Hand Slap

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This article is about Donkey Kong's special move. For the recurring special move, see Ground Pound.

Donkey Kong performing a Hand Slap in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The Hand Slap, also called the ground pound (alternatively Ground Pound), Ground Slap, and Pound, is one of Donkey Kong's attacks in the Donkey Kong Country games and the Super Smash Bros. series.

History

Donkey Kong Country series

Donkey Kong Country

Artwork of Donkey Kong performing a Hand Slap for Donkey Kong Country

The Hand Slap is a move in Donkey Kong Country that can be used by Donkey Kong only, by pressing and //. The move can defeat most regular enemies, and it even rewards a free banana for each enemy beaten. In the Japanese version, Donkey Kong is rewarded a Banana Bunch for every third enemy that he Hand Slaps, including Krushas, even though it does not defeat them. A Hand Slap can also defeat inactive Rock Krocs in original Japanese releases and the Game Boy Advance version. If he uses a Hand Slap in certain areas on the ground or on tree tops, Donkey Kong can unearth a Banana Bunch or even an Extra Life Balloon. In the Game Boy Color remake, the Hand Slap is required to unearth a DK Sticker Pack in each level. In the Game Boy Advance remake, some boss arenas have a buried photograph, which Donkey Kong can unearth with his Hand Slap.

Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D / HD)

The Hand Slap, referred to as the ground pound, reappears in Donkey Kong Country Returns, its Nintendo 3DS port, its Nintendo Switch port. It has different controls in this game, being done by shaking the Wii Remote or Joy-Con, or pressing certain buttons of the controller in the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch ports. Ground pounding can only be done while standing still: the same inputs while moving perform a Barrel Roll and the same inputs while Crouching cause the player to blow. Ground pounding is no longer a method of attacking enemies, though it does temporarily stun many kinds of grounded enemies. Stunned enemies have stars circling their heads, do not move, and do not inflict damage on contact. Enemies get stunned if they are near the Ground Pound; they do not necessarily have to be on the same platform as the Ground Pound. Certain durable enemies, like Tiki Tanks, Pinchlies, and the members of the Scurvy Crew, are flipped over when they are stunned by the Ground Pound. This makes them vulnerable to attacks they otherwise block.

Ground pounds can open item containers, crack blocks, push trapdoors, open Rambi's crates, and trigger DK Plates. If Donkey Kong is covered in tar, Ground Pounding will restore him to normal. However, Donkey Kong cannot ground pound while standing in a tar pit, the primary source of tar.

Ground pounding is one of the two actions available when clinging onto green surfaces, angling the move into the surface being clung to. If Donkey Kong is on a wall or ceiling, he uses one hand to grip the surface and the other to pound. This functionality is necessary to defeat Mangoruby and Colonel Pluck.

While mounted, Rambi can also ground pound. His version has him stomps the ground with his front feet, and has the additional effect of destroying stone blocks depicting Rambi's emblem. In Multiplayer mode, Diddy Kong can perform his own variation, the Popgun Pound. This version has him fire peanuts from the Peanut Popguns into the ground, which bounce forward to stun or distract enemies from afar.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

The Hand Slap, referred to as the Ground Pound, reappears in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze with the same role as in Donkey Kong Country Returns. This time, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong can also perform the move. Dixie's version involves her pounding the ground with her ponytail and Cranky with his cane. Unlike the other Kongs, Dixie's Ground Pound covers both sides. Blowing is not an action in this game. In the Nintendo Switch version, Funky Kong performs the move by pounding the ground with both hands simultaneously unlike Donkey Kong who alternates hands.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Brawl screenshot

