Diddy Kong
Encyclopedia
, originally known as Donkey Diddy, is a fictional character in the Donkey Kong series of video games, first appearing in the 1994 game Donkey Kong Country
. He lives on Donkey Kong Island in the Kongo Jungle, and is identified by his red hat, which has a Nintendo logo on it, and shirt. He is described as the "nephew wannabe" of Donkey Kong in the Donkey Kong Country manual and occasionally as a chimpanzee, despite his tail. He is noted for his ability to use a jet pack fashioned from a barrel and a pair of wooden guns that shoot peanuts. He was originally intended by Donkey Kong Country developer Rare as an updated version of Donkey Kong Jr., but he was changed to an original character due to Nintendo's response.
Diddy Kong has made many appearances in the Donkey Kong series, appearing in all Donkey Kong Country
games and Donkey Kong Land
games, notably as the lead character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
along with Dixie Kong. He received a spin-off called Diddy Kong Racing
, and more recently as co-star to Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns
. Through his relationship with Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong has become a prominent character in the Mario franchise, appearing in several spin-offs. He also made an appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. Outside of video games, Diddy Kong appeared in the TV show Donkey Kong Country
, where he is played by Andrew Sabiston
.
Since appearing in Donkey Kong Country, Diddy has received generally positive reception, one strong enough to create a fan following, resulting in Diddy getting his own spin-off. He has been featured in several pieces of merchandise, including plush toys and candies. He has been considered a quality character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, with UGO Networks editor Russ Frushtick citing various attributes, including his appearance. However, his design has been met with criticism; Kotaku
editor Mike Fahey called him the "Scrappy Doo" of the Donkey Kong series. GameSpy
editor Phil Theobald criticized Rare's character designs in the Donkey Kong series, specifically citing Diddy.
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
as a sidekick to its protagonist Donkey Kong. He accompanies Donkey Kong throughout Kong Jungle to battle King K. Rool and return Donkey Kong's banana hoard. He gained a more important role in the sequel Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
, teaming up with his girlfriend Dixie Kong, who both set to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool. He later appeared in Donkey Kong Land
, issued a challenge by Cranky Kong that he and Donkey Kong could not retrieve the banana hoard on an 8-bit system. The third and final title in the Donkey Kong Country series was titled Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
, which starred Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong who had to find Diddy and Donkey Kong after they had disappeared, all the while battling a cyborg called KAOS. A follow-up was released in September 1996 for the Game Boy called Donkey Kong Land 2
. It featured roughly the same plot as DKC2. In 1997's Donkey Kong Land III
, Diddy never even put in an appearance, although he was part of the storyline. He and DK took off in a previously unseen part of the Northern Kremisphere in a contest to find the fabled Lost World. Dixie, furious that she wasn't asked along, decided to join forces with Kiddy and find it herself.
He starred in the spin-off racing game
Diddy Kong Racing
for the Nintendo 64
, which only featured the eponymous character Diddy Kong as a returning character. It introduced Banjo and Conker the Squirrel, who went on to star in Banjo-Kazooie
and Conker's Bad Fur Day
. His title was a success, becoming the fastest-selling video game in US history at the time. In 2007, a remake of Diddy Kong Racing was released for the Nintendo DS
. He later appeared as a playable character in Donkey Kong 64
, a 3D sequel to the Donkey Kong Country titles, where he, Donkey Kong, and others go through DK Island to defeat King K. Rool yet again. He also had a prominent role in DK: King of Swing as well as its sequel, DK Jungle Climber.
In 2004, the first non-Rare Donkey Kong game with DKC-styled characters was released. Namco
's Donkey Konga
was a GameCube music title that was packaged with a DK Bongo
controller. The controller is used to keep the rhythm with the beats of covers to famous songs (as well as Nintendo video game music). It was followed by two sequels, Donkey Konga 2 and Donkey Konga 3, the latter which was only released in Japan. Diddy Kong appears in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast as a playable character. He also appeared in Mario sports titles, including Mario Power Tennis
, Mario Superstar Baseball
, Mario Hoops 3-on-3
, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
, Mario Kart Wii
, Mario Strikers Charged
, Mario Super Sluggers
, and Mario Sports Mix
. Diddy Kong also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, in which some of his attacks are based around the ones he has in Donkey Kong 64, such as the Peanut Popguns and Rocketbarrel Boost (You may notice in the game it says Nintendo on his cap.) .
