Retro Studios

Retro Studios
Type	Subsidiary
Founded	October, 1998
Headquarters	Austin, Texas
Key people	Michael Kelbaugh: President & CEO Tim Little Vince Joly Ryan Harris
Industry	Video Game Development
Products	Video Games
Employees	79
Parent	Nintendo
Website	www.retrostudios.com

Retro Studios, Inc. is an American-based company and a subsidiary of Nintendo that developed the Metroid Prime franchise with the character Dark Samus, Mario Kart 7, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Frigate Orpheon, a location from Metroid Prime, appears as a playable stage in Brawl, with the Parasite Queen cameoing in the background. The tracks Vs. Parasite Queen, Vs. Meta Ridley, and Multiplayer (Metroid Prime 2) are directly ported from the Metroid Prime series, while the opening and menu theme are remixed into a new track for the game.

Meta Ridley, a prominent enemy in Metroid Prime, appears as a boss in the Subspace Emissary, where the player fights him on the Falcon Flyer.

Several creations in Retro Studio's Metroid Prime series, including Samus Aran's Dark Suit, Dark Samus, and Meta Ridley, appear as trophies. Several other characters appear as stickers.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Dark Samus appears as an Assist Trophy in the game, using different Phazon attacks from the Metroid Prime series. Vs. Parasite Queen, Vs. Meta Ridley, and Multiplayer (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes) return from Brawl as music tracks, and Psycho Bits from Metroid Prime Hunters also appears as a track.

The Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 7 appears as a playable stage, with its theme ported directly from the game appearing on the stage as well. The theme also appears alongside the Rainbow Road themes from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart: Super Circuit to form a Rainbow Road Medley. In addition, there is a music track called Circuit (Mario Kart 7), featuring the Circuit theme from Mario Kart 7 in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is represented with a stage based on Jungle Hijinxs, the first stage of the game; it incorporates the layered design of the levels within Country Returns. The track Gear Getaway receives a new remix for the game, as well as the main theme of the game. The original version of the main theme, the Jungle Hijinxs level theme, and the Mole Patrol theme are directly ported from Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the Mangrove Cove and Swinger Flinger tracks are directly ported from Tropical Freeze.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dark Samus appears as a playable fighter, as an Echo of Samus, and Meta Ridley appears as an alternate costume of Ridley. Frigate Orpheon reappears as a stage, and Vs. Parasite Queen received a new remix; all other Metroid Prime tracks appear in the Metroid universe's music selection. Previous Donkey Kong Country Returns, Tropical Freeze, and Mario Kart 7 music tracks return as well.

Trivia

• Retro Studios, Rare and Mojang Studios are the only companies outside of Japan to have representation in Smash via a playable character, with Retro Studios having created Dark Samus, Rare having created Diddy Kong, King K. Rool, and Banjo & Kazooie, and Mojang Studios having created Steve.
  • Coincidentally, the first two companies have made significant contributions to the Donkey Kong franchise, with Rare having worked on the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy and Donkey Kong 64 while Retro Studios developed both Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.