Rare
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Rareware, a.k.a. Rare, is a developer currently owned by Microsoft. However, back in the day, they were one of Nintendo's best resources, creating stellar games such as the Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day on the Nintendo 64 and various hits for the NES and SNES. Today Microsoft allows the company to create games for Nintendo's handhelds, including the Nintendo DS.
The last game they made for a Nintendo console was Star Fox Adventures, a game for the Nintendo Gamecube which was originally called Dinosaur Planet and was planned to be released on the Nintendo 64. The game was moved onto the Nintendo Gamecube because the game wasn't finished early enough for it to be released on the Nintendo 64. Rare removed some of the original characters and changed some of the environments. The only character that survived the change was Krystal, who's appearance was changed somewhat from what it originally was.
Other games in development for the Nintendo Gamecube by Rare before the time of their Microsoft acquisition include; Donkey Kong Racing, an innovative racing game where the characters from Donky Kong Country series used animals, such as Rambi Rhino or Zinger, to race on rather than vehicles, Perfect Dark Zero, the sequal to the best seller Perfect Dark on Nintendo 64, Kameo: Elements of Power, which now appears on Xbox 360, a sequel to Conker's Bad Fur Day, and Banjo Threeie.
Despite Rare working for Micrsoft Games Studios these days, they have managed to sneak in quite a few developments for the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. These games include the entire Donkey Kong Country series, Sabre Wolf, Its Mr Pants, and two Banjo games, Banjo & Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, and Banjo Pilot.
Rumour has it that Rare was originally contracted by Nintendo to produce a new Mario game, however after the success of Super Mario World, they decided to keep first party deveolopement for Mario platformers, and allow Rareware to use another of their franchises. Rare had a choice between Donkey Kong, and Kid Icarus, however due to the popularity of Donkey Kong in the 1980s, they decided to use this franchise.
