Diddy Kong

Diddy Kong, also known simply as Diddy, is the secondary protagonist of the Donkey Kong franchise and Donkey Kong's sidekick. He is a creation of the British company Rare Ltd. but is owned by Nintendo. Diddy sports a red shirt with yellow stars and a red hat with the Nintendo logo printed on it.

The name "Diddy" is a slang word used in some parts of northern England for "small," as Diddy Kong is. Diddy Kong has gone on many adventures by himself, occasionally with his girlfriend Dixie Kong, and has even starred in his own racing game for the Nintendo 64 and later in its remake for the Nintendo DS.

Concept and creation
During the development of Donkey Kong Country, the designers wanted the player to be capable of taking multiple hits, but they also aimed for the screen to be as "clutter-free" as possible, thereby forbidding the usage of a health bar. Having noted the "Big Mario to small Mario" system used in the Super Mario games, Rare created Diddy Kong as a visual "extra hit". The design for the character was originally intended to be a redesign of Donkey Kong Jr., but Nintendo felt that their design was too different, and asked that Rare either include Junior with his original appearance or make the new design an entirely different character. Rare, feeling that the design fit the "updated" Donkey Kong universe that they were aiming to create, had decided to keep their design. During the process of naming the character, several names were suggested by Rare employees, including "Diet DK," "DK Lite" and "Titchy Kong". The name "Dinky Kong" was chosen, but was later changed to "Diddy" due to legal considerations, although the name would eventually be used as Kiddy Kong's Japanese name.

Donkey Kong Country
Diddy Kong first appears in Donkey Kong Country, as the co-star of the game with Donkey Kong. Here, he is still Donkey Kong's apprentice and an "in-training video-game star". On one night, Diddy Kong is given the task of guarding Donkey Kong's Banana Hoard. However, the Kremling Krew attacks Diddy and traps him inside of a DK Barrel. After being released, he and Donkey Kong set off across Donkey Kong Island to save the Banana Hoard and drive off the Kremlings. At the end of their journey, the Kongs go aboard the Gang-Plank Galleon to fight King K. Rool, whom they manage to defeat and reclaim the stolen bananas from.

In the game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong have the same basic abilities such as jumping, running, and rolling. Diddy is the weaker Kong, which makes him unable to defeat Krushas or Klumps by a jump attack, unlike Donkey Kong. Diddy is more agile and can jump higher and move faster than Donkey Kong. When Diddy picks up a barrel, he holds it in front, protecting himself from an enemy. He cannot throw a barrel as far as Donkey Kong.

In the Game Boy Advance remake, if the player gets 90% or higher when completing a game, they unlock the "Hero Mode", where they only play as Diddy throughout the levels.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Diddy Kong is the main hero. The Kremling Krew kidnaps Donkey Kong and sends him away to their own island, Crocodile Isle. K. Rool, who is now Kaptain K. Rool, threatens to keep Donkey Kong as prisoner unless the Kongs give the Banana Hoard to him. Diddy refuses, so he and Dixie travel through Crocodile Isle. At the end, they manage to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool. After Diddy and Dixie defeat K. Rool in the Lost World, the entire Crocodile Isle sinks underwater, which Diddy, Dixie, and Donkey Kong watch from a distance.

In the game, Diddy retains his abilities from Donkey Kong Country. In the Game Boy Advance remake, Diddy is featured in a time attack mode, Diddy's Dash, where controls Diddy through individual levels without the aid of Dixie, similar to the Hero Mode from Donkey Kong Country's Game Boy Advance remake.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Diddy has a smaller role in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. In the backstory, Donkey Kong and Diddy go on a fishing trip to the Northern Kremisphere. The Kongs did not return from their fishing trip, so Dixie and Kiddy Kong go on an adventure to save them. In Kastle KAOS, after Dixie and Kiddy defeat Baron K. Roolenstein, it is revealed that Donkey Kong and Diddy were contained within KAOS, who they were freed from, presumably having their brain energy used as a power source. The two Kongs are freed from KAOS.

In the Game Boy Advance remake, Diddy appears in the Funky's Rentals mission "Protect", as one of the Kongs that Dixie and Kiddy must protect from the Kremlings.

Donkey Kong Country Returns
Diddy Kong reappears as one of the two playable characters in Donkey Kong Country Returns and its Nintendo 3DS remake, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D.

He is the first to notice the Banana Hoard being stolen by animals who are hypnotized by the Tiki Tak Tribe, and attempts to pursue them to retrieve it. However, Diddy fails, and he is shoved into a barrel. After he is freed, he and Donkey Kong go on another quest to reclaim the Banana Hoard by traversing through the various regions of the island while fighting the operatives in each of them. After defeating Tiki Tong, he and Donkey Kong get the Banana Hoard back from the Tiki Tak Tribe.

Diddy has different roles after the final battle. If he is with his big buddy at the end, they are ejected from the lair by the explosion of Tiki Tong to space. While Diddy panics, DK comes up with a plan and they knock the moon out of its orbit. Even without Diddy, Donkey Kong still frees the bananas, only to realize he is falling at alarming speed. Fortunately, Diddy Kong returns to save his friend. Should Diddy triumph on his own, he tries to break free from the moon's gravitational pull with his barrel jet. However, it malfunctions and he crashes headfirst into the moon, the impact knocking it out of orbit. The unconscious Diddy plummets from the sky, only to land and awaken in DK's hands. Either way, the Kongs celebrate at bananas' freedom.

