Is Donkey Kong Nintendo or Rare? Unraveling the Ownership of the King of the Jungle
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The short answer is: Donkey Kong is owned by Nintendo. While the history of the Donkey Kong franchise is intertwined with the development studio Rare, the intellectual property rights have always remained with Nintendo. This means that despite Rare’s significant contributions to the series, particularly the highly successful Donkey Kong Country games, Nintendo holds the ultimate ownership and control of the Donkey Kong characters, concepts, and universe. Let’s delve deeper into the history and explore the nuances of this relationship.
The Origins: Nintendo’s Brainchild
The origins of Donkey Kong are firmly rooted in Nintendo’s history. The very first appearance of the character was in the 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong, designed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto. This game didn’t just introduce Donkey Kong; it also marked the debut of Mario, then known as Jumpman, making it a pivotal title in the history of gaming. In this early iteration, Donkey Kong was portrayed as the antagonist, an ape holding a damsel (Pauline) captive. This was Nintendo’s creation, marking their initial ownership of the concept and characters.
Rare’s Golden Age: The Donkey Kong Country Era
Although Nintendo created the character, Rare’s involvement during the Super Nintendo era significantly propelled the Donkey Kong franchise to new heights. Rareware, as they were then known, was granted the opportunity by Nintendo to develop a 3D CGI game. The studio opted to reimagine Donkey Kong, leading to the iconic Donkey Kong Country series.
Development Prowess
Rare’s development prowess was undeniable. They reinvented Donkey Kong and his world, creating a cast of new characters like Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and King K. Rool. The pre-rendered 3D graphics were revolutionary for their time, adding a new dimension to the platforming genre. Rare developed multiple successful entries in the Donkey Kong Country series, further cementing their legacy within the franchise. This included titles like Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!, each pushing the boundaries of what was expected from platformers.
A Partnership, Not Ownership
Despite the vital role Rare played in shaping the modern Donkey Kong universe, it’s crucial to understand that they were a development partner, not the owner. Nintendo maintained full ownership of the Donkey Kong intellectual property throughout their collaboration with Rare. This distinction is essential in understanding why, after Rare’s departure from Nintendo, the Donkey Kong franchise remained firmly under Nintendo’s control.
The Microsoft Acquisition and its Implications
In 2002, Rare was acquired by Microsoft. This event marked a significant shift in the gaming landscape, as Rare, previously a core partner of Nintendo, became part of their rival’s family. While Rare continued to create games under Microsoft, they did so with their own properties, retaining ownership of characters like Banjo-Kazooie and Conker. The Donkey Kong franchise, however, stayed firmly with Nintendo.
No Donkey Kong in Rare Replay
This ownership distinction is clearly evidenced by the Rare Replay compilation on Xbox. While the collection features numerous games from Rare’s history, Donkey Kong Country and Diddy Kong Racing are notably absent. This omission is due to the fact that Rare does not own the Donkey Kong intellectual property, highlighting that Nintendo’s ownership is the reason these popular titles were not included.
Nintendo’s Ongoing Stewardship
Since Rare’s departure, Nintendo has continued to develop and publish Donkey Kong games. This includes titles like Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and various other appearances of the franchise across different Nintendo consoles. These titles showcase Nintendo’s continuous development and commitment to the Donkey Kong IP and the characters.
Donkey Kong in the Mario Universe
Beyond standalone games, Donkey Kong has become a frequent character in other Nintendo franchises, notably the Mario universe. He’s regularly seen in games like Mario Kart and various sports games, illustrating Nintendo’s continued integration of Donkey Kong into its broader gaming ecosystem. This demonstrates not only their ownership but also how they have successfully positioned Donkey Kong as a cross-franchise icon.
FAQs: Delving Deeper into Donkey Kong Ownership
1. Did Rare ever own Donkey Kong?
No, Rare never owned the Donkey Kong intellectual property. They were a development partner for Nintendo, creating significant entries in the Donkey Kong Country series, but the ownership of the franchise remained solely with Nintendo.
2. Why isn’t Donkey Kong Country on Rare Replay?
Because Rare does not own the rights to the Donkey Kong franchise. The games included in Rare Replay are limited to properties owned by Rare. Since Donkey Kong Country is owned by Nintendo, it cannot be included in a Rare-focused compilation.
3. Who developed the original Donkey Kong game?
The original Donkey Kong arcade game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and developed by Nintendo.
4. When did Rare start working with the Donkey Kong franchise?
Rare’s involvement with the Donkey Kong franchise began in the Super Nintendo era with the creation of Donkey Kong Country.
5. Did the sale of Rare to Microsoft affect Donkey Kong’s ownership?
No, the sale of Rare to Microsoft did not impact the ownership of the Donkey Kong IP. Nintendo retained all rights to the franchise.
6. What is the relationship between Nintendo and Rare now?
Currently, Rare is owned by Microsoft, and they primarily develop games for the Xbox platform. The collaboration between Nintendo and Rare ceased with the acquisition of Rare by Microsoft.
7. Does Nintendo still make Donkey Kong games?
Yes, Nintendo continues to publish and develop Donkey Kong games, including titles like Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
8. How did Rare get the opportunity to develop Donkey Kong games?
Nintendo offered Rare access to their catalog of characters, including Donkey Kong, to create a 3D CGI game, thus leading to the birth of the Donkey Kong Country series.
9. Who is Donkey Kong’s father?
In some iterations of the Donkey Kong story, particularly in Donkey Kong 64 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Cranky Kong is portrayed as Donkey Kong’s father, rather than his grandfather.
10. Is Donkey Kong in the Mario universe?
Yes, Donkey Kong is often featured as a guest character in the Mario universe. He appears in games like Mario Kart, Mario Party and other various sports titles.
11. What is the next game developed by Rare?
Rare’s next game is Everwild, an upcoming action-adventure title published by Xbox Game Studios.
12. How long is the original Donkey Kong game?
The original Donkey Kong arcade game takes approximately 19 minutes to complete for the main objectives, and about 1 hour for 100% completion.
13. Who is Donkey Kong’s girlfriend?
Candy Kong is Donkey Kong’s girlfriend. She first appeared in Donkey Kong Country and was redesigned in Donkey Kong 64.
14. Did Nintendo name Donkey Kong?
Yes, Shigeru Miyamoto named Donkey Kong. He used the word “donkey” to mean “stubborn” and “kong” to imply a large ape.
15. Is Donkey Kong 64 made by Rare?
Yes, Donkey Kong 64 was developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64.
Conclusion
In summary, while Rare’s contributions to the Donkey Kong franchise are undeniably significant and have had a lasting impact on the series, the ownership of Donkey Kong remains, and has always remained, with Nintendo. They are the rights holders and the controllers of the Donkey Kong IP, and they continue to develop and publish games featuring the iconic ape and his cast of characters.