Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)

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 becoming Banjo-Pilot in 2005.
== History ==
No information regarding this iteration of Diddy Kong Pilot was publicly known until October 3, 2011, when a former Rare employee, with the pseudoym "Transparentjinjo", posted a gameplay video on YouTube. According to its title, the game's build date was "February 19, 2003",YouTube gameplay footageNintendoEverything approximately 5 months prior to Microsoft trademarking "Banjo-Pilot".Microsoft planning Diddy Kong Pilot IP switch?https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2003/07/25/11196.html About a month later, the game leaked onto an unrelated Rare fansite.Diddy Kong Pilot - Rareware Central (Wayback Machine)
== Gameplay ==
Diddy Kong Pilot has a few modes, including the Grand Prix-type mode "Cups", a Time Trials, or even the Cranky's Challenge mode, in which the player's goal is to obtain Banana Coins placed around the course. 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 Kritter (consisting of Kritter, Klaptrap, 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 Kremlings win against the Kongs from all of their cups.
If the Kremlings finish the Cups mode, the title screen is restyled to "Kremling Pilot", and shows a lava temple-based area. If Cranky finishes the mode, the title screen is restyled to Cranky Kong Pilot, which shows a scenery of the open sea and an Enguarde jumping out on occasion. In the character selection for Team Cranky, Cranky is featured in all four character slots.
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.
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 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.
==Playable characters==
Diddy Kong Pilot	Banjo-Pilot
Diddy Kong 	Kazooie
Dixie Kong 	Jinjo
Funky Kong 	Banjo
Donkey Kong 	Bottles
Klaptrap 	Humba Wumba
Kritter 	Jolly Roger
Klump 	Klungo
King K. Rool 	Grunty
Cranky Kong 	Mumbo Jumbo
Image 	Name 	Statistics
Team Kong 	Team Kong 	Team Kong
 	Diddy Kong 	Speed: 3/5Acceleration: 3/5Weight: 2/5
 	Dixie Kong 	Speed: 3/5Acceleration: 4/5Weight: 2/5
 	Funky Kong 	Speed: 4/5Acceleration: 2/5Weight: 3/5
 	Donkey Kong 	Speed: 4/5Acceleration: 3/5Weight: 4/5
Team Kritter	Team Kritter	Team Kritter
 	Kritter 	Speed: 3/5Acceleration: 4/5Weight: 2/5
 	Klap Trap 	Speed: 2/5Acceleration: 5/5Weight: 2/5
 	Klump 	Speed: 4/5Acceleration: 2/5Weight: 4/5
 	King K. Rool	Speed: 5/5Acceleration: 1/5Weight: 5/5
Team Cranky 	Team Cranky 	Team Cranky
 	Cranky Kong 	Speed: 5/5Acceleration: 4/5Weight: 2/5
==Teams==
Diddy Kong Pilot 	Banjo-Pilot
Team Kong - Beginner 	Bottles GP
Team Krem - Intermediate	Grunty GP
Team Cranky - Expert 	Endurance GP
N/A 	Jinjo GP
Screenshot	Name 	Description
 	Team Kong 	This team consists of four of the Kongs: Donkey Kong, Diddy, Dixie, and Funky. Every member of Team Kong is playable since the start. They are the main rivals of Team Krem. Prior to starting a cup, Cranky encourages the player to win against the Kremlings.
 	Team Krem 	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. As a result of unlocking Team Krem, 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 honeycomb background (likely a reference to Zinger hives). Before starting a cup as a Kremling, Cranky talks in a disgruntled manner toward them.
 	Team Cranky	Cranky is the only member of Team Cranky, the only team specifically named after another character. Team Cranky can be unlocked after the Kremlings win against the Kongs in every cup and dogfight match. 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.
Like Team Krem, unlocking Cranky changes the title screen and selection menus into a relative theme. The title screen shows a cobwebbed, wooden logo of "Cranky Kong Pilot", and shows an ocean in the background scenery. From the title screen, an Enguarde occasionally jumps out of the water. The options and selection menu show construction girders from the Donkey Kong arcade game.
==Items==
Diddy Kong Pilot	Banjo-Pilot 	Note
K-O-N-G Letters 	Notes 	Collectibles later replaced by Notes in Banjo-Pilot.
Banana Coin 	Jiggy 	Items in Cranky's Challenge. Six must be collected while winning against Cranky too.
Star Barrel 	Honeycomb 	
Balloon 	Glowbo 	
Buzz 	Fire Egg 	Sent after opponents to attack.
Zinger 	Ice Egg 	Can be left behind as an obstacle.
TNT Barrel 	Turbo Trainers 	Allows the player to gain a boost when this item is used.
Rambi 	Gold Feather 	Allows invincibility.
Wrench Barrel 	Minjy Jongo 	Allows the player to temporarily stun all players and make them dizzy.
