Rare
Notable Games
Company History
Rare Ltd. was founded in 1985 in Twycross, England, by brothers Tim and Chris Stamper as Ashby Computers and Graphics (trading as Ultimate Play the Game), reorganized as Rare in 1985. The studio became one of the most acclaimed developers of the Nintendo 64 era before Microsoft's 2002 acquisition.
Ultimate Play the Game produced celebrated ZX Spectrum titles including Knight Lore and Sabre Wulf. The partnership with Nintendo began in 1994, producing some of the most significant games of the era.
The Nintendo 64 years represented Rare's creative peak. Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994) proved the Stamper brothers' capabilities. GoldenEye 007 (1997) established console first-person shooter viability. Banjo-Kazooie (1998) delivered acclaimed 3D platforming. Perfect Dark (2000) advanced FPS design. Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001) demonstrated crude humor and technical excellence. Each title achieved critical and commercial success.
The relationship with Nintendo soured during GameCube development. Microsoft acquired Rare in 2002 for $375 million, making the studio first-party for Xbox. Post-acquisition titles included Kameo, Viva Piñata, and Kinect Sports. These received mixed reception compared to the N64 era.
Sea of Thieves (2018) represented Rare's largest project under Microsoft, finding substantial audience through ongoing development support.
Behind the Scenes
The Stamper brothers' perfectionist approach defined Rare's culture. Games weren't shipped until meeting internal quality standards. Development cycles extended as polish accumulated. This approach produced exceptional results at the cost of extended timelines.
GoldenEye 007's development proceeded without close supervision from either Nintendo or license-holder MGM/United Artists. The small team experimented freely, creating features (multiplayer mode added late in development) that became iconic. This creative freedom enabled unexpected innovations.
Technical achievement characterized Rare's work. Donkey Kong Country rendered silicon graphics sprites on SNES hardware, achieving visual quality unexpected from the platform. Perfect Dark pushed N64 hardware beyond reasonable limits, causing slowdown but delivering ambition.
The Nintendo relationship provided resources and distribution while allowing creative independence. Nintendo trusted Rare with their properties (Donkey Kong, Star Fox Adventures) based on consistent delivery. This partnership model enabled quality that independent studios couldn't match.
The Microsoft acquisition brought mixed results. Rare lost access to Nintendo properties that had defined their output. Staff departed. The Xbox audience differed from Nintendo's players. Projects like Grabbed by the Ghoulies underperformed. Kinect development diverted resources from traditional gaming.
Sea of Thieves demonstrated long-term development commitment. The game launched to criticism about limited content, but years of updates built substantial player communities. This games-as-service approach differed from Rare's tradition of polished, complete packages.
Rare's legacy includes both their legendary N64 output and lessons about studio acquisitions' complications. The transition from creative peak to uncertain post-acquisition period illustrated how developer identity could struggle under changed circumstances.
Donkey Kong Country
• 1994
007 – Golden Eye
• 1997
Donkey Kong 64
• 1999
Conker's Bad Fur Day
• 2001
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
• 1995
Killer Instinct
• 1995
Killer Instinct
• 1994
GoldenEye 007
• 1997
Banjo-Kazooie
• 1998
Diddy Kong Racing
• 1997
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
• 1996
Banjo-Tooie
• 2000
About Rare
Rare is an active game development company founded on January 1, 1985 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie and more, Rare has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.