Difference between revisions of "Rare Ltd."
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− | Rare is a former Nintendo second party | + | '''Rare''' (formerly known as Rareware) is a former [[Nintendo]] second party developer that went on to be owned by Microsoft. While working with Nintendo, they worked primarily on the ''[[Portal: Donkey Kong|Donkey Kong]]'' series, known for reinventing the series with the development of ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and its sequels, and they also created several series of their own with a number of titles launching in the Nintendo 64 era. They are based in Twycross, Leicestershire, England. |
==History== | ==History== | ||
Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
===Ultimate - Play the Game=== | ===Ultimate - Play the Game=== | ||
− | Rare was founded by Tim and Chris Stamper in 1982 as Ashby Computer Graphics. Under the label "Ultimate Play the Game," they published games for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. | + | Rare was founded by Tim and Chris Stamper in 1982 as Ashby Computer Graphics. Under the label "Ultimate Play the Game," they published games for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. Their breakout game was ''Jetpac'', which received critical acclaim. They went on to release 14 games for the Spectrum. In 1985, they sold their name to U.S. Gold and took on the name "Rare." |
===Rare and Nintendo=== | ===Rare and Nintendo=== | ||
− | Seeing the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], the brothers | + | Seeing the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], the brothers felt that it was the future of gaming and developed games for it. They impressed the company president of the time, [[Minoru Arakawa]], with a demo and he agreed to publish some of their games. They created almost 60 games for the NES. |
− | During the early days of the [[Super | + | During the early days of the [[Super NES]], Rare initially did not produce many games beyond several ''Battletoads'' games. They were determined to create something groundbreaking, which eventually came in the form of ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', which used advanced graphics and reinvented the ''Donkey Kong'' series. After ''Donkey Kong Country'', Rare came up with the arcade game ''Killer Instinct''. Nintendo was so impressed with the upcoming home version of the game that they bought 25% of the company's shares and made them a second party developer. |
− | + | On the Nintendo 64, Rare continued with a few ''Donkey Kong''-related games, but they also focused on branching out in launching their own series such as ''Banjo-Kazooie'', ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'', and ''Perfect Dark'', which all found audiences. One of their most well-known works would end up being ''Goldeneye 007'', a tie-in for a ''James Bond'' film. | |
− | + | Since the Nintendo 64 days, Rare had been working on an RPG called ''Dinosaur Planet''. At some point in its development, suggestions from [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Nintendo]] led to the game being retooled with ''[[Portal: Star Fox|Star Fox]]'' characters. It was ultimately released for the [[Gamecube]] in 2002 as ''[[Star Fox Adventures]]''. This was the only game they made for the Gamecube and the last game that they released as a second party developer to Nintendo. | |
− | In 2002, Rare | + | ===Rare and Microsoft=== |
+ | |||
+ | The company had trouble keeping up with the rising costs of game development, and they felt that Nintendo was helpful in not providing more funds or buying out the rest of the company, and so they started looking for potential buyers. In 2002, the Stamper brothers left Rare and sold their 51% of the company's shares to Microsoft. Nintendo, realizing that Microsoft now controlled the company, sold their shares to Microsoft as well. Rareware's Nintendo games that were in development were cancelled (such as ''Donkey Kong Racing'') or retooled with their own characters. | ||
− | + | Since then, Rare has continued some of its own series on X-Box with ''Perfect Dark Zero'', ''Conker: Live and Reloaded'' and ''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Dolts''. It has also created original games for Microsoft including ''Grabbed by Ghoulies'' and ''Viva Pinata'' while also spending some time regulating themselves to developing games for Microsoft's Kinect. Many of their past titles (with the obvious exception of their ''Donkey Kong'' games, as well as ''Goldeneye 007'' until 2023) also became available through Xbox Live Arcade and later through the Rare Replay compilation on the Xbox One. | |
− | + | Though they now work for Microsoft, Rare was still allowed to develop games for Nintendo's handheld system, as their contract only forbade them from developing games for systems that directly competed with their Xbox line, and Microsoft did not have any handheld systems. Rare made remakes of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series on the [[Game Boy Advance]] and ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]'' on the [[Nintendo DS]], which were their last ''Donkey Kong''-related projects. They also retooled some of the ''Donkey Kong'' games that had been in development prior to the buy-out into games featuring their own characters: ''Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers'' became ''It's Mr. Pants!'', while ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' was reworked into ''Banjo Pilot''. They also attempted to retool ''Donkey Kong Racing'' into an Xbox game that would be called ''Sabreman Stampede'', but that project was ultimately cancelled. | |
− | + | In later years, Rare became known for the pirate-themed multiplayer adventure game ''Sea of Thieves'' and worked with other studios on revivals of some of their older properties, collaborating with Dlala Studios on a new ''Battletoads'' and overseeing Double Helix Games and Iron Galaxy in the making of a new ''Killer Instinct''. As Microsoft became friendlier with Nintendo, some of Rare's past games became available in the [[Nintendo Switch]]'s Nintendo 64 app, and Banjo-Kazooie was allowed into ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as a DLC character. | |
− | + | Several prominent Rare employees have also split off into different companies, such as Free Radical Design (known for the ''Timesplitters'' series) and Playtonic Games (which developed ''Yooka-Laylee'', an attempted spiritual successor to ''Banjo-Kazooie''). | |
==Games== | ==Games== | ||
Line 49: | Line 51: | ||
*''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' | *''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' | ||
− | *Anticipation | + | *[[Anticipation]] |
*''Arch Rivals'' | *''Arch Rivals'' | ||
*''Battletoads'' | *''Battletoads'' | ||
− | *Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team | + | *''Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team'' |
*''Beetlejuice'' | *''Beetlejuice'' | ||
*''Cabal'' | *''Cabal'' | ||
*''California Games'' | *''California Games'' | ||
− | *Captain Skyhawk | + | *''Captain Skyhawk'' |
− | *Cobra Triangle | + | *[[Cobra Triangle]] |
*''Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat'' | *''Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat'' | ||
*''Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City'' | *''Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City'' | ||
Line 70: | Line 72: | ||
*''Jordan vs. Bird One-on-One'' | *''Jordan vs. Bird One-on-One'' | ||
*''Marble Madness'' | *''Marble Madness'' | ||
− | * | + | *[[Pinbot]] |
*''Pirates!'' | *''Pirates!'' | ||
− | *R.C. Pro-AM | + | *[[R.C. Pro-AM]] |
*''R.C. Pro-AM II'' | *''R.C. Pro-AM II'' | ||
*''Sesame Street 1-2-3'' | *''Sesame Street 1-2-3'' | ||
Line 78: | Line 80: | ||
*''Sesame Street A-B-C'' | *''Sesame Street A-B-C'' | ||
*''Silent Service'' | *''Silent Service'' | ||
− | *Slalom | + | *[[Slalom]] |
− | *Snake Rattle 'n | + | *[[Snake Rattle 'n Roll]] |
*''Solar Jetman'' | *''Solar Jetman'' | ||
*''Super Glove Ball'' | *''Super Glove Ball'' | ||
− | *Super Off-Road | + | *''Super Off-Road'' |
*''Taboo: The Sixth Sense'' | *''Taboo: The Sixth Sense'' | ||
*''Time Lord'' | *''Time Lord'' | ||
Line 94: | Line 96: | ||
*''World Games'' | *''World Games'' | ||
− | ====[[Super | + | ====[[Super NES]]==== |
*''Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team'' | *''Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team'' | ||
− | *Battletoads in Battlemaniacs | + | *''Battletoads in Battlemaniacs'' |
*[[Donkey Kong Country]] | *[[Donkey Kong Country]] | ||
*[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]] | *[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]] | ||
*[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble]] | *[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble]] | ||
− | * | + | *Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge |
− | *Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run | + | *[[Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run]] |
