Diddy Kong Racing

if you don't like this game you're going to die alone

Diddy Kong Racing does more of everything Mario Kart 64 did, just not as well, impressive AI and graphics excepted.

Its adventure mode is ambitious but shakily executed: taking cues from Super Mario 64, it features a hub world from which you can access races provided you've won enough balloons along the way, but its story is thin, unfinished and ultimately plays little part throughout. Gameplay is padded through gruelling repetition, requiring that each race is played no less than three times and with increasingly stupid objectives such as winning the race whilst collecting eight silver coins placed in infuriating locations.

In addition to kart races, the game features hovercraft and plane races. Ironically, the latter handle better than the karts, which are unruly and unpredictable. Overall track design is mediocre--often short, bland and familiar--whilst the items scattered about are uninspired and downright boring to use.

An early attempt at an open world goes somewhat awry, with the right optional challenges and gates for progression but not a lot to see, do or test out. Marred by general handling issues and a terrible framerate, it is only the truly varied gameplay styles between the three vehicles that keeps Diddy Kong Racing afloat.

The plane handling is actually fantastic. I've played actual plane games that were harder to handle than in this game. The adventure mode is kinda weird and essentially copies the way that Mario 64 did things but, it's interesting how there are boss fights and little variations on races to spice the game up.

The course design is where it's really letting everyone down. Just isn't creative at all and it's too easy for the most part.

Diddy Kong Racing was the very first N64 game i owned. I got it for a christmas present and i loved it instantly. I was a huge Donkey Kong fan that time and i was very happy when Diddy Kong was a playable character. Even Banjo the bear and Conker the squirrel were included as playable characters.

Diddy Kong Racing wasn't just a mere Mario Kart [マリオカート] clone, it actually had something new and fresh to offer. The player could earn golden balloons in order to open new tracks and fight bosses, just like collecting stars in Super Mario 64. The level design felt beautiful that time. Everything was designed to look as perfect as ever, all thanks to the British game masters at Rare. There were lots of variable characters (Pipsy was the easiest one to handle), there were even two hidden characters! The Adventure Mode itself was interesting because it had an Overworld full of hidden routes and hidden golden balloons. The purple Indian elephant Taj who could challenge you for a race or could transform your racing car into a hover craft or a plane was also something special and unexpected. What were they smoking when they were designing this game? Speaking of that hover craft, the controls were hard because it felt too responsive.

DKR was also one of those games that made me very mad because the game was too hard. My controller had some minor bruises when i threw the controller on the floor. I think the most memorable hard tasks were the Octopus boss fight and several Silver Coin Challenges that made my blood boil. Greenwood Village, fuck youuuuuuu.....! When i finally managed to face the last boss i couldn't beat him. He was just too fast. Then i realised i had to let go of the accelerator when hitting the zippers to get extra boost. Pffff, oh well, luckily i beat the swine but the game didn't end there. I found out there was a hidden world but i couldn't find it for months! Suddenly i figured out i had to hit the trophy sign at the beach to make the lighthouse transform into a space shuttle and take me to the hidden world. Who the fuck could figure that out?!

Today the game looks a pretty childish, but that didn't bother at all when i was a kid. Most of all the controls are still pretty enjoyable which is the best and the most important thing. I also think that the multiplayer isn't quite as entertaining as it is in Mario Kart 64, however DKR's single mode is more satisfying. Haven't played the DS version though. Is it good?

I think the soundtrack of DKR isn't Rare's best even though it was written by the legendary David Wise. It sounds too brisky albeit the music is variable and there are a couple of good melodic tracks. The music of Star City sounds great.