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Retro Reminiscing with Rare Replay

LBD_NytetraynLBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular
edited June 2015 in Games and Technology
After years and years of wanting to see more Rare games from Microsoft, they're giving us just that (perhaps a little literally) in Rare Replay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaieVt3M72c

$30 (USD) gets you 30 games, including:

Jetpac (1983)
Atic Atac (1983)
Lunar Jetman (1983)
Sabre Wulf (1984)
Underwurlde (1984)
Knight Lore (1984)
Gunfright (1985)
Slalom (1986)
R.C. Pro-Am (1987)
Cobra Triangle (1989)
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll (1990)
Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City (1990)
Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship (1990)
Battletoads (1991)
R.C. Pro-Am II (1992)
Battletoads Arcade (1994)
Killer Instinct Gold (1996)
Blast Corps (1997)
Banjo-Kazooie (1998)
Jet Force Gemini (1999)
Perfect Dark (2000)
Banjo-Tooie (2000)
Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001)
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003)
Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
Kameo: Elements of Power (2005)
Viva Piñata (2006)
Jetpac Refuelled (2007)
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (2008)
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (2008)

It's a pretty decent grab bag from Rare's 120 or so titles, spanning pretty much every generation they've been put to work on prior to the current one. Sadly, there are some omissions, ranging from the obvious (GoldenEye, anything with a "Kong" in it) to the disappointing (No Wizards & Warriors? Whyyyyyyy?).

In addition to the games themselves, there are going to be bonus features such as a documentary called "Rare Revealed" with more than an hour of footage talking about the studio's history and how several major games were developed; concept art, info on unreleased games, and "Snapshots", which has been compared to the challenges found in NES Remix.

To my understanding, the two Banjo-Kazooie titles from the Nintendo 64 era and Perfect Dark are actually the Xbox Live Arcade versions, while Conker's Bad Fur Day is the uncensored Nintendo 64 version instead of the Xbox version. Also, since Killer Instinct II apparently got some sort of release with the second season of the new KI, KI Gold is indeed the Nintendo 64 game. Sadly, no KI from the Super NES (I was always better at that one).

Via Mr. G down in Singularity Engine++, Polygon says licensing wasn't the issue with GoldenEye, but rather that they were more interested in the "pure Rare" games.
"It wasn't necessarily licensing. Going back to the criteria — 'is it Rare characters, is it Rare worlds?' — GoldenEye doesn't really fit tightly in with that particular boundary that we put on there," he said. "I feel that we got a great catalog to choose from."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6xtxpM-K3c

IGN says it's a different type of compilation experience, in part due to Rare handling the job themselves. "Tellingly, the project hasn’t been outsource, with a third-party porting over titles. Rare is in total control, not only selecting the games but combining them into an experience full of the character and charm associated with its original output."
Over the last 30 years, Rare has accumulated a diverse body of work. There’s different styles, genres, and tones, which in theory could make for an awkward collection. But this problem is elegantly overcome through some witty presentation. Rare Replay is framed as an elaborate theatre production put on by Banjo, Joanna Dark, and Conker, who are eager to relive their past adventures in front of a new audience. Each game is represented by a charming title screen which resembles a piece of set design. Once you press start, the world of the theatre is left behind and you’re transported into the game. Rare hasn’t simply crammed a bunch of old assets from the attic onto a disc; it’s fashioned a Muppet Show style reality for its characters and games to exist side-by-side, and it’s quite lovely.

Rare has also included filters to simulate playing on an old CRT television, activated with a click of R3.

Rare Replay comes out for the Xbox One on August 4th.

---

On a personal note, I actually haven't played a lot of Rare's output, at least not as much as I thought I had; there's a lot here I've been interested in, but never touched. Battletoads Arcade, the Banjos, Conker, Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini, R.C. Pro-Am/II are pretty much what interest me. Meanwhile, my wife fondly remembers Cobra Triangle.

That said, I hope they left enough good stuff for a sequel -- I still want my Wizards & Warriors trilogy, dangit.

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Posts

  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    "Remember when we were relevant?" the Video Game

    (and IPs they can no longer use make up like half of their top shelf stuff)

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  • Kai_SanKai_San Commonly known as Klineshrike! Registered User regular
    I hate that something like this is xbone only. There are some of my favorite games ever in that list and I will likely not ever see it cause I don't think I will be getting that console ever, at least not anytime soon.

