Rare has "no idea" where DK64 is

By Robert Purchese Published 15 October, 2009

VC-revival is Nintendo's decision.

Rare has admitted to having "no idea" why Nintendo hasn't converted Donkey Kong 64 for the Virtual Console.

Answering fans' questions on the Rare website, the developer also revealed it hasn't quit making DS games for ever, but is busy focusing on Natal for Xbox 360 for the forseeable future.

"I have no idea why DK64 hasn't shown up yet..." the post reads. "Who knows? Not us, obviously, or we wouldn't be sitting here pitching clueless alternatives.

"If DK64 is being made for DS, this is the first we've heard about it.... Similarly, there was never any solid word on [Jet Force Gemini] being lined up for XBLA release.

The developer added: "I don't think it's fair to assume that we've permanently quit DS development, but yes, we are focusing on other things at the moment. Natal is a pretty big deal and needs a lot of attention."

Rare last developed Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie for Xbox Live Arcade.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (37) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Quickstick4 #1 2 years ago

    again: Rare say nothing by saying allot, although I do love Rare games, even if they have been below par recently

    Roll on PD XBLA

    Edit: Plus, isn't this abit late?
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 12:40

  • swissorc #2 2 years ago

    Oh well rare suck ass since moving to microsoft haven't bought one game for my 360 from rare and can honestly say haven't done anything of warrent since perfect dark (the good one) Jet Force Jemini was great love to see that on ds or even wii but it will be a cold cold day until that happens.

  • Syrette #3 2 years ago

    Full stops are your friend ^.

  • JonFE #4 2 years ago

    I'm with Henry on this one. Both VP's and Banjo 3 do not "suck ass" as swissrc so eloquently put it by any stretch of the meaning...

  • Skurmedel #5 2 years ago

    I miss Rare a bit. I wish they would be making new Perfect Darks and GoldenEyes. I remember playing 4 player deathmatch with proximity mines on that aztec level... hilarity.

  • xexuxjy #6 2 years ago

    I'd include Kameo in that list of fantastic games, still think it's one of the best looking and most creative games on the 360

  • darkmorgado #7 2 years ago

    I remember getting Viva Pinata on the cheap not thinking it would amount to much. Then I found myself at the tail-end of 8-hour VP sessions desperately trying to entice one more Pinata into my garden. It's an amazing game, one of the most original and visually gorgeous games of this gen, and has the same gotta-catch-em-all feeling that Pokemon evokes.
    VP is a masterpiece of deep and complex game design presented in an accessible and appealing way.

  • Santino #8 2 years ago

    DK64 was a pretty awful collectathon from what i remember, hopefully it stays 'lost'.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #9 2 years ago

    @Santino - I fully agree. I remember paying a high price for the game when it was released and being completely underwhelmed. If it never surfaces on Nintendo's virtual console, it won't be missed by me.

  • darkmorgado #10 2 years ago

    @Skurmedal, as much as I loved PD and Goldeneye (though they have dated terribly), do we really need another dev focusing on FPS games?

  • GiarcYekrub #11 2 years ago

    Blast Corps XBLA please

  • Rizob #12 2 years ago

    Kameo 2 please.

  • Syrette #13 2 years ago

    Bit annoyed that they're concentrating on Natal and avatars nowadays, don't forget traditional controllers please Rare/MGS :/

  • darkmorgado #14 2 years ago

    Agreed with wanting more Blast Corps!

  • Widge #15 2 years ago

    Have they checked down the side of the sofa?

  • Xerx3s #16 2 years ago

    "Rare say nothing by saying allot, although I do love Rare games, even if they have been below par recently "

    What a load of bollocks. VP, VP2, BK3, JPR, etc. have all been excellent games. Even the games that where a little less where well above market standard.

  • FenderMaster #17 2 years ago

    Eh... Rare games definitely don't suck ass, but they aren't brilliant either. Kamro, BK 3 and Viva Pinata are all good, solid B titles, but nowhere near as ood as the N64 days. The whole MS ruined Rare thing was b/s though, they started to decline even while Nintendo still had them.

    I'd actually count DK 64 as the start of Rares decline from greatness into... well not meciocrity... but not greatness either. I thought it was a chore, especially having to find barrells to switch characters to collect different coloured bananas, and the level design wasn't up to Banjo Kazooie quality... It did have amazing graphic for its time though, it looked almost as good as early PS2 games!

  • kinky_mong #18 2 years ago

    Another vote for more Blast Corps. More Killer Instinct would be nice too.

  • bad09 #19 2 years ago

    Never mind 64, I want the original DC with a SF style HD remix. Ninty let Rare do that on 360 and I'll buy 2 Wiis.

  • superted1974 #20 2 years ago

    I just got back my old N64 with about 10 games - I had leant it to a relative who is now emigrating to Oz.

    I had forgotten the nice solid feel of a cartidge based games machine. Happy days!

  • Stroller4 #21 2 years ago

    Another vote for Blast Corps! A few years back the Mrs and I went to deepest Pembrokeshire on holiday. I took the N64 and having finished GE, drove a 4hour round trip to Cardiff to find a games shop and picked up Blast Corps. Good times

  • mcmonkeyplc #22 2 years ago

    They better not just be developing Avatar models for Natal. They better be doing something damn well important for them not to be releasing anything in the mean time!

  • Xerx3s #23 2 years ago

    "They better not just be developing Avatar models for Natal. They better be doing something damn well important for them not to be releasing anything in the mean time!"

    Rare is pretty big, they are usually doing 2 to 4 projects at once as far as I can tell. I'd reckon that they will have some titles lined up for the next E3. Considering their teasing, a new PD and a new KI would be likely.

  • cianchristopher #24 2 years ago

    Was Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts really good? I played the demo and, while the graphics were a-may-zeeeeng, I'm not so sure about the time you'd need to invest in order to get good at it!

    I don't need to add another game to my collection that'll just never really get going for me because of a high barrier to entry. On the other hand, it's €10 new-and-sealed in my local HMV....

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #25 2 years ago

    Rare are great and I won't hear a bad word said about them. Mrs B has been caning VP recently, and it's reminded me how bloody good the game is. Fired it up for fiteen minutes last night and next thing I know it's one in the morning.

    I will say to them two things, though: 1) hurry the chuff up with XBLA PD; and 2) PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD make a "proper", "full" Viva Pinata game for Natal.

    Oh, and Banjo is definitely worth a tenner. It's groovy. Like most recent Rare games, it does require a couple of hours to get the best out of it, but it still rocks.
    Edited by 2 at 15/10/09 @ 14:45

  • Dezm0nd #26 2 years ago

    His coconut gun fires in spurts, if it shoots ya, it's gonna hurt!!!

  • B0MBJ4CK #27 2 years ago

    "PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD make a "proper", "full" Viva Pinata game for Natal."

    +1

  • SG #28 2 years ago

    " HenryVIII
    15/10/09 @ 12:49

    Oh great, here we go, all the clueless morons jumping on the "rare are shit" bandwagon!

    Rare have released three fantastic games of late. VP, VP2 and Banjo 3. Just because they are not YOUR cup of tea, doesn't mean they are not good games that plenty of people have enjoyed. They've also all received pretty decent reviews.

    Edit, I'd love to see Jet Force Gemini on live arcade, as long as they sort the controls out!"

    IIRC BK3 was a bit of a let down given what Rare of old were capable of; certainly not a BT beater. I definitely think that Nintendo got rid of them at the right time

    Although the company is pretty much made up of completely different people now. The controls worked great for JFG. Very smooth to use!

    As far as DK64 goes, it was a massive let down for me - it didn't have the proper Rare polish that I was so used to in BK, BT and DK trilogy. And for a game using the expansion pak it was also quite jumpy! I do think that it also just didn't translate from the core 2D concept well into 3D.

    DKC4 on Wiiware please Nintendo!

  • RedSparrows #29 2 years ago

    Banjoe Tooie was a collecathon too. I much preferred BK. Nuts and Bolts is not as good as it 'should' have been perhaps, but it's one of the most gorgeous and colourful games I've ever seen, and is fun if you like that sort of thing.

  • JeroenZM #30 2 years ago

    I don't want to discourage Rare, but DK64 contains a game from the ZX Spectrum (Jet Pack) and the original Donkey Kong. Both unlockables were actually required to reach the final boss. On the VC, that means the game is a nightmare when you're talking about legal rights.

    For example: they removed the free Turbografx games (including Bonk) from Gate of Thunder when it was released on the virtual console.

  • Mr_Brown #31 2 years ago

    Heh I've got a copy of DK64, though I hardily played it despite having for ages. Seems like a decent game though, I just was never into 3D platformers until SMG came out.

  • retr0gamer #32 2 years ago

    Wasn't DK64 shit anyway?

  • JetSetWilly #33 2 years ago

    Who cares where DK64 is, it was shit.

  • Skurmedel #34 2 years ago

    I remember it as totally okay, although a bit tedious later levels.

  • Sharzam #35 2 years ago

    Kameo was my second xbox 360 game after crackdown, i know a odd order but anyway. Kameo was excellant and it really showed the rare magic of old, and to all the haters maybe its not rare tha have changed but you as we grow our tastes change and rose tinted glasses come into play.

  • smelly #36 2 years ago

    Developer has not say in what publisher does with the game - shocker!

    More obvious news after 11..

  • EMarkM #37 2 years ago

    Another vote here for more Kameo: I loved the first game very much.