Diddy Kong (PM)

Diddy Kong is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. He is currently ranked 4th out of 41 on the official tier list, a slight improvement where he is ranked 4th out of 38 in Brawl. However, in Project+, Diddy Kong ranks 18th on the in the A tier, a stark drop from both Brawl and Project M, but nonetheless remaining a high tier character.
==Attributes==
Diddy Kong is a quick, unwieldy fighter, able to rack up quick damage, combo well and make use of setups with his bananas. The ability to produce banana peels unlocks many techniques with Diddy Kong. The peels cause opponents hit by them or who walk over them to trip, making them fantastic tools for approaching, heckling, or setting up traps to extend combos. Diddy Kong can use his jab combo to transition into other moves or aerial combos. He is adept at gimping opponents with his refined Monkey Flip, his dash attack, and his down air. Peanut Popgun can now be used more liberally, as the gun shoots further and is stronger. Diddy's aerials are solid for comboing, and the same stands for his tilts and up smash.
However, Diddy Kong lacks ways to quickly and reliably finish off opponents. This can lead to opponents surviving much longer, and makes gimping opponents almost a necessity. In addition, his recovery options are somewhat limited. Rocketbarrel Boost flies in a mostly linear fashion, making it easy to disrupt for some characters.
Regarding item play, Diddy Kong has a ridiculously deep and distinct tool kit with which he can outwit his opponents.
==Changes from Brawl to PM==
Diddy Kong received some nerfs mostly noticeably to his which was the key part to his success in Brawl. Diddy can only have one banana peel out at a time and the changes to Tripping in Project M hinder their utility. Diddy Kong's endurance is also significantly worse due to his lower weight and he is much more vulnerable to combos due to his higher fall speed and gravity. 
Besides the nerfs to his Banana Peels, he mostly gained noticeable buffs from Brawl to PM to fit with the Melee physics. His mobility, combo and edgeguarding game has been significantly improved and his damage output/kill power has increased. His grab game is also significantly stronger due to the physics changes as well as his up and down throws being altered. His recovery is also a lot better due to his higher air speed as well as having more options out of his side and up specials.
Overall despite his nerfs, Diddy remains a threat in PM's meta due to his buffs. He still remains one of the strongest characters in the game.
===Aesthetics=== 
*
*
*
*
*
===Attributes===
*
* 
* 
*
* 
*
* 
* 
** 
*
===Ground attacks===
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
===Aerial attacks=== 
* 
*
*
*
* 
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
===Grabs and Throws===
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
===Special Moves===
* 
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 
*
*
**
**
==Changes from PM to P+==
==Revisions==
===v2.6b===
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
===v3.0===
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
===v3.02===
*
===v3.5===
*
**
**
**
*
**
*
*
**
*
**
*
*
**
*
**
*
*
*
===v3.6 Beta===
*
**
*
**
==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.
 	 	Name 	Damage 	Description
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	Diddy Kong slaps forward twice, turns around to quickly kick the foe, then proceeds to repeatedly whip them with his tail. The first hit can set up a grab if jab-canceled, or even a buffered down smash.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	2% 	Diddy Kong slaps forward twice, turns around to quickly kick the foe, then proceeds to repeatedly whip them with his tail. The first hit can set up a grab if jab-canceled, or even a buffered down smash.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	4% 	Diddy Kong slaps forward twice, turns around to quickly kick the foe, then proceeds to repeatedly whip them with his tail. The first hit can set up a grab if jab-canceled, or even a buffered down smash.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	1-2% (loop) 	Diddy Kong slaps forward twice, turns around to quickly kick the foe, then proceeds to repeatedly whip them with his tail. The first hit can set up a grab if jab-canceled, or even a buffered down smash.
Forward tilt 	↗ 	 	13% (arms), 10% (body) 	Diddy Kong leans to the side and thrusts both of his arms forward in a double punch. This attack can be angled up or down.
Forward tilt 	→ 	 	12% (arms), 9% (body) 	Diddy Kong leans to the side and thrusts both of his arms forward in a double punch. This attack can be angled up or down.
