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Walkthrough

by Koopa64

Diddy Kong Racing DS Walkthrough 

Written by Koopa64 

Copyright 2008 Aaron Wilcott 

Version: 1.21 

1: Version History
2: Legal Stuff 
3: Contact Information 
4: FAQ Key
5: Introduction 
6: History 
7: Adventure Mode 
  - Taj's Car Challenge
 > Dino Domain 
  - Ancient Lake 
  - Fossil Canyon 
  - Jungle Falls 
   - Taj's Plane Challenge
  - Hot Top Valcano 
  - Boss Race 1 
  - Ancient Lake Challenge 
  - Fossil Canyon Challenge 
  - Jungle Falls Challenge 
   - Taj's Hovercraft Challenge
  - Hot Top Valcano Challenge
  - Boss Race 2 
  - Trophy Race 
  - T.T.'s Wish Race
 > Snowflake Mountain 
  - Everfrost Peak 
  - Walrus Cove 
  - Snowball Valley 
  - Frosty Village 
  - Boss Race 1 
  - Everfrost Peak Challenge 
  - Walrus Cove Challenge 
  - Snowball Valley Challenge
  - Frosty Village Challenge 
  - Boss Race 2 
  - Trophy Race 
  - T.T.'s Wish Race
 > Sherbet Island 
  - Whale Bay 
  - Crescent Island 
  - Pirate Lagoon 
  - Treasure Caves 
  - Boss Race 1 
  - Whale Bay Challenge 
  - Crescent Island Challenge 
  - Pirate Lagoon Challenge 
  - Treasure Caves Challenge 
  - Boss Race 2 
  - Trophy Race 
  - T.T.'s Wish Race 
   - Taj's Torch Challenge
 > Dragon Forest 
  - Windmill Plains 
  - Greenwood Village 
  - Boulder Canyon 
  - Haunted Woods 
  - Boss Race 1 
  - Windmill Plains Challenge 
  - Greenwood Village Challenge 
  - Boulder Canyon Challenge 
  - Haunted Woods Challenge 
  - Boss Race 2 
  - Trophy Race 
  - T.T.'s Wish Race 
   - Taj's Token Challenge 
   - Wizpig Race 1 
 > Future Fun Land 
  - Spacedust Valley 
   - Extra Balloons
  - Darkmoon Caverns 
  - Spaceport Alpha 
  - Star City 
  - Spacedust Valley Challenge 
  - Darkmoon Caverns Challenge 
  - Spaceport Alpha Challenge 
  - Star City Challenge 
  - Trophy Race 
  - Wizpig Race 2
8: Tips and Tricks 
 > Zipper Trick 
 > Super Sharp Turn 
9: Secrets 
 > T.T.'s Wish Race Door Keys 
 > Taj's Challenges 
 > Extra Balloons 
 > Extra Coins
 > Scratch Cards 
10: Questions & Answers 
11: Credits 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 
------------------ 
1: Version History 
------------------ 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 

Version 1.21 3/23/08: 

+Added how to unlock Taj, Wizpig, T.T. and Drumstick in the Secrets 
Section. 
+Added how to unlock the hidden tracks in the Secrets Section. 

Version 1.20 1/21/08: 

+ Added sites with permission to host this guide on. Located in the 
Legal Stuff section. 
+ Added some more questions to the Q&A section 

Version 1.10 1/16/08: 

+ Fixed L Button to R Button in the Tips and Tricks section. 
+ Fixed the copyright from 2007 to 2008. 
+ Fixed some minor grammar errors 
+ Fixed the caption for the Secrets section. 
+ Added some questions to the Q&A section. 
+ Added an ASCII art request in the Credits section 

Version 1.00 1/5/08: 

First version. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 
-------------- 
2: Legal Stuff 
-------------- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 

You may use this guide with written permission from Koopa64. You may 
contact him via email or AIM (see Contact Information). If you wish to 
host this guide on your site, please contact me with the details. Use 
of this guide in commercial use is strictly prohibited and a violation 
of copyright. 

These sites have been given my explicit permission to host this guide 
on: 

GameFAQs (.com) 
Cheat Happens (.com)
Super Cheats (.com) 
Neoseeker (.com) 
CheatCC (.com) 

Any sites not mentioned here are not allowed to host my guide on their 
sites. Sites without permission must email me for permission to host 
this guide on their site. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 
---------------------- 
3: Contact Information 
---------------------- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 

If you have any questions you'd like to have answered in this guide, 
have constructive critisism or wish to host this guide on your site, 
you may contact me via: 

email: [email protected] 
AIM: Koopster64 
DKRDS Message Board on GameFAQs 

Please use my email address for normal contacting. But if you cannot 
contact me via email, you may use AIM to question me about something 
concerning this guide. 

If you are to use AIM, you may NOT spam me with useless chats, unless 
you wish to simply chat with me. You may NOT flame me constantly, or 
throw death threats at me. My AIM Screen Name is mainly a backup for 
my email address. Unless you MUST use AIM, please use my email address. 

Concerning the DKRDS Message Board, this is actually the best way to 
get your opinion noticed by me as I visit that board often. But if you 
don't have a GFAQs account (or any related CNET account), you can 
contact me via email or AIM. 

/\/\/\/\/\ 
---------- 
4: FAQ Key 
---------- 
\/\/\/\/\/ 

For those of you who find the layout of this FAQ a bit confusing, here 
is a key for section borders: 

/\/\/ 
----- 
First 
----- 
\/\/\ 

|------| 
|Second| 
|------| 

***** 
Third 
***** 

______ 
Fourth 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 
--------------- 
5: Introduction 
--------------- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 

Diddy Kong Racing DS is is racing game for Nintendo DS and is a remake 
of the classic Diddy Kong Racing for the Nintendo 64. This guide will 
(most likely) be the first useful FAQ for DKRDS on GameFAQs. 

Also, concerning this guide, when playing through Adventure Mode, 
follow the walkthrough exactly to fully complete each world. 

Please note that this guide only shows in moderate detail just how to 
complete Adventure Mode. If you wish to learn about the basic elements 
of DKRDS (such as zippers and characters), please consult the manual 
that came with your copy of DKRDS. And because Adventure 2 is so similar 
to Adventure 1, the A1 walkthrough can be applied to the A2 portion of 
the game. 

/\/\/\/\/\ 
---------- 
6: History 
---------- 
\/\/\/\/\/

NOTE: Unless you enjoy reading some video game history now and then, 
you may skip this section. 

Diddy Kong Racing (AKA DKR) was released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64, 
it featured 3 different vehicles to race with. Car, Plane and 
Hovercraft respectively, something that was never done before in a 
kart racer. It featured 8 lovable characters to race as (2 were 
unlockable). Along with lots of tracks to race on, funtastic 
multi-player modes and Rareware's trademark developing skills, DKR was 
a classic on the N64. 

Later, in 2002, Rare was bought by Microsoft from Nintendo, meaning 
that Rare would no longer be developing for Nintendo. No more DK games 
would be made by Rare and no more of Rare's IPs would appear on 
Nintendo consoles. The exceptions being the Gameboy Advance and 
Nintendo DS. 