In single player mode, once Diddy is freed from a DK Barrel, he stays on Donkey Kong's back. If Donkey Kong jumps into the air, Diddy can use his Barrel Jet to hover for a few seconds. In two player mode, the second player is Diddy, whom they can control individually, as well as keep Diddy on Donkey Kong's back. Diddy still remains more agile than Donkey Kong, and he can still control the Barrel Jet in midair and use his Peanut Popgun to stun enemies.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Diddy Kong is one of the four playable characters in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Donkey Kong can release him from a DK Barrel marked with a blue "DD". Diddy retains his ability to use his Barrel Jet to hover and the Peanut Popgun from Donkey Kong Country Returns. While underwater, Diddy can use his Barrel Jet to give him and Donkey Kong a speed boost. The two Kongs can use the Kong Pow move to replace every nearby enemy into Red Balloons.

In the game's opening cutscene, Diddy was celebrating DK's birthday along with him, Dixie, and Cranky, until the Snowmads appeared and blew the Kongs away to the Lost Mangroves to conquer Donkey Kong Island. Diddy joins the other Kongs on an adventure to return to Donkey Kong Island.

"Donkey Kong Country"
Diddy also appears in the Club Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong Country", serving a similar role as in the eponymous game. Diddy's task is to watch over the Banana Hoard. King K. Rool finds Diddy and puts him into a barrel. Donkey Kong soon discovers him, and they track down King K. Rool to defeat him. In the fight against King K. Rool, Donkey Kong throws Diddy up onto K. Rool to attack, unlike the method used in-game.

"Super Mario in Die Nacht des Grauens"
In the comic "Super Mario in Die Nacht des Grauens", published in the same magazine, Diddy Kong lives in a skyscraper in Brooklyn with many other Nintendo characters. Due to a contract signed by Wario, the skyscraper is invaded by several monsters. One of them, Chuckie, invades the Kongs' room while Diddy and Donkey are watching TV. They are terrified by the evil doll, but they are rescued by Mario, Link and Kirby.

"Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24"
In the Club Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24", the Kongs have to save the world from freezing, since a giant U.F.O, is pulling the Earth away from the sun. Diddy joins Donkey, Dixie, Kiddy and Cranky into a space shuttle and flies into space to confront the aliens. The aliens explain that they mistook the Earth for a giant coconut. Diddy decides to give bananas to the aliens, and in return they promise to return the Earth to its original position.

Donkey Kong Land
Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong are tricked into a bet by Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Land, and the two travel again to reclaim Donkey's Banana Hoard from King K. Rool. After traveling through four lands, Diddy and Donkey Kong manage to defeat King K. Rool and his Kremling Krew again.

Donkey Kong Land 2
In Donkey Kong Land 2, which is a retelling of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Diddy retains his abilities and his role as the main character.

Donkey Kong Land III
In Donkey Kong Land III's manual, Diddy and Donkey Kong enter a contest to find the Lost World, while leaving Dixie and Kiddy Kong behind. Despite having an integral role in the story, Diddy and Donkey Kong do not appear in the game, and it is unknown where the two Kongs are during the events of the game.

Super Mario-Kun
Diddy Kong appears in the fourteenth volume of the Super Mario-Kun manga comics. Even though a majority of the volume is based on Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the end of it contains Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest content. In the Donkey Kong Country part of the volume, Cranky Kong asks Diddy and Donkey Kong to battle King K. Rool. He also appears with his girlfriend, Dixie Kong to battle Kaptain K. Rool in the Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest part.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle
In the 1995 children's novel Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, Donkey Kong introduces his "buddy" Diddy Kong to Funky Kong, who offers Diddy a ride in his barrel plane around Donkey Kong Island. During the flight, Diddy Kong notices smoke coming from Big Ape City, which was believed to have been abandoned. Hoping for an adventure, he is willing to investigate, although Funky Kong prefers to not "go looking for trouble". Returning to his treehouse after the flight, Diddy Kong realizes that he still has Funky Kong's walkie talkie, and trying to contact him reveals that his plane is being attacked by "flying pigs" over Big Ape City. Diddy Kong immediately agrees to travel with Donkey Kong to the city, joined by a reluctant Cranky Kong.

On the edge of the forest in Tree Top Town, the Kongs encounter a group of Kremlings. Diddy Kong performs several cartwheel attacks, which is true to his abilities as a playable character in the Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land series of games. Upon reaching Big Ape City, Diddy Kong is eager to find a way to infiltrate the factory, despite the high numbers of Kremling security guards. Overhearing some guards speaking, the Kongs discover that Funky Kong is being kept in the factory. After locating and breaking open Funky's cell, Diddy Kong assists Donkey Kong in clearing some Kremling guards using barrels. Upon inspecting his damaged plane, Funky draws a map for Diddy, explaining where to find the factory's supply room for a replacement waterpump. Diddy Kong traverses over several catwalks to reach the store room, where he encounters a Klap Trap. Diddy Kong lodges a barrel into the Klap Trap's large mouth, allowing him time to escape with the water pump.

After the Kongs from the factory in the barrel plane, Donkey Kong has the idea to jump from the plane and onto King K. Rool's zeppelin. Although afraid, Diddy Kong joins him in entering the zeppelin and defeating several Kremlings using cartwheels, double jumps and barrels. Afterward, Donkey and Diddy Kong plant the airship with time-delayed TNT Barrels, and choose to let the "coward" King K. Rool to escape. After re-entering the plane, Donkey Kong compliments Diddy Kong on how well he fought the Kremlings, and all the Kongs share a laugh as they watch the planted TNT Barrels explode onto the Kremling's factory.

Donkey Kong Country television series
Diddy Kong is featured as a main character on the Donkey Kong Country television series. In most of the episodes, Diddy usually is seen watching over the Crystal Coconut with his buddy, Donkey Kong. Diddy Kong's physical appearance in the show is very similar to his appearance in Donkey Kong Country, which is a red shirt before it's yellow stars on it and a red hat. Diddy is voiced by Andrew Sabiston during the entire run of the series. Sabiston had previously voiced Yoshi on the Super Mario World television series seven years earlier.

Diddy Kong Racing / Diddy Kong Racing DS
Diddy appears as the main and titular character of Diddy Kong Racing and its Nintendo DS remake, Diddy Kong Racing DS. In the prologue, Diddy gets a letter from Timber, who asks for Diddy's help with saving Timber's Island from Wizpig. Diddy, Timber, and their friends manage to expel Wizpig and free the Timber's Island guardians from his mind control. As a racer, Diddy has balanced stats. In the Nintendo 64 original, Diddy's vehicle color is blue, and his top speed without bananas is 56 mph.

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
Diddy Kong makes another appearance as a playable character in the racing game, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. Diddy is one of the six default racers that are playable from the start of the game. Diddy has low speed but a good boost and handling. His rival is Kip.

Donkey Kong 64
Diddy is one of the five playable Kongs in Donkey Kong 64. In the opening introduction, King K. Rool attempts to attack DK Isles with the Blast-o-Matic, which gets damaged after the Crocodile Isle crashes into a small island. To buy time to repair his weapon, K. Rool steals the Banana Hoard and kidnaps some of the Kongs, with Diddy being one of them.

Early on in his journey, Donkey Kong frees Diddy from captivity in Jungle Japes. Diddy can collect red bananas and coins. Diddy can perform the Simian Slam like the other Kongs, and he can learn a few unique moves from Cranky's Lab, including Chimpy Charge, Rocketbarrel Boost, and Simian Spring. Diddy's musical instrument is the electric guitar, which he obtains from Candy's Music Shop, and his weapon is the popguns, which he obtains from Funky's Store.

In Hideout Helm, Diddy can complete two Bonus Stages to deactivate the red current flowing within the Blast-o-Matic. In the final boss battle at the boxing arena, Diddy is the second Kong to fight against King Krusha K. Rool. During the round, Diddy must use his Rocketbarrel Boost to fly up to some light fixtures and shoot two targets on each side so that it drops on K. Rool's head. Eventually, the round ends when one of the light fixtures is stuck to K. Rool's head, thus ending the round.

In the Monkey Smash multiplayer mode, Diddy has three alternate color schemes (aside from his default red color): yellow, green, and blue.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Even though he has always been connected to Mario through Donkey Kong, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour is the first game in the Mario series to feature Diddy Kong. He is a playable character in the game, appearing as Donkey Kong's partner. Diddy Kong briefly appears in the opening of this game.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Diddy Kong returns as a playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour. In the Castle Club's Royal Room, he is seen looking at a bowl of bananas. Golf clubs and a ball based on him are available at the shop, and so are clothes themed after him, where Miis can purchase them from there or by participating in tournaments. His costume can be unlocked if all Star Coin challenges in the Sky Island course are completed. Some of his voice clips are recycled from Donkey Kong 64.

When Diddy Kong gets a par, he flips and strikes a pose, and when he gets a birdie, he puts on his jetpack and flies in victory. His eagle or better animations show him flying so high on his jetpack out of joy that he ends up in Earth's atmosphere next to space, leaving him completely shocked and baffled. If he gets a bogey, he lies down in frustration while eating a banana. If he gets a double bogey or worse, he lies down and eats a banana, then tosses the peel and tries to get up, only to slip on the peel in the process.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Diddy Kong appears in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! He is a lightweight character, along with Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Bowser Jr., Toad, and Toadette. His special weapon is the Giant Banana. This item is shared with Donkey Kong, his partner. His personal kart is the Barrel Train.

Mario Kart Arcade GP
In the arcade game, Mario Kart Arcade GP, Diddy Kong makes a cameo appearance. He appears in a course from the DK Cup, Bananan Ruins. When the player crosses the finish line to start a new lap or to finish the race, Diddy can be seen in the crowd cheering.

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
Diddy Kong makes a cameo in the arcade game, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, where he can be seen cheering in the crowd in the same way as the previous game.

Mario Kart Wii
Diddy returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Wii. He appears as an unlockable, playable character. Diddy is classified as a middleweight character. He is unlocked by winning the 50cc Lightning Cup or by playing 450 races. Diddy Kong is a staff ghost for course Maple Treeway. Diddy features a small acceleration and drift bonus while getting a strong mini-turbo bonus. Diddy Kong is one of three Kongs who appear in this game. The other two are Donkey Kong and Funky Kong.

Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, and Birdo are the only playable characters in Mario Kart Wii to not return as playable characters in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Mario Kart Tour
Diddy Kong makes his reappearance in Mario Kart Tour as a playable character; his rarity is Super. His special item is Banana Barrels.

Donkey Konga series
Diddy, along with Donkey Kong appears in Donkey Konga. In this game, he and Donkey Kong find a pair of bongos. The two take it to Cranky Kong. Diddy tries to play it while Donkey Kong claps. The two leave, and continue to play their bongos. Diddy is also a playable character in the game. Diddy Kong appears as a playable character in the Nintendo GameCube game, Donkey Konga 2. Diddy, his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, and Donkey Kong are the three playable characters.

Diddy reappears in the Japan-only Nintendo GameCube, Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku. He returns as a playable character, along with Donkey Kong, Dixie Kong, and Funky Kong.

