Diddy Kong

"Diddy Kong Begins His Kong Quest!"

Diddy Kong is a protagonist in the Donkey Kong franchise, debuting with Donkey Kong Country in 1994 before getting a starring role in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest the following year.

He is also a playable character in Nexed.

Real-World History
While developing Donkey Kong Country, Rare wanted to make the player capable of taking multiple hits before losing a life while keeping the screen "clutter-free". Without using a health bar, it was decided that Donkey Kong's extra hit would take the form of a second character. While this new character was originally a reimagining of Donkey Kong Jr., Nintendo vetoed the idea due to the extreme design differences between the original Jr. and Rare's take. When asked to either change the design or make it an entirely seperate character, Rare decided to do the latter; After multiple names were pitched, Diddy Kong was eventually decided upon.

After the 1994 release of Donkey Kong Country, Diddy Kong would go on to become a popular character, earning a starring role in 1995's Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and 1997's Diddy Kong Racing. After Rare was purchased by Microsoft in 2002, Nintendo continued to hold onto the rights to Diddy, leading to him appearing in Mario spinoff games alongside new Donkey Kong titles.

Gameplay Information
"Acrobatic and playful, all Diddy Kong wants is to be a great protector of Donkey Kong Island, just like the big ape himself. While he's got the spunk and dedication for the job, his recklessness and showboating often get him into trouble. Nevertheless, Diddy's proven himself on multiple occasions, not only joining Donkey Kong on his adventures, but saving him from the clutches of Kaptain K. Rool and becoming a hero in his own right!

When Donkey Kong enlisted into the Nexus Tournament, his little buddy was quick to follow. Having honed his nimble tricks over the years, now's the time for Diddy to prove himself once more. Besides, how could he say no to a chance to show off?"

Diddy Kong is a rushdown fighter with plenty of mobility options at his disposal, aiding his approach. In addition to his high movement speed, all but one of his specials focus on movement in some way, allowing him to vary how he approaches opponents. This also gives him plenty of combo potential, able to fluidly go from grounded to airborne combat to follow up after an attack.

However, Diddy Kong is also fairly light, making him easy to KO. In addition, some of his strongest attacks also have the most commitment, leaving Diddy open should thy whiff, while his attack power is lacking across the board. As such, Diddy mains should use his high mobility to rush down opponents, either to pepper in weaker hits or to combo into a finisher.

Moveset

 * Wall Jump: Diddy Kong is able to jump off of walls.
 * Wall Cling: Diddy Kong is able to cling to walls for a short period of time.

Grounded Attacks

 * Jab: Diddy Kong throws a slap.
 * Dash Attack: Diddy Kong throws a flying headbutt resembling the Chimpy Charge from Donkey Kong 64. Unlike most dash attacks, this can go off-stage.
 * Forward Light: Diddy Kong throws a double punch.
 * Up Light: Diddy Kong throws an arching overhand swipe.
 * Down Light: Diddy Kong claps his hands forward while crouching.
 * Forward Strong: Diddy Kong throws a roundhouse kick, jumping forward a little as he does so. This is his best kill move.
 * Up Strong: Diddy Kong does a flip while throwing a kick and an uppercut.
 * Down Strong: Diddy Kong performs a breakdance kick.
 * Counter: Diddy Kong somersaults into the opponent, kicking them forward.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air: Diddy Kong performs a cartwheel in the air.
 * Forward Air: Diddy Kong claws downwards with both hands.
 * Back Air: Diddy Kong throws a reverse spin kick.
 * Up Air: Diddy Kong throws a backflip kick.
 * Down Air: Diddy Kong kicks beneath himself.

Grabs / Throws

 * Grab: Diddy Kong grabs the opponent with both hands, somewhat resembling his carrying animation from Donkey Kong Country.
 * Pummel: Diddy Kong headbutts the opponent.
 * Forward Throw: Diddy Kong throws the opponent forward.
 * Back Throw: Diddy Kong vaults over the opponent before kicking them behind himself. This is his best kill throw.
 * Up Throw: Diddy Kong throws his opponent up and handstand kicks them.
 * Down Throw: Diddy Kong tosses the opponent onto the floor before using them as a balancing ball, eventually kicking them forward as he falls off. This references Diddy's ability to ride on barrels in Donkey Kong Country.

Stage Intro
Diddy Kong bursts out of a DD Barrel from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze before entering his battle stance.

Taunts

 * Diddy Kong juggles some balls, referencing an idle animation from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest.
 * Diddy Kong flips his hat before having it land on his head, winking at the camera beforehand. This references his boss victory animation from Donkey Kong Country.
 * Diddy Kong holds his arms forward as he beckons the opponent, referencing his boss animation from Donkey Kong Country Returns.
 * Diddy Kong chuckles with his hand over his mouth.

Victory Animations
Diddy Kong's victory theme is a remix of his victory fanfare from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest.
 * Diddy Kong dances with sunglasses and a boombox on his shoulder before dropping the boombox and posing with his arms crossed.
 * Diddy Kong readies his Barrel Jet, but it flies off without him, leaving him sitting on the floor with a confused expression.
 * Diddy Kong performs a breakdance before posing with a one-hand handstand.

Colors / Costumes


Trivia

 * While Diddy Kong's moveset was mostly inspired by his appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, many moves were changed to emphasize Diddy's acrobatic, yet reckless nature. Moves such as Down Throw and Down Special were added near the end to further emphasize this focus.
 * Diddy Kong originally used an orange grenade from Donkey Kong 64 for his Down Special and a barrel for his Level 1 Nexus Attack.