Smash Advent Calendar - Day 17 - Diddy Kong

After two long articles about potential characters, it's time to go back to basics on Day 17 and talk about a Brawl character - Diddy Kong. Diddy hasbeen on the scene since "Donkey Kong Country" on the SNES and quickly stole the show, taking the lead for DKC2. He made his Smash Bros. debut in Brawl but many wondered why it had took so long for him to appear, being a natural fit. Still, we're glad to have him and it's extremely likely he'll be returning in Smash 4.

Now there isn't a lot to say about Diddy. He's one of the best characters in Smash 4, but isn't broken either. He's exactly what you want from a character. He has a good speed balanced with a low power, attacks that start and end quickly but lack any real smash power but has other tricks up his proverbial sleeves to score KOs. His arial game, for instance, is pretty exceptional - for a character with only two jumps, he can create a barrier between a flying opponent and the edge fairly well, and can juggle all day. Diddy also has great grab range for such a short character. This goes nicely with his powerful grab moves, leading opponents into combos and juggle set-ups nicely without being obscene.

The best part about Diddy is his projectile, hands down. It's a simple move - a banana that trips opponents up. This gives him control over the ground, setting him up for combos and smashes or allowing him to breath against opponents that put massive pressure on. It isn't broken though - the move is fairly slow, so needs careful thought about when to place it, and skilled opponents can pick the bananas up if misplaced. He also has a straight-forward projectile that he can charge up for greater power and distance that stops opponents briefly but again, is well balanced by charge time and forced stationary position when firing.

His model and animations ooze character and detail.

Diddy has his bad points, which are just as vital for a good character. His recovery is fairly limited for a start; Up+B charges a jet pack boost which flies further the longer you hold it. This is mostly a vertical recovery but the can be moved side-to-side slightly by the player. It's pretty predicable and limited in it's angle. He also has his Side+B move, which sees him flip forwards a good horizontal distance. It can be followed up with a kick move with quite some power but again, the angle is limited. You really have to choose carefully when recovering if you want vertical or horizontal gain more as you can't have both.

All in all though, the most important part of Diddy is his feel and charm. He brings a smile to people who play with him due to his smooth mechanics and fun animations, and attacks that really pack a punch. His dash attack is a nod to his "DKC" roots and many other attacks are homages to "Donkey Knog 64". Players who watch him love his odd movements and chimpanzee screeches as he barrels across stages, and you can't help but love his fional smash, even if you're on the receiving end. I welcome Diddy back with open arms, and hope that he stays with Smash Bros., from WiiU/3DS to whatever comes next.

What do you guys think of Diddy? Should he have been in from the start? or were you never that keen on him? Leave a comment below or join a talk over on the facebook page!