Post-Nintendo Rare

[thatstheguy]

The post-Nintendo Rareware:

Go onto any video with a Rare game, even their older games like Battletoads, and it's seems no one can shut up about Rare being awesome with Nintendo and crap with Microsoft (because it seems people just love to call one giant, conglomerate company the awesome and another giant, conglomerate company shitty and just in it for the money). It wouldn't bother me so much, except that it seems every goddamn person that says this claims that it was Microsoft's greater plan to personally ruin their childhoods, like that's the main reason of Microsoft's existence (though admitingly, it's kinda easy to think that). IMO, they made about as many good games before with Nintendo as they did with Microsoft. Hell, I'm willing to put Kameo and BK: N&B in the top games they made. Not saying their older games were bad, far from it. Conker's Bad Fur Day and the under appreciated Blast Crops are some of my favorite games. Maybe it's just me.

 

[Phlakes]

Hopefully Nintendo will buy Rare back for cheap before it gets shut down by Microsoft. Then they can do better.

 

[GiantRaven]

Viva Piñata was pretty cool but Rare's best days were easily at Nintendo.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Most games they brought the XBox/360 were... worse than the N64 classics. Nuts 'n' Bolts was... eh, Perfect Dark Zero was... bleh.

Conkers: Live and Reloaded was pretty fun.

 

[Veldel]

Rare needs to just be shut down and given the old yeller IMO


All there real talent left among other people and the studio has produced nothing crap ever since MS got a hold of it I hate seeing my once loved company now a wreck of its former self

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Well, the Goldeneye/Perfect Dark team left to form Free Radical right around the time of the Microsoft buyout, which explains why the Perfect Dark sequel wasn't up to snuff. As for the other games, I can't really comment, but there is a distinct possibility that the people who made them weren't the same people who made the Nintendo era classics.

 

[Darquenaut]

I pretty much concur with Owyn_Merrilin's sentiments, in that a large component of what made awesome back in the day left when they went solo to create Free Radical (and on a side note- DAMN I miss Free Radical). Bu I also think that sometimes the magic of the earlier games came from the fact that Rare was once just a relatively tiny hub of game developers and designers out in Twycross. They weren't nearly as stretched out and stripped for parts as they exist today by Microsoft. Where there was once a concentrated group of designers that were allowed, considering Nintendo's history, a lot of free reign to do whatever the hell they wished, the company now exists as just a tool for Microsoft to help construct the "famiily friendly" image.

Another point, as previously mentioned above, is just how the game industry has changed in the last decade or so. Keep in mind back in their heyday, it took Rare fucking FOREVER to push out a game. Again, this is part of the fact that they had a smaller dev team. And also, keep in mind they were under the wing of the Big N, whom is also notorious of working on the "it's finished when we damn well say it is," mentality. However, Microsoft, being the fledgling developer back as well as coming from a different business mentality, I can safely assume wasn't going to put up with having their asset fritter around- they were/are going to milk it for all it was worth.

Also, I will admit that I am part of that problem. Back when I was a hardcore Nintendo fanboy, I cursed Rare for leaving the Big N. My bad.

 

[GiantRaven]

(and on a side note- DAMN I miss Free Radical).

You aren't alone there. Timesplitters is probably my favourite FPS franchise. It saddens me that there might never be another.

An interesting little anecdote I have about Free Radical; they were based in my hometown and once ran a little TS2 tournament at a gaming event. I took part and the final included facing off against David Doak [http://i44.tinypic.com/1zcpsg6.jpg] (as well as two other finalists, but who cares about them). Suffice to say, I kicked his ass. Won a nice signed piece of character art as a result (got a mention in Edge magazine as well).

[/ego stroke]

 

[Atmos Duality]

The post-Nintendo Rareware:

Go onto any video with a Rare game, even their older games like Battletoads, and it's seems no one can shut up about Rare being awesome ...

Uh, hate to play Devil's Advocate here, but Rare was subcontracted by LJN to do several terrible shovelware cash-in games during the NES era.

Not all of Rare's work is amazing; they did start low.

This doesn't downplay the quality of Rare's actually great works though.

 

[Bon_Clay]

Rare was basically dead before Microsoft acquired it, all the important members that made good games were gone. So I don't blame Microsoft at all for what happened with Rare, or care what it does in the future because it doesn't really share anything in common with what Rare was before outside of the name and the ownership of some intellectual property.

 

[The Rascal King]

Conkers: Live and Reloaded was pretty fun

Yes, but it was technically a remake. Thought the new multiplayer maps and modes were the shit, yo. Endless joy was had on that one ancient/arena looking level.

