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Oh Rare what happened? Once you’d have been described as a national treasure of gaming design, developing smash hit after smash hit. Now you’ve been reduced to releasing mediocre exclusive software for the GBA and X-box that don’t even hit the charts.
You simply cannot ignore everything this generation has thrown up from Rare. Starfox Adventures, Grabbed by the Gholies, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Donkey Kong Country (GBA), Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA), Banjo Pilot, Banjo Kazooie: Gruntilda’s revenge, Sabrewulf and (heaven forbid) It’s Mr. Pants. Some are down right awful, others are nothing more than okay and that even applies to the ports of the already established Rare classics. Nine games since RARE was sold to Microsoft. Once upon a time nine releases by RARE could generate enough revenue to cure world hunger. Those nine releases barely broke even.
I am a mega Nintendo fan. A sad obsessed loser who can’t see beyond the mushroom filled world of Nintendo. Yet it is the “other” Nintendo fans that do the crowing over how Microsoft bought a “dead weight”, not me. For I am still a little sad. There were 4 groups who lost out on the sale of RARE. Nintendo, Microsoft, Rare and us. Nintendo because they lost their link to the western world, they lost their link to the casual gamer and they lost their largest ally. Rare because they lost their mentor, they lost the guidance of Miyamoto and his crew and the creative freedom that came with being a Nintendo second party. Microsoft cause they spent $375 million on a company that hasn’t even generated $1 million. And us because we’re rapidly losing sight of what was once Britain’s premier game developer.
So what happened? The wholesale changes of staff? Perhaps, but then this is RARE and this has been going on for years. The team famous for developing the legendary Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country games from the SNES were not the same team that made Goldeneye, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and Conker on the N64. RARE expanded, lost members, gained new ones and got bigger and bigger. And every game they released was (mostly) a new classic to add to their list (Killer Instinct Gold and Mickey’s Speedway USA aside). You see RARE demand a high standard of game development. If this game development didn’t reach their high standard then they would happily take the game away for a few years and change it (Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a prime example). And more specifically Nintendo were happy to let them do it. After all they pretty much did the same.
So you cannot blame the new staff. After all RARE’s high standards are still there. Granted the Microsoft sale shake up may have damaged a few things but nothing on the level of damage that has been done. You see RARE WARE were nothing without their big Japanese friend.
They suited each other perfectly. RARE were a niche on Nintendo’s console, their beat ‘em ups, first person shooters, third person shooters and clever little titles were something Nintendo never created themselves. Add the intensely high production values Nintendo always offered and massive development periods together and you got a company that were the top of their field. Their other games, the westernised platformers and cartoony racers were equally fantastic because their parent company were the masters of both genres. Of course Diddy Kong Racing ruled, it was published by the makers of Mario Kart!
RARE without Nintendo are nothing. The biggest 3 sellers of the last 3 years have been DKC, DKC 2 (both on GBA) and Starfox Adventures. They are also the only 3 RARE developed titles published by Nintendo. But equally Nintendo without RARE are also lacking.
Football fans may be able to understand it in relation to the Steven Gerrard saga. If Gerrard (RARE) went to Chelsea (Microsoft) he would just be another member of the dream team and would shine less than he would at Liverpool (Nintendo). At Liverpool he is the fan favourite and centre of the team. RARE were the best of the Nintendo second party bunch. Camelot, Hal and even Retro had nothing on the mighty English development studio. Nintendo without RARE is like Liverpool with Gerrard. Still a quality team but lacking their star man.
Nintendo and RARE were always a match made in heaven, one without the other just is not right. Look at Nintendo now! They’re relying on exclusive third party support from Capcom, Namco (especially), Square-Enix and their second party Retro. Some are great but none of them match RARE for their homely touches. Donkey Konga, F Zero GX, Crystal Chronicles and Starfox Assault are solid efforts at games; they just lack the soul RARE titles always used to posses.
