Rare Replay Reviews
Rare's massive game collection serves not just as entertainment but also a retrospective of the medium's growth over several decades
Rare Replay is a fantastic compendium from start to finish. Even discounting the games you might never want to play, the price point is intensely difficult to refuse in exchange for the amount of fun it will provide. From Battletoads Arcade to Snake, Rattle & Roll, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise and Banjo-Tooie, there's so much there, both replayable silliness and extensive, hours-long adventures.
With a $30 price tag, Rare Replay presents an amazing value. You likely have enjoyed these games before, at least in part, and there is no better way to experience them now than in Rare Replay.
Rare Replay comes packed with 30 different titles from throughout Rare's long and illustrious existence, making it one of the biggest no-brainers in gaming.
You might need some prior connection to Rare to appreciate the nostalgia, of course, but Replay makes you stop and think 'blimey, Rare really were very good'.
There are notable absentees. Two of Rare's best games, Donkey Kong Country and GoldenEye 007, are missing for licensing reasons; but despite this, for £20, it's hard to imagine any package as generous, charming and enticing as this beautifully constructed box set.
Rare Replay is one of the best compilation titles you could ever pick up. There is tons of quality and replay value here. Just being able to have Battletoads, RC Pro AM, Conker, Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark all together on one package is huge to me and most of the other games are fantastic as well. Throw in all of in game achievements, challenges and history videos and you have the definitive Rare collection. Highly recommended.
…the thirty dollar price tag will give you a lot more if you're a long running fan, and a retro game nut of course, with the ability to go back to a time when innocence remained, Garbage was a relevant band, and Rare made games.
This collection really is a no-brainer, especially for fans of Rare's classic works. There are 30 games here, and all of them are amazingly well-designed. This isn't one of those cheap packages that boast quantity over quality, it is quite the opposite. There are titles on here some would pay $30 alone for, and the care taken to bring them to Xbox One is greatly appreciated. If you own an Xbox One, this is one collection you should definitely not miss.
Blast Corps is a game that probably would have never stood a chance in today's world of shooters and plot-led borefests, so it brings us a great deal of comfort knowing that such a project got the high-quality Rare treatment back in the day. This is a game that is still immensely fun to play all these years later; the concept is simple and novel, it's highly playable, has great lasting value, and can easily be enjoyed in short bursts. The mixture of puzzle-based and time-limited gameplay provides a unique challenge that even the most veteran gamers will find incredibly testing at times. The end result is absolutely smashing; if you're an N64 enthusiast, there's no excuse for not having this brilliant game in your collection.
Banjo-Kazooie brought together impeccable gameplay, fantastic level design, brilliant music, and a lovely little fairytale story – from start to finish, the game was a joy to play, and that remains utterly true. There really are no gripes we can think of. The controls feel great. It looks and sounds beautiful. It's the perfect length and has scope enough to elicit wonder without the overwhelming bloat of other collectathons. Even after all this time, it's incredibly difficult to find fault in this delightful and engaging 3D adventure. Banjo-Kazooie is one of the N64's very best releases, and one of Rare's undisputed crown jewels. Essential.
Rare Replay is undoubtedly one of the most honest compilations of recent years. We say honest because the content it offers for the price it offers leaves no room for doubt, we have 30 years of a company compiled on a single disc, with complete games and for all tastes. We could get exquisite and claim that they had included some more adaptation like the version of Conker of the first Xbox, but as they commented from the studio itself, maybe soon they will add new games to expand is already in itself, essential compilation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A cross-section through Rare's company history developed with a lot of passion - with significantly more highs than lows.
Review in German | Read full review
Rare Replay is more than a collection of old games from one of the most revered developers in the world. It's a digital museum that stands as a testament to how wonderful and wondrous video games have been, and continue to be.
Rare Replay is an amazing collection of games at a bargain price, and shows what an incredible run the UK studio has been on for the majority of its existence.
Think of Rare Replay like an entire Criterion Collection for video games in one package.
A fascinating voyage through thirty years of video games history, with some truly fantastic games along the way. Not all the oldies are goldies and some of the earliest struggle to hold up, but any compilation that can pull in classic platformers, pioneering shooters and cult-classics like Viva Pinata and is sequel are worth your time. Replay is a celebration, and these are games worth celebrating.
Rare Replay offers 30 games from across the 30-year legacy of beloved game developer Rare, and while not every game holds up, this huge piece of gaming history will keep you entertained for a long time.
All in all, Rare Replay is a great package. 30 amazing games spanning a beloved studio's history, a low price, amazing extras that take fans behind the scenes, and a wonderful musical to kick things off make for the best collection of gaming goodness released in a long time.