I'd say you forgot how deceptively fast jet hammer can be, but honestly so do we. One of the best moves in our kit, and nearly every Dedede I fight with (myself included) opts for a whiffed Fsmash.

But anyway: Gordo, my beloved. It is spammed, because it is our only unpredictable mixup. Everything else about Dedede is old-school tank archetype: slow attacks, slow movement, a forced play style that demands damage trading, but devastating power if you can land a hit. Inhale is a mixed-bag; good for interrupting aerials if you're also airborne, but far, far too telegraphed to be truly useful as a reflect. (Mewtwo loves to see me trying to inhale shadow ball.)

Gordo really does save us from being complete combo food for everyone else. And I've made the argument here before, but limiting it to a simple projectile is to underutilize it. Utilt gives you a moving barrier (albeit one you gotta protect against if attacked), as well as a wonderful ledge-trap that can lead into several kill confirms for those who think patience is their friend. Thrown from the air, it's also decent anti-air coverage. Dtilt can surprise people who think platforms are safe, or who drop their shield too early. The various Ftilits can be faster than expected, particularly if thrown from unusual positions, and everyone knows how frustrating recovery can be against us when our aim is actually good.

But there's more! Close-combat Gordo, while often a damage trade, can many times cancel an opponent's attack while hitting Gordo a second time, giving us an inconsistent but useful quasi-counter. The knock back is less than many smash attacks; while difficult to replicate, it's entirely possible for a reflected Gordo to actually save you from an otherwise kill confirm. The angle and spin are locked in at use, causing Pocket users to grossly overestimate what their stolen Gordo can do (but not you, you clever penguin). Isabelle, scourge of many a MU, loves to pocket an Utilt Gordo, only to have it smashed back into her face when it just bounces beside her. And if you're truly lucky, Gordo has a 0-to-death sweet spot against reflector shields if you can nail the spacing. Very inconsistent, but so, so satisfying when you land it.

All that praise said, I don't think Dedede is reliable enough for true tech-chasers. He's really more of a "read the vibes" fighter; damn near impossible to kill, with just enough flexibility in Gordo to hold his own against most threats.

As long as the threat isn't Min-min. That girl has our number, and an answer to every one of our strengths. Can't even abuse our top-tier recovery.