− | *Killer Instinct | + | *[[Killer Instinct]] |
====[[Nintendo 64]]==== | ====[[Nintendo 64]]==== | ||
− | *Banjo-Kazooie | + | *[[Banjo-Kazooie]] |
− | *Banjo-Tooie | + | *[[Banjo-Tooie]] |
− | *Blast Corps | + | *[[Blast Corps]] |
− | *Conker's Bad Fur Day | + | *[[Conker's Bad Fur Day]] |
*[[Diddy Kong Racing]] | *[[Diddy Kong Racing]] | ||
*[[Donkey Kong 64]] | *[[Donkey Kong 64]] | ||
− | *GoldenEye 007 | + | *[[GoldenEye 007]] |
− | *Jet Force Gemini | + | *[[Jet Force Gemini]] |
− | *Killer Instinct Gold | + | *[[Killer Instinct Gold]] |
− | *Mickey's Speedway USA | + | *[[Mickey's Speedway USA]] |
− | *Perfect Dark | + | *[[Perfect Dark]] |
====[[Gamecube]]==== | ====[[Gamecube]]==== | ||
Line 125: | Line 127: | ||
===Nintendo Handhelds=== | ===Nintendo Handhelds=== | ||
− | ====[[ | + | ====[[Game Boy]]==== |
*''Battletoads'' | *''Battletoads'' | ||
Line 135: | Line 137: | ||
*[[Donkey Kong Land 3]] | *[[Donkey Kong Land 3]] | ||
*''Fortress of Fear: Wizards & Warriors X'' | *''Fortress of Fear: Wizards & Warriors X'' | ||
− | *Killer Instinct | + | *[[Killer Instinct]] |
*''Monster Max'' | *''Monster Max'' | ||
*''Sneaky Snakes'' | *''Sneaky Snakes'' | ||
− | *Super R.C. Pro-Am | + | *[[Super R.C. Pro-Am]] |
*''The Amazing Spider-Man'' | *''The Amazing Spider-Man'' | ||
*''WWF Superstars'' | *''WWF Superstars'' | ||
− | ====[[ | + | ====[[Game Boy Color]]==== |
− | *Conker's Pocket Tales | + | *[[Conker's Pocket Tales]] |
*[[Donkey Kong Country]] | *[[Donkey Kong Country]] | ||
− | *Mickey's Racing Adventure | + | *[[Mickey's Racing Adventure]] |
− | *Mickey's Speedway USA | + | *[[Mickey's Speedway USA]] |
− | *Perfect Dark | + | *[[Perfect Dark]] |
− | ====[[ | + | ====[[Game Boy Advance]]==== |
*Banjo Pilot | *Banjo Pilot | ||
Line 163: | Line 165: | ||
*[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]] | *[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]] | ||
+ | *''Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise'' | ||
===[[Arcade]]=== | ===[[Arcade]]=== | ||
− | *Killer Instinct | + | *[[Killer Instinct]] |
− | *Killer Instinct 2 | + | *[[Killer Instinct 2]] |
*Super Battletoads | *Super Battletoads | ||
*X The Ball | *X The Ball | ||
Line 189: | Line 192: | ||
*''Grabbed by the Ghoulies'' | *''Grabbed by the Ghoulies'' | ||
*''Kameo: Elements of Power'' | *''Kameo: Elements of Power'' | ||
− | |||
====Xbox 360==== | ====Xbox 360==== | ||
− | *''Banjo-Kazooie | + | *''Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' |
− | |||
*''Kameo: Elements of Power'' | *''Kameo: Elements of Power'' | ||
+ | *''Kinect Sports'' | ||
*''Perfect Dark Zero'' | *''Perfect Dark Zero'' | ||
*''Viva Pinata'' | *''Viva Pinata'' | ||
+ | *''Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====Xbox Live Arcade==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | *''Banjo-Kazooie'' | ||
+ | *''Banjo-Tooie'' | ||
+ | *''Jetpac Refueled'' | ||
+ | *''Perfect Dark'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Xbox One=== | ||
+ | |||
+ | *''Battletoads'' | ||
+ | *''Killer Instinct'' | ||
+ | *''Kinect Sports Rivals'' | ||
+ | *''Rare Replay'' | ||
+ | *''Sea of Thieves'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | All of these games except for ''Kinect Sports Rivals'' and ''Rare Replay'' were also made available on Windows PCs. | ||
===Other Handhelds=== | ===Other Handhelds=== | ||
Line 254: | Line 274: | ||
*''Alien 8'' | *''Alien 8'' | ||
− | * | + | *''Atic Atac'' |
*''Bubbler'' | *''Bubbler'' | ||
*''Cookie'' | *''Cookie'' | ||
Line 271: | Line 291: | ||
*''Underwurlde'' | *''Underwurlde'' | ||
− | [[Category:Former Second Party | + | [[Category:Former Second Party Developers]][[Category: Third-Party Developers]] |
Latest revision as of 09:47, 10 December 2023
Rare Ltd. | |
---|---|
Type | Former Second Party |
Founded | 1982 |
Status | Active, Owned by Microsoft |
Base | Twycross, Leicestershire, United Kingdom |
Bestseller | Donkey Kong Country |
Homepage | Homepage |
Notable Members | Chris Stamper Tim Stamper |
Key Franchises | Battletoads Banjo-Kazooie Conker Killer Instinct Perfect Dark |
Rare (formerly known as Rareware) is a former Nintendo second party developer that went on to be owned by Microsoft. While working with Nintendo, they worked primarily on the Donkey Kong series, known for reinventing the series with the development of Donkey Kong Country and its sequels, and they also created several series of their own with a number of titles launching in the Nintendo 64 era. They are based in Twycross, Leicestershire, England.
