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__NOTOC__
{{company infobox
{{company infobox
|logo=Rare logo 2015.svg
|logo=Rare logo 2015.svg
|bg=#1E2023
|width=200px
|width=200px
|founded=1985
|founded=1985
|first_release=''[[Donkey Kong Country]]
|first_release=''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' ([[List of games by date#1994|1994]])
|latest_release=''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]
|latest_release=''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]'' ([[List of games by date#2007|2007]])
|president=Craig Duncan
|president=Craig Duncan
}}
}}
'''{{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 [[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}}''.
'''{{wp|Rare (company)|Rare Ltd.}}''' (also shortened to just '''Rare''' and trade-named '''Rareware''' up until ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge}}'') is a British video game developer based in Twycross, Leicestershire. It was founded in 1985 by [[Stamper brothers|Chris and Tim Stamper]], as the successor company to {{wp|Ultimate Play the Game}}. 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}}''. Rare's only involvement with the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] was creating several ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' games, beginning with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''. Since then, Rare has produced other well-known titles such as ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie}}'', ''{{wp|Perfect Dark}}'', and ''{{wp|Sea of Thieves}}''.


In 2002, following the release of ''[[lylatwiki:Star Fox Adventures|Star Fox Adventures]]'' on the [[Nintendo GameCube]] (Rare's only game on the system), Nintendo sold Rare's shares to Microsoft for $375 million, granting Microsoft 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: ''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]'', and ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]'' (the first of which was unfinished before Rare was bought by Microsoft, while the last two had set release dates but ended up being unpublished). 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 such as ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Conker''.
In 2002, following the original North American release of ''[[lylatwiki:Star Fox Adventures|Star Fox Adventures]]'' on the [[Nintendo GameCube]], Microsoft completed its acquisition of Rare, affecting the status of several games of the ''Super Mario'' franchise, including ''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]'', and ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]''. Under the terms of the merger, Nintendo retained the rights to all the ''Donkey Kong'' characters along with [[Krunch]], while Rare maintained the rights to its own intellectual properties such as [[Banjo]] and [[Conker]], both of whom appeared in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''. Consequently, [[Dixie Kong]]'s hat no longer bore the Rare logo. For a while, Rare developed games for Nintendo's handheld systems, since Microsoft has not entered the dedicated handheld console market. Two of the games, ''{{wp|Banjo-Pilot}}'' and ''{{wp|It's Mr. Pants}}'', were redeveloped from ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' and ''Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers'', respectively. After the merger, there was a hard stop to using Nintendo and Rare characters in the same works of media, with even ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]'' being unable to use Banjo or Conker in the character roster. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' would include one of Rare's properties, Banjo and Kazooie, as playable characters.


Rare, however, has continued to develop games for Nintendo's handheld systems, since Microsoft has not entered the handheld console market. Microsoft negotiated a deal with {{wp|THQ}} to publish ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge}}'' on the [[Game Boy Advance]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100731105039/http://mundorare.com/features/chronicle-of-a-buyout-foretold MundoRare - ''Chronicle of a Buyout Foretold'' (Wayback Machine)]</ref> as well as ''{{wp|Banjo-Pilot}}'' and ''{{wp|It's Mr. Pants}}'', which were redeveloped from ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' and ''Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers'', respectively. Nintendo itself would later publish the enhanced [[Reissue|remakes]] of the three [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] ''Donkey Kong Country'' games for the Game Boy Advance, as well as ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]''.
Nintendo itself would later publish [[reissue|remake]]s of a few ''Donkey Kong'' titles made by Rare, including the original [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' trilogy]] for the [[Game Boy Advance]], as well as ''Diddy Kong Racing DS''. While the first ''Donkey Kong Country'' was made available on the [[Virtual Console]] within a few weeks of the [[Wii]] being released, and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' being rolled out there in 2007, all three games were delisted on November 25, 2012,{{ref needed}} and were gradually re-listed from 2014 to 2015,{{ref needed}} this time on both the Wii and [[Wii U]], and all releases of the game have remained listed since then to the extent the consoles' online game stores have remained online. The Rare-developed game ''[[Jetpac]]'' remained intact in the ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' port for the Wii U Virtual Console.
==History involving the ''Super Mario'' franchise==
===''Mario Kart'' series===
Rare is listed in the credits of ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'' as "Donkey Kong 3-D model provided courtesy of Rare U.K."


