Editing Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)

{{italic title}}
{{game infobox
|image=[[File:DKP Title screen.png]]
|developer=[[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]]
|publisher=Unpublished
|platforms=[[Game Boy Advance]]
|release=Canceled<br>{{release|Japan|(Planned for February 2002)<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhIOGuHbAeA Space World 2001 trailer (YouTube)]</ref>|USA|(Planned for March 4, 2002)<ref name="nwr">[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/6577/ Nintendo's New Release Dates - Nintendo World Report]</ref>}}
|genre=[[Genre#Racing|Racing]]
|modes=Single-player, multiplayer (unimplemented)
|ratings=Unknown
|gallery=
}}
'''''Diddy Kong Pilot''''' is a canceled follow-up title of ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]], which was developed by [[Rare Ltd.]] [[Diddy Kong]] was the main and titular character of the game. The game involves ''[[Donkey Kong (series)|Donkey Kong]]'' characters racing in [[Plane]]s on {{wp|Mode 7}}-rendered courses. It was initially planned for early 2002, but [[Nintendo]] sold their share of Rare Ltd. to {{wp|Microsoft Corporation|Microsoft}} and opted out of their publishing contract. Around the same time, in 2002-2003, before the decision was made to design it into a ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game, ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' was being redeveloped into an entirely [[Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)|different game]]. In 2005, the game was finalized as a ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie (series)|Banjo-Kazooie}}'' game, ''{{wp|Banjo-Pilot}}'' due to Microsoft's acquisition of Rare in 2002.

==History==
The game was first shown at {{wp|Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 2001}}, and was also shown a few months later at {{wp|Nintendo Space World|Space World 2001}}.

One of the characters, tentatively named Redneck Kong,<ref name="DK Vine"/> or "Crappy Kong",<ref>http://nintendoeverything.com/diddy-kong-pilot-screenshots-videos-details-and-more/</ref> was "killed off" early in the game's development, according to the September 3, 2001 edition of Scribes from Rareware<ref>"''4. Oh, let's see... Since Diddy Kong Pilot is scheduled to come out by year's end, maybe the release is close enough to merit a response to this... who's the hillbilly Kong from the character select screen? Can we at least have a name? <br/>4) Don't worry about it - he's been killed off now anyway.''" <br/>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020805043822/http://rareware.com/the_site/talk_to_us/scribes/sep3_01/sep3_01.html September 3, 2001 edition of Scribes on Rareware]</ref> and Jens Christian Restemeier, one of the game's developers.<ref>[https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,182799/ Jens Christian Restemeier - MobyGames profile]</ref> [[Candy Kong]] would subsequently appear in the background for character selection menus.<ref>[http://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/07/diddy-kong-pilot-banjo-pilot-beta Unseen64]</ref>

One of the builds, said to be presented at a Space World 2000, consisted of a cast featuring both ''[[Donkey Kong Country (series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' and ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' characters, which would have been a first for a ''Donkey Kong'' spinoff. This version allowed players to select between six ''Donkey Kong'' characters ([[Diddy Kong]], [[Cranky Kong]], [[Donkey Kong]], [[King K. Rool]], [[Funky Kong]], and [[Dixie Kong]]) and six ''Mario'' characters ([[Princess Peach]], [[Mario]], [[Yoshi]] sitting atop a [[Lakitu's Cloud]], [[Wario]] piloting a red biplane similar to the [[Bulldog]], [[Bowser]], and [[Toad]]). A tilt control idea that was present in the debug mode of a very early build<ref name="sw2000"/> was dropped in this build, but was retained in the Options mode. Not much information is known regarding this build or its history.<ref name="sw2000">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DRAqj__5eA "Diddy Kong Pilot - Very Early Beta Spaceworld" on YouTube]</ref>

At Space World 2001, the game was at 65% completion,<ref>Nintendo Space World 2001 Official Guidebook</ref> and by October 2001, planned for release on March 4, 2002.<ref name="nwr"/>