  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    No Mr. Pants? No sale! :P :snap:

    A nice collection, and that new piratey multiplayer adventure game seems cool, but what everyone really wants from Rare is new Banjo/Conker*/Perfect Dark.

    *Project Spark DLC doesn't count. I actually bought it and while it looks and sounds like a Rare game, it's not. The controls are super clunky, for one thing.

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  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Also, no Super Battletoads? Can they just not use anything from the SNES?

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  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    I looooved snake rattle and roll on NES when I was a kid.

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  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    I looooved snake rattle and roll on NES when I was a kid.

    i never played it! :( god i wanted that game though. every time i was allowed to get a new game something else would catch my eye and Snake, Rattle and Roll would be pushed back to next time.... but no more! finally i will have it! play it! probably not like it cause its gonna be dated as fuck and maybe it was never all that good to start with! i can't wait! :)

    i also missed out on Get Force Gemini so be good to finally get to play that one too.

    as for the games i did play, man i poured so many hours into Solar Jetman. haven't thought about that game in years but damn if seeing it on the list doesn't make me feeling like a little kid again. :)

    any one of those games would have had me wanting this bundle. all 3? it's a must buy, day one.

  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited June 2015
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  • SteevLSteevL What can I do for you? Registered User regular
    Snake Rattle & Roll was so cool for its time. It got stupidly hard, though. One of the few NES games I owned that I never beat.

    I won't be playing this collection anytime soon on account of not owning an Xbox One.

  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Nintendo lawyers burst into the room, demand every piece of cake with their IP on it.

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  • LBD_NytetraynLBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular
    edited June 2015
    I think I might have played Snake Rattle & Roll on a rental once, but I don't really recall. I think a Cinemassacre James & Mike Monday featured it not too long ago, and it piqued my interest there.

    Solar Jetman was another rental I didn't like, but I think maybe I just didn't appreciate what it was offering at the time.

    For basically a buck to try each again, though? I'm cool with that.

    Oh, I should add that I don't have an Xbox One, either, but I want one. Not for this in particular, but this looks like a must-have for when/if I ever do.

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Also, no Super Battletoads? Can they just not use anything from the SNES?

    Yeah, of all the omissions Super Battletoads is the most baffling.

    Still bummed they couldn't have included Battletoads vs. Double Dragon, since that's the Battletoads the world really wanted. Nearly all fighting, reasonable difficulty.

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  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Like, isn't Battletoads Arcade so full of horseshit it makes the original look like a fair and pleasant romp?

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Like, isn't Battletoads Arcade so full of horseshit it makes the original look like a fair and pleasant romp?

    If I'm remembering right it's pretty straightforward, but pretty repetitive. Surprisingly brutal, too.

    But it's been eons since I've played it so I could be wrong.

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  • Xenogears of BoreXenogears of Bore Registered User regular
    Also, no Super Battletoads? Can they just not use anything from the SNES?

    Not worth emulating SNES for one game, especially when you can just do Battletoads Arcade instead.

    Same reason why they'd do the (frankly superior) original release of Conker over the shitty OXBOX remake. Not like they were ever going to do Ghoulie's either, so just stick with the version they know they can faithfully reproduce.

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  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    Also, no Super Battletoads? Can they just not use anything from the SNES?

    Not worth emulating SNES for one game, especially when you can just do Battletoads Arcade instead.

    Same reason why they'd do the (frankly superior) original release of Conker over the shitty OXBOX remake. Not like they were ever going to do Ghoulie's either, so just stick with the version they know they can faithfully reproduce.

    Grabbed by the Ghoulie's is on the list though...

  • Xenogears of BoreXenogears of Bore Registered User regular
    ...wait, for real? Why would they do that to their fans?

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  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    ...wait, for real? Why would they do that to their fans?

    cause 29 games seemed like a really weird number to put in the collection?

  • Xenogears of BoreXenogears of Bore Registered User regular
    Could have put on one of the KI games they did for the platform launch.

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Grabbed by the Ghoulies isn't really bad, it's just....

    "Well, no wonder Nintendo sold them off."

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  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    Wraith260 wrote: »
    ...wait, for real? Why would they do that to their fans?

    cause 29 games seemed like a really weird number to put in the collection?
    Well that and it's thirty games for the studio's thirtieth birthday. I think they are really trying now to cast off the shackles of years of mismanagement and being shackled to Kinect Sports and avatar stuff. New logo etc.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    This almost makes me want to buy an Xbone just for this compilation.

