With his Nintendo-branded hat firmly in place, Diddy Kong is making a very welcome return to the Mario Kart scene next month as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour.
Despite being a Super Smash Bros. star and featuring in the Donkey Kong games available on 3DS, Wii U and Switch, Diddy hasn't been invited to the race track for eleven years. His last Mario Kart outing was in Mario Kart Wii, meaning that he was left out of Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, and even that game's cast of DLC characters which ended up starring in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
He can be seen in the official trailer for the game which we shared with you several hours ago; we missed his brief appearance the first time thanks to all the excitement, but we felt that the character's return was worth highlighting.
Now that Diddy's back in the mood for a spot of racing, how about a Diddy Kong Racing sequel on Switch? Come on, Nintendo, you know you want to.
[source youtube.com, via dkvine.com]
Comments (72)
Erm...I...I actually like the look of a phone game. It had me at Rainbow Road (with no barriers - how it should be!) Gah, what's wrong with me?
Get him in a real Mario Kart game and we'll talk 😉
This looks decent enough. But I wish we could have just gotten a new Mario Kart instead.
The only thing is, how much will it take to unlock him? The beta had a gacha system for gaining characters. I hope he won't be too Rare.
Bring back Donkey Kong Jr
Now let Dixie Kong be a racer pls
This trailer is quite useless, none of the footage gives an idea of how the game plays which I'm concerned about.
Man... I was hoping Nintendo announced a new DKR game. Besides Mario Kart, there aren't really good fun racers on the market at the moment. Team Sonic Racing feels more like a budget title and Crash Team Racing feels more like a chore and was ruined after AV announced that the game will have microtransactions in it.
Really do hope we get a few more Nintendo characters like Kirby in the next proper MK release. Of course, Diddy is most welcome to rejoin the roster ^_^
@May_Nyan Yep 100% agree!
It's confirmed, a new Mariokart is coming to the Switch.
Nintendo always use the mobile as a bait to attract gamers to their console. Probably MK9 will be the major game of December. They launched Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem on the mobile with the Switch version followed behind shortly. AC was delayed, else it would have been out by now.
That title was very misleading for me
@nintendolie I hope you are right but I doubt it. Maybe in 2 years time
@GrailUK @May_Nyan look this other trailer on the Nintendo Mobile youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgJO3000GXU
it show gameplay mechanics.
@nintendolie it makes sense, let's hope it's true for MK9
When I first heard about this Mario Kart title, I thought it was a new one coming to Switch, then I was left down. Seriously though, there should be a new one on Switch, since Nintendo releases a new one on each console (and the one that we have now is the Wii U version basically). Would be nice to get a remaster of the Diddy Kong Racing title, other than that, not doing the mobile games...sorry, nintendo.
@nintendolie that was the whole point of the Nintendo mobile games. So yeah, of course there will be a Mario Kart 9. And I guess Nintendo will launch it in the launch window of the PS5. (To keep gamers on the Switch)
@nintendolie Doubt it and December's a definite no (at most we're getting eshop exclusives and Wii U ports between Pokemon and Animal Crossing on the Nintendo side). Probably Spring 2021 at the very earliest and that being dependent on what the Switch's future is.
@digitaligor Omg, you can wipe off the ink splats! Genius. Dammit, this looks like fun!
@Grumblevolcano fall 2020 seems a good guess. Nintendo could pull it off.
@sanderev Nintendo likes to release Mario Kart in Spring nowadays. Mario Kart Wii was in April, Mario Kart 8 was May, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was April, Mario Kart Tour was originally planned for Spring. Mario Kart 7 is the exception, releasing in November. I think it's more likely that fall/holiday 2020 goes to a large single player game like BotW 2 or Mario Odyssey 2.
@Varkster
I think you meant "Diddy" Kong Racing.
@Grumblevolcano Nintendo usually has an October, November and December title. This year: luigi’s Mansion, Pokémon Sword & Shield and (wait, we don’t have a December title... my guess is) Town. Next year October MarioKart, November Pokémon (diamond and pearl remake), December BotW 2.
I think they will make MarioKart 9 an “ultimate” game with all characters and most cups.
Honestly, I think Mario has a grudge against Diddy when he stared in his own racing game back on N64. And that’s why Mario doesn’t invite him to the Mario Kart games as much.
@nintendolie Looking forward to Switch versions of Miitomo, Dragalia Lost and Dr Mario then
Just because there's a mobile game doesn't always mean there's a Switch game coming.
@scully1888 miitomo = tomodachi life. Dr Mario could happen as an NSO game. Dragalia Lost is the odd one out.
@sanderev Tomodachi Life came out two years before Miitomo, not after it.
@sanderev My prediction is a focus on Wii U ports from December, full predictions are in the forums (Nintendo Switch 2020 Predictions Thread) but for the months you're talking about I'm predicting:
December 2019 - Pikmin 3
October 2020 - Super Mario Party 2, Bayonetta 3
November 2020 - Pokemon (Ultra Sword/Shield or Let's Go Johto)
December 2020 - Xenoblade Chronicles X
@nintendolie What happened to Dr. Mario then?
Lets hope for a new Diddy kong racing
Still not sold on the game. The gameplay looks so bland in comparison to MK8. That said I like that they included the unique items for characters like in Double Dash plus costumes for characters are really cool. I hope those make it to the next proper Mario Kart game
@NinjaWaddleDee
As I see it: We've always had a portable MK and a home console one a year later (GBA-NGC, DS-Wii, 7-8.) So I'm not giving up on that MK 9 just yet!