I look at RARE this Christmas and I hope. I Hope Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero and even Donkey Kong Country 3 will find our beloved developer back on their feet. But Kameo has a Starfox style “let down” vibe about it. Perfect Dark Zero (like the issue with most of RARE’s current games) is too busy enjoying past glories rather than progressing into the future. And DKC3 is almost certainly going to lack that little something missing in the previous 2 titles.
Both Nintendo and RARE have their backs to the walls. No one cares for RARE on the X-box anymore and Nintendo’s beloved fanbase is, one by one, shaking its head and turning away. And if you visit their headquarters at night, you are sure to see the chief executives of both companies staring out the window… wondering what went wrong.
Dringo.
You simply cannot ignore everything this generation has thrown up from Rare. Starfox Adventures, Grabbed by the Gholies, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Donkey Kong Country (GBA), Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA), Banjo Pilot, Banjo Kazooie: Gruntilda’s revenge, Sabrewulf and (heaven forbid) It’s Mr. Pants. Some are down right awful, others are nothing more than okay and that even applies to the ports of the already established Rare classics. Nine games since RARE was sold to Microsoft. Once upon a time nine releases by RARE could generate enough revenue to cure world hunger. Those nine releases barely broke even.
I am a mega Nintendo fan. A sad obsessed loser who can’t see beyond the mushroom filled world of Nintendo. Yet it is the “other” Nintendo fans that do the crowing over how Microsoft bought a “dead weight”, not me. For I am still a little sad. There were 4 groups who lost out on the sale of RARE. Nintendo, Microsoft, Rare and us. Nintendo because they lost their link to the western world, they lost their link to the casual gamer and they lost their largest ally. Rare because they lost their mentor, they lost the guidance of Miyamoto and his crew and the creative freedom that came with being a Nintendo second party. Microsoft cause they spent $375 million on a company that hasn’t even generated $1 million. And us because we’re rapidly losing sight of what was once Britain’s premier game developer.
So what happened? The wholesale changes of staff? Perhaps, but then this is RARE and this has been going on for years. The team famous for developing the legendary Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country games from the SNES were not the same team that made Goldeneye, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and Conker on the N64. RARE expanded, lost members, gained new ones and got bigger and bigger. And every game they released was (mostly) a new classic to add to their list (Killer Instinct Gold and Mickey’s Speedway USA aside). You see RARE demand a high standard of game development. If this game development didn’t reach their high standard then they would happily take the game away for a few years and change it (Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a prime example). And more specifically Nintendo were happy to let them do it. After all they pretty much did the same.
So you cannot blame the new staff. After all RARE’s high standards are still there. Granted the Microsoft sale shake up may have damaged a few things but nothing on the level of damage that has been done. You see RARE WARE were nothing without their big Japanese friend.
They suited each other perfectly. RARE were a niche on Nintendo’s console, their beat ‘em ups, first person shooters, third person shooters and clever little titles were something Nintendo never created themselves. Add the intensely high production values Nintendo always offered and massive development periods together and you got a company that were the top of their field. Their other games, the westernised platformers and cartoony racers were equally fantastic because their parent company were the masters of both genres. Of course Diddy Kong Racing ruled, it was published by the makers of Mario Kart!
RARE without Nintendo are nothing. The biggest 3 sellers of the last 3 years have been DKC, DKC 2 (both on GBA) and Starfox Adventures. They are also the only 3 RARE developed titles published by Nintendo. But equally Nintendo without RARE are also lacking.
Football fans may be able to understand it in relation to the Steven Gerrard saga. If Gerrard (RARE) went to Chelsea (Microsoft) he would just be another member of the dream team and would shine less than he would at Liverpool (Nintendo). At Liverpool he is the fan favourite and centre of the team. RARE were the best of the Nintendo second party bunch. Camelot, Hal and even Retro had nothing on the mighty English development studio. Nintendo without RARE is like Liverpool with Gerrard. Still a quality team but lacking their star man.
