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avera's Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS)
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| [March 6, 2008 02:28:55 AM]
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GameLog Entry #2
GAMEPLAY
The second session of my experience with DKR was much more enjoyable. I got more of a handle of using the touch screen. The game later adds puzzles and other actions where the stylus is necessary, and not just using boosts and popping balloons. There is certainly a lot you can do in this game once you get through the first hour or so, adding to the enjoyment and keeping the player engaged. Things such as vehicle upgrades, custom colors for your vehicles, and hidden rewards become more accessible.
However, the narrative is still dry and uninteresting, and I have still found nothing that distinguishes one character from another (except for voice and sprite). Nevertheless, the game is still fun.
The multiplayer also has many features such as your basic race as well as a battle mode. While in single player, there doesn't allow for much interaction with others, as the player become so absorbed. The game really requires a lot of concentration navigating the tracks and looking for powerups and shortcuts. However, the multiplayer action allows for some decent trash talking and good clean fun.
DESIGN
The themed areas of the game is an interesting element for a racing game. As far as I've played, there are dinosoar, ice/snow, and water themed areas. Different courses require different kinds of vehicles. Some tracks are designed for race karts, while others (like water and ice) are designed for hovercraft. Still others, such as caves, or volcanos, make use of aircraft. Each vehicle and terrain has different levels of traction, maneuverability, and speed.
The variety of level designs and the artwork of the gameworld are elements that make the game appealing and fun. The game's core mechanic, racing, has different twists, such as one-on-one battles with bosses using a combination of buttons, the stylus and/the D-pad. Levels get progressively harder, yet there is an ability to upgrade your vehicle. These options and variations make the game less repetitive, supporting longer gameplay.
The game has a relatively smart AI. Your opponents can maneuver around you, fire at you, take shortcuts, use boosts, and take advantage of other things players might use to give themselves an edge. At the same time, the level of difficulty only very gradually increases to avoid steep learning curves.
The reward structure is also very nice. In each race, you can go for a number of coins scattered around the track that you can later use for upgrades, and you are also rewarded each time you win a race. Also, the boss rewards are generous, but not so much that the game gets incredibly easier.
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| [March 6, 2008 01:08:43 AM]
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GameLog Entry #1
SUMMARY
In Diddy Kong Racing (DKR) DS, players play as their favorite Diddy Kong family and friends character in Mario Kart fassion. Some aspects that differentiate it from Mario Kart is an Adventure Mode, where the players motive is to win races to complete the narrative. Players collect golden balloons by winning races, and these are used to access new areas and enter new races. It is almost an exact replica of DKR for the N64, but with added touchscreen features and games.
GAMEPLAY
The game has the great nostalgic feel of the original but in the palm of your hand. The core mechanic is great fun (though not original), but the added touch screen gameplay is a little awkward and seemed to just be thrown in to make it different. The screen can be used to spin the wheels before the start of the race for an added boost, but that feature is difficult to use. It requires you to quickly switch between the stylus and the buttons, which doesn't seem well thought out.
The characters look great in 3D on the DS, and the graphics match those of the N64, yet there isn't much else to them. There is no backstory or special abilities for any one character. It seems to just be a different sprite for the same object, if you will.
The narrative, while a nice idea, doesn't seem to really fit well, or even seem necessary, for a racing game. To be honest, I'm not even sure what it is, except that you are attempting to collect all the pieces of an amulet in order to access the final boss, known as Wizpig. There is not much motivation inspired by the narrative, except at the end of each race, though that isn't very interesting either. If you win the race, your friend Taj the elephant rewards you with a golden balloon, and if you don't win, Wizpig will stand over you and laugh at you.
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avera's Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 5 March, 2008
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