Mario Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis
In Mario Power Tennis, Diddy Kong is a speedy character, and is usually paired with Donkey Kong. His Offensive Power Shot, Acrobatic Banana, makes him hit the ball in a curved trajectory while standing on his head. Any opponents that return his power shot have their controls reversed and a banana picture shows the effect. His Defensive Power Shot, Barrel Jet, allows him to return any balls that are out of his reach. Diddy's Mario Power Tennis trophy animation begins with Luigi and Peach waiting on stage with Donkey Kong. Diddy then goes on stage and starts walking around Luigi, much to his and Peach's curiosity, asking, "Hey, where are you going?" Then Diddy flips the trophy with his tail in the air and catches while he celebrates his victory with Donkey Kong. In Koopa Troopa's cutscene, he is seen eaten bananas while Luigi, Mario, and Peach are congratulating Koopa Troopa for his victory. He then throws a banana peel on Koopa Troopa's path; unaware of where he is walking and with Koopa Troopa not paying attention to where he is going. In Wiggler's Trophy cutscene, Diddy accidentally rolls a tennis ball which causes Wiggler to trip. After Wiggler calms down, Diddy trips on the same tennis ball, losing his footing and falling onto both Luigi and Wiggler. This causes Wiggler to turn red with fury and chases after Diddy and Luigi. This is the first game where Katsumi Suzuki voices Diddy and has voiced as him ever since.

Mario Tennis Open
In Mario Tennis Open, Diddy Kong reappears as a speedy character. He is usually paired with Donkey Kong again. His gameplay is based on acrobatic moves, like in the previous tennis game. Like the other characters of the game, he has a tennis outfit and racket based on himself, available for purchase in the Tennis Gear Store, and also his own Mii costume, which is unlocked by meeting 20 Mii characters via Streetpass.

Mario Tennis Aces
Diddy Kong appears in Mario Tennis Aces as a playable character, where he was available as a participation prize for the September online tournament, or from October 1, 2018. He is a speedy character. His Trick Shots are "Acrobatics" for forwards and "Diddy Roll" for sideways. His Special Shot is referred to as the "Jungle Swing".

DK: King of Swing
In DK: King of Swing, Diddy Kong is the star of the Diddy Mode, which the player can unlock collecting 24 medals with Donkey Kong. Diddy is one of the playable characters in the Jungle Jam Tournament, where he can jump high but has a weak attack.

DK: Jungle Climber
Diddy Kong appears in DK: Jungle Climber as well. In this game, DK can use him as a launch to hit objects and reach areas where DK cannot reach. Diddy is also required to use three powerups: Hammer, Wings, and Torch. The player has to race Diddy at the start of the game, and in one of the minigames, the player also has to race Diddy. Diddy plays a role in the plot as Donkey Kong's sidekick, as usual.

Yakuman DS
Diddy Kong appears in the Japan-only mahjong game Yakuman DS as an opponent. Unlike in most other Mario games he appears in, he appears only as a computer opponent. Diddy is one of twenty-one opponents and his best friend, Donkey Kong, appears as an opponent, too.

Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, Diddy Kong is once again a playable character. He has fast running, good fielding, average pitching, and weak batting. He is a Team Captain in Exhibition Mode, and a Sub-Captain in Challenge Mode. During Challenge Mode, Diddy plays on Donkey Kong's team. His special ball is the Boomerang Ball, which launches the ball out like a Boomerang to trick the other team. It can be used when the player purchases the Chimp Banana in the store from challenge mode. His other special moves are Clamber and Super Catch. He shares good chemistry with Donkey Kong, Goomba, and Dixie Kong, and does not share bad chemistry with any character.

Mario Super Sluggers
Diddy Kong also appears as a captain in Mario Super Sluggers. In challenge mode, he is on Donkey Kong's team, the DK Wilds. His team name is the Diddy Monkeys. Diddy's star swing is the Banana Swing and his star pitch is the Banana Ball. His batting has slightly improved, has a good fielding boost, his running has decreased, and his pitching is unchanged. He shares good chemistry with all the Kongs, and has bad chemistry with the Kritters and King K. Rool. He also appears in the opening cutscene where he catches the baseball coming from a Warp Pipe at DK Jungle. He then yells in fear due to a giant barrel rolling towards him. Donkey Kong then rescues Diddy Kong by smashing the giant barrel. Diddy Kong then sighs in relief.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Diddy Kong is playable in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Diddy Kong is a default player, and is a part of the speedy class. His Special Shot is the Jet Shot, which summons a jet pack, and attaches to Diddy Kong's back. He then flies towards the basket.

Mario Strikers Charged
Diddy Kong is also an unlockable captain in Mario Strikers Charged. He is unlocked when the player beats Diddy Kong in the Crystal Cup. Diddy Kong is a Playmaker Captain, and he is very swift and agile. His Super Ability is Red Card!, which summons a beam of light that pulls any player, except for Diddy Kong, into the skies for fifteen seconds. A new trait of Diddy Kong in this game is that he does not smile very often, with the exception of his victory scenes, as do most other players. In the intro, he gets sucked into some cyclone in the sky during a match against Yoshi. It is later revealed that he somehow survived it, as shown when he receives the ball, and jumps into the air, smashing all of Yoshi's Dry Bones in the process and makes a great kick.

Diddy Kong gains some new abilities in this game. He is shown to have super natural powers, as seen with Red Card!, which summons a beam of light to take players out of the field, and his Mega Strike. When he uses his Mega Strike, he launches in the air, moves into a Buddha position, and touches it with the tip of his tail which makes the ball go flying.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Although Diddy Kong does not appear in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, there is a suit based on him that the player can purchase from the boutique for Miis to wear.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Like the previous game, Diddy Kong does not appear in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, but there is a suit based on him that the player can unlock for Miis to wear. It is unlocked after playing against a friend 20 times in Single Event mode.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games
As in the previous game, an unlockable suit for Miis based on Diddy Kong appears in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. It is unlocked after completing 3 areas in Legend Showdown.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Diddy Kong makes his first playable appearance in the Mario and Sonic series in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In the 3DS version, he is only playable in the 110m Hurdles event, while in the Wii U version, he is exclusive to the Rugby Sevens event. Oddly, Diddy Kong has brown eyes instead of black as in the Super Smash Bros. series, and does not have the "Nintendo" name on his cap, possibly due to the game being developed by SEGA.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Diddy Kong reappears as a playable character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. He is a Technique character, being playable in Rugby Sevens.

Mario Party DS
Diddy Kong has a non-playable role in Mario Party DS. In the third stage of Story Mode, Donkey Kong is transformed into a statue by a Dry Bones. Mario and friends help him recover Donkey Kong, and soon defeat the Dry Bones. After its defeat, Diddy hands Mario and friends the third Sky Crystal, while Donkey Kong heads off to Bowser's Castle. Diddy Kong also appears as one of the unlockable figures and badges.

Mario Party 9
Diddy Kong makes another non-playable appearance in Mario Party 9. This time, he is the mid-boss for DK's Jungle Ruins.

Mario Party 10
A statue resembling Diddy Kong mounted on Donkey Kong can be seen on the southern side of the Donkey Kong Board in Mario Party 10. It is based on another statue seen on the file select screen of Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D.

Mario Party: Star Rush
Diddy Kong makes his first playable appearance in the Mario Party series in Mario Party: Star Rush. He can be unlocked by earning enough party points to reach level 11 or by scanning a Diddy Kong amiibo. In Toad Scramble, he can break barrels to earn coins, and his Triple 7 Dice Block has a 50% chance of rolling either a 0 or a 7. In Coinathlon, if a Diddy Kong amiibo is used, Diddy Kong always starts out with two Double Medals, sharing this trait with Donkey Kong.

Super Mario Party
Diddy Kong returns as an unlockable playable character in Super Mario Party, unlocked by completing the second world of Challenge Road, Chestnut Forest.

Super Smash Bros. series
Diddy Kong joins the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He is swift, agile, and very acrobatic, just like how he is in the Donkey Kong franchise. Diddy Kong's weight is 93 units in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U; in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his weight is decreased to 90 units.

For the Super Smash Bros. series, Diddy Kong is given a realistic monkey voice instead of the cartoonish voice he is commonly given in the Mario series titles.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Diddy Kong makes his playable Super Smash Bros. debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, having only been mentioned in Donkey Kong's character biography and trophy in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Diddy Kong's special moves are Peanut Popgun, which lets him shoot peanuts at his opponents; Monkey Flip, which lets him leap forward and pummel (or kick) his opponents; Rocketbarrel Boost, which can be charged to fly through the air; and Banana Peel, which when thrown, makes his opponents trip. His Final Smash is Rocketbarrel Barrage, and it combines two of his special moves, Peanut Popgun and Rocketbarrel Boost, together.

The Subspace Emissary
In the Jungle, Diddy Kong helps Donkey Kong recover bananas stolen from the Koopa Troop, only to have Bowser appear and attempt to use his Dark Cannon on the Kongs. Donkey knocks Diddy away to safety before anything happens, however, although at the cost of Donkey Kong being turned into a trophy in the process. At the Lake, Diddy encounters Rayquaza, teams up with Fox McCloud by force, and fights False Bowser, but they end up fleeing from the real Bowser. As they reach the Swamp, Bowser successfully attacks Diddy, turns into a static trophy and clones him into False Diddy Kong with shadowbugs. After Diddy is revived, he defeats the clone and teams up with Falco Lombardi, again by force.

Upon discovering that Donkey is being taken to the Island of the Ancients, Falco drops Diddy for the little Kong to rescue him. After receiving help from Captain Falcon and Captain Olimar to fend off the Subspace Army, all four of them end up at the Subspace Bomb Factory. Upon meeting Samus and Pikachu, R.O.B. reveals himself just before they are forced to evacuate the island as it is sucked into Subspace.

In Subspace, Tabuu turns all of the gathered heroes, including Diddy, into trophies. However, Diddy is among the fighters rescued by King Dedede and his team before they all head into the Great Maze to defeat Tabuu and save the world, with help from Sonic the Hedgehog.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Diddy Kong was revealed for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U on February 21, 2014, the day of the North American/European release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Diddy Kong's mobility has been improved; his limbs are longer, giving his attacks more range; and many of his attacks deal much more knockback. However, his damage output is lower overall.

Early on in the game's lifetime, Diddy became notorious in competitive play for his very powerful and easy-to-use throw combos, leading to some of his moves being slightly weakened in later balance patches.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Diddy Kong reappears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, having new monkey voice clips alongside those from previous games. Diddy Kong benefits from universal changes: his mobility is even faster; his short hop timing is shortened; the landing lag in his aerials is reduced; he can directionally air dodge; and he can use any ground attack out of a run, or any aerial attack on ladders. Diddy Kong's damage output has been further decreased. Lastly, his weight has been reduced to 90 units, while Monkey Flip and Rocketbarrel Boost cover much less distance.

Owing to King K. Rool's ties to Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong appears alongside Donkey Kong in K. Rool's debut trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Specifically, Diddy Kong lounges lazily in Donkey Kong's tree house on a tire swing, only to be startled by quakes before looking outside with Donkey to investigate. They then see an ominous and familiar shadow, only for it to be revealed to be King Dedede wearing a cape and King K. Rool's mask, to their surprise. King Dedede then proceeds to laugh at the practical joke he played on them, only for him to be smacked upside the head and knocked away by the actual King K. Rool, much to Diddy and Donkey Kong's horror, with King K. Rool roaring. In the ending of the trailer, Diddy, alongside Donkey Kong, has their foot and fist, respectively, make contact with King K. Rool's fist with enough force as to cause a shockwave to be emitted throughout the jungle. He also appears in Banjo & Kazooie's trailer.

