Ways to buff our Little Buddy?

[Diddy Kong]

So, we might all noticed that Diddy isn't quite as effective as previous incarnations of him in Smash; namely Brawl and Smash 4 where he was both a Top Tier character. Unfortunately, we now have to adapt to a lesser effective Diddy playstyle for the first time in ever.

What I would suggest is Diddy having more stage control, what he was known for mostly in the other Smash games. It would also help if he where able to play the rushdown meta of Ultimate better, and that would need a few adaptations as well. Namely in his aerial attacks, because shamefully the only KO option in the air is B Air, and that's after building a lot of %s.

Changes I would want in which move;

Forward Air: More range, and longer duration of the move. It also could use a bit of KO power, because Diddy can't edgeguard even if his life depended on it. This alone would help A LOT! It would help if it did around 14-15% damage instead of 11-12%.

Neutral Air: Despite the move already being quite good, it could use a bit more priority and longer duration, maybe some slight damage increase as well.

D Air: It doesn't kill like it used to, and since it only consistently works out of a few moves on lower %s, it would really help add to Diddy's overall KO options.

U Air: This move is just so underwhelming ever since Smash 4 decided to nerf it so hard. It's almost useless now, unless the enemy is send upwards too much and it's our only option, or we're standing on the highest possible platform on a stage with a low ceiling. It would be much better if the attack could actually land KO's, or at least deal decent damage, around 10% or so. This move used to combo into itself, AND land KO's. Easily the most nerfed attack in Smash history.

Dash attack: This is one of our bread and butter moves currently, and it's a bit lacking at times because it has short range, and stops Diddy's momentum in his mobility slightly. I would want it working more like DK's dash attack, where it keeps his momentum going and can pass through opponents, and still send the enemy upwards like it does right now. Also, increase damage.

U Smash: Increase the range infront of Diddy, a sort of hitbox where the move sucks the opponent in like in Smash 4. Also, it can land KOs earlier, around 10-15% or so. And it still wouldn't be a broken move if these changes where applied.

F Smash: Send the opponent off more vertically, and allow for earlier KOs. Maybe also make it come out faster, because we can't land KOs with it without a Banana most of the time. Also give the first hit a little more hitstun so that the second part of the move connects more easily.

D Smash: Give it the hitbox back where it hits opponents from the ledge. And increase KO potential. It's just an underwhelming Smash attack. Preferably I'd want it as strong as it was in Brawl honestly.

Rocket Barrel Boost: Increase the recovery distance please. Doesn't make sense Diddy dies so early with it, because he already has such bad disadvantage and isn't a bulky heavyweight, neither has the offensive abilities to make up for it. It's a major weakness, and he doesn't deserve such a weakness after all the nerfs. Oh, and KEEP the explosion ulitity please, I LOVE IT!

Monkey Flip: Increase distance slightly so it's easier to catch opponents with, also make the Flip Kick able to KO opponents again and increase it's damage output and priority slightly.

Banana: Make it safe on shield yet again. That's all am asking for.

And that's basically it. I would also like a little increase in our air speed, for it being more even with DK. Because it doesn't make sense he's so quick in the air and Diddy isn't. It would help a lot with our "aerial range" and connecting our aerial strings together far better.

Make us Top Tier again Sakurai.

 

[tuck :)]

while i obviously think if they applied all of these changes diddy would be an uncontrollable powerhouse, there are some important changes diddy needs.

the most glaring buff is his recovery. being able to only recover reliably horizontally is a huge nerf in a game where so many recoveries are extremely safe. i agree with the changes to fair and dsmash too. fair is just too laggy not to have ko power and range. i love dsmash as a move, its quick and sends at a weird angle. id much prefer if it was the main kill move instead of fsmash.

 

[Deleted member]

I guarantee as you see, there's no pity for Diddy

 

[Diddy Kong]

while i obviously think if they applied all of these changes diddy would be an uncontrollable powerhouse, there are some important changes diddy needs.

the most glaring buff is his recovery. being able to only recover reliably horizontally is a huge nerf in a game where so many recoveries are extremely safe. i agree with the changes to fair and dsmash too. fair is just too laggy not to have ko power and range. i love dsmash as a move, its quick and sends at a weird angle. id much prefer if it was the main kill move instead of fsmash.

Yes the recovery is mostly needed. This way Diddy is less prone to being gimped, and allows his playstyle to have a few mistakes in it, plus it would also help with the edgeguarding game. Imagine being able to F Air your opponents from as far away from the stages as other characters can. We could take stocks way earlier, and that's a huge buff on it's own.

 

[tuck :)]

also a patch to this glitch would be great: https://twitter.com/g1LJtElsAEjNzUr/status/1113929635597697024

i thought that this was a rare case that didnt occur often, but i just had it happen to me online. got fsmashed by a ganon out of my up-b and watched diddy slowly float away while i couldnt do anything.
mightve just been a rare case but does anyone else have this weird momentum thing happen to them?

 

[Diddy Kong]

That's a weird glitch yes, but with our recovery being so bad, we shouldn't really be around those parts of the stage anyway.

What I want improved honestly is Diddy's boxing tools. He just pales in comparison to the likes of Fox and Mario, where he really should be just as effective as them in doing what they do. Just imagine a Frame 5 N Air, Frame 3 Jab with more range, hitstun and damage, Frame 5 F Tilt like other rush down characters with the same properties as them (it doesn't make sense that DK has a faster F Tilt than ours honestly), Frame 3 D Tilt, Frame 5 F Air with added range, duration and damage, Frame 5 or 6 Dash Attack with longer duration of the move and making it more a burst type of attack...

I also really want the dumb item catching things to stop, because random dash attacks and tilts grab our Bananas WAYYYY too easily currently. Anyone else irritated by that?

 

[Aquamentii]

I'm upset by how little range jab 2 is. Often Jab 1 will hit and not combo into jab 2, allowing the opponent to shield jab 3 and then punish.
They also finally got rapid jabs right and then took away Diddy's. But that doesn't bother me nearly as much as gentleman jab's crappy range.
Having a little-mac tier vertical recovery sucks, but I'd be fine with it staying that way if we got better/safer offensive capabilities.
Edit: I want to be more specific. I think Diddy has some of the best low/mid % combos in the game. When I say offensive capabilities, I mean tools in neutral and kill options.

 

[Diddy Kong]

That’s indeed a reason I don’t really jab all that often. At least , not unless I’m very close. Diddy’s Jab in general could come out one frame earlier at least, cause Diddy needs more boxing tools. It’s weird how he’s a speedster but compared to the real rush down characters he’s quite slow in frame data. Seeing as Banana doesn’t really hit consistently at high level play, Diddy needs more tools to compensate.

I hope they buff his dash attack even further for example. Make it come out faster and make it more of a bust move, able to be canceled on impact to allow for cool combos. Also increase his damage output seeing KOs don’t really come into play for us till around 140% or so. Faster jab, faster grab, faster N Air a longer ranged F Air and overall better recovery will help us a lot to make up for the potential loss of Banana at high level play. It’ll increase Diddy’s options overall, and that’s what we want.

F Smash is also never really gonna hit unless we hit them with a Banana first. So it’s can also come out faster. Barrel Explosions can also kill earlier I feel.