8 Game Designers Who Hated Their Own Creations

7. Gregg Mayles (Brentilda - Banjo-Kazooie)

Shigeru Miyamoto Mario 3
Rare

Leicestershire-born dev Gregg Mayles has been a key creative influence at venerated British software house Rare for the last three decades, casting his magic on a plethora of the studio's finest titles. Awash with his particular google-eyed influence are such gems as Donkey Kong Country, Conker's Bad Fur Day and most recently, buccaneering MMO Sea of Thieves.

Such a decorated ludography wasn't assembled without a few bumps along the way, and Mayles openly admits that some of his very worst work was in perhaps his finest accomplishment, N64's bear-and-bird bonanza Banjo-Kazooie. At the end of the Mario-busting platformer, things take a decidedly odd twist, as the jigsaw-solving duo must beat big baddie Gruntilda in a game show before they get the chance to ditch the witch for good through more traditional methods.

Though incredibly proud of the 'Furnace Fun' set-piece, Mayles has since lamented the means of learning some of its answers - via Gruntilda's often recondite sister Brentilda - describing it as "the worst piece of design" he ever created."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, fairy badmother Brenty didn't return for the sequel.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.