Legendary game studio Rare is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a bumper vinyl soundtrack collection.
Originally founded in 1985, British studio Rare is behind some incredibly popular franchises, including Battletoads, Donkey Kong and Banjo-Kazooie, as well as beloved titles such as 1997’s GoldenEye 007, 2000’s Perfect Dark, 2001’s Conker’s Bad Fur Day and 2018’s Sea Of Thieves.
This week, the studio celebrated its 40th anniversary. Owners Microsoft released a special anniversary controller, Rare commissioned some celebratory artwork and a Blue Plaque was unveiled at the site of the studio’s first home in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Xbox people! Want to be represented by a snack-brandishing astronaut? Fancy being greeted by a gaggle of cartoon mugs on your home screen? You’re in luck! New gamerpics and a character-filled dynamic background to mark 40 years of @RareLtd are available now. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/2QLuMEsKuz
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) August 4, 2025
A new vinyl collection has also been announced, featuring music from across Rare’s impressive catalogue of games.
“Across its four decades of excellence, Rare has established itself as one of the most iconic names in video game development. Undercover shooters, merciless fighters, ursine platformers, swashbuckling treasure hunts…if you can dream it, Rare’s probably made it, with all the commitment to quality and whimsy that only a studio of their caliber could muster,” explained creative product emporium iam8bit on the product page.
“We stand in awe of their impressive pedigree. We’ve had the pleasure of working with our friends at Rare on several projects over the past several years, but we’re humbled to present this pièce de résistance, a true celebration of Rare and their impact on gaming as a hobby, an art form, and a world of endless possibilities.”
NEW: Banjo-Kazooie. Perfect Dark. Sea of Thieves. And so many more. 🔥
Celebrate 40 years of Rare Limited with the RARE 40th ANNIVERSARY BOX SET!
💥 2.5 Hours of Tracks
🏆 Premium Collector’s Slipcase
🥏 Rareware Blue & Gold VinylLIVE THURSDAY 9 AM PT: https://t.co/O2t77pYWmS pic.twitter.com/6mQHaI9saL
— iam8bit (@iam8bit) August 4, 2025
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The ‘Rare 40th Anniversary 4LP’ box set features music from Sea Of Thieves, Viva Piñata, Battletoads, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, Kinect Sports, Kinect Sports Season Two, Perfect Dark, Perfect Dark Zero, Killer Instinct, Killer Instinct Gold, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Conker Live & Reloaded, Jet Force Gemini, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, Blast Corps and Kameo: Elements Of Power with artwork from Lewy Jones.
The boxset will cost $100 and pre-orders go live here on August 7 at 5pm BST.
In other news, Nintendo has confirmed that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will definitely be released at some point this year following delay rumours.
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