Given a mere 14 months to develop their re-imagining of Nintendo’s infamous ape, the team at Rare conjure technical magic to get Donkey Kong Country on shelves in time for Christmas 1994.

Having established themselves as premiere game developers on platforms like the ZX Spectrum, Rare cofounders Chris and Tim Stamper ink a deal with Nintendo to launch a new franchise around one of “the Big N’s” most well-known, yet long-absent characters.