Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)

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Diddy Kong Pilot
The title screen for the 2003 iteration of Diddy Kong Pilot on Game Boy Advance.
Developer Rareware
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release date Canceled
November 5, 2011 (ROM)
Genre Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer (accessible when linked; glitched)
Input
Game Boy Advance:

Diddy Kong Pilot is the name of a canceled Game Boy Advance racing title starring Diddy Kong and other Donkey Kong characters racing against each other in Planes. This iteration was entirely redone from the original version, before finally being redesigned into Banjo-Pilot in 2005.

History[edit]

No information regarding this iteration of Diddy Kong Pilot was publicly known until October 3, 2011, when a former Rare employee, with the pseudonym "Transparentjinjo", posted a gameplay video on YouTube. According to its title, the game's build date was "February 19, 2003",[1][2] approximately 5 months prior to Microsoft trademarking "Banjo-Pilot".[3][4] About a month later, the game leaked onto an unrelated Rare fansite.[5]

Gameplay[edit]

Funky Kong racing in the Steamy Swoop course of Diddy Kong Pilot 2003.
Gameplay of Funky racing in the Steamy Swoop course

Diddy Kong Pilot has a few modes, including the Grand Prix-type mode "Cups", a Time Trial mode which has no default scores, or even the Cranky Challenge mode, in which the player's goal is to obtain six coins placed around the course while beating Cranky in a race. The multiplayer option is crossed out and cannot be accessed. Diddy Kong Pilot features three different teams: Team Kong (consisting of Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Donkey Kong, and Funky), Team Krem (consisting of Kritter, Klap Trap, Klump, and K. Rool), and Team Cranky, whose only member is Cranky Kong; he even appears in all four character slots. The player can unlock the Kremlings by finishing every cup, and Cranky if the player beats all the Cranky Challenges.

Gameplay progression is as follows:

  1. Team Kong beats Team Krem in all four cups and boss fights, after which Cranky bets the player couldn't do it while playing as a Kremling.
  2. Team Krem beats Team Kong in all four cups and boss fights, after which Cranky laments the fact that the Kremlings have earned the rights to claim the title screen as Kremling Pilot, showing a lava temple area.
  3. Player beats all Cranky Challenges with any character, after which Cranky allows himself to be played.
  4. Cranky beats Team Krem in all four cups and boss fights, claiming the title screen in his own name. The title screen is restyled to Cranky Kong Pilot, which shows a scenery of the open sea and Enguarde jumping out on occasion.

Aside from basic gameplay, few elements return directly from Diddy Kong Racing. T.T.'s voice is still used as the announcer despite him never visually appearing, and air-based Zippers reappear with the same design and functionality as before. Additionally, waiting to press the accelerator at the beginning of the race until the space between T.T.'s "Get ready" and "Go" results in a large speed boost.

The character selection is restricted to a specific difficulty in this build. Team Kong, Team Krem, and Team Cranky were replaced with Bottles GP, Grunty GP, and Endurance GP respectively in Banjo-Pilot.

The animation of characters flying across the screen on the title screen does not repeat in this build. In Banjo-Pilot, either one or all characters take turns flying across the screen.

Modes[edit]

Cups[edit]

Cups mode is divided between two sub-modes, Race and Boss.

Cups
Icon of a flag from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon of a question mark from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Race Boss
Race[edit]

The player needs to complete each of the four cups by first completing the four races to win a trophy, which allows them to fight the boss. Team Kong and Team Cranky have the same cups and tracks, while the tracks in Team Krem's cups are reversed and have different names. In each race, the player must place between first and fourth to qualify for the next race. Three retries are allotted if they fail to qualify, represented by flag icons on the retry screen. More retries can be earned by collecting all the KONG Letters in a course. At the end of a cup, the player must place third or higher overall. Otherwise, the player is simply returned to the cup select screen.

