Remake It! DK's Smash Moveset

we've seen all kinds of ideas go into Smash Brothers movesets designs meant to capture the feel of a character whether directly or in spirit references to their Source material even creating entirely new mechanics specifically for one fighter but with us nearly 25 years in now some of the series oldest movesets are starting to show their age including one in particular Donkey Kong was added to smash 64 to be the game's token big heavyweight and his moveset was built around that but fast forward and now when we have several other Heavies around and the big eight feels increasingly dated with a move set that hasn't changed since melee but what if we could create a blueprint for how the next smash game could retool DK's moveset for the better with the right changes and new additions we can overhaul his design to help him feel truer to himself and make him less underpowered at the same time so without further Ado let's remake it okay first things first this DK's appearance in Smash need an overhaul well not really but a few touch-ups couldn't hurt his basic Design's been pretty consistent since Donkey Kong Country so it's been more about updating his visuals over time with the greater processing power afforded by each new game but what about his alternate costumes actually these are pretty good too wide range of colors and all of them are either an intentional reference or have ties to his games or real-life gorillas in the case of the blackout DK may need updating elsewhere but visuals are not one of the problems that said I wouldn't mind if the devs tweaked his orange alt to lock in a nod to lanky Kong or give the white alt a blue tie to look like super Kong from returns now for the contentious part do we update DK's voice he's had a particular vocal style since the GameCube era but smash is always gone with more generic animal noises he's not the only character whose voice work feels dated but unlike say Bowser I've seen mixed opinions from fans and whether they want DK's voice changed ultimately I think it would be best to update his voice lines carefully I know some people are worried a cartoon of your voice wouldn't fit him but the noises he makes now also aren't very in character he's not some dumb animal he's intelligent enough to operate a TV and Radio Drive a go-kart and understand the rules of all the sports spin-offs he's been in so I think it's a matter of choosing lines carefully from tropical freeze or other recent slash upcoming DK games so he feels like himself without getting too over the top it maybe even record some new lines inspired by the older games he does have some iconic clips from Donkey Kong Country and dk64 next we got attributes stats all that good stuff does DK's fighting style need to change much and not really he's one of the archetypical platform fighter Grapplers and it's completely in character with how often he lifts and throws heavy objects in his games he may not have a big scary command grab or a multiple scary command grabs but his standard throws are so effective that his regular grab is an option that opponents have to respect and play around platform fighter archetypes are different from traditional fighting games sometimes but the big guys got more than grappling to work with and we can better emphasize that DK has a legitimately good mix of power range and sort of speed that let him play spacing games and open opponents up better for his big scary stuff we can bolster this with the right Buffs and quality of life adjustments to give him a legitimate footsies game on top of the usual Grappler stuff helps diversion better from Bowser's more punish-based play style vars stats go a lot of them can stay as they are DK doesn't need a total overhaul here just smart changes in the right places his walk speed air speed and fall speed are left intact and when he already has the 10th fastest walk and is tied for 13th fastest AirSpeed that's totally fine he's also as big and powerful as ever and with kind of limited combo routes his Advantage States still built around conditioning and making big plays by reading his opponents and he's still prone to getting comboed really hard when he takes a hit however some key changes can better highlight DK's strengths and tone down certain weaknesses that are more crippling than they need to be small Buffs to his run speed now 25th fastest and initial Dash now 14th best give him snappier movement and a bigger immediate threat range increased gravity a stat that determines how fast a fighter reaches their Max velocity When jumping or falling should also give him that weightiness and Primal power that makes him feel so good the control in his games but that pales in comparison to his recovery as is it's famously linear and with so little vertical gain that getting disrupted off stage or Worse spiked can be be a death sentence sooner than it should be for a heavy but thanks to a total revamp of his specials DK's recovery is an Achilles heel no more it still has flaws but he can get back safely more often now you'll see how in a bit but I did have to keep those Buffs in check somehow and I might or might not have committed sacrilege by taking two points off DK's weight to make him slightly lighter than DDD don't worry he's still the fourth heaviest in the game but he might lose stocks a few percent earlier now than before I promise the other stuff he got makes this little weight reduction worth it all right now for the fun part how