less predictable, but the neutering of his KO confirm and grabs means he can no longer close out stocks as reliably as before. Though his strengths and weaknesses are more defined, the gameplay mechanics accentuate his weaknesses more when compared to his strengths, causing his nerfs to overshadow his buffs even despite the numerous buffs he received in game updates. As a result, Donkey Kong fares worse in ''Ultimate'' than he did in ''Smash 4''.
In the end, Donkey Kong has potentially received many more options for racking up damage and being less predictable, but the neutering of his KO confirm and grabs means he can no longer close out stocks as reliably as before. While both Donkey Kong's strengths and weaknesses are more defined, the gameplay mechanics accentuate his weaknesses more when compared to his strengths, which has subsequently caused his nerfs to overshadow his buffs. While Donkey Kong was initially believed to be improved from his already good standing from ''Smash 4'' (doing exceptionally well in early tournaments), the metagame's evolution has resulted in his overall results and perception in competitive play to be below-average overall, despite the numerous buffs he received in game updates. As a result, Donkey Kong fares worse in ''Ultimate'' than he did in ''Smash 4''.


{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Donkey Kong}}
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Donkey Kong}}
Line 148: Line 148:
|pummelname=Grab Chop ({{ja|つかみチョップ|Tsukami Choppu}})
|pummelname=Grab Chop ({{ja|つかみチョップ|Tsukami Choppu}})
|pummeldmg=1.6%
|pummeldmg=1.6%
|pummeldesc=Chops the opponent's body. Slow but strong.
|pummeldesc=Chops the opponent's body. A slow but strong pummel.
|fthrowname=Kong Karry ({{ja|リフティング|Rifutingu}}, ''Lifting'')
|fthrowname=Kong Karry ({{ja|リフティング|Rifutingu}}, ''Lifting'')
|fthrowdmg=12% (forward, up), 13% (back), 11% (down)
|fthrowdmg=12% (forward, up), 13% (back), 11% (down)
Line 321: Line 321:


==In [[competitive play]]==
==In [[competitive play]]==
===Tier placement and history===
Donkey Kong was met in the E3 demo build with a degree of cautious optimism. Although players could no longer easily perform most of Donkey Kong's throw-based kill confirms from ''Smash 4'', including his infamous "Ding-Dong" combo, Donkey Kong players were willing to do away with this in favor of better frame data, speed, damage, and hitboxes, most notably on his tilts and dash attack, and hoped that he would play differently from {{SSBU|Bowser}}. Though DK was considered one of the worst heavyweights from the demo, thought to be only marginally better than {{SSBU|Ridley}}, players were excited for Donkey Kong's opportunities in competitive play.
Upon the game's release, however, Donkey Kong fell out of favor very quickly, for a number of reasons. The biggest issue is his low-percent safety: many of Donkey Kong's moves are punishable on hit at early percents, making his neutral rather egregious in a meta favoring speed and punish games. His already poor disadvantage state was also made even worse due to his larger hurtbox and his out of shield options remaining poor. Although Donkey Kong has been buffed in patches, none of Donkey Kong's biggest flaws were addressed. As a result, despite efforts from dedicated players such as {{Sm|LeSou}} and {{Sm|YMCA}} pre-pandemic, {{Sm|HIKARU}} briefly post-pandemic, and {{Sm|ChunkyKong}} online, Donkey Kong was mostly used as an occasional counterpick during the early metagame. As such, he is commonly ranked as a low tier, with some players such as {{Sm|Dabuz}}, {{Sm|Maister}} and {{Sm|ESAM}} ranking him as one of the absolute worst characters in the entire game. Regardless, he is ranked 70th on the first and current tier list.
===Most historically significant players===
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->
Line 326: Line 331:
''See also: [[:Category:Donkey Kong players (SSBU)]]''
''See also: [[:Category:Donkey Kong players (SSBU)]]''


