Quote:SECRET RARE RACER REVEALED!

More retro grave-robbing from the UK developer as Xbox is set for a reworked version of Donkey Kong Racing - we've got the hot details inside!

18:47 Rare is currently working on an Xbox racing game called Sabre Man Stampede, we can reveal. The last piece of the Rare puzzle? For now, possibly, but after months of speculation it would appear the last major in-development Rare title has been unearthed.
After Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Ghoulies and Conkers Online, there was of course one title left of the five which Rare and Microsoft promised for the end of 2004. The obvious absentee from this line-up is a racing game, but, as everyone knows, Rare was working on a racing title for GameCube before its acquisition by Microsoft - Donkey Kong Racing, sequel to the brilliant Diddy Kong Racing on N64.

While Nintendo owns the rights to Donkey Kong, it was fairly obvious the game would resurface in a different guise. But who exactly is this Sabre Man guy? The dude out of 8-bit classic Sabre Wulf, a fully reworked version of which is already in the concept stages for Xbox.

It's likely Rare will have simply switched IPs, retaining the core of Donkey Kong Racing for its Xbox racer. Whether Sabre Man Stampede will appear at E3 is uncertain, since the developer has several other key titles to exploit. But we'll keep you posted on all the latest Rare news in the run up to the show.

Johnny Minkley