do we change DK's moveset for the better starting with its most basic attacks the answer is less overhaul and more build on what's there his jab Cobble starts with a left hook like before but now the second hit is changed from an uppercut to a right hook to keep his foes in place and he finishes with that kick that used to be his Dash attack before smash 4. his job was already decent for a heavy but this new third hit deals more total damage and enough knockback to kill at the ledge from 140 percent onward TK's forward tilt is the same as before animation wise but we can help it do its job better this move as is has a little too much end lag that makes it so punishable it's rarely worth using as a poke trimming off four to six frames of end lag would make it more worth using and give his footsies a much appreciated boost his up tilt plays off the same idea the base animation is fine but it's a little too laggy to do its job better Lop a few frames off the end and we have a legit anti-air the loss of n lag could also turn in into a combo move a lower percents while remaining a backup kill move at high percents hope that's not too much we can keep DK's down tilt as is it's a fast low attack with a chance to make people trip setting up easy follow-ups or big Tech chases by the way do you know all these moves apparently have official names in Japanese I borrowed some altered others to sound better and came up with a few new names entirely anyway DK's Dash attack is also staying because duh it already took until Smash 4 to get his main attack from dkc into his moveset why would I throw that out in fact we can add a little something to it using it now gives DK a small burst of speed that lets him cover extra distance this is how his role usually works in his games and it makes a move even better as a burst punish slash eventual kill option on the DK smash attacks where we're sticking to the tweak but not replace plan the forward smash he's had since melee can stay and we can add something to this too a smaller version of the shock wave that appears when he claps in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat we could even put a new song power spot hitbox on the shock wave if that's not a step too far for DK's up smash take the same concept and turn it 90 degrees if we were to go with the put a sour spot on the jungle beat Shockwave thing I could see it being bigger on this one so it calls out aerial movement better then for DK's down smash wait a minute what the hell yep his old down special is now his down smash DK slams his palms onto the ground with enough Force to create two damaging shock waves in quick succession that also put a little above ground level now so they're not useless against light jumps with knockback cranked up to fit the new Roll But slightly less range this thing's a legit kill move now imagine getting tripped by his down tilt and having to hope he doesn't read your get up with this thing you can't keep slapping the ground indefinitely anymore but if you charge this move at least halfway he slaps the ground four times instead of two now for DK's Aerials where another big change is lying in weight because his neutral air ditches the old clothesline move for a new one where he quickly curls up and performs a stationary role in mid-air while it doesn't reach as far as his old Nair and isn't as strong on a clean hit it's much faster and since it covers him almost completely it gives a Big Ape a work of a lot of Shield option and protects him better from juggle attempts even has a long lasting albeit smaller late hit this one change already makes DK's disadvantage State less terrible he's still vulnerable when trying to land or when stuck in Shield but now he's not so utterly helpless the rest of the Aerials are doing the same bass animation but with helpful updates thing DK's Ford airs too iconic not to keep and I'm pretty sure it's directly based on a thing he had in dk64 anyway but we can make it less situational slightly bigger hitboxes and reduce Landing lag make it less wildly unsafe to throw out giving it Niche use in neutral situations not unlike Cloud's Forward Air DK's back air we don't need to mess with it's been one of the best in all a smash for three games and Counting and it's all already a key part of his game plan with its ability to space combo Edge guard kill late wash your car do your taxes anyway DK's up air is another carryover with a potential tune-up the hitbox on the headbutt is smaller than you'd think and could be made bigger or stronger for comparison Bowser's up air is about the same size but hits harder while Charizard has a huge hitbox but is much slower to come out DK's down air could also use a touch-up trimming off a frame or to a startup on the stop would make it more of a threat and more worth going for especially since hand slap isn't as special anymore and he'll still want a good Spike that hits below him alright now for the part that matters most for a Grappler DK's grab animations are the same as before reaching out with one of his long gorilla arms but we can change his Pummel to be more on brand instead of his current awkward chop we can have him make a fist with his free hand and bonk his opponent with it could even give him a cheeky grin during the animation since he knows he's just messing with him DK's throws are the way wait a minute the hell is going on here instead of his cargo throw DK's new forward throw imitates his throwing animation from Donkey Kong