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donkey kong

Olikus

Smash Champion
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
2,451
Location
Norway
My DK was really tanking compared to my other characters. Then I learned how to uair chain and now just space bairs and camp one of the lower platforms to get in uair chains. Mix em up with sh dairs to usmash or tech chased downb into charged punch. Maybe throw in an nair or two if you're feeling cocky.

Then just get good at upb out of shield and get ready to use it, as aa said, to deny anything when you're in trouble. It also works well to edgeguard someone horizontally from you.

That + bthrows should make your DK pretty good.

I feel mine can compete on a decent level.
Thanks for the advices^^. Time to practise.
 

Kabutox

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
101
Location
Amsterdam
I have improved allot the last 2 months, but my DK hasnt becomed much better. In some match ups, I have becomed descent with him, but overall he hasnt keeped up with my game. 2 months ago he was my third best caracther after pikachu and kirby. Now i've becomed allot better with yoshi, and probably better with puff and mario too even if I have played DK the most. And ness and falcon is soon as good as him.

Is this most likely just a personal thing or do more people feel like DK is easy to get to some level but then harder than other caracthers to take to the next level. I really dont wanna give the great ape up, but its starting to get annoying to often lose to worse players while I use him. Anyone else feel that way with DK?
I think you are getting more technical. DK takes more thinking to be just as good.
Falcon can rely more on reaction, whereas DK has to think ahead, since he's not fast enough to punish by simply reacting. The learning curve, imo, is steeper with DK than falcon. Dk's combo's are simply harder to master.

If you just keep playing, doesn't matter what character, you'll understand spacing better, and will recognize some habits people may have faster than you do now. This is when the thinking comes into play.. If you know the enemy, there's a million ways to counter it. At that moment, DK might even become your best character =P
 

Capt_Dangerous

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 26, 2013
Messages
4
DKs best level has to be Sector Z! Get to the lower level and grab-throw against wall, grab again from air once they bounce off and repeat, super punch to finish!
 

Annex

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
761
Location
Columbia Gorge
DKs best level has to be Sector Z! Get to the lower level and grab-throw against wall, grab again from air once they bounce off and repeat, super punch to finish!
If only Z was legal...
You can do something very similar on Hyrule though, at the tent on the right.
 

Chaostatic

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
177
Any advice for the DK v Yoshi match up on DL?

I know they're both mid tiers, but I can't help but feel that this is like one of the worst match ups in the game.

I find myself spamming grab in this match up because if I approach with an arial I'm gonna get up tilted cause dk's arials are kind of meh. Even when I'm using my perfect-land short hop on the DL platforms, Yoshi's arial mobility is too good. I get pwned so hard...

Thanks.
 

rpotts

Smash Lord
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
1,121
Location
Lawrence, KS
I wouldn't approach very much in that matchup, at least not horizontally, since Yoshi's aerials come out so quickly comparatively and in general have better hitboxes he can just react to your approach and outspace you with a DJC bair/nair/fair/anythinglol or, like you said, just get uptilted. If you're going to approach, try using bairs more than fair/nair. You'll need to be able to dash dance (DD) grab him a lot and use upb to get out of pressure situations and on wakeup (just after you tech) if the Yoshi's techchase timing is slightly behind.

This match is old and on Hyrule but it exemplifies some of the baiting and use of upb I mentioned.
Isai (DK) vs Sossi (Yoshi)

This match appears to be online and Isai's kinda screwing around a bit but he still uses upb very well both defensively and offensively. Instead of going for grabs and other combos when he approaches Darth_Fox at low percents he follows up aerials with insta-upbs for safety, to avoid quick counter attacks and even maybe frametrap parries, lol.
Isai (DK) vs Darth_Fox (Yoshi)
 
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Vincent Asselin

Smash Rookie
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
3
Hi I'm an very experienced DK player in casual friendly games looking to begin playing more competitively. I have watched a lot of tournament pro-level games on YouTube and I've noticed that DK is never present in the top tens or so. I know he is considered a mid-tier like Yoshi but we do see some Yoshis in tournaments, and no DKs. Considering all that, I was simply wondering if you guys thought that DK has a legitimate chance in the competitive community and in the high level tournaments. Is there hope for my main character? I'm worried because I like playing him so much and I would prefer not to change... What's your opinion about that? Please explain it technically if possible.

Side note : What to do against Kirby man? I get owned by people who are 2 times worse than me with any other character. It seems like there is no possible approach. Everything (including the grab!) gets countered by U-tilt and F-smash. The only approach I have is getting under him and using U-air, but a patient Kirby always stays on the ground...
 

Sedda

Smash Champion
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
2,393
Location
Luigi sucks
Just play DK if you have fun with him. It'll make you better to us a character you enjoy!

DK is a big blob of combo food, so you have to watch out for dat utilt. If you're still getting destroyed by people you consider to be worse than you, you need to change it up because I guarantee you they're doing the same thing over and over again.
 

Annex

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
761
Location
Columbia Gorge
Side note : What to do against Kirby man? I get owned by people who are 2 times worse than me with any other character. It seems like there is no possible approach. Everything (including the grab!) gets countered by U-tilt and F-smash. The only approach I have is getting under him and using U-air, but a patient Kirby always stays on the ground...
That's interesting, I actually love DK against Kirby.

