Diddy Kong Racing
| |
| Diddy Kong Racing | |
| Developer | Rare Ltd. |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | Nintendo 64 |
| Release Date | Nintendo 64 JP November 21,1997 EU November 21, 1997 US November 24, 1997 Nintendo DS US February 5, 2007 EU April 20, 2007 |
| Genre | Racing/Adventure |
| Gallery | GH Gallery |
| Rating | ESRB: E |
Diddy Kong Racing is a racing game starring Diddy Kong. It was apparently developed in a rush to be release in the 1997 holiday season in the place of Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Quest, both of which had been delayed to the next year. Banjo and Conker appeared as playable racers in Diddy Kong Racing to endorse their games.
Story[edit]
Timber's Island had been invaded and conquered Wizpig, an alien warlord obsessed with racing, while Timber's family was away visiting the Kongs. Wizpig brainwashed the island's four greatest warriors into being his lieutenants. A group of racers banded together and sent their champion racer, Drumstick, to race with Wizpig for the fate of the island, but Drumstick never returned. As a last-ditch effort, Timber sent a message to Diddy Kong asking for his assistance, not wanting his parents to know. Diddy Kong soon arrives with his own friends and, under the wise guidance of the genie Taj, the racers set out to defeat Wizpig.
Gameplay[edit]
In this racing game, the player can alternate between three different vehicles- the traditional kart as well as the plane and the hovercraft. It is one of the few racing games with a story and adventure mode. There are various goals that must be reached to collect Golden Balloons and other items. The game has an overworld, similar to Super Mario 64, which acts as a hub where all the other worlds can be accessed if the proper items are presented.
Tracks[edit]
| Dino Domain | Snowflake Mountain | Sherbert Island | Dragon Forest | Future Fun Land | * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Lake | Everfrost Peak | Whale Bay | Windmill Plains | Spacedust Alley | Thunder Cove |
| Fossil Canyon | Walrus Cove | Crescent Island | Greenwood Village | Darkmoon Caverns | Meandering Mount |
| Jungle Falls | Snowball Valley | Pirate Lagoon | Boulder Canyon | Spaceport Alpha | Splashdown Pass |
| Hot Top Volcano | Frosty Village | Treasure Caves | Haunted Woods | Star City | Strangled Shrine |
- DS remake only
Legacy[edit]
Ports/Remakes[edit]
Diddy Kong Racing DS was made for the Nintendo DS in 2007. This version featured replaced Conker and Banjo (as they were owned by Rare who was bought out by Microsoft) with Tiny Kong and Dixie Kong. It also added Taj and Wizpig as playable characters. It also featured online play via Wi-Fi.
Sequels[edit]
Two possible sequels were developed by Rare, but both were cancelled after Rare was bought out by Microsoft. The first was Donkey Kong Racing for the Nintendo Gamecube. This one starred Donkey Kong and featured the animal buddies as steeds in place of karts and other vehicles, but Taj was shown as a playable character.
The other was Diddy Kong Pilot, which once again starred Diddy Kong and featured the planes in racing. This game was later reworked into 'Banjo Pilot, starring Banjo-Kazooie characters instead of Donkey Kong ones.
| Titles in the Donkey Kong Series |
|---|
| Donkey Kong (GB) - Jr. - Math - 3 Donkey Kong Country (2: Diddy Kong's Quest - 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble) - Land (2 - III) - Donkey Kong 64 Mario vs. Donkey Kong - March of the Minis - Minis March Again! - Mini-Land Mayhem! - Minis on the Move - Tipping Stars Jungle Beat - King of Swing - Jungle Climber - Returns - Tropical Freeze Diddy Kong Racing - Donkey Konga (2 - 3) - Barrel Blast |