*{{Sm|ChunkyKong|USA}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players of all-time and the best Donkey Kong player who solo-mains the character. Initially a Wi-Fi Warrior, he later became known for his performances in the second half of 2022, including placing 17th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2022}} over {{Sm|SHADIC}} and 13th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} over {{Sm|Kola}} and {{Sm|Aaron|p=Florida}}. Since then, he remains Donkey Kong's primary representative in North America, having defeated {{Sm|MuteAce}} at {{Trn|CEO 2023}} and {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|MomoCon 2024}}.
*{{Sm|ChunkyKong|USA}} - The current best Donkey Kong player in the world. Placed 13th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}}, 17th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2022}}, 25th at {{Trn|InfinityCON Tally 2021}}, and 33rd at both {{Trn|CEO 2021}} and {{Trn|CEO 2022}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Kola}}, {{Sm|MuteAce}}, and {{Sm|Goblin}}. He is also the best online Donkey Kong player in the United States, placing 2nd at both {{Trn|Get Clipped 3}} and {{Trn|Get Clipped 7}}, 9th at both {{Trn|Frame Perfect Series 3: ONLINE}} and {{Trn|Steal the Show 5: Heist in Smashville}}, and 13th at {{Trn|HABBY Birthday 2020}}. Formerly ranked 44th on the [[Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v6]].
*{{Sm|HIKARU|Japan}} - Although known for using many characters, he has used Donkey Kong extensively in early-''Ultimate'' and as a secondary or co-main from 2022 onward, and is considered one of the best Donkey Kong players of all-time. He is best known for using Donkey Kong for most of {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022}}, placing 3rd while defeating {{Sm|Glutonny}} and {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}} along the way, marking the best performance for the character at a major. He retired in mid-2023 and has attended a couple of events since.
*{{Sm|Doctor A Ness|Australia}} - The best Donkey Kong in Australia during the early metagame, but has since been banned. Placed 5th at both {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 11}} and {{Trn|BigWinChampionship 2}}, 7th at {{Trn|Phantom 2020}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Sunny Side Up}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Purple~H}}, {{Sm|Sriks}}, and {{Sm|Ben Gold}}. Currently ranked 8th on the [[Australian Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Rarikkusu|Japan}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the world since 2023, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Falco}}. He is best known for defeating {{Sm|Sparg0}} at {{Trn|DELTA 8}}, placing 13th overall, and has also placed 5th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 13.5 "U-22"}} using Donkey Kong to defeat {{Sm|Asimo}} and 9th at {{Trn|Maesuma'U22}}.
*{{Sm|HIKARU|Japan}} - Tri-mains {{SSBU|Sora}} and {{SSBU|Roy}} with Donkey Kong and was the best Donkey Kong player in the world prior to his retirement. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022}}, 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 12}}, 9th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 3}}, 13th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 4}}, and 17th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Glutonny}}, {{Sm|KEN}}, and {{Sm|zackray}}.
 
*{{Sm|LeSou|Mexico}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the world during the early metagame. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Smash Fest to the Sky}}, 9th at {{Trn|Ragnarok}}, {{Trn|WeTecThose 9}}, and {{Trn|Abierto Guadalajara Ultimo Reto}}, and 17th at {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Cloudy}}, {{Sm|Meme}}, and {{Sm|Joker}}.
===Tier placement and history===
*{{Sm|YMCA|USA}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the United States during the early metagame. Placed 9th at {{Trn|SIEGE 2019}}, 13th at {{Trn|DreamHack Anaheim 2020}}, 25th at {{Trn|2GG: Nightmare on Smashville}}, and 65th at {{Trn|EVO 2019}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Klaatu}}, {{Sm|NAKAT}}, and {{Sm|Ignaize}}.
There was some optimism on Donkey Kong prior to the game's release: although Donkey Kong could no longer easily perform most of his throw-based kill confirms from ''Smash 4'', including his infamous "Ding-Dong" combo, many players noted how Donkey Kong received better frame data, speed, damage, and hitboxes in the E3 demo build. However, the optimism faded very quickly upon the game's release. Players pointed out how many of Donkey Kong's moves were punishable on hit at early percents, making his neutral rather egregious in the early metagame, which favored speed and punish games. In addition, his already poor disadvantage state was also made even worse due to his larger hurtbox and his out of shield options remaining poor. Finally, although Donkey Kong saw some early success from {{Sm|HIKARU}}, he eventually dropped Donkey Kong for other characters, and no other Donkey Kong player was able to match HIKARU's success, leaving him with below-average representation. As such, although Donkey Kong received a few buffs in subsequent patches, Donkey Kong was widely considered unviable, with a few even calling him one of the worst characters in the game.
 
