Diddy Kong Racing

"If you can look past the cuteness, there's great game here"

Though Mario Kart 64 was good, in my mind it was not what it could have, no, should have been. However, Diddy Kong Racing, from Rare, is all of that and more, making for a near perfect kart racing game with a few adventure elements thrown in.

Unlike most racing games, DKR does have a story, even if it's a pretty uninspired one. It seems a giant pig names Wizpig has taken over the island that the characters of the game inhabit, and has taken prisoner their best race, Drumstick the rooster. The only way he can be defeated is if he is beaten in a race. To make things worse, he sealed up his hiding place and his 4 pieces of a magic medallion in the four main sections of the island. There is a prehistoric section, a snow section, a medival section, and a water section. There is also a fifth world, the space world, which can only be opened up after gathering all the 1st place trophies from the trophy races. The game consists of 8 main characters and two secret characters. Diddy, Pipsy the mouse, TipTup the turtle, Banjo (star of Banjo-Kazooie), Timber the tiger, Krunch the kremling, Conker the squirrel, and Bumper the badger are the main racers you have to choose from. The thing that separates DKR from any other kart game is the element of adventure thrown in. While racing each level is just fine and dandy, you can also choose to explore each section for the elusive key that opens up the bonus room doors. Beat a bonus room and get a piece of the T.T. medallion. Collect all pieces of that and...

The graphics and music are both great in DKR, and the game is much more enjoyable than Mario Kart 64. There are lots more tracks, and several things to do on each of them. Look for a key, win 1st place, get all the silver coins AND win first place, etc.

Gameplay: Great racing fun. Fans of Mario Kart should love this game, but a lot actually don't like it because it tried to be "more" than a regular racer. In my mind, that makes it all the better, and gives it a feeling all its own. The rich worlds created by Rare really shine in this game, and immerse you into each level fully. There are even three types of vehicles to choose from. Most races take place in the standard kart, with each driver having his or her own weaknesses and abilites. You can also race in planes and hovercrafts. Planes allow huge freedom of movement, while hovercrafts can go over water and land, but are very hard to control. As you progress through each of the four main worlds, you will eventually come across the boss character. You must beat then in a race, and some are actually very tough. Even when you beat them the first time, they then issue a new challenge to back to the courses and collect all the silver coins from every level and still finish first place. Like Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie, you can only open certain doors to areas and levels if you have enough victory balloons. The gameplay really is almost flawless, unless you think it just ripped off Mario Kart. It did, sort of, but it's so much better that it doesn't matter. 9/10

Graphics: If you've played a game made by Rare, then you know the graphics are going to be great. The same applies here, and all the graphics are incredible, though the polygon joints show a lot. Still, there is tons of eye candy in this game, so no problem here. 8/10

Music/Sound: Once again, if you've played a Rare game you know that this department is a shoe in as well. The music in DKR is outstanding, and very well done. The sound effects are also very good, featuring a few voices and a lot of yelps from racing characters. The music is great. 9/10

Control: The play control for DKR is good, better than Mario Karts, although the hover craft is quite difficult. The designers intended it to be this way, though, so it's not so bad. The control for the kart and airplane is intuitive and smooth, and you should be able to grasp it in minutes. 8/10

Overall: An incredible racing game with a few minor flaws, yet so many good things that you hardly notice. This game is definitely worth buying, and if you don't own it, you should. It's not that old, so it should be easy to find, too.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99