Diddy Kong Racing is a racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released on 14 November 1997 in Japan, 21 November 1997 in Europe and 24 November 1997 in North America. The game is set in “Timber’s Island” and revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends’ attempt to defeat the intergalactic pig-wizard antagonist, Wizpig, through winning a series of races. The player can take control of any of the featured characters throughout the game. Diddy Kong Racing features five worlds with four racetracks each, and the ability to drive a car, hovercraft, or pilot an aeroplane.
Timber the Tiger’s parents go on holiday and leave their son in charge of the island they live on, leaving him and his friends to organise a race. Their enjoyment is derailed when an evil intergalactic pig-wizard named Wizpig arrives at Timber’s Island and attempts to take it over after having conquered his own planet’s racetracks. He turns the island’s four guardians (Tricky the Triceratops, Bubbler the Octopus, Bluey the Walrus and Smokey the Dragon) into his henchmen. The only solution available to the island’s inhabitants is to defeat Wizpig in an elaborate series of races that involve cars, hovercrafts, and aeroplanes. Drumstick the Rooster, the best racer on the island, failed this challenge and was transformed into a frog by Wizpig’s black magic.