Bumper (character): Difference between revisions

|portrayed_by= Lee Schuneman<ref>{{cite|title=''GamesTM'' Issue 134 ("The 25 Greatest Nintendo Games")|date=April 2013|page=58}}</ref>

'''Bumper''' is a badger and one of the playable characters in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'' and [[Diddy Kong Racing DS|its Nintendo DS remake]]. He also appeared in various ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' media released only in Japan, but this stopped in 2002, when the rights of Bumper were transferred to {{wp|Microsoft}}, following their acquisition of [[Rare Ltd.]]

He is described across multiple supplemental material to ''Diddy Kong Racing'' as a lover of speed, thrills and races. A promotional e-mail by [[Rare Ltd.]] in 2004 to promote the release of ''{{wp|Conker: Live & Reloaded}}'' implied that one of the racers from ''Diddy Kong Racing'' had been jailed.<ref>{{cite|archive=web.archive.org/web/20080804094926/http://www.the-nextlevel.com/feature/conkers-public-address|title=Conker's Public Address|publisher=The Next Level|accessdate=December 3, 2017}}</ref> An instance on the Rare Ltd. website in 2012 further confirmed that the imprisoned individual in question had been "Bumper the badger".<ref>{{cite|archive=web.archive.org/web/20140210121309/http://rare.co.uk/blog/2012/05/18/mini-scribes-may-18-2012|title=Rare Mini-Scribes: May 18, 2012|accessdate=December 3, 2017}}</ref> A tweet made by Rare Ltd. in 2021 in response to a joke made by the Super Mario Wiki account on X added that Bumper at some point in time was put on parole, and that he was superficially apologetic for his actions.<ref>{{cite|quote=Oh, Bumper's been a free badger (well, on parole) for a while now and he's superficially sorry for all those bad things he did.|archive=web.archive.org/web/20211006193931/https://twitter.com/RareLtd/status/1445797744640208896|author=RareLtd|publisher=X|date=October 6, 2021|accessdate=October 6, 2021}}</ref>

===Concept and creation===

[[File:BumperOG.png|thumb|left|Early model for a blue Bumper]]

An early design of Bumper was shared online by [[Kevin Bayliss]], former [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]] graphic and character designer that worked on ''Diddy Kong Racing''.<ref>{{cite|author=TCRF|url=tcrf.net/Development:Diddy_Kong_Racing|title=Development:Diddy Kong Racing|publisher=The Cutting Room Floor}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=x.com/render_archive/status/1445174824553394182|title=Some diddy kong racing test renders shared by kev bayliss on tik tok|author=@render_archive|publisher=X|accessdate=April 4, 2024}}</ref>{{better source}} This early incarnation of Bumper was seemingly colored blue.

===''Diddy Kong Racing'' / ''Diddy Kong Racing DS''===

Bumper was one of many characters whom [[Timber]] contacted for help to stop [[Wizpig]] from taking over [[Timber's Island]]. Bumper's theme instrument on the character selection menu is a {{wp|steel guitar}}. Bumper has average speed, acceleration, and turning abilities. His top speed without bananas is 56.5 mph, like with [[Conker]] and Timber. His vehicle color is yellow. Bumper had very few changes in the Nintendo DS remake, such as a more matured voice.

Bumper makes a small non-speaking cameo in the ''Diddy Kong Racing'' segment of ''[[Mario no Bōken Land]]'', titled "Go Go Diddy!". He is shown competing in a race, in his car, in second place.

Bumper.jpg|''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''

DKRJPNC.png|''Diddy Kong Racing'' (Japanese commercial)

BumperBoken.jpg|''[[Mario no Bōken Land]]''

[[Category:Carnivorans]]