Retro Studios

United States Founded 1998 Website

Retro Studios, Inc. is an American first-party video game developer and division of Nintendo based in Austin, Texas. The studio is best known for its work on the Metroid Prime series and the Donkey Kong Country series, and has contributed to several other Nintendo game projects, such as Metroid Prime Hunters and Mario Kart 7. Retro was founded in 1998 as an alliance between Nintendo and former Iguana Entertainment founder Jeff Spangenberg, hoping to create titles for the then-upcoming GameCube aiming at an older demographic. The company begun working on four different titles, all of which were finally cancelled once Retro focused their resources on Metroid Prime, the first Metroid title developed outside of Japan. The success of Metroid Prime led Retro to work on two sequels, and later to become involved with reviving the Donkey Kong series with Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Retro Studios at a Glance

Retro Studios is a developer based in Austin, Texas that operates as a division of Nintendo. Founded in 1998, the studio began work on four different titles for the upcoming GameCube before canceling all of them to focus resources on Metroid Prime. This decision created their first Metroid title developed outside of Japan and set a high standard for their future output. They have released 11 games since opening in 2002, with all of these titles listed as developer credits rather than publisher credits. The company has been active for over two decades, but their release schedule has slowed significantly in recent years. The studio maintains a very specific focus on Nintendo platforms. Their entire catalog appears on systems like the GameCube, Wii U, Wii, Switch, and DS. Adventure games make up the largest portion of their work with seven titles, followed by six platformers and five shooters. They have also released one role-playing game. This portfolio shows a clear preference for action-oriented gameplay rather than simulation or strategy genres. Their average rating across rated titles sits at 87.3 out of 100, which indicates consistently high quality. All six games that have received ratings on the platform fall into the great category of 80 points or higher. There are no mixed or poor-rated entries in their history. Their best-known work includes the Metroid Prime series and the Donkey Kong Country franchise. Metroid Prime itself holds a score of 93.7, while its 2023 remaster earned a 91.2. Other major hits include Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. These titles all received scores between 84 and 87. The studio also contributed to projects like Metroid Prime Hunters and Mario Kart 7. Their output has decreased over time with only three games released in the 2000s, two in the 2010s, and a single title in the 2020s. This pattern suggests they prioritize finishing complex projects rather than maintaining a high volume of releases.

Total Games

87.3

Avg Rating

2002

First Release

2023

Latest Release