Molyneux would like to see Rare have an identity

I really hope that Molyneux leads Rare in a good direction. All of their old stuff was THE reason to own a 64. Besides Square on the SNES, I can't think of another publisher whose games I looked forward to more.

Nuts & Bolts was the most fun game released last year. They already have a purchase for whatever game they release next from me.

Rare does (or did) have an identity. They were known for making clones. Taking what had already been done and jazzing it up. I'm not sure new IP's are Rares gig.

Maybe I'm wrong, but Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox Adventures want to say hello.

Both great games, both clones. Perfect Dark? 007 as an inspiration?

For whatever reason they've been forced (or choose I dunno) to do these less "serious" titles. Games like Viva Pinata (which wasn't bad) or Banjo are never going to get the sales and attention of Mass Effect, or Bioshock. That's just the unfortunate truth.

I'd like to see them do a more "serious" title, and that might get people to pay attention to their other games.

i want to see Rare split from Microsoft. Enough said

Rare's had a weird time since the SNES/N64 heyday. With the Free Radical split taking a fair chunk of their talent, the company founders leaving a couple of years ago and the whole Microsoft acquisition, they seem to just now be finding their feet again.

If you look at their mediocre output, it tends to be ones that have had long development times or switched platforms. Even before the Microsoft deal, Star Fox Adventures (which isn't a bad game, really) went from N64 to Gamecube (and became an SF game) during development. Perfect Dark Zero went from GC to Xbox to 360 launch title and was in development for years. Ditto with Kameo, which I believe was originally planned as an early GC title.

Looking at the more recent stuff, Viva Pinata and Nuts & Bolts, they seem to be improving. Possibly not the megasellers they were but getting critical acclaim and filling a niche on the 360. I suppose it's good that Molyneux is recognising that.

The problem with Rare is that while the games they make are supposed to be for a wider audience, they keep making their games a bit too micro-management oriented to keep those players interested for very long.

I was disappointed with Banjo Nuts and Bolt but loved the others. I hate the timed racing. I would have rather had another platform adventure like the others.

Honestly, I think many of Rare's games seem better on the N64 than they actually were just because there were so few decent releases on the system overall. Particularly ones not from Nintendo itself.

I'm not saying none of their games were good. I love several of them, but I think they are seen in a far more positive light than is probably really accurate. Viva Pinata and Banjo and Kameo are easily up to par with most of their N64 titles.

They can't do much to please some anyway. I honestly feel that when I read about a Rare game nowadays, half of the bitching is from people who haven't spent more than 10 minutes with one of their games since they left Nintendo.

Viva Pinata is amazing. Both installments are way, way better than any of their platformers. I'd only rate Goldeneye and PD higher from Rare.

If Rare can just make a game like Donkey Kong 64, I'll be happy. They were pretty much flawless in the N64 days.

PD0 is actually decent. The only thing that stands out badly like a sore thumb are the odd looking ken doll-like characters. The gameplay is awesome and even has an "A button cover system".

Viva Pinata 1 & 2 - My wife's all time favorite games.

Kameo - N64 era-like adventure game.

Banjo: Nuts and Bolts - Disappointment to me as I was personally looking for flat-out platforming. The quality of the game was good though and a game some people really enjoyed.

Rare is still a very good, quality developer, I just think the hey-days of Rareware have passed. Still, all the games they release I find pretty intriguing in some respect. The are definitely a creative developer with creative games.

"never achieving the greatness it had while developing titles for Nintendo like Perfect Dark, Donkey Kong 64 and GoldenEye."

wasn't that because all the real talent left Rare to form Free Radical/ CryTek


I suppose this was because Microsoft started taking an interest in them

"but a lot of people did not get it"

umm cuz it sucks

They got the identity, already, Molly. All they need is a sense of direction(hopefully towards Killer Instinct 3;)

Rare needs to start bringing back past franchises. We need a new Battletoads and Killer Instinct. I would start by porting the arcade entries to their franchises (Super Battletoads and the arcade version of the original Killer Instinct) on XBLA to bring back fan-interest, then work on new entries to those franchises.

