The Spinning Kong is Donkey Kong's Up B move. In terms of vertical recovery, this move goes a very short distance, but it goes almost as far horizontally as Meta Knight's Mach Tornado, making it a fairly 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 which Donkey Kong extends his fist to charge up the spin, has decent knockback. The Spinning Kong can also act as a pseudo shield for some projectiles which is helpful when recovering.
The Spinning Kong does up to 36% damage. In Brawl, the grounded version grants Super Armor just before hitting the opponent and Donkey Kong falls on his back after finishing the move, leaving him vulnerable for a moment. There is also a glitch which if he leaves the ground when using the grounded version, the Super Armor lasts for the entire move.