Nintendo and RARE were always a match made in heaven, one without the other just is not right. Look at Nintendo now! They’re relying on exclusive third party support from Capcom, Namco (especially), Square-Enix and their second party Retro. Some are great but none of them match RARE for their homely touches. Donkey Konga, F Zero GX, Crystal Chronicles and Starfox Assault are solid efforts at games; they just lack the soul RARE titles always used to posses.
I look at RARE this Christmas and I hope. I Hope Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero and even Donkey Kong Country 3 will find our beloved developer back on their feet. But Kameo has a Starfox style “let down” vibe about it. Perfect Dark Zero (like the issue with most of RARE’s current games) is too busy enjoying past glories rather than progressing into the future. And DKC3 is almost certainly going to lack that little something missing in the previous 2 titles.
Both Nintendo and RARE have their backs to the walls. No one cares for RARE on the X-box anymore and Nintendo’s beloved fanbase is, one by one, shaking its head and turning away. And if you visit their headquarters at night, you are sure to see the chief executives of both companies staring out the window… wondering what went wrong.
Dringo.
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Oh Rare what happened? Once you’d have been described as a national treasure of gaming design, developing smash hit after smash hit. Now you’ve been reduced to releasing mediocre exclusive software for the GBA and X-box that don’t even hit the charts.
You simply cannot ignore everything this generation has thrown up from Rare. Starfox Adventures, Grabbed by the Gholies, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Donkey Kong Country (GBA), Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA), Banjo Pilot, Banjo Kazooie: Gruntilda’s revenge, Sabrewulf and (heaven forbid) It’s Mr. Pants. Some are down right awful, others are nothing more than okay and that even applies to the ports of the already established Rare classics. Nine games since RARE was sold to Microsoft. Once upon a time nine releases by RARE could generate enough revenue to cure world hunger. Those nine releases barely broke even.
I am a mega Nintendo fan. A sad obsessed loser who can’t see beyond the mushroom filled world of Nintendo. Yet it is the “other” Nintendo fans that do the crowing over how Microsoft bought a “dead weight”, not me. For I am still a little sad. There were 4 groups who lost out on the sale of RARE. Nintendo, Microsoft, Rare and us. Nintendo because they lost their link to the western world, they lost their link to the casual gamer and they lost their largest ally. Rare because they lost their mentor, they lost the guidance of Miyamoto and his crew and the creative freedom that came with being a Nintendo second party. Microsoft cause they spent $375 million on a company that hasn’t even generated $1 million. And us because we’re rapidly losing sight of what was once Britain’s premier game developer.
So what happened? The wholesale changes of staff? Perhaps, but then this is RARE and this has been going on for years. The team famous for developing the legendary Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country games from the SNES were not the same team that made Goldeneye, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and Conker on the N64. RARE expanded, lost members, gained new ones and got bigger and bigger. And every game they released was (mostly) a new classic to add to their list (Killer Instinct Gold and Mickey’s Speedway USA aside). You see RARE demand a high standard of game development. If this game development didn’t reach their high standard then they would happily take the game away for a few years and change it (Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a prime example). And more specifically Nintendo were happy to let them do it. After all they pretty much did the same.
So you cannot blame the new staff. After all RARE’s high standards are still there. Granted the Microsoft sale shake up may have damaged a few things but nothing on the level of damage that has been done. You see RARE WARE were nothing without their big Japanese friend.
They suited each other perfectly. RARE were a niche on Nintendo’s console, their beat ‘em ups, first person shooters, third person shooters and clever little titles were something Nintendo never created themselves. Add the intensely high production values Nintendo always offered and massive development periods together and you got a company that were the top of their field. Their other games, the westernised platformers and cartoony racers were equally fantastic because their parent company were the masters of both genres. Of course Diddy Kong Racing ruled, it was published by the makers of Mario Kart!
