Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

Screenshot from Never Grave, a side-scrolling platformer/action game, showing our protag slashing at an armored red beast with multiple arms in some kind of underground cavern.
Action Games Palworld dev explains what's going on with its slick Dead Cells-style "Metroidvania x Roguelite," which has its own team who "used to be at Pocketpair"
Best co op games: a screenshot of Cody and May in the game It Takes Two.
Co-op Games The 25 best co-op games of all time
Palworld
Horror Games Palworld studio is releasing a psychological horror game so terrifying, even Pocketpair's own publishing manager has been "too scared to play it"
Relooted screenshot showing a cinematic of all of the characters that make up the heist team
Games Day of the Devs Summer Game Fest Edition 2025 brought us 7 new reveals - here's what they were
Helldivers 2
Games "We cough up a chunk of our soul": 32 game devs, from Doom's John Romero to Helldivers 2 and Palworld leads, explain what people get wrong about games
Nier Replicant remaster
Action RPGs Nier creator Yoko Taro reckons "there’s less 'weird people'" making games nowadays although he's not sure if it's "something that's happening to the world as a whole"
Upcoming PS5 games title image showcasing Death Stranding 2, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Ghost of Yotei, and Doom the Dark Ages
Adventure Games Upcoming PS5 games: New PS5 games for 2025 and beyond
  1. Games

6 bizarre pairs of games you never knew were made by the same developer

Features
By Matt Porter published 20 June 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Meanwhile, in a past life...

Meanwhile, in a past life...

Some game developers have been around for a long time now, their progress and evolution since the early days really highlighting just how far the industry has come (and how old Im getting). Some of these stalwarts have stood the test of time by always adapting what they do. For example, Nintendo was founded in the 19th Century, and began life as a playing card company. Other devs however, sadly dont last as long. R.I.P., Accolade.

Though as the vibe and personality of the industry have matured, some long-standing developers have gone through (sometimes radical) rebrands to mix things up and keep it fresh. As a result, plenty of todays biggest names have a whole glut of games to their (previous) name that youre probably totally unaware theyre responsible for. Like the ones on this list. How many of these would you have guessed were made by the same group of people?

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto 5

Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto 5

There arent a great number of similarities between this cute puzzle platformer and the fastest selling entertainment product in history, but they were made by the very same company. DMA Design Ltd. was founded in 1988, and it wasnt until 2002 that it became Rockstar North, the household name that it is today.

Actually, GTAs record-breaking launch-night queues, full of single-minded acolytes with bloody chaos in their future, are at least superficially similar to DMAs gleeful rodents of old, so I guess the legacy of the companys early days is still intact in a round-about way. Either way, since the early 90s, the Edinburgh based companys games have earned consistently high review scores, from Lemmings, to the N64s Body Harvest and Space Station Silicon Valley. There must be something in the water up there.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Rock 'n' Roll Racing and World of Warcraft

Rock 'n' Roll Racing and World of Warcraft

Blizzard hasnt always been the megalith of tactical, role-playing dominance it is today. It was originally founded in 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse. In 1993 it released Rock n Roll Racing, a battle-racing game for the SNES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was a great little game, now looked back upon it fondly for its MIDI instrumental versions of popular rock songs, and tight, nippy, isometric take on vehicular combat. There wasnt any epic loot though.

It wasnt long after Rock n Roll Racings release that the company changed its name to Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft, Diablo, and Warcraft later, its a legitimate gaming superpower.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Vietcong and Mafia II

Vietcong and Mafia II

The Vietnamese jungle and the fictional American city of Empire Bay are a long way from each other in terms of both vibe and (fictional) geography, but both were brought to life by the same company. 2K Czech released the greatly under-appreciated Mafia II in 2010, but the company was founded as Illusion Softworks way back in 1997.

Both Mafia II and Vietcong were fairly well received on the PC, but you might want to hide in the undergrowth if you see the shoddy console ports of the latter passing by. If you fancy a slightly less violent title made by the Czech developer, you could try out Top Spin 4, a tennis game released in 2011. They do drop-shots just as well as they do head-shots.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Dead Space 3

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Dead Space 3

Theres an unwritten rule of videogame journalism that says cant describe combat as visceral without sounding trite. So it's desperately inconvenient when a developer decides to put the word in their name, effectively legitimising its use when talking about its in-game violence. Visceral Games was founded as EA Redwood Shores in 1998, and changed its name in May 2009, just after the release of the first Dead Space.

The Return of the King film came out over a decade ago, and Oh damn, theres another thing that makes me feel old. Anyway, the game of the film was fairly well received, and after a few more decent, high-profile licensed games for EA, the company earned the right to make its own, original game. The rest is Necromorphic history. Though is it just me, or are some of those skittering, undead mutants a little reminiscent of Gollum from in a certain light?

