Hand Slap, sometimes dubbed "Ground-Pound", is Donkey Kong's personal and special move where he shakes the ground by slapping or pounding it with his powerful fists in the Donkey Kong series games.
Overview[]
Donkey Kong Country[]
Donkey Kong using his Hand Slap move to reveal a hidden banana bunch on the ground, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES.
First appearing in the game Donkey Kong Country, the Hand Slap move is an optional move that allows Donkey Kong to get items, such as bananas bunches, out of rugged pieces of horizontal surfaces by making a single motion of hands. In the Super Family Computer/Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game, the move can be executed by the player holding the "Down" button when Donkey Kong is on the ground, and then pressing the "Y" button. In the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions of the same game, the move is executed by the player also holding the "Down" button on the ground, and pressing the "B" button.
When the Hand Slap is used nearby regular enemies on the land, like Gnawties and Kritters, the move will defeat the enemies, and, except for the GBC version, produce single bananas. However, the same move will not defeat regular and stronger Krushas, making both enemy variants to stop and laugh, and only regular variants will release single bananas in the SFC/SNES and GBA versions. In the GBC version of the game, the Hand Slap must be used to uncover stickers for the Sticker Book located nearby green banana bunches inside stages during the three difficulty modes. In the GBA version, when it's used at certain enemy types, the Hand Slap will reveal Photographs in the Scrapbook, depicting artwork of the same enemies. Inside boss stages of the same game version, there is usually a spot on the ground where the move can be used in order to reveal Photographs of the current bosses.
Donkey Kong 64[]
In the game Donkey Kong 64, while Donkey Kong is still on the ground and executing his three-hit combo of regular attacks by the player pressing the "B" button repeatedly, he will finish by slapping the ground with both hands, resembling the original Hand Slap move, except for not shaking the ground.
In the Banana Fairy Island, Tiny Kong can use her Mini Monkey move to go inside the island and visit the Banana Fairy Queen. After Tiny promising rescue all Banana Fairies, the Banana Fairy Queen gives a magical camera to the playable Kongs be able to get the fairies. The queen also gives to the primates an unnamed move, dubbed "Super Slam". By expending a single Crystal Coconut, the main characters standing still on the ground, and the player holding the "B" button for a few seconds and releasing it, the "Super Slam" move is capable of creating shockwaves, harming close enemies and unearthing multicolored Banana Coins when nearby patches of dirt depicting the DK insignia. When Donkey Kong uses the said move, the way how he pounds the ground with his fists also resembles the original Hand Slap move.
Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D[]
Donkey Kong executing the "Ground-Pound" move in order to push down a DK Platform, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii.
The move, now dubbed "Ground-Pound", reappears in the games Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. However, Donkey Kong must use the move multiple times in succession to pound large DK Platforms and buttons, activating devices and opening paths to progress. The move can also be used on flat or cracked platforms to reveal hidden paths or interact with objects in the background and expose items. In the Nintendo Wii game version, the move can be executed when the playable character is still on the ground by the player shaking the Wii Remote[1] (and Nunchuk) vertically. In the Nintendo 3DS game version, the same move is executed in similar way on the ground by the player tapping the "Y" and "X" buttons on the 3DS.
In the multiplayer mode of the same games, Diddy Kong, controlled by the second player, can also use similar move to pound on platforms and interact with objects in the background. When using the move on the ground or in the air, the little Kong shoots his Peanut Popguns at the same time, releasing bouncing peanut projectiles forward. In the same mode, if Diddy is mounted on the Donkey Kong's back, and the second player uses the move, peanuts will be shot at the direction Donkey is facing. When the "Ground-Pound" move is executed by the primates nearby some regular enemies on the land, it is capable of stun enemies temporarily and, in some cases, make enemies vulnerable to Kongs' attacks. Both main characters can also use the move when clinging on turf-covered surfaces at any direction. In other occasions, when they are caught by enemies, the primates must quickly execute the move to free themselves and avoid damage.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[]
The "Ground-Pound" move returns in the game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, being used by Donkey Kong, or Funky Kong in the Funky Mode of the Nintendo Switch game version, to pound on platforms, interact with objects in the background, stun enemies and flee from traps, like in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. Here, the move can also be executed when the main character is standing still on the ground by the player tapping the "Y" and "X" buttons or "ZL" and "ZR" buttons on the Pro Controller[2][3]/Wii U GamePad[4]/Joy-Con[5] or shaking the Wii Remote (and Nunchuk)/Joy-Con vertically.
In the multiplayer or Hard Mode of the same game, Diddy, Dixie and Cranky Kong have similar "Ground-Pound" moves, which Dixie uses her ponytail to pound on the ground, and Cranky uses his cane, instead. Diddy still shoots peanuts forward when using the move, and Dixie and Cranky also shoot similar bouncing projectiles forward when using the same move in the air. And like in the two previous games, when Diddy, Dixie or Cranky is mounted on the Donkey Kong or Funky Kong's back, during the multiplayer mode, the second player can also shoot projectiles by using the "Ground-Pound" move.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Donkey Kong using his Hand Slap move against Yoshi as seen in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii.
In all installments of the Super Smash Bros. game series, the Hand Slap move is Donkey Kong's Down Special Move. It is a reference to how Donkey Kong could slap the ground in the game Donkey Kong Country, but he slaps much faster with an earthquake-like effect, like in Donkey Kong Country Returns. The move is commonly used for spacing from close enemies because it launches the opponent a short distance.