Forward tilt 	↘ 	 	11% (arms), 8% (body) 	Diddy Kong leans to the side and thrusts both of his arms forward in a double punch. This attack can be angled up or down.
Up tilt 	Up tilt 	 	8% 	Diddy Kong swats in the air above him with a slap. Quick and can combine with other attacks. This move can be used to juggle an opponent at low percentages.
Down tilt 	Down tilt 	 	8% 	Diddy Kong claps forward while crouching. Extremely useful for racking up damage at low percentages.
Dash attack 	Dash attack 	 	9% (clean), 5% (late) 	Diddy Kong performs a cartwheel spin, resembling the one from the Donkey Kong Country games. A great move due to having almost absolutely no ending lag and combines well with his up smash or up tilt. This attack can also go off edges and platforms.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	 	(hit 1), (hit 2) 	Diddy Kong spins and punches forward, followed by a second punch. The first hit deals no knockback, which makes it easier to land the second hit. When fully charged and both hits connect, it can KO at 85% on lightweights and 92% on heavyweights.
Up smash 	Up smash 	 	(hits 1-2), (hit 3) 	Diddy Kong sops a little and does a sort of cartwheel, hitting three times with extremely low knockback that doesn't KO until 115%. Fills in combos and can rack up damage easily.
Down smash 	Down smash 	 	Front: (body) (leg)Back: (body), (leg) 	Diddy Kong performs a sweeping kick. It has less knockback than his forward smash and sends enemies at a more horizontal angle.
Neutral aerial 	Neutral aerial 	 	13% (clean), 9% (late) 	Diddy Kong does an aerial cartwheel similar to his dash attack. Has decent knockback.
Forward aerial 	Forward aerial 	 	15% (clean), 11% (late) 	Diddy Kong kicks both feet forward while spinning. Diddy Kong's strongest aerial, a great edge-guarding option, and a good move to use in a short hop (though a bair is quicker and better for spacing). On the edge at above 100%, edge drop -> jump -> fair is considered one of the best options available.
Back aerial 	Back aerial 	 	12% (foot), 11% (body) 	Diddy Kong thrusts one leg backward and performs a single spin. His fastest aerial, being a great option for spacing whether a short hop is used or not.
Up aerial 	Up aerial 	 	12% (clean), 8% (late) 	Diddy Kong does an overhead flip kick. Decent knockback, fairly fast.
Down aerial 	Down aerial 	 	15% (fists), 14% (arms) 	Diddy Kong swings both his arms downward in a double axe-handle punch. A powerful meteor smash.
Grab 	Grab 	 	— 	
Pummel 	Pummel 	 	3% 	Diddy Kong headbutts his target, angled from the side of his body. Hits almost instantly.
Forward throw 	Forward throw 	 	11% 	Diddy Kong tosses the opponent forward. Based on how Diddy Kong would throw barrels in Donkey Kong Country. Best used to get opponents offstage to set up an edgeguard. This throw can also combo into a f-air.
Back throw 	Back throw 	 	10% 	Diddy Kong tosses the opponent backward, very similar to his forward throw in that it is useful for getting opponents offstage.
Up throw 	Up throw 	 	3% (hit 1), 7% (throw) 	Diddy Kong throws the opponent up and kicks them. This throw is a decent option for getting opponents into the air.
Down throw 	Down throw 	 	5% (hit 1), 3% (throw) 	Diddy Kong throws the opponent onto the ground and hops over them. Deals fair backwards knockback. This throw can be followed up by multiple moves and is a great combo starter.
Floor attack (front)	Floor attack (front)	 	6% 	Diddy Kong gets up and slaps on both sides.
Floor attack (back) 	Floor attack (back) 	 	6% 	Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.
Floor attack (trip) 	Floor attack (trip) 	 	5% 	Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.
Edge attack (fast) 	Edge attack (fast) 	 	6% (tail far), 8% (tail close) 	Diddy Kong quickly climbs up and does a spinning tail slap.