2022 became a turning point for Donkey Kong. First, HIKARU began playing Donkey Kong again, and although often only used as a secondary or co-main alongside other characters, it nevertheless gave Donkey Kong some of the best results since the early metagame. Most notable among these results was HIKARU's run at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022}}, which saw him use Donkey Kong extensively in top 64, defeating several of Europe's best players including {{Sm|Glutonny}} and {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}}, before ultimately placing 3rd. In addition, {{Sm|ChunkyKong}}, initially known for his online performances, began having a bigger impact on the offline metagame with his strong performances at majors, most notably 13th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} defeating {{Sm|Kola}} along the way. With both players ranking in [[OrionRank 2022]]'s top 100, among a few others also ranked with Donkey Kong despite minimal usage, many players began seeing Donkey Kong in a more positive light, and he was no longer considered a candidate for one of the worst characters. However, Donkey Kong is still considered to fall short when in comparison to the rest of the cast and is regarded to be a character that falls on the lower end of the tier list. This was reflected on his placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 70th as a lower-mid tier character. His results would remain around the same in the following year: although HIKARU eventually retired and ChunkyKong's results saw a dip, {{Sm|Rarikkusu}} would break out onto the Japanese scene and begin placing well at events. As such, Donkey Kong remained around the same on the second tier list, rising slightly to 68th and ranking in the D+ tier.
 
After the second tier list, Donkey Kong experienced a "Donkey Kong renaissance" similar to what was happening to [[Donkey Kong (SSBM)|his ''Melee'' counterpart]] at that time. This renaissance not only saw many Donkey Kong players succeed at majors, but also saw many top players lose to Donkey Kong players, with notable examples being Rarikkusu defeating {{Sm|Sparg0}} at {{Trn|DELTA 8}}, ChunkyKong defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|MomoCon 2024}}, {{Sm|MairudonaH.O}} defeating {{Sm|Hurt}} at {{Trn|Seibugeki 17}}, {{Sm|Duplex}} defeating {{Sm|MuteAce}} at {{Trn|S Factor 11}}, and {{Sm|Kuhaku}} defeating {{Sm|Doramigi}} at {{Trn|Maesuma'JAPAN West 24}}. This sudden rise in Donkey Kong's representation improved Donkey Kong's standing in the metagame, and many believed Donkey Kong would rise in the next tier list.


=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Journey to New Donk City==
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Journey to New Donk City==
Line 344: Line 344:
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|-
|1||{{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Jungle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Jungle Level (64)}}''||
|1||{{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||{{SSB|Kongo Jungle}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Jungle Level (64)}}''||
|-
|-
|2||{{CharHead|King K. Rool|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Falls]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Gang-Plank Galleon}}''||rowspan="5"|{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Diddy Kong is a CPU ally.
|2||{{CharHead|King K. Rool|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Falls]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Gang-Plank Galleon}}''||rowspan="5"|{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Diddy Kong is a CPU ally.

Please note that all contributions to SmashWiki are considered to be released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license (see SmashWiki:Copyrights for details). Your changes will be visible immediately. Please enter a summary of your changes above.

Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)

Templates used on this page:

This page is a member of 1 meta category: