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[Doug Heffernan]

Now that Rare seems to be in another transitional period with Microsoft after dropping Kinect and laying off a few people, I figured it would be fun to look back at just what they've accomplished since being acquired by Microsoft in 2002.

2002
Microsoft acquires Rare.
In what is seen as one of the biggest studio acquisitions in gaming history, Microsoft makes a bold move by purchasing the Twycross studio and all of it's IP.

2003
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (66 - Metacritic)

Originally developed for the Gamecube, this was the first title that Rare released on the Xbox. It received mixed reviews and did not sell very well.

2005
Conker: Live & Reloaded (78 - Metacritic)

A remake of the N64 hit with added multiplayer over Xbox Live. The game received criticism for being heavily censored by Microsoft. This was the final game released in what was a disappointing run on the original Xbox.

2005
Kameo: Elements of Power (79 - Metacritic)

Another Gamecube carryover. Charming family friendly adventure game. Sure it had it's faults, particularly the odd control scheme, but it felt like classic Rare magic... character design, soundtrack, environment; it all felt very true to form with what you'd expect from a Rare game. I'd call it an underrated gem.


2005
Perfect Dark Zero (81 - Metacritic)

Along with Kameo, the launch of the Xbox 360 gave us another game from Rare; Perfect Dark Zero. Originally developed for the Gamecube (noticing a trend here?), the game was a commercial and critical success.

2006
Viva Piñata (84 - Metacritic)

The second original Rare IP in the Microsoft era. I'd call it a melding of Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon. It was very well received by critics and even spawned a TV series. Sales figures, however, were disappointing for a game that deserved so much more.

2008
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (82 - Metacritic)

Sequel to first game. The definitive version of Viva Pinata, it added more of everything including multiplayer and fined tuned a few of the mechanics and controls. Again, well received by the critics but unfortunately overlooked by most gamers.

2008
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (79 - Metacritic)

Banjo finally makes his debut on Xbox. Originally teased as a classic platformer, it turned into a vehicle based game. Understandably, this ruffled some feathers in the gaming community but once you get past that it's actually a very fun and innovative game with brilliant design and a wonderful soundtrack.

2010
Kinect Sports (73 - Metacritic)

The beginning of Rare's Kinect era. Obviously inspired by Wii Sports, it sold very well launching alongside the Kinect sensor.

2012
Kinect Sports: Season Two (66 - Metacritic)

Well of course they were going to make another one.

2014
Kinect Sports Rivals (60 - Metacritic)

Another Kinect Sports game. Yay? Panned by the critics and ignored by the gaming community. I think the message was sent that it's time to move on.

What's next?
Here's a recent quote from Phil Spencer that might just give some hope for a return to form at Rare.

Right now with Rare we're at a point where I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports. The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that. I think it's about them thinking about the next game that's going to be the next 'Rare game' and really stand for what they are. So they've got some new ideas, they're excited about them and I think Rare should, can and will be an important part of our game future.

I know, I know... we've heard this thing before, but it seems... genuine this time.
Keep the faith, Rare fans.

 

[Sponge]

What's next?

For the love of god an actual Banjo-Threeie.

EDIT - Seriously though, I have faith for a non-Kinect Sports title after what Spencer has been telling us as of late.

 

[PorkFryRice]

i want another Pinata game.

 

[Raide]

i want another Pinata game.

This!

 

[Nightengale]

I know, I know... we've heard this thing before, but it seems... genuine this time.
Keep the faith, Rare fans.

It's genuine because the Kinect crutch is obviously dead.

 

[Jigorath]

Well I really enjoyed Kameo. I guess 1 out of 10 isn't too bad.

 

[maxcriden]

Some related reading y'all might find fascinating:

Rare might not be forced to make Kinect games but anything else gets canned

ETA: that's an amazingly high MC score for PDZ. I thought the game was panned. Is it just reviled now? Maybe I'm imagining things.

 

[Goodacre0081]

Some related reading y'all might find fascinating:

Rare might not be forced to make Kinect games but anything else gets canned

this is so sad

 

[Castcoder]

The only thing good from RARE's acquisition were the HD ports of N64. I lost all faith in them after the catastrophe that was Nuts & Bolts.

