Grunty Member Oct 28, 2017 9,799 Gruntilda’s Lair Let me preface this discussion by saying that I am very excited for Mario Kart World. I think the game looks amazing and will probably be the best Mario Kart yet. And for its single-player (or co-op!) mode, Free Roam, it looks like it will be a ton of fun driving around that enormous world and doing missions and such. But it also feels like such a missed opportunity to not offer a robust single-player story type experience. And this is where Diddy Kong Racing comes in. In 1997, Rare released Diddy Kong Racing. It featured everything that Mario Kart 64 did: its own Grand Prix, Battle, Versus, and Time Trial modes. But rather than be satisfied with just offering those typical racing experiences, they went the extra mile and delivered a really cool and awesome Adventure Mode. And it felt like a real adventure, all done behind the will of your trusty go-kart, hovercraft, and/or airplane. Much like Super Mario 64 and later Banjo-Kazooie, you'd go through the game's Adventure Mode and need to collect a specific item in order to unlock additional courses. In the case of DKR, that would be Golden Balloons, which could be found hidden in the game's hub world and by coming in first place in a race. Upon completing all four courses in a world, you'd get to race against that world's boss and compete in the Trophy Challenge, DKR's version of MK's Grand Prix. And of course, there's the special battle challenges that can be done via finding a hidden key in one of those world's courses. And the races themselves can even be done co-operatively! So to break it down a bit: DKR's Adventure Mode consisted of a hub world with four worlds and four courses each, special battle challenges, Trophy Challenges (Grand Prix), boss races, and not mentioned above, but also Silver Coin Challenges. And once you've done everything the Adventure Mode has to offer, you unlock Adventure Mode Two and get to do it all again, this time collecting Silver Balloons with all of the courses mirrored! So now let's circle back around to Mario Kart World. As I mentioned earlier, the game's Free Roam mode looks fun and I've no doubt I'll spend a lot of time exploring it and doing in there what it has to offer. Mario Kart has grown to easily be Nintendo's biggest IP, with Switch's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe having sold a whopping 65million+ copies to date (and growing!). So the fact that they're even offering a mode like Free Roam at all is a wonderful thing because they certainly don't need to. But… Doesn't it feel like such a missed opportunity to not offer even an inkling of what Rare did with Diddy Kong Racing nearly three decades ago? I'm still feeling a bit bewildered that they didn't even bother. Again, I know it's not something they needed to do, but the fact they created such a cool and enormous world without any semblance of a story and such just feels disappointing to me personally. So as the title of this thread states, do you all think Mario Kart's single player offerings will forever live in the shadow of Diddy Kong Racing's?  thomas_cale Member May 22, 2020 732 On enthusiast forums, sure. It´s been so long so the general public doesn´t care  Renna Hazel Member Oct 27, 2017 13,001 I'm still waiting to see if there is more to Free Roam mode, but if not I'll be a bit disappointed. With that said, the game is still going to be much bigger than DKR.   Qikz Member Oct 25, 2017 13,646 I've recently been playing Diddy Kong Racing through on the N64 for the first time and honestly I really feel like people are overdoing just how amazing the single player is. The general pattern is you go in, beat the 5 courses, beat the boss, beat the gran prix, beat each stage again while collecting the silver coins then beat the boss again. At the end of the day all it feels like to me is you're just playing the same courses over and over again. What I think I love about DKR the most is the different kind of boosts you can get moreso than the actual "story" Admittedly you have the world to potter about it, but it's not all that big either. I mean I love it either way but I do feel like the level of love it gets is just simply because no other kart racer at the time was trying to do something similar. I think if you really wanted to it'd be pretty easy to eclipse it.  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,425 Spain Mario Kart has always been a multiplayer-focused franchise. Just as not all single-player games require robust multiplayer, the same applies to the other side.   The Unsent Member Oct 25, 2017 22,031 Diddy Kong Racing is like 30 years old, I don't think it's relevant outside fan circles.   noffles Uncle Works at Nintendo Member Nov 10, 2017 1,200 DKR only exists in this really niche bubble of nostalgia because so very few games ever did what it did with adventure mode. If other kart racers in current day did it, they would immediately surpass it. I prefer having newer experiences over chasing nearly 30 year old highs.  