Hand Slap is Donkey Kong's down special move in Super Smash Bros. and every following game within the Super Smash Bros. series. It is executed by pressing the special move button while pressing the Control Stick or Circle Pad down. By performing the move, Donkey Kong rapidly slaps the ground, generating a small shockwave around him. This causes nearby opponents to get knocked upward and be damaged. The attack is very useful in the Multi-Man modes when Donkey Kong is surrounded by opponents, letting him launch all of them away, but it has no effect against aerial targets. The attack does take a while to use, but once used, all the player must do is hold the Control Stick or Circle Pad down and continuously tap the special move button. Donkey Kong will keep using the attack until the special move button stops being tapped, or Donkey Kong is hit by an opponent. Until Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Donkey Kong could not execute the move in mid-air. Though the move is not as useful in the air, it can still serve as a meteor smash. Additionally, the move can now break shields quite effectively, being able to break a full shield in 3 hits.

The Hand Slap has set knockback in Super Smash Bros. Melee, although in subsequent installments, it can send opponents with low damage high into the air, but the Hand Slap's low knockback scaling at higher percentages prevents it from being effective at KOing an opponent.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U also introduces two custom variants of Hand Slap:

• Focused Slap sacrifices attack range, but the shockwaves can stun and deal greater damage to opponents who are hit.
• Hot Slap creates a series of flame pillars in front of Donkey Kong, which can damage even airborne targets, but it has less range, and does not cover Donkey Kong's back. The attack deals more damage and knockback, and sends opponents flying sideways instead of upwards.

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

While absent from the original, the Hand Slap is added in New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, where several gimmicks make use of it, such as breakable floors, platforms that act as switches, and underground seeds that act as item containers.

Mario Golf: World Tour

In Mario Golf: World Tour, if Donkey Kong loses a hole or gets a bogey or worse, he performs a Hand Slap in anger.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Main article: List of weapons in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle § DK Ground Pound

The Hand Slap, referred to as DK Ground Pound, appears in the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle as Donkey Kong's secondary weapon. This move deals damage to nearby enemies, with more damage being dealt to closer enemies. Once used, it cannot be used again for the following turn. The DK Ground Pound can be upgraded via Battle HQ, with each upgrade treated as a stronger weapon, and can deal additional damage to certain types of enemies and may inflict the Bounce Super Effect.

Dr. Mario World

In Dr. Mario World, Dr. Donkey Kong's skill in versus mode is to slam the ground twice, adding a row of Viruses to the bottom of the opponent's stage. Some portions may not have a Virus. This skill is improved with Dr. Donkey Kong's skill level, with one of the improvements being making the attack add a second row of Viruses.

Donkey Kong Bananza

The Hand Slap reappears in Donkey Kong Bananza, acting differently from previous games. It is performed with , and can be used to collect nearby items like gold and Red Balloons, and also acts as a sonar, allowing Donkey Kong to detect hidden items like fossils and treasure chests. These two aspects are able to be upgraded in the "Skills" screen.

The action used to perform the move depends on what Donkey Kong is doing. He slaps the ground or wall once if on the ground or climbing a wall respectively. If midair or swimming, he claps his hands together, and if traversing a hangable surface (e.g. at Orangu-Hang Highway in the Lagoon Layer), he claps his feet together. He cannot perform the Hand Slap while holding a chunk, as pressing will simply cause him to drop the chunk.

Profiles

Donkey Kong Bananza

• Nintendo Today! description:
  • French:
    Ramassez les objets autour de vous et révélez les objets cachés dans le terrain environnant.
    (Translation: Pick up the objects around you and reveal the objects hidden in the surrounding terrain.)

Gallery

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  Donkey Kong Country screenshot

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  Super Smash Bros. artwork

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  Super Smash Bros. screenshot

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  Super Smash Bros. Melee screenshot

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  Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS screenshot

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ハンドスラップ[?] Hando Surappu	Hand Slap
French	Claque	Slap
Italian	Forza bruta	Brute force
	Schiaffo	Slap
	Manata[?]	Handslap	Super Smash Bros. series
	Scouti la terra/Scuotere la terra	Shake the ground
	Schianto a terra DK[?]	DK Ground Pound	Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Russian	Лапошлеп[?] Laposhlep	Paw Slap