Norfair is one of Diddy Kong's best stages. I'm convinced of it. Here is what you need to learn and do in order to win on this stage:
1) Everything relies on the first stock and grabbing a lead so you can control the lowest platform, forcing the opponent to come after you instead of you going after them
2) You must control the lowest platform and transition to other platforms by throw bananas up through them. The best way to control the lowest platform is usually just to have both your bananas out and continually uthrowing them to keep them from disappearing/also keeps them as an active projectile. Additionally you have your peanut gun
3) Learn about lava. When the fire-lava stuff gets shot from the background it can KO you as low as 30-40% with bad DI. These little fire spurts are super dangerous, but also super helpful, if you trip someone and they get hit by it then you just scored an early KO. The wall of lava is also good for this. To avoid getting hit by the wall of lava (from the background of the screen) simply shield or grab an edge. DO NOT go inside whatever little fortress the game gives you. Going in there makes you trapped (though you could try it in some situations, you can up-b someone for massive barrel damage inside there/you can u-smash them repeatedly), instead, when the opponent goes in there, set up camp right outside, then when the lava goes away there is a few seconds where they can't escape, here you can hit them from beneith with u-air or you can try and banana them the second the walls come down. As per the lava from the side of the stage, simply avoid this by using your jumps/side-b to move from one edge to the next. Additionally you can set up a "wall" with your banananas by u-throwing them, which will often create oppurtunities for you to hit the opponent into the laval.
4) Learn to work with the lava. There are a few times where I intentionally let myself get hit by lava. Why? Because I still have 1 jump/side b/up b and I can cover a huge aerial distance from the knockback of the lava without having to use one of these things. Example, if the opponent is on the third platform above you (or in the air above you even higher) and the lava is coming up from underneith the stage, instead of jumping to meet the opponent just get hit by the lava, which will send you to the opponent faster than jumping and will likely catch them off guard (view U-air KO versus Snakeee). You can also do this with the lava on the side of the stage. If the opponent is camping you far left and you see the lava start to come from the far right (lets say you are at high damage) then you can just send yourself into the lava in order to break the opponent position fast.
Pros of Norfair:
-Stage can get KO's for you, reducing the suckyness of Diddy's KO moves
-Diddy has quick air attacks which are all perfect for the height of platforms on this stage.
-Diddy's side-b can transition from the edge of on platform to the next (either above or below).
-Diddy's side-b can also cross the gap above the center platform (the gap between the middle platforms).
-Diddy's recovery is basically ungimpable here (as are most characters)
-Your bananas allow you to control whatever platform you want. Controlling the lowest one also puts you out of reach of most characters projectiles.
-Peanuts are perfect for this stage.
-Works well against almost every character.
Cons
-you cannot nana lock more than 2-3 hits, if that
-if you don't know how to deal with lava you could find yourself getting killed more by it than by the opponent
-if the opponent gets your nanas it can be really hard to get them back
-if you don't take off their stock first you can't make use of the bananas to control platforms, since they have no reason to approach such an obviously powerful position.
My only loss on this stage in about 4 months:
Game 2: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Ripple (Donkey Kong): Norfair
You'll notice everything was going to plan until the 1st KO, where he managed to get me before I got him. The result was he basically won the game.
1) Everything relies on the first stock and grabbing a lead so you can control the lowest platform, forcing the opponent to come after you instead of you going after them
2) You must control the lowest platform and transition to other platforms by throw bananas up through them. The best way to control the lowest platform is usually just to have both your bananas out and continually uthrowing them to keep them from disappearing/also keeps them as an active projectile. Additionally you have your peanut gun
3) Learn about lava. When the fire-lava stuff gets shot from the background it can KO you as low as 30-40% with bad DI. These little fire spurts are super dangerous, but also super helpful, if you trip someone and they get hit by it then you just scored an early KO. The wall of lava is also good for this. To avoid getting hit by the wall of lava (from the background of the screen) simply shield or grab an edge. DO NOT go inside whatever little fortress the game gives you. Going in there makes you trapped (though you could try it in some situations, you can up-b someone for massive barrel damage inside there/you can u-smash them repeatedly), instead, when the opponent goes in there, set up camp right outside, then when the lava goes away there is a few seconds where they can't escape, here you can hit them from beneith with u-air or you can try and banana them the second the walls come down. As per the lava from the side of the stage, simply avoid this by using your jumps/side-b to move from one edge to the next. Additionally you can set up a "wall" with your banananas by u-throwing them, which will often create oppurtunities for you to hit the opponent into the laval.
4) Learn to work with the lava. There are a few times where I intentionally let myself get hit by lava. Why? Because I still have 1 jump/side b/up b and I can cover a huge aerial distance from the knockback of the lava without having to use one of these things. Example, if the opponent is on the third platform above you (or in the air above you even higher) and the lava is coming up from underneith the stage, instead of jumping to meet the opponent just get hit by the lava, which will send you to the opponent faster than jumping and will likely catch them off guard (view U-air KO versus Snakeee). You can also do this with the lava on the side of the stage. If the opponent is camping you far left and you see the lava start to come from the far right (lets say you are at high damage) then you can just send yourself into the lava in order to break the opponent position fast.
Pros of Norfair:
-Stage can get KO's for you, reducing the suckyness of Diddy's KO moves
-Diddy has quick air attacks which are all perfect for the height of platforms on this stage.
-Diddy's side-b can transition from the edge of on platform to the next (either above or below).
-Diddy's side-b can also cross the gap above the center platform (the gap between the middle platforms).
-Diddy's recovery is basically ungimpable here (as are most characters)
-Your bananas allow you to control whatever platform you want. Controlling the lowest one also puts you out of reach of most characters projectiles.
-Peanuts are perfect for this stage.
-Works well against almost every character.
Cons
-you cannot nana lock more than 2-3 hits, if that
-if you don't know how to deal with lava you could find yourself getting killed more by it than by the opponent
-if the opponent gets your nanas it can be really hard to get them back
-if you don't take off their stock first you can't make use of the bananas to control platforms, since they have no reason to approach such an obviously powerful position.
- Game 3: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Meep (Ice Climbers): Norfair
- Game 3: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Esoj (Meta Knight): Norfair
- Game 2: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Lou (Game & Watch): Norfair - Starts @ 3:33
- Game 2: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Snakeee (Zero Suit Samus): Norfair
- UTZ Zac (G&W) vs. Le THieN (Diddy) #10: Norfair
My only loss on this stage in about 4 months:
Game 2: AlphaZealot (Diddy Kong) vs Ripple (Donkey Kong): Norfair
You'll notice everything was going to plan until the 1st KO, where he managed to get me before I got him. The result was he basically won the game.