Blue Buzz 	Saucer 'O Peril	A homing Buzz missile. Does the same as the regular, but locks onto the target
N/A 	Cheato Pages 	
==Race courses==
Diddy Kong Pilot	Banjo-Pilot 	Cups
Steamy Swoop 	Spiral Mountain 	Klaptrap Kup (DKP)Honeycomb Cup (BP)
Plain Pursuit 	Jinxy's Dunes 	Klaptrap Kup (DKP)Honeycomb Cup (BP)
Chilly Length 	Freezeezy Peak 	Klaptrap Kup (DKP)Honeycomb Cup (BP)
Magma Spurt 	Hailfire Peaks 	Klaptrap Kup (DKP)Honeycomb Cup (BP)
Shore Strife 	Treasure Trove Cove 	Kritter Kup (DKP)Jiggy Cup (BP)
Jungle Jostle 	Clanker's River 	Kritter Kup (DKP)Jiggy Cup (BP)
Temple Heat 	Grunty Industries 	Kritter Kup (DKP)Jiggy Cup (BP)
Wild Wilderness 	Gobi's Valley 	Kritter Kup (DKP)Jiggy Cup (BP)
Frosty Feud 	Freezing Furnace 	Klump Kup (DKP)Beehive Cup (BP)
Vine Rush 	Mayahem Temple 	Klump Kup (DKP)Beehive Cup (BP)
Speedy Show 	Steamy Vents 	Klump Kup (DKP)Beehive Cup (BP)
Reef Encounter 	Jolly Roger's Lagoon 	Klump Kup (DKP)Beehive Cup (BP)
Lava Dispute 	Witchyworld 	K. Rool Kup (DKP)Feather Cup (BP)
Frantic Beach 	Breegull Beach 	K. Rool Kup (DKP)Feather Cup (BP)
Prairie Dash 	Terrydactyland 	K. Rool Kup (DKP)Feather Cup (BP)
Icy Passage 	Cauldron Keep 	K. Rool Kup (DKP)Feather Cup (BP)
Monkey Rift 	Spiral Mountain R 	Dixie Cup (DKP)Pumpkin Cup (BP)
Plateau Patrol 	Jinxy's Dunes R 	Dixie Cup (DKP)Pumpkin Cup (BP)
Artic Rumble 	Freezeezy Peak R 	Dixie Cup (DKP)Pumpkin Cup (BP)
Ember Trouble 	Hailfire Peaks R 	Dixie Cup (DKP)Pumpkin Cup (BP)
Rapid Sands 	Treasure Trove Cove R 	Diddy Cup (DKP)Cauldron Cup (BP)
Simian Field 	Clanker's River R 	Diddy Cup (DKP)Cauldron Cup (BP)
Cinder Slam 	Grunty Industries R 	Diddy Cup (DKP)Cauldron Cup (BP)
Savannah Air 	Gobi's Valley R 	Diddy Cup (DKP)Cauldron Cup (BP)
Snow Business 	Freezing Furnace R 	Funky Cup (DKP)Skull Cup (BP)
Gibbons Gate 	Mayahem Temple R 	Funky Cup (DKP)Skull Cup (BP)
Fiery Divide 	Steamy Vents R 	Funky Cup (DKP)Skull Cup (BP)
Monkey Bay 	Jolly Roger's Lagoon R	Funky Cup (DKP)Skull Cup (BP)
Sanctum Shoot 	Witchyworld R 	Donkey Cup (DKP)Broomstick Cup (BP)
Coastal Chaos 	Breegull Beach R 	Donkey Cup (DKP)Broomstick Cup (BP)
Sunset Shindig 	Terrydactyland R 	Donkey Cup (DKP)Broomstick Cup (BP)
Tundra Tumble 	Cauldron Keep R 	Donkey Cup (DKP)Broomstick Cup (BP)
Jungle Jig 	Mumbo's Mountain 	Battle Tracks
Sunset Scrap 	Temple Tussle 	Battle Tracks
Ice Escapades 	Arctic Blast 	Battle Tracks
Beach Brawl 	Rusty Bucket Bay 	Battle Tracks
==Glitches==
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 is during the Cranky Kong Pilot title screen, where it shows the Klaptrap Cup having a trophy before Cranky participates in it. Another bug always shows a "22" in the top-left corner of the Options menu.
==Gallery==
===Screenshots===
DKP 2003 Kremling Pilot title.png|The Team Krem title screen, Kremling Pilot
DKP 2003 Cranky Kong Pilot title.png|The Team Cranky title screen, Cranky Pilot
DKP - Cranky Kong Screenshot.png|Cranky Kong sitting outside his hut
DKP - Kong Letters Screenshot.png|K-O-N-G Letters
Klump DKP2003 menu.png|The Team Krem character select, with Klump highlighted as a character.
Cranky DKP2003 character select.png|The Team Cranky character select, where Cranky erroneously appears in all four slots.
===Sprites===
Wrench Barrel DKP 2003 icon.png|Wrench Barrel
==Trivia==
*The options menu of Cranky Kong Pilot title screen shows construction girders from the Donkey Kong arcade game.
*A spelling error appears when the player loses at a dogfight: the text reads "YOU LOOSE" instead of "YOU LOSE".
*The generic Kritter in the game bears far more resemblance to Krunch than a typical Kritter.
== References ==
Category:Games in Donkey Kong franchise
Category:Cancelled games