Diddy's most recent appearance is in Donkey Kong Country Returns
, where he serves as the second player's character.
animated series, where his role as Donkey Kong's sidekick remained relatively the same as in the games. He was voiced by Andrew Sabiston
, in a similar style to Peter Puppy from the Earthworm Jim
series. Diddy Kong has also appeared in various comics featured in official Nintendo magazines. Some of the stories he appeared in include adaptations of Donkey Kong Country
, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
and Donkey Kong 64
, as well as original stories.
, Diddy Kong has received mostly positive reception. He has gained a fan following, leading to him getting his own spin-off title called Diddy Kong Racing
. He has been featured in several pieces of merchandise, including plush toys and candies. Game, Set, Watch editor Bill Sannwald described Diddy as a "colorful character." UGO Networks called him a cool character because he was a "quicker, friendlier version" of Donkey Kong. UGO Networks editor Russ Frushtick called Diddy his favourite character amongst Super Smash Bros. Brawl
s newcomers, citing his speed, power, abilities, and his appearance. Kotaku
editor Mike Fahey described him as the "Scrappy Doo" of the Donkey Kong series. Ars Technica editor Ben Kuchera criticized the removal of Diddy and Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, commenting that the new characters made the game less appealing. GameDaily
listed DK and Diddy as collectively one of the best gaming duo. GamesRadar
editor Dave Meikleham praised the inclusion of Donkey Kong as the main character in Donkey Kong Country Returns
, calling Diddy Kong "rubbish." GameSpy
editor Phil Theobald jokingly bemoaned the lack of a mini-game that allows players to smack Diddy Kong, criticizing Rare Ltd.'s designs, which he calls horrible. UGO.com listed Diddy Kong on their list of "The Cutest Video Game Characters" stating "Thank God Diddy has Donkey Kong as a role model."
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
. He lives on Donkey Kong Island in the Kongo Jungle, and is identified by his red hat, which has a Nintendo logo on it, and shirt. He is described as the "nephew wannabe" of Donkey Kong in the Donkey Kong Country manual and occasionally as a chimpanzee, despite his tail. He is noted for his ability to use a jet pack fashioned from a barrel and a pair of wooden guns that shoot peanuts. He was originally intended by Donkey Kong Country developer Rare as an updated version of Donkey Kong Jr., but he was changed to an original character due to Nintendo's response.
Diddy Kong has made many appearances in the Donkey Kong series, appearing in all Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
games and Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land is a video game developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. This game was first released in June, 1995. It is a completely original follow-up to the original Donkey Kong Country. The game was later followed by Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III which...
games, notably as the lead character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
along with Dixie Kong. He received a spin-off called Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
, and more recently as co-star to Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan...
. Through his relationship with Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong has become a prominent character in the Mario franchise, appearing in several spin-offs. He also made an appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. Outside of video games, Diddy Kong appeared in the TV show Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country (TV series)
Donkey Kong Country is a French/Canadian computer-generated animated television series. It is based on the Nintendo franchise Donkey Kong as portrayed in the Donkey Kong Country video game series by Rare. Created by France 2 and Nelvana, it was originally titled La Planète de Donkey Kong...
, where he is played by Andrew Sabiston
Andrew Sabiston
Andrew Sabiston is a Canadian actor, theatre and television writer and lyricist. He went to St. Michaels University School in Victoria, British Columbia, graduating in 1982, the same year as classmate Leslie Hope. Both had been cast in their final year in the Paul Almond movie, Ups & Downs, which...
.