 

[Aβydoς]

Viva Pinata and Nuts & Bolts are just wonderful, wonderful games.
Best exclusives on 360. Yep. I just said that.
N&B is possibly the most underrated game ever.

 

[Nestled_Grizzly]

The only thing good from RARE's acquisition were the HD ports of N64. I lost all faith in them after the catastrophe that was Nuts & Bolts.

But Viva Piñata!!

 

[Juke Joint Jezebel]

Viva Pinata games were bloody brilliant, and Kameo was a fun, if short game. Proof that Rare can put out good games if they're given the chance. With Kinect now being mostly ignored by MS now we may get the chance to see games like that again. Instead of all this Kinect and avatar based tosg.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Gimme a new Blast Corps and HD remake of Jet Force Gemini.

 

[DarthWalden]

I still love rare... They still have that magic left they just have yet to put it all together... PD0, Kameo, VP, BK:N&B, even kinect sports all had some semblance of the old rare but all had also unforgivable faults.

I still think Kameo is an amazing game to this day.

 

[xValentine]

I don't know about you but for me Rare died in 2008.

Banjo is their swan song.

 

[scoobidoo112]

Rare in name only...

 

[PROh1bited]

I will have to add that PDZ back when it came out was pretty decent. Now, well lets just say that it hasnt aged well at all.

 

[New002]

Some related reading y'all might find fascinating:

Rare might not be forced to make Kinect games but anything else gets canned

ETA: that's an amazingly high MC score for PDZ. I thought the game was panned. Is it just reviled now? Maybe I'm imagining things.

Yeah I bought the steelbook at a local Gamestop because it was $1. All I have read on here is negative so I was also surprised to see that MC score in the OP.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

The only thing good from RARE's acquisition were the HD ports of N64. I lost all faith in them after the catastrophe that was Nuts & Bolts.

Catastrophe?

Get outta here. They took a risk and I feel it paid off, some gamers were just too closed minded to see its greatness.

 

[maxcriden]

Yeah I bought the steelbook at a local Gamestop because it was $1. All I have read on here is negative so I was also surprised to see that MC score in the OP.

I did pick it up years ago and I think I tried it but couldn't get into it at all. I wonder if it was a launch hype release which sometimes inflates scores.

 

[RdN]

So.. I think we can rank it like:

Before 2002: Amazing;

2002-2008: OK;

2008-Now: Ridiculously bad.

 

[IAmRandom31]

Rare isn't even Rare anymore anyway. Almost everyone who made the studio what it is has long since left.

 

[Doug Heffernan]

I will have to add that PDZ back when it came out was pretty decent. Now, well lets just say that it hasnt aged well at all.

I know, I was actually surprised that the game got so many good reviews at launch. I played a little of PDZ last year and wow is it rough.

 

[KissVibes]

The only thing good from RARE's acquisition were the HD ports of N64. I lost all faith in them after the catastrophe that was Nuts & Bolts.

Nuts & Bolts is a great fucking game.

 

[TRI Mike]

I actually enjoyed everything before Kinect Sports except for GbtG.

 

[AaronMT86]

Rare died in 2002

 

[mr stroke]

MS should have put Rare back on KI

 

[Sponge]

MS should have put Rare back on KI

No way. Double Helix did Killer Instinct better than new Rare ever could have.

Ken Lobb was still involved.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Rare are gonna be dropping mega bombs all over that E3 stage next year. Yup.

 

[Storm Raider]

Everyday I wake up and see Conker, DK64, or Banjo sitting in my N64 and I want to throw up knowing my favorite gaming studio has been pretty much driven into the ground.

Oh well!

 

[gofreak]

In light of Spencer's comments about Tomb Raider, I actually kind of wonder what could have happened if Rare had took a turn for the better under MS's management and taken on a new action adventure franchise. That kind of light-hearted action adventure romp is something I could have seen Rare doing at one point.

