Tiptup
Tiptup's artwork from Diddy Kong Racing DS.
Tiptup as depicted in Diddy Kong Racing DS
Full name Tiptup the Turtle
Species Turtle
First appearance Diddy Kong Racing (1997)
Latest appearance Diddy Kong Racing DS (2007)
Portrayed by Johnni Christensen (1997)[1]
“Slow and steady won't win many races around here.”
Tiptup, Nintendo Power [2]

Tiptup (originally spelled TipTup[3] and alternatively named Tip Top[4]) is a clumsy turtle originating from Diddy Kong Racing, who would later become a frequent, recurring minor character in the Banjo-Kazooie series. His name is a pun on the phrase "tipped up."

Despite being a Banjo-Kazooie series character, Tiptup returned in Diddy Kong Racing DS, whereas Banjo himself was excluded due to the rights to the Banjo-Kazooie series having been purchased by Microsoft.

HistoryEdit

Diddy Kong RacingEdit

 
Tiptup in his debut appearance, Diddy Kong Racing

Tiptup is a playable driver in Diddy Kong Racing. He helps Timber, Pipsy and the others defend their home island from Wizpig. The pig tyrant flies back to his home planet, Future Fun Land, after being defeated by Tiptup and his friends. Tiptup and his allies follow, and defeat Wizpig for a second time. Tiptup's instrument theme is a xylophone or marimba.

Tiptup is one of only two lightweight racers, with the other one being Pipsy. His vehicles have very high acceleration attributes and good turning abilities, but their speed is rather low. His top speed without bananas is 54.67 mph.

Diddy Kong Racing DSEdit

Tiptup also appears in the remake to the original, Diddy Kong Racing DS. He has a higher pitched voice in the game, and his characteristics are very slightly altered from the original game.

Mario no Bōken LandEdit

 
Tiptup in Mario no Bōken Land

Tiptup makes a small, non-speaking cameo in the Diddy Kong Racing segment of, Mario no Bōken Land, titled "Go Go Diddy!". He is shown to be competing in a race, in third place.

4-koma Gag BattleEdit

Tiptup appears throughout the 4-koma Gag Battle manga adaptation of Diddy Kong Racing.

Mario Artist: Paint StudioEdit

His Diddy Kong Racing artwork appears as a stamp in Mario Artist: Paint Studio.

Profile and statisticsEdit

Diddy Kong RacingEdit

  • Character stats
    • Weight: Light
    • Acceleration: 4.5/5
    • Handling: 4.5/5
    • Top Speed: 1.5/5
    • Vehicle Color: Cyan
  • Instruction booklet bio (page 25): "(High acceleration, light weight, excellent handling, medium top speed) TipTup the turtle is another member of the close group of animal friends, but because of his nervous (and maybe even slightly clumsy) nature, he’s never been particularly fond of the racing that the others seem to like so much. Now, though, he doesn’t seem to have much choice!"
  • Player's Guide (page 6): "We’ve all heard how a slow but clever tortoise used his brain to win a race over a swift but stupid hare. In this case, our little turtle will have a little high-tech help getting up to speed. Tiptup is a clever fellow himself, but when the pressure is on, his nervousness can sometimes get the better of him."
  • Nintendo Power Volume 103 (page 15): "TipTup, like Pipsy, doesn’t have the weight to hold a hovercraft down, but in all other vehicles and conditions, he can race circles around the heavier racers. His acceleration and handling are tip top and his top speed is medium. He may be a little nervous on the race track, but you can calm him down with practice."
  • Diddy's Drivers Ed: "Light drivers like Tiptup have excellent handling but very poor top speed. Grabbing bananas to increase top speed is a priority with Tiptup."
  • Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide (page 33): "TipTup has roughly the same characteristics as Pipsy. He’s quick off the line and handles very well. He’s a little heavier than the mouse, although not, of course, as bulky as some of the game’s other animals. The added weight makes him easier to control on water, although you must get used to making more of a controlled skid to get around the tightest turns in your Car."
  • Rarewhere: "Tiptup the turtle is another member of Timber's close group of friends, but because of his nervous (and maybe even slightly clumsy) nature, he’s never been particularly fond of the racing that the others seem to enjoy so much. As things stand, however, he doesn’t seem be left with much choice!"

Diddy Kong Racing DSEdit

  • Character stats
    • Speed: 1/5
    • Acceleration: 5/5
    • Handling: 5/5

GalleryEdit

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Tiptup.

ArtworkEdit

ScreenshotsEdit

SpritesEdit

ScansEdit

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ティップタップ
Tipputappu
Tiptup
French Tiptup[5] -

TriviaEdit

  • Tiptup would have appeared in Diddy Kong Racing Adventure, which was a rejected video game pitch idea that never came to fruition. He would have had spinning rings of turtle shells as a special move.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Twitter confirmation by former Rare employee Graeme Norgate
  2. ^ @DKVine, Twitter.
  3. ^ Diddy Kong Racing instruction booklet, page 25.
  4. ^ "Diddy Kong Racing. Nintendo of Australia (Wayback Machine).
  5. ^ Official Nintendo french magazine N3, page 25

External linksEdit