Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Isabelle is scariest once Lloyd and Fishing Rod are ready at ledge, so Diddy should care more about getting in before the setup exists than about clearing every item after the fact.
Banana is awkward if you just toss it from far away because Pocket can flip the whole exchange. Holding it, placing it low at landing spots, or threatening with it while running at the body is much stronger here.
The table shows clean shield punishes on Down Smash, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Forward Tilt, and Up Tilt, with Up Smash, OOS Uair, OOS Bair, and Up B returning the turn immediately.
Do not mash after Neutral Air or Back Air. Read the drift and ledge direction first, and keep Isabelle from buying the time needed to rebuild traps.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Diddy Kong OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 3 | -13 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -19 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -15 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -10/-14 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 14 | -20 |
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| Up Smash | 9/14 | -12 |
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| Down Smash | 8/12 | -28/-25 |
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| Neutral Air | 5/8 | -2/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -6 — +4 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -4 — +5 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
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| Down Air | 11 | -5/-6 |
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| Neutral B | 8 (Start of projectile pocket) | — | ||
| Side B | 21 | ** | ||
| Up B | ** | ** | ||
| Down B | 9/17/25/34/43/51 | ** | ||
| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 15 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Bring banana into midrange instead of donating it from full screen, and once Pocket is shown, stop the item war and run at Isabelle herself.
- Do not let Lloyd and Fishing Rod get fully set at ledge; value stage push before cleanup.
- After blocking Down Smash, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Forward Tilt, and Up Tilt, answer immediately with Up Smash, OOS Uair, OOS Bair, or Up B so the scramble ends there.
- After blocking Neutral Air or Back Air, take the retreat or ledge route first and keep the trap screen from resetting.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeatedly throwing banana into Pocket range and giving the item battle away.
- Staring at Lloyd cleanup while Isabelle escapes back to the body-first spacing she wants.
- Swinging instantly after every blocked Neutral Air or Back Air and letting the reset happen.
- Giving up edgeguard and ledgetrap pressure after finally pushing Isabelle offstage.