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 past 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 platformer.
The Nintendo Switch, renowned for its portability and classic game library, is a leading retro gaming platform. Nintendo's remastering and remaking of classic titles, enhancing them with new content and visuals, is a notable trend. Recent examples include the Super Mario RPG remake and remasters of Advance Wars and the Famicom Detective Club games.
This trend extends to the Donkey Kong Country series. Pre-release reports confirm the exclusion of Retro Studios' staff from Donkey Kong Country Returns HD credits. As noted by Nintendo Life, credits only list Forever Entertainment, the porting and enhancement studio, alongside the 3DS version's contributors. Instead of full Retro Studios credits, a simple acknowledgement of the original development team appears.
Nintendo's Omission of Retro Studios from Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Credits
This credit condensation aligns with Nintendo's approach to other Switch re-releases. In 2023, Zoid Kirsch, a former Retro Studios programmer (Metroid Prime 1 & 2), criticized Nintendo for omitting original Metroid Prime Remastered credits. He expressed disappointment, a sentiment echoed by other developers who deemed the exclusion of original teams from remaster credits "bad practice."
Game industry crediting is crucial for developer career building. Crediting original developers in remasters shows appreciation for their years of work on beloved titles. Nintendo also faces accusations of insufficient translator crediting, sometimes using restrictive NDAs preventing acknowledgement 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.
