Last year when everyone was eagerly awaiting Rare's two hot (and yet to be released due to delays) titles, Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Quest (now Twelve Tales: Conker 64), Rare surprised us with what turned out to be the smash hit of the Christmas season. While Diddy received much acclaim and popularity upon its release, it also received a lot of criticism. Generally, the complaints stemmed from two areas. One viewpoint was that DKR was far too cute for its own good. Others called it a Mario Kart 64 clone, labeling it as Diddy Kart or Kong Kart 64. The question is: were these views accurate, or were they merely snap decisions by people who didn't take the time to appreciate Diddy for what it is? The answer is the latter.

Graphically, DKR is impressive from start to finish. DKR takes the racing aspect of Mario Kart 64, plops it into the middle of a free-roaming 3D world (a la Mario), and adds a few unique touches. All the characters and stages are fully 3D and polygonal, and every level varies greatly to provide a whole world of intense racing action. Each character is unique in design and behavior. From snow to rain, the variety in weather is done in great detail and brings the world to life. Some of the lighting effects (such as those in the Wizpig stage) are incredible and greatly add to the overall feel of the game.

As impressive as the graphics are, DKR's sounds even better. While there are a lot of cute sounds that many have criticized, overall, these sounds tend to add to the charm of the game. As you progress, it's easy to realize the amount of diversity in the music. Each tune fits the stage perfectly (i.e the bells in the wintry levels), and the music blends seamlessly when moving from stage to stage. The variety expands when you realize that each character has his/her own theme music. Often times, music is in a game to fulfill some sort of requirement (games need music). In DKR, however, the music actually adds to the game and makes it more fun, whether it's to make for more cheerful play or to get your adrenaline pumping. The amount of sound effects is amazing and is another great addition to the overall game. For the most part, the voices are well done and fit the characters.

With eight characters (and some hidden ones), there's definitely a character for everyone. I had a little trouble understanding the reason for some characters, as they were just terrible to control (i.e. Drumstick, which is what it sounds like), but I suppose there are people out there who can get good use out of them. It's also a good idea to have some added choices, seeing as up to four people can be playing at once. We also got our first look at Banjo and Conker, as they were two of the characters available.

Another great idea that I'd have liked to see in Mario Kart 64 is the one player battle mode. While the multi-player battle mode is present, the one player battle mode adds to the overall fun of the standard game. These battle stages can be accessed only by obtaining the keys that are hidden throughout the stages, which expands the adventure aspect of the title.

An interesting aspect is that you have to go against bosses. I've never heard of nor considered the idea of bosses in racing games before DKR, but it's a great idea. Unfortunately, this concept is not without flaw. Many people claimed (and rightfully so) that Mario Kart 64 cheated too much. DKR has fixed that problem, but when it comes to the bosses, especially as you progress to the latter ones, it becomes a matter of patience and luck moreso than skill. Expect to spend a lot of time on these bosses, and when you eventually get to Wizpig, a perfect race often isn't enough, since making one mistake is making too many mistakes.

I liked the idea that beating something once isn't enough. In each level, you have to beat four courses, find the key, beat the bonus course, beat the boss, beat the first four courses again while gathering the silver coins, beat the boss again, and win the trophy race. This adds to the replay value and makes for a great ride.

While many may disagree, the concept is top notch. Adventure mode is a great idea and something that makes the game much more fun... it's the adventure mode that makes this game what it is and not just another kart racing game.

DKR is a lot of fun. Whether you're playing in the one player mode or in the multi-player mode (up to four players), you'll always find something fun to do. This is all due to the incredible replay value. It's rare to find a game that has this amount of gameplay. After taking on the four main worlds, you have to take on Wizpig, then Future Funland, then the mirror courses. Add to that the two player adventure mode, the time trial mode, and the four player split screen mode, and you get a game that virtually never ends.

Overall, DKR is a great game that should be experienced by anyone with a Nintendo 64. Even a rental doesn't do this one justice, as you'll just wind up renting it again. If you liked Mario Kart 64, DKR is definitely the game for you, as it takes Mario Kart 64 and adds a whole new dimension. This is more than a Mario Kart clone. It's a whole new, more exciting adventure.

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Overall: 9.7