Most people my age were around 10-12 when the N64 came out. Diddy Kong Racing was soon launched after this, competing with Mario Kart for best racing multiplayer. The original Diddy Kong indeed had its glitches, but there was enough fresh material to keep gamers coming back to complete those races and bosses over and over again. Now Nintendo has re-vamped Diddy Kong for the DS, introducing a classic game to a new generation of gamers. Is the new Diddy Kong a faithful adaption? Yes in some ways, but unfortunately it flops in others.
If you’ve played the original Diddy Kong, you will know what to expect once you pop in the game. The story is almost exactly the same, and the beginning of the game carries out like the N64 version: you meet Taj, explore the island, and begin racing in Dino Domain.
This time around, there are some new characters. Our old reliables like Diddy Kong, Tipsy, Timber, T.T., and Taj all make appearances, but there are some new Kongs in the mix as well as some unlockable racers.
The vehicles are also the same. You get to choose between your trusty car, hovercraft, or airplane as means to explore the island. There are ways to upgrade your vehicles, but we’ll save that for later.
Roll into Dino Domain and you are confronted with the same set of tracks as before. And the same zippers and balloons. AND the same hidden key locations. The boss battles? You guessed it: the same! Diddy Kong racing is like an old friend to me, but I still have my N64, and for $34.99 I am tempted just to keep playing it on my old system.
So what’s new between the N64 and DS versions? A few things, but the new additions feel like new hindrances to really enjoying the game. One of my favorite parts of the N64 game was the minigames. You remember, steal the eggs for your own nest? Elimination? Yah, those are accessible, but not integral parts of the game. Races against T.T. and backward tracks? Gone.
The new additions to the game are just Nintendo showing off that they chose to include the stylus in the DS version. And boy, using the stylus sure is a pain in the ass! After your character wins the race the first time, it is unlockable again as a special “touch” track. Many players will think “Oooo, this could be exciting!”. No, really, it’s not. You ride Taj’s magic carpet while popping as many balloons as you can and dragging coins into your money pouch. You must use the stylus to turn yourself around, and unfortunately using the stylus to adjust your point of view is really inaccurate and irritating. I wish they would have just left this out and redone the backwards tracks. But wait, it gets worse…..
After beating the bosses twice, you will be invited to take part in a special “touch challenge” boss battle. This is the boss battle again in the same way, except you must use the touch screen to drive, pick up and use items, and change direction. It took me 10 tries to figure out exactly how to drive the stupid car in one direction, and I still haven’t won yet. No, it’s not because I’m stylus challenged, it’s because the execution of this idea TOTALLY SUCKS! There are things that look good on paper but never work, and so Nintendo should have gotten a clue and figured out that this idea had a better place in the trash can.
The stylus is also used at the beginning of the race, where you spin your plane propeller or rotate the wheels on your car to get a boost. (I figured out how to boost the hovercraft in a creative way: I sneezed into the screen and realized that the air expelled on the DS resulted in a boost….you actually blow into the microphone to get this boost.) The only issue with using the stylus to get the boost is that when the race starts you must immediately push the A button. For those of us who are right handed, this drop-and-press process is really difficult.
So what is the big deal with the coins? They are used to purchase upgrades for your vehicles. These upgrades are essential to eventually beating Wizpig, as pure cunning, skill, and speed aren’t enough anymore. You must go out of your way on the race tracks to pick up these stupid wee coins, or take the time to collect them during the “touch” races.
Also, these coins can be used to buy new racetracks and those memorable minigames. There are a few notable extras, but not enough new content to get me really excited.
I’m disappointed that they took out the T.T. races. To me, winning a T.T. race meant that I was the best driver I could be. Now T.T. is reduced to a side quest where you build your own track and then race him. It’s stupid and pointless.
Graphically, Diddy Kong is pretty similar to its N64 parent. No real changes to speak of, except of course that the screen size is condensed. The soundtrack is also exactly the same. I was expecting some updates, but nothing. It is nice that they add the voice to announce the location and the track, but besides that there is no voice acting.
The use of the D-pad instead of the analog stick for controlling your movement really was a mistake. The hovercraft is a nightmare to move, and controlling pitch in the plane is nearly impossible. Just a side note: the plane is no longer capable of doing flips. Sad, sad day.
The multiplayer for up to 7 players is fun if you can get 8 people together who all own Diddy Kong. Still, the 4 player original with all of the tracks and minigames available is a better deal.
Having Diddy Kong as a portable title is convenient, but I would never choose my DS for Diddy Kong if I had my N64 available. Some remakes are fun (such as Diddy Kong and Super Mario 64), but overall I’d rather just play the original on the N64.
For gamers who have never experienced Diddy Kong in its original form, this title will be worth picking up. I have to admit that Diddy Kong is still a great racing title and packs a lot of fun into that teeny cartridge, but Mario Kart DS does racing better. Diddy Kong is not to be overlooked and is at least worth a rental, however for long term fun there are better titles available.
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