History[edit]
Ultimate - Play the Game[edit]
Rare was founded by Tim and Chris Stamper in 1982 as Ashby Computer Graphics. Under the label "Ultimate Play the Game," they published games for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. Their breakout game was Jetpac, which received critical acclaim. They went on to release 14 games for the Spectrum. In 1985, they sold their name to U.S. Gold and took on the name "Rare."
Rare and Nintendo[edit]
Seeing the Nintendo Entertainment System, the brothers felt that it was the future of gaming and developed games for it. They impressed the company president of the time, Minoru Arakawa, with a demo and he agreed to publish some of their games. They created almost 60 games for the NES.
During the early days of the Super NES, Rare initially did not produce many games beyond several Battletoads games. They were determined to create something groundbreaking, which eventually came in the form of Donkey Kong Country, which used advanced graphics and reinvented the Donkey Kong series. After Donkey Kong Country, Rare came up with the arcade game Killer Instinct. Nintendo was so impressed with the upcoming home version of the game that they bought 25% of the company's shares and made them a second party developer.
On the Nintendo 64, Rare continued with a few Donkey Kong-related games, but they also focused on branching out in launching their own series such as Banjo-Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and Perfect Dark, which all found audiences. One of their most well-known works would end up being Goldeneye 007, a tie-in for a James Bond film.
Since the Nintendo 64 days, Rare had been working on an RPG called Dinosaur Planet. At some point in its development, suggestions from Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo led to the game being retooled with Star Fox characters. It was ultimately released for the Gamecube in 2002 as Star Fox Adventures. This was the only game they made for the Gamecube and the last game that they released as a second party developer to Nintendo.
Rare and Microsoft[edit]
The company had trouble keeping up with the rising costs of game development, and they felt that Nintendo was helpful in not providing more funds or buying out the rest of the company, and so they started looking for potential buyers. In 2002, the Stamper brothers left Rare and sold their 51% of the company's shares to Microsoft. Nintendo, realizing that Microsoft now controlled the company, sold their shares to Microsoft as well. Rareware's Nintendo games that were in development were cancelled (such as Donkey Kong Racing) or retooled with their own characters.
Since then, Rare has continued some of its own series on X-Box with Perfect Dark Zero, Conker: Live and Reloaded and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Dolts. It has also created original games for Microsoft including Grabbed by Ghoulies and Viva Pinata while also spending some time regulating themselves to developing games for Microsoft's Kinect. Many of their past titles (with the obvious exception of their Donkey Kong games, as well as Goldeneye 007 until 2023) also became available through Xbox Live Arcade and later through the Rare Replay compilation on the Xbox One.
Though they now work for Microsoft, Rare was still allowed to develop games for Nintendo's handheld system, as their contract only forbade them from developing games for systems that directly competed with their Xbox line, and Microsoft did not have any handheld systems. Rare made remakes of the Donkey Kong Country series on the Game Boy Advance and Diddy Kong Racing DS on the Nintendo DS, which were their last Donkey Kong-related projects. They also retooled some of the Donkey Kong games that had been in development prior to the buy-out into games featuring their own characters: Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers became It's Mr. Pants!, while Diddy Kong Pilot was reworked into Banjo Pilot. They also attempted to retool Donkey Kong Racing into an Xbox game that would be called Sabreman Stampede, but that project was ultimately cancelled.
In later years, Rare became known for the pirate-themed multiplayer adventure game Sea of Thieves and worked with other studios on revivals of some of their older properties, collaborating with Dlala Studios on a new Battletoads and overseeing Double Helix Games and Iron Galaxy in the making of a new Killer Instinct. As Microsoft became friendlier with Nintendo, some of Rare's past games became available in the Nintendo Switch's Nintendo 64 app, and Banjo-Kazooie was allowed into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC character.
Several prominent Rare employees have also split off into different companies, such as Free Radical Design (known for the Timesplitters series) and Playtonic Games (which developed Yooka-Laylee, an attempted spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie).
Games[edit]
Nintendo Consoles[edit]
Nintendo Entertainment System[edit]
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Anticipation
- Arch Rivals
- Battletoads
- Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
- Beetlejuice
- Cabal
- California Games
- Captain Skyhawk
- Cobra Triangle
- Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat
- Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City
- Double Dare
- High Speed
- Hollywood Squares
- IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II
- Jeopardy!
- Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary
- Jeopardy! Jr.
- John Elway's Quarterback Challenge
- Jordan vs. Bird One-on-One
- Marble Madness
- Pinbot
- Pirates!
- R.C. Pro-AM
- R.C. Pro-AM II
- Sesame Street 1-2-3
- Sesame Street 1-2-3 & A-B-C
- Sesame Street A-B-C
- Silent Service
- Slalom
- Snake Rattle 'n Roll
- Solar Jetman
- Super Glove Ball
- Super Off-Road
- Taboo: The Sixth Sense
- Time Lord
- WWF WrestleMania Challenge
- WWF Wrestlemania
- Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition
- Wheel of Fortune: Featuring Vanna White
- Wheel of Fortune: Junior Edition
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
- Wizards & Warriors III: Kuros Visions of Power
- World Games
Super NES[edit]
- Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
- Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
- Donkey Kong Country
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
- Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
- Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge
- Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run
- Killer Instinct
Nintendo 64[edit]
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Banjo-Tooie
- Blast Corps
- Conker's Bad Fur Day
- Diddy Kong Racing
- Donkey Kong 64
- GoldenEye 007
- Jet Force Gemini
- Killer Instinct Gold
- Mickey's Speedway USA
- Perfect Dark
Gamecube[edit]
Nintendo Handhelds[edit]
Game Boy[edit]
- Battletoads
- Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
- Battletoads in Ragnarok's World
- Beetlejuice
- Donkey Kong Land
- Donkey Kong Land 2
- Donkey Kong Land 3
- Fortress of Fear: Wizards & Warriors X
- Killer Instinct
- Monster Max
- Sneaky Snakes
- Super R.C. Pro-Am
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- WWF Superstars
Game Boy Color[edit]
- Conker's Pocket Tales
- Donkey Kong Country
- Mickey's Racing Adventure
- Mickey's Speedway USA
- Perfect Dark
Game Boy Advance[edit]
- Banjo Pilot
- Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge
- Donkey Kong Country
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
- Donkey Kong Country 3
- It's Mr. Pants
- Sabre Wulf
Nintendo DS[edit]
- Diddy Kong Racing DS
- Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise
Arcade[edit]
- Killer Instinct
- Killer Instinct 2
- Super Battletoads
- X The Ball
Other Consoles[edit]
SEGA Master System[edit]
- Battlemaniacs
SEGA Genesis[edit]
- Battletoads
- Battletoads / Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
- Championship Pro-AM
- Snake Rattle 'n' Roll
Xbox[edit]
- Conker: Live & Reloaded
- Grabbed by the Ghoulies
- Kameo: Elements of Power
Xbox 360[edit]
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Kameo: Elements of Power
- Kinect Sports
- Perfect Dark Zero
- Viva Pinata
- Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
Xbox Live Arcade[edit]
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Banjo-Tooie
- Jetpac Refueled
- Perfect Dark
Xbox One[edit]
- Battletoads
- Killer Instinct
- Kinect Sports Rivals
- Rare Replay
- Sea of Thieves
All of these games except for Kinect Sports Rivals and Rare Replay were also made available on Windows PCs.
Other Handhelds[edit]
SEGA Game Gear[edit]
- Battletoads
Home Computers[edit]
Amstrad[edit]
- Alien 8
- Cyberun
- Gunfright
- Knightlore
- Nightshade
- Sabre Wulf
BBC Mirco[edit]
- Alien 8
- Cosmic Battlezones
- Jetpac
- Knightlore
- Lunar Jetman
- Nightshade
- Sabre Wulf
Commodore 64[edit]
- Blackwyche
- Dragonskulle
- Entombed
- Imhotep
- Nightshade
- Outlaws
- Sabre Wulf
- The Staff of Karnath
- Underwurlde
Commodore Vic-20[edit]
- Jetpac
MSX2[edit]
- Alien 8
- Cyberun
- Gunfright
- Knightlore
- Nightshade
- Pentagram
Sinclair ZX Spectrum[edit]
- Alien 8
- Atic Atac
- Bubbler
- Cookie
- Cyberun
- Gunfright
- Jetpac
- Knightlore
- Lunar Jetman
- Martianoids
- Nightshade
- Pentagram
- Pssst!
- Sabre Wulf
- The Collected Works
- Tranz Am
- Underwurlde