Country with solid base knockback and a low angle it's great for taking stage control and setting up hedge guards his back throw is the same as before complete with becoming a kill throw eventually then for his up throw aha you didn't think I'd actually get rid of it did you DK's signature's pseudo command grab got moved to a spot that matches its animation better works the same as always letting the big guy reposition himself before throwing his captive in one of four directions forward to kill off the side back to kill off the top up to set up his famous ding dong combo which still won't work at kill percents unless smash 6 starts allowing more kill confirms off grabs again and down forces low recoveries you can also throw people at the underside of the stage and hope lag makes them miss the tech if you want to be that guy on quick play oh well and his down throw is still around we could give DK extra hang time after he bounces his opponent off the ground that leaves him in the air after the animation is done alter the knockback angle to put them right by him at low percents and he could follow it up with a narrow falling up air for a non-cargo throw combo okay let's wrap this up with a few taunts DK's current set is perfectly fine but the ride voice clips can make them even better the one where he beats his chest could throw on a redone version of the he doesn't Donkey Kong Country his side talk could end the shake-off with a confident grin and a redone version of his yeah from dk64 and his down talk could be even funnier if his VA handed up as much as possible to emphasize his utter confusion over whatever the hell just happened still here good this is the part where we shake things up DK specials are where we can really modernize his design his neutral special is actually the least changed but that doesn't mean there isn't something new going on this re-skinned giant punch is only tangentially related to the move from Tropical Freeze but we have ways of making the name work on use DK winds his arm up like usual but there are some key differences now instead of a gradual damage scale there are four distinct stages uncharged two levels of partial charge and fully charged indicated by how quickly and forcefully he's winding his arm and how much steam is emitting from his head charging it still makes it stronger but now a level 2 charge or greater adds a cartoony explosive silhouette on the punch of increasing size in a similar art style to the move from Tropical Freeze see making its effective hitbox bigger and less impractical to land he gets partial armor on the punch at level three now instead of a full charge and while the full charge has slightly more startup now is DK rears back more dramatically the armor comes in sooner than before and the explosive effect is big enough at this point to make the attack much bigger while maintaining its strength this retool makes Kong Pao even better as DK's signature big scary attack instead of being restricted at callouts now opponents have to play around it if it's prepped daring opponents to stop you from charging it is a form of passive pressure that fits DK's easy-going personality to a t but it does have downsides like taking longer to fully charge now than before having the charge only saved to the start of each stage instead of at any time and a level 3 or 4 punch has greater end lag next is DK's side special how about something like wait what that yep we're moving this one over to a side special now well it works more or less like it does in Ultimate the obligatory multi-hit Grappler Lariat move that doubles his recovery and miter might not be inspired by Dixie's helicopter spin we can add an extra forward push to the grounded version that makes it a better burst option moving spinning Kong over to the side special lets it still work as a multi-hit armored punish with utility as a horizontal recovery move a la Tatsu while freeing up DK's main recovery move to be something else still has its old weaknesses easily punished if it misses doesn't gain much height and is vulnerable from above when off stage Etc but since it's not his only source of recovery anymore that's less of a problem this does mean DK doesn't have his headbutt anymore so he does miss out on a way to break Shields is what I would say but a fully charged Kong pal can still do that so if spinning Kong isn't his up special anymore what is well dkc fans I have good news for you because we're finally using something more overtly inspired by his games Barrel cannons have been part of Donkey Kong Country since the beginning as a means of long distance travel we've even seen him in some of his stages in Smash and one served as an item in melee and it's that design we'll be using here on use a Kong sized barrel with one opening and an arrow painted on appears around DK pointed diagonally up and forward in whichever direction he was facing and he sticks his head out with a determined expression and grips the rim with his hands for the next second you can adjust the Barrel's angle up and down to lock in the exact flight path you want once time's up or if you press A or B early the barrel launches DK like a cannonball in the direction it's pointing going nearly as far as pitch recovery if not interrupted this drastically improves a big guy's ability to get back to the stage it even has a strong hitbox on the barrel as it launches destroying the Barrel in the process and a hitbox of decent strength on DK himself mid-flight