SSB4 Character Analysis: King Dedede

Image from Smash Wiki

Introduction

The next character analysis is for a character who I've only recently started to take a look at. The King has been around since Brawl but I had never really given him a chance until one day I was goofing around and decided to pick him on a whim. Dedede is a unique fighter, he's heavy, which means he has some hard-hitting attacks, but unlike traditional heavies his recovery is a bit better (he can fly!). I'll go over some of what I think are some of his better/more reliable moves, based on my experience with him so far.

Notable 'A' moves

Side Smash - Has a short wind-up but is a reliable killing move. If it doesn't end up killing it will do a significant amount damage and knockback (especially if you can manage to charge it for a few seconds). Great to rely on in the beginning, but be careful it doesn't become a crutch, as it is easy to read.

Up Air - Dedede twirls his hammer overhead for a multi-hit attack. In general The King's air-game is pretty solid. This move in particular is one of my favorites as it deals a good amount of damage, and if the opponent is at a higher percent is a capable killing move. The cherry on top is that if you can keep this move connected on the opponent for the entire duration (ie they don't dodge out/get away) the final hit will spike, sending them flying.

Side Tilt - I find myself using this move a lot as I'm trying to pressure/continue a string on the opponent. It's essentially a slightly weaker version of his Up Air, Dedede twirls his hammer out in front of him for a multi-hit attack. There is no real spike/killing potential in this one, but it is great for racking up damage and spacing the opponent. The one thing about this move though is there is a certain range to it that you need to memorize, otherwise you might find yourself whiffing at times.

Other noteworthy moves: Neutral A Combo, Dash Attack - I try to mix in the Neutral A Combo whenever I can, it's good for a little extra damage and if you chain it long enough the end will have some slight knockback, which is always useful. The Dash Attack is good for approaches and can also potentially kill at higher percents, although for experienced players it is easily predicted and punished so it's best not to rely on this one too much.

Notable 'B' moves

Side B - The King pulls a "Gordo" (spiky ball with eyes, from the Kirby games) out of his pocket and knocks it towards the opponent with his hammer. Let me just say, I love this move, and I'm guilty of using it way more than I probably should. Has great knockback, can be a potential killing move, and is excellent for exerting pressure or "edge-guarding." The trick to this move is that it bounces along the ground, so you have to kind of "set it up" or aim it for it to connect. My favorite thing to do is to launch these at opponents from mid-air, as it's harder to tell where they are going to land, and it's just great for mind games in general. As far as edge-guarding goes, if you manage to hit the opponent while they're trying to recover it will spike them away from the stage, and it's also good at blocking/pressuring out the recovery ledge grab.

Neutral B - King Dedede inhales the enemy into his mouth, trapping them inside before he spits them back out. This move is stronger in group battles, rather than traditional 1v1 battles, but it still has it's merits. Unlike Kirby's Inhale Neutral B Dedede does not let him copy abilities, but it does shoot the opponent farther and does a bit more damage. Can be fun for gimping characters with terrible recovery (read: Little Mac) by inhaling them and then jumping off the ledge before spitting them back out. Because Dedede has above-average recovery, and the opponent does not, Dedede usually recovers while the opponent falls to their death. Kind of cheap, but funny nonetheless.

Other noteworthy moves: Up B - This move is somewhat strange because it has a very rigid and at times unforgiving, animation. Dedede jumps up and gains great vertical distance, but you can barely move at all horizontally once you are locked into the animation. I've killed myself using this more times than I can count, it definitely takes some getting used to. Together with his extra fly-jumps, this makes for some decent overall recovery. The hitbox on this move can kill but as I said this move can feel wonky and hard to aim at times so I try not to rely on it.

Conclusion

I'm definitely not as good with The King as I am with some of my other characters, but that's mostly because I haven't had as much time to mess around with him. Online the match-ups have been hit or miss, I either get a solid win or lose pretty spectacularly, so the verdict is still out on just how good King Dedede really is. For now I'll keep playing and trying to come up with new strategies to improve my game.

Music Appreciation Post: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Surf Theme

In honor of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire being released tomorrow, I wanted to post one of the most memorable tracks from the original games. This is the surfing theme, which you hear a lot in game (as the Hoenn region is literally covered ~70% by water) and after reading a few reviews from those who got the game early, to the dismay of many (too much water!!) that much hasn't changed. This theme, along with the endless Tentacool wild encounters (don't forget the repel!) is something anyone who has played these games before is more than familiar with.

Overall, the entire soundtrack is great (and can be found here), so I can't wait to hear the updated/remixed tracks. And alongside the updated 3D graphics, I'm sure it will create a total package that is just as exotic and mesmerizing as the original games were so many years ago.