RAREware

Perfect Dark Zero [GC – Tech Demo]

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Rare’s two N64 first-person shooters, GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, received strong acclaim from critics and players, and demand for another title in the Perfect Dark franchise was high. Development of Perfect Dark Zero began on the Nintendo GameCube. At the time, Nintendo had a 49% stake in Rare, making Rare a Nintendo second-party developer. The game made a small appearance at Spaceworld 2000, an event exclusive to Nintendo. But apart from the confirmation that it was in development, few official announcements were made. Perfect Dark Zero, along with several other Rare games, was intended to be finished in time for the Gamecube’s launch, but did not.

In September 2002, after losing a steady trickle of staff for two years (including many of their Goldeneye 007 team members, who went on to found Free Radical), Rare Ltd was purchased by Microsoft. Around the same time, Rare released several images of Joanna Dark, the protagonist of the Perfect Dark games. The “cartoony” style of these pictures incited speculation that the final game — then intended for the original Xbox — would employ a less realistic graphical style than the original game; possibly an anime like cel-shading technique, (RARE had hired UK Manga artist Wil Overton to work with them, after seeing an anime-like image of the Original Perfect Dark game he had created for the cover of N64 Magazine.)

Development of the title was later transferred to the Xbox 360. Perfect Dark Zero’s senior designer Chris Tilston (also one of the project leads for the game) later revealed that the Xbox version was “about twelve months away” from completion when the switch occurred.

In 2005, one of the rewards in the OurColony viral marketing campaign for Microsoft’s next Xbox video game console was an image of Joanna Dark. At the official unveiling of the Xbox 360 on May 12, 2005, it was revealed that Perfect Dark Zero would be a launch title for the new system in the fall of 2005. The game’s development has therefore spanned three platforms: the Nintendo GameCube, the Microsoft Xbox and the Xbox 360.” – [info from wikipedia]

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Donkey Kong Racing [GameCube – Cancelled]

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A tech demo for a Donkey Kong game on the GameCube was shown at SpaceWorld 2001. The game was called Donkey Kong Racing and shown various characters, including Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Taj the Genie racing on Ellie, Expresso, Rambi, Enguarde, and Zinger, and presumably, Necky, Army, and Chomps Jr. that had been introduced in previous Donkey Kong games by Rare. This project was going to be a spiritual sequel to “Diddy Kong Racing”.

Following the sale of Rare to Microsoft in 2002, Rare announced that they were concentrating their efforts on Xbox games. [Infos from Wikipedia]

From some rumors it seems that the Donkey Kong Racing concept was somehow ported to the original XBOX, minus the Nintendo characters. The game so became know as “Sabreman Stampede Racing“, with the Sabre Wulf cast of characters. The XBOX version evolved in something more than just a racing game and the “adventure style” that you can feel in Diddy Kong Racing was even more expanded.  Sadly not much infos are available on the subject, and in the end even the XBOX version was cancelled. An XBOX 360 port was started too, but never finished.  Some of the concepts of Sabremen Stampede 360 were reused as initial ideas for Banjo & Kazooie Nuts & Bolts.

As we can read in an  interview with Lee Musgrave:

It was a pure racing game, the underlying software mechanics were actually based on car physics, but it also incorporated the idea of riders jumping between different animals mid-race, to always be riding the ones that were bigger or faster . . . we had some awesome gameplay in place, and it was lots of fun – we even had a multiplayer version working – and when you fell off, you had to tap-tap-tap (HyperSports style) to run on foot and catch up with an animal. Fun, but it lost some appeal without the DK universe around it, and Microsoft were unsure of its potential with Xbox gamers I think.

italian_flag.jpg [spoiler /Clicca qui per la versione in Italiano/ /Nascondi la versione in Italiano/]Presentato per la prima volta sotto forma di filmato all’E32001, questo gioco sarebbe dovuto essere il seguito del lodato Diddy Kong Racing su N64. Come si può ben vedere dalle foto i mezzi non sarebbero stati più kart o veicoli convenzionali, ma animali presi in prestito dagli archivi dei vari giochi Rare, Donkey Kong Country, 64 e Racing compresi. Purtroppo il titolo a causa delle vicissitudini che travolsero Rare non ha mai superato lo stadio di filmato, almeno in pubblico. Non è chiaro neanche se parte del progetto sia stato inserito nel racing per GBA Donkey Kong Pilot, ma le somiglianze sono veramente minime e tutto lascia presagire che questo gioco non abbia lasciato tracce di se in altre pubblicazioni Rare. Piccola curiosità: le foto beta di DKR si possono addirittura trovare sul retro delle confezioni dei primi GameCube! [/spoiler]

