2.5/5 ★ – MegaBlastoise's review of Diddy Kong Racing DS.

Platform Played: 3DS Date Reviewed: Feb. 2, 2022 Rating: 5/10 When the original Diddy Kong Racing was released on the N64 in 1997, it was heavily praised, with some critics calling it the best racing game ever made. Nowadays, better kart racers have come out, but many look at DKR with fondness. So naturally, when game companies began porting their popular games on handheld consoles, DKR was given a DS port 10 years after the original's release. And let me tell you, RareWare fumbled the ball HARD with this port. And I know what you might be asking: "Why?". First, let's address the elephant in the room. Since Rare was bought out by Microsoft in 2002, Conker and Banjo are nowhere to be seen in this game. Unlike some other people, I don't take as much issue with it since I don't usually play as those characters in the N64 version. They were instead replaced with Dixie Kong from DKC2 and Tiny Kong from DK64. Dixie is a welcome change, since I feel that she should've been in the original roster. However, I'm a little iffy on Tiny, but that might be because I don't like the game she came from. Next, the graphics. They're almost like the N64 version, but the colors are washed out and some characters look off-model compared to the original. The track designs are the same and the shortcuts are intact. The music took a bit of a hit too, with some songs not sounding right in the DS soundfont, which is something I don't understand. If Super Mario 64 DS (a launch title for the DS in 2004) has a better quality soundtrack than DKR DS (a mid DS release in 2007), then you know you screwed up. Now let's address the second, arguably larger, elephant in the room. The controls are absolutely garbage compared to the N64 original. In order to get a speed boost from the starting line, you would assume that it would work the same way as it does in Mario Kart. Nope! You have to use the touchscreen or blow into the DS microphone, which can be cumbersome at best and unresponsive at worst. While all three vehicle types (kart, plane, and hovercraft) have tight and responsive control in the original, here they feel like you're driving on melted butter. And that's damning considering that I usually play as Timber, who has balanced stats. Speaking of things Rare butchered, let's talk about the voice acting. There is none. There's just text boxes. Which is a damn shame because I love hearing Taj talk to me when I'm done a race in the adventure mode. While Taj had a (slightly stereotypical) Indian accent in the N64 version, in DKR DS I had to say his lines out loud in said accent just so I could have a sense of accomplishment. However, Taj is an unlockable racer in DKR DS as well as the main antagonist, Wizpig. DKR DS also does away with the Silver Coin missions and replaces them with this on-rails minigame where you're on Taj's magic carpet shooting balloons. Overall, just play the original on the N64 and avoid the DS port at all costs. You'll thank me later.