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The Stamper Brothers

Rare's founding visionaries

Tim and Chris Stamper built Ultimate Play the Game into a Spectrum legend, then transformed it into Rare, creating some of Nintendo's most beloved games.

SpectrumC64NES programmersgame-designersbritish-gaming 1958–

Overview

Tim and Chris Stamper founded Ultimate Play the Game, dominated the ZX Spectrum era with technically brilliant games, then reinvented themselves as Rare—becoming Nintendo’s most important Western partner. From Jetpac to GoldenEye, they consistently pushed hardware further than anyone thought possible.

Fast facts

  • Tim Stamper: Born 1958, business and design focus.
  • Chris Stamper: Born 1959, primary programmer.
  • Ultimate Play the Game: Founded 1982 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
  • Rare Ltd: Company renamed 1985 when pivoting to NES development.
  • Nintendo relationship: Second-party developer from late 1980s.
  • Microsoft acquisition: Sold to Microsoft in 2002 for $375 million.

Ultimate years

Ultimate’s Spectrum games were technical showcases:

  • Jetpac (1983): Smooth action, tight controls, instant classic.
  • Atic Atac (1983): Overhead exploration with character-specific routes.
  • Sabre Wulf (1984): Lush graphics, massive sales, industry phenomenon.
  • Knight Lore (1984): Isometric 3D that redefined what the Spectrum could do.

The brothers kept their methods secret, worked in isolation, and consistently outperformed competitors.

Becoming Rare

Recognising the Spectrum’s decline, the Stampers reverse-engineered the NES and pitched to Nintendo directly—an audacious move that paid off:

  • Developed licensed titles proving their NES mastery.
  • Created original IP that Nintendo published.
  • Built one of the few Western studios Nintendo truly trusted.

Nintendo partnership

Rare’s Nintendo output was exceptional:

  • Donkey Kong Country (1994): Pre-rendered 3D graphics on SNES, revitalised the franchise.
  • GoldenEye 007 (1997): Defined console first-person shooters.
  • Banjo-Kazooie (1998): Rivalled Mario 64 in 3D platforming.
  • Perfect Dark (2000): Pushed N64 hardware to its limits.

Legacy

The Stampers proved British developers could compete globally. Their technical innovation—from isometric engines to pre-rendered graphics—consistently redefined platform capabilities. Rare under their leadership was a byword for quality.

See also