Spinning Kong

Spinning Kong
Spinning Kong in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
User	Donkey Kong
Universe	Donkey Kong
Article on DK Wiki	Spinning Kong

The Spinning Kong (スピニングコング Supiningu Kongu) is Donkey Kong's up special move. This move gains very little vertical height, but it goes almost as far horizontally as Meta Knight's Mach Tornado, making it a rather effective recovery move. When used on the ground, the Spinning Kong can be used in a fashion similar to Bowser's Whirling Fortress; it can be used out of the shield, or as a disruptive tactic. The Spinning Kong's first hit in Melee and Brawl, in which Donkey Kong extends his fist to charge up the spin, has decent knockback and can KO at high percentages. The Spinning Kong can also act as a pseudo shield for some projectiles which is helpful when recovering.

In Melee and Brawl, the Spinning Kong does up to 36% damage, making it the second most damaging up special in the game if all hits connect, following Lucas in first with PK Thunder 2, which can do 43%. In Brawl, the grounded version of Spinning Kong grants a few frames of launch resistance just before the hitboxes will come out. The landing lag animation after the helpless animation has also been changed causing Donkey Kong to fall onto his back after finishing the move, leaving him vulnerable for a moment. An oddity will commence if Donkey Kong leaves the ground when using the grounded version of Spinning Kong, the launch resistance will last for the entire move instead of only the few startup frames, but no vertical height will be gained. In Melee, it is the most damaging up special move.

In Brawl, the move gives a fairly long landing lag animation if DK lands from too high up after using the move (similar to Bowser's Whirling Fortress). This can be avoided by recovering low enough to the ground.

In Smash 64, the move consists of only one hit, unlike in the other games. It has pretty good horizontal knockback, being an effective edgeguarding move and combo finisher. Additionally, when DK lands after using the move and he falls off the edge within the first few frames of landing, he will still be in helpless state.

Origin

The moves seems to be unique to the Super Smash Bros. series. However, in Donkey Kong Country 2, Dixie Kong had the ability to spin to slow down her descent and cross large distances horizontally. Spinning Kong may have been loosely based on this move. The only difference between the moves is that Donkey Kong uses his arms to hover, while Dixie Kong used her ponytail. Tiny Kong also had a similar spinning move in Donkey Kong 64. However, Spinning Kong first appeared in the original Super Smash Bros., which precedes Donkey Kong 64's release, and resembles Dixie Kong's spinning move more than Tiny Kong's.

Manual Descriptions

Melee manual description

"While it doesn't gain much altitude, this move covers a lot of horizontal ground, making it an effective recovery move."

Brawl manual description

"Poor vertical gain but great for horizontal recovery."

Gallery

• 

  Spinning Kong in Super Smash Bros..

• 

  Spinning Kong in Melee.

• 

  Spinning Kong in Brawl.

• 

  DK recovering with the move in Brawl.

Donkey Kong's special moves

Neutral special	Giant Punch
Side special	—	Headbutt
Up special	Spinning Kong
Down special	Hand Slap
Final Smash	—		Konga Beat		Jungle Rush