Starring Donkey Kong’s sidekick instead of the big ape himself, Diddy Kong Racing managed to stand out from the rest by not merely copying Mario Kart, but taking the basic kart racer formula and expanding it. The game gained a following for offering different vehicles aside from karts and an original cast that inspired the development of other Rare series, most notably Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. While other successful racing games, notably Crash Team Racing and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, borrowed elements from Diddy Kong Racing, going back to the original formula still has some potential.
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The Best Time to Revisit Diddy Kong Racing
The current environment is great to go back to Diddy Kong Racing. The aforementioned Crash Team Racing got its own remake with tons of extra content, while Nintendo is finally going back to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with an entire new game’s worth of DLC. If Nintendo is not willing to bring back the regular Donkey Kong series on Switch, a new Diddy Kong Racing is the ideal way to please fans.
The only time Diddy Kong Racing got a new installment was when Diddy Kong Racing DS came out. It was a remake that replaces Banjo and Conker, who were owned by Microsoft at that point. While the game was well-received, the original Diddy Kong Racing still overshadows it. Banjo and Conker’s absence, while necessary for legal reasons, was also criticized. If one were to exclude the DS remake, then Diddy Kong Racing never got a follow-up. With the game turning 25, this is a longer gap than the time since the last F-Zero game as far as Nintendo racing titles go.
A lot of 1990s platformers are making a resurgence, primarily due to the nostalgic audience that grew up with these games. Diddy Kong Racing is part of that broad category, as a spin-off of a 90s platformer. Nintendo could take advantage of the current demand for reboots, remakes, and sequels while delivering a racing experience distinct from Mario Kart.
A new Diddy Kong Racing could modernize what the original established while preserving its identity. Most of the characters created for the game could come back with no legal repercussions. Even Banjo and Conker, who debuted in the original Diddy Kong Racing, could return despite being owned by Microsoft. Banjo and Kazooie’s debut game can now be played on the Switch, and the bear and bird joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Conker has yet to get anything, but considering the character’s own popularity and Banjo’s recent resurgence, Microsoft is likely open to letting Nintendo use the red squirrel too.
Diddy Kong Racing is a Nintendo 64 classic, and one of the few truly recognizable Nintendo games to be a standalone title. A new installment would add another unique kart racing option to the mix. It could also extend the game’s own universe and incorporate regular Donkey Kong elements, giving fans the proper Donkey Kong racing game that never came to be.
Diddy Kong Racing is available on the Nintendo 64.
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