39,327
edits
Diddy Kong Racing: Difference between revisions
m
Mass update links
m (Mass update links) |
m (Mass update links) |
||
Line 2:
[[File:DiddyKongRacing.jpg|frame]]
A [[Wacky Racing]] spin-off of ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' (sort of) originally released for the [[Nintendo 64]], ''Diddy Kong Racing'' puts DK's pal Diddy in the spotlight once more. While lounging at his pad and eating bananas, Diddy gets a message from his far-off pal, Timber [[Species Surname|the Tiger]]. Timber's island home is in trouble--an evil sorcerer {{smallcaps|[[In Space|FROM SPACE!]]}} named Wizpig has landed on the island from his UFO, and has claimed it for his own! The only way to oust the foul creature is by... [[Serious Business|racing him.]] Specifically, by racing each other, to gain [[Plot Coupon|gold balloons]], to be able to race his minions, to claim [[MacGuffin|pieces of his amulet]], to open the pathway to his hideout, so ''then'' they can race him. With the help of his friends (and [[Go
While the original ''Diddy Kong Racing'' was, essentially, [[Follow the Leader|a capitalization on the]] ''[[Mario Kart (Video Game)|Mario Kart]]'' formula, it was unique among kart racers at the time because it actually had a story mode, and even had a colorful [[Hub Level]] that connected all the differently-themed levels. While the tracks in ''[[Mario Kart (Video Game)|Mario Kart]]'' had little in common with one another besides difficulty, worlds (which also served as the "cups") actually had [[Video Game Settings|themes]] to them.
The game contained three vehicles. The car was the standard vehicle, and the easiest to control, but couldn't navigate different terrains very well. The hovercraft could go over water or [[Convection, Schmonvection|lava]], but was squirrelly and difficult to control. The plane could ''[[Captain Obvious|fly]],'' but adding a third dimension to the race naturally made some things more difficult. Combined with a unique items system, the addition of bosses, a unique "Silver Coin Challenge" mode, and various different types of "battle," ''Diddy Kong Racing'' was actually fairly different from ''Mario Kart''.
In 2007, Rareware remade the original, this time for the Nintendo DS. The remake included several new characters, a huge host of new vehicle upgrades, new items, an entire new world, new challenges, a somewhat [[Unexpected Gameplay Change|unexpected]] "light-gun shootout" mode for each track, new music, track creation, new personalization modes... Well, let's just say, a ''lot'' of stuff. It also dropped a few elements.
Line 23:
* [[City of Adventure]]: The island.
* [[Classic Cheat Code]]: The original game offered a "password" screen; entering the right codes would do everything from [[Silliness Switch|making the characters look goofy]], making the A.I. [[Rubber Band AI|ungodly hard]], or race-affecting things like changing all the [[Power-Up]] balloons to one color (type) or making all balloons automatically give the highest-leveled item of that type. Combining several of those can either lead to races becoming really hellish, or really awesome, depending on one's point of view.
* [[Convection, Schmonvection]]: The hovercraft has no problems driving over the ''lava'' in Hot Top Volcano. Given its bright yellow appearance, maybe it's just cheese fondue?
* [[Disc One Final Boss]]: The first race against Wizpig. While it seems as if you've ousted him, and the credits roll... There's still an ''entire world'' left, and it requires you to beat every Trophy Race and T.T. Challenge, as well as all its own tracks and challenges.
* [[Early
** And the game is now the one of the few remnants of Rare's original plans for Conker (the other being his Gameboy game), before he was changed to be a [[Darker and Edgier]] parody of [[Tastes Like Diabetes|that kind of character]].
** And although she did not appear in person at all in this game, Kazooie was actually first mentioned in the game's instructions manual.
Line 53:
** There's also Coin Bombs, which are [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|bombs that look like coins.]] They're meant to fool others into thinking they're real coins. But that only works in multiplayer, and there are no coins in multiplayer! Is there a way to enable them? You'd think so, but nope. They're basically just five landmines, and the artifice means little.
* [[Mutually Exclusive Powerups]]: The original version replaces one item with another, losing upgrades in the process. In the DS version, you can't grab a new balloon color unless you use up the one you're holding first.
* [[New Game
* [[Nice Hat]]: Several characters have one.
* [[Nintendo Hard]]: Adventure 2 does this to you, and so does trying to get {{spoiler|T.T. activated as playable character.}}
* [[No Export for You]]: The DS version wasn't translated into Japanese.
* [[Nostalgia Level]]: Although the Silver Coin Challenges were cut from the main game in the remake, they were included as an unlockable extra.
* [[Obvious Beta]]: A very rare (no pun intended) example of this ''not'' having any real negative effect on the game's enjoyability. The game was rushed to market so that Rare could have ''something'' out for Christmas 1997, and numerous signs of this are left in the game, including the fact that attaining [[One Hundred Percent Completion]] requires two save slots (one for the normal adventure and one for [[New Game
** This could also explain why Bubbler the Octopus is the only boss ''not'' seen in the ending.
* [[Oil Slick]]: Oil Slicks are the first-level Green item in ''Diddy Kong Racing''. They'll send someone spinning, slowing them down, and, in the DS [[Video Game Remake]], they also screw up their car's steering for a few seconds afterward.
Line 65:
* [[Sailor Fuku]]: For some reason, Pipsy the mouse wears a sailor suit. Is she a schoolgirl? Is she Japanese? Hard to say, but she's got the costume anyway.
* [[Secret Level]]: Future Fun Land ''would'' count, but it's necessary to finish the game. But the remake gives us {{spoiler|D.K. Island}}, which is a textbook secret world.
* [[Shout
** The music contains parts that [[Suspiciously Similar Song|sound similar]] to the ''[[Thunderbirds]]'' theme. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL_w37X3H6w\]
** Star City's tunnel is literally modeled after the Disneyland Epcot Center.
** Several of the cheat codes from the N64 original have shout out names. The code that makes all characters big is "[[Terminator|Arnold]];" the one that makes all balloons green is "[[Toxic Avenger|Toxic Offender]]."
* [[Silliness Switch]]: Several were included in the game's original cheats. There were codes to make characters huge or small, change the horn sounds to taunts, and other amusing things.
* [[Slippy
* [[Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome]]: There's not much plot to be spoken of, but in the DS port, Tiny seems a lot older than her previous appearance, while her older sister, Dixie, looks the same as she always has.
* [[Space Zone]]: Future Fun Land.
Line 76:
* [[Spiritual Successor]]: ''[[Banjo Kazooie|Banjo-Pilot]]'' was originally supposed to be ''Diddy Kong Pilot,'' focusing mainly on the game's planes. Rareware was bought by Microsoft, however, putting the kibosh on that.
* [[Super Fun Happy Thing of Doom]]: Future Fun Land is NOT fun. Well, not EASY fun, anyway.
* [[Stop Helping Me!]]: It is rather easy to trigger dialogue with T.T. as he's wandering about the level hubs, even if you don't intend to. Especially pesky in the DS version, where he doesn't actually do anything ''useful'' besides make comments.
* [[Turtle Power]]: Tiptup the Turtle.
* [[Unexpected Gameplay Change]]: In the remake, the "Balloon Touch Challenge" found on every course is similar to a light gun arcade game. It replaces the Silver Coin Challenge from the original game.
| |||