My claim to fame revolves around 2 things: the first is meeting Terry Pratchett for the book signing of Jingo. The second is a bit more obscure, as I didn’t meet them directly. My old English teacher was married to a man named Chris Marlow. Great, but who’s Chris Marlow? Those familiar with Conker’s Bad Fur Day will know that – not only was he a senior programmer – but also the voice of the operatic (and sloperatic) Great Mighty Poo. Basically, I had insider info for Rare’s up-and-coming games, namely Perfect Dark, Dinosaur Planet, Banjo Tooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Did this breach confidentiality? Almost certainly. So, bragging aside, I will be taking a look at the gaming history of a once glorious company (and now sadly a corporate corpse). Welcome to the rise and fall of Rare.