Diddy Kong Racing

The evil Wizpig has cast a spell over Timber the Tiger's raceway island, but fear not - Diddy Kong and his friends have come to the rescue. Only by mastering the racetracks in the Island's four worlds, can Diddy and the gang free the racing champ Drumstick and defeat the horrible pig!

Diddy Kong Racing is an adventure/racing game that will accommodate 1 to 4 players and offers two modes of play. In Adventure Mode, one player races to master tracks, gather silver coins, golden balloons and other amulets - all for the purpose of defeating Wizpig. Tracks Mode provides the chance to compete with other players and get in some crucial racing practice. Each of the four worlds - Dino Domain, Snowflake Mountain, Sherbet Island and Dragon Forest - offers 4 racetracks, a challenge level, a trophy race and a boss level. Players have their choice of 8 fun characters and 3 modes of transportation: car, hovercraft or plane.

My first impression of this game was that it combines the adventure of Super Mario 64 with the racing thrills of Mario Kart 64 - and does so quite well. The graphics and audio are terrific, and the controller response is great. The vehicle's maneuverability varies according to which character you are playing, so try them all to find the one that is right for you. The planes and cars are easy to control, but the hovercraft is sometimes very difficult. The racetracks do take some practice to master and it can be frustrating, but persistence pays off. The boss can be especially tough (look out for bosses that jump the starting line)!

This game appeals to kids of all ages! Younger children (under 6) love to drive around, but may not be able to master the levels without assistance. It can also be frustrating for youngsters who continually lose to older siblings. The characters and settings are cute, but still cool enough to appeal to the 8 and older crowd, who will be more developmentally suited to mastering the game.

Overall, Diddy Kong Racing is an excellent game, but parents should be prepared to buy an N64 controller for each child in their home, because they will all want to race!