@scully1888 true. But it was also the first game. And they were quite similar.
@Grumblevolcano I don’t think we’ll see more Wii U ports. Super Mario Party 2 won’t happen at least until 2021. Bayonetta 3 is a summer game
@sanderev I think these are pretty reasonable/realistic predictions!
I'm not sure how I would feel about an ultimate edition. I'm pretty happy with the split in normal/retro cups we have now!
Misleading... Diddy Kong Racing really?
"Persistent internet required". F-that.
@sanderev Not to get into it too much because it's a bit of a nothing conversation, but the original point made was that Nintendo mobile games lead to Nintendo console/handheld games. I'm just saying that almost always isn't the case.
I love the fact they're using some real-world locations, but I'd much prefer that they do that in a full-fat console release.
Looking forward to playing this for now though.
MA BOI’S BACK BABY
Well, if we got the unexpected in E3 (Banjo in Smash), I can see Nintendo surprise us with a Diddy Kong Racing sequel in the future.
1) Didn't we get DKR on the DS or 3DS? I know I've seen used carts at Gamestop.
2) Yay I guess? I've never played the original so.
@GrailUK @May_Nyan There’s one big way that the trailer shows how the gameplay will be: It’s in portraid mode! And man, if it isn’t weirding me out.
Oh, this is a phone game? Yuck.
@scully1888 almost always? It’s the case only for Dragalia lost. Miitomo was based on Tomodachy life (since it was the first) and Dr Mario World. And I could see Nintendo making “Dr Mario Online” for NSO. Like Tetris 99.
I actually prefere Diddy Kong Racing!!!
That game had adventure and a bit of story in addition to everything that makes Mario kart great already.
Please Nintendo make a new Diddy Kong Racing!
@nintendolie You're dreaming if you think a new Mario Kart will drop in a few months time.
@konbinilife
Play Crash Team Racing pretty much the same thing, hub world and everything. Also I was in the beta for this mobile game and it was shockingly fun. The races do not last entirely that long, sometimes under 90 seconds. You unlock characters, carts, wheels, and gliders via loot boxes and you do get duplicates.
"Diddy Kong Returns To Mario Kart After 11 Year Absense."
*Fixed your embarrassingly poorly written title, btw.
@Grumblevolcano I don't believe the guy who replied "no more Wii U ports" but I need Pikmin 4 more than 3 and XC HD more than a port of XCX please.
MK9 May 21 sounds about right. I'd like it sooner since we skipped MK8DX but it deserves an E3 before release.
For the 6th year in a row I'm still expecting SMS HD for December. I gotta be right 1 of these years, that beautiful game needs the HD treatment. Need analog triggers though.
This game actually looks better than I was expecting.
Wasn't this supposed to be a summer release?
@Old_Man_Nintendo I played the beta as well and didn't care for it at all. Mostly due to the control method they chose. Looks like Mario kart but doesn't feel like it, to me.
I might have to check out Crash Team Racing now though.
Not the Diddy Kong Racing I was hoping for
@EVIL-C
Oh dear...
@konbinilife
It took a bit to get use to but once I did it felt great to play one handed
Misleading title is misleading. You guys did that on purpose to pull in Diddy Kong Racing fans.
Great ckickbait. Wake me.up when he comes to a real Mario kart game of gets another game of his own
Isn't this just Mario Kart 8 but worse and with microtransactions?
And I kept thinking Diddy Kong was in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe cause they brought back King Boo, Dry Bones etc. from the Wii era. Guess I was wrong.
On one side this could mean that unfortunately they’ve scrapped any ideas they had for a Diddy Kong Racing sequel therefore put him back in MK. However on the optimist side hopefully this means they’ve got a DKR sequel in development and this is to build hype. We can hope! Maybe the success of Crash Team R has provided the impetus for a new DKR!
Really thought this was MK8DX news.
Really hope it leads to MK9 or MK8DX news.
@DarthFoxMcCloud Microtransactions aside, what they did with it was fairly impressive.
I wish Rare would do a real Diddy Kong Racing remake. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, the single player [story] mode pisses all over Mario Kart's single player (with the hub area and three different kinds of racing styles and boss races and so on). And I never thought the multi-player wasn't very solid either. A remake, especially if the visual look/style is handled just right, could be REALLY good.
I went crazy seeing "Diddy Kong", "Mario Kart", an "11" all in the same title.
Why did this have to be a mobile game?
I'd love a diddy kong racing game on the switch, with its story mode and all. Fingers crossed!
@Grumblevolcano I really hope we get XCX. And at least another Monolithsoft game before this gen is over.
I miss the times when you could only choose the karts and not have a whole array of customisable Kart parts (wheels, body, glider)
Nintendo fans: We want DK Racing
Nobody: On our phones
No thanks, I'll pass.
@nintendolie I'm not so sure about another Mario Kart on Switch. MK8D is the one new release as far as they're concerned, since the Wii U user base was too small. Making another one would fragment the MK player base on Switch.
Diddy Kong is not enough, Funky Kong needs to come back too, and Dixie Kong and K. Rool deserve their debuts in the Mario Kart series.
Also, the Wario side characters like Ashley, Mona, Jimmy T. and 9-Volt deserve their apperances in Mario spin-offs like Mario Kart and Mario Tennis.
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