Since appearing in Donkey Kong Country, Diddy has received generally positive reception, one strong enough to create a fan following, resulting in Diddy getting his own spin-off. He has been featured in several pieces of merchandise, including plush toys and candies. He has been considered a quality character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, with UGO Networks editor Russ Frushtick citing various attributes, including his appearance. However, his design has been met with criticism; Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
editor Mike Fahey called him the "Scrappy Doo" of the Donkey Kong series. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
editor Phil Theobald criticized Rare's character designs in the Donkey Kong series, specifically citing Diddy.
Concept and creation
During the development of Donkey Kong Country, Diddy was originally meant to be an updated version of Donkey Kong Jr. Not liking the radical changes Rare had made to Donkey Kong Jr., Nintendo told them that they could either use Donkey Kong Jr.'s original appearance for Donkey Kong Country or rename their new version of him. Deciding to simply rename the character, who Rare felt was perfect for their updated version of Donkey Kong's world, Rare at first decided on the name "Dinky Kong", but due to unspecified legal issues settled on the name Diddy Kong. Sources confirm that Diddy is Donkey Kong's nephew.Appearances
He first appears in Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
as a sidekick to its protagonist Donkey Kong. He accompanies Donkey Kong throughout Kong Jungle to battle King K. Rool and return Donkey Kong's banana hoard. He gained a more important role in the sequel Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
, teaming up with his girlfriend Dixie Kong, who both set to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool. He later appeared in Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land is a video game developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. This game was first released in June, 1995. It is a completely original follow-up to the original Donkey Kong Country. The game was later followed by Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III which...
, issued a challenge by Cranky Kong that he and Donkey Kong could not retrieve the banana hoard on an 8-bit system. The third and final title in the Donkey Kong Country series was titled Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns...
, which starred Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong who had to find Diddy and Donkey Kong after they had disappeared, all the while battling a cyborg called KAOS. A follow-up was released in September 1996 for the Game Boy called Donkey Kong Land 2
Donkey Kong Land 2
Donkey Kong Land 2 is a Game Boy game released in 1996. It is the sequel to the 1995 Game Boy hit, Donkey Kong Land. The game was later followed by Donkey Kong Land III which was released in 1997...
. It featured roughly the same plot as DKC2. In 1997's Donkey Kong Land III
Donkey Kong Land III
Donkey Kong Land III is the third and final entry in the Donkey Kong Land trilogy of games for the original Game Boy and later became ported to the Game Boy Color exclusive to Japan. It was developed by Rareware and distributed by Nintendo...
, Diddy never even put in an appearance, although he was part of the storyline. He and DK took off in a previously unseen part of the Northern Kremisphere in a contest to find the fabled Lost World. Dixie, furious that she wasn't asked along, decided to join forces with Kiddy and find it herself.
He starred in the spin-off racing game
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, which only featured the eponymous character Diddy Kong as a returning character. It introduced Banjo and Conker the Squirrel, who went on to star in Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
and Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Conker's Bad Fur Day is an action-platform video game developed and published by Rare. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001 and was Rare's last game published for the console. The game was in development for four years; it was originally intended for a young audience, but was redesigned and...
. His title was a success, becoming the fastest-selling video game in US history at the time. In 2007, a remake of Diddy Kong Racing was released for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. He later appeared as a playable character in Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
, a 3D sequel to the Donkey Kong Country titles, where he, Donkey Kong, and others go through DK Island to defeat King K. Rool yet again. He also had a prominent role in DK: King of Swing as well as its sequel, DK Jungle Climber.
