Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 64)
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Diddy Kong Racing
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| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Developer: | Rare |
| Alternative Title: | None |
| Release date: | JP: 21/November/1997 NA: 31/October/1997 EU: date/monthintext/year AU: date/monthintext/year |
| Genre: | Arcade Racing |
| Number of Players: | 1-4 |
| Rating: | ESRB - E (Everyone) PEGI/ELSPA - 3+ CERO - n/a |
| Platform: |  Nintendo 64
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| Media: | N64 cartridge |
| Online Functions: | No |
Diddy Kong Racing was a semi-sequel to Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64), with many of the gameplay mechanics carried over but with different vehicles, game modes and characters. All the levels are connected to a main hub world similar to many platform games, such as Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64).
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Story
From the Diddy Kong Racing instruction manual:
Diddy Kong sat on the porch of his tree house and curiously tore open the letter. It wasn't often that a message arrived from so far away that it had to be brought in by carrier pigeon! Eager to find out what it contained, he tugged out the note impatiently and started to read. "Dear Diddy," it began. "Help!!!"
Now this sounds promising, he thought. Things had been all too quiet since those old family friends of Tigers had arrived to spend the summer. And as it turned out, the message was from his old friend Timber, son of the Kongs' guests, the Tigers. The yound Tiger had found himself in quite a bit of trouble that, for once, wasn't even his fault. After Diddy Kong read the note through a couple more times, he sat back and gnawled on his finger, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the early jungle mist.
He'd been asked to help, so his intention to zip off as soon as possible could not be in doubt. The question that preoccupied him now was whether or not he should draft some extra help, just in case ... after all, this Wizpig sounded like a pretty mean foe.
Finally, he decided that his friends Banjo and Conker would still enjoy an adventure, even if it turned out that their services weren't needed. So, the young ape dug out a pencil stub from the mess of his bedroom and hopped back into his seat. Whistling for Squaks - his own makeshift carrier pigeon - he began to scribble out a couple of messages of his own.
A few hours later, Diddy Kong was on the first leg of his journey, tearing off at high speed through the jumgle. A pair of Kremling spies lurking behind a boulder watched him with suspicion.
"Hey - where you think he go?" asked Krunch.
His crony frowned. "Why?" he asked.
"What if he go fetch others? Fight Kremlings?"
The second Kremling thought about this and then realized what Krunch was about to suggest.
"No way. I not go," he said, and turned and bolted into the undergrowth.
Krunch rolled his eyes. "Hopeless," he snorted. "I go after him," he bellowed to his cowardly colleague. "You go tell the boss - see what he think of that, huh?"
And with that, Krunch lumbered off through the trees, grumpily swatting aside vines as he went.
Meanwhile, Timber was trying to calm the excitable Pipsy so that he could understand at least part of what she was saying.
"He said he'd help us!" she squealed, making Bumber and TipTup wince as the pitch of her voice soared in and out of audible range. "He said he wanted to find a champion to go after that horrible pig once and for all!"
"Slow down, Pipsy," Timber urged, trying to make sense of her words without upsetting her. After all, this whole business had been harder on the little mouse than and of them. Wizpig's unwanted intrusion left her family homeless.
"Who are you talking about?" Bumper asked curiously.
"Taj! The Genie! Pipsy babbled. "He said he'd help! Feally, Bumper, he did! I just saw him!"
TipTup blinked. "The G-Genie? B-but nobody's seen him for f-fifty years," he protested.
"I know, I know! But I just did, I promise!"
Timber frowned, thinking this through. "That means he must have been kicked out of the mountain too," he reasoned. "After all, we've seen what that pig's spells can do ..."
They all thought of the huge, leering Wizpig face that had been carved into the mountainside overnight. Then they thought of the race courses, the island's pride and joy, which had been magically sealed off. That made them think of Drumstick, their friend and the island's champion racer, who had gone to challenge the intruder to an honerable race and hadn't been seen since. We could really do with Taj's help," Pipsy prompted.
"N-No arguement there," agreed TipTup, nodding nervously.
Timber scratched his head. "Well, I guess you're right," he sighed, "especially if we're going to get this mess sorted out before my parents get back."
"Well, if that Genie wants a champion, I say we all get practicing,"
Bumper grunted, getting to his feet and snapping down his goggles. "Good plan," Timber agreed. "Come on guys - yeah, TipTup, even you."
"Help should be on its way soon, but we can't just sit around waiting - let's get out there and do what we can! And let's just hope that Diddy Kong doesn't mention any of this to my parents..."
Gameplay
Some gameplay info
Vehicles
Cars
The standard vehicle.
Aeroplanes
Aeroplanes can fly anywhere on the course, but are more difficult to control.
Hovercrafts
Hovercrafts are much faster than cars and can go over water.
Screenshots
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Review Scores
- Magazine Name: score (issue number or date)
Trivia
- A sequel to this game, Donkey Kong Racing, was planned for the Nintendo GameCube, but was shelved when Microsoft bought Rare. Another game in the series, Diddy Kong Pilot was later released on the Game Boy Advance with Nintendo's characters removed, as Banjo Pilot (GBA).
- Conker was included as a playable character in Diddy Kong Racing back when Conker's game was still in development as the family friendly game Twelve Tails: Conker 64 (Nintendo 64).
Credits
- Music: David Wise
- Sound: Graeme Norgate