==Appearances in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise==
===''Donkey Kong 64''===
*[[Dixie Kong]] and [[Timber]]'s hats once had Rareware logos on them.
Rare appears in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' in a few ways, and the company is named "Rareware" in the game. Rareware and Nintendo are the sponsors for the boxing match between the [[Kong]]s and [[King K. Rool]] as mentioned by the [[Microphone]]. Two items bear the logo of Rare: the [[Rareware Coin]] and a specific [[Golden Banana]] that is obtained from the [[Banana Fairy Princess]].
*In ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', Rareware, along with Nintendo, sponsored the boxing match between the [[Kong]]s and [[King K. Rool]] as mentioned by the [[Microphone]]. Also, it is possible to collect a [[Rareware Coin]] by beating [[Cranky Kong|Cranky's]] score in ''[[Jetpac]]'', and a [[Golden Banana]] with Rare's logo on it by collecting all of the [[Banana Fairy|Banana Fairies]].
*In ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]'', the [[Coin (Diddy Kong Racing DS)|coins]] have the logo of Rare on it.
*In ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'', the options menu has a coral reef shaped like the Rare logo.
*In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', the Rare logo appears on [[Banjo]]'s backpack, just as it did in promotional renders for ''Banjo-Tooie''.


==''Super Mario''-related games developed==
===''Diddy Kong Racing DS''===
{|class="wikitable"style="width: 50%;text-align:center"
Rare appears in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]'' with its logo appearing on the [[coin]]s.
 
===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
In the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]], "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.
 
==Appearances in the Super Mario universe==
*[[Dixie Kong]]'s hat is occasionally pinned with Rareware's logo. This can be seen clearly in some ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' promotional artwork, as well as ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''.
*{{file link|Wrinkly Save Cave DKC3 group art.jpg|One artwork}} of [[Wrinkly's Save Cave]] for ''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' has Rareware's logo framed.
*[[Timber]] has a cap with Rareware's logo on it. This was changed to the [[Nintendo DS]] logo for ''Diddy Kong Racing DS'', and the [[Nintendo]] logo for ''[[Timber's Balloon Pop]]''.
 
==List of ''Super Mario'' games==
{|class="wikitable"style="width:50%;text-align:center"
!Title
!Title
!Year released
!Year released
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==Notable employees==
==Notable employees==
{|
{{columns|count=2|
|- valign=top
|
*[[Kevin Bayliss]] (former)
*[[Kevin Bayliss]] (former)
*[[Grant Kirkhope]] (former)
*[[Grant Kirkhope]] (former)
Line 91: Line 97:
*[[Gregg Mayles]]
*[[Gregg Mayles]]
*[[Steve Mayles]] (former)
*[[Steve Mayles]] (former)
|
*[[Stamper brothers|Chris Stamper]] (former)
*Chris Stamper (former)
*[[Stamper brothers|Tim Stamper]] (former)
*Tim Stamper (former)
*[[Mark Stevenson]] (former)
*[[Mark Stevenson]] (former)
*[[Chris Sutherland]] (former)
*[[Chris Sutherland]] (former)
*[[David Wise]] (former)
*[[David Wise]] (former)
|}
}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
Line 112: Line 117:
===Screenshots===
===Screenshots===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Rareware screen DKL3C.png|Splash screen from ''Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong''
Rareware screen DKL3C.png|Splash screen from ''[[Donkey Kong Land III|Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong]]''
Rareware screen DKCGBC.png|Splash screen from ''Donkey Kong Country'' (Game Boy Color)
Rareware screen DKCGBC.png|Splash screen from ''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' ([[Game Boy Color]])
Rareware screen DKP.png|Unused splash screen from ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' (2001)
Rare Logo DKCGBA.jpg|Splash screen from ''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' ([[Game Boy Advance]])
Rareware screen DKP.png|Unused splash screen from ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]'' (2001)
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Trivia==
===Logos of canceled games===
*Even though Rare has cut ties with Nintendo, its 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.
<gallery>
**In ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', Rare is also credited with composing various ''Banjo-Kazooie'' music tracks, all of which the company currently owns as part of Microsoft.
Donkey Kong Art and Logo - Donkey Kong Racing.png|''[[Donkey Kong Racing]]''
*In the Wii U port of ''Donkey Kong 64'', the game ''Jetpac'' is left intact despite still being owned by Rare.
DKCC-Donkey Kong Art.jpg|''[[Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers]]''
Diddypilot.jpg|''[[Diddy Kong Pilot]]''
</gallery>