RARE without Nintendo are nothing. The biggest 3 sellers of the last 3 years have been DKC, DKC 2 (both on GBA) and Starfox Adventures. They are also the only 3 RARE developed titles published by Nintendo. But equally Nintendo without RARE are also lacking.
Football fans may be able to understand it in relation to the Steven Gerrard saga. If Gerrard (RARE) went to Chelsea (Microsoft) he would just be another member of the dream team and would shine less than he would at Liverpool (Nintendo). At Liverpool he is the fan favourite and centre of the team. RARE were the best of the Nintendo second party bunch. Camelot, Hal and even Retro had nothing on the mighty English development studio. Nintendo without RARE is like Liverpool with Gerrard. Still a quality team but lacking their star man.
Nintendo and RARE were always a match made in heaven, one without the other just is not right. Look at Nintendo now! They’re relying on exclusive third party support from Capcom, Namco (especially), Square-Enix and their second party Retro. Some are great but none of them match RARE for their homely touches. Donkey Konga, F Zero GX, Crystal Chronicles and Starfox Assault are solid efforts at games; they just lack the soul RARE titles always used to posses.
I look at RARE this Christmas and I hope. I Hope Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero and even Donkey Kong Country 3 will find our beloved developer back on their feet. But Kameo has a Starfox style “let down” vibe about it. Perfect Dark Zero (like the issue with most of RARE’s current games) is too busy enjoying past glories rather than progressing into the future. And DKC3 is almost certainly going to lack that little something missing in the previous 2 titles.
Both Nintendo and RARE have their backs to the walls. No one cares for RARE on the X-box anymore and Nintendo’s beloved fanbase is, one by one, shaking its head and turning away. And if you visit their headquarters at night, you are sure to see the chief executives of both companies staring out the window… wondering what went wrong.
Dringo.
You simply cannot ignore everything this generation has thrown up from Rare. Starfox Adventures, Grabbed by the Gholies, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Donkey Kong Country (GBA), Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA), Banjo Pilot, Banjo Kazooie: Gruntilda’s revenge, Sabrewulf and (heaven forbid) It’s Mr. Pants. Some are down right awful, others are nothing more than okay and that even applies to the ports of the already established Rare classics. Nine games since RARE was sold to Microsoft. Once upon a time nine releases by RARE could generate enough revenue to cure world hunger. Those nine releases barely broke even.
I am a mega Nintendo fan. A sad obsessed loser who can’t see beyond the mushroom filled world of Nintendo. Yet it is the “other” Nintendo fans that do the crowing over how Microsoft bought a “dead weight”, not me. For I am still a little sad. There were 4 groups who lost out on the sale of RARE. Nintendo, Microsoft, Rare and us. Nintendo because they lost their link to the western world, they lost their link to the casual gamer and they lost their largest ally. Rare because they lost their mentor, they lost the guidance of Miyamoto and his crew and the creative freedom that came with being a Nintendo second party. Microsoft cause they spent $375 million on a company that hasn’t even generated $1 million. And us because we’re rapidly losing sight of what was once Britain’s premier game developer.
So what happened? The wholesale changes of staff? Perhaps, but then this is RARE and this has been going on for years. The team famous for developing the legendary Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country games from the SNES were not the same team that made Goldeneye, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and Conker on the N64. RARE expanded, lost members, gained new ones and got bigger and bigger. And every game they released was (mostly) a new classic to add to their list (Killer Instinct Gold and Mickey’s Speedway USA aside). You see RARE demand a high standard of game development. If this game development didn’t reach their high standard then they would happily take the game away for a few years and change it (Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a prime example). And more specifically Nintendo were happy to let them do it. After all they pretty much did the same.
So you cannot blame the new staff. After all RARE’s high standards are still there. Granted the Microsoft sale shake up may have damaged a few things but nothing on the level of damage that has been done. You see RARE WARE were nothing without their big Japanese friend.
