Summary
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's credits exclude Retro Studios' original development team.
- Nintendo's history of shortened credits in remastered games has drawn developer criticism.
The upcoming release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (January 16, 2025) confirms the omission of Retro Studios' original developers from the Switch remaster's credits. This remastered version of the 2010 Wii title leverages the Switch's popularity as a retro gaming platform, a position bolstered by Nintendo's own remasters and remakes of classic franchises. Recent examples include Super Mario RPG, Advance Wars remasters, and even the Famicom Detective Club titles.
The Donkey Kong Country series is part of this trend. However, reports from outlets with early access reveal that Nintendo has excluded Retro Studios' staff from the full credits, listing only Forever Entertainment, the porting and enhancement studio, and acknowledging the original team with a generic statement. Nintendo Life reported this credit omission.
Nintendo's Omission of Retro Studios from Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Credits
This credit condensation aligns with Nintendo's practices in other Switch re-releases. In 2023, Zoid Kirsch, a former Retro Studios programmer (Metroid Prime 1 & 2), publicly criticized Nintendo for the similar omission in Metroid Prime Remastered, expressing disappointment. Other developers echoed his sentiment, labeling the exclusion of original teams as "bad practice."
Game industry crediting is crucial for developer career building. Crediting original developers in remasters shows appreciation for their contributions. Nintendo has also faced accusations of insufficient crediting for translators, sometimes through restrictive NDAs preventing acknowledgement of work on franchises like The Legend of Zelda. Growing public pressure from developers and fans regarding crediting practices may eventually force publishers, including Nintendo, to revise their approaches.
