Rare Replay is a 2015 compilation of 30 video games previously developed by Rare and its predecessor, Ultimate Play the Game, in their 30-year combined history. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles - from the ZX Spectrum to the Xbox 360 - and retain the features and errors of their original releases with minimal edits. The compilation adds cheats to make the older games easier and a Snapshots mode of specific challenges culled from parts of the games. Player progress is rewarded with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews about Rare's major and unreleased games. GoldenEye 007 is added to the game library of anyone who purchases a digital copy of Rare Replay. Upon GoldenEye 007's release on Xbox One/Series consoles, it was retroactively added to the game library of anyone with a prior purchase of a digital copy.
Reviews View More
Great collection of 30 of Rare's games.
Quintessential game compilation. A lot of love was put into this, and it’s still a blast to play and look through all the extras.
it really goes the extra mile to make you feel like you are in some sort of Video Game Hall of Fame. Does everygame, even the one you need to separately download, wonderfully. It's also a great introduction to some of Rare's bangers.
Rare Replay is impressive.
While most publishers release compilations with half a dozen ROMs in a rather lazy menu, Rare has gone much further here.
There are THIRTY games, ranging from the ZX Spectrum to the Xbox 360 (which was still in production when the game was made). Some of them even have graphical enhancements (Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie and Perfect Dark) or gameplay improvements (Jet Force Gemini).
The presentation is incredible. Extremely polished. I still consider it to be the best ever made for a compilation to date, beating even the recent Atari 50.
While most publishers release compilations with half a dozen ROMs in a rather lazy menu, Rare has gone much further here.
There are THIRTY games, ranging from the ZX Spectrum to the Xbox 360 (which was still in production when the game was made). Some of them even have graphical enhancements (Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie and Perfect Dark) or gameplay improvements (Jet Force Gemini).
The presentation is incredible. Extremely polished. I still consider it to be the best ever made for a compilation to date, beating even the recent Atari 50.
It's called "Rare" Replay because of all the rare achievements you'll get for merely starting each game once. Who bought this collection, yet still couldn't be bothered to sample the entire catalogue? Some people, I swear.
I had to break in my new Xbox Series X with a no-brainer: A collection that released on for the previous Xbox system, comprised of games that released anywhere between 1-4 decades ago. A handful of these are games that I've been meaning to play for years now, along with others where I feel like I might as well try them, since they all come bundled together. "Thirty games" is a bit misleading, seeing as the earlier third or so could be classified as, well, I think the British term for it is "rubbish." I appreciate that these titles have been preserved here, but most of them aren't fun for very long. They try to redeem that with "Snapshots", simple challenges with their own leaderboards. They're a fun distraction that can't distract me from the older games' archaic nature, I'm afraid.
The rest of the catalogue is so damn meaty that I have less reason to complain. Completing objectives in each game gradually provides you with a wealth of bonus content, including interviews, promotional materials, and even looks at cancelled projects. It's a really nice gesture for people who are interested in this company's history and lasting legacy.
The obvious complaint with this collection probably the lack of anything Donkey Kong. We don't ask who Rare was working for from 1994 to 2002 around here. It's a bit funny (and sad) to see their original N64 offerings with Xbox buttons injected into their graphics, along with removing any mention of Nintendo in general. Kinda surprised that they didn't include both versions of Conker, even if most purists would probably pick the N64 version any day. Some people have preferences, and others will probably cry "preservation." What's also bittersweet is how their history abruptly ends at Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. No comment on that game's quality (I'll give it a fair shake sometime soon), but it's definitely a downer to end their legacy on. No mention that they were enslaved into making Kinect games and Xbox Avatars after the fact, either. Maybe that one's for the best though.
I had to break in my new Xbox Series X with a no-brainer: A collection that released on for the previous Xbox system, comprised of games that released anywhere between 1-4 decades ago. A handful of these are games that I've been meaning to play for years now, along with others where I feel like I might as well try them, since they all come bundled together. "Thirty games" is a bit misleading, seeing as the earlier third or so could be classified as, well, I think the British term for it is "rubbish." I appreciate that these titles have been preserved here, but most of them aren't fun for very long. They try to redeem that with "Snapshots", simple challenges with their own leaderboards. They're a fun distraction that can't distract me from the older games' archaic nature, I'm afraid.
The rest of the catalogue is so damn meaty that I have less reason to complain. Completing objectives in each game gradually provides you with a wealth of bonus content, including interviews, promotional materials, and even looks at cancelled projects. It's a really nice gesture for people who are interested in this company's history and lasting legacy.
The obvious complaint with this collection probably the lack of anything Donkey Kong. We don't ask who Rare was working for from 1994 to 2002 around here. It's a bit funny (and sad) to see their original N64 offerings with Xbox buttons injected into their graphics, along with removing any mention of Nintendo in general. Kinda surprised that they didn't include both versions of Conker, even if most purists would probably pick the N64 version any day. Some people have preferences, and others will probably cry "preservation." What's also bittersweet is how their history abruptly ends at Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. No comment on that game's quality (I'll give it a fair shake sometime soon), but it's definitely a downer to end their legacy on. No mention that they were enslaved into making Kinect games and Xbox Avatars after the fact, either. Maybe that one's for the best though.
One of, if not the best complitations ever released. So much heart went into this, and it includes so much content including Goldeneye, which was added years after release completely free. The presentation is slick and filled to the brim with nostalgia. It's just too bad DKC couldn't be included.