Retro Studios

Retro Studios
Type	First Party
Founded	1998
Status	Active
Base	Austin, Texas
Bestseller	Metroid Prime
Homepage	English Site
Notable Members	Michael Kelbaugh
Key Franchises	Metroid

Retro Studios is a Austin based game studio that Nintendo has bought. According to their web site, "They have lovely singing voices, and only use their powers for good. Their kung fu is mighty, and the Force is always with them."

History[edit]

Founded in 1998, Retro spent its first few years struggling with several cancelled projects. In 2001, Nintendo offered Retro Studios the license to the long-dormant Metroid franchise. This resulted in the development of the popular Metroid Prime, which brought the series into a new 3-D gameplay style. Then-president, Jeff Spangenberg, sold his shares in the company to Nintendo, and Michael Kelbaugh was named president. They followed up their success with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the Gamecube and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii. With their trilogy complete, they conversed with Nintendo and wound up developing a new Donkey Kong Country game, Donkey Kong Country Returns, which was completed in 2010 and later followed up by a sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.