The adorable Diddy Kong is often overshadowed by other characters, but still remains an integral part of Nintendo. Nintendo wouldn’t feel the same if Donkey Kong didn’t have a sidekick/best friend. Their comradery is what allows them to achieve objectives and save the day.

Diddy Kong is a loveable primate who has won us over with his charm and friendly nature. You’ve played as him, but now it’s time to learn some astonishing facts about Diddy Kong.

10 Diddy Kong Is Donkey Kong’s Nephew

We know Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong appear in a lot of games together and that they are perfect friends. But did you know that Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong’s nephew?

To try and understand Diddy Kong’s lineage, you can compare Scrappy-Doo from Scooby-Doo— the relation is there, but it’s all a little obscure and hidden. Funky Kong is Donkey Kong’s brother, and Diddy is Donkey Kong’s only nephew, but nowhere does it say that Funky Kong is Diddy Kong’s father.

9 Diddy Kong Was Going To Be In A Game Called “Diddy Kong Pilot” Until It Was Rebranded

Diddy Kong’s first game appearance was in Donkey Kong Country, a 2D platformer. But did you know that he was once going to be in a game titled “Diddy Kong Pilot”? The project moved forward but Diddy Kong’s name was stripped from the title, and it became about Banjo from Banjo-Kazooie.

Banjo-Pilot received mostly positive reviews when it launched for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. Diddy already took to the skies in Diddy Kong Racing, so it’s strange that they would rename Diddy’s new game.

8 Diddy Kong Is (Probably) A Spider Monkey

Some may be surprised to learn that Diddy Kong seems to be based on a spider monkey, a tropical animal that is often found in South America. He looks more like a chimpanzee, but for one telling feature: he has a tail.

In fact, many members of the Kong family are not the species you might think they are. Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, Funky Kong, and Swanky Kong are gorillas, and Dixie Kong and Tiny Kong seem to be chimpanzees. The trouble here is that spider monkeys don’t have thumbs, while Diddy does, but still. These are heavily-stylised takes on real-world creatures.

7 He Was A Playable Character In Donkey Kong 64

Despite being over two decades old, Donkey Kong 64 remains one of the best games Diddy has appeared in. In the same way that Mario received a single-player 3D platformer for the Nintendo 64, Donkey Kong received one as well. The game was a massive hit with players, so it is unknown why Nintendo decided to continue with Donkey Kong Country games and avoid 3D ones.

In Donkey Kong 64, you could change characters by jumping into a character-labeled barrel. It was tedious to switch players so often in the game, but it was required for objectives. Despite the game’s few flaws, being able to play as Diddy Kong has rarely been so much fun.

6 Diddy Had A Kart Racing Game In 1997 For The Nintendo 64

Like Mario Kart, Diddy Kong had a kart racing game for the Nintendo 64. It was called Diddy Kong Racing, and it was a huge hit. Unlike Mario’s kart racer, Diddy Kong Racing featured an Adventure Mode, offering tough challenges and boss races. The objective of the game was to collect balloons instead of stars or moons.

If you don’t have a Nintendo 64, a remake was made for the Nintendo DS. The races in Diddy Kong 64 are less forgiving than Mario Kart 64, so more skill is needed to win races. Introducing characters like Banjo and Conker, Diddy Kong Racing is one kart racing game we won’t forget. And where is that sequel?

5 He Is The Fastest Member Of The Kong Family

Given his size and leg span, it would seem like Diddy Kong would be on the slower side. The Kong family is large, and Diddy Kong is one of the smallest. Donkey Kong moves quickly, despite his bulk, so many people’s first guess would be that Donkey Kong is faster than Diddy Kong.

In reality, though, Diddy Kong is the quickest primate in the Kong family, and this can be seen in games like Donkey Kong Country Returns and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

4 His Girlfriend Is Dixie Kong

Although you don’t see them interact in the games that often, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong are boyfriend and girlfriend. They both have the same last names, yet Dixie Kong’s family is separate from Diddy and Donkey Kong’s family.

The first video game Dixie Kong appeared in was Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, where she was one of the game’s major protagonists. It’s a good thing Diddy and Dixie aren’t related, or something would be horribly, horribly wrong.

3 He Is Now Voiced By Katsumi Suzuki Instead Of Chris Sutherland

The voice actor Chris Sutherland is a huge name in the video game industry. He has voiced characters in games like Donkey Kong 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Mario Golf: World Tour. Conker: Live and Reloaded, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Star Fox Adventures, Perfect Dark, and the list goes on.

To find out that Chris Sutherland is no longer voicing the character Diddy Kong is saddening. Now, Diddy Kong is voiced by Katsumi Suzuki, who is doing a fantastic job. Some of the games for which Suzuki has voiced Diddy Kong include Super Mario Party, Mario Party 9, Mario Kart 7, and Donkey Kong Country Returns.

2 Donkey Kong And Diddy Kong Are The Primate Versions Of Mario And Luigi

As the mascot of Nintendo, we can’t help but compare Mario and Luigi to Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Diddy Kong wears a Nintendo hat, but Mario and Luigi are bigger names in Nintendo. In this analogy, King K. Rool would be the Bowser of Diddy and Donkey Kong games.

In Donkey Kong’s first game appearance in 1981’s Donkey Kong, he actually played the villain. Years later, Donkey Kong would play the part of a hero in Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System; Diddy Kong starred in the sequel.

1 Diddy Kong Saved The Day By Rescuing Donkey Kong In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

The game Donkey Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest has one of the best soundtracks in gaming. It is also a game where Diddy Kong starred and saved the day. Working together with his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, players have to persevere through fog, rain, and thunderstorms to get to the end of the game.

In the end, Diddy saves Donkey Kong, who is usually the one who does the saving. If you haven’t had a chance to play Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, you are missing out on one of the best 2D platformers ever made.

NEXT: Ranking Every Donkey Kong Game From Worst To Best