Up to 4 people would be able to play at a given time. There was going to be a multiplayer mode in the game. Giving the user's animals enough could make them become 'true thoroughbreds.' In other words, the user can collect fruits to upgrade the user's animal to max potential. When competing in races, the player could pick up fruits and prizes for their specific animal. Bigger animals could destroy objects, while smaller animals could maneuver around obstacles easier The player could also be knocked down from their animal, in which they would have to do a 'Track and Field' inspired button-mashing activity to get back on said animal. Each animal would have a different size and color, with special abilities according to how big the animal was. Expresso (Ostriches), Chomps (Sharks), Flitter (Dragonflies), Glimmer (Anglerfishes), Necky (Vultures), and Army (Armadillos) was shown in the trailer, which could mean those animals could also be ridden in-game. The animals that could be ridden on include Rambi (Rhinos), Enguarde (Swordfishes), Ellie (Elephants), and Zingers (Wasps). One of the main differences from Donkey Kong Racing to Diddy Kong Racing was that instead of riding in various vehicles, the player would be riding on the backs of different animals from the Donkey Kong Country series.

The game was also going to have Dolby Surround Sound, even to go as far as to put together an orchestrated soundtrack. The tracks and scenery are blurred so much, 'It was up to you to decide where the track met amidst marauding rhinos, schools of darting piranha, swarms of agitated wasps and other roaming wildlife bent on mischief.' Donkey Kong Racing was going to have a lot of realistic features, like fading sunlight and swaying trees. The world of Donkey Kong Racing was going to include jungles, plains, and seas that were going to be stitched together into one seamless overworld. It is rumored that some of the original cast from Diddy Kong Racing could have returned as Taj was a playable character in the game. Known playable characters in Donkey Kong Racing included Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Kiddie Kong, and Taj the Genie from the trailer plus Crankey Kong and Lanky Kong (which were shown in an internal render for the game).

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