User:Hoppingicon/sandbox/Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing is a racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released on November 14, 1997 in Japan, November 21, 1997 in Europe and November 24, 1997 in North America. A Nintendo DS remake entitled Diddy Kong Racing DS was released on February 5, 2007 in North America, April 19, 2007 in Australia, and April 20, 2007 in Europe.

Plot

The game is set in "Timber's Island" and revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends' attempt to defeat the intergalactic pig-wizard antagonist, Wizpig, through winning a series of races.

Why It Rocks

Overall

1. You can choose between three vehicles, a car, a hovercraft, and a plane. Each vehicle has their own differences, making them unique.
2. The game has a plot, a hub world, and bosses, which are some things that other racing games at the time didn't have.
3. Taj will give you Vehicle Challenges each time you clear or make progress in a different zone.
4. Pressing the acceleration button rapidly (A button) can make the car or plane go faster if done correctly.
5. Very enjoyable gameplay like Crash Team Racing.
6. Sometimes when the AI has a rocket or a homing missile, they wait until you shoot or play your horn only if you are in a higher position.
7. An amazing soundtrack at high quality considering the limitations of the N64, and the DS soundtrack is average depending on your view.
8. The game has voice acting, giving the characters some sort of personality. It's better on the N64.
9. The Time Trials against T.T. ghost provide a decent challenge to unlock the fastest character.
10. One specific map in each zone have a hidden key that opens a fifth map required to open the T.T. Door that leads to the final race and those can be very fun to beat.
11. There's a specific frog in the hub that can unlock a secret character!

Nintendo 64 version

1. The game introduces Banjo and Conker, who would go on to be Rare's most iconic characters. It would also introduce Tiptup, who would appear in the Banjo-Kazooie games.
2. Very colorful and charming graphics.
3. After you defeat Wizpig (Not to be confused with the one from Angry Birds Epic) in Future Fun Land, you'll unlock a new mode known as Adventure 2, which is a harder version of Adventure Mode with flipped tracks.
4. When the credits roll, the game gives you cheat codes for a brief moment.
5. Enjoyable multiplayer, specially the battle arenas.
6. Some of the cheat codes are funny to read.

Nintendo DS version

1. The remake has an opening to explain the game's story.
2. There are new great soundtracks added to the game in addition to the ones returning, such as Jungle Falls, Treasure Caves, Windmill Plains, Spaceport Alpha, Strangled Shrine, and the Wish Race theme variations. On top of that, some of the soundtracks such as Ancient Lake, Hot Top Volcano, Darkmoon Caverns, and Star City still sound very decent in the DS remake.
3. The remake has a unique mini-game involving the player popping balloons.
4. The remake had WFC, allowing people to play online (which unfortunately got discontinued in 2014).
5. You can play as Taj and Wizpig in the remake, a feature originally intended for the former on the N64.
6. The infamous silver coin challenge was removed.

Bad Qualities

Overall

1. None of the boss characters have any sort of personality.
2. The Trophy Race mode doesn't offer much of a challenge.
3. The bosses say almost the same things in the cutscenes with little to no variations.
4. Future Fun Land doesn't have a hidden key, therefore it has no Battle or Wish map.

Nintendo 64 version

1. The Silver Coin Challenges can be a little annoying.
2. You can't skip the cutscenes while playing Adventure Two.
3. Despite being a quality title, the game was unfortunately rushed out by Nintendo due to Rare's Banjo-Kazooie not being ready at the time and had this game as a replacement. This resulted in some of the mechanics in the game to not be properly well implemented.

Nintendo DS version

1. Unlike the original Nintendo 64 version, which had Banjo and Conker, the DS remake doesn't have either and they are instead replaced by Dixie Kong and Tiny Kong. This was due to the Microsoft buyout of Rare in 2002.
   • Speaking of Tiny, she has been badly redesigned from Donkey Kong 64 due to executive meddling. She went from a small and cute little girl who was fittingly Dixie's little sister, and was also tough-natured, into an older, sexualized teenager, who is still Dixie's younger sister. This decision was ironically made by Nintendo instead of Rare.
   • Despite Banjo and Conker's removal, Tiptup was featured in Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, so why was he kept for the remake?
2. Bad voice acting. Diddy sounds more like a teenager than the high-pitched voice he normally has and Bubbler the Octopus' laughter whenever he passes you is very grating to listen to.
3. The DS Menu icon uses Wizpig instead of Diddy for some weird reason, likely casusing confusion amongst players who open the game.
4. The soundtrack in the DS remake, while not too terrible, is considered weaker than the Nintendo 64 version, almost like it was rushed out and as such contains some issues.
   • Instrument volumes are not lined up properly, including the synth bass which is very loud in a majority of soundtracks.
   • Everfrost Peak sounds atrocious, as the accordion is one octave higher and the whistle sounds ear-piercing.
   • Haunted Woods' theme even has a mistake involving some of the drums not playing due to the notes not being lined up correctly in the MIDI file.
   • The theme for Pirate Lagoon, which is perhaps the most popular soundtrack on the N64, was removed entirely, being the only original soundtrack with this distinction. It was replaced with a slower and calmer rendition, which is a big slap in the face to it's audience.
5. The controls are terrible. It's hard to use the Touch Screen.
6. Very slow gameplay, it can take as long as 7 minutes to finish a wish race.
7. Unlike the original, the DS version has a very long intro sequence.
8. The intro in the remake is also lazy. The original depicted the racers riding in their vehicles having fun, but the remake displays Diddy, Tiptup, and Bumper slowly riding on the top screen in their airplanes, which nothing else happening.
9. Overall, the DS version of the game as a whole is an inferior in comparison to the original version.

Reception

Diddy Kong Racing for the Nintendo 64 was critically acclaimed for it's graphic, audio, and controls, selling 4.8 million copiies, making it the eighth bestselling Nintendo 64 game. However, the DS remake received mixed reviews, with criticism directed towards the horrible touch screen gimmicks.