 

[hydruxo]

Nuts & Bolts is actually a very fun game. The vehicle creator was great. It just got crapped on because they used the Banjo name with it and it wasn't the traditional platformer that everyone wanted. I think that if they had made a new IP out of it, it would've been received far better than how it was.

I'm hanging on to a thread of a hope that Rare can put out something interesting again, but we'll see what happens now that they are effectively done with the Kinect.

 

[intheinbetween]

well, I liked Grabbed by the Ghoulies :\

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

Rare was showing signs of being flabby and sick when Star Fox Adventures came out.

 

[me0wish]

VP: TiP was such an amazing game, spent so many sleepless nights with that gem. I really hope it would get a pc port, or a sequel on pc

 

[Borman]

Rare tried to rush things on the original Xbox, which only hurt them as they moved to the 360. Ghoulies was almost certainly a Cube title that was rushed, possibly Conker as well, Perfect Dark Zero was moved from GC to Xbox to 360 and looked decent enough, Kameo was looking absolutely brilliant (and it plays just as well) on the Xbox then was pushed to the 360 to have launch titles. Viva Pinata started life on the original Xbox as well, along with Banjo in some form (as BanjoX). So much platform movement over years just couldn't have been good.

 

[Siegcram]

Fucking Kinect man.

 

[Riky]

Hopefully we'll get Banjo Threeie as a platformer and Perfect Dark 2, that's what I really want. Although I'd accept Jet Force Gemini 2 also.

 

[mr stroke]

No way. Double Helix did Killer Instinct better than new Rare ever could have.

Ken Lobb was still involved.

DH did a fantastic job with KI, but to be honest Rare has been on a downward spiral since Conker(Rare's best game outside of KI). Why not use there talents for KI season 2?

 

[JazzmanZ]

For the love of god an actual Banjo-Threeie.

EDIT - Seriously though, I have faith for a non-Kinect Sports title after what Spencer has been telling us as of late.

I don't, especially since the old guard has left, I don't expect there to anything of caliber from them again.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

I did pick it up years ago and I think I tried it but couldn't get into it at all. I wonder if it was a launch hype release which sometimes inflates scores.

I think it was launch hype inflation. Perfect Dark Zero has the worst level design of maybe any FPS I have played. I don't know why I completed the game. It left me feeling the same way as Killzone Shadow Fall.

 

[A.D. Skinner]

I yearn for Kameo 2. That game had so much potential and so much more to give. It was a new IP which was something unique I'm Microsoft's locker.

 

[Sponge]

I don't, especially since the old guard has left, I don't expect there to anything of caliber from them again.

Absolutely. No way is old Rare coming back. I'm at least hoping for a decent game or two though.

 

[RE_Player]

The only good games on there are the Viva Piñata games.

Nuts & Bolts was ok at the time but I really just wanted another real Banjo game.

 

[Riky]

Nuts & Bolts is actually a very fun game. The vehicle creator was great. It just got crapped on because they used the Banjo name with it and it wasn't the traditional platformer that everyone wanted. I think that if they had made a new IP out of it, it would've been received far better than how it was.

.

Spot on, it was the best Lego game ever.

 

[secretanchitman]

Make a proper Perfect Dark sequel. I loved playing Perfect Dark on XBLA, such a damn good game.

 

[Percy]

All of their worst work... well a lot of their worst work at least.

Goldeneye will forever be their magnum opus.

 

[Lady Gaia]

I know, I was actually surprised that the game got so many good reviews at launch. I played a little of PDZ last year and wow is it rough.

To call it "rough" is being kind. Despite having very little to play at launch I couldn't bring myself to finish it, and I was a huge fan of the original.

 

[mangochutney]

So.. I think we can rank it like:

Before 2002: Amazing;

2002-2008: OK;

2008-Now: Ridiculously bad.

So basically they went down hill after Phil Spencer became in charge of Microsoft Studios.

 

[ReyVGM]

What people don't seem to understand is that most of the people that made RARE what it was, are not there anymore.

Classic innovative RARE is dead. And unless Microsoft gives them the time and freedom Nintendo gave them, then that will not change anytime soon.