Rare Ltd.

Rare, Ltd. (also known as Rareware and simply Rare) is a British video game company who currently make games for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Nintendo DS. They are responsible for games involving Banjo and Conker. Before Microsoft bought rights to Rare, they had the rights to Nintendo's Donkey Kong character. They are responsible for bringing him back into his first starring role since Donkey Kong 3 in his own adventure - Donkey Kong Country. Therefore, Rare made the Donkey Kong Universe as it is known today, with characters such as Diddy Kong and the Kremlings. Nintendo now owns the rights to all characters in the Donkey Kong Universe, but lost the rights to the characters in the Banjo-Kazooie and Conker series.

Appearances in the Donkey Kong Universe

 * Timber's hat has a Rareware logo on it.
 * In Donkey Kong 64, Rareware, along with Nintendo sponsor the boxing match between the Kongs and King K. Rool as mentioned by the Microbuffer.