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
ZZT, Jill of the Jungle and Gears of War

ZZT, Jill of the Jungle and Gears of War

Okay, a bit of bonus content on this one. You see Epic Games has changed its name twice. Founded originally as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, the studio only developed one game under that name, the top-down adventure game ZZT, powered by text-based graphics and famed for its powerful and versatile level editor. The following year, the company changed its name to the far cooler-sounding--in 1992--Epic MegaGames, shortly before gearing up to develop and publish a slew of titles.

Famously, upbeat platformer Jazz Jackrabbit was one of the earliest games worked on by Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski. Less obviously, Epic also made Jill of the Jungle, a series of early PC platformers, starting in 1992, designed to go up against the likes of iD Softwares Commander Keen franchise. Of course, now we know Epic as the highly successful creator of franchises like Gears, Infinity Blade and Unreal. Perhaps its consistent latter-day acclaim will persuade it to stick the Mega back in its name soon. Its bound to start sounding cool again eventually.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Math Jam and The Last of Us

Math Jam and The Last of Us

Everyone knows Naughty Dog as the creators of The Last of Us, Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted and Jak & Daxter, but the company existed long before any of its revered PlayStation franchises. It was actually founded way back in 1984 under the name Jam Software, only taking on its canine monicker 5 years later.

This is perhaps the most incongruous duo of games on this list, Math Jam being an educational game released for the Apple II in 1985. Alas, no visual record of the game seems to exists, so youll have to make do with the artists impression above. So yeah, from maths to one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time just a few decades later. Who says high school academia is useless in the real world?

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
How am I not myself?

How am I not myself?

Be truthful now, how many of these did you know were made by the same developers? Leave a comment below. And let me know if you can think of any other devs whove undergone an identity crisis and come out the other side.

And while youre here, check out some of our related features. Give The first games of legendary developers a go, and then check out 8 developers that made incredibly different games back-to-back.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Matt Porter
Social Links Navigation

You can often find Matt writing words about games, especially at a time when he was a freelance games journalist. However, nowadays Matt is a producer for CSGO and League of Legends, and an interviewer for Dexerto. 

See more Games Features
Read more
Screenshot from Never Grave, a side-scrolling platformer/action game, showing our protag slashing at an armored red beast with multiple arms in some kind of underground cavern.
Palworld dev explains what's going on with its slick Dead Cells-style "Metroidvania x Roguelite," which has its own team who "used to be at Pocketpair"
Best co op games: a screenshot of Cody and May in the game It Takes Two.
The 25 best co-op games of all time
Palworld
Palworld studio is releasing a psychological horror game so terrifying, even Pocketpair's own publishing manager has been "too scared to play it"
Relooted screenshot showing a cinematic of all of the characters that make up the heist team
Day of the Devs Summer Game Fest Edition 2025 brought us 7 new reveals - here's what they were
Helldivers 2
"We cough up a chunk of our soul": 32 game devs, from Doom's John Romero to Helldivers 2 and Palworld leads, explain what people get wrong about games
Nier Replicant remaster
Nier creator Yoko Taro reckons "there’s less 'weird people'" making games nowadays although he's not sure if it's "something that's happening to the world as a whole"
Latest in Games
The Witcher 4 tech demo trailer screenshot of Ciri chatting in a market
The Witcher 4 narrative lead says CD Projekt Red "can't break" the stuff that people want from a Witcher game: "We have to do that"
Screenshot from Dear me, I was' announcement trailer, showing a woman in a necktie sitting in what looks like a class room.
New Switch 2 game comes from the developer of some absolute DS classics, is designed for "adult women," and is doing something genuinely exciting for visual novels
Screenshot from Hytale, showing three warriors with a sword, bow, and staff sighting a big, icy dragon.
OG Hytale founder confirms he "will reach out" to Riot Games about buying back the Minecraft rival: "The chances of revival are next to impossible… It's the least I can do"
A Short Hike
"I might never finish this game, so I'm releasing the demo": After 9 years, A Short Hike dev soft-cancels Paper Mario-inspired RPG but lets players try a build
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo
"Games are amazingly affordable": Former PlayStation boss defends $80 prices because stuff like Mario Kart provides "hours and hours and hours with just one purchase"
FC 25
FC 25 Path To Glory tracker with all Women’s Euro 2025 cards
Latest in Features
Sam balances across a ladder high up in the mountains in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 is my favorite online game this year, even though you never directly see any other players
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
The Squid Game season 3 finale is a crushing but ultimately hopeful conclusion – and I wouldn't have it any other way
Resident Evil Requiem
I don't care what Capcom says, Leon not being in Resident Evil Requiem makes no sense
One-Punch Man season 3: Saitama punching while in mid-air during the anime One-Punch Man.
Anime Expo 2025: dates, announcements, and why One-Punch Man fans should be excited
The Shrouds
It may feature corpses, missing limbs, and AI, but with The Shrouds, legendary director David Cronenberg has made the ultimate meditation on grief: "To me, there is no afterlife"
Henry Cavill at the premiere of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40K series should ditch Space Marines for one of the series’ most important characters, and I know exactly how it would work
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...