Diddy Kong Racing DS

Diddy Kong Racing DS
Diddy Kong Racing DS logo (tentative)
Developer(s)	Rare Ltd.
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release	February 52007 April 52007 [1] TBA 2007 TBA
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer, Online multiplayer

Diddy Kong Racing DS is a racing game for the Nintendo DS by the UK-based developer Rare. It is Rare's first Nintendo DS game. It is a remake of the critically-acclaimed Diddy Kong Racing for the Nintendo 64. It was released on February 52007, but was not available at most stores until February 6. .

Features

Some extra features of the game, not present in the original version, include:

• 8-player single-card multiplayer (DS Download Play)
• 8-player multi-card multiplayer (DS Wireless Play)
• 2-4 player Battle Modes (Single-card/Multi-card/WiFi)
• 2, 4, and 6-player Wi-Fi play[2]
• Touch-screen and microphone compatible (You can record your own sound effects)
• Some characters in newly playable form
• Remodelled and retextured tracks
• Fully custom-made vehicles
• New modes, weapons and challenges
• Create your own tracks (TT's Wish Races)

Differences between this and the Original

File:Diddy Kong Racing DS Screenshot 001.jpg

Diddy Kong, Tiptup, and Bumper in the opening of the game.

• An introduction cutscene recreating the manual story.
• Every track has been graphically enhanced with better quality and more variations in the textures and features. Despite this, the tracks all run at a much better and more consistent frame rate than the N64 game, and look much smoother as a result.
• Banjo and Conker, two characters from outside the Donkey Kong franchise, have been replaced with Tiny Kong and Dixie Kong respectively.
• The Character select screen has been moved from an outdoor theme, to a normal screen.
• While not specific to this particular game, Tiny Kong's appearance has been changed from her Donkey Kong 64 portrayal. She now appears in this game as a teenager. Diddy and Dixie, however, are still portrayed in the same manner as always.
• The positions of bananas have been replaced by coins. The same goes for Smokey Castle Battle Mode.
• The voices have been changed to almost everyone sounding British.
• The Silver Coin challenges from the original have been replaced with balloon-popping challenges. Instead of using one of the three vehicles, the player rides Taj's magic carpet (which flies on a rail) and pops the balloons with the stylus. By using stylus swipes, you can move the camera to find balloons that are obscured by obstacles. However, the Silver Coin Challenges are now an unlockable. Note: The January 2007 issue of Nintendo Power magazine incorrectly stated that the Silver Coin Challenges were removed from the DS game. This is not true and is due to be corrected in a future issue.
• When getting upgrades from red ballons, the Homing missle will be the last upgrade, wheras it was the second upgrade in the original version. Also, instead of getting 10 non homing missles you will now get 5 semi-homing missles.
• Ancient Lake and Whale Bay have been changed. Star City has a new area to race, but it doesn't really affect the original.
• Jungle Falls, Snowball Valley, Pirate Lagoon, Treasure Caves, Windmill Plains, and Spaceport Alpha have new Background Music. Spacedust Alley now has the old Spaceport Alpha music. The old music from Jungle Falls was moved to the credits.
• Thunder Cove, Meandering Mount, Splashdown Pass, and Strangled Shrine are new tracks.
• Taj the Genie and Wizpig the Evil Wizard who were NPCs in the original version, are unlockable in the DS Version. They share the same stats.
• The first boss stage has been changed and is much easier.
• Battle Maps can only be played with friends, not with the computer. Thusly, they have been replaced in the Adventure Mode with Wish Races, where the played races against T.T. in a custom track. Upon beating T.T., he will be in the world's lobby and tells you that he is an unlockable character.
• The time trial in the N64 version had you race alone with no balloon pickups on the track and only that time was recorded. The DS version counts your time from regular races in adventure mode and single races, as well as the official "time trial" mode.
• Various Options from the original version were removed, such as "Magic Codes".
• The car option in Everfrost Peak was removed.
• The ice in Walrus Cove that would cause a car to bounce back onto the track was replaced with regular water.
• Planes can no longer perform a barrel roll or a loop.
• All the tracks are set to sunny daytime weather.
• Krunch lacks the skull on the back of his jacket.
• T.T. has higher stats than in the original; he has to be beaten in Time Trial mode on every level using every vehicle available in order to be unlocked.
• All of the voice work (except for T.T's voice) has been redone.
• The four balloons that were once scattered around the isle are gone; 2 are in additional Taj races and 2 are gained by touch screen puzzles.

