The music accompanies the level design nicely and the two together really brings you into the world of Diddy Kong Racing. 3 gets you 10 missiles! I always found that holding out for the top weapon tier was usually the best option. Pick up another, you get a homing missile. Pick up one red balloon, you get a missile.
If you pick up more than one of the same colour before using it, you get an even better attack or shield. These balloon pickups had not only a standard weapon but an element of strategy to them. In another comparison to Mario Kart, the weapon pickups were again better throughout. Fly over the other racers and shoot down from above. If you want that extra bit of fun, opt for the plane. Each is a colourful, vibrant world that is well balanced no matter which vehicle you’re using. The level designs were perfectly thought out. You can select from a hovercraft, kart or plane through many of the levels. Unlike Mario Kart, you are not tied down to the one vehicle. The boss levels were a great addition to the game! You have to use different strategies to beat each one. Tricky the Triceratops, Bubbler the Octopus, Bluey the Walrus and Smokey the Dragon. In adventure mode, an evil alien pig, namely WizPig is trying to take over the world! He intends to do so by conquering every race track on Timber Island.īefore you can stop WizPig there are 5 worlds to race through, each with their own boss. This is something that hasn’t really been done successfully since. Adventure mode gracefully incorporates a storyline into a racing game. Once you select your character, you can choose between a standard race or the one of a kind adventure mode. My personal favourite was TipTup, a turtle who just seemed to have the competitive edge over others. Other characters were the usual array of colourful cute critters that buffed out the roster with varying stats and personalities. These included Banjo from Banjo-Kazooie and Conker from Conkers Bad Fur Day as well as the lesser-known Pocket Tales. They used this title to introduce many of their new platform characters. Another Rare Sight to Beholdĭeveloper Rare had their head screwed on when developing this game. Many may disagree, but I’m here to explain why Diddy Kong Racing is my favourite N64 Kart racer. Released around the Christmas of 1997, Diddy Kong Racing (N64) left its main competitor Mario Kart in the dust.