SDCC 2015: We Go Hands-On With ‘Rare Replay’!

This year’s San Diego Comic-Con may be over, but that doesn’t mean coverage on it has to stop (seriously, we just saw so much). Last week, I had the chance of visiting the Xbox Gaming Lounge to spend some time with Rare’s new anniversary collection, Rare Replay. For those who don’t know, Rare Replay is a 30th anniversary title that celebrates the company’s 30 years of being in the industry. 30 years, 30 games, 30 dollars, what a deal, huh?

The game collection on this pack is massive, ranging from spectrum games like Jetpac and Sabreman, to some of their newest outings like Viva Piñata and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

The collection as a whole includes: Jet Pac , Atic Atac, Lunar Jetman, Sabre Wulf, UnderWurlde, Knight Lore, Gunfright, Slalom, R.C. Pro-Am, Cobra Triangle, Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll, Digger T. Rock, Solar Jetman, Battletoads, , R.C. Pro-Am II, Battletoads Arcade, Killer Instinct Gold, Blast Corp, Banjo Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, Banjo Tooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo: Elements of Power, Viva Piñata, Jetpac Refueled, Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. It’s really quite the list.

For the sake of the demo, I only tried out Nuts & Bolts and Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll, so other people would have a chance of trying the title out. Both games functioned as they should and were just as fun as when they came out. Although, the controls for Snake Rattle ‘n’ Roll felt a little odd due to using a control stick on an isometric view. While Nuts & Bolts was fun for a first time playing it, the game was suffering from framerate issues in some areas, specifically when you’re in the main overworld, Showdown Town. They let me know that they were still working on debugging and fixing most of their 360 titles, so hopefully framerate issues on a far more powerful console won’t make it to the final release.

Sure, the collection of games is amazing, but knowing Rare, they always love going one step beyond. Not only is the game collection only 1/3rd of the actual game, but there’s also 2 other fully fleshed out features in the title. This includes a snapshot challenge mode where you’re tasked with completing specific challenges from old games in order to earn stamps (infinite Battletoads turbo tunnel anyone). Once you’ve earned enough stamps, you’ll be able to access the last part of the game titled Rare Revealed, where you can access developer diaries and interviews.

All in all, Rare Replay is shaping up to be an amazing game and certainly one that Xbox One and Rare fans don’t want to miss out on. For Rare fans, it’s a must buy, and for non-Rare fans, this is the perfect time to jump in and see what this company is all about. Rare Replay will be released in North America August 4th, Japan August 6th, and the U.K August 7th.