It was the end of an era. Rare had been good to Nintendo since the NES, but it wasn't until the beauty of the N64's graphical capabilities that they become entangled in one. The company arguably kept Nintendo afloat during the late 1990's, as a large amount of the system's top critical and commercial successes came out of a small English village. The company became synonymous with quality, as nearly every effort of theirs was made golden.
But all good things come to an end, as you've likely heard more often than you'd care to. While it was previously unfathomable, rumors of a separation began swirling in 2001 due to a simple holiday card. A graphic on the back contained a Christmas tree with presents below. Three of the gifts were clear references to the consoles of the time: the Nintendo GameCube, the Microsoft Xbox, and the Sony Playstation 2. Topping it all off was the cryptic message placed along the bottom: "And surprises under every tree." Though seemingly harmless, the card set off a flurry of rumors stating that the company was planning to go third party and thus multi-console. While nothing concrete was confirmed for months, Nintendo's base went berserk at the thought of losing such a talented developer. Eventually, the proof was in the spondoola as Rare's former owners, Chris and Tim Stamper, sold their 51% controlling stake in the developer to Microsoft. Nintendo, not about to be controlled by a fierce competitor, followed suit and sold their 49% stake of the company. Thus, the relationship was over.
Only one Rare-developed title was released for the GameCube, the highly under-appreciated and over-bashed Star Fox Adventures. While it did well critically, many gamers dismiss the title as nothing more than a Ocarina of Time rip-off. In my opinion, this is heavily related to a feeling of betrayal by fans. While it's always sad to witness an era come to pass, Nintendo is in a much better place now than they have been in the past two generations. There are many second and third parties developing new and exciting titles for Nintendo's system as we speak. Furthermore, Rare and Nintendo's relationship will forever be viewed as a high water mark. Banjo Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day and GoldenEye 007 will not be forgotten, and no one can take those titles back. Well, maybe they can.