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Kameo [GameCube – Cancelled]

Kameo: Elements of Power is a video game launched for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console and developed by Rare. Kameo was originally slated for the Nintendo GameCube, and was set to be one of Rare’s flagship titles for the system, along with Star Fox Adventures and Donkey Kong Racing. However, when Microsoft announced its purchase of Rare in late 2002, Kameo’s future was put in question. It was decided that work would continue on the Xbox, and a planned release date of 2003 was given. After several revamps, causing repeated delays, Kameo was put on indefinite hold in late 2004. Following this, rumours began that the game was once again undergoing a platform change, this time from the Xbox to the Xbox 360, where it was the first announced game for the system. The original GameCube version had a different character design, but probably the core game was essentially the same. [Info from Wikipedia]

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Kameo: Gamecube Version

Kameo Gamecube Gameplay [Flying]

Kameo Gamecube Gameplay [Fight]

 

Diddy Kong Pilot [GBA – Beta / Cancelled]

Diddy Kong Pilot was a Mode-7 racer developed by Rare Ltd. and meant to be published by Nintendo. Originally announced in 2001, the game featured various characters from the Donkey Kong universe and could be controlled with a tilt sensor that was integrated into the game’s cart. In 2002, Nintendo sold their share of Rare Ltd. and opted out of their publishing contract. The game was later reskinned with Banjo characters and released as Banjo-Pilot.

Original description from Rare’s website:

Relive the classic gameplay style of Diddy Kong Racing as you take to the skies again in one of Rare’s very first titles for the Game Boy Advance! Pick out your favourite from an unlikely squadron of Kongs and Kremlings, each bringing along their own distinctive (and customizable) flying machine, then launch yourself headlong into the striking 3D courses. Within minutes you’ll be diving low over sandy beaches and climbing high above bubbling lava en route to the chequered flag and victory…

All sorts of play options are yours for the tinkering, including single-player and multiplayer tournaments, a classic time trial and detailed story modes for each character (ending in climactic one-on-one boss duels). You can even link up with three of your mates, competing for the title of squadron leader or simply blast each other out of the sky in frantic dogfights.

Other features of the game include interactive background scenery, rolling and looping manouevres, upgradable weapons and power-ups, secret features to unlock and of course the rarely-seen Tilt Technology, where, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can set aside your D-Pad in favour of controlling the plane by actually tilting the Game Boy Advance.

Diddy Kong Pilot’s Hillbilly Kong’s name: http://www.dkvine.com/?p=1082

[Thanks to Matt Gander, Lucas Araujo & Vaettur for the contributions!

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Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers [GBA – Cancelled] (It’s Mr. Pants [GBA – Beta])

Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers was a puzzle game developed by Rare Ltd. and announced by Nintendo in 2001. The title featured both an isometric gameplay grid and Donkey Kong-themed levels and modes. In 2002, it was cancelled when Nintendo sold their share of Rare Ltd.

Original announcement from Rare:

If Diddy Kong’s heading off to make a name for himself on the Game Boy Advance, DK wants in on it too! So here he comes with his very first foray into the puzzle game world, which, like all classic puzzlers, works around one simple principle: in this case, score points by creating shapes – specifically, squares and rectangles. DK’s coconuts fall towards the game board in various formations, and fortunately for you he’s taken the time to fill them with paint…

Naturally, there’s a bit more to it than that. The paint comes in two colours, and while you can cover one colour with another, you can’t drop, say, red on red or green on green. Plus you’ve got some opposition in the form of those dastardly Kremlings, who can never keep their snouts out of business that doesn’t concern them. Even as you’re rotating and dropping the coconuts and building up your shapes, there’ll be a lone Kremling sneaking around the outer edge of the game board, rendering useless any square it crosses and giving you less and less room to work with. Fortunately for you, finishing off a shape will call in one of DK’s animal buddies to drive the scaly troublemaker back and reclaim some of that lost space.

Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers comes with a whole barrel-load of playing modes, including an addictive adventure across the crazy terrain of Kong Island, head-to-head battles with boss Kremlings and a series of challenges set by everyone’s favourite grouchy monkey, good old Cranky Kong. You can even take on your friends in a multiplayer showdown to see just who really is king of the jungle. Yep, DK really has thought of everything…

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In 2003, THQ decided to publish a reskinned version of Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers. As It’s Mr. Pants, the game featured Rare’s very own mascot. The isometric view was scrapped as it made the puzzle tiles difficult to see.

The ‘Crayon Snake’ that circles around the board in Marathon Mode eating the game pieces was originally called the ‘Pants Snake’. THQ thought that this was a bit too risqué and requested the name change.

Beta: It’s Mr Pants: