Before being known as Rare, the company went by the name of Ultimate Play the Game. The company would make games from 1983 to 1988. Once changing their name to Rare, they made games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, being allowed to make as many games as they want due to Nintendo being impressed by their quality of games.
Games as Ultimate Play the Game[]
Games as Rareware[]
| Title | Genre | System | Developer | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vs. Slalom | Sports | Nintendo Vs. System | Rare | Nintendo | 1986 |
| Slalom | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1987 |
| Wizards and Warriors | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | NA/EU: Acclaim Entertainment
JP: Jaleco |
1987 |
| R.C. Pro-Am | Racing | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo, Rare (NES) | 1988 (NES) |
| Jeopardy! | Trivia | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1988 |
| Wheel of Fortune | Trivia | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1988 |
| Anticipation | Trivia | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | NA: 1988
JP: 1989 |
| Sesame Street 123 | Edutainment | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Hi Tech Expressions | 1989 |
| WWF Wrestlemania | Fighting | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | 1989 |
| John Elway's Quarterback | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Tradewest | 1989 |
| Marble Madness | Platform
Racing |
Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Milton Bradley | 1989 |
| World Games | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Milton Bradley | 1989 |
| Taboo: The Sixth Sense | Non-Game | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Tradewest | 1989 |
| California Games | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Milton Bradley | 1989 |
| Cobra Triangle | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1989 |
| Jordan vs. Bird: One on One | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Milton Bradley | 1989 |
| Sesame Street: ABC | Edutainment | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Hi Tech Expressions | 1989 |
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Adventure | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | LJN | 1989 |
| Jeopardy! Junior Edition | Game Show | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1989 |
| Wheel of Fortune: Junior Edition | Game Show | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1989 |
| Ironsword: Wizards and Warriors II | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | 1989 |
| Silent Service | Simulation | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Ultra Games
Konami |
1989 |
| Wizards and Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear | Platform | Game Boy | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | 1990 |
| Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition | Game Show | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1990 |
| Double Dare | Game Show | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | GameTek | 1990 |
| Pinbot | Pinball | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1990 |
| Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road | Racing | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Tradewest | 1990 |
| Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary Edition | Trivia | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | GameTek | 1990 |
| Cabal | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Milton Bradley | 1990 |
| Captain Skyhawk | Shooter | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | NA: Milton BradleyEU: Rare | NA: 1990
EU: 1994 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man | Beat'em Up | Game Boy | Rare | NA: Acclaim Entertainment, LJN
EU: Nintendo |
1990 |
| Snake Rattle 'n' Roll | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System
Mega Drive |
Rare | Nintendo (NES)
Sega (Mega Drive) |
(NES)
NA: 1990 EU: 1991 (Mega Drive) EU: 1993 |
| NARC | Shooter | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | 1990 |
| Time Lord | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Milton Bradley | NA: 1990
EU: 1991 |
| Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayChoice-10 | Zippo Games | Tradewest | (NES)
NA: 1990 EU: 1991 (PlayChoice-10) 1990 |
| A Nightmare on Elm Street | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | LJN | 1990 |
| Super Glove Ball | Action | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Mattel | 1990 |
| Arch Rivals: A Basket Brawl! | Sports | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | 1990 |
| WWF Wrestlemania Challenge | Fighting | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment | NA: 1990
EU: 1991 |
| Digger T. Rock: Legend of the Lost City | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Milton Bradley | NA: 1990
EU: 1991 |
| WWF Superstars | Fighting | Game Boy | Rare | LJN
Acclaim Entertainment |
1991 |
| Beetlejuice | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | LJN
Acclaim Entertainment |
1991 |
| Sneaky Snakes | Action | Game Boy | Rare | Tradewest | 1991 |
| Battletoads | Beat'em Up | Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Amiga CD32 | Rare,
Arc System Works (MD/GG), Mindscape (AMI/ACD32) |
TradewestJP: Masaya (NES/GB)
JP/EU: Sega (MD/GG) EU: Mindscape (AMI/ACD32) |
NA: 1991
EU: 1993 (AMI/ACD32) EU: 1994 |
| High Speed | Pinball | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Tradewest | NA: 1991
AU/EU: 1994 |
| Pirates! | Adventure | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Ultra Games | 1991 |
| Super R.C. Pro-Am | Racing | Game Boy | Rare | Nintendo | NA: 1991
EU: 1992 |
