Overlooked Heroes: The Unsung Contributions of Donkey Kong Country Returns Developers in HD Remaster Credits
Image by Nintendo/Forever Entertainment.
Players of the recently launched Donkey Kong Country Returns HD discovered that new talent at Retro Studios is absent from the credits. Instead, the remaster’s credits recognize that it is “derived from the work of the original development team.”
There has been increased scrutiny regarding crediting (and the lack thereof) in video games recently. Credits for current high-profile titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, The Callisto Protocol, and Skull & Bones failed to appropriately acknowledge translators or staff members who departed before the game’s release.
Nintendo has faced criticism before for this practice. The music application it released last year showcases soundtracks from its first-party games and does not credit their respective composers. External translators have also previously claimed that they were often not correctly credited due to what was described by sources as Nintendo’s policy.
Not the first Retro Studios crediting oversight
Similar to the Donkey Kong remaster, the credits for 2023’s Metroid Prime Remastered indicate it is “based on the work of Metroid Prime (new Nintendo GameCube and Wii editions) development team.” Zoid Kirsch, a former Retro engineer on the new Prime, expressed at the time his disappointment over the lack of proper crediting. “I collaborated with so many talented individuals on the game and everyone’s name should be included in the remaster, not just a single credit like this.”
In a statement regarding Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Nintendo informed Eurogamer that it “believes in providing proper credit to anyone involved in creating or contributing to a game’s development, and appreciates the contributions that all staff make throughout the development cycle.”
At the time of writing, it has not clarified why the current Retro team was omitted from the remaster’s credits. Additionally, it has not indicated whether it will update the credits, similar to what former developers like Obsidian have done.
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A native of Kansas City, MO, Justin Carter has contributed to several publications including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. Besides Game Developer, his writings can also be found at io9 on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s consumed, as the answer might be more than he is willing to confess.