Rare is a
video game developer located in
Twycross,
Leicestershire. The company was established in 1985 by Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of
Ultimate Play the Game. During its early years, Rare was backed by an unlimited budget from
Nintendo, primarily concentrated on
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. During this time they created successful titles such as
Wizards & Warriors,
Battletoads, and
R.C. Pro-Am. Rare became a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, who came to own a large minority stake of the company. During this period, Rare received international recognition and critical acclaim for games such as
Donkey Kong Country,
GoldenEye 007,
Banjo-Kazooie,
Perfect Dark, and
Conker's Bad Fur Day.