In 2004, the first non-Rare Donkey Kong game with DKC-styled characters was released. Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
's Donkey Konga
Donkey Konga
is a GameCube rhythm video game starring the ape Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. Instead of the standard GameCube controllers, the game is intended to be played with a special controller called the DK Bongos that resemble two small bongo drums.Donkey Konga was developed...
was a GameCube music title that was packaged with a DK Bongo
DK Bongos
DK Bongos are bongo-like controllers for the Nintendo GameCube video game series Donkey Konga, Donkey Konga 2, Donkey Konga 3, and Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat. There are two bongos, each shaped like a classic Donkey Kong barrel with a rubber drumskin fastened on top...
controller. The controller is used to keep the rhythm with the beats of covers to famous songs (as well as Nintendo video game music). It was followed by two sequels, Donkey Konga 2 and Donkey Konga 3, the latter which was only released in Japan. Diddy Kong appears in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast as a playable character. He also appeared in Mario sports titles, including Mario Power Tennis
Mario Power Tennis
Mario Power Tennis, known in Japan as , is a sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The game is the sequel to the Nintendo 64 title Mario Tennis, and is the third game in the Mario Tennis series...
, Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball, known in Japan as is a sports game that was developed by Namco and NOW Production and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. The game was created in the vein of other Mario sports games such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis. This game...
, Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Slam Basketball and in Japan as , is a sports game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006....
, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a racing game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. The game is the fourth installment in the Mario Kart series, following Mario Kart: Super Circuit from 2001...
, Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
, Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Strikers Charged Football, is a sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. This game was announced at the 2006 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany as the sequel to Super...
, Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers, known in Japan as , is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and NOW Production, and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario...
, and Mario Sports Mix
Mario Sports Mix
is a sports video game developed by Square Enix for Wii. It was released on November 25, 2010 in Japan, and was released in early 2011 in other regions. It features volleyball, both field hockey and ice hockey, dodgeball, and street basketball...
. Diddy Kong also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, in which some of his attacks are based around the ones he has in Donkey Kong 64, such as the Peanut Popguns and Rocketbarrel Boost (You may notice in the game it says Nintendo on his cap.) .
Diddy's most recent appearance is in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan...
, where he serves as the second player's character.
In other media
Diddy Kong was in the Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country (TV series)
Donkey Kong Country is a French/Canadian computer-generated animated television series. It is based on the Nintendo franchise Donkey Kong as portrayed in the Donkey Kong Country video game series by Rare. Created by France 2 and Nelvana, it was originally titled La Planète de Donkey Kong...
animated series, where his role as Donkey Kong's sidekick remained relatively the same as in the games. He was voiced by Andrew Sabiston
Andrew Sabiston
Andrew Sabiston is a Canadian actor, theatre and television writer and lyricist. He went to St. Michaels University School in Victoria, British Columbia, graduating in 1982, the same year as classmate Leslie Hope. Both had been cast in their final year in the Paul Almond movie, Ups & Downs, which...
, in a similar style to Peter Puppy from the Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
series. Diddy Kong has also appeared in various comics featured in official Nintendo magazines. Some of the stories he appeared in include adaptations of Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
and Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a platform game, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999 and in Europe on December 6, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
, as well as original stories.
Reception
Since appearing in Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
, Diddy Kong has received mostly positive reception. He has gained a fan following, leading to him getting his own spin-off title called Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
. He has been featured in several pieces of merchandise, including plush toys and candies. Game, Set, Watch editor Bill Sannwald described Diddy as a "colorful character." UGO Networks called him a cool character because he was a "quicker, friendlier version" of Donkey Kong. UGO Networks editor Russ Frushtick called Diddy his favourite character amongst Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
s newcomers, citing his speed, power, abilities, and his appearance. Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
editor Mike Fahey described him as the "Scrappy Doo" of the Donkey Kong series. Ars Technica editor Ben Kuchera criticized the removal of Diddy and Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, commenting that the new characters made the game less appealing. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed DK and Diddy as collectively one of the best gaming duo. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
editor Dave Meikleham praised the inclusion of Donkey Kong as the main character in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan...
, calling Diddy Kong "rubbish." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
editor Phil Theobald jokingly bemoaned the lack of a mini-game that allows players to smack Diddy Kong, criticizing Rare Ltd.'s designs, which he calls horrible. UGO.com listed Diddy Kong on their list of "The Cutest Video Game Characters" stating "Thank God Diddy has Donkey Kong as a role model."