Two days and twenty years ago, British developer Rare was acquired by Microsoft for $375 million. But what has happened since then?
Recently, a tweet from Xbox News posted about the 20th anniversary of Rare becoming a first-party studio under Microsoft’s rule.
Today marks 20 years since Microsoft acquired Rare.
A historic powerhouse in gaming. pic.twitter.com/ZVE4eSUsPt
— Xbox News (@_XboxNews) September 24, 2022
This was obviously a pretty big deal at the time as all of Rare’s biggest hits were on Nintendo consoles like Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong Country, Perfect Dark and Jet Force Gemini.
Since then, we’ve seen most of their titles released exclusively on Xbox consoles, with the obvious exceptions of each OG Donkey Kong Country games re-released on the Game Boy Advance. Given this, I thought it would be fun to check out some (not all) of the games developed and released by Rare since Microsoft’s acquisition to celebrate the occasion.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003)
Grabbed by the Ghoulies was originally intended to be a GameCube game, but eventually became the first Rare game released after Microsoft’s acquisition and therefore became an Xbox exclusive. It was first released on the original Xbox, was later made available as a digital download on Xbox 360, and was subsequently remastered for Rare Recurrence years later (we continue) Rare Recurrence later).
It’s all about Cooper, a guy who ventures into a haunted house to save his girlfriend, only to find himself gripped by ghosts. Bearing in mind that this is a game made by developers in the UK, I find the name very funny. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit the mark when it was released, receiving mixed reviews praising the graphics and animation but disregarding the gameplay. However, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is considered a goolie grabber by his fans.
Conker: Live & Reloaded (2005)
Conker: Live and Reloaded was a new coat of paint on the 2001 title Conker’s Bad Fur Day. It was released exclusively for the original Xbox and currently retails for around $15 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The single player mode is a complete remaster of the original, while the new multiplayer mode with Capture the Flag and Deathmatch game modes is exclusive to the Xbox version.
This was an almost monumental victory for Rare. Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a cult classic and Conker: Live and Reloaded was a wonderful remaster that pleased critics and fans alike. The only problem was that, while originally planned as a completely uncensored single player experience, it was decided later in development that more profanities would be censored than in the original Nintendo 64 version. Still, it did very well.
Kameo: Elements of Power (2005)
Kameo: Elements of Power was one of two games made by Rare that was a launch title for the Xbox 360. It originally started development before Microsoft’s acquisition and was planned as a pokemonlike title about catching and nurturing monsters. However, the mood changed after the takeover and led to: cameo with dark themes. It is also another title that has been remastered for the Rare Recurrence collection.
cameo was always one of those games that I always wanted to have and play, but never did. Considering it took a while to come out with a lot of twists and turns in the development, the reviews have been all sorts of mixed. While much praise was given to the breathtaking visuals for the time and the beautiful soundtrack, it was another title that critics criticized for its gameplay.
Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
Perfect dark zero was the other Rare game to launch with the Xbox 360 in 2005. It is also the first new Rare-made Xbox exclusive that is a continuation of a series that started on the Nintendo 64. The game was a prequel to the N64’s Perfect Dark and follows Joanna Dark’s humble beginnings as an agent of the Carrington Institute’s bureau. It’s yet another title included in Rare Recurrence (I promise I’ll get there, there’s still a bit to go).
Perfect dark zero was a big winner, especially compared to cameo. I think that’s the reality of dropping a completely new IP alongside a long-awaited addition to an already established series. It sold over a million copies worldwide upon release and was widely loved by critics and fans alike. Unfortunately, it did fall victim to the classic argument for failing to live up to expectations for a new entry in the series.
Viva Piñata (2006) & Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (2008)
The Viva Pinata series on Xbox consists of the original, released in 2006, and the sequel Trouble in Paradise, released in 2008. While the sequel improves on some aspects of the original, it is considered an extension of the former rather than its own game. Both titles consist of tending a Piñata garden and watching in horror as the Piñata creatures you care for and bring into the garden eat each other, all the while fending off other little fools who want to eat your Piñatas too .