 

[Treblaine]

The post-Nintendo Rareware:

Go onto any video with a Rare game, even their older games like Battletoads, and it's seems no one can shut up about Rare being awesome with Nintendo and crap with Microsoft (because it seems people just love to call one giant, conglomerate company the awesome and another giant, conglomerate company shitty and just in it for the money). It wouldn't bother me so much, except that it seems every goddamn person that says this claims that it was Microsoft's greater plan to personally ruin their childhoods, like that's the main reason of Microsoft's existence (though admitingly, it's kinda easy to think that). IMO, they made about as many good games before with Nintendo as they did with Microsoft. Hell, I'm willing to put Kameo and BK: N&B in the top games they made. Not saying their older games were bad, far from it. Conker's Bad Fur Day and the under appreciated Blast Crops are some of my favorite games. Maybe it's just me.

Regardless of causality, there is definite correlation between rare's move to Microsoft and them sucking balls.

I personally think that Rare haemorrhoidal talent and a by product of that was letting themselves get bought out by Microsoft and compromising their quality.

Rare is done now. Virtually none of the original talent - who made the classic games we loved - remain in the company and Microsoft are just plain abusing Rare now, putting them to work on kinect shovelware.

...

"IMO, they made about as many good games before with Nintendo as they did with Microsoft."

My face when:

-Star Fox Adventures
-Conker's Bad Fur Day
-Pefect Dark
-Goldeneye 007
-Donkey Kong Country
-Donkey Kong Country 2
-Donkey Kong Country 3
-Killer instinct
-Killer Instinct (2) Gold
-Jet Force Gemini
-Banjo Kazooie
-Banjo Tooie
-Donkey Kong 64
-Battletoads
-Blast corps

against:
-Kameo Elements of Power .... okay

but:
-Viva pinata *BRRRFF*
-Perfect Dark Zero *PROJECTILE VOMIT*

I FUCKING PLAYED THAT GAME! Oh holy shit, how the fuck can a game be so fucking fucked up, i don't even, I can't even, no, why did you have to remind me mor perfect dark zero... oh ymy... BBBBBBRRAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!

 

[GiantRaven]

-Viva pinata *BRRRFF*

What was wrong with Viva Piñata? It was pretty fun for a colourful relaxing gardening game.

 

[Treblaine]

(and on a side note- DAMN I miss Free Radical).

You aren't alone there. Timesplitters is probably my favourite FPS franchise. It saddens me that there might never be another.

An interesting little anecdote I have about Free Radical; they were based in my hometown and once ran a little TS2 tournament at a gaming event. I took part and the final included facing off against David Doak [http://i44.tinypic.com/1zcpsg6.jpg] (as well as two other finalists, but who cares about them). Suffice to say, I kicked his ass. Won a nice signed piece of character art as a result (got a mention in Edge magazine as well).

[/ego stroke]

You mean you saw THE Dr Doak?

For ultimate nerd points, did you ask him for the Door Decoder?

 

[GiantRaven]

For ultimate nerd points, did you ask him for the Door Decoder?

I did not, I only got to blow him up repeatedly with the homing launcher.

 

[x0ny]

Conker's Bad Fur Day, supposedly for mature audiences only but jokes consisted of mainly toilet humour.... one of Rare's weakest games during the Nintendo era in my opinion.

 

[Treblaine]

For ultimate nerd points, did you ask him for the Door Decoder?

I did not, I only got to blow him up repeatedly with the homing launcher.

Classy, wish he'd been in my town.

-Viva pinata *BRRRFF*

What was wrong with Viva Piñata? It was pretty fun for a colourful relaxing gardening game.

True... but compared with Goldeneye and Donkey Kong 64?

 

[GiantRaven]

True... but compared with Goldeneye and Donkey Kong 64?

Well I think Viva Piñata is probably going to age better as a game, being more unique that either Goldeneye (which is probably the one game seeing the most painful aging right now) and Donkey Kong 64 (which, in my opinion, isn't worth playing over Banjo Kazooie). So yeah, Viva Piñata all the way, since it actually has value for the future.

Spoiler

Yes, I am completely aware that this argument is stupid. =P

 

[Treblaine]

True... but compared with Goldeneye and Donkey Kong 64?

Well I think Viva Piñata is probably going to age better as a game, being more unique that either Goldeneye (which is probably the one game seeing the most painful aging right now) and Donkey Kong 64 (which, in my opinion, isn't worth playing over Banjo Kazooie). So yeah, Viva Piñata all the way, since it actually has value for the future.

Spoiler

Yes, I am completely aware that this argument is stupid. =P

Hmm, "unique". My Art teacher said the same thing about my work before I dropped that course.

As much as people like to nit-pick the controls I find Goldeneye has aged surprisingly well. Particularly the music and presentation, the game was just cool, suave, just so freaking BOND!

Just listen to the music:


Eat your heart out Halo, this is fucking awesome video game music half a decade before anyone even knew who Master Chief was.

Goldeneye got the things right that are timeless, the FEEL of things, that come through in the music, the sound effects, the progression and scale.

 

[Scout Tactical]

I would flip a shit if Rare got bought by Nintendo and the next Super Smash Bros featured Banjo-Kazooie.

So awesome. So absolutely awesome. Best duo. It's definitely a huge cult classic for me.