Nearly 10 years after the release of DKR on the N64, Rare released an 
updated remake of DKR entitled, Diddy Kong Racing DS. This remake 
featured (supposedly) intuitive Touch Screen controls, online play 
through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and extra content over the original 
release. Including extra characters, tracks and even a Track Editor 
(Known as Wish Race). 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 
----------------- 
7: Adventure Mode 
----------------- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 

Here is the walkthrough for DKRDS's Adventure Mode. 

____________________ 
Taj's Car Challenge: 

When you first begin DKRDS, the intro cutscene will play, it's fairly 
straight forward and requires no explanation. The only thing you need 
to know is that Wizpig is trying to terrorize Timber's Island, and all 
of the main characters are trying to stop him.

After that, Taj will have you set up your save file. First you will 
enter your name and create an in-game icon or pick one you have already 
made. 

Once you are done inside Taj's Tent, he will test your driving skills, 
simply follow his directions and you should be fine. Once you beat 
him, he will give you a Golden Balloon, which you need to open the 
Dino Domain Door. 

|-------------| 
|> Dino Domain| 
|-------------| 

First things first, head forward and enter the door with "Ancient 
Lake" on it. Which will start the first race. 

************** 
- Ancient Lake 
************** 

Follow the normal path through the course, shortcuts aren't neccessary. 
Don't forget to use the zippers for extra speed. Other than that, 
there really isn't much to this level. 

__________________________ 
T.T.'s Wish Race Door Key: 

Before the first left turn, run off to the right side of the road, 
you should see a ramp with a key floating in the air next to it. You'll 
need a blue balloon to get it. 

*************** 
- Fossil Canyon 
*************** 

If you need to get ahead of the competition, use the zipper on the left  
side of the road, right after the start. And the zipper on the left 
after the first turn. Using the shortcut near the bridge isn't 
required to beat the CPUs, but it helps when your lagging behind. And 
be careful of the dinosaur near the start. 

************** 
- Jungle Falls 
************** 

Before the race begins, be wary of using the start boost. It might send 
you rocketing right into the pond, it is recommended that you avoid 
using a boost at the start of this level. Anyway, follow the main path 
as usual. When first racing here, try not to use the zipper before 
the bridge as you may send yourself right into another pond. Simply 
avoid the zipper and take a small right turn to get on the 
birdge. When coming out of the tunnel, it is safe to use the immediate 
zipper. If this is your first time on this course, avoid the dead
dinosaur's mouth. Even though it has a zipper inside it, you will tend 
to get hung up in there, so just avoid it all together. 

______________________
Taj's Plane Challenge: 

You may be wondering at this point as to why you only have 4 Balloons, 
while you need 5 to enter Hot Top Valcano. You must exit Dino Domain 
to see Taj, he will give you a Plane Challenge. You really have no 
choice but to take his challenge. It's really easy so beginners most 
likely won't have much trouble. 

Some may have slight trouble with the Plane but it's simple to use 
after some practice. Be sure to hold down R Button so you can turn 
sharper on those sharper turns. Remember, hitting walls or water slows 
down the Plane, so try not to hit them. 

After you beat Taj, he will give you another Golden Balloon, which 
will give you access to Hot Top Valcano. If you wish to return to using 
the Car, go and see Taj.

***************** 
- Hot Top Valcano 
***************** 

Here you will be using the Plane, so Taj's Challenge wasn't a waste of 
time after all. Once the race starts, take the left side of the big 
stone collumn. And if your not an expert with the Plane, take the left 
side of the tunnel. There is a shortcut to the left, behind the stone 
wall, usage of it will help you catch up with the pack. Use the boost 
panel on the left side of the long tunnel, after the shortcut. After 
that, be careful of the Dinosaur and use the boost panels to rocket 
your way across the large lava pool area. Also, be careful not to hit 
any walls as they will slow you down and untimately make you lose if 
your not careful. 

************* 
- Boss Race 1 
************* 

For most of the race, stick to the inside of the race track to stay 
ahead of Tricky. Pick up red balloons to attack him and use blue 
balloons to boost ahead of him. And be careful not to hit any trees. 

************************************** 
- Ancient Lake Balloon Touch Challenge 
************************************** 

This challenge is pretty straight forward. Just pop as many golden 
balloons as possible. There's a lot of them near the start and by the 
waterfall. And they're's plenty of coins around too. 

*************************************** 
- Fossil Canyon Balloon Touch Challenge 
*************************************** 

Pop as many Balloons as possible. They are all mostly in easy reach, 
so getting the gold award won't be a problem. 

************************************** 
- Jungle Falls Balloon Touch Challenge 
************************************** 

Like the previous two challenges, this one is fairly easy too. The 
bridge area is a bit tricky but nothing too difficult. When coming out 
of the tunnel, the flying carpet will speed up a bit so be prepared. 
The fossilized dinosaur area is also a tad tricky, some balloons are 
hiding amongst the rib bones. 

___________________________ 
Taj's Hovercraft Challenge: 

Once again, you need one more balloon to enter Hot Top Valcano, Taj 
is waiting for you outside Dino Domain to challenge you again. This 
time with the Hovercraft. 

The Hovercraft is the most difficult vehicle to use in DKRDS, some 
practice will be required by newbies to get use to it's unusual 
controls. 

The most problematic point of the course most people will encounter 
is the first waterfall. Drive into it on the right side and you should 
be fine. Be careful not to stray from the markers otherwise you may 
miss one. Also be wary of hitting any walls as they will mess up your 
steering. 

After beating him once again, he will fork over another Golden 
Balloon, which you need to enter Hot Top Valcano. There seems to be a 
pattern forming here...

***************************************** 
- Hot Top Valcano Balloon Touch Challenge 
***************************************** 

The difficulty increases here a bit compared to the previous three. 
When the challenge begins, you'll find yourself going around the right 
side of the big stone collumn, then into the left tunnel. There are 
lots of balloons to be popped in the area after the twin tunnels. The 
lava river bed area is fairly easy, there's one balloon at the top of 
each lavafall. 

************* 
- Boss Race 2 
************* 

Tricky will now take on your second challenge, he is much more 
difficult than before, so watch out. 

It is recommended that you use a boost at the start of the race. If 
you can, try to drive in between the trees and mountain. Pick up two 
red balloons to get 5 rockets, when he passes you, slow down a bit and 
blast him. And try to stay near the inside of the track. 

************************* 
- Dino Domain Trophy Race 
************************* 

Competition is much more difficult in the Trophy Race compared to the 
individual tracks. So be sure to use rockets, boosts and zippers more 
often. Any and all shortcuts are also recommended as you need to 
finish first in each race. When the competition gets rough, you need 
to use more rockets to slow down the opponents. For more indepth 
strategy on each of the individual tracks, see the race strategies 
for those tracks.

****************** 
- T.T.'s Wish Race 
****************** 

NOTE: To compete in T.T.'s Wish Race, you need to collect the Wish 
Door Key from Ancient Lake. 

These Wish Races give you a tutorial of how to use the Wish Race Track 
Editor, which you can buy from Taj's Tent after you complete the first 
Wish Race challenge. 

T.T. will have you simply draw lines to create a race track, for this 
challenge, he will have you make a square. 