Edge attack (slow) 	Edge attack (slow) 	 	10% 	Diddy Kong slowly climbs up and sticks his left foot out.
Neutral special 	Neutral special 	Peanut Popgun 	5-18% (peanuts), 20% (explosion) 	Diddy Kong pulls out his peanut popgun and fires a peanut. This move can be charged, but charging it too long will cause the popgun will explode, dealing 5% recoil damage, and will stun Diddy Kong for a second.
Side special 	Side special 	Monkey Flip 	12% (midair kick clean), 7% (midair kick late), 5% (grab & jump attack hit 1), 7% (grab & jump attack hit 2), 5% (release)	Diddy Kong performs a sideways hop that can latch him onto an enemy's face if timed correctly. If the attack button is pressed once Diddy Kong has grabbed onto an enemy, he will perform a double chop attack that deals vertical knockback, which can lead into aerials at higher percents. If the jump button is pressed, he will instead jump on the enemy's head and push them downwards, which is a footstool jump. Finally, pressing the attack button before the jump will cause Diddy to attack with a flying kick that deals strong knockback. This move can be used to gain some extra recovery distance horizontally.
Up special 	Up special 	Rocketbarrel Boost 	11-20% (launch), 10% (flight early), 8% (flight late), 1-3% (explosion) 	Diddy Kong charges up his Rocketbarrel Pack and launches himself upwards. While charging, it's possible to change the direction Diddy will be launched by holding the control stick/pad left or right. This method can also be used to control the arc Diddy flies in once he starts flying, making it a great recovery move, especially when fully charged. If someone attacks Diddy Kong when he's wearing his Rocketbarrel Pack, it'll break free and fly around aimlessly.
Down special 	Down special 	Banana Peel 	3% (hand) 	Diddy Kong tosses a Banana Peel into the air to have it fall onto the ground. Opponents who come in contact with the peel will slip and trip. Only one banana peel can be thrown at a time.
Final Smash 	Final Smash 	Rocketbarrel Barrage	8% (peanuts), 15% (peanuts explosion), 18% (contact), 20% (ending explosion) 	Diddy Kong flies around on his Rocketbarrel Pack, shooting explosive peanuts everywhere. Puts Diddy Kong into a helpless state when ended in the air.
==In competitive play==
===Most historically significant players===
See also: :Category:Diddy Kong players (PM)
* - Formerly ranked as high as 5th on the SoCal Project M Power Rankings. Ranked 27th on PMRank 2016.
* - The best Diddy Kong player in the world during 3.6; ranked 4th on PMRank 2017.
* - Was widely considered to be the best Diddy Kong player in the world from 2014-2016. Ranked 27th on PMRank 2017.
* - Ranked 32nd on PMRank 2018.
* - Considered the best current Diddy Kong player. Won and placed 3rd at using primarily Diddy Kong.
* - R.O.B main with a Diddy Kong secondary. Ranked #32 on PMRank 2023.
==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Diddy Kong's alternate costumes remain unchanged from Brawl, except for a new orange costume that makes him look like Funky Kong in the Donkey Kong Country TV series.
							
							
===Project+===
Project+ gives Diddy Kong several new recolors, as well as a hoodie for an alternate costume. His red hoodie costume is a reference to Captain N's outfit in the Nintendo cartoon series. The hoodie's also have logos based on some of Diddy's appearances in the Mario sports games.
Secret costumes:
Z-Secret Costume: Based on Diddy Kong's appearance in Mario Strikers Charged.
R-Secret Costume: Donkey Kong Jr.-inspired costume.
==Trivia==
*Diddy Kong was the only character in Project M that didn't have an alternate costume or any new recolorings prior to the 3.6 Beta.
**This still applies to in PM, as the masquerade code to break his 12 costume limit had not been invented
*Diddy Kong's peanuts have 1 hp, and thus can be broken by 's lasers.
==External links==
*Diddy Kong's page at the Project M website
*Labbing Discord Tech Post
Category:Diddy Kong
Category:Characters (PM)