dkp_preview

Diddy Kong Pilot
23/02/02
Tim Schaefer

The Donkey Kong franchise has had its fair share of racing. Diddy Kong Racing on the N64, and Donkey Kong Racing on GCN, and the characters have appeared in numerous other racing games. Now, Rare is planning to continue the series with Diddy Kong Pilot.

GAMEPLAY
Diddy Kong racing will feature the same style of gameplay as Diddy Kong Racing on N64. You pick one of 7 characters, most of them familiar from DKR. Each character is different, ranging from attributes like Speed, Handling, Turning and Speed of the mark. The twist though, is that every character has their own story mode in which they fight end of world bosses, and compete in personal challenges. Also, as in DKR, there's the Time Trial mode and a multiplayer mode, which can be played by 4 people via the link cable. Another cool feature is that you can pick up items mid-race to upgrade your vehicles to make them easier to handle and faster. And lastly, and most intriguing, is the ability to tilt the GBA, so all those times that you thought tilting the controller helped to turn better finally will be useful.

GRAPHICS
Just by looking at the screens in our screenshot section, you can see that this game is looking great. Bright, colourful, and easy to see, these graphics are a testament to Rare's awesome graphical abilities. Animation is remarkably fluid, and the racers glide through the air very smoothly. Rare is making sure that the graphics in Diddy Kong Pilot are up there with some of the other racing games on GBA. Rare will make the games graphics as good as the gameplay like they do in their other games.

SOUND
Diddy Kong Pilot will follow along the lines of Rare's other games. Beautifully orchestrated music, and tunes that fit the setting and locations perfectly. With the GBA speakers, you can expect an impressive line up of tracks, sound effects and general sounds. The GBA has proven to support very good music output, and in Diddy Kong Pilot expect this to be no diferent.

OUTLOOK
Diddy Kong Pilot looks to be a a great game, and if Rare ever get round to releasing any of their GBA games, this will be a great buy, if you're a racing fan or not.

Anticipation Rating: 89/100