JoeInky Member Oct 25, 2017 3,950 I love DKR, but the adventure mode is little more than a glorified menu at the end of the day because the majority of it was just vs. races and battle mode, they didn't really do that much with the concept outside of the boss races Depending on the depth of missions in MKW, it might actually be the better single player game if there's some actual engaging stuff in there. Being able to just dick around and explore the (tiny) world was the most interesting part of DKR's single player, and I expect MKW to be somewhat similar with freeroam.  OP OP Grunty Member Oct 28, 2017 9,799 Gruntilda’s Lair Qikz said: I've recently been playing Diddy Kong Racing through on the N64 for the first time and honestly I really feel like people are overdoing just how amazing the single player is. The general pattern is you go in, beat the 5 courses, beat the boss, beat the gran prix, beat each stage again while collecting the silver coins then beat the boss again. At the end of the day all it feels like to me is you're just playing the same courses over and over again. What I think I love about DKR the most is the different kind of boosts you can get moreso than the actual "story" Admittedly you have the world to potter about it, but it's not all that big either. I mean I love it either way but I do feel like the level of love it gets is just simply because no other kart racer at the time was trying to do something similar. I think if you really wanted to it'd be pretty easy to eclipse it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... That's what makes it so unique though. It offers the same thing and modes that Mario Kart does, but Rare took all of that and found a way to make it all have "meaning" into an actual campaign. I've no don't that it could easily be eclipsed, it's just that no one has ever really bothered to even try. And honestly, I thought Nintendo was going to. I thought this was finally the one. But… well, we all watched the direct and the one it certainly is not, sadly.  It’s Time To Go Member Dec 2, 2017 22,107 No lol. Most people don't remember Diddy kong racing.   ragolliangatan Legendary Uncle Works at Nintendo Member Aug 31, 2019 6,114 most of the audience of Mario Kart World will never have played Diddy Kong Racing - so no.   OP OP Grunty Member Oct 28, 2017 9,799 Gruntilda’s Lair It's Time To Go said: No lol. Most people don't remember Diddy kong racing. Click to expand... Click to shrink... ragolliangatan said: most of the audience of Mario Kart World will never have played Diddy Kong Racing - so no. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Maybe I should have put more thought into the title… whether people have or will ever play DKR is irrelevant. It's about whether Nintendo will ever attempt to even have single-player experience that's the equivalent of or (likely) surpasses that of DKRs.  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,425 Spain Grunty said: Maybe I should have put more thought into the title… whether people have or will ever play DKR is irrelevant. It's about whether Nintendo will ever attempt to even have single-player experience that's the equivalent of or (likely) surpasses that of DKRs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Again, no. Nintendo sees Mario Kart the same way it sees Mario Party or Splatoon, a multiplayer series in which the single player aspect is secondary.   werezompire Zeboyd Games Verified Oct 26, 2017 14,794 It's been so long since I've played it that I can barely remember anything about Diddy Kong Racing. I remember Sonic and Sega All-Stars racing had a fun single player mode though. And I really enjoyed single player on Burnout Revenge.  ragolliangatan Legendary Uncle Works at Nintendo Member Aug 31, 2019 6,114 Grunty said: Maybe I should have put more thought into the title… whether people have or will ever play DKR is irrelevant. It's about whether Nintendo will ever attempt to even have single-player experience that's the equivalent of or (likely) surpasses that of DKRs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Personally i don't want a curated single player campaign in Mario Kart World, the idea of free roaming and making my own run outside of races is really appealing and i think for a lot of the audience it will too. I don't think they'll attempt something like DKR structure primarily because they don't think it's what the audience wants - it's core focus is on multiplayer because that is where most people play it.  Renna Hazel Member Oct 27, 2017 13,001 Grunty said: Maybe I should have put more thought into the title… whether people have or will ever play DKR is irrelevant. It's about whether Nintendo will ever attempt to even have single-player experience that's the equivalent of or (likely) surpasses that of DKRs. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I mean, the free roam mode might have more to it. Or what's shown might be really fun. We'll have to wait and see. It's surely a bigger game than DKR. I really do hope it has some kind of structure to it like DKR did, that would make me so much more excited for it.  Nintenleo Member Nov 9, 2017 5,066 Italy For a game like this, I much prefer the "BotW approach" (eh) of Mario Kart World with a big open world with hundreds of small challenges scattered around that you have to find on your own, without the game telling you where to go. As a 12 years old playing Mission Mode on MKDS all the time, this is basically my dream game and I can't honestly wait for June. I think there's still a place for something like DKR and CTR though, maybe borrowing some ideas from what MK World will do in terms of tracks existing in the actual game world.  