GoNintendo impressions - Diddy Kong Racing DS

I have been pretty excited for Diddy Kong Racing DS to come out. As silly as it is, just seeing Rare on the DS was reason enough for me. It’s very strange to startup DKR and see the Rare logo pop on screen. It gave me a weird feeling seeing Rare with Nintendo, where it used to be something so familiar. Well, that’s enough reminiscing from me. The other reason I was excited for this title had to do with the original N64 version. I can’t say that it is one of my favorite N64 games, but I definitely remember having my fun with it. This fueled my interest for DKR DS. I was ready to hop into some nostalgic fun. Now that I have put in a handful of hours with the game, I can safely say that it hasn’t aged very well.

To put it rather bluntly, DKR feels…boring. Racing just doesn’t seem to offer anything that makes you want to continue playing. I don’t know if this is because the game wasn’t very good from the beginning, or if it is related to the quality of kart racers leading up to DKR being of a higher caliber. I am, of course, drawing comparisons to Mario Kart DS. I don’t usually like to directly compare titles to one another, but in this instance, it is hard not to. Everyone is thinking about Mario Kart DS when looking into this title. You are expecting the same kind of action, speed, and overall fun that MKDS provides. There’s nothing wrong with that, you should fully expect it. If you are a MKDS fan, you will most likely be disappointed by DKR.

DKR doesn’t do anything really poorly (minus one area I will get into later); it just doesn’t do anything that will make you jump for joy. On the most basic level, racing doesn’t offer that much of a thrill. Some of the courses are nice, and at times things can get intense, but for the most part you are just cruising along, waiting for the race to finish. I am yet to be challenged by the computer in terms of putting up a fight, and by no means am I a great racer. The controls, while perfectly functional, don’t leave much room for skill. You steer left, you steer right, and there is a power slide button. That’s about it really, nothing fancy about it. Whereas MK DS really demands precision based on the car and rider you choose, DRK feels very uniform. Within a couple of minutes with each car/driver, you will see that they feel the same. Not much to learn in way of skill, which definitely hurts the title.

Weapon play doesn’t seem to do too much either. I do like the idea of strategy when it comes to weapon/item pickup though. As in the original, depending on which balloons you run over while on track, you will nab yourself a weapon, or a power-up. Let’s say, for instance, you are just barely out of first place. When the next set of balloons comes up, you can grab a blue one for a speed boost, rather than a red one for a weapon. The problem is, the weapons/items seem to have little impact on the race. Speed boosts last for about three tenths of a second, and will do you no good unless you are right on top of your opponent. Weapons are limited, such as rockets (which can be upgraded with each red balloon you pick up after) and force fields, and you will never really find them to help you.

Okay, so the title isn’t a total loss, but it doesn’t provide much fun. Then the major gameplay killer comes in…for me anyway. It seems like everything that Rare has done to upgrade the title from the original has actually hurt it. DKR has gimmick written all over it. If you read GoNintendo often, you know that I hate how overused the term “gimmick” is when related to the DS and Wii. I have to eat my own words in this instance, because gimmick is the perfect word to describe the situation. My biggest gripe would have to be the start of each race.

Instead of staying with a timed press of the gas for a boost off the staring line, Rare has used the touch screen to “innovate”. Now you will find yourself spinning a tire, rotating a propeller, or revving a fan. These are done by using the touch screen with your stylus or thumb, and in the instance of the hovercraft fan, you have to blow into the microphone. These are all great gameplay ideas in other genres, but they screw up the flow in DKR. The beginning of a race is extremely important, yet DKR wants to handicap you up from the start. Don’t even think about using the stylus to accomplish these engine revs done. If you do, you will be eating the dust of everyone in the race. There really isn’t any good way to use the touch screen with the stylus, and then switch your hands back to where they need to be for a race. I tried multiple methods hand placement to position them well for the transfer, and I came up with two solutions. Just drop the stylus after you rev the engine, or use your thumb. You can see how neither of these solutions really help you out, but they do get your hands back to where they need to be. Taking the player out of the race experience right before the start is not a great idea. After two hours of playing, I found the best way to start a race. Completely ignore the touch screen/mic boosts. Just start the race by pressing the gas, and you will make your way to the front of the pack in no time.

This gimmicky theme doesn’t stop with the races, it bleeds into the rest of the game. As you drive around the world hub, you can now flick frogs with the stylus, talk to people by touching them, throw coconuts from trees, and make other objects let loose with sound effects. As you can see, none of these really matter except for talking to people. I enjoy an interactive world as much as the next person, but throwing coconuts into the ocean just doesn’t seem all that fun to me. I want to race, and when the racing just isn’t that fun, this is what you are left with.

I don’t know, DKR isn’t anywhere near the worst game I have ever played. It just isn’t the best. I have always been a huge Rare fan, as well as a big kart racing fan. I wanted to like DKR, but no matter how hard I try, it just doesn’t do it for me. The gameplay isn’t broken (minus the start), it just isn’t challenging, or that interesting. There are still some moments in the game that are enjoyable, such as the boss races at the end of a circuit. Racing a dinosaur to the top of a mountain, or outrunning a giant seal to the end of a snowy hill provide a nice break from the regular action. I actually really enjoyed this part of the game, and found myself drudging through levels just to get to the boss races. That’s not a good thing when the bulk of the game IS the races. Sound design is pretty great actually, with lots of fun music, as well as audio samples. Graphics are also great, some of the better 3d work we have seen on the DS, without a hint of slowdown (so far). If you are a fan of the original, then you might dig the game. You will probably be pissed off by the touch screen changes at first, but you’ll adapt one way or another. If you are a die hard kart racer, maybe you will find more to love in DKR than I did. As I said in the beginning, I was a fan of both the genre and title before I played the DS version, and neither really saved my opinion as of right now.

Keep in mind, this is only a preview. Who knows what will happen as I continue on in the game. Maybe some more skill will magically work its way into gameplay. Perhaps the tracks will become truly inspiring, and offer up some unique challenges. I also haven’t tried the “create a course” feature, or any multiplayer at all. As many of you know, multiplayer can be the saving grace of any game, no matter how bad. Once you bring friends in, there is always a chance for some fun to be had. If DKR ends up a “blah” single player experience, but a fun multiplayer experience, then I consider the title a winner. I will have impressions of the multiplayer aspect coming this Friday. As for now, I will continue to travel the world of DKR in search of some true fun; it could be out there somewhere.