Trophies
Icon of a bronze trophy from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon of a silver trophy from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon of a gold trophy from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon of a platinum trophy from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
The Bronze Cup The Silver Cup The Gold Cup The Platinum Cup
Place third overall Place second overall Place first overall Place first in every race
Boss[edit]

After placing in the top three positions in a cup, the player gets to dogfight the boss, which is the character the cup is named for. Each take place above the clouds over the ocean, a vast forest, or the "Speedy Show" course. The fights alternate between having the player shoot at the boss from behind while avoiding their weapons, and having the player in front of the boss while avoiding their bullets. In both segments, item barrels appear and can be used by the player. Each cup's boss in the order they appear in the menu is more powerful and aggressive than the previous one, with four named difficulty levels shared by each team; however, the Kong bosses fought while playing as Team Krem are in general more dangerous than when the Kremlings are faced while playing as Team Krem, and when fighting the Kremlings as Team Cranky, they have their original behavior, but are much more durable. Each boss character has their own weapon which they drop in a chain behind them, making it dangerous to pursue them directly much of the time. After one of the participants loses all their health, a brief scene shows the winner shooting down the loser; unlike gameplay, this is shown from the side.

Time Trial[edit]

In Time Trial, the player can set their own high score on any track, including the reverse Kremling versions, with any character. Zippers and target balloons are present in this mode as in Cups, though barrels and the items within are not.

Cranky Challenge[edit]

In Cranky Challenge, the player must race Cranky Kong while collecting six coins he has hidden around the tracks. There is a Cranky Challenge for each of the 16 Team Kong courses, and they can be performed by any character.

Options menu[edit]

The options menu has six selectable options, most of which are related to debugging: "Language", "Sound", "Secret", "Multiplayer Weapons", "Ghost", and "Clear Scores". The Language option is highly unfinished, and is shown to have four other options, aside from English: French, Spanish, German, and Italian. The only text translated into German are the options from the title screen and options menu. The other languages use the same, default English text for a placeholder.

Despite having no relevance to sound, the Sound option redirects the player to an incomplete initials menu. After entering three characters, the rotating character input goes to the number 5. If the player presses A Button while the number is highlighted, they are sent back to the options menu.

The Secret option unlocks everything in the game. The Multiplayer Weapons option shows a replay of the cutscene from the most recent defeat in a dogfight match. Despite its title, the Ghost mode has no relevance to Time Trial ghosts, and instead displays the victory photo of a team. The team displayed in the photo corresponds to the current title screen. The last option is Clear Scores, which erases all of the game data.

Teams and characters[edit]

Team Kong - Beginner
Description and members Title screen Select screen Victory screen
This team consists of four of the Kongs: Diddy, Dixie, Funky, and Donkey. Every member of Team Kong is playable since the start. They are the main rivals of Team Krem. Prior to starting a cup, Cranky passive-aggressively encourages the player to win against the Kremlings. The title screen for the 2003 iteration of Diddy Kong Pilot on Game Boy Advance. The character select screen for Team Kong in Diddy Kong Pilot 2003 The victory screen for Team Kong in Diddy Kong Pilot 2003, shown after completing a cup as a member of Team Kong
A mugshot of Diddy Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Diddy Kong
Uncompressed sprite of Diddy Kong in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Diddy Kong's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build The character selection mugshot for Dixie Kong from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Dixie Kong
Uncompressed sprite of Dixie Kong in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Dixie Kong's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
A mugshot of Funky Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Funky Kong
Uncompressed sprite of Funky Kong in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Funky Kong's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A mugshot of Donkey Kong in the character select screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Donkey Kong
Uncompressed sprite of Donkey Kong in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Donkey Kong's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Team Krem - Intermediate
Description and members Title screen Select screen Victory screen
Team Krem consists of four of the Kremlings: Kritter, Klap Trap, Klump, and K. Rool. The whole team is unlocked when the Kongs win against them in every cup and dogfight challenge. After the player beats every cup and wins against all four Kongs in dogfights while playing as a Kremling, the title screen and the selection menus are reskinned from the original jungle theme to have a Kremling theme. The title screen reads "Kremling Pilot", and it takes place in a ruins area with lava. The options and selection menus are replaced with a scaly red and yellow background. Before starting a cup as a Kremling, Cranky talks in a disgruntled manner toward them. The title screen for "Kremling Pilot". Klump in the character selection menu of Diddy Kong Pilot 2003. The victory screen for Team Krem in Diddy Kong Pilot 2003, shown after completing a cup as a Kremling
A mugshot of Kritter from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Kritter
Uncompressed sprite of Kritter in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Kritter's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A mugshot of Klap Trap from the character select in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Klap Trap
Uncompressed sprite of Klap Trap in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Klap Trap's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
A mugshot of Klump in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Klump
Uncompressed sprite of Klump in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Klump's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A mugshot of King K. Rool in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
K. Rool
Uncompressed sprite of K. Rool in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build K. Rool's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Team Cranky - Expert
Description and members Title screen Select screen Victory screen
Cranky is the only member of Team Cranky, the only team specifically named after another character. Team Cranky can be unlocked after the player beats every Cranky challenge in 1st place with all coins collected. Despite Cranky being the only team member, Team Cranky still has its own character select screen, which oddly features four identical slots to select Cranky.

