Diddy Kong Racing DS

"Okay, this is MUCH better than I could say."

Introduction:

Okay, well, where do I start? You all know the famous Donkey Kong and his games on DS, such as Mario vs Donkey Kong: March of the Minis, Donkey Kong Land I, II and III, and Donkey Kong Jr.....I mean, even Donkey Kong is in Gamecube's Super Smash Brothers Melee and in the upcoming Super Smash Brothers Brawl on the Nintendo Wii.

Diddy Kong was basically a Donkey Kong Jr, a miniature of the lovable big furry gorilla, animal thing. And now, they released a new game: Diddy Kong Racing DS.

Gameplay: 8/10

We all know Mario Kart DS, where you can race against many various opponents, have team play, battle....but there is no Adventure, and they're version of Adventure is just racing. For all, there isn't TWO Adventures. It's just, racing, battling, occasional multiplayer....and it's easy. REALLY easy, unless going against 150 cc opponents.

But Diddy Kong Racing is HARD. I swear. As you get further into the game, no matter how hard the opponents are, you must get first. That poses a challenge that not even 150 cc opponents can match. They're tricky, they know the course better than you and they can race faster and faster than you. And even in Mario Kart you don't have to get first to win.

This is why I believe that facing challenges in Diddy Kong Racing, is better than having an easy one where you get bored being first every time. It's good. I like it!

Adventure: 9/10

The Adventure mode is pretty fun, you can the explore the natural environment, find hidden Easter Eggs throughout the game and unlock secret characters by ways you can never see! And there's Taj, who can change you vehicle, pose challenges such as the torches, the vehicle races, token collecting.....and he can even upgrade you vehicles! You can earn money in races or touch screen challenges, which help you pay for the upgrades.

The touch screen challenges are basically you being Taj on his magic carpet and using your stylus to pop golden balloons and collecting coins scattered through the racing track. There are hidden balloons though; and you have to have quick eyes and hands to to get all balloons. It's quite hard though and once you get into the last few races it gets harder and harder.

AI: 7/10

The AI is really sly; tricking you, bumping you to get into first place or placing traps into common place where a car will always run past. They are smart, somehow, they are faster than you and you can have a few upgrades on your vehicle but they will somehow get faster with luck or plain flunks of yourself.

Bosses: 8/10

The bosses are very tricky and you need to get certain objects and a certain time to beat them. The first boss, a dinosaur, is pretty easy even at second try. But some bosses are really annoying and you just have to bang your DS on the table screaming: "WHAT THE HECK????" or "I NEARLY GOT YOU!!!!!!!" or something like that.

Overall: 8/10

I said a lot of good about this game and it doesn't have much flaws or minor setbacks. It's pretty fun! I like it better than most racing games. But what it needs is a battle mode of some sort. I like it though, it exceeded high expectations.

Good Points:

Okay, as a fan of driving simulation games, I have to say, if they had improved it by just a little, it would have been on perfect or near perfect. It's not bad now, and I wouldn't trade this for 50 dollars. Which is a small amount of money from where I'm from.

Bad Points:

Okay graphics, annoying bosses, funny AI, what can I say? Nothing wrong much, I guess. That's about it!


Rent / Buy:

If you are a die hard fan and excellent at driving games, get this. If you are okay at these types of games and is a bit hesitant, I don't care, get it anyway. If you are pretty bad at them and are slow with you fingers, consider renting it or borrowing it.

Final Conclusion:

I would say that this game is a must need for DS fans. I don't care if you suck at these, get it. NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/24/07

Game Release: Diddy Kong Racing DS (US, 02/05/07)