Nintendo has acknowledged its mistake of leaving the original developer of Donkey Kong Country Returns out of the credits for its new HD Switch port. The company claims it values the contributions of all staff involved in game development, but its actions speak louder than words. The credits only vaguely acknowledge “the work of the original development staff” rather than Retro Studios, the actual developer.
This is not an isolated incident, as Retro Studios was also left out of the end credits for Metroid Prime Remastered’s 2023 release. Nintendo gave it more imprecise recognition, saying the game was based on the original Metroid Prime development staff without including their names.
Former Retro developer Zoid Kirsch expressed his disappointment, stating that everyone’s name should have been included in the remaster. The lack of transparency from Nintendo is surprising given its reputation for seeking credit itself. In a recent case, the company shut down fan speculation about the development team behind Princess Peach Showtime, saying only that their names would be credited.
It appears Nintendo has taken steps to rectify this situation with its new Switch port, which swaps out Princess Peach’s sleek racing suit for her original outfit from the kart racing series.
Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/platformer/nintendo-says-it-believes-in-giving-proper-credit-as-it-gets-called-out-for-failing-to-give-proper-credit-to-the-original-devs-behind-donkey-kong-country-returns