==External links==
==External links==
{{NIWA|LylatWiki=Rare|NWiki=Rare|SmashWiki=1|StrategyWiki=Category:Rare}}
*[https://rarewiki.com/wiki/Rare_Ltd. Rare Ltd.] on the Rare Wiki
*[https://rarewiki.com/wiki/Rare_Ltd. Rare Ltd.] on the Rare Wiki
==References==
{{NIWA|LylatWiki=Rare|NWiki=Rare|SmashWiki=1|StrategyWiki=Category:Rare}}
<references/>
{{Companies}}
{{Companies}}
[[Category:Developers]]
[[Category:Developers]]

Latest revision as of 18:35, November 3, 2024

Rare Ltd.
Rare current logo
Founded 1985
First Super Mario game Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest Super Mario game Diddy Kong Racing DS (2007)
Current president Craig Duncan

Rare Ltd. (also shortened to just Rare and trade-named Rareware up until Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge) 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. As a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, Rare created the successful Nintendo Entertainment System games Wizards & Warriors, Battletoads, and R.C. Pro-Am. Rare's only involvement with the Super Mario franchise was creating several Donkey Kong games, beginning with Donkey Kong Country. Since then, Rare has produced other well-known titles such as Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Sea of Thieves.

In 2002, following the original North American release of Star Fox Adventures on the Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft completed its acquisition of Rare, affecting the status of several games of the Super Mario franchise, including Donkey Kong Racing, Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers, and Diddy Kong Pilot. Under the terms of the merger, Nintendo retained the rights to all the Donkey Kong characters along with Krunch, while Rare maintained the rights to its own intellectual properties such as Banjo and Conker, both of whom appeared in Diddy Kong Racing. Consequently, Dixie Kong's hat no longer bore the Rare logo. For a while, Rare developed games for Nintendo's handheld systems, since Microsoft has not entered the dedicated handheld console market. Two of the games, Banjo-Pilot and It's Mr. Pants, were redeveloped from Diddy Kong Pilot and Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers, respectively. After the merger, there was a hard stop to using Nintendo and Rare characters in the same works of media, with even Diddy Kong Racing DS being unable to use Banjo or Conker in the character roster. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would include one of Rare's properties, Banjo and Kazooie, as playable characters.

Nintendo itself would later publish remakes of a few Donkey Kong titles made by Rare, including the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy for the Game Boy Advance, as well as Diddy Kong Racing DS. While the first Donkey Kong Country was made available on the Virtual Console within a few weeks of the Wii being released, and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! being rolled out there in 2007, all three games were delisted on November 25, 2012,[citation needed] and were gradually re-listed from 2014 to 2015,[citation needed] this time on both the Wii and Wii U, and all releases of the game have remained listed since then to the extent the consoles' online game stores have remained online. The Rare-developed game Jetpac remained intact in the Donkey Kong 64 port for the Wii U Virtual Console.

History involving the Super Mario franchise[edit]

Mario Kart series[edit]

Rare is listed in the credits of Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit as "Donkey Kong 3-D model provided courtesy of Rare U.K."

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Rare appears in Donkey Kong 64 in a few ways, and the company is named "Rareware" in the game. Rareware and Nintendo are the sponsors for the boxing match between the Kongs and King K. Rool as mentioned by the Microphone. Two items bear the logo of Rare: the Rareware Coin and a specific Golden Banana that is obtained from the Banana Fairy Princess.

Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]

Rare appears in Diddy Kong Racing DS with its logo appearing on the coins.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In the Super Smash Bros. series, "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.

Appearances in the Super Mario universe[edit]

List of Super Mario games[edit]

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[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Logos[edit]

  • Rare's first logo, used from 1987–1990

    Rare's first logo, used from 1987–1990

  • Logo used from 1990–1994

    Logo used from 1990–1994

  • Logo used from 1994–2003 for the "Rareware" trademark

    Logo used from 1994–2003 for the "Rareware" trademark

  • Donkey Kong and Diddy with the Rareware logo

    Donkey Kong and Diddy with the Rareware logo

  • Logo used from 2003–2010

    Logo used from 2003–2010

  • Logo used from 2010–2015

    Logo used from 2010–2015

Screenshots[edit]

Logos of canceled games[edit]

External links[edit]

Rare Ltd. coverage on other NIWA wikis:
[Edit]
Companies
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† Defunct
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