A 1997 N64 Classic Just Made Its Way To PC

Published Aug 3, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. There are so many incredible Nintendo 64 games that remain trapped on the system. That's obviously fine for those lucky enough to still have one or the means to afford one; however, considering N64s are few and far between on secondhand markets, and those that are available are often fairly pricey, it's becoming increasingly hard to access some of the console's best games. Fortunately, every now and then, some of the greatest Nintendo 64 games are ported over to modern-day consoles and even PC, with the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 playing host to a wealth of phenomenal titles of the era. Most recently, a truly iconic N64 game that will no doubt top many people's rankings of their favorite games on the platform, is making its way to PC with a brand-new port that fans will absolutely want to play. Among all the N64 games that changed the industry forever is a title that, while its effect wasn't quite as profound as, say, Mario 64, still offered enough innovation and ideas that helped shape future games within its genre. It also proved to be one of the best titles on the console, even, in many fans' eyes, surpassing a first-party Nintendo-developed title that has gone on to spawn a number of sequels and even a Nintendo Switch 2 release. Of course, the game in question is Diddy Kong Racing, a clever, beautifully designed, and endlessly fun arcade racer that sees players take to the skies, or drive on land, along winding tracks as a bevy of Rare's finest characters. After nearly 30 years, the game has finally made its way to PC, where players can enjoy it alongside a number of key improvements, if they so desire, thanks to akratch's unofficial port. The unofficial Diddy Kong Racing port, which can be downloaded from its Github page, sports three different modes that offer wildly unique experiences. The first, Pure, is the original version of the game, completely unaltered and exactly how you remember it. The second, Restored, offers the base game with widescreen support, higher resolutions, anisotropic filtering, and a whole host of visual improvements that retain the original aesthetic while making it a little more palatable to those accustomed to modern gaming. Finally, the Remastered mode includes the aforementioned improvements on top of better directional lighting, adjusted color grading, and world shadows. It's more akin to a visual overhaul that, once again, doesn't completely alter the original game's look. Of course, Diddy Kong Racing isn't the only amazing N64 PC port to grace the platform, but this one is shaping up to be a great one for fans. The sheer fact that this 1997 N64 classic is playable on PC in the first place is phenomenal, but all the changes it brings help to improve upon an already incredible masterpiece. Released November 21, 1997 ESRB E For Everyone Developer(s) Rare Publisher(s) Rare, Nintendo Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Donkey Kong Number of Players 1-4