T.T.'s Wish Race challenge is unusually easy. T.T. tends to fall off 
the corners of the square track you designed, so as long as you stay 
on top of the track, this will be a cakewalk. If for some weird reason 
he passes you and stays in first, simply hit him with a rocket when 
path is straight and flat. And just to mess with T.T., spill some oil 
on the track to slow him down. 

|--------------------| 
|> Snowflake Mountain| 
|--------------------| 

If you completed all of Dino Domain, you should be fully able to enter 
Snowflake Mountain. Just take the Plane and fly through the snowy 
tunnel to the left of where you come out of. Or alternately, take the 
Hovercraft and go through the watery tunnel just to the left of the 
snowy one. 

If you DID complete everything in Dino Domain before coming here, 
you'll notice that all of the doors have one digit balloon 
requirements. So you won't have to go see Taj for a while. 

**************** 
- Everfrost Peak 
**************** 

Since your using the plane, you should avoid using the Car Zippers 
unless you absolutely have to, the Plane Zippers are better. Just race 
around the course as usual, nothing special to see here. If you want 
to avoid being blasted by the other racers when not inside the tunnel, 
try flying up on the edges of the race track, there are tree skins up 
there and it's high ground so you'll know your there. 

************* 
- Walrus Cove 
************* 

Competition will increase some more here, so ready those rockets. At 
the loop de loop, let go of the A button to get a boost of speed when 
you get off it. Stick close to the inside curve of the cave. When you 
reach the path that runs through the loop de loop, be sure to use the 
two zippers that are there. The first one is on the right and the 
second one is on the left. After the second cave, if your feeling up 
to it, you can take the shortcut on the inside of the right turn. When 
you reach the lake-esque area, it's best to take the left path to use 
the zipper that's there, but the path is thinner, so the right one 
may be a better choice for those who aren't really good at DKRDS. 

***************** 
- Snowball Valley 
***************** 

At the start of the race, take the left path which is faster than the 
regular path. At the end, take a sharp turn to the right. At the 
snowball area, grab a couple of blue or red balloons and try to get 
ahead of the pack. At the end of the short tunnel after the snowballs, 
take the zipper on the left side of the exit and turn to the right a 
bit, so you don't end up in the snow. If anyone is in front of you, 
blast them with some rockets if you can get any. 

__________________________ 
T.T.'s Wish Race Door Key: 

At the start of the race, don't go forward. Instead, head directly 
left, forward a bit, then to the right. You should find the T.T. Wish 
Race Door Key. 

**************** 
- Frosty Village 
**************** 

Since most of the opponents will be ahead of you, grab some red 
balloons to blast some of them. After the the big arch, stick to the 
right side of the area to have a running chance of passing most of the 
opponents. After the long tunnel, take a sharp turn to the right. And 
be sure to hit each and every zipper to rocket across this helpful 
shortcut. Use each zipper along the course to zip past the other 
racers and use some rockets occasionally to knock out the others. One 
thing you have to be careful of is driving into the water. Avoid the 
water at all costs if you want to finish in first place. 

************* 
- Boss Race 1 
************* 

Bluey the Walrus is the next boss you'll have to face, he's also very 
tough to beat. You may find yourself using up a fair ammount of tries 
just to beat him. 

Bluey thinks your slow, so he gives you a head start. Use this to your 
advantage and stay ahead of him. Move through the first tunnel as best 
as you can, because Bluey will slowly catch up to you. Also try not to 
take too sharp of turns as you slow down when that happens. If he 
passes you, grab a rocket to blast him or use a blue balloon to speed 
past him. The best place to hit him is in the final stretch, where you 
can get a really good shot at him. 

**************************************** 
- Everfrost Peak Balloon Touch Challenge 
**************************************** 

At the very start, there are a couple of balloons sitting on top of 
the cliffs on your left and right side. In the icy river area, there 
are balloons hiding behind each of the trees. Other than that, just 
pop any balloons you see. 

************************************* 
- Walrus Cove Balloon Touch Challenge 
************************************* 

There are a few balloons in easy popping reach at the start. Once you 
reach the loop de loop area, be sure to pop as many balloons as you 
can so there aren't as many to pop after the cave. Just pop every one 
you see and you'll do fine. 

***************************************** 
- Snowball Valley Balloon Touch Challenge 
***************************************** 

There are a lot of balloons at the start, so popping them all will be 
a little tricky. In the second major area, there are also lots of 
balloons to pop. The snowball area is much the same thing, they are 
pretty much scattered about the level. 

**************************************** 
- Frosty Village Balloon Touch Challenge 
**************************************** 

The golden balloons are scattered fairly well along this level, most 
are in easy access. The flying carpet will circle a few rocks so that 
area is made a little easier. Some balloons are hidden behind a few 
buildings there, so be careful. When you come out of the tunnel after 
the village, there are a couple balloons on your direct right. Instead 
of taking the conventional path, it takes the path beyond the 
waterfall, so be prepared. 

************* 
- Boss Race 2 
************* 

Bluey's second challenge is much more difficult than before, so watch 
out. Don't be surprised if you get incredibly annoyed with this boss, 
he is unforgivingly tough. If your having serious trouble with him, 
try switching to a different character, like Krunch. 

Be sure to use the touch screen boost to get ahead of Bluey at the 
start of the race. Use blue balloons when ever you can, and be sure to 
save a red balloon for the last stretch of the race to knock him out. 

******************************** 
- Snowflake Mountain Trophy Race 
******************************** 

Like the last Trophy Race, this back-to-back competition is more 
difficult than the individual tracks. So adapt to the more aggressive 
opponents with more attacks and shortcuts. If you need indepth help 
with the tracks themselves, see their individual strategies. 

****************** 
- T.T.'s Wish Race 
****************** 

Like before, T.T. will show you how to use the Wish Race Track Editor 
for use in the next challenge. This time however, the square is 
missing 1 quarter off the bottom left, just to switch things up a bit. 

Even though there are more corners on this track, T.T. tends to fall 
off the course less than last time. So this time you'll have to rely 
on missles and boosts to beat T.T. 

|----------------| 
|> Sherbet Island| 
|----------------| 

The difficulty will only increase from now on, you may want to consider 
buying some upgrades from Taj once you reach Sherbet Island. 

*********** 
- Whale Bay 
*********** 

This level isn't too difficult considering your using the Hovercraft. 
Just navigate the turns as best you can, it's recommended that you 
save blue balloons for straight aways. If you use the zippers on this 
level and find yourself flying into a wall, try hopping to get yourself 
back on track. At the pirate ship, if the Whale is above the water, 
you can take the shortcut over top of it. You don't need a blue balloon 
though, but it doesn't hurt. 

***************** 
- Crescent Island 
***************** 

At the start of the race, it's best to avoid vehicle clutter by taking 
the left path at the fork in the road. After the road joins up again, 
try to hit every zipper along the path. At the pirate ship, it's 
actually better to just take the regular path instead of the shortcut, 
so you can just drift through the normal path and pass the congestion 
of other racers. Near the end of the track, before the start/finish 
like, if your good at drifting, take the shortcut around the U turn. 
Alternately, you can just slow down when using the shortcut but the 
opponents can pass you there if your not careful. 

__________________________ 
T.T.'s Wish Race Door Key: 

Just after the split in the road near the starting line, turn left. 
The key is in that large wading pool. 

*************** 
- Pirate Lagoon 
*************** 


At the start, if your aim is good, knock out a racer or two with a 
rocket. After the first turn, use the zipper to rocket to the other 
side of the large water area. Hop around the left turn to avoid losing 
any speed. After the right turn, use the zipper, don't forget to hop 
to avoid hitting the left wall. Near the finish line, use the zipper 
and ramp to get a jump on the competition, hop once or twice to prevent 
you from running into a wall. 

**************** 
- Treasure Caves 
**************** 

At the start of the race, move over to the left side of the road and 
use the zipper that's there. At the archway, use rockets or boosts to 
zip past the other racers. When inside the cave, don't forget the 
zipper on the left side of the road and be careful of the water on 
either side of the path. In the area after that, there's a handy zipper 
on the right side of the road. 

************* 
- Boss Race 1 
************* 

Right at the very start, grab the red balloon and save it for when he's 
in front of you. Along the rest of the course, try to avoid the mines 
while collection rockets, wait until you have picked up two or three 
before attacking him. You should also wait until you can easily pass 
him before attacking. If you were lucky enough to get ahead of him with 
a start boost, just try to keep ahead of him while avoiding the mines 
he leaves. 

*********************************** 
- Whale Bay Balloon Touch Challenge 
*********************************** 

It isn't too hard to get past this level. The flying carpet will circle 
the rock on the right after the U turn cave, making it easy to pop 
balloons that are out of the way, although there are quite a few of 
them near the pirate ship. There are some along the rock wall on the 
right and some up in the sails of the ship. The flying carpet will go 
forward, to the front of the ship, then head inside and fly up and over 
the ship, so be prepared. There are also a couple balloons inside the 
ship. After that, they are mostly scattered about the area near the 
finish line. 

***************************************** 
- Crescent Island Balloon Touch Challenge 
***************************************** 

There are balloons all over the place on this level. If you can collect 
them, there are coins sitting in the water on the left, from the start. 
he carpet will go through the left path at the fork in the road and 
circle one of the arches, making it difficult to collect the balloons 
in the right path. At the pirate ship, the flying carpet will go around 
the front of the ship, instead of inside it. There is a small 
collection of balloons near the finish line, in case your under the 
minimum of required balloons. 

*************************************** 
- Pirate Lagoon Balloon Touch Challenge 
*************************************** 

There are 3 balloons directly if front of you at the start of this 
challenge. The flying carpet will zip-zag around the small islands 
before the left turn. After that turn, there are a ton of balloons 
scattered around the area. Two turns later, the balloons are scattered 
along hard to reach areas, such as the top of the ledge on the right 
after the cave. The ammount of balloons diminishes as you get close to 
the finish line. 

**************************************** 
- Treasure Caves Balloon Touch Challenge 
**************************************** 

Once the challenge starts, the carpet will go off the regular path and 
will fly around the rocks and water, allowing you to pop most of the 
balloons in that area. There are also a couple of balloons underneath 
the bridge to your left just after the start. In the cave area, the 
balloons are all over the place, some on the pirate ship and other in 
the corners of the area. In the left turn after the cave, there are 5 
balloons near the finish line. 

************* 
- Boss Race 2 
************* 

This is probably one of the most difficult bosses to beat in DKRDS, be 
sure to buy some upgrades from Taj and use your best character if you 
have trouble beating him. 

Much like the last boss race, use a start boost to get a head start on 
him. Just stick as close to the inside curve as possible without 
slowing down from hitting the wall. Along the way, pick up and save 2 
red balloons for blasting him with. The best time to attack him is to 
wait until it's the 3rd lap, and have 2 red balloons saved up. When 
you near the final stretch of the course, let him pass a bit and hit 
him with a (slightly) homing rocket. Then pass him and speed across 
the finish line. 

**************************** 
- Sherbet Island Trophy Race 
**************************** 

This might be an excellent time to invest in some upgrades from Taj if 
you haven't already. Since as always, the competition is rough in the 
Trophy Race. 

The best advice I can give you is to race fast and hard. If there's 
anyone ahead of you, save up two or three red balloons and smoke the 
offending racer. Use blue balloons in the straight stretches and use 
green balloons if you happen to pick one up, but don't leave it where 
you might run into it on the next lap. 

****************** 
- T.T.'s Wish Race 
****************** 

Like the last two times you've attempted T.T.'s Wish Race, T.T. will 
have you draw up a race track, this time it is a T shape. 

T.T. falls off this course just as much as the first one, making your 
job extremely easy. Just follow the course as usual, without falling 
off yourself. Feel free to spill some oil on the track just to make 
life difficult for T.T. 

_______________________ 
- Taj's Torch Challenge 

When you leave Sherbet Island to venture off to Dragon Forest, Taj 
appears to bother you with another challenge. This one a lot of people 
have difficulty on, you will be blowing out torches with the microphone 
on the DS. You only have 60 seconds to do so however. 

First off, you should go forward into the cave to the left of the Plane 
only cave. Inside are some torches, I will provide advice for blowing 
them out in the next paragraph. After blowing out the three torches 
there, turn around and go back to the area where Taj's Tent is. Then go 
through the cave to the left of the froghead pedestal (to the left of 
the Wizpig head if you park right in front of Taj's Tent). 

There actually several tricks that many people have suggested on this 
particular challenge. Here they are: 

Blowing: 

This is the standard way to achomplish the torch challenge, but for 
most people, it's not very effective and you run out of breath too 
fast. 

Sucking: 

I know it sounds weird, but pressing your lips to the little slit where 
the mic is, then sucking on it. It is actually quite effective, it's 
way easier than blowing, you don't run out of breath much and at least 
there's less of a chance of getting spit all over your DS, but make 
sure your lips are dry. 

Fan: 

Some people use mini, handheld fans to do the dirty work. Of course not 
everyone has one of those things, but probably any powerful fan will be 
able to blow out the torches. Just as long as the power is focused on 
one particular spot, instead of wide range. Although I haven't tested 
this solution yet. 

Once you do finish Taj's Torch Challenge, he will give you a balloon. 
Now you may proceed to Dragon Forest. 

|---------------| 
|> Dragon Forest| 
|---------------| 

If you don't know where Dragon Forest is, the entrance is located in 
the cave behind the waterfall to the left of the Froghead Pedestal, to 
the left of Wizpig's head if your parked directly in front of Taj's 
Tent, facing the Wizpig head. 

***************** 
- Windmill Plains 
***************** 

Once the race begins, grab a blue/red balloon to get ahead of the other 
racers. Pick up the occasional red balloon to attack any offending 
opponent while using any zippers on the track. Once you reach a single 
windmill before the waterfall, use the Plane Zipper and the Car Zipper 
inside the Windmill to gain some ground on any racer that's ahead of 
you. But be careful of the windmill blades. There's a weapon upgrader 
right in front of the waterfall. Also be careful of hitting any walls 
as they stop you completely. 

******************* 
- Greenwood Village 
******************* 

Stick to the inside curve at the start and you'll find a zipper to use. 
After that, you can take either the shortcut in the well in the middle 
of the village, or you can follow the other racers along the main path. 
You should take the shortcut, drive to the well from the left corner 
when you enter the village. At the end of the shortcut is a weapon 
upgrader and a zipper. At the end of a left, right, left winding road 
is a zipper on the right side of the track, don't miss it. After that 
is a very sharp set of curves near the finish line, Do a few sharp 
drifts and you'll be fine. On the left side of the straight away where 
the start/finish line is located is another zipper. Don't forget to use 
blue and red balloons, and the green ones occasionally too. 

**************** 
- Boulder Canyon 
**************** 

One of the most important things to remember in Boulder Canyon is to 
avoid the floating logs, they can either be helpful in a way or be a 
pain. When you reach the drawbridge, hit the bell to retract the 
drawbridge, this is helpful for stopping CPUs dead in their tracks. A 
turns later and you see two paths, both look equal in where they lead. 
You should pick the right one, as it's actually a shortcut, it also 
contains a weapon upgrader if nobody else has taken that path ahead of 
you. 

__________________________ 
T.T.'s Wish Race Door Key: 

First, pick up 2 or 3 blue balloons then head for the drawbridge. Once 
there, turn around so you are facing the track backwards, then hit the 
bell. Use boost to climb up the closing drawbridge to gain the last Wish 
Race key. 

*************** 
- Haunted Woods 
*************** 

This is a very tight and short course, competition will be rough here. 
At the fountain right near the start, it doesn't matter which side you 
take, they are both pretty much the same. In the tunnel after the 
fountain, stay on the left side to get a zipper. After the curved 
downward left turn, there are two zippers on either side of the road 
just after the bridge. Just after the underground tunnel with chains 
hanging in it, use the zipper on the right side of the track, near the 
finish line. 

************* 
- Boss Race 1 
************* 

Not quite as tough as Blubber in Sherbet Island, Smokey is still a bit 
of a challenge. Air A/B upgrades are a must at this point. 

Smokey, the cheater he is, gives himself a headstart and is already 
inside the cave just ahead of the starting point even before you start 
moving. Giving yourself a start boost wouldn't hurt either. Inside most 
of the caves in this course, avoid the stilagmites/stilagtites at all 
costs, hitting one can destroy all of your chances of beating Smokey. 
At the first Windmill, fly through it and pick up the blue balloon and 
save it for a an opportunity to pass Smokey. Pick up any red balloons 
you see, collect at least two in case you mess up and Smokey passes 
you. 

***************************************** 
- Windmill Plains Balloon Touch Challenge 
***************************************** 

At the start of the race, there are a lot of balloons scattered along 
the outside edge of the area. Some floating around the windmills and 
some behind trees and hay stacks. There are only about 5 or so balloons 
in the first pond area. A couple in the first tunnel and some by the 
single windmill near the waterfall. There's a balloon in front of the 
waterfall as well as some inside corners of that area. In the area 
after waterfall, the balloons are evenly spread about, making it easy 
to get the minimum of balloons. The only real challenge of this level 
is the very last stretch of the level, right before the finish line. 
The flying carpet starts to speed up as it nears the finish line making 
it hard to pop the rest of the balloons in that area. 

******************************************* 
- Greenwood Village Balloon Touch Challenge 
******************************************* 

There are two balloons in front of the arch right ahead of you at the 
start if you didn't notice them, they sorta blend into the decorations. 
There are a few balloons in the left turn and some are hiding in the 
village. One on top of the well including some hiding in between 
buildings. And some in the tunnel along the normal path. In the first 
patch of forest, there are balloons hiding in between trees on either 
side of the road. In the next area, the carpet takes the shortcut on 
the left. Thankfully, there aren't any balloons on the normal path in 
that area. There are some balloons in the sharp set of turn as well, 
but they are all in easy reach. 

**************************************** 
- Boulder Canyon Balloon Touch Challenge 
**************************************** 

The balloons are in small quantities at the start, so it'll be pretty 
hard to miss any. But that soon changes at the drawbridge, there are 
tons of balloons there. Along the rest of the track the balloons are 
spread out rather thinly, reaching the 40 balloon mark is pretty easy 
on this level. 

*************************************** 
- Haunted Woods Balloon Touch Challenge 
*************************************** 

Balloons are scattered everywhere at the fountain, so popping every 
single one is difficult. There's a coin and a few balloons in the first 
crossover tunnel, as well as some hanging around the archway. At the 
haunted woods section of the track, balloons are hidden in between the 
trees so watch out. There's a couple of coins and some balloons at the 
drawbridge as well. Lastly there's around 7 balloons near the finish 
line, including another coin. 

************* 
- Boss Race 2 
************* 

This time around the challenge is much harder, almost as hard as 
Blubber in Sherbet Island. Much like Blubber, Smokey will leave hovering 
balls of fire around the track. They are fairly easy to avoid, just 
don't be around him when he's going to spit some fire. 

You can get a decent head start with a start boost, but be careful of 
hitting walls in the tunnel. Save up a couple of red balloons and fire 
at him when he's in range if he's ahead of you. Once ahead, just use 
blue balloons in the straight aways and avoid any balls of fire on the 
track as best you can. 

*************************** 
- Dragon Forest Trophy Race 
*************************** 

Like in the last three Trophy Races you've competed in thus far, the 
only real strategy is to race fast and hard. Use red balloons on racers 
who are ahead of you and blue balloons to stay ahead of the pack. It's 
also handy to pick up a weapon upgrader and a red balloon to keep your 
enemies at bay. 

For individual strategies on each of the particular tracks of Dragon 
Forest, just scroll back up a little bit to find them. 

****************** 
- T.T.'s Wish Race 
****************** 

Now, for the single most fun and sadisticly pleasing challenge in all 
of Adventure Mode! T.T. allows you to create your own race track then 
he will challenge you on it. 

Simply put, you can do whatever you wish to T.T., wanna make a really 
small track that's easy to finish? Or how about a winding track with 
sharp turns that throw T.T. off the track? This is truly a "Wish Race"! 

Since you are to make your own race track, there really is no track 
specific strategy, just boost and shoot T.T., simple as that. 

______________________ 
Taj's Token Challenge: 

Upon leaving Dragon Forest after beating the boss for a second time, 
Taj appears to challenge you to his "new" token challenge. Simply put, 
this challenge plays out just like Token Tussle, just in Timber's 
Island (hub). 

Use the arrows on the top and bottom screens to find out where the next 
token is, or just follow Taj. One to ten wins. Unlike Taj's Torch 
challenge, this one is reletively easy to complete. But Taj can get in 
the way when you both are in the same area. 

______________ 
Wizpig Race 1: 

By far one of the most difficult boss races in the game, first timers 
tend to have difficulty beating Wizpig. 

The best character to use here is one with good acceleration, such as 
Pipsy or TipTup. Be sure to hit each and every zipper across the track 
with the zipper trick (letting go of A just before hitting a zipper). 
Why you ask? Otherwise you'll hit the water and Wizpig will pass you, 
making it extremely difficult to get ahead of him again. Be extra 
careful of driving underneath Wizpig, because if you are trampled over, 
you lose valuable time and Wizpig gains ground on you. 

After beating Wizpig, a cutscene now plays involving the inhabitants of 
Timber's Island partying away because Wizpig left. But Wizpig crashes 
the party and a UFO beams him up, taking him back to his home planet. 
What does this spell? Interplanet travel that's what! 

|-----------------| 
|> Future Fun Land| 
|-----------------| 

If you have no idea as to where you need to go now (since a major 
cliffhanger now sits in the plot), you need to have beaten all of the 
Trophy Races from Dino Domain, Snowflake Mountain, Sherbet Island and 
Dragon Forest. If you were smart and followed this guide, you would 
have completed those races already. 

Anyway, once you have beaten the four Trophy Races (if you haven't 
already), go and look for the bilboard sitting near the lighthouse. 
Just face the door of the lighthouse, and turn right. 

A cutscene now plays showing that the lighthouse isn't a lighthouse at 
all! It's secretly a space shuttle that takes you to Future Fun Land! 
Who knew the inhabitants of Timber's Island were so technologically 
advanced. :O 

******************* 
- Space Dust Valley 
******************* 

This track really isn't all that different from previous ones you've 
faced. Be sure to hit both Plane Zippers in the first straight away 
and avoid the beams of electricity in the tunnel that follows. There's 
a spaceship (after the first tunnel) that tries to shoot at any racers 
that drive by it as it flies by. But it's easy to avoid, either fly 
between it's shots or take a side of the track at that point. At the 
area with a winding path on stilts, for simplicity's sake, just take 
the tunnel on the ground instead of the one that ends the upper path. 
Not only are there no beams of electricity to avoid, but there's a 
handy Plane Zipper sitting right in front of the entance. In the last 
tunnel before the finish line, be careful of hitting the walls or 
vertical pillars. Just fly normally and you should be fine, just don't 
try flying in between the walls and pillars as you could easily get 
stuck in a hurry. 

_______________ 
Extra Balloons: 

If you've been following this guide exactly, you may find yourself 
short on balloons around this point in the game. How can you get more 
balloons if you've already completed everything previous? Simple, 
scavenge Timber's Island for some extra balloons! 

Ice Block Balloon: 

This one is located outside the Snowflake Mountain door, just look for 
a winding path with a block of ice on top of it. Just tap it with your 
stylus and drag it down the path. Most people have difficulty getting 
this balloon, but the solution is pretty straight forward. Just touch 
the block of ice with your stylus and drag it in the direction you wish 
to move it, simple as that. Just work the ice block down the winding 
path and you should have it in the river in no time. 

Once you have the ice block in the river, just follow it down stream 
and you should find it sitting on the beach near where the lighthouse 
once sat. 

Sand Balloon: 

The location of this balloon is located behind the Sherbet Island door. 
Just drive up to the collection of rocks sitting on the beach and a 
hand icon should appear in the middle of them. By examining the picture 
on the wall near the rocks, it looks like a balloon. Just draw a simple 
balloon shape and the balloon is yours. 

You should have enough balloons to continue with Future Fun Land. 


****************** 
- Darkmoon Caverns 
****************** 

This level is pretty linear without many misleading turns. Grab the 
red balloon on the left side of the cave on the first left turn, use it 
to take out any racers who happen to be head of you. Although it would 
make sense to take every turn sharply, in the second cave area, take 
the zipper on the right side of the left turn, don't forget the zipper 
trick. In the area following the second cave, take the left side of the 
road to avoid most of the car clutter, but taking the right side gives 
you a zipper. After that, just drift around the downward spiral, 
collecting any green balloons along the way. The rest of the track 
here after doesn't really require an explanation, all there is two loop 
de loops and short caves in between. 

***************** 
- Spaceport Alpha 
***************** 

This level is also fairly easy, just race like you normally would, not 
much special about this level. Aside from the air vent area after the 
first few turns. Take the dive from about a mid level altitude, then 
swoop into the air vents. Come out with basically the same method, stay 
at mid level heigth and climb up out of the air vents. After that, go 
sharp left to find a zipper, use it. In the following straight away, 
sometimes shots come flying at you from the far side of the area, avoid 
them as best you can and use the zippers on thr right side of the area. 
In the next and last major area, use the car zippers on the ground to 
zip along the slightly curved straight away. 

*********** 
- Star City 
*********** 

Pick up any red balloons in the first cave to blast any racers that are 
ahead of you, or just use the zippers. In the first major area, save 
yourself some grief by just going off the upper path and driving 
through the lower tunnel. When the two paths meet up at the entrance to 
the city area of the level, use the zipper to gain some distance on the 
other racers. While holding down A, Press R+B when turning to make 
sharper turns through the tight turning city streets. Other than that, 
this level is fairly short. 

****************************************** 
- Spacedust Valley Balloon Touch Challenge 
****************************************** 

Funny thing Future Fun Land, there's no first boss race to worry about, 
the first boss race of FFL was actually the first Wizpig race. After 
Star City, it's onto the Balloon Touch Challenges. 

As you can see at the starting line, there are two balloon on either 
side of you. It's not really possible to effectively pop both of them, 
so worry about the other one on the return trip. On the first straight 
stretch, the balloons are in easy to pop lines but the carpet jerks 
forward a couple times so be careful. In the spaceship area, there's 
5 balloons in each corner and 1 in the middle. You don't really need to 
pop them all to get a better chance of passing but for perfectionists, 
don't miss them. At the upper/lower path area, the carpet will take the 
lower path, which means there's a balloon hiding under the upper path. 
And to make things tough, there's some balloons hanging around the upper 
path. In the last cave, the balloons are fairly easy to see and pop, 
they are mainly in plain sight. There's even a couple of coins at the 
end! 

****************************************** 
- Darkmoon Caverns Balloon Touch Challenge 
****************************************** 

There's around 6 balloons at the start, each are fairly easy to pop. 
Along most of the track, the balloons are easy to spot and there's a 
couple coins here and there in most major areas. The first loop de loop 
isn't as bad as you might think, there's only two balloons on the whole 
thing. Although the second one is a tad more difficult, now toting 4 
balloons, two right in front of you when you make that turn. All in all 
it's extremely easy to pick up a gold because none of the balloons are 
particularly hard to find. 

***************************************** 
- Spaceport Alpha Balloon Touch Challenge 
***************************************** 

The balloons are hidden more cleverly in this level than the last one. 
There were some tempting silver coins behind the starting line too. 
At the airvent, be careful of facing down into the vents, because when 
the carpet gets down there, you won't be able to pop the balloon. It's 
recommended that you keep looking straight ahead if you don't want to 
miss that one. Also be careful of the mutlitude of balloons that 
inhabit the spaceship hanger after the air vents, there's a lot more 
than the previous hanger. Once in the straight stretch, it isn't all 
that hard to pop the balloons, most of them you can pop from a long 
distance away. The balloons aren't really hard to pop in the curved 
straight stretch, but they can be hard to see occasionally because they 
sorta blend in. Right at the finish line is 3 balloons in a row on the 
right side of the road, along with two juicy coins on the left. If you 
still need balloons to finish the challenge, take the three on the 
right. Otherwise, snatch up those coins. 

*********************************** 
- Star City Balloon Touch Challenge 
*********************************** 

You'll soon notice in a hurry that the start/finish line area is 
infested with golden balloons, pop the ones you can and try to finish 
the rest off on the return trip. The upper/lower path area also has 
swarms of balloons, some hard to see and others in plain sight. One is 
nearly visible on the right side of the upper path as you near the 
large dome building. Once inside the dome, after the right turn, be 
ready to pop the balloon on your right, it'll whiz by you before you 
know it. There's also some balloons that follow it closely. Once inside 
the city area, balloon are scattered almost everywhere, most are hard 
to see because they blend in so well with the city lights. Some also 
float around the lamp posts, often looking quite similar to them, be 
careful and try to pick out the real balloons fast. Near the end of the 
city area, balloons hide in between the lamp posts on either side of 
the road. Thankfully they are placed in a zig zag fashion, making it 
easy to sweep from left to right on a mad balloon popping spree. The 
area right before the finish line is also very tricky, balloons are 
scattered pretty well here, making popping all of them fairly difficult. 

***************************** 
- Future Fun Land Trophy Race 
***************************** 

FFL seems to be a bit of an anomaly in DKRDS, there's no first boss 
race located in FFL and you do the Trophy Race before facing the boss. 
Ah well, save the difficult stuff for last. 

This is the last Trophy Race in the game, meaning that it's the most 
challenging Trophy Race in the game. Use all of your normal DKRDS racing 
skills to come out on top. Use the zipper trick (explained in the Tips 
& Tricks section) on any zippers you come across and use blue and red 
balloons to overtake the competiton. 

Last time it will be said in this guide, for individual strategies on 
each course of FFL, please look them up previously in the FFL section. 

*************** 
- Wizpig Race 2 
*************** 

Ok, now you REALLY need to have collected everything. Not just trophies 
but all four pieces of T.T.'s Amulet and all 47 balloons. If you 
followed this guide exactly, you will have everything already, but if 
you skipped parts of it, then it's your fault. Anyway, once you do have 
everything, go through the golden T.T. door to face Wizpig for the 
second and probably last time. 

Once you enter the door, Wizpig will burst out of the cliff wall and 
then challenges you to yet another race. This time he's got a rocket 
and he plans to use it. Problem is that his rocket isn't quite as 
effective as his feet. Why you ask? Because for some weird reason, it's 
actually easier to beat Wizpig the second time around then the first, 
you just need to know the patterns and what stuff to pick up. 

As a rule of thumb, do NOT fly right into the back of Wizpig's rocket, 
as it will knock you out and may put you out of the race. Because of 
this, don't do a boost at the start, you'll just run directly into his 
rocket. Pick up the blue balloon at the start to gain some speed on 
Wizpig, along the short way after that, collect missles to use against 
Wizpig, level two missles are a must. Once at the stone Wizpig face, 
fly under his chin and do your best to avoid the incoming shots from 
the spaceship. It's best to fly either under or over the shots, just 
make sure you fly irregularily enough so the shots can't hit you. 
The following area is especially tricky, you must fly above and under 
the horazontal beams of electricity, while dodging stone pillars inside 
the tunnel. After that, just fly either left or right around Wizpig's 
throne, the start/finish line is only a short cave away, thankfully 
without electricity beams. 

Once you finally defeat Wizpig for a second time, Wizpig blows up 
and crash lands onto a distant planet. Then it returns to Timber's 
Island. Where Taj's Tent use to sit is where Tricky, Bluey, Blubber 
and Smokey are hanging out along with Taj. Then it moves over to the 
area near the lighthouse where all of the main inhabitants of Timber's 
Island gather to celebrate on your success. A sign that says "THE END" 
also sits near them. Congratulations, you have completed DKRDS! 

At the end of the credits, it says to go visit Taj, as he may have some 
surprises up his turban (not really what it says). If you have the coin 
for it, you can purchase things such as extra tracks, the single player 
and multi-player versions of the Wish Race Track Editor as well as 
useless extras like the Billboard Editor and Sound Recorder. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 
---------------- 
8: Tips & Tricks 
---------------- 
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 

Any special trick not in the instruction manual will wind up here. Also 
other small tidbits that don't qualify as "Secrets" per se. 
|--------------| 
|> Zipper Trick| 
|--------------| 

This is a trick most newbies may not already know about when starting, 
but this trick makes most tracks a bit easier. 

Anyway, simply put, let go of A Button before hitting a Zipper OR using 
a blue balloon and you will get a bigger boost than normal. 

|------------------| 
|> Super Sharp Turn| 
|------------------| 

The Super Sharp Turn is useful for really tight turns when using the 
Car. 

Just press R+B while holding down A Button when turning left or right 
to perform a turn much sharped than just using R to drift. 

And for those curious, The regular Sharp Turn consists of just pressing 
B+A when turing left or right. 

And Drift uses just R Button while holding A when turning left or right. 

/\/\/\/\/\ 
---------- 
9: Secrets 
---------- 
\/\/\/\/\/ 

|-------------------| 
|> Hidden Characters| 
|-------------------| 

Here you will find out how to unlock the hidden characters in DKRDS. 

Taj: Complete Adventure 1 

Wizpig: Complete Adventure 2 

T.T.: Beat all of T.T.'s Time Trials records in Time Trials. EXCLUDING 
the Unlockable tracks (I.E. Strangled Shrine, Meandering Mount). 

Drumstick: Look for some frogs at the pond near Taj's Tent. Then look 
for the frog pedastal to the left of the Wizpig face. Using your stylus, 
try to fling a frog up onto the top of the pedastal. 

|---------------| 
|> Hidden Tracks| 
|---------------| 

Thunder Cove: Buy it from Taj's Tent for 80 Coins. 

Meandering Mount: Buy it from Taj's Tent for 80 Coins. 

Splashdown Pass: Buy it from Taj's Tent for 80 Coins. 

Strangled Shrine: Buy it from Taj's Tent for 80 Coins. 

|----------------------------| 
|> T.T.'s Wish Race Door Keys| 
|----------------------------| 

Locations of keys, scratch cards and more can be found here. 

__________________________________ 
Ancient Lake T.T.'s Wish Race Key: 

Before the first left turn, run off to the right side of the road, 
you should see a ramp with a key floating in the air next to it. You'll 
need a blue balloon to get it. 

_____________________________________ 
Snowball Valley T.T.'s Wish Race Key: 

At the start of the race, don't go forward. Instead, head directly 
left, forward a bit, then to the right. You should find the T.T. Wish 
Race Door Key. 

_____________________________________ 
Crescent Island T.T.'s Wish Race Key: 

Just after the split in the road near the starting line, turn left. 
The key is in that large wading pool. 

____________________________________ 
Boulder Canyon T.T.'s Wish Race Key: 

First, pick up 2 or 3 blue balloons then head for the drawbridge. Once 
there, turn around so you are facing the track backwards, then hit the 
bell. Use boost to climb up the closing drawbridge to gain the last Wish 
Race key. 

|------------------| 
|> Taj's Challenges| 
|------------------| 

____________________ 
Taj's Car Challenge: 

Once you are done inside Taj's Tent, he will test your driving skills, 
simply follow his directions and you should be fine. Once you beat 
him, he will give you a Golden Balloon, which you need to open the 
Dino Domain Door. 

______________________
Taj's Plane Challenge: 

Some may have slight trouble with the Plane but it's simple to use 
after some practice. Be sure to hold down R Button so you can turn 
sharper on those sharper turns. Remember, hitting walls or water slows 
down the Plane, so try not to hit them. 

___________________________ 
Taj's Hovercraft Challenge: 

The Hovercraft is the most difficult vehicle to use in DKRDS, some 
practice will be required by newbies to get use to it's unusual 
controls. 

