Summary
- Nintendo excluded Retro Studios' developers from the Donkey Kong Country Returns HD credits.
- Nintendo's history of shortened credits in remastered games has faced developer criticism.
The upcoming release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD confirms the omission of Retro Studios' original developers from the remastered game's credits. Launching January 16, 2025, this Nintendo Switch title remasters the 2010 Wii game.
The Nintendo Switch, renowned for its portability and classic game library, is a leading retro gaming platform. Nintendo's remastering and remaking efforts, enhancing classics with new content and visuals, have revitalized titles like Super Mario RPG and the Advance Wars series, even extending to lesser-known games such as the Famicom Detective Club.
This trend extends to the Donkey Kong Country series. Pre-release reports, including those from Nintendo Life, reveal that Nintendo excluded Retro Studios' staff from Donkey Kong Country Returns HD credits. Only Forever Entertainment, responsible for the Switch port and enhancements, receives credit. The credits simply state the game is "Based on the work of the original development staff."
Nintendo's Omission of Retro Studios from Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Credits
This credit omission aligns with Nintendo's approach to other Switch re-releases. In 2023, Zoid Kirsch, a former Retro Studios programmer who worked on the first two Metroid Prime games, criticized Nintendo for excluding original developers from Metroid Prime Remastered's credits. He expressed disappointment, and other developers echoed concerns about this "bad practice" of omitting original teams from remaster credits.
Proper crediting is crucial in the game industry, supporting developers' careers. Crediting original developers in remasters shows appreciation for their work on beloved titles. Nintendo has also faced accusations of insufficient translator crediting, sometimes using restrictive NDAs preventing acknowledgment of work on franchises like The Legend of Zelda. Growing public criticism of inadequate crediting practices may eventually force publishers, including Nintendo, to revise their policies.