I just want a good 3D platformer like Ratchet and Clank or Mario.

I bought Nuts and Bolts and couldnt bring myself to complete it.
It felt like a chore. The vehicles felt a little tacked on as well, it had usual platforming style missions but...you had to drive there. It wasn't fun.

Each to their own though. If you liked it I have no problems with that, I just didn't.

@ Longhorn: A lot of people say that about LittleBigPlanet, they're also completely and utterly wrong. Nuts & Bolts rocks my socks.

i remember seeing the Rare logo use to make me jeez in my pants...now i just get a funny feeling in my wallet..But its just a matter of time until they pull another hit-"Perf3ct Dark" perhaps O_O

Yeah, bring back Jet Fore Gemini, that's what we need, kid friendly shooters.
I'm not being sarcastic.

So, let's recap a bit on RARE's 360 work:

Nuts & Bolts. I guess it plummeted because most people were expecting a pure platform game. I was, at least.
I'm not saying Nuts & Bolts is a bad game, but the changes alone turned me off from getting the game (I gave it a trial rental and decided against buying it). Rare had the opportunity to crown itself KING of the platform genre on 360 and they blew it. Sure, platform games aren't as hot as they were back in the day, but I'm pretty sure that platforming + Banjo (A well-known character in the genre) would've been a million-sales combination. When a franchise is popular as it is, expand on its gameplay, do not change it into something barely recognizable.

Perfect Dark Zero was a launch title, so I wasn't expecting much from it. Besides, I almost got it for free. Road ahead is tough for this one tho, with so many quality FPS titles already on board the 360 ship. Perfect Dark would only have a chance if it went third-person, I think. Give the fans a nice view of Johanna's rack, add some nice acrobatics, and she's got some sales.

Kameo was a launch title as well, was it not? Again, I do not expect much from launch titles, but Kameo was great. A little short, but great. I'm not sure how this one did at retail, but personally I almost skipped it because the box art and characters weren't inviting at all. I did read reviews later and get a copy, but that was my "first impression" ... and I guess it matters a lot with lots of gamers not reading reviews at all.

Viva Piñata is a great concept, but it drowns a little on itself. To put it simply, it's too complicated for little kids, and too cute for older gamers. Sure, it found its audience, but not a mass audience as I believe they expected.

So... what could RARE do to revert the situation? IMHO, a couple things:

1 - Bring back Killer Instinct. It's a good year for fighting games, and, if handled well, Killer Instinct 3 has the potential to become a killer app. Seriously.

2 - Bring back Conker. 360 needs a platformer in this FPS era, and I really think Conker's raunchy humour and appeal (From Bad Fur Day fame) would fit well in the 360 world and its fans.

3 - Pick Jet Force Gemini and exploit its into co-op / multiplayer potential. Sorta like Earth Defense Force, but with the polish and quality to be expected from RARE.

Rare needs to stop releases games that suck. It's almost a decade since they made a decent game

If they would release a new Killer Instinct, Blast Corps, Battletoads, a good Perfect Dark, Conker's, Jet Force Gemini, and a true Banjo sequel they would be on top again. Unfortunatly, it's a lot easier to make crappy games...

This is exactly what I was hoping to hear from Peter Molyneux now that he's the chief internal evangelist for MGS Europe. The guy is the hugest positive thinker on the planet and a genuine visionary. When that rubs off on a studio with as many talented animators and programmers as Rare, Nintendo had better freaking watch out, because that is a deadly deadly combination.

Nuts and Bolts is really fantastic.

If Rare were to produce a good game every now and then, they might have an identity. Sega still produces great games, why not Rare?

Oh, that's right. Rare lost all of their good people when the company split and Free Radical was formed.

Screw Rare. Sell them back to Nintendo so we can at least know why their games look and control like crap.