The most problematic point of the course most people will encounter 
is the first waterfall. Drive into it on the right side and you should 
be fine. Be careful not to stray from the markers otherwise you may 
miss one. Also be wary of hitting any walls as they will mess up your 
steering. 

_______________________ 
- Taj's Torch Challenge 

First off, you should go forward into the cave to the left of the Plane 
only cave. Inside are some torches, I will provide advice for blowing 
them out in the next paragraph. After blowing out the three torches 
there, turn around and go back to the area where Taj's Tent is. Then go 
through the cave to the left of the froghead pedestal (to the left of 
the Wizpig head if you park right in front of Taj's Tent). 

There actually several tricks that many people have suggested on this 
particular challenge. Here they are: 

Blowing: 

This is the standard way to achomplish the torch challenge, but for 
most people, it's not very effective and you run out of breath too 
fast. 

Sucking: 

I know it sounds weird, but pressing your lips to the little slit where 
the mic is, then sucking on it. It is actually quite effective, it's 
way easier than blowing, you don't run out of breath much and at least 
there's less of a chance of getting spit all over your DS, but make 
sure your lips are dry. 

Fan: 

Some people use mini, handheld fans to do the dirty work. Of course not 
everyone has one of those things, but probably any powerful fan will be 
able to blow out the torches. Just as long as the power is focused on 
one particular spot, instead of wide range. Although I haven't tested 
this solution yet. 

______________________ 
Taj's Token Challenge: 

Use the arrows on the top and bottom screens to find out where the next 
token is, or just follow Taj. One to ten wins. Unlike Taj's Torch 
challenge, this one is reletively easy to complete. But Taj can get in 
the way when you both are in the same area. 

|----------------| 
|> Extra Balloons| 
|----------------| 
_______________ 
Extra Balloons: 

Ice Block Balloon: 

This one is located outside the Snowflake Mountain door, just look for 
a winding path with a block of ice on top of it. Just tap it with your 
stylus and drag it down the path. Most people have difficulty getting 
this balloon, but the solution is pretty straight forward. Just touch 
the block of ice with your stylus and drag it in the direction you wish 
to move it, simple as that. Just work the ice block down the winding 
path and you should have it in the river in no time. 

Once you have the ice block in the river, just follow it down stream 
and you should find it sitting on the beach near where the lighthouse 
once sat. 

Sand Balloon: 

The location of this balloon is located behind the Sherbet Island door. 
Just drive up to the collection of rocks sitting on the beach and a 
hand icon should appear in the middle of them. By examining the picture 
on the wall near the rocks, it looks like a balloon. Just draw a simple 
balloon shape and the balloon is yours. 

|-------------| 
|> Extra Coins| 
|-------------| 

Here you will find some good locations for coin collecting. Coins can 
buy you things in Taj's Tent, so in a way they are needed to unlock 
everything in DKRDS. 

Beach Coins: 

Go to the beach behind the Sherbet Island Door, a hand should appear in 
the rock formation, touch it. Use the dots on the beach to draw a 
circle shape, this will give you some coins. You can use this trick 4 
times. 

Palm Tree Coins: 

Near the lighthouse is some palm trees sitting on the beach, in the 
rough direction of the Sherbet Island Door. Two of the palm trees are 
interactive, so touch them to use them. Once having grabbed a palm 
tree, pull it opposite of where you want the coconut to hit. Some of 
the cliff wall will drop coins when hit with coconuts, after dropping 
some coins, leave the palm tree to go collect them, then return to the 
palm trees. Rinse and repeat until every coin is squeezed out of the 
cliff wall. 

Snowflake Mountain Lobby Coins: 

While in the lobby of Snowflake Mountain (where you can access races 
and stuff), you can shake trees for coins with random value, usually 
between 1 and 8. After shaking every tree in the lobby, go do a race, 
then quit it to refresh the trees. 

|---------------| 
|> Scratch Cards| 
|---------------| 

Because the Scratch Cards are not required to complete Adventure Mode, 
they were not included in the main walkthrough. But that doesn't mean 
this section doesn't have a place in this guide. 

Wooden Log Scratch Card: 

This one is located in the wooden log behind Taj's Tent, look for the 
Wizpig picture on a wall of the log. Once you find it, touch it with 
your stylus. Then draw around the outline of Wizpig's head, don't forget 
to join your line up when you finish. The wall should explode and reveal 
a Scratch Card for the taking. 

Sand Scratch Card: 

Go to the beach behind the Sherbet Island door, with the rocks on it. 
Drive up onto the beach and a hand should appear in between the rock 
formation, touch it. Using the dots on the beach as a reference, draw 
a rectangle shape and the Scratch Card is yours. 

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10: Questions & Answers 
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Here you will find some frequently asked questions, most come from the 
Diddy Kong Racing DS Message Board on GameFAQs. 

Q: I am missing X amount of balloons and I can't continue any further 
in the game. What balloons am I missing and where can I find them? 
A: Most likely, you didn't do one of Taj's Challenges or never 
collected the two balloons on Timber's Island hub. 

Whichever your missing, you should check to see that you did everything 
prior to that part of the game. And make sure you collected both the 
Ice Balloon and the Sand Balloon. 

Q: Where are the keys for T.T.'s Wish Races? 
A: This is what this guide is for, go see the Secrets section. 

Q: Why did Rare remove Banjo/Conker from this game? 
A: Because those characters now belong to Microsoft, and MSoft didn't 
want those characters to appear on a Nintendo platform. But oddly 
enough MSoft allowed Rare to make games for Nintendo's GBA and DS. 

Q: I beat Wizpig for the first time, but I can't figure out what to do 
next. What am I doing wrong? 
A: Did you complete all 4 Trophy Races in Dino Domain, Snowflake 
Mountain, Sherbet Island and Dragon Forest? After you win the trophies, 
go find the lighthouse. While facing it's door, go right, along the 
beach. There should be a signpost, go drive up next to it and Future 
Fun Land will become available. 

Q: What happened to all the cool stuff like Magic Codes from DKR? 
A: Rare may have forgotten to add them in, or they probably figured 
that they were unneccesary. 

Q: How do I unlock Taj? 
A: Complete Adventure 1. 

Q: How do I unlock T.T.? 
A: You must T.T.'s Time Trial records in Single Race with the Time 
Trial option activated. You don't have to beat his time trials on the 
hidden tracks. (I.E. Strangled Shrine, Meandering Mount etc...) 

How do I unlock T.T.'s Wish Race Track Editor? 

You must beat T.T.'s Wish Race in Adventure Mode at least once. After 
that, The Single Player and Multi-Player versions of the Track Editor 
will become available in Taj's Tent. 

Q: How do I contact you? 
A: Either by email, AIM or the DKRDS Message Board on GameFAQs. 

Q: Why don't I have permission to host this guide on my site? 
A: Odds are you either weren't given permission, you didn't ask or the 
email never got through. If the email never got through, just send it 
again. 

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11: Credits 
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Last but not least, is the credits. I give credit to: 

Rare for making this game 
Nintendo for creating the DS 
Myself (Koopa64) for making this guide 
And everybody at the DKRDS Board on GameFAQs 

One last thing, I'm open to some ASCII art for my FAQ. I would prefer 
having the DKRDS title turned into ASCII. Please contact me if you 
have some ASCII art you would like to contribute to this guide. 

Thank you for playing -Nintendo