Customizable Icons

In Diddy Kong Racing DS, players can create up to six of their own icons. This is done in a style similar to the Mario Kart DS Decal Maker but the drawing tools are slightly better and more accurate in this, though the + Control Pad cannot be used to draw. Unlike Mario Kart DS, the icons used will not appear on your vehicle, they are just used as identity icons for your character, and can be placed on the tracks using the Buildboard Editor. When playing Wifi games against non-friends, custom icons are not visible for one's opponents.

Characters

Playable Characters	Diddy Kong Racing	Diddy Kong Racing DS
Diddy Kong	Y	Y
Timber the Tiger	Y	Y
Pipsy the Mouse	Y	Y
Tiptup the Turtle	Y	Y
Bumper the Badger	Y	Y
Krunch the Kremling	Y	Y
Banjo the Bear	Y	N
Conker the Squirrel	Y	N
Dixie Kong	N	Y
Tiny Kong	N	Y
Drumstick the Rooster	Y	Y
T.T.	Y	Y
Taj the Genie	N	Y
Wizpig	N	Y

The four unlockable characters were confirmed by this press release.[3] Taj the Genie and Wizpig are both in the original Diddy Kong Racing, but they were not playable. If playing as Taj or Wizpig, they will look smaller than their nonplayble counterparts. Also when playing as Taj, when talking to the big Taj near the tent, he says "Am I going crazy, I'm talking to myself! What can I do for... you?"

Weapons

• Green Balloons: Dropper- Obstacles that can be dropped behind the player to obstruct opponents. The default green balloon is an oil slick (or cloud of green dust in the air), the 2nd upgrade is a spiked mine, and the third is a bubble which will stop the player for several seconds.

• Blue Balloons: Speed Boost - These give the player a speed boost just like a Zipper. Upgrades simply give the boost more power. Using these balloons without holding the acceleration button also increases the effectiveness of these balloons. The first upgrade is the Boost, the second upgrade is the Fast Boost, and the third upgrade is the Super-Fast Boost.

• Yellow Balloons: Shield - These will give the player shields to protect them from missiles or droppers. Upgrades make the shield last longer.

• Rainbow Balloons: Special - A magnet attack, which will attract the player towards the targeted opponent, second Rainbow Balloon makes the magnet stronger, and the third pulls him or her back.

• Red Balloons: Missiles - These are offensive weapons that can be shot at opponents. One Red Balloon gives you a single, non-homing missle, second Balloon gives you 5 missles that home slightly with no refill, and the third gives you a single homing missle that targets the player that is in 1st.

• Upgrade Coins: These coins can be found around the track, but once collected, are not respawned. When you have any balloon weapon press X after collecting one of these coins and it will change the weapon to an alternative form:

The Red Balloons are turned into three homing missiles which rotate around a player, firing when opponents come nearby.

The Green Balloons are turned into 5 Fake Rare Coins that make the player spin out when collected.

The Blue Balloons are turned into a shot that functions like a missile, but if it doesn't hit anything after traveling a short distance, it turns into a 'boost vortex', which disappears quickly after that. If a player drives through it, they become invincible. The player is then put on autopilot and tries to tap the screen with proper timing to further increase their speed during this duration. Failure at any point cancels the boost.

The Yellow Balloons are turned into a shield that will turn you temporarily invisible.

The Rainbow Balloons are turned into homing missiles that can only fly for 500m. They will shoot straight on until they travel 500m if you are at the front unlike the ordinary homing missile which will come back and shoot you.

Gameplay

Single Player Mode

The game has 24 unique tracks, including four new tracks that were not in the N64 version. The tracks are contained in themed worlds such as Dino Domain, Snowflake Mountain, Sherbet Island, Dragon Forest, and Future Fun Land. Adventure 2 is unlocked by completing Adventure 1, and that doubles the tracks to 48 tracks.

Multi Player Mode

Once beating a track in Adventure mode, it becomes available for single card multiplayer. Plus you'll be able to play the N64 Battle Stages once bought from Taj.

Wish Race Mode

Once you buy the MP Wish Mode Or Single Wish Mode (Both are 50 coins), you can make your own custom tracks and share them over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Time Trial

While racing, your times are recorded, but there is still a separate time trial mode by touching T.T. Once beating T.T. in time trial mode, it will show a T.T. clock beside each vehicle.

External links

• Diddy Kong Racing DS at Official Website
• Diddy Kong Racing DS at IGN
• Diddy Kong Racing DS at GameSpot
• Rare at Company Website
• Diddy Kong Racing DS Community
• Diddy Kong Racing DS at GameFAQs