Diddy Kong Racing DS Launches Stateside

Possibily the finest karting game of its generation, Diddy Kong Racing was one of the many classic titles that came out of Rare in the late 90's. Nintendo have teamed up once more with Rare to bring this 10 year old classic to the portable DS console.

"Racing games have always been a popular choice for competitive gamers, particularly for Nintendo fans. From Mario Kart® DS, which has sold more than 1.5 million units in the United States to date, to the original Diddy Kong® Racing for Nintendo® 64, which was one of the best-selling racing video games for N64, Nintendo's racing games are ranked among the top. The newest addition to this genre of games, Diddy Kong Racing DS, available Feb. 7, is expected to race to the top of the charts as well. With its new characters, gamer tags and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities, this DS version will re-energize fans who remember the original, while attracting new ones to join in."

If Rare as anywhere near as good as their former self, Diddy Kong Racing DS could be another huge hit, expanding on everything decent about Mario Kart DS.

"Diddy Kong Racing DS takes place on Timber's Island, which has been invaded by an evil space pig. Unlike traditional racing-only games, the game is a true adventure. Players explore the island and complete a series of racing challenges while piloting cars, hovercrafts and planes. The game features 38 different tracks and upgradeable vehicles with improvements in speed, durability and looks. Players can even create their own tracks using touch-screen controls and share them with others wirelessly. Up to six players can compete online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and eight can race via local DS Download Play, even if only one player has a game card."

Diddy Kong Racing DS is out today in the US, we'll be reviewing the game over the next week or so. Although there is no official release date outside of the US, we expect to see the title coming to Europe in the next month or two.