Rare Replay is a 30-title compilation that spans three decades, an era that encompasses several computer and console generations. It’s more than just a collection, though: it’s a celebration. Nestled amidst the jetpacks, laser cannons, witches, and fighter cyborgs are retrospective videos detailing the history behind some of the studio’s most popular titles, along with other supplemental goodies celebrating all things Rare. Add in a few micro-challenges, rewind and save-state support for the older entries, and an attractive price ($29.99), and there’s good reason for everyone to join the party.
The collection takes players all the way back to 1983 with Jetpac. Sporting a Joust-type rudimentary physics system, players must constantly adjust their trajectory in order to guide their jetpack-wearing astronaut to enough shuttle parts and fuel in order to take off. They then do that again … and again. You get the idea. This type of repetition was a product of the era’s technology, but for all of the design’s simplicity, Jetpac is still good fun. Its sequel, Lunar Jetman, is less so, though the series rebounds nicely with 1990’s more sophisticated Solar Jetman, which added a pilotable spacecraft, and the 2007 update Jetpac Refuelled. Jetpac is undoubtedly the strongest of the earlier releases, as many of the others, such as the 1984 side-scrolling action title Sabre Wulf and the 1984 isometric action platformer Knight Lore, suffer from strange hit detection and touchy controls. Others have interesting ideas that are well implemented but are best suited to short sessions due to the limited mechanics resulting in a bit of repetition, as with the 1983 isometric horror-themed action title, with its novel ricocheting weapons, Atic Atac and the 1985 isometric Western-themed action title Gunfright. Others are middling (1986’s downhill racer Slalom) while others simply infuriating (the get-touched-and-bounce-everywhere action title Underwurlde). However, things pick up considerably around the early 1990s.
The excellent R.C. Pro-Am series is represented with the 1987 original and its superior follow-up, 1992’s RC Pro-Am II, both of which hold up very well. From 1989 to 1994, there is only one dud, the isometric action-platformer Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll, while the remaining consist of the impressive speedboat action title Cobra Triangle, the Dig-Dug-inspired maze-style platformer Digger T. Rock, and the two biggies, Battletoads and Battletoads Arcade. Battletoads is just as brutally difficult and addictive as I remember, and Battletoads Arcade, released just a few years later in 1994, was a first for me, and is a highlight of the package. It looks and sounds great, controls well, and makes for just the kind of exclusive the collection needs.
From the mid-1990s to 2001, Rare released a string of popular titles, though not all are represented here and, of those that are, not all have held up well. Absent are the Donkey Kong Country games—unsurprising, given that Nintendo owns the property—but they are significant omissions nonetheless given these are the titles that introduced Rare to a wider audience in North America. Many of those that maintained the studio’s popularity throughout the Nintendo 64’s life are included, however: Killer Instinct Gold, Blast Corps, Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Tooie, and the final title of the Nintendo era, Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Killer Instinct Gold is very much a product of its time, when insanely high combos were still popular, though much less so than when Killer Instinct was released for SNES, and remains a decent fighter. The destroy-everything recklessness of Blast Corps holds up, that damn drifting dump truck aside, and is a perfect game to play in short spurts. Jet Force Gemini’s default controls are unforgiving and awkward, making the game a pain the play, though a new ‘modern’ control scheme helps. Previously, one analog stick was used to move the character, by jumping and going prone, but it can now control the camera, making the game for more playable, though it can still be fiddly at times. Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie are both the later Xbox 360 Live Arcade re-releases, which look decent with their updated visuals, and play solidly. They never knocked Mario off his perch, and they can get a bit ridiculous with the endless collectibles, but they have a goofy sense of humor and offer some surprisingly open worlds to romp around in. Surprisingly, Conker’s Bad Fur Day is not the later Xbox release. That’s probably for the best, as it still looks decent and the lowbrow humor survives intact. The inclusion of first-person shooter Perfect Dark helps to make up for the absence of its predecessor GoldenEye 007, and it’s managed to stand the test of time quite well.
After Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Rare went through a rocky period as they began to release titles for Xbox and Xbox 360. The first of these, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, is a simplistic action title that looks great and is initially fun but becomes repetitive before long. Still, it retains a certain charm and should have a lasting appeal to younger players. The studio’s first release for Xbox 360, Kameo, is an interesting action platformer that revolves around using a series of special powers to navigate environmental obstacles and defeat enemies. Players will often have to quickly swap between powers to survive a scenario, which makes the gameplay fairly addictive. It starts off pretty rough, but plodding through its first hour will reap some good times. Perfect Dark Zero is … unfortunate. It tries to combine cover-based mechanics with those of a first-person shooter, along with some mini-game hacking elements, but it never quite gels and has a strange, overly glossy look. Viva Pinata and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise hold up well, as players attempt to entice colorful Pinatas over to their garden and later learn as much about them as possible. They are definite time sinks, with their strong gotta-catch-them-all appeal, so be warned. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the newest title in the collection, and adds a twist to the series. If the game didn’t make players do exactly what it mocks about its predecessors, such as collecting streams of items, it would seem almost postmodern, given how much it mockingly references past tropes. Its vehicle- and creation-centric gameplay offers a lot for players who like to tinker, building and adjusting vehicles as they unlock new parts, and should definitely be on anyone’s to-play list.
Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 games suffer from performance and implementation issues. All nine install separately, meaning that all will show up in the dashboard alongside a Rare Replay icon that offers access to the 21 older titles as well as the other modes and unlockables. This approach was taken because they are utilizing the new emulator announced at E3 2015, but it also results in having to back out of every Xbox 360 game and returning to Rare Replay in order to access the bulk of the content. The upside is that they can be played on their own from My Games. Additionally, several of the titles suffer from noticeable slowdown and audio fading, with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts being the biggest offender. Future patches might fix this, as they update refine the emulator, but for now, be prepared for an unstable framerate and music occasionally cracking and fading.
Outside of the games, there are Snapshots. These are mini challenges that task players with accomplishing limited goals in a handful of the earlier titles. The goals start out simple, such as Battletoads requiring that 15 pacifist enemies be defeated within a set amount of time, but quickly increase in difficulty. My only gripe is that I wish there were more of them.
Accomplishing goals, as well as trying each game, rewards the player with stamps. As stamps are acquired, new levels are attained, and these determine what is unlocked within Rare Replay’s rich archive of bonuses. While this makes for some of the best rewards in recent memory, it also leads to some very interesting material being locked away behind heavy grinding. A little patience will reward a behind-the-scenes video on Killer Instinct, but a lot more play time will lead to accessing some truly unique looks at unreleased titles. The concept isn’t a bad one, but some of the requirements will leave some left unviewed for too long, or forever in some cases, and that’s a shame.
Overall: 8.5/10
Rare Replay is a great reminder that Rare is a company worth remembering, and in the year of their 30th anniversary, worth celebrating. The older games might be possibly too retro for some, with their repetitive, simplistic designs being more of an acquired taste, especially for those of us who didn’t play them at release and lack the nostalgic attachment to enhance the experience. The Xbox 360 games are still suffering the growing pains from the new emulator, but hopefully time will see the audio and visual kinks worked out. And while the unlockables can take a bit too much time to get through, they are some of the best I’ve come across. The gems packed in the collection are undeniable, however, and the chance to play them all in one set is a great opportunity for everyone to catch up on some old favorites, experience others for the first time, and see why the company can still make gamers’ hearts a flutter.
(This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher.)