Diddy Kong (SSB4)/Up aerial

Overview

Diddy Kong performs an overhead kick. A formerly notorious aerial, as well as the crux of Diddy Kong's aerial prowess, it used to be very good for comboing, juggling and KOing. Ever since patch 1.0.8, its damage, power and speed have been lowered, to the point where it can no longer KO until 155%.

In spite of its harsh nerfs, it still sees plenty of usage. Its extremely quick startup and decently wide autocancel window make it a low-risk move in air-to-air combat. Its high base knockback and vertical launch angle also make it excellent at comboing, as it is not uncommon for the move to chain into itself. Finally, it benefits immensely from rage, since it can KO at percentages as low as 80% when used near the upper blast line. It does have its disadvantages, though. Its very low knockback scaling makes it KO considerably later if used near the ground. It also has high landing lag and low shieldstun, meaning that it is ill-advised to use against grounded opponents. Overall, this remains one of Diddy Kong's most useful moves, even with such considerable drawbacks.

Update history

Slower startup (frame 3 → frame 4).
Less interruptibility (frame 36 → frame 39).
Reduced autocancelling capabilities (frames 1-2 and 15 onwards → frame 27 onwards).
Less damage (8% → 6%).
Lower base knockback (65 → 64).
Lower knockback scaling (99 → 89).