In the opening cutscene to "World of Light", Diddy is among the fighters who attempt to escape from Galeem's beams of light; Diddy himself attempts to flee using the Rocketbarrel Pack alongside Rosalina & Luma, but ultimately is consumed and used to create puppet fighters. Diddy is found in the sub-area in the Light Realm resembling the first world of the original "Donkey Kong Country", with Diddy himself serving as the "boss" of that area.

Classic Mode route
Diddy Kong's Classic Mode has him fight alongside characters who generally have sidekicks at their side during adventures. The penultimate battle has Diddy fight alongside Donkey Kong against King K. Rool, their biggest nemesis.

Mario Sports Mix
Diddy Kong appears in Mario Sports Mix as a playable character. He is a speedy character that has a slightly higher technique stat countered with a slightly lower power stat, along with other three speedy characters, Bowser Jr., Toad, and Cactuar. His Special Shot has him throwing a banana that acts like a boomerang, attempting to stun any players that try to counter his shot.

In Volleyball, Diddy Kong can give his full power shots an added curve, which is something that is typically seen with the Technical characters.

Fortune Street
Diddy Kong appears as a playable character in the Wii follow-up to Itadaki Street DS, Fortune Street. He is a Level D character, alongside Birdo, Donkey Kong, Slime, and Yangus.

Super Mario Maker
While one is playing Super Mario Maker, one can place Diddy Kong's amiibo onto the Wii U GamePad and scan it to reveal a Mystery Mushroom in the game. This mushroom offers the player's character the possibility to transform into Diddy, once it is collected. Diddy Kong is only rendered in 8-bit, since it is only possible to play as him in the Super Mario Bros. style of the game. His motion is based on the one from Donkey Kong Country, whence he comes from.

Mario Sports Superstars
Diddy Kong appears as a starter, playable captain-type character in Mario Sports Superstars. Through most sports, he is a Speed type character, sharing the quality with Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and Bowser Jr. In golf, his default drive is 216 yards, and his shots travel slightly high in a draw trajectory. Some of his voice clips from Donkey Kong 64 are also recycled for the Golf Gameplay.

Dr. Mario World
Diddy Kong, under the name Dr. Diddy Kong, was added to Dr. Mario World as a playable character on October 31, 2019.

Other appearances
Diddy was to star in both Diddy Kong Pilot and Donkey Kong Racing as a main character and a sidekick, respectively, but these games were canceled before they could be released when Rare Ltd. moved to Microsoft.

In 1998, despite not yet being part of the Mario series, he was featured alongside Mario, Yoshi and Koopa Troopa in a dispenser set. Diddy Kong also appears in Nintendo Monopoly, where he costs $260, and took the role of Ventnor Avenue.

The 2009 WiiWare game WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase featured a microgame entitled DK Country, which is based after the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 2. The player takes control of a moving Bonus Barrel, from which Diddy gets shot into the air. The monkey must avoid an energic red Zinger and collect two rows of bananas, in order to win the game.

Diddy Kong appears in the game Skylanders: SuperChargers as part of the SuperCharged version of Donkey Kong's vehicle, the Barrel Blaster. He is also the basis of Donkey Kong's Soul Gem Diddy You Call?, where after being summoned he can fly around in his Rocketbarrel Pack and attack enemies with his Peanut Popguns, similar to his Final Smash in the Super Smash Bros. series.

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, Diddy Kong appears as a playable skin. In Super Mario Odyssey, one of the billboards in New Donk City mentions a "Diddy's Mart". Diddy's outfit also appears as a purchasable costume for Mario after completing the game and collecting enough Power Moons or using his amiibo through Uncle amiibo.

Diddy Kong is a playable character in Monopoly Gamer. He is sold separately as a "Power Pack" expansion figure.

Physical appearance
Diddy Kong shares several traits to a. He has versatile feet, and a prehensile tail (the only Kong to possess one), which he uses most of the time to hold certain small items or also hang on objects. Diddy Kong's face is somewhat similar to Donkey Kong; however, Diddy Kong has big eyes and a less frowned space between the eyebrows, covered in fur, as opposed to Donkey Kong's. His ears are a bit big, the same size of his eyes. Diddy Kong's eyes are usually depicted as black, although Diddy Kong Racing and Donkey Kong 64 reveals blue eyes. On the other hand, Super Smash Bros. Brawl gives him brown eyes. The color of his eyelids varies depending on his appearances; sometimes they are either brown (like in Donkey Kong 64 and Diddy Kong Racing DS) or tan (like in Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and the Super Smash Bros. series) and mostly he has no eyelids at all (though he still blinks but his eyes remain open).

Diddy Kong's clothing consists of a red cap showing the logo of Nintendo on its front, and a red tank top, with yellow Stars on it (the details on his clothes were first introduced in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest).

Alternate outfits
In Donkey Kong Country, an alternate Diddy Kong's clothing was a yellow tank top and a yellow cap. It appeared when two players wished to play independently. In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Diddy Kong appears with another alternate costume as well. In the sequel, Diddy Kong wears a blue costume. In Mario Strikers Charged, Diddy Kong wears armor, protecting him against hazards set in the game. He wears a pair of wristbands, shoulder-pads, and a cuirasse over his tank top to protect his chest. The armor is mainly yellow, but it turns to purple in case that his opponents wear a similar color scheme. Later in Donkey Kong Country Returns, when the Super Guide mode is activated and Super Kong breaks a DK Barrel, Super Diddy Kong appears. Super Diddy Kong has white fur instead of brown, and his red cap and tank top have become blue.