In early 2002, [[Nintendo]] refused to publish ''Diddy Kong Pilot'', with one of their criticisms being that there was "no point in flying up and down on flat levels." Some Rare employees believed the company was prejudiced since it occurred in a time period just before the Microsoft acquisition.<ref name="DK Vine">[http://www.dkvine.com/?p=1082 DK Vine]</ref> Despite being featured in the DVD of the May 2002 issue of ''G-Force'' magazine,<ref>Polly's Archive (December 19, 2022). [https://youtu.be/7gyA6GD5Aqw G-Force Magazine - DVD 1 - English - May 2002]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 14, 2023.</ref> none of the Rare games except ''[[lylatwiki:Star Fox Adventures|Star Fox Adventures]]'' were showcased at E3 2002.

Rare's other two ''Donkey Kong'' installments from E3 2001, ''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]'', were canceled in August 2002,<ref>[https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/7645/changes-to-rares-website Changes to Rare's Website]</ref> one month before Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, while ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' received no official announcement of the cancelation.

On September 15, 2011, after ten years of no new information regarding the game, a former Rare employee, under the pseudonym of Transparentjinjo, posted gameplay footage of the game on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm18144367 Niconico reupload]</ref> According to the video's title, the build was dated "September 7, 2001".<ref>[https://www.neogaf.com/threads/new-diddy-kong-pilot-footage-appears.447203/ NeoGAF thread]</ref>

On January 14, 2013, this prototype build was released online.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151206022331/http://www.retrogamesuk.net/diddy-kong-pilot-alpha-2001-rom-release/ Diddy Kong Pilot Alpha 2001 (ROM release right here!)]</ref>

==Gameplay==
''Diddy Kong Pilot'' featured six modes: Racing, Stories, Dog Fights, Battle, Clock Race, and Options. The build is largely unfinished as most of the stages are nearly empty, some only having a backdrop and a few assets laid out on the stage. Many of the modes, such as Dog Fights, are non-functional. The gameplay essentially only consists of flying around on a course. Some features were never implemented such as plane customization,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20010709053857/http://www.rareware.com:80/the_site/e3/dk_pilot.html Rareware.com (Wayback Machine)]</ref> or unlockable characters, stories, and stages.<ref name="np">[[Media:NP 06 2001 Rareware page.jpg|''Nintendo Power'' #145, page 15]]</ref>

===Debug menu===
[[File:DKP debug menu.png|thumb|The debug menu]]
Upon starting up the game, the player is instantly led onto a debug menu, and it has three options: Level, Player, and Blend. The first option allows them to choose a course, and the second one allows them to select a character (Cranky). The "level" options include:

{| class="dktable-brown" style="text-align:
|'''Beach 00'''
|Beach 01
|Beach 02
|Beach 03
|-
|'''Lava 00'''
|Lava 01
|Lava 02
|-
|'''Snow 00'''
|Snow 01
|Snow 02
|Snow 03
|-
|Keep 00
|Keep 01
|Keep 02
|Keep 03
|-
|Lake 00
|Lake 01
|Lake 02
|Lake 03
|-
|'''Farm 00'''
|Farm 01
|Farm 02
|Farm 03
|Farm 04
|Farm 05{{footnote|main|1}}
|-
|'''Haunted 00'''
|'''Haunted 01'''
|Haunted 02
|Haunted 03
|-
|Jungle 00
|Jungle 01
|Jungle 02
|Jungle 03
|-
|Swamp 00
|Swamp 01
|Swamp 02
|Swamp 03
|-
|Desert 00
|Desert 01
|Desert 02
|Desert 03
|}
{{footnote|note|1|Inaccessible from debug}}

The second option, "Player" has six numerical values, labeled 0-5. Each of them represent a playable character:

*0: Cranky Kong
*1: Diddy Kong
*2: Krunch
*3: K. Rool
*4: Dixie Kong
*5: Donkey Kong (selecting him results in playing as Cranky Kong instead)
*6: Diddy Kong instead of Candy Kong (only selectable by using cheats;{{footnote|main|2}} same function as when selecting Dixie in the character select)
*7-11: No data (only selectable by using cheats;{{footnote|main|2}} Krunch, K. Rool, Dixie, Cranky, Diddy in order)
{{footnote|note|2|Apply 020000DC:0X in code; 0 to B (hexadecimal)}}

The last option, Blend, does not have any apparent function. It has four options: Off, Alpha, Up, and Down.

===Modes===
[[File:Bounty Beach DKP2001 screenshot.png|thumb|Diddy Kong racing in the first course, Bounty Beach]]
The player can exit to the main menu by opening the pause menu. It has three options which are self-explanatory: Continue, Restart, and Quit. Few of the further developed courses also redirect the player to the main menu after they complete all three laps.

The main menu has six modes: Racing, Stories, Dog Fights, Battle, Clock Race, and Options. It is also the only part of the game to have a music track. However, there exist six unused sound tracks in the ROM.

[[File:Character Select 2001 - Diddy Kong Pilot.png|thumb|left|The character selection screen]]
Before starting a mode, the player must select a character. The selection menu is very buggy, and choosing a character causes a different one to be playable, except for [[Cranky Kong]]. For example, selecting [[Diddy Kong]] causes [[Krunch]] to be playable instead. The sound that each character makes when highlighted does not correspond to the correct character as well. When a character is highlighted, they are not aligned with their sepia shadow; additionally, the sepia backdrop has Candy Kong but highlighting her shows Redneck Kong instead, meaning the color character select screen had not been edited yet; Cranky Kong's pose is different as well. The following "Select World" menu shows the character that will actually be played as, with the exception of when Dixie is selected. In this case, a glitchy black rectangle taking up the entirety of the character sprites' parameters will be shown, and playing will result in Diddy appearing. As such, the rectangle is likely the remains of Redneck Kong's data.

The Racing mode allows the player to select a world, each with an associated level difficulty. Unlike its predecessor, ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' only features four characters racing on a course at a time; the main goal remains the same: racing three laps around a course and getting first place. Many of the core features are similar to ''Diddy Kong Racing'', such as how the player can collect [[banana]]s and pick up an item from item balloons appearing around the course. [[Dash Panel|Zipper]]s also return in the courses, and they give racers a speed boost.

The Stories mode has three different stories: King of Kongs (Diddy Kong), Back to the Light (Dixie Kong), and K. Rool's Gold (K. Rool). This mode is almost entirely non-functional, but it was intended to have a unique story for a certain character and a final boss at the end.<ref>[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/6322 New Tidbits on Various Rare Titles - Nintendo World Report]</ref><ref>[http://www.raregamer.co.uk/games/diddy-kong-pilot-nintendo-retrospective/ Diddy Kong Pilot Nintendo Retrospective]</ref> This build seemed to be in the process of removing Stories mode,<ref name="rwc">https://web.archive.org/web/20120102053341/http://www.rarewarecentral.com/diddy-kong-pilot</ref> since K. Rool's Gold did not work in this build but did in the very early build.

The Dogfight mode features players fighting against each other. There are four options and none can be accessed: Classic Dogfight, a Dawn Duel, a Classic Variation, or a Focal Feud.

[[File:Hatch Match DKP 2001 screenshot.png|thumb|Gameplay of Hatch Match, a game of Battle mode]]
The Battle mode was planned to be a multiplayer mode, and its icon shows a crate containing miscellaneous objects. Another version has a different icon showing four original Game Boy Advance units hooked to each other via a Link Cable.

The Clock Race mode was presumably planned as the Time Trials mode. It has little to no difference from the Racing mode, but it allows the player to easily select a stage, similar to the debug menu. Unlike the debug menu, most of the stages crash in this option.

The Options mode is untouched from E3 2001, retaining the same background graphics as the E3 2001 character selection screen. It only gives the option to use either D-Pad or tilt control to steer the plane. This was completely scrapped in October 2001.<ref name="rwc"/>

==Controls==
*{{button|GBA|Pad}} or {{button|GBA|tilt}}: Move in the desired direction.
*{{button|GBA|A}}: Acceleration
*{{button|GBA|B}}: Use weapon
*{{button|GBA|L}} or {{button|GBA|R}}: Tilt at a sharper angle
*{{button|GBA|L}} or {{button|GBA|R}} (twice): aerial roll
*{{button|GBA|R}} and {{button|GBA|Pad}} Down (twice while accelerating): U-turn
*{{button|GBA|Start}}: Pause the game

==Playable characters==
[[File:Dog Fights DKP 2001.png|thumb|"Dog Fights" icon]]
The character selection menu is highly incomplete, as highlighting a character would trigger a sound effect from an unrelated character. The game was planned to include more than seven characters.<ref>[https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/23/diddy-kong-pilot IGN]</ref> Selecting a character causes the game to choose an entirely different character instead. Redneck Kong was playable in earlier builds, such as E3 2001, and was a very short-lived idea from the designer of the project.<ref name="DK Vine"/> He was replaced by [[Candy Kong]] in a later build. Despite her appearing on the character selection screen, she was not implemented in this build. She also appeared on the main menu, in the "Dog Fights" animated icon and battle mode portrait. However, the portrait during Hair Raising Rescue (Haunted 01) can be loaded via hacking.{{footnote|main|3}}

{|class="dktable-brown"width=50%
|-
!colspan=4|Default characters
|-
|width=25% align="center"|[[File:Candy DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Candy Kong]]
|width=25% align="center"|[[File:Diddy DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Diddy Kong]]
|width=25% align="center"|[[File:K Rool DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[King K. Rool|Kamikaze K. Rool]]
|-
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Candy Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png|80px]]
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Diddy Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Rool Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|-
|Unimplemented; replacement of the removed Redneck Kong
|
|
|-
|align="center"|[[File:Cranky DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Cranky Kong]]
|align="center"|[[File:Donkey DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Donkey Kong]]
|align="center"|[[File:Krunch DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Krunch]]
|align="center"|[[File:Dixie DKP 2001 icon.png]]<br>[[Dixie Kong]]
|-
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Cranky Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Donkey Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Krunch Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|align="center" style="background:white"|[[File:Dixie Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png]]
|-
|
|Only by using cheats<ref name="dkcatlas">[http://www.dkc-atlas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1329#p32980 DKC Atlas thread]</ref>
|
|
|-
!colspan=4|Unlockable characters
|-
|colspan=4 align="center"|''Unimplemented''
|}

{|class="dktable-brown"
|-style="background:#bb8855;"
!Character selected<br>''Highlighted''
!Voice played as
!Character played as<br>''Selected''
|-
|Cranky Kong (0)<br>''Leftmost''
|Cranky Kong
|Cranky Kong (0)
|-
|<s>Redneck Kong (6)</s>
|Diddy Kong
|Diddy Kong (1)
|-
|Diddy Kong (1)
|Donkey Kong
|Krunch (2)
|-
|Donkey Kong (5)
|Krunch
|K. Rool (3)
|-
|Krash (2)
|K. Rool
|Dixie Kong (4)
|-
|K. Rool (3)
|Dixie Kong
|Donkey Kong (5) → Cranky Kong (0)
|-
|Dixie Kong (4)<br>''Rightmost''
|Diddy Kong (when highlighted) → Cranky Kong cursor
|''Corrupted'' (6) → Diddy Kong (1)
|-
|Unimplemented (7)
|Diddy Kong cursor
|''Corrupted'' (7) → Krunch (2)
|-
|Unimplemented (8)
|Donkey Kong cursor → Krunch cursor
|''Corrupted'' (8) → K. Rool (3)
|-
|Unimplemented (9)
|Krunch cursor → K. Rool cursor
|''Corrupted'' (9) → Dixie Kong (4)
|-
|Unimplemented (10)
|K. Rool cursor → Dixie Kong cursor
|''Corrupted'' (10) → Cranky Kong (0)
|-
|Unimplemented (11)
|Dixie Kong cursor → Donkey Kong cursor
|''Corrupted'' (11) → Diddy Kong (1)
|}

;Status unknown
*[[Funky Kong]] (none of his data except the Space World 2000 remains)<ref>[https://jul.rustedlogic.net/thread.php?id=18847 Jul - The Cutting Room Floor - Diddy Kong Pilot]</ref>

{{footnote|note|3|Apply 0200B0E6:2D 0200B0EA:53 in code}}

==Items==
Most of the items reappeared from ''Diddy Kong Racing'' except for peanuts, watermelons, and eggs. The player can carry up to a few items at a time. Most of the items can be obtained from sky blue-colored item balloons with a yellow question mark on them. Item balloons also have a green and DK variant, and both have unfinished functionality. Both provide an item, either with an icon of Cranky or Diddy, and neither are functional.

There is also a chained barrel item in screenshots from Space World 2001, but it goes unimplemented in this build.<ref>{{media link|DKP12.jpg|A screenshot of Krunch racing in Frosty Lake}}</ref> There are also an unimplemented {{media link|DKDKP.jpg|yellow single rocket boost item}} and {{media link|DKPBalloon.jpg|unnumbered peanut item}}.

{|class="dktable-brown"
|-style="background:#bb8855;"
!colspan="3"|Image
!rowspan="2"|Name
!rowspan="2"|Description
|-
!style="background:burlywood;width:6%""|1
!style="background:burlywood;width:6%""|2
!style="background:burlywood;width:6%""|3
|-
|rowspan="4"|''Unimplemented''
|[[File:Rocket DKP 2001 green.png]]
|[[File:Rocket DKP 2001 red.png]]
|Rockets
|These items can lock on to a nearby opponent and temporarily slow them down.
|-
|[[File:Rocket boost DKP 2001 green.png]]
|[[File:Rocket boost DKP 2001 red.png]]
|Rocket boost
|Like zippers, these give a speed boost to the racers. The high-level rocket boost provides a higher speed boost.
|-
|[[File:Magnet DKP 2001 green.png]]
|[[File:Magnet DKP 2001 red.png]]
|Magnet
|When used, the player is magnetized to another nearby racer. The high-level magnets are stronger. 
|-
|[[File:Peanuts DKP 2001 five.png]]
|[[File:Peanuts DKP 2001 ten.png]]
|Peanuts
|Peanuts can be fired at other opponents; based on the count, the player can either shoot out one/five/ten at a time. Unlike rockets, these items do not have lock-on capabilites.
|-
|colspan="3"|[[File:Watermelon DKP 2001.png]]
|Watermelon
|This item drops behind a watermelon. When a racer crashes into the item, it splatters and temporarily slows them down.
|-
|colspan="3"|[[File:Egg DKP 2001.png]]
|Egg
|The egg functions similarly to the watermelon except that it also moves around in a circular pattern.
|}

==Race tracks==
The game was planned to feature 24 tracks, with four in each of the six worlds. Only five of the courses can be selected from the Clock Race menu, and they are marked in '''bold'''.

{|align=center class="dktable-brown"style="text-align:center;margin:0 auto 1em auto"
|-style="background:#bb8855;"
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center|<font color=white>Sleepy Shores</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Bounty Beach DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Bounty Beach{{br}}Beach 00'''
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Farm Attract{{br}}Farm 05
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Jet Set Jungle{{br}}Jungle 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Crystal Coast DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}{{hover|Beach Race|The actual title is Crystal Coast, although Beach Race serves as the placeholder title on the Clock Race menu}}{{br}}Beach 01
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;background:#bb8855"|<font color=white>Kongo Kingdom</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Swoop Swamp{{br}}Swamp 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Jungle Race''{{br}}Jungle 03
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Magma Mainland DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Magma Mainland{{br}}Lava 00'''
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Haunted Race''{{br}}Haunted 03
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;background:#bb8855"|<font color=white>Western Wastes</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Lake Race''{{br}}Lake 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Lava Race''{{br}}Lava 02
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Swamp Race''{{br}}Swamp 03
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Crackpot Keep{{br}}Keep 02
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;background:#bb8855"|<font color=white>Island of Eggs</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Vulture Valley{{br}}Desert 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Keep Race''{{br}}Keep 03
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Lake Race''{{br}}Lake 03
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Chicken Chase DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Chicken Chase{{br}}Farm 00'''
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;background:#bb8855"|<font color=white>Polar Plateau</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Frosty Lake DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Frosty Lake{{br}}Snow 00'''
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Farm Race''{{br}}Farm 04
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Desert Race''{{br}}Desert 03
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}''Snow Race''{{br}}Snow 03
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center;background:#bb8855"|<font color=white>World 6</font>
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Whisper Woods DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Whisper Woods{{br}}Haunted 00'''
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]
|}

==Stories==
The game was planned to feature 36 dogfight and battle levels. Only "Hair Raising Rescue" is playable in this build, where the player has to catch ghosts and move them to a pond. There are 41 coffins on that map.
{|align=center class="dktable-brown"style="text-align:center;margin:0 auto 1em auto"
|-style="background:#bb8855;"
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center|<font color=white>King of Kongs</font> ([[Diddy Kong]])
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Beach Barricade DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Beach Barricade{{br}}Beach 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Hair Raising Rescue DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}'''Hair Raising Rescue{{br}}Haunted 01'''
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Peaceful Passage DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Peaceful Passage{{br}}Lake 00
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Cranky Panky{{br}}Farm 02
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center|<font color=white>Back to the Light</font> ([[Dixie Kong]])
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Grub Grab DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Grub Grab{{br}}Jungle 00
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Farm Feud{{br}}Farm 03
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Swamp Swoop{{br}}Swamp 00
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Dark Tower DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Dark Tower{{br}}Keep 00
|-
!colspan="12"style="font-size:125%;text-align:center|<font color=white>K.Rool's Gold</font> ([[K. Rool]])
|-
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Classic Dogfight{{br}}Lava 01
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Fly Like the Wind DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Fly Like The Wind{{br}}Desert 00
|colspan="3"style="background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Snowball Snapshot{{br}}Snow 02
|colspan="3"style="background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Flawed Genie'us{{br}}Beach 03
|}

{|class="dktable-brown"
|-style="background:#bb8855;"
!Story !! Dogfight/battle
|-
|Beach Barricade (Diddy Kong)
|Wasteland Wipe Out (Battle)
|-
|Hair Raising Rescue (Diddy Kong)
|Ghost Grasp (Battle)
|-
|Classic Dogfight (K. Rool)
|Classic Dogfight (Dogfight)
|}

==Battle stages==
{|class="wikitable"style="margin:auto"
|-
|colspan="3"style="text-align:center;background:wheat"|[[File:Hatch Race DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Hatch Match
|colspan="3"style="text-align:center;background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Ghost Grasp
|colspan="3"style="text-align:center;background:wheat"|[[File:Question Mark DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Swamp Showdown
|colspan="3"style="text-align:center;background:#FFF8DC"|[[File:Wasteland Wipe Out DKP 2001 preview.png]]{{br}}Wasteland Wipe Out
|}

==Media==
{{media table
|file1=DKP2001 three beach tune 001.oga
|title1=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description1=Beach race course theme (unused)
|file2=DKP2001 three snow tune 002.oga
|title2=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description2=Snow race course theme (unused)
|file3=DKP2001 three lava tune 003.oga
|title3=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description3=Lava race course theme (unused)
|file4=DKP2001 three bayou tune 005.oga
|title4=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description4=Bayou race course theme (unused)
|file5=DKP2001 three haunted tune 006.oga
|title5=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description5=Haunted race course theme (unused)
|file6=DKP2001 three castle tune 008.oga
|title6=''Diddy Kong Pilot''
|description6=Castle race course theme (unused)
}}

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery|Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)}}

<gallery>
Diddypilot.jpg|Artwork
Diddy Kong Pilot logo.jpg|Logo
DKP13.jpg|Diddy racing against K. Rool and Krunch in Crystal Coast
Diddy Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png|Diddy Kong sprite
Bounty Beach DKP 2001 preview.png|Bounty Beach preview image
</gallery>

==Differences between builds==
===Very early build===
====Characters====
''Mario'' characters would have originally made an appearance. While the idea had already been scrapped at E3 2001 in development, the graphics still remain in the ROM. The playable characters included:
*[[Bowser]]
*[[Cranky Kong]]
*[[Diddy Kong]]
*[[Dixie Kong]]
*[[Funky Kong]]
*[[Donkey Kong]]
*[[K. Rool]]
*[[Mario]]
*[[Princess Peach]]
*[[Toad]]
*[[Wario]]
*[[Yoshi]]

====K. Rool's Gold====
K. Rool's Gold was a functional story in the build. It is inaccessible in the September 2001 build, although its graphics and story remain inside of the ROM:

*Genie
*Nikiki (red)
*Nakaka (green)
*Nukuku (blue)
*Nokoko (yellow)

====Menu====
*The title logo is smaller and has a slightly different font, and its wings are slightly more pointed.
*Diddy's plane is pointed directly towards the screen.
*A tilt option was present in the Debug menu.
*Dog Fights had a different menu.

===E3 2001 build===
====General====
*Redneck Kong was a playable character.
*The "Racing" mode was called "Tournament".<ref name="np"/>

====Characters and background====
*The background had less colors and was brighter. In a leaked build, it was instead used for the Options menu.{{ref needed}}
*The sepia background graphic of the characters was different:
**Cranky Kong's pose is slightly different.
**Redneck Kong is shown instead of Candy Kong.
**Dixie Kong does not have two curly hairs on the left side.
**Krunch's toenails are smaller.
**K. Rool's goggle outfit is smaller.
*A highlighted character on the menu aligns with their sepia background, as this was before it was in the process of being redesigned.

====Menu====
*The text has a black outline.
*The item box had a different shape and contents, being rectangular-shaped instead of square.

====Map====
*The flame is yellow instead of orange in the lava course.
*The boundary is orange instead of blue.

===Space World 2001 build===
====General====
*The current lap number is shown in between the course icon.

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ディディーコングパイロット（仮称）
|JapR=Didī Kongu Pairotto (KASHŌ)
|JapM=''Diddy Kong Pilot'' (tentative)
}}

==Trivia==
*The background of the Stories menu has two photographs resembling [[:File:DKRScene3.jpg|official]] [[:File:Wizpig and Diddy DKR art.jpg|artwork]] from ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''.
*The map of Magma Mainland would be reused in ''Banjo-Pilot'' as the lower background layer of the dogfight against [[Bottles]] in the Feather Cup, but the track itself cannot be raced on. Differences include: a darker layer consisting of both the lava and the track; a big hole in the center; the removal of the finish line and boosts; and the removal of the cracks in the center island.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20010523044647/e3.nintendo.com/gallery/dkpilot/index.html Nintendo of America E3 2001 page] (Wayback Machine)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150203034323/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/event/sw2001/softlist/gba/diddy/index.html Nintendo of Japan Space World 2001 page] (Wayback Machine)
*[[tcrf:Proto:Banjo-Pilot/Diddy Kong Pilot 2001|TCRF article]]

{{Donkey Kong games}}
{{unreleased media}}
{{GBA}}
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Canceled games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Advance games]]
[[Category:Racing games]]
[[it:Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)]]