StrappingYoungLance Member Oct 27, 2017 7,626 Melbourne, Australia As long as they don't do a single player campaign there will always be people whinging that it doesn't have it.   NotLiquid One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 37,641 Diddy Kong Racing's single player mode is monumentally overhyped in every sense of the word. The overworld hub has some good vibes, you got three or so side objectives you can do, and that's it. The rest of it is forcing you to play every track three times and reusing every boss once. Also sample the battle mode. It wouldn't take much for Free Roam to be better.  Last edited: 4 minutes ago Strings Member Oct 27, 2017 34,283 Qikz said: I've recently been playing Diddy Kong Racing through on the N64 for the first time and honestly I really feel like people are overdoing just how amazing the single player is. The general pattern is you go in, beat the 5 courses, beat the boss, beat the gran prix, beat each stage again while collecting the silver coins then beat the boss again. At the end of the day all it feels like to me is you're just playing the same courses over and over again. What I think I love about DKR the most is the different kind of boosts you can get moreso than the actual "story" Admittedly you have the world to potter about it, but it's not all that big either. I mean I love it either way but I do feel like the level of love it gets is just simply because no other kart racer at the time was trying to do something similar. I think if you really wanted to it'd be pretty easy to eclipse it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... And it's still far, far better than any Mario Kart has ever offered? That's the point.   Bishop89 What Are Ya' Selling? Member Oct 25, 2017 42,169 Melbourne, Australia CTR: "Am I a joke to you?"   Rinku_ Member May 4, 2023 2,016 I'm hoping (coping) that there's more to this game's single player, but I'm happy with what's on show so far. I'm looking forward to playing it with mates mainly anyway so it's not the biggest deal.   Apollo Corrupted by Vengeance Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,801 Nothing will ever beat Diddy Kong Racing in my heart   Randam Member Oct 27, 2017 8,627 Germany I was like: "isn't there also coming a new Diddy Kong racing game??" But it was Sonic. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds What do we think about that one.  MayorSquirtle Member May 17, 2018 10,633 Glio said: Again, no. Nintendo sees Mario Kart the same way it sees Mario Party or Splatoon, a multiplayer series in which the single player aspect is secondary. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Splatoon has a single player campaign in every game and has had two single player DLC campaigns so they're clearly not unfamiliar with the concept you can have good offerings for both.   The Quentulated Mox Corrupted by Vengeance Member Jun 10, 2022 6,462 90% of the people playing mario kart were born after diddy kong racing came out the remaining 10% are still greater than the total number of people who have ever played diddy kong racing no i don't think so dawg  Rinku_ Member May 4, 2023 2,016 Glio said: Again, no. Nintendo sees Mario Kart the same way it sees Mario Party or Splatoon, a multiplayer series in which the single player aspect is secondary. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Idk, I thought Splatoon's single player was really good in all three games.  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,425 Spain MayorSquirtle said: Splatoon has a single player campaign in every game and has had two single player DLC campaigns so they're clearly not unfamiliar with the concept you can have good offerings for both. Click to expand... Click to shrink... And that's why they added the open-world missions of Mario Kart World, which I'm sure will take as long to complete as the Splatoon campaigns (6-8 hours in games that you play hundreds of hours). Rinku_ said: Idk, I thought Splatoon's single player was really good in all three games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Would you recommend someone buy Splatoon just for the campaign? Because I wouldn't.   Renna Hazel Member Oct 27, 2017 13,001 Randam said: I was like: "isn't there also coming a new Diddy Kong racing game??" But it was Sonic. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds What do we think about that one. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Is this supposed to have an adventure mode like DKR?   HolyJonte AVALANCHE Member Aug 31, 2023 1,219 From Stockholm but now living in Padova, Italy The case of: Mario Kart 64 vs Diddy Kong Racing Mario 64 Vs Banjo Kazooie Super Mario 3 and World Vs Donkey Kong Country Triology The left side game are bigger because Mario is the bigger franchise and was already then the biggest in the world. Mario games has more casual appeal but most people who have played both side games think the right one are better.