After the player beats every cup and wins against all four Kremlings in dogfights while playing as Cranky, the Cranky Kong Pilot title screen is unlocked, which shows a cobwebbed, wooden logo of "Cranky Kong Pilot", and shows an ocean in the background scenery. From the title screen, Enguarde occasionally jumps out of the water. The options and selection menu show construction girders from the Donkey Kong arcade game. At this point, the game is complete, and Cranky Kong informs the player that it seems like the "end of an era," possibly referencing Rare's time with the Donkey Kong franchise coming to an end.

The title screen for "Cranky Kong Pilot". The "Team Cranky" selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot The victory screen for Team Cranky in Diddy Kong Pilot 2003, shown after completing a cup as Cranky Kong
A mugshot of Cranky Kong from the character selection screen in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Cranky
Uncompressed sprite of Cranky in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Cranky's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A mugshot of Cranky Kong from the character selection screen in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Cranky
Uncompressed sprite of Cranky in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Cranky's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
A mugshot of Cranky Kong from the character selection screen in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Cranky
Uncompressed sprite of Cranky in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Cranky's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A mugshot of Cranky Kong from the character selection screen in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Cranky
Uncompressed sprite of Cranky in the character select loop from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Cranky's dogfight health icon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Speed: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Accel.: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Weight: Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Full unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Empty unit of an attribute meter from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build

Banjo-Pilot counterparts[edit]

Team
Diddy Kong Pilot Banjo-Pilot
Team Kong - Beginner Bottles GP
Team Krem - Intermediate Grunty GP
Team Cranky - Expert Endurance GP
N/A Jinjo GP
Characters
Diddy Kong Pilot Banjo-Pilot
Diddy Kong Kazooie
Dixie Kong Jinjo
Funky Kong Banjo
Donkey Kong Bottles
Klap Trap Humba Wumba
Kritter Jolly Roger
Klump Klungo
K. Rool Grunty
Cranky Kong Mumbo Jumbo

Items[edit]

General items and objects[edit]

