The Donkey Kong series has gotten a surge of attention now with the release of Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2. Many people are rediscovering their love for the character of Donkey Kong, while others are finding out why others love the previous games on Nintendo consoles. But with the success of Donkey Kong Bananza being a major boost for the franchise, it becomes all the more important for Nintendo to follow-up on it. While a sequel to the game might do well, Nintendo has a number of other titles with characters related to Donkey Kong that would grab the attention of everyone. And one of those titles happens to star Donkey Kong's ever-dependable sidekick.

Now might be the best time for Nintendo to return to the speedways of Diddy Kong Racing. A game that many people believe was better than Mario Kart 64 in some ways, and had the potential to become even bigger beyond the Nintendo 64. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 had games like Mario Kart World got people invested in the console, leaving them with anticipation to see what other things this new Nintendo system could do. Now that players are coming off the high of Donkey Kong Bananza and how much fun it was to follow those characters, what better way to keep the momentum going than to develop another game about a Kong character? Here's why Nintendo should bring back Diddy Kong Racing in a big way for the Nintendo Switch 2 now that Donkey Kong Bananza is a major success.

People like kart racers

Nintendo mascots make them better too

The Switch 2 launched with Mario Kart World as the major game that most Switch 2 owners would be playing with their new console. Aside from the game being bundled with Switch 2 at launch, the positive reception of the game shows that players really enjoy playing kart racers, especially ones featuring Nintendo characters. The Mario Kart series has always done well with their audience across different platforms, with its apex coming from the original Nintendo Switch release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But back on the Nintendo 64, the company had more than one critically acclaimed and beloved kart racer for players to dive into. Diddy Kong Racing provided an alternative to what Mario Kart 64 was doing, but with some added layers that offered something unique at the time.

Diddy Kong Racing had the benefit of including game modes that went beyond just simple racing, but the racing itself was still the core of the experience that made everything else work. Having Diddy Kong and his allies hop into vehicles that traveled through land, sea, and air had a charm to them, often a cute one that was more lighthearted than Mario Kart. But the inclusion of modes like Adventure added more value to the total experience, letting players go through multiple tracks with a subtle plot guiding the way. It was also complimented by twists on some races, including boss battle races against larger characters that tied directly into the plot. It was everything that Mario Kart 64 was, but with even more to enjoy.

It's a good reason why having another kart racer for the Switch 2 is such a good idea. But an even better one to have it be something like Diddy Kong Racing, which fills out two goals at the same time. Switch 2 owners could get another fun multiplayer racer on the console, as well as one based on a recent success. The majority of Switch 2 owners most likely own Mario Kart World as well, so another game with a similar theme would be right up their alley.

More Donkey Kong series content

Not the same, but more fun stuff

Revisiting Diddy Kong Racing is a smart continuation of capitalizing on the reception of Donkey Kong Bananza. People are having a great time with the game on Switch 2, enjoying many of the callbacks and references to the rest of the Donkey Kong series featured in DK's newest adventure. With the game doing so well on the console, there are definitely people who want to see more of the franchise, especially those who played spin-offs like Diddy Kong Racing and other Donkey Kong-related games. The easiest way to do so would be to bring back one of the most beloved spin-offs to the series that people already know.

What's even better about this is how many of the newer aspects of Donkey Kong Bananza can tie directly into a new Diddy Kong Racing game. Whether that includes new tracks based on new locations, redesigns for characters like the other Kong family members, or even mechanics like the Bananza transformations. All of these things could be done with a similar approach to how newer Super Mario games included the Mario Kart titles that came after them. Only this time, it's all about Diddy Kong and his part of the Nintendo universe in relation to the Donkey Kong games.

Duplicating Mario Kart's success

Extending past the release

One thing that can work well in favor of having a new Diddy Kong Racing game is how much post-release success Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had over time. Things like extra DLC packs for new tracks, music, and tie-ins to Nintendo Switch Online were smart moves for Nintendo to make, which extended the amount of time people kept playing the game. Connecting content to Switch Online and incorporating Season Passes promised not only long-time support, but gave people a reason to hang around for newer content over a long period. Players stuck with Mario Kart 8 long after the original Switch was ready for its sunset.

This same kind of thing can be done for a Diddy Kong Racing title, even if partially copying what Mario Kart had done before. Although, at the moment, Mario Kart World will appear to be using the same approach for the Nintendo Switch 2 following its release, there's nothing stopping Nintendo from having more than one game doing so. Two types of games with long-term support would keep players who want to be invested in the Switch Online ecosystem busy with content they can continuously come back to, as well as updates and new additions. Something similar was done with games like Splatoon while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was still the dominant online game for Nintendo fans.

Driving back to a classic

Things are going very well for the Donkey Kong series right now following the latest game on the Switch 2. Players love the new adventure and the new look of DK himself, but they also want to see more of it. People loved Diddy Kong Racing back on the Nintendo 64, and with Mario Kart World being a massive hit, this seems like the next best thing for Nintendo to pursue. For a long time, people have wanted to see a sequel or revitalization of Diddy Kong Racing in a way that follows in the footsteps of the Mario Kart series. To them, it's a certified classic on the Nintendo 64 in many ways. And with the audience and gaming landscape seeming ideal for a new game to happen, this might be Nintendo's best shot at making a brand-new Diddy Kong Racing into a massive hit to follow-up on everything. Diddy Kong has his kart engine revved and ready to roll out.