They suited each other perfectly. RARE were a niche on Nintendo’s console, their beat ‘em ups, first person shooters, third person shooters and clever little titles were something Nintendo never created themselves. Add the intensely high production values Nintendo always offered and massive development periods together and you got a company that were the top of their field. Their other games, the westernised platformers and cartoony racers were equally fantastic because their parent company were the masters of both genres. Of course Diddy Kong Racing ruled, it was published by the makers of Mario Kart!
RARE without Nintendo are nothing. The biggest 3 sellers of the last 3 years have been DKC, DKC 2 (both on GBA) and Starfox Adventures. They are also the only 3 RARE developed titles published by Nintendo. But equally Nintendo without RARE are also lacking.
Football fans may be able to understand it in relation to the Steven Gerrard saga. If Gerrard (RARE) went to Chelsea (Microsoft) he would just be another member of the dream team and would shine less than he would at Liverpool (Nintendo). At Liverpool he is the fan favourite and centre of the team. RARE were the best of the Nintendo second party bunch. Camelot, Hal and even Retro had nothing on the mighty English development studio. Nintendo without RARE is like Liverpool with Gerrard. Still a quality team but lacking their star man.
Nintendo and RARE were always a match made in heaven, one without the other just is not right. Look at Nintendo now! They’re relying on exclusive third party support from Capcom, Namco (especially), Square-Enix and their second party Retro. Some are great but none of them match RARE for their homely touches. Donkey Konga, F Zero GX, Crystal Chronicles and Starfox Assault are solid efforts at games; they just lack the soul RARE titles always used to posses.
I look at RARE this Christmas and I hope. I Hope Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero and even Donkey Kong Country 3 will find our beloved developer back on their feet. But Kameo has a Starfox style “let down” vibe about it. Perfect Dark Zero (like the issue with most of RARE’s current games) is too busy enjoying past glories rather than progressing into the future. And DKC3 is almost certainly going to lack that little something missing in the previous 2 titles.
Both Nintendo and RARE have their backs to the walls. No one cares for RARE on the X-box anymore and Nintendo’s beloved fanbase is, one by one, shaking its head and turning away. And if you visit their headquarters at night, you are sure to see the chief executives of both companies staring out the window… wondering what went wrong.
Dringo.
Dringo, i'm nearly in tears here!
I agree with most of what you have said and I am one of those Nintendo fans shaking their heads and walking away!
Rare were my favourite on the N64 - they were the reason I bought my N64 - Goldeneye.
I awaited every release with sheer excitement (and yes the only let down for me too was Mickeys Speedway) but I have said it a thousand times on this forum now - Nintendo could see were Rare were heading and they didn't want to go the same route. Nintendo made a fortune by selling of the Twycross powerhouse and me thinks they laughed all the way to the bank!!
I like your rose tinted view of the heads of each company wondering where it all went wrong but I honestly believe that the loser in all of this is Rare - not Nintendo (they took their money and run) and not us either because the releases you've mentioned have all been mediocre affairs and we haven't really missed much have we?
I agree with most of what you have said and I am one of those Nintendo fans shaking their heads and walking away!
Rare were my favourite on the N64 - they were the reason I bought my N64 - Goldeneye.
I awaited every release with sheer excitement (and yes the only let down for me too was Mickeys Speedway) but I have said it a thousand times on this forum now - Nintendo could see were Rare were heading and they didn't want to go the same route. Nintendo made a fortune by selling of the Twycross powerhouse and me thinks they laughed all the way to the bank!!
I like your rose tinted view of the heads of each company wondering where it all went wrong but I honestly believe that the loser in all of this is Rare - not Nintendo (they took their money and run) and not us either because the releases you've mentioned have all been mediocre affairs and we haven't really missed much have we?
Looking at their last 3 home console titles and their 6 GBA games... no... we haven't missed a thing.
What I question is whether it would have been different if they'd have stayed with Nintendo all along.