Throughout the Super Smash Bros. series, Diddy Kong has had eight alternate costumes to choose from, including his default appearance. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Diddy Kong has 6 costumes, while in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he has 8 costumes. Diddy Kong's first alternate costume consists of a yellow tank top with red stars and white cap, while his fur is dark brown, resembling his alternate color in Donkey Kong Countrys Two-Player Contest mode; his second alternate costume gives him golden brown fur, while his cap and tank top turn pink (the stars also turn white), resembling Dixie Kong; his third alternate costume gives him dark brown fur and a purple tank top and cap, resembling his appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quests Two-Player Contest mode; his fourth alternate costume gives him reddish-brown fur and a green tank top and cap, resembling one of his alternate colors from Donkey Kong 64's multiplayer mode; lastly, his fifth alternate costume gives Diddy Kong a blue tank top and cap, resembling Kiddy Kong. In 3DS / Wii U, Diddy Kong gains his sixth and seventh alternate costumes: the former gives him black fur with a brown tank top and yellow cap, resembling a chimpanzee; the latter gives him light brown fur with a cyan tank top and fur, resembling Donkey Kong Jr.'s design in Donkey Kong Jr. Math.

Speech
In the early Donkey Kong Country games, as well as the Donkey Kong Land series, there was no voice acting, though Diddy Kong did have a few realistic monkey sounds. However, the games' respective instruction manuals showed Diddy Kong being able to speak full sentences. Diddy Kong was able to speak intelligently in the comic Rumble in the Jungle and the Super Mario Kun manga. Diddy Kong first received voice acting in the 1998 computer-animated Donkey Kong Country series, where he was portrayed by Andrew Sabiston. In the GameCube-era Mario and Donkey Kong games, Diddy was voiced by Chris Sutherland, who provided him with a mixture of cartoonish monkey noises and actual words/phrases, such as "Come on!" From 2004 onwards, Diddy Kong has been voiced by Katsumi Suzuki, who solely provided him with a cartoonish monkey voice. In cases where Diddy Kong is intended to speak in full sentences, there is in-game text to show what he is actually saying. The only time in the games where Diddy Kong actually speaks is in Diddy Kong Racing, when he says, "I'm Diddy!" whenever the player selects him to play as him. Most of the time, his speech is in parentheses, thus implying that characters other than Donkey Kong and the other Kongs still have difficulty understanding what he is saying. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Diddy Kong receives realistic chimpanzee noises.

Powers and abilities
In almost every appearance he makes, Diddy Kong has been shown to be quick and nimble to offset Donkey Kong's great strength. As a result, Diddy, while more more agile, has more trouble defeating larger enemies. In many games he has appeared, such as in Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong 64, he is able to use his cartwheel to attack opponents but also to jump farther in Donkey Kong Country. Diddy Kong is shown to have a strong skull; he has a special dashing ability in Donkey Kong 64 called Chimpy Charge where he ram into switches, walls, and gongs with a head-first charge and in Donkey Kong Country Returns, after defeating Tiki Tong, he brings the moon down with just his head.

While teamed up with Dixie Kong during the events of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Diddy Kong is able to pick up his partner and throw her to high areas or enemies. He can also throw her at collectibles that float above pits.

In some games, Diddy Kong can also use his Jetpack to fly to hard-to-reach areas. However, in Donkey Kong 64, this Jetpack is only given to him after entering one of Cranky's Kong Barrels, and it can only be used in certain areas. During the time Diddy Kong uses his Jetpack, he is also equipped with Peanut Popguns, which allow him to defeat or stun distant enemies and activate switches. During Donkey Kong Country Returns, Diddy Kong can use his Jetpack in order to carry Donkey Kong over pits. It's revealed in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, that Diddy Kong has a prehensile tail due to the fact he can hang onto hooks with it. Additionally, in Donkey Kong 64 he is able to use his tail to attack enemies or use it as a spring to reach higher areas. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is able to combine his Jetpack and Peanut Popgun for his final smash.

In Mario Superstar Baseball, Diddy Kong, with his good running stat, also possess the ability to climb on walls and catch balls that are otherwise fair. He also has Super Catch ensuring that he does not fumble any routine fly balls. His pitches and batting involve curving the ball in the shape of a banana. This ability is also present in Mario Power Tennis. In Mario Striker Charged, Diddy Kong displays some supernatural abilities such as summoning a beam of light that subdue his opponents into the sky and psychic abilities during his Mega Strike. In Mario Sport Mix, his special move is throwing a banana like a boomerang which stuns opponents after being hit by it.

Diddy Kong is capable of juggling, which he does in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest if he does not move for a while. Also, his artwork for Mario Super Sluggers portrays him juggling three baseballs. Just like Dixie Kong in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, he is also capable of playing an electric guitar in Donkey Kong 64, which he uses to solve puzzles and destroy surrounding enemies.

Personality
Diddy Kong is a friendly and adventurous character, willing to help out his friends during times of need, evidenced by the Donkey Kong Country series. Diddy Kong is somewhat of a peace seeker, which is an offset to Donkey Kong's more aggressive behavior against his enemies, since he asks a Kremling to "show himself if he was friendly" in Donkey Kong Country. Diddy Kong's defining personality trait is his energy and gaiety, to the point of childishness (in a similar vein to Toad, though he is less humble than the mushroom himself). Diddy Kong always shows excitement in various competitive sports (the Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, and Mario Baseball series) and kart races, as evidenced by his idle and victory animations, which see him cartwheeling, backflipping, sideflipping, jumping up and down, or clapping his hands while yelling and screeching in happiness and enjoyment. Diddy's boisterous, slap-happy personality comes into play in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he is constantly smiling or showing toothy grins. Diddy Kong's victory animations show him holding his head with both his hands, or firing a peanut from the Peanut Popgun, further showing how excitable he is. In The Subspace Emmissary, he is fearless to the point that he doesn't consider the danger; eager to fight Bowser while Donkey Kong and Fox McCloud knew this was too dangerous when he had a Dark Cannon at his disposal. Despite his energetic, excitable nature, Diddy Kong becomes sad when he loses to a boss in the Donkey Kong Country games or his opponents in various Mario spin-offs and Super Smash Bros. games, thus showing that he does not like to face defeat. In the television show, Diddy has a more snarky than go-lucky attitude.

Friends
Donkey Kong is Diddy Kong's best friend and idol. Diddy Kong does not appear to be related to Donkey Kong since they are different species, but he has been called Donkey Kong's nephew on occasion, such as in the English version of Super Smash Bros. and once on Rare's website; however, the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. does not call him DK's nephew, Leigh Loveday himself uses uncertain language, and the Donkey Kong 64 instruction booklet only considers him "Donkey's little nephew wannabe." The idea was soon dropped, and the usual story returned to them just being close friends.

Cranky Kong considers himself to be a "grandpappy" of sorts to Diddy Kong (as well as Dixie Kong), and while he complains about Diddy Kong receiving a starring role in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest while he was stuck in a gloomy shed, he also calls him a true video game hero and comments that he must take after himself and Donkey Kong.

Dixie Kong has accompanied her boyfriend Diddy Kong on a few adventures and sports outings, including Diddy Kong Racing DS, in which Donkey Kong does not appear. Their romantic relationship is not often touched upon in the games themselves. Tiny Kong and Diddy are shown as good friends in rare interactions. Diddy freed Tiny in Donkey Kong 64 and Tiny joins his group in the remake of Diddy Kong Racing.

Enemies
Diddy Kong, like the rest of the Kongs, is mortal enemies with the Kremlings. A Krusha stuffed him in a barrel when he guarded the banana hoard and the Kremlings, in later adventures, kidnap him and his friends. Diddy has an antagonistic relationship with King K. Rool, almost as much as Donkey Kong. Diddy Kong views him as "King K. Fool" once in DK: Jungle Climber while demanding him to just surrender. In Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, Diddy has a rivalry with Kip.

Diddy Kong also has another archenemy, the evil Wizpig, who he and a group of friends face in a race after takes over Timber's Island.

Official profiles and statistics
Diddy Kong is usually introduced as Donkey Kong's buddy in his official bios, with Dixie Kong being mentioned occasionally as well. He is typically described as being small and agile, and his stats in most spinoffs accordingly make him a lightweight and/or speed character.

Portrayals

 * Chris Sutherland (formerly)
 * Katsumi Suzuki (current; 2004-present)

Quotes

 * "Ahhh... delicious delicious bananas..." – Donkey Kong Country (SNES instruction booklet)
 * "W-w-who goes there?!" Diddy challenged the sounds in the darkened, dripping foliage. – Donkey Kong Country (SNES instruction booklet, with narration)
 * "W-w-who goes there?!?" Diddy called. – Donkey Kong Country (GBA instruction booklet, with narration)
 * "Kremlings!" Diddy gasped in horror. – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Instruction booklets, with narration)
 * "After all we did to get them back last time? Donkey Kong would go crazy if he lost his bananas again!" – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES instruction booklet)
 * "We've got to rescue him, of course!" said Diddy and Dixie together. – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES instruction booklet, with narration)
 * "What about me?!" asked Diddy, stamping his foot. "I went with Donkey on his last adventure! Why can't I do it?!" – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES instruction booklet, with narration)
 * "DK would never forgive us! We've got to rescue him!" – Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA instruction booklet)
 * "What about me?!" demanded Diddy. "I went with Donkey on his last adventure! I'll do it!" – Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA instruction booklet)
 * "But it's dangerous!" he protested. – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Instruction booklets, with narration)
 * "Of course I'm not!" – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Instruction booklets)
 * "I'll bring him back, you'll see!" he declared. – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES instruction booklet, with narration)
 * "We'll bring him back, you'll see!" – Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA instruction booklet)
 * "I'm Diddy! Hoo-hoo!" – Mario Power Tennis
 * "Come on!" – Mario Power Tennis
 * "(Heya! That was some show you put on out there. Real high-level play, and in a preliminary no less! Man, Rugby Sevens is just the best! I guess there were a lot of people here watching Rugby Sevens for the first time, but everyone got really fired up! Especially me!)" – Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
 * "(The arrow markers that appear by your feet during Rugby Sevens point toward the middle of the goalpost. If you kick the ball in the direction of the arrow, it'll make it easier to score a drop goal. This is all good info if you want to rack up points!)" – Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
 * "(The crowd adores you guys, and I do too–I'd love a chance to face you in Rugby Sevens! I'll even let you know how to improve once I beat you.)" – Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
 * "(Boy, I never thought I'd lose like that! That's what I get for thinking you were small bananas. Heckuva match, though. Thanks!)" – Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
 * "Ook ook ook!(I'm not going down easy!)" – Super Mario Party
 * "Ook ookoook ook!(You're lucky we weren't climbing trees!)" – Super Mario Party
 * "Ook ook ook!(Next time we meet, I won't lose!)" – Super Mario Party
 * "Oook ook! Oook ook ook!(Nice meeting you! I'm Diddy Kong)" – Super Mario Party
 * "Oook ook! Oook oooook? (Mind if I come along with you?)" – Super Mario Party
 * "Oook? Oook ook!(Any tree-climbing to do? I'm the best at that!)" – Super Mario Party

Trivia

 * Diddy Kong appears on Mario Kart Wii Trading Cards as a normal and foil card. On the back of his card, there is a description of him but with a spelling error saying "...he his one fun driver", instead of saying "...he is one fun driver".
 * Diddy Kong has appeared more times as a playable character in the Donkey Kong Country series than Donkey Kong has.