    I actually still have the carts for Battletoads and Snake, Rattle, and Roll.

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  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    I mean, I don't mean to say Snake Rattle&Roll is some sort of priceless masterpiece.
    Just that I really loved renting it when I was a kid. The isometric chessboard with elevations really blew my mind, it looked like a whole new category of game.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    SR&R was a super fun game. I never did beat it because the later levels get super cheap in it's difficult nature, but it was still fun, especially with a second player.

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  • Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    Kameo is pretty rad, excited to play that again. Thinking about playing Battletoads again makes my lip throb... Certain events unfolded when I was a little boy playing Battletoads on my NES that resulted in me kneeing myself in the mouth. Game was hard, yo.

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    damn you guys praising Snake Rattle and Roll!!! i've only survived the last 25 years by telling myself it was probably crap! and now that i almost have, now that its so close you're all telling me it was actually good and making the wait utterly unbearable!! stop it!!!

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    I've never considered myself to be really great at video games or something, but back in the day I got to the point that I could regularly get to level 11 in Battletoads. Never could get past that damn hypno-orb.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    The elevator shaft was my wall. By the time I got to the robot boss I only had one to two lives left. Then he can insta kill stomp you.

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Cobra Triangle is such a great game. I remember playing it over and over again at a friend's house. Basically RC Pro Am with boats in terms of controls, but so fun.

  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    Plus you can shoot at a sea monster. :+1:

    I am a bit confused as to why the Wizards and Warriors games are missing. Such an odd omission.

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    Plus you can shoot at a sea monster. :+1:

    I am a bit confused as to why the Wizards and Warriors games are missing. Such an odd omission.

    Good catch. Those were some of Rare's best-known games back then. There were three of them, and I remember the second one being pretty rad.

    I would say it might stem from their past publishing deal with Tradewest, but that didn't stop Battletoads and Solar Jetman from making it.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    Solar Jetman was such a terrible game.

    So bad.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    You know why the W&W games are missing? Because they can't rerelease the set with this cover:
    ironsword-wizards-warriors-ii-cover-front_786_poster.jpg

    :winky:

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Wizards and Warriors were Acclaim, which might explain why they aren't included...I'm sure following those rights would be a nightmare but I'm guessing they probably looked into it.

  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Oh shit, you're right. Woops.

    According to Wiki, it looks like most of Acclaim's stuff wound up at something called Throwback Entertainment, which has done precisely dick with them.

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  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    They can't handle the Fabio!

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  • SteevLSteevL What can I do for you? Registered User regular
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    Solar Jetman was such a terrible game.

    So bad.

    Really? I remember it being kind of neat and unique for its time, but I only rented it once. And with most Rare games, it was pretty difficult, but I was young then and was bad at distinguishing fun difficulty from bullshit difficulty.

  • Brainiac 8Brainiac 8 Don't call me Shirley... Registered User regular
    SteevL wrote: »
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    Solar Jetman was such a terrible game.

    So bad.

    Really? I remember it being kind of neat and unique for its time, but I only rented it once. And with most Rare games, it was pretty difficult, but I was young then and was bad at distinguishing fun difficulty from bullshit difficulty.

    Actually, you are correct...Solar Jetman was an interesting little game.

    I was mixing it up with Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum.

    Now that was a terrible game.

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  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    Solar Jetman was such a terrible game.

    So bad.

    LIES!!!! Lies and Slander!!
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    SteevL wrote: »
    Brainiac 8 wrote: »
    Solar Jetman was such a terrible game.

    So bad.

    Really? I remember it being kind of neat and unique for its time, but I only rented it once. And with most Rare games, it was pretty difficult, but I was young then and was bad at distinguishing fun difficulty from bullshit difficulty.

    Actually, you are correct...Solar Jetman was an interesting little game.

    I was mixing it up with Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum.

    Now that was a terrible game.

    oh, well that's ok then.... but i'm keeping my eye on you. *squints suspiciously at Brainiac 8*

  • EriktheVikingGamerEriktheVikingGamer Registered User regular
    edited June 2015
    $30 for OG Perfect Dark and Battletoads? Alright. My wallet will be so beaten up by then from Steam sales that it won't notice another $30 being extracted from it. :razz:

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  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Just skipped my way through a YouTube playthrough of Battlemaniacs and reminded myself of what it was like playing it.

    Man, that game was pretty meh. And short.

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