Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Under Rare’s stewardship, Diddy Kong sought to become a “video game hero” à la his mentor, the industry icon Donkey Kong. 1995’s Donkey Kong Country 2 and 1996’s Land 2 developed this by sidelining the royal gorilla, promoting Diddy to the frontman role, and giving him his own companion. Then a spin-off, Diddy Kong Racing, arrived in 1997, fulfilling his arc. Not only did Diddy headline a bestseller without a trace of Donkey Kong, we also met several of his young friends, a plethora of prospective mascots.
T.T., seen in 2007’s Diddy Kong Racing DS (Image: Nintendo/Rare)
When the extraterrestrial evildoer Wizpig arrived on Timber’s Island, the island’s namesake tiger called upon his friends for assistance. Save for Diddy, all of them were nobodies. Banjo and Conker debuted here, both of whom soon became headlining heroes themselves. The former also offered fellow racer Tiptup a home as a recurring face in his series. Complicated circumstances later led Tricky, Racing’s first boss, to sort of get adopted by the Star Fox series. But the rest of Racing’s alumni never saw any success, quickly fading from the public’s consciousness. These casualties include the Kremling Krunch, felon Bumper, and our subject for today…
T.T.’s History
Diddy Kong Racing has a fascinating development history. Even before the red-capped chimp assumed the role of its mascot, Rare’s kart racer was already home to several cartoony personalities, including T.T. In the finished title, T.T. can be found within each world’s hub, keeping track of various information. Should his ghost be defeated on all twenty courses, T.T. joins the playable lineup. With top speed, steering, and near-top acceleration, he’s Racing‘s best contestant. Additionally, finishing Racing’s four challenge levels rewards players with a part of the “T.T. Amulet.” Only once the medallion is complete may Wizpig be confronted for the final time.
According to artist Kevin Bayliss, T.T.’s full name is “TickTock.” The Club Nintendo comic was close, calling him “TicToc.” (Image: Nintendo/Rare)
A decade later, Diddy Kong Racing DS hit the dual screens. It preserves T.T.’s original duties while also letting him host its new “Wish Race” mode. DS’s first four worlds each hide a “Wish Key,” and upon procuring one, players can enter the dreamy domain. Wizpig imprisoned T.T. therein, but he can be freed by – how else? – besting him in a race. Starting these missions is a request from T.T. to create a track using the handheld’s touch screen, and once liberated, he’ll reward players with a piece of his namesake amulet. Afterwards, he’ll hang out in each respective world’s hub. And in the full Wish Race mode, T.T. happily assists in the creation of custom circuits.
Like his fellow racers, T.T. enjoyed some visibility during the 64-bit era. German Club Nintendo comic “Sag niemals Holerö!” and the Mario no Bōken Land manga incorporated T.T., as did 4-koma Gag Battle’s Racing adaption. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t last. Several sequels to Racing were proposed over the years, though only Rare’s ill-fated The Fast & The Furriest was known to feature T.T. in any capacity. Nevertheless, three games – Banjo-Pilot, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, and even DK: King of Swing – continue the practice of including a hidden, definitive best character. Additionally, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts pays homage to T.T. through Trophy Thomas, its competitive record-setter. The timepiece’s final cameo occurred in a tweet by Rare head Gregg Mayles celebrating Racing’s twentieth anniversary. Curiously, the low-poly model of him appears to be set within a comparably crude rendition of a Sea of Thieves tavern.
So, what’re my thoughts on T.T.?
A chatty guy, T.T. is voiced by modeler Dean Smith. (Image: Nintendo/Rare)
During the Nineties, I was a kid who adored Nintendo’s properties and platforms, naturally buying the original Super Smash Bros. upon its release. It was a significant title, introducing me to, among other things, the concept of unlockable content. Secret fighters, a secret arena… knowing a game could hide rewards for dedicated players set my imagination ablaze. Sometime later, I discovered Diddy Kong Racing, which – unlike its contemporary, Mario Kart 64 – held secrets of its own: two racers and four racetracks. Of those latecomers, obtaining Drumstick is fairly straightforward, requiring you to progress through the campaign and locate him. Conversely, nabbing T.T. lies among the 64-bit machine’s greatest challenges. I’ll confess: I never obtained him (in the first Racing, anyway; doing so seemed significantly easier in DS). Those who have – like my two best friends during elementary school, who we all venerated – mastered the game, scoring its ultimate trophy as proof.
One aspect of T.T.’s character – his design – never quite sat well with me, however. Admittedly, I did think making the game’s time trial host a stopwatch was clever (reminder: I was around ten). It’s also nice that he stands out visually among the cast, distinguishing him further. But how he – and by extension, Racing as a whole – stands out bugged me. Rare’s prior Kong titles were undergirded by muted, naturalistic environments. Racing’s bright colors and saccharine audio are pretty far afield of that. But this tonal detachment is best embodied through T.T., a walking, talking neon clock who’d look more at home on an iHop kids’ activity sheet than roaming the Kongs’ world.
Speaking of T.T.’s build, I’ll add that a few of my friends compared him to Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Time Wizard. (Image: Nintendo/Rare)
Nevertheless, I’ve softened towards him, since Racing’s stylistic break became less overt over time. Banjo-Kazooie and then Donkey Kong 64 bear similarly whimsical moods. Even Donkey Kong Country 3 and Land III began drifting towards this direction, embracing goofier characters. Diddy Kong Racing and T.T. helped pioneer a softer side to their universe, something that ultimately enriched it. And I’d even welcome T.T. back for an encore, perhaps somewhere in Sea of Thieves proper.
Diddy Kong Racing remains stuck in a legal gray area, with Rare retaining most of its cast. With few exceptions, neither Microsoft nor Nintendo got much milage out of Racing‘s crew. By this point, T.T.’s fifteen minutes of fame expired over two decades ago, and though I’d appreciate a resurgence, it’s hard to imagine one happening. His legacy continuing through tributes is probably the best we can hope for, and honestly, that’s okay. Characters who are trapped in limbo, encapsulating a very specific idea or moment in a series’ history still carry value. Time will never strip T.T. of that.
Congratulations, TickTock! Finish!
Honestly, seeing either Racing get re-released alone would warrant a massive victory lap. (Image: Nintendo/Rare)
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