It's hard to imagine Rare ever topping their SNES-N64 golden days, and it's certainly not for a lack of trying. Between the release of DKC and Conker's Bad Fur Day, I'd be hard pressed to name a single game of theirs that wasn't quality. Even DK64 I still really enjoy to this day.
Seems kind of cheating to group their SNES and N64 games together, more interesting to narrow the scope.
You wrote a lot in your OP but I'm still confused how you think anyone would choose a post-N64 Rare, even if someone liked Viva Pinata/Nuts & Bolts or Sea of Thieves, their closest highs.
They were just as important as Nintendo for the system. I feel that without Goldeneye becoming a massive hit among older western audiences, the N64 would have ended up with GameCube numbers, or possibly even worse.i honestly feel like Rare was vital to keeping the N64 alive. they made most of the best games on that system...where as now if they closed their doors i don't think i'd notice.
CBFD was the final game of the Classic Rareware era; not Perfect Dark.
Besides the MS acquisitions Kinect dip, I agree. If Everwild turns out to be great they will have a truly incredible batting average.Rare has been consistently good. I can't wait to see more of Everwild.
Nope, I don't think any Rare games have sold more than Donkey Kong Country on SNES (9.30M units).Commercially, I believe the Kinect crap outsold everything they had done previously. Admitting being nastalgic, the 64 games were the best, but I do have faith that the best is yet to come
1st post nails it.
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Late SNES to early N64 era. Golden era started with first Donkey Kong Country, ended with Jet Force Gemini.
Kameo was a lot of fun, more than PD0 which was a massive disappointment.
The vast majority of 3D games from that era had a ton of issues and don't hold up well. Relative to the rest of industry at the time, N64 Rare was a much 'better' and influential studio compared to MS Rare.I would pick Post-N64 Rare.
They had some better ideas with Nintendo, and they came far more frequently, and Banjo-Kazooie is my favorite game of all time, but a lot of their games had a TON of issues and do not hold up well, but we all pretend otherwise because of nostalgia.
Microsoft Rare is the better and stronger developer.
That's really disappointing that they do that. People talk about MS Rare missing that spark while ignoring Kameo, Viva Piñata, and sea of thieves. Yeah they don't put out games as regularly but dev times are longer now across the industry. I'll admit that they don't have the pedigree that they did but it isn't like they haven't put out unique well regarded games under MS.I would like to see more props for Kameo. It was a whole load of fun. Was reviewed pretty well too. It's critical scores largely line up with something like Jet Force Gemini but one of those is considered a classic and one is 'lol microsoft rare'.
This, also Jet Force Gemini.Obviously the Nintendo era.
Banjo, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong
That's who Rare was and always will be to me.
'94-'98
DKC and GE were absolutely massive games that marked the 16 bit and 32/64 bit gens.
DKC2, DKR and Banjo were all very well received and praised and there was even room for a little gem like Blast Corps.
Nope, I don't think any Rare games have sold more than Donkey Kong Country on SNES (9.30M units).
Well, unless you count the player base of SoT but that's a different beast.
Best selling Rare games under Nintendo:
DKC (SNES): 9.30M
GoldenEye 007 (N64): 8.09M
DK64 (N64): 5.27M
DKC2 (SNES): 5.15M
DKR (N64): 4.88M
Could be.I think it isn't a stretch to say Sea of Thieves outsold DKC2 and DKR. And maybe even DK64.