Drumstick (character)
- This article is about the character from Diddy Kong Racing. For other uses, see Drumstick.
| Drumstick | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Rooster (Frog when under Wizpig's curse) |
| First appearance | Diddy Kong Racing (1997) |
| Latest appearance | Diddy Kong Racing DS (2007) |
| Portrayed by | Lee Ray (1997)[1] |
- “I'm a flyer, not a fryer. Get me out of this place.”
- —Drumstick[2]
Drumstick is an overalls-wearing rooster and character appearing mainly in Diddy Kong Racing and its Nintendo DS version. He is said to be the best racer on all of Timber's Island, but prior to the game's events, during Wizpig's attack on the island, he seemingly goes missing. Drumstick shares a name with a leg cut of poultry.
History
Diddy Kong Racing / Diddy Kong Racing DS
In Diddy Kong Racing, Drumstick is an unlockable character. Once the player has the complete Wizpig amulet and wins all Trophy Races, a frog with a rooster comb appears in the center area of Timber's Island, and the frog makes chicken noises as it hops. To unlock Drumstick, the player has to drive over the frog, which Drumstick was transformed into. His theme instrument from the character selection screen is a fiddle or a violin. Like Banjo and Krunch, Drumstick is a heavyweight racer, which means that he has high top speed but poor acceleration and handling. Drumstick's top speed without bananas is 61.5 mph. The player can find Drumstick hopping as a frog again if they use the magic menu to set "Control Drumstick" to off and returning to adventure. Running over him again will trigger the cut scene as if unlocking him but without the message displaying.
A different method is used to unlock Drumstick in the remake. In the center hub of Timber's Island, the player must use the stylus to flick a frog from the bottom screen onto a cliff next to the Wizpig head. This causes Drumstick to hop back down with a rooster's comb. Just like the original version, the player's character must drive over the frog to unlock Drumstick. In the remake, Drumstick is slightly slower, but his acceleration was significantly improved to being one of the highest. Drumstick also got slightly higher handling.
4-koma Gag Battle
Drumstick appears throughout the 4-koma Gag Battle manga adaptation of Diddy Kong Racing.
Mario Artist: Paint Studio
His Diddy Kong Racing artwork appears as a stamp in Mario Artist: Paint Studio.
Profiles and statistics
Diddy Kong Racing
- Character stats
- Weight: Heavy
- Acceleration: 2/5
- Handling: 1.5/5
- Top Speed: 4.5/5
- Vehicle Color: Red
- Instruction booklet bio: "The most experienced racer on the island, Drumstick was the animals’ best hope for getting rid of the intruder. Unfortunately, something seems to have gone wrong and he hasn’t been seen since he went off to make a stand. Could he have fallen afoul of one of Wizpig’s spells?"[3]
- Player's Guide: "Drumstick was the foremost racer on Timber’s Island, but rumor has it that he fell victim to one of Wizpig’s spells. If you open the race courses successfully, you may find out more about Drumstick’s fate."[4]
- Rarewhere: "The most experienced racer on the island, Drumstick was the animals’ best hope for getting rid of the intruder - but unfortunately, something seems to have gone wrong and he hasn’t been seen since he went off to make a stand. Could he have fallen fowl of one of Wizpig’s spells?""[5]
Diddy Kong Racing DS
- Character stats
- Speed: 4/5
- Acceleration: 5/5
- Handling: 2/5
Gallery
Early design for Drumstick
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing Icon
The message for unlocking Drumstick in Diddy Kong Racing DS
Diddy Kong Racing DS icon
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ドラムスティック[?] Doramusutikku |
Drumstick | |
| French | Drumstick[6] | - | |
| Russian | Драмстик[?] Dramstik |
Drumstick |
References
- ^ Twitter confirmation by former Rare employee Graeme Norgate
- ^ November 1997. Nintendo Power Volume 102. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 29.
- ^ Nintendo (1997). Diddy Kong Racing instruction booklet. Nintendo of America. Page 25.
- ^ Swan, Leslie (1997). Diddy Kong Racing Nintendo Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 7.
- ^ Rarewhere: DKR Cast List. Rarewhere. Archived July 5, 1998, 00:52:50 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ February-March 1998. Official Nintendo french magazine N3. Page 25.
