Fully Playable Games within Games

A list of games that contain fully playable versions of previously released games within them. The playable games are listed in the notes. Not counting mini-games that were made from scratch for the game, such as Dead Ops Arcade, or games that aren't fully playable, such as the first level of Crash Bandicoot in Uncharted 4. Suggestions are welcome!

Space Harrier
Hang On
Afterburner
Hang On
OutRun
Space Harrier
Space Harrier
Fantasy Zone
OutRun
Super Hang-On
Virtua Fighter 2
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On
ToyLets
Virtua Fighter 2
Taiko no Tatsujin
Space Harrier
Fantasy Zone
OutRun
Super Hang-On
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
Puyo Puyo
Space Harrier
Fantasy Zone
OutRun
Super Hang-On
Virtua Fighter 2
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
Space Harrier
Fantasy Zone
Fighting Vipers
Motor Raid
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
Puyo Puyo
Arcade:
Space Harrier
Fantasy Zone
Super Hang-On
Fighting Vipers
Sonic the Fighters
Motor Raid
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

Master System:
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Fantasy Zone
Secret Command
Enduro Racer
Penguin Land
Quartet
Woody Pop
Maze Hunter 3D

Master System (DLC):
Alien Syndrome
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Global Defense
Sagaia
Balloon Fight
Clu Clu Land
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Golf
Pinball
Tennis
Baseball
Wario's Woods
Clu Clu Land D
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong 3
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
Super Mario Bros.
Ice Climber
Sonic the Hedgehog
Star Wars Arcade
Empire Strikes Back Arcade
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Maniac Mansion
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Wolfenstein 3D
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Tekken (Arcade Version)
Tekken 2 (Arcade Version)
Tekken 3 (Arcade Version)
StarBlade
Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)
Sonic Drift
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Labyrinth
Sonic Spinball (8-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (8-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
Sonic Drift 2
Tails' Skypatrol
Sonic Blast
Tails Adventure
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Attack
Pac-Mania
Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Man
Pac-Man
Galaga
Dig Dug
Pac-Man
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Splatterhouse
Splatterhouse 2
Splatterhouse 3
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Dr. Mario (A slightly altered version called Dr. Wario but essentially the same)
Donkey Kong (Japanese Version)
Jetpac
Left 4 Dead (Contains full campaign and characters, but has updated Left 4 Dead 2 mechanics)
Contra
Super Contra
Rampage
Rampage World Tour
MediEvil (1998)
Deep Scan (Only in Sega Saturn version)
Doom
Doom 2
Mario Bros. (Altered skin version called Luigi Bros. but functionally the same)
FIFA International Soccer
NHL '94
Out Run
Space Harrier
Super Hang-On
Hokuto No Ken (Sega Mark III)

47 Comments


3 years ago

In Tekken 5 you can play Tekken 1, 2, 3, and StarBlade.

3 years ago

Oh wow, having only played Tekken 6 I kind of want to get that now!

3 years ago

Pac-Man World, Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures and Pac 'N Roll all have ports/emulations of the original Pac-Man unlockable/playable within them; The New Adventures and Pac-Man World 2 both have an arcade, each of them containing multiple Pac-Man games (including the original)

Sonic Adventure DX lets you unlock various Game Gear Sonic games
Metroid: Zero Mission has the NES version of Metroid unlockable and playable
Super Mario Advance 1~4 and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga share one same remake of Mario Bros. that can be selected from the title screen.

3 years ago

@Hot_Anarcocoa I totally recommend checking this game out, I've been playing it a lot recently and it's truly fantastic.

3 years ago

mgs3 subsistence has metal gear 1 & 2 on it

3 years ago

@mellorine Thanks, I added all of those! Do you know which games are in The New Adventures other than the original Pac-Man?

3 years ago

@badwill Nice! Added!

3 years ago

i think the snes version has ms. pac-man, the genesis version has a """new game""" called pac-jr (not to be confused with the arcade jr. pac-man) that's ms. pac-man in all but name and a bit of changed graphics

3 years ago

the splatterhouse reboot has the og splatterhouse 1, 2 and 3 in it

3 years ago

castlevania dracula x chronicles has rondo of blood and sotn in it

3 years ago

Thanks everyone! Added all of those!

3 years ago

oh oh oh! warioware, inc. on gba has a version of the nes dr. mario on it! it's a tiny bit cut down (one music track vs two, slightly smaller game field) but it's a new implementation of the same concept with very few differences otherwise

3 years ago

@mellorine Hmmmm...I'll accept it! Tangentially, I always thought it was funny that the first time I ever played the original Star Fox was because they put the first level of it into WarioWare: Smooth Moves with motion controls as a boss fight.

3 years ago

donkey kong 64 includes the japanese arcade version of donkey kong as a minigame
left 4 dead 2 contains the full campaign from left 4 dead 1 and is playable using the left 4 dead 1 party, though it still uses the updated mechanics from 2 i.e. shoving

3 years ago

@Lynxelot Added!

3 years ago

oh yeah, jetpac for zx spectrum is part of dk64 as well, i don't know why i forgot that

pitfall: the mayan adventure also contains the og pitfall as a secret unlockable with a cheat code

3 years ago

contra 4 features both nes contra and super c as unlockables

3 years ago

@lynxelot updated and added!

3 years ago

GTA SA has quite a few arcade games you can play in it. they are parodies of already existing arcade games

3 years ago

@Pookiemookie I file those under original games made from scratch. Dr. Wario in WarioWare, Inc. is probably the most edge case I'll let something get for this list, I let it slide because it's so similar and also the same company.

3 years ago

Rampage Total Destruction has Rampage 1 and Rampage World Tour on disc.

3 years ago

@DustyVita added!
Thanks for all the likes everyone, this is my most liked list now!

3 years ago

The original version of Medievil is an unlockable in the 2019 remake

3 years ago

TimeSplitters 2 in Homefront: The Revolution

3 years ago

@Clearin Added!
@Androu1 Ah good catch! I was trying to think of a recent news story I had heard about for this list and this was it!

3 years ago

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition also has playable versions of OG Pitfall

Ridge Racer has a version of Galaxian in its loading screens

3 years ago

@JaxMagnetic I'll add Pitfall but I don't think I want loading screen games on here. Since they end once the loading is complete, you can't truly play the full game.

3 years ago

in the saturn version of die hard arcade you can get extra credits by playing deep scan, accessible from the main menu!

3 years ago

@ana added! Man, y'all have some obscure knowledge!

3 years ago

Oh wow, I should have known!
Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness has the arcade Ms. Pac-Man on it, just like how Pac-Man World has Pac-Man
Pac-Man Party also includes Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug

aaaaand I think that should exhaust the list of Pac-Man games with games in them, unless you're willing to count cases like Pac-Man: Special Color Edition for the GBC, which comes included with a version of Pac-Attack, similarly to Super Mario Advance. If that counts, Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition comes with Super Pac-Man!


Last updated: