In the fall of 1997, a game was released on the Nintendo64 entitled Diddy Kong Racing. Expanding on the "kart racing" mechanism which had proven successful since the early Super Nintendo days in 1992, Diddy Kong Racing had expansive single player and multi-player modes. The fact that the game was developed by former Nintendo powerhouse Rare didn't hurt, either. After all, their record was virtually flawless.

Years passed, and Rare left the safety of Nintendo third partydom to seek greener pastures. But they've returned in order to port their classic N64 racer to the Nintendo DS platform, taking full advantage of the DS and its touch screen mechanism. Not surprisingly, we here at IGN have come to help you. The game, in all aspects, is fairly non-linear, and there's no specific way to beat the game or unlock everything, but there's still guidance to be had.

Within the guide are three main sections: Basics, Adventures and Tracks. Basics is the meatiest of all of the sections, which is unorthodox for our style at IGN Guides but nonetheless outlines succinctly everything you'll need to know to get through the game. The Adventure part of the guide outlines briefly what to expect on the main single player mode. And finally, to learn something about a majority of tracks in the game, seek out the Tracks section, where you can learn a little bit about what to expect from many of the tracks the game will throw at you.

In this Diddy Kong Racing DS strategy guide, you'll find:

• BASICS // Extensive tips on racing and picking the best character for every race.
• ADVENTURE // Strategy for blasting through Diddy Kong Racing's extensive adventure mode.
• TRACKS // Racing hints for for the sixteen main race courses.

Choose your vehicle - will it be kart, plane or hovercraft? No matter what choice you make, we here at IGN Guides are here to help. Enjoy!

Guide by: Colin Moriarty