What I question is whether it would have been different if they'd have stayed with Nintendo all along.
No thats my whole point!
Nintendo saw what Rare were planning - we know it doesnt happen overnight and meetings wouldv've been held to discuss what future games were planned.
I know in my heart of hearts that Nintendo just saw them as deadwood, at the end of their useful life with Ninty!
Shame but (I think) true!
Nintendo saw what Rare were planning - we know it doesnt happen overnight and meetings wouldv've been held to discuss what future games were planned.
I know in my heart of hearts that Nintendo just saw them as deadwood, at the end of their useful life with Ninty!
Shame but (I think) true!
Although I do agree that one without the other is just wrong!
Its like a cheese and pickle sandwich isn't it - a cheese sarnie is great but with the pickle its perfect!
crap analogy I know
Its like a cheese and pickle sandwich isn't it - a cheese sarnie is great but with the pickle its perfect!
crap analogy I know
I dunno. I still have hope.
I've come to realise from Nintendo, that bar their big releases (Metroid, Mario, Zelda, Pikmin) I really don't like the other stuff they produce. It is either too small, or too over-stretched... rushed... short. I mean if I have to confess what first party titles made me smile on the Gamecube I'd say Pikmin 2, Paper Mario 2, Smash Brothers, Double DAsh, Sunshine, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime. You may think that is loads but that is 8 titles out of a console that has been out for 3 years.
I have over 50 Gamecube games. In the consoles life span I have owned over 70. And to be honest I'd be happy with just 10 of them.
In the next generation I will be more picky. And by buying multiple consoles (namely REvolution and X-box 360) I can afford to be. If I get, lets say the 15 best Revolution games and the 15 best X-box 360 games and leave out the crap. Then I'd enjoy games much better for it. I could be playing Conker online now
I've come to realise from Nintendo, that bar their big releases (Metroid, Mario, Zelda, Pikmin) I really don't like the other stuff they produce. It is either too small, or too over-stretched... rushed... short. I mean if I have to confess what first party titles made me smile on the Gamecube I'd say Pikmin 2, Paper Mario 2, Smash Brothers, Double DAsh, Sunshine, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime. You may think that is loads but that is 8 titles out of a console that has been out for 3 years.
I have over 50 Gamecube games. In the consoles life span I have owned over 70. And to be honest I'd be happy with just 10 of them.
In the next generation I will be more picky. And by buying multiple consoles (namely REvolution and X-box 360) I can afford to be. If I get, lets say the 15 best Revolution games and the 15 best X-box 360 games and leave out the crap. Then I'd enjoy games much better for it. I could be playing Conker online now
N64 Fan wrote:
> crap analogy I know
Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
> crap analogy I know
Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
Edgy wrote:
> N64 Fan wrote:
>
> crap analogy I know
>
> Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
Yeah Edgy prefers Notable brains.
*Don't worry Edgy I didn't tell the police it was you that burnt down the barn trying to burn Goatboy at the stake.*
> N64 Fan wrote:
>
> crap analogy I know
>
> Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
Yeah Edgy prefers Notable brains.
*Don't worry Edgy I didn't tell the police it was you that burnt down the barn trying to burn Goatboy at the stake.*
Dringo wrote:
> Edgy wrote:
> N64 Fan wrote:
>
> crap analogy I know
>
> Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
>
> Yeah Edgy prefers Notable brains.
>
> *Don't worry Edgy I didn't tell the police it was you that burnt down
> the barn trying to burn Goatboy at the stake.*
My cue to leave!..................
> Edgy wrote:
> N64 Fan wrote:
>
> crap analogy I know
>
> Aye, for pickle is yukky :P
>
> Yeah Edgy prefers Notable brains.
>
> *Don't worry Edgy I didn't tell the police it was you that burnt down
> the barn trying to burn Goatboy at the stake.*
My cue to leave!..................
Using the name Neal threw them off the scent...
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