For utilt, grab should be able to beat it in between tilts (dash-dancing helps), but another option is DK's dash attack, which just outright beats it. They just have to be at a high enough percent where you don't get nailed with a dair on their way down in the hour and a half it takes the dash to end.

But other than that, just get kirby offstage and you should be able to keep it from getting back pretty consistently. Ledge-hop dair if they recover low, fair/punch if high, and upb if medium. Or just uair chains -> clap.
 

WINK ;)

Thankful for today
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
309
Location
Lexington, KY
What moves are discourage for use? What moves should be used a lot?
What DK videos can you link me to show me how a good DK is supposed to be played?
 

rpotts

Smash Lord
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
1,121
Location
Lawrence, KS
What moves are discourage for use? What moves should be used a lot?
What DK videos can you link me to show me how a good DK is supposed to be played?
Dash attack is pretty much the only move with little to no use. Bair is probaly his best zoning/spacing move, but all of his aerials can be used well. UpB comes out super fast and is often his best out of shield (OoS) option, can be used to interupt combos, is generally his best move on wakeup (just after you tech or getup,) and also is an ezpz edgeguarding tool against most of the cast.

Pas la Z (DK) vs Mew2King (Kirby)

Z makes a tough matchup against a tough opponent look easy with Gigantus Donker Kongus.
 

WINK ;)

Thankful for today
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
309
Location
Lexington, KY
More of a generic Smash 64 question here but how on earth do you speed up your movement? I had Z-canceling and tech down but I watch videos and I am still not that fast, they fall faster it seems. Are they fast falling after each aerial? Cause I thought you couldn't SHFFL in 64.
 

Smasherx74

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
407
More of a generic Smash 64 question here but how on earth do you speed up your movement? I had Z-canceling and tech down but I watch videos and I am still not that fast, they fall faster it seems. Are they fast falling after each aerial? Cause I thought you couldn't SHFFL in 64.
Stop smashing your analog stick, Tilt it just enough to jump which is a bit beyond half way, 50%. Or you can use C jump angles.

Also, when you fast fall you can fast fall buffer into uair, (if you use keyboard)
 
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WINK ;)

Thankful for today
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
309
Location
Lexington, KY
Stop smashing your analog stick, Tilt it just enough to jump which is a bit beyond half way, 50%. Or you can use C jump angles.

Also, when you fast fall you can fast fall buffer into uair, (if you use keyboard)
Ahhhh! Okay! I gotcha! THanks guys!

ALso how did you know I was smashing the analog?
 
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tehz

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
Messages
188
Any tips on practicing u-air chains? Which characters are easiest to start with? How fast should the u-airs be? Does turning around between uairs add anything? Can giant DK do uair chains on yoshi's story? etc.
 

Chaostatic

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
177
Any tips on practicing u-air chains? Which characters are easiest to start with? How fast should the u-airs be? Does turning around between uairs add anything? Can giant DK do uair chains on yoshi's story? etc.
When I learned up air chains I just went to DL in training mode and practiced short hop up air > shield drop up airs as fast I could.

It's easier on characters that fall slow because you don't have to up air as quickly. In my experience, it's probably easiest to actually juggle Luigi or Samus, but they don't have much hit stun so often times it's not a true combo.

The heavier a character is and the faster he/she falls, the more likely it is that they are truly in hit stun. If you can up air chain Pika, Ness or Kirby, it's still fairly easy and most of the time it's a true combo.

Link, Falcon, and fox are the hardest IMO. You have to go super fast for them.

So basically, the up airs should be as fast as you need them to be. It's all character dependent. For fast fallers, the up airs need to be pretty fast. For characters that fall slow, not so much.

Regardless of which way DK is facing, the up air will always send the opponent on the opposite side of him. So if DK is facing left, and the opponent is on the right side of him (behind him), up airing the opponent with send them in front of DK. If DK is facing left, and the opponent is on the left side of him (in front of him), up airing the opponent will send them behind DK.

So in terms of positioning the opponent while you're comboing them, no, it doesn't matter which way you face when you up air them.

The timing, however, does matter. The hit box comes out in front of DK first and then it ends behind him. So if you're about to drop the combo because the opponent is about to hit the platform, make sure you're facing towards them so that the hit box come out faster. If you're about to drop the combo because the opponent his too high, then face away from them so that it gives them time to fall into the end of the attack.

IDK anything about giant DK on Yoshi's.

I hope this helped lol.
 

SuPeRbOoM

Smash Master
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
4,509
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
when you're vsing humans, it's a good idea to wait for fastfallers to land on the platform then do a shielddrop uair so you can catch them on their tech and not worry about whiffing your chain. I still make sure I connect the falling uair -> rising uair though.

EDIT: actually you can wait whenever you want lol
 
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_CaKeS_

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
31
Location
USA, VT
I've always struggled with my DK, I honestly just can't find his speed/versatility, can anyone direct me to some helpful video tutorials on some more advance technique?

Also, favorite part about DK is when he ends an opponents combo with a surprise back throw. That **** hits too hard
 

Kimimaru

Smash Ace
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
915
Location
CA
Practice your platform movement and use your range as best as you can by spacing your moves well. U-air and B-air are great poking tools with the former being a great self-comboing move, especially if you auto-cancel it on platforms.

DK doesn't really have any character-specific tech aside from Giant Punch Cancel -> Turnaround aerial. Watch Boom/Isai's DKs and analyze their move choices.
 
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