Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing

Overall: 4.3
Game mechanics: 4.0
Story: 4.1
Design: 4.0
Multiplayer: 4.6

                  So I'm pretty sure a lot of you might be familiar with this game. Yes, Rare came out with a racing gem that still blows so many Mario Kart games out of the water. Diddy Kong racing was made for the N64 in 1997 and now stands as the 6th most sold game in the system's history. Seriously, this game is the real deal. There aren't many games I recommend to everyone because I feel often it's impossible to make your game accessible to everyone, but Diddy Kong racing comes damn close. There is one criteria for Diddy Kong racing. Do you like fun? If you answered yes, then you should be on amazon right now purchasing a cartridge and possibly an old n64 system for those of you who don't currently have one (or on vizzed.com). As for those of you who said no, I suspect many of you are the type of people who enjoy kicking puppies. But when gems like this come along it's important to ask why. Why was Diddy Kong so successful, while other games that tried to follow the same formula failed miserably? Let's switch it up a bit and start with something I don't normally talk about first, the game mechanics.
       Mechanics
                Diddy Kong racing isn't a game for an amazing narrative. It's funny because when you think of the game I'm sure you remember so many of the characters and the plot, but if you actually put your thinking cap on, you realize this game was written for 3 year olds. Doesn't matter. Why? Well, because you can do this

Fly Banjo! Fly!

This game allowed you to play with three different vehicles. And it didn't feel like each vehicle was just a car with a physics engine tweaked a little for it. Each vehicle felt like you were manning a unique machine that had it's own ins and outs. Cars had better traction, planes could change altitudes (no shit) and the hover craft could swerve with ease. They could have easily cut corners and did the entire game in cars, like another title that constantly gets undeserved sequels. (ahem)

I love you Mario, but you do not beat DKR

Introducing two other vehicles was a huge risk that could have easily bogged the game down with careless controlling and glitchy maps. I know the maps weren't perfect and controlling wasn't as tight as Mario Kart, but who cares when you can fly through a volcano (see above photo for a reminder of awesomeness). But the mechanics aren't the only thing that shines, it has a partner in crime that does all the work that we often take for granted.

         Level Design

      The level design in Diddy Kong racing was masterful. Every level had certain styles and ticks that would favor different racers. Take for example Space Port Alpha which had large expanses that could allow a player to swerve around (perfect for dodging enemy rockets), while making the painful tradeoff for speed. Level design in Diddy Kong racing also had a powerful individual feel to it. It didn't feel like you were simply in the ice stage or simply in the fire stage, often it felt like each stage had it's own personality that you can grab on to. For example, among the myriad of stages in the hovercraft area there is one where you drive onto a pirate ship and go through it to make your final loop around back to the finish line. Compare this with the stage that was simply made to introduce the character to using the hovercraft. Mario Kart has been trying to design stages like this for a decade now and I can only name a handful of mario kart stages that really have some unique feel to me (rainbow road, boswer's castle, dk mountain). I will admit Mario 64 had a great set of stages. The reason I want to stress level design is because we're starting to see a lot of this in modern gaming: 

I have never worked in tandem like that when playing LBP

While I do believe in user generated content, I also think that there is a reason professional level designers exist. I pay 60 dollars for content, not for a level generator. 

  The Little Things

         There are a few elements that you may or may not have noticed that make Diddy Kong Racing stand out among the myriad of horrible pseudo racing games out there. These are the difference makers in video games. 

         Boss Fights

          The inclusion of Boss fights in Diddy Kong racing give us a good segway into the topic of why boss battles exist? I mean of course someone needs to be the big bad guy in the end, but in a racing game where winning is the end that justifies the means what's the point? Well, bosses do a few things. They give the player a clear challenge to overcome. When you're expecting a boss it means that these stages you're doing aren't pointless hurdles to jump through, but invaluable practice that will come in handy when playing the boss. This is clearly reinforced when the boss challenges you in the vehicle you were racing in the entire area. But bosses do more than just serve as a bad guy and present a challenge in Diddy Kong Racing; they add characterization by setting the "young racer making a name for herself  (or himself)" paradigm. Also all the bosses in Diddy Kong racing were so memorable. From the Walrus to the Triceratops to the Pig. These guys were fearsome and actually provided a challenge. 

I detested this guy as a kid

       Brand Recognition and Character mystique

       Diddy Kong Racing used some big name characters to make up for the lack of character development. Then they paired these characters up with a bunch of no names that made for excitement and discovery. I know who Diddy, Konker and Banjo is, but who in the hell is Tiptup? I know that at the time Conker and Banjo weren't big names, but that's the amazing thing about being able to look back at a game. Sometimes in video games unintended surprises is what makes your game great. I bet none of you have forgotten Drumstick, even though many of you probably don't remember his name. That's because he was originally introduced to us like this 

I couldn't find an actual picture of him in his frog form so this will have to do

Remember how clever our eight year old selves thought we were when we ran over that odd frog with a rooster mane, just to find out he was an unlockable character! I love this game. Multiplayer deserves a mention too, but I decided I'm probably going to write something about the multiplayer and how it should be used as a model in another piece.

      The most amazing thing about this game is how timeless it is. You can play it over and over and still feel like it competes with it's high tech counterparts in Nintendo land. I'll take this over Mario Kart Wii any day. I'll take this over any racing game any day. This game explains how you take a genre that sometimes takes itself a little too seriously. 

When do I start having fun?

 and turn it into an accessible masterpiece that anyone can enjoy.