Donkey Kong Virtual Boy Scribes Excerpts
The following excerpts detailing the development of Donkey Kong Virtual Boy was originally published on Rare’s Scribes letter page. We’ve scoured each edition in order to provide you with every mention of the title to be found in Rare’s posted answers in chronological order below.
We’ve also included a link above each heading which will re-direct to the original letters page that the question was featured in should you wish to view it in the original context – otherwise you’ll find that the entries below only focus on answers related to Donkey Kong Virtual Boy for a comprehensive listing for any fan wanting further information on pre-release content, hidden easter eggs, abandoned features and development secrets:
May 3rd 2001:
Dear Rare Ware,
It has come to my attention that you developed and produced yet never released a Goldeneye 007 game for the Virtual Boy. I am aware that most companies keep things like that around for such occasions as if maybe the system is rereleased or other such needs. I am also aware that it was a driving game unlike the FPS that you made for the 64. I would like to find out if it is possible for me to acquire one of these games. I know you must get these questions all the time, however I feel that my request differs from all the others in that I don’t want to get this game to sit it on a shelf or to sell like so many others would. I would like this for what it was originally intended for, to play and enjoy. I feel that since it was stamped with your company’s name on it that it must be a great game. I have Goldeneye for 64 and Banjo-Kazooie and other Rare games and have become a great fan of Rare. Especially your depiction of Bond. I am willing to pay you for the game if it is accessible. I don’t need anything fancy like the retail package as there probably wasn’t one. But if you would be so kind as to grant me this one request I would be appreciative. From one game player to another I don’t think that the hard work that went into this game should go to waste, it should be enjoyed by the masses.
Sincerely
Adam Murray
Wow! A brand new rumour. I’m almost excited. Out of curiosity, where did you get this information? Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s the first we’ve heard of it – the only 007 racing game that we know of is the recent PlayStation effort, and we’ve certainly never worked on one ourselves.
As it happens we did have a Virtual Boy game in development at one stage, but I’m not going to tell you what it was – partly because I don’t know if I’m allowed to, and partly because it will amuse me to keep you in suspense.
Dear Scribes,
In reply to your response to Adam Murray’s letter, I’m afraid I’m probably to blame for that rumor as I posted you as the developer of the Virtual Boy unreleased Goldeneye 007 game on my website (www.virtual-boy.net) a while back along with a big scan of an in-game screenshot from an official Nintendo brochure, it seemed only logical as I thought Rare owned the Goldeneye license to making games of it in 1995, any idea who did if not you?
Oh, and why are you not allowed to say Virtual Boy Donkey Kong Country was in development? I realize not much code could have been finished in a few weeks work, but I also heard a designer had been at work on the game, is there any chance you’d be able to give out some artwork from the unreleased game? New Virtual Boy info is pretty hard to come by these days you know.
Faithfully yours,
Ferry Groenendijk from The Netherlands
PS: The picture of GoldenEye 007 I scanned is pretty big, so I will just link you to it.
You’re not joking about it being “pretty big”.
No idea who was working on VB GoldenEye, but rest assured it wasn’t us. Interesting take on it, though: looks a bit like Chase HQ.
And it wasn’t Donkey Kong Country, it was Donkey Kong Country 2. It didn’t get very far. I used to share a house with the bloke who was doing the title screen, though that’s probably not the earth-shattering exclusive you were hoping for.