as he's curled up in a ball a Precision recovery with a wide range of angles Barrel Cannon almost completely removes one of DK's biggest weak points his disadvantaged state may be lacking but at least his recovery isn't extremely vulnerable anymore it did say almost though because this move still has some drawbacks over half a second is startup means it can get interrupted before the launch if anyone's too close the Cannon's angle can only be adjusted about 60 degrees in either direction so don't accidentally start it in the wrong direction or you'll be in trouble and while DK has a hitbox mid launch it becomes smaller and weaker halfway through so recovering from Deep off stage is still a risk and he does go into Free Fall afterward and if you thought that was wild You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet hand slap isn't DK's down special anymore so what is well what better then the other thing he's so famous for throwing barrels has been a Kong thing ever since his Gramps did it in the arcade game and this Donkey Kong is just as known for it on use DK stops in place and holds one arm up above his head and a barrel with a dkc style design not the same as the generic item poofs into existence a full hop height above the barrel drops down after a small amount of Hang Time and DK catches it in his hand effortlessly and prepares to throw it press B again or any forward or downward Direction on the stick and he flings the barrel forward like it's nothing traveling quickly and rolling along the ground once it lands or if you press an upward angle he lobs the barrel instead covering the air immediately ahead of him once it reaches the ground or a platform it also rolls but not as quickly oh and did I mention the barrels are particularly strong once thrown and have enough Health to tank one hit from weaker attacks or projectiles without breaking Barrel drop gives DK an unorthodox projectile that opponents even zoners must respect and play around though it's kept in check by the sheer length of both parts of its animation takes nearly a second and a half to go from calling the barrel down to throwing it and DK cannot move until the barrel is thrown the barrel does have a hitbox shortly after it spawns in but it's not very strong can sometimes work as a platform trap but DK has better Alternatives if there is a platform between the spawn point and DK's hand the barrel can get stuck and cut the move short with extra and lag and if used in the air DK stops in place as the barrel spawns in until he catches it at which point he starts to fall normally alright what about his final smash his current ones kind of generic even if you realize it's inspired by jungle beat but truth is this one doesn't need a total replacement either all it needs is a touch-up courtesy of returns in tropical Freeze strengthen even further by the smash ball DK winds up and throws a powerful punch that pulls him forward a dash length if he hits someone specifically the first opponent who gets caught the screen darkens and spotlights fall upon them DK Grins and makes a double fist then lets loose with a brutal string of punches faster than the eye can see and if you match the A and B buttons he punches even faster for greater damage then he pauses winds up again and delivers an uppercut so strong it could send his opponent clear across the Horizon and if the poor soul is at 100 or higher before the final punch he literally sends them flying into the background for an instant star KO he's just that strong there we are a revamped take on Donkey Kong's moveset that fine-tunes the parts of his kit that already work while refreshing his specials he's still a super heavy Grappler with a ton of power who's vulnerable when in a disadvantaged state but now his strengths are more well-rounded and his weak points less debilitating all while helping him feel less like a generic fighting game heavy and more like himself and that's despite the stuff I considered using But ultimately left out like his coconut gun from dk-64 which would have been a neat reference but didn't gel with his playstyle well enough to keep sometimes it works better not to go for a reference if it makes the overall design less cohesive so how does he look what are the DK Mains in the crowd or the massive amount of people who pull him out for fun sometimes think about this one and if you were entertained enough catch a ride from funky over to my channel page for other videos like this I do a lot of Smash Brothers and speculative stuff in similar Styles so check it out and maybe subscribe if you're into that so the algorithms care about me more eh eh anyway special thanks to the following people for helping make this video happen thanks as well to my patrons for your continued support and for voting on the recent Challenger poll octoling's episode will be coming soon so until next time where is that last stupid puzzle piece

Channel: Delzethin

Views: 116,672

Keywords: Super Smash Bros, Smash Bros, Smash Ultimate, Smash Bros Ultimate, SSBU Delzethin, Remake It, Smash Bros Donkey Kong Moves, Smash Bros DK Moves, Smash Bros Donkey Kong Moveset, Smash Bros DK Moveset, Smash Ultimate Donkey Kong Moves, Smash Ultimate DK Moves, Smash Bros DK Remake, Smash Bros Donkey Kong Remake, Smash Ultimate DK Remake, Smash Ultimate Donkey Kong Remake, Smash Bros DK Revamp, Smash Ultimate DK Revamp

Id: _0iT8Z8RuGc

Length: 20min 26sec (1226 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 22 2022