While the kids TV show that came with the games might make you think the game is irritating and annoying, I’d say the Viva Pinata games go hard as hell. Critics and fans agree, as both games received critical acclaim upon their release. The graphics are colorful and bright, there are all kinds of Piñatas to collect. Also unexpectedly dark, which makes it all the more hilarious. We love the Viva Pinata spell.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (2008)
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was Rare’s return to the Nintendo 64 series that many fans knew them well from. It was the first time people saw the bear and bird duo on a home console since 2000, with two handheld games released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and 2005. This game, as well as the N64 games, also appeared in the Rare Recurrence collection (we’re almost there folks, we’re so close).
I was one of those people who refused to touch Nuts bolts with a 10-foot pole. I loved the original games and then saw the core mechanics of this one and said, “No thanks!” Despite this, Nuts bolts actually did quite well, received generally favorable reviews from critics and was even mentioned in the book 1001 video games you must play before you die. There’s definitely a possibility I’ll be playing this before I die, but there’s still something that annoys me.
The Kinect Age of Sports (2010, 2011, and 2014)
Kinect Sports and Kinect Sports: Season Two were released on the Xbox 360 as two of the great games for the Xbox Kinect, which was Xbox’s attempt to compete with the meteoric rise of the Nintendo Wii. Then there was Kinect Sports: rivals, which was released on Xbox One for the newer version of the Xbox Kinect. If there was one thing Microsoft had during these points, it was an unfathomable dedication to the Kinect. They really went for it.
Not much to say about these other than they are definitely made to compete Wii sports. Rare’s work on a cameo sequel was also canned because of the focus needed for the Kinect Sports (as well as poor sales), so you should consider these games as the spiritual successors of cameo. The first Kinect Sports game did pretty well in terms of reviews, while Season two did a little worse, and then rivals did worse than that. That said, they are definitely fun to play with family or friends if you want to swing your body.
In the end, these games didn’t really feel like Rare games. But they were!
Rare Recurrence (2015)
We’re here, folks! We made it! We made it to whatever we could refer to, the real juicy stuff here!
Rare Recurrence is a compilation of 30 games for the Xbox One that comprised much of Rare’s old catalog, including titles from their Ultimate Play the Game era. While not including any of the Donkey Kong titles or Golden Eyethe collection was still quite thick, including hits like Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Jet Force Gemini and a remaster of Perfect Dark.
There was a lot of great content in it Rare Recurrence beyond its games, including archive game content and developer interviews that provide a deeper look into Rare’s history, and critics praised the addition of “rewind” and Snapshot features added to the collection. Let me tell you, as someone who worked in a video game store when this came out, it felt good to be able to tell people jokingly asking for it Battletoads which we indeed had battle paths.
Sea of Thieves (2018 – present)
Sea of Thieves is the most recent game from Rare and is an ongoing multiplayer action-adventure game for Xbox One and PC, with an enhanced version coming to Xbox Series X/S in 2020. Rare started development in 2014 and they explored creating a multiplayer game like Rust or dayZ with dinosaurs and vampires, before finally settling for pirates inspired by pirates of the caribbean and The Goonies.
Sea of Thieves has proven to be one of those games that ripen like a fine wine. While the game received mixed reviews at launch, the game’s continued updates over time kept the overall reception soaring. Although I haven’t played the game myself, I know it’s a game that has enveloped David’s life. As much as he is the captain of the Kotaku Australia ship, it seems: Sea of Thieves has a special, salty place in his heart.
At the moment, Rare continues to provide support Sea of Thieves through regular updates and events, and then there’s the long-awaited and finally unveiled Golden Eye remaster is coming to Game Pass someday. Oh, and they’re still working on everwildbut that won’t be until 2024 and we have no idea what it’s about either.
Personally, I miss the goofiness of Rare. Games like Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day even Viva Pinata were what I consider to be games with that crazy Rare touch that you couldn’t find anywhere else. At the same time, I’m happy that David becomes a pirate, which I believe is a lifelong dream of his.
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