Retro Studios

Retro Studios, Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	September 21, 1998 (1998-09-21) in Austin, Texas, United States
Founder	Jeff Spangenberg
Fate	Acquired by Nintendo in 2002
Headquarters	Austin , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Michael Kelbaugh (President and CEO)
Products	Metroid Prime series, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart 7
Owner	Nintendo
Number of employees	Over 200 (at height of Metroid Prime production) (circa 2002)
Parent	Nintendo

Retro Studios, Inc. is a United States-based video game developer and a subsidiary of Nintendo, with its headquarters located in Austin, Texas. The company is widely recognized for its work on the Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong franchises, as well as its contributions to other Nintendo projects, including Mario Kart 7.

Established on September 21, 1998, by Jeff Spangenberg in collaboration with Nintendo, Retro Studios was created to produce titles for the then-upcoming GameCube, aiming at a mature gaming audience. Initially engaged in four separate projects, all were ultimately discontinued as the studio shifted focus entirely to developing Metroid Prime, marking the first time a Metroid game was developed outside Japan. The success of this title solidified Retro's standing in the industry and paved the way for three additional sequels along with a revival of the Donkey Kong series through Donkey Kong Country Returns.

1998–2002: Formation and Development of Metroid Prime

Retro Studios began operations with a modest team in late 1998 and expanded its workforce to over 200 employees during the height of Metroid Prime’s production. Despite initial obstacles such as the absence of GameCube development kits and the cancellation of several projects—including MetaForce, Car Combat, NFL Retro Football, and Raven Blade—the company gained Nintendo’s endorsement to concentrate solely on Metroid Prime. In May 2002, Nintendo acquired a majority stake in Retro, officially designating it as a first-party developer and appointing Steve Barcia as president. Upon its release in November 2002, the game received widespread critical praise and achieved global sales surpassing two million copies.

2003–2009: Development of the Metroid Prime Trilogy

Building on the original's acclaim, Retro Studios developed two sequels: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. These installments introduced innovative gameplay mechanics and multiplayer modes. In 2003, Michael Kelbaugh succeeded Barcia as president and continues to serve in that capacity. Although Echoes garnered favorable reviews, it sold approximately 800,000 units, while Corruption, launched in 2007 for the Wii console, achieved worldwide sales exceeding 1.6 million copies. During this era, Retro also contributed design insights to Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS through indirect collaboration.

2010–present: Diversification and Current Endeavors

In 2008, several key employees left Retro to establish Armature Studio. Under Kelbaugh’s direction, Retro was assigned the task of reinvigorating the Donkey Kong Country franchise, culminating in the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns. This title blended nostalgic elements with contemporary gameplay innovations and enhanced 3D graphics technology. Additionally, Retro played a significant role in developing Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS platform.

By 2012, Retro was engaged in a project for the Wii U while maintaining close connections with Nintendo’s executive leadership. In February 2014, CEO Kelbaugh confirmed ongoing development on a new game following Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Although specifics were limited, industry observers noted changes involving producer Kensuke Tanabe’s participation.

Nintendo revealed plans for Metroid Prime 4 at E3 2017; however, Retro Studios was initially not involved in its development as an external team handled production. Due to quality concerns with this external developer, Nintendo restarted development under Retro Studios’ guidance in January 2019. This shift temporarily affected Nintendo’s stock value but highlighted Retro’s critical role within Nintendo’s global strategy.

Today, Retro Studios maintains its competitive edge through strategic leadership by CEO Michael Kelbaugh, concentrating on flagship franchises that contribute significantly to business expansion and market dominance within the video game sector.

Games

Title	Genre(s)	Platform(s)	Year
Metroid Prime	Action-adventure	GameCube	2002
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes			2004
Metroid Prime Hunters		Nintendo DS	2006
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption		Wii	2007
Metroid Prime: Trilogy			2009
Donkey Kong Country Returns	Platform		2010
Mario Kart 7	Racing	Nintendo 3DS	2011
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze	Platform	Wii U	2014
		Nintendo Switch	2018
Metroid Prime Remastered	Action-adventure		2023
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond			2025
		Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

Canceled

Title	Genre(s)	Platform(s)	Details
MetaForce	Action-adventure	GameCube	Early concept art and design materials originated this third-person project, which was later transformed into a first-person game under the guidance of Nintendo and Retro Studios leadership. Its cancellation resulted in Retro Studios acquiring the Metroid license, which led to the creation of Metroid Prime.
NFL Retro Football	Sports		Withdrawn in February 2001, likely due to competition from Electronic Arts and Sega bringing their NFL franchises to GameCube. Initially planned as a Mario Football game, it shifted toward a realistic NFL simulation consistent with Retro's mature-themed projects.
Car Combat / Thunder Rally (working titles)	Vehicular combat		Although it was well advanced in production, this title was canceled alongside NFL Retro Football in early 2001. Several key developers subsequently moved on to work on the Metroid Prime project.
Raven Blade	Role-playing		Presented at E3 2001, technical difficulties caused its cancellation in July 2001 so that Retro Studios could concentrate on developing Metroid Prime. Nine team members transitioned to the latter project.
Untitled The Legend of Zelda title	Unknown	Wii	An experimental venture exploring the origin story of the Master Sword featuring a Sheikah protagonist. Ultimately abandoned due to developmental complications.
Heroes of Hyrule	Unknown	Unknown	A declined proposal for a Zelda installment starring Goron, Zora, and Rito characters undertaking a mission to rescue Link.
Star Fox Armada	Unknown	Wii U	A proposed Star Fox game featuring puppet-style visuals and online multiplayer functionality; it was eventually rejected.
Harmony	Role-playing game	Nintendo Switch	An original RPG incorporating singing mechanics canceled to prioritize work on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, effectively restarting previous development efforts.