Rare: Difference between revisions
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'''{{wp|Rare (company)|Rare Ltd.}}''' (trade-named '''Rareware''' during Nintendo tenure) is a British video game developer based in Twycross, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1985 by Chris and Tim Stamper, as the successor company to {{wp|Ultimate Play the Game}}. Rare formerly worked exclusively for [[Nintendo]] before being bought out by {{wp|Microsoft}}. As a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, Rare created the successful [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games ''{{wp|Wizards & Warriors}}'', ''{{wp|Battletoads (video game)|Battletoads}}'', and ''{{wp|R.C. Pro-Am}}''; revived the ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' property with its critically acclaimed ''[[Donkey Kong Country (series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' series; and created many other well-known titles such as ''{{wp|GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007}}'', ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie}}'', ''{{wp|Perfect Dark}}'', and ''{{wp|Conker's Bad Fur Day}}''. Rare's final game for Nintendo before the acquisition by Microsoft was [[lylatwiki:Star Fox Adventures|Star Fox Adventures]] for the GameCube, which ended up being Rare's only GameCube game as Microsoft bought them the day after the game was released. | '''{{wp|Rare (company)|Rare Ltd.}}''' (trade-named '''Rareware''' during Nintendo tenure) is a British video game developer based in Twycross, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1985 by Chris and Tim Stamper, as the successor company to {{wp|Ultimate Play the Game}}. Rare formerly worked exclusively for [[Nintendo]] before being bought out by {{wp|Microsoft}}. As a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, Rare created the successful [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games ''{{wp|Wizards & Warriors}}'', ''{{wp|Battletoads (video game)|Battletoads}}'', and ''{{wp|R.C. Pro-Am}}''; revived the ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' property with its critically acclaimed ''[[Donkey Kong Country (series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' series; and created many other well-known titles such as ''{{wp|GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007}}'', ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie}}'', ''{{wp|Perfect Dark}}'', and ''{{wp|Conker's Bad Fur Day}}''. Rare's final game for Nintendo before the acquisition by Microsoft was ''[[lylatwiki:Star Fox Adventures|Star Fox Adventures]]'' for the GameCube, which ended up being Rare's only GameCube game as Microsoft bought them the day after the game was released. | ||
In 2002, Microsoft paid $375 million for a 100% acquisition of Rare. The company then began to produce games for {{wp|Xbox Game Studios|Microsoft Studios}}' {{wp|Xbox (console)|Xbox}} video game console. This change of focus resulted in the cancelation of several games featuring the ''Donkey Kong'' brand: ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]'', and unofficially, ''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]''. Under the terms of the merger, Nintendo retained the rights to all the ''Donkey Kong'' characters, while Rare maintained the rights to its own intellectual properties. | In 2002, Microsoft paid $375 million for a 100% acquisition of Rare. The company then began to produce games for {{wp|Xbox Game Studios|Microsoft Studios}}' {{wp|Xbox (console)|Xbox}} video game console. This change of focus resulted in the cancelation of several games featuring the ''Donkey Kong'' brand: ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]'', and unofficially, ''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]''. Under the terms of the merger, Nintendo retained the rights to all the ''Donkey Kong'' characters, while Rare maintained the rights to its own intellectual properties. | ||
Revision as of 14:08, December 2, 2020
Template:Company-infobox Rare Ltd. (trade-named Rareware during Nintendo tenure) is a British video game developer based in Twycross, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1985 by Chris and Tim Stamper, as the successor company to Ultimate Play the Game. Rare formerly worked exclusively for Nintendo before being bought out by Microsoft. As a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, Rare created the successful Nintendo Entertainment System games Wizards & Warriors, Battletoads, and R.C. Pro-Am; revived the Donkey Kong property with its critically acclaimed Donkey Kong Country series; and created many other well-known titles such as GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Rare's final game for Nintendo before the acquisition by Microsoft was Star Fox Adventures for the GameCube, which ended up being Rare's only GameCube game as Microsoft bought them the day after the game was released.
In 2002, Microsoft paid $375 million for a 100% acquisition of Rare. The company then began to produce games for Microsoft Studios' Xbox video game console. This change of focus resulted in the cancelation of several games featuring the Donkey Kong brand: Diddy Kong Pilot, Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers, and unofficially, Donkey Kong Racing. Under the terms of the merger, Nintendo retained the rights to all the Donkey Kong characters, while Rare maintained the rights to its own intellectual properties.
Rare, however, has continued to develop games for Nintendo's handheld systems, since Microsoft has not entered the handheld console market. Such games included enhanced remakes of the three SNES Donkey Kong Country games for the Game Boy Advance and Diddy Kong Racing DS, as well as redeveloping their canceled Diddy Kong Pilot and Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers games into Banjo-Pilot and It's Mr. Pants, respectively.
Appearances in the Donkey Kong franchise
- Dixie Kong and Timber's hats once had Rareware logos on them.
- In Donkey Kong 64, Rareware, along with Nintendo, sponsored the boxing match between the Kongs and King K. Rool as mentioned by the Microbuffer. Also, it is possible to collect a Rareware Coin by beating Cranky's score in Jetpac, and a Golden Banana with Rare's logo on it by collecting all of the Banana Fairies.
- In Diddy Kong Racing DS, the coins have the logo of Rare on it.
- In Donkey Kong Country Returns, the options menu has a coral reef shaped like the Rareware logo.
| Title | Year Released | Console |
|---|---|---|
| Donkey Kong Country | 1994 | SNES |
| Donkey Kong Land | 1995 | Game Boy |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | 1995 | SNES |
| Donkey Kong Land 2 | 1996 | Game Boy |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | 1996 | SNES |
| Donkey Kong Land III | 1997 | Game Boy |
| Diddy Kong Racing | 1997 | Nintendo 64 |
| Donkey Kong 64 | 1999 | Nintendo 64 |
| Donkey Kong Country | 2000 | Game Boy Color |
| Donkey Kong Country | 2003 | Game Boy Advance |
| Donkey Kong Country 2 | 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| Donkey Kong Country 3 | 2005 | Game Boy Advance |
| Diddy Kong Racing DS | 2007 | Nintendo DS |
Notable employees
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Gallery
Logos
Rare's first logo, used from 1987–1990.
Logo used from 1990-1994.
Logo used from 1994-2003 for the "Rareware" trademark.
Donkey Kong and Diddy with the Rareware logo
Logo used from 2003-2010.
Logo used from 2010-2015.
Screenshots
Splash screen from Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong
Splash screen from Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)
Trivia
- Even though Rare has cut ties with Nintendo, their company name, written as "Rare Limited", appears in the Sound Test of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as the original composers of several Donkey Kong songs, although the information clarifies that Nintendo fully owns the copyright to the compositions.
- In Ultimate, they are also credited as the composers for various Banjo-Kazooie music tracks, all of which they currently own as part of Microsoft.
- In the Wii U re-release of Donkey Kong 64, the game Jetpac is left intact despite still being owned by Rareware.