Name and image Description Banjo-Pilot counterpart
A barrel from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Barrel
Barrels give usable items when broken. Honeycomb
A bullet from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Bullet
The planes' main weapon, used by default when the player has no barrel items. They are used most extensively in dogfights. Bullet
A Silver Coin-analogue from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Coin
Six of these are found in each of the Cranky Challenges. To succeed, all must be collected and Cranky beaten in a race. Jiggy
K from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build O from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build N from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build G from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
KONG Letters
Collectibles that grant an extra retry if collected entirely. Musical Notes
A red balloon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A yellow balloon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Target Balloon
A single Target Balloon appears on each track, floating out of the way when approached. If it is successfully shot, it spawns the respectively colored Zipper for a short period, though it does not respawn until the next race. Glowbo
A Zipper from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A pink Zipper from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A yellow Zipper from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Zipper
Zippers boost speed for a short period, boosting extra if the player releases the acceleration before hitting them. The special pink Zippers spawn chains of them in a row if gone through with the final leading to a faster and longer "Monkey Power" boost, and the special yellow ones activate a "Monkey Madness" effect that autopilots the player to the finish line. Zipper
"Go Glowbo Go"

Barrel items[edit]

Name and image Description Banjo-Pilot counterpart
A Pink Buzz Icon for two pink Buzzes from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon for three pink Buzzes from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Pink Buzz
Homes onto the nearest opponent. They are either featured alone or in a set of three. Fire Egg
A Blue Buzz
Blue Buzz
Homes in on the pilot in first place like a Spiny Shell, but can be escaped with a Zinger item or a zipper boost. Saucer 'O Peril
Rambi invincibility icon in the 2001 build of Diddy Kong Pilot.
Rambi
Grants temporary invincibility to everything except hazards such as trees, like a Star from the Mario Kart series. Gold Feather
Icon for a TNT Barrel from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
TNT Barrel
Boosts the user while damaging other pilots nearby. In a boss fight, the boss is automatically damaged if the player uses it, regardless of positioning. Turbo Trainer
The icon of a Wrench Barrel from Diddy Kong Pilot
Wrench Barrel
Strikes other racers with lightning and makes them dizzy, or damages the opponent during a boss fight. CPU opponents cannot use this item. Mingy Jongo
Icon for one Zinger from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon for two Zingers from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Icon for three Zingers from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Zinger
Can be dropped behind by racers as an obstacle for other racers to crash into. They may fly in place, up and down, left or right, or wind around a small area. Ice Egg

Courses[edit]

Race courses[edit]

All race courses have three laps, regardless of mode. There are five background environments and 16 race tracks. Both teams have the same layouts and environments but with different names.

Team Kong and Team Cranky[edit]

Cups Map Description Banjo-Pilot counterpart
A mugshot of Klap Trap from the character select in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Klap Trap Kup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Steamy Swoop
A jungle-themed stage with Donkey Kong's Treehouse in the background. Honeycomb Cup Spiral Mountain Donkey Kong's Treehouse and the jungle are replaced by Spiral Mountain and its surrounding trees.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Plain Pursuit
A flats-themed stage where Expresso makes a cameo. Jinxy's Dunes No difference.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Chilly Length
An ice-themed stage with orcas and a ship in the background. Freezeezy Peak The cruiser is replaced by the snowman from Freezeezy Peak.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Magma Spurt
A temple-themed stage with golden K. Rool statues in the background. Hailfire Peaks The temple is replaced with volcanoes.
A mugshot of Kritter from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Kritter Kup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Shore Strife
A beach-themed stage with DK Isle in the background, and Enguardes as an Easter egg. Jiggy Cup Treasure Trove Cove DK Isle is replaced by the Treasure Trove Cove island. Enguarde is replaced with dolphins from Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Jungle Jostle
A more complex rendition of Steamy Swoop. Clanker's River The background is based on Clanker's Cavern and uses the trees from Spiral Mountain.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Temple Heat
A dark temple-themed stage with large amounts of lava. Grunty Industries The temple is replaced by a background of Grunty Industries, while the pillars are replaced with lattice towers.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Wild Wilderness
A more complex rendition of Plain Pursuit with varyingly sized Expressos as obstacles. Gobi's Valley The plateau is replaced by Gobi's Valley. Expresso is replaced with Gobi.
A mugshot of Klump in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Klump Kup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Frosty Feud
A basic ice-themed stage with lines of slowing rocks and a lighthouse in the background. Beehive Cup Freezing Furnace Part of the ice in the background has been recolored from white to pink.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Vine Rush
A dark jungle-themed stage with many tree obstacles. Mayahem Temple The background is replaced by Mayahem Temple.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Speedy Show
A variation of Magma Spurt with a large Kritter-like dragon in the lava. Steamy Vents The temple is replaced with volcanoes.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Reef Encounter
A more complex rendition of Shore Strife with beach tent obstacles. Jolly Roger's Lagoon The background is replaced by Jolly Roger's Lagoon. One of the tents is based on Sabreman's tent, while the easternmost tent is replaced by Sabreman himself.
A mugshot of King K. Rool in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
K. Rool Kup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Lava Dispute
A variation of Temple Heat. Feather Cup Witchyworld The background is replaced by Witchyworld, and the lava is replaced by a swamp. The music is also different.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Frantic Beach
A sunset beach-themed stage. Breegull Beach DK Isle is replaced by the Treasure Trove Cove island.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Prairie Dash
An even more complex rendition of Plain Pursuit. Terrydactyland The plateau is replaced by Terrydactyland. The Expresso obstacles were removed.
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Icy Passage
A more complex rendition of Chilly Length with many tight turns. Cauldron Keep The cruiser was replaced by the tower from Cauldron Keep. An ice plateau is flipped horizontally and is more blue.