| Sesame Street: ABC/123 | Edutainment | Nintendo Entertainment System (compilation) | Rare | Hi Tech Expressions | 1991 |
| Battletoads | Beat'em Up | Game Boy | Rare | NA: Tradewest
EU: Nintendo JP: NCS |
NA: 1991
EU: 1992 JP: 1994 |
| Beetlejuice | Platform | Game Boy | Rare | Acclaim Entertainment
LJN |
1992 |
| Wizards and Warriors III: Kuros: Visions of Power | Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System | Zippo Games | Acclaim Entertainment | NA: 1992
EU: 1993 |
| Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat | Racing | Nintendo Entertainment System (port) | Rare | Tradewest | 1992 |
| R.C. Pro-Am II | Racing | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Tradewest | 1992 |
| Championship R.C. Pro-Am | Racing | Mega Drive | Rare | Tradewest | 1992 |
| Battletoads & Double Dragon | Beat'em Up | Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Mega Drive, Game Boy | Rare | NA:Tradewest
EU: Nintendo (NES) Sony Imagesoft (SNES, GB) |
NA: 1993
EU: 1994 (NES) EU: 1993 |
| Battletoads in Battlemaniacs | Beat'em Up | Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Syrox Developments | Rare | NA/EU: Tradewest
AU: Nintendo JP: NCS Brazil: Tec Toy (SMS) |
NA/AU/EP: 1993
JP: 1994 (SMS) 1996 |
| Battletoads in Ragnarok's World | Beat'em Up | Game Boy | Rare | Tradewest | 1993 |
| X the Ball | Sports | Arcade | Rare | Capcom | 1993 |
| Battletoads | Beat'em Up | Arcade | Rare | Electronic Arts | 1994 |
| Donkey Kong Country | Platform | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1994 |
| Killer Instinct | Fighting | Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy | Rare | Midway | (Arcade)
1994 (SNES/GB) 1995 |
| Monster Max | Platform | Game Boy | Rare | Titus Software | 1994 |
| Donkey Kong Land | Platform | Game Boy | Rare | Nintendo | 1995 |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | Platform | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1995 |
| Killer Instinct 2 | Fighting | Arcade | Rare | Rare, Midway | 1996 |
| Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run | Sports | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1996 |
| Donkey Kong Land 2 | Platform | Game Boy | Rare | Nintendo | 1996 |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | Platform | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1996 |
| Killer Instinct Gold | Fighting | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | NA: 1996
EU/AU: 1997 |
| Blast Corps | Action | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 1997 |
| GoldenEye 007 | Shooter | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 1997 |
| Donkey Kong Land III | Platform | Gameboy | Rare | Nintendo | 1997 |
Best Selling Rare Games[]
| Title | Sales
(millions) |
System | Developer | Publisher | Notes | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea of Thieves | 30.00 | Xbox One, Xbox One Series X/S, Windows | Rare | Microsoft Studios | About half of the sales came from Xbox Gamepass subscriptions | 2018 |
| Donkey Kong Country | 9.30 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | Was bundled with the console for a time | 1994 |
| GoldenEye 007 | 8.09 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 1997 | |
| Donkey Kong 64 | 5.27 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 1999 | |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | 5.15 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1995 | |
| Diddy Kong Racing | 4.88 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Rare | 1997 | |
| Donkey Kong Land | 3.91 | Gameboy | Rare | Nintendo | 1995 | |
| Banjo-Kazooie | 3.65 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 1998 | |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | 3.51 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1996 | |
| Killer Instinct | 3.20 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | Was bundled with the console for a time | 1995 |
| Banjo-Tooie | 3.00 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 2000 | |
| Kinect Sports | 3.00 | Xbox 360 | Rare | Microsoft Game Studios | 2010 | |
| Perfect Dark | 2.52 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Rare | 2000 | |
| Donkey Kong Land 2 | 2.35 | Gameboy Color | Rare | Nintendo | 1996 | |
| Donkey Kong Country | 2.19 | Gameboy Color | Rare | Nintendo | 2000 | |
| R.C. Pro-Am | 2.14 | Nintendo Entertainment System | Rare | Nintendo | 1988 | |
| Star Fox Adventures | 1.82 | GameCube | Rare | Nintendo | 2002 | |
| Donkey Kong Country | 1.82 | Gameboy Advance | Rare | Nintendo | 2003 | |
| Diddy Kong Racing DS | 1.59 | Nintendo DS | Rare | Nintendo | 2007 | |
| Jet Force Gemini | 1.16 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Rare | 1999 | |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | 1.04 | Gameboy Advance | Rare | Nintendo | 2004 | |
| Donkey Kong Land 3 | 1.03 | Gameboy, Gameboy Color | Rare | Nintendo | 1997, 2000 | |
| Battle Toads | >1.00 | Xbox One, Windows | Dlala Studios | Xbox Game Studios | 2020 | |
| Perfect Dark Zero | 1.00 | Xbox 360 | Rare | Microsoft Studios | 2005 | |
| Conker's Bad Fur Day | 0.77 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Rare, THQ | 2001 | |
| Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts | 0.76 | Xbox 360 | Rare | Microsoft Studios | 2008 | |
| Conker: Live and Reloaded | 0.71 | Xbox | Rare | Microsoft Studios | 2005 | |
| Kameo: Elements of Power | 0.70 | Xbox 360 | Rare | Microsoft Studios | 2005 | |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | 0.73 | Gameboy Advance | Rare | Nintendo | 2005 | |
| Mickey's Speedway USA | 0.60 | Nintendo 64 | Rare | Nintendo | 2000 | |
| Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge | 0.33 | Gameboy Advance | Rare | THQ | 2003 |