Team Krem[edit]

Cups Map Banjo-Pilot counterpart
The character selection mugshot for Dixie Kong from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Dixie Cup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Monkey Rift
Pumpkin Cup Spiral Mountain R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Plateau Patrol
Jinxy's Dunes R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Arctic Rumble
Freezeezy Peak R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Ember Trouble
Hailfire Peaks R
A mugshot of Diddy Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Diddy Cup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Rapid Sands
Cauldron Cup Treasure Trove Cove R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Simian Fields
Clanker's River R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Cinder Slam
Grunty Industries R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Savannah Air
Gobi's Valley R
A mugshot of Funky Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Funky Cup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Snow Business
Skull Cup Freezing Furnace R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Gibbons Gate
Mayahem Temple R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Fiery Divide
Steamy Vents R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Monkey Bay
Jolly Roger's Lagoon R
A mugshot of Donkey Kong in the character select screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Donkey Cup
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Sanctum Shoot
Broomstick Cup Witchyworld R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Coastal Chaos
Breegull Beach R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Sunset Shindig
Terrydactyland R
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Tundra Trouble
Cauldron Keep R

Boss courses[edit]

Boss Bop Boss Bash Boss Brawl Boss Bother
Boss A mugshot of Klap Trap from the character select in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. The character selection mugshot for Dixie Kong from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of Kritter from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of Diddy Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of Klump in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of Funky Kong from the character selection menu in the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of King K. Rool in the character selection screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot. A mugshot of Donkey Kong in the character select screen from the 2003 Diddy Kong Pilot.
Weapon Klap Trap's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Dixie Kong's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Kritter's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build A TNT Barrel from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Klump's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Funky Kong's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build K. Rool's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build Donkey Kong's boss-dogfight weapon from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build

Battle courses[edit]

Map Banjo-Pilot counterpart
Battle Tracks Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Jungle Jig
Mumbo's Mountain
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Sunset Scrap
Temple Tussle
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Ice Escapades
Arctic Blast
Preview map from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
Beach Brawl
Rusty Bucket Bay

Audio[edit]

Chris Seavor provided the voice of all playable characters (Diddy, Dixie, Funky, Donkey, Klap Trap, Kritter, Klump, K. Rool, and Cranky), while Dean Smith served as the announcer, using the exact same voice as T.T. All of the voices were recorded in late 2002 and were placeholders, later being replaced by voices from Banjo-Kazooie in Banjo-Pilot.[6][better source needed] All of the music from this build was brought over to Banjo-Pilot with the addition of a few music tracks including the multiplayer theme, while "Monkey Madness!" was replaced by "Go Glowbo Go!" The original title theme eventually went unused in the final game, though it was changed to replace the monkey screech at the beginning with a Glowbo noise and remains in the game's files.

Music list[edit]

ID Music[7] ID Music
00 Forest 01 Wasteland
02 Lava 03 Race results
04 Menus (unused in Banjo-Pilot) 05
Proto
Title screen (unused in Banjo-Pilot)
06 Forest (final lap) 07 Race track intro
08 Race start 09 Finish (1st place)
0A Finish (2nd-4th place) 0B Finish (5th-8th place)
0C Wasteland (final lap) 0D Lava (final lap)
0E Beach 0F Beach (final lap)
10 Invincibility 11 Ice
12 Ice (final lap) 13 Cranky Kong's Cabin (unused in Banjo-Pilot)
14 Using Thunder item 15 Boss fight
16 Boss fight, speedup 17 Using Thunder item, reverse
18 Title screen (Kremling Pilot)
Cheato
19 Title screen (Cranky Kong Pilot)
Jinjo GP
1A Trophy ceremony 1B
Proto
"Monkey Madness!"
"Go Glowbo Go!"
Banjo-Pilot additionals
1C Title (Banjo-Pilot) 1D Bottles
1E Gruntilda/Witchyworld 1F Final Lap Alert (Witchyworld)
20 Witchyworld (final lap) 21 Multiplayer

Glitches[edit]

Background glitch from Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 build
A glitch found from the background

Diddy Kong Pilot went considerably far in development, although it remains somewhat unpolished. The most notable bug is the continuous loop of a loud sound effect, which occurs when the player goes through a zipper just before a Buzz crashes into them. Another bug always shows a "22" in the top-left corner of the Options menu. All of these glitches were fixed in Banjo-Pilot.

Gallery[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

Sprites[edit]

Non-unique[edit]

These sprites would later be used for Banjo-Pilot.

Backgrounds[edit]

Quotes[edit]

Main article: List of Diddy Kong Pilot (2003) quotes

Cranky[edit]

  • "Before we start, lets[sic] get a few things straight... you are racing for the pride of Team Kong, don't let us down... I did not suffer those interminable amounts of monotonous gameplay for you to blow it all now. Each cup is made up of four races... If you win that then you need to go head to head against a Kremling to show them who is boss.. Look out for the Target Balloons... shoot them and a secret boost will appear... fly through it and something special will happen.. Think you can handle it? I very much doubt it." - when beginning a cup race the first time
  • "C'mon, that was terrible, you're letting the whole team down... You need to finish in the top four places if you are going to qualify for the next race.." - after losing a race
  • "Pathetic! I've never seen such bad flying! Head for the barrels and use the weapons... That should make it easy... even for someone as terrible as you.." - after losing a second race
  • "Having trouble are we? If you collect all of the KONG letters then you get an extra retry... The way you are flying, you're going to need it." - after losing a third race
  • "Pah! That was awful... Shameful... you can't let them get the better of you... Get back out there and show them what you're made of" - after losing a boss fight
  • "That wasn't too difficult was it? Get on and race the rest of them, nothing is going to happen until you beat all four..." - after beating a Kremling boss

Trivia[edit]

  • A spelling error appears when the player loses at a boss fight: the text reads "YOU LOOSE" instead of "YOU LOSE".
  • All playable characters have voiced dialogue. Klump notably sounds like his cartoon counterpart, though the other characters sound quite different from theirs.
  • The generic Kritter in the game bears far more resemblance to Krunch than a typical Kritter. He also speaks in a Southern accent.
  • In the Cups mode, the point spread matches those of the first three Mario Kart games; Mario Kart: Super Circuit was the most recent Mario Kart game as of the prototype build. In Banjo-Pilot, the point spread was changed to match that of Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, which was released after the Diddy Kong Pilot prototype, and was the most recent Mario Kart game as of the final release.

References[edit]

External links[edit]