One of the first games I remember playing as a kid was 1994’s Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. I spent countless months playing the game alongside my older brother. We’d constantly spend every day after school trying to find every bonus room we could while taking turns trying to beat those now infamous mine cart levels. All those memories and more were thanks to a then fairly new company called Rareware.

This year, Rare (now owned by Microsoft) is celebrating their 30^th anniversary of being in the video game business. To celebrate this amazing milestone, they’ve gone and compiled their 30 best games from the past 30 years, all into one package for the shockingly low value of $30. Everything from their spectrum games like Jetpac and Sabrewulf, to their newest outings such as Viva Piñata and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. To sweeten the deal even further, they’ve gone and added a challenge mode where you can play specific parts of classic era rare games in order to earn stamps. Those can then be used to watch exclusive behind the scene interviews with some of the brilliant minds responsible for these most beloved franchises.

This time, instead of doing a normal review where I talk about all aspects of the game, I thought I’d try something different with Rare Replay seeing as how a lot of people have already played these games before. So for this review, I’ll be going through my favorite games of each key Rare era. Let’s begin.

Spectrum Era: Jetpac

This was probably one of the trickiest categories to choose because the Spectrum games shown in this collection are really odd. Most of them require an immense amount of fast-twitch skill and trial and error. That is, except for Jetpac. Jetpac is the Spectrum game that you’ll be playing the most out of the collection, and there’s a reason for that. The gameplay is super simple, and plays more like an arcade game than anything else. Your goal in the game is to find the missing pieces of your rocket ship so you can get home. Each level randomizes the layout and enemy structure so the experience is always fresh and new. You’ll be spending countless hours blasting away at aliens while you’re trying to get the last tank of gas into your rocket for liftoff.

Nes Era: Battletoads

As much as Rare Replay has introduced me to new NES titles from their library, Battletoads is still the pinnacle of Rare’s early Nintendo years before they became the 2^nd Party we all know and love. Once you start the game, you get dropped into the action immediately, but unlike the spectrum games, you don’t feel vulnerable. Since it’s a beat em up, you already instinctively know how the game works. Run, jump, and beat em up! Not only is the first level a great introduction, but it slowly teaches you about the game so you can be prepared for the increase in difficulty after each level. The difficulty of the game dose increase fast, but it never seems unfair or not fun. especially since Rare has added a new feature that softens the blow. In any game up until the end of the NES/Battletoads Arcade era, you have the option of holding down the left trigger, which activates a rewind feature that you can use to rewind your game for up to 10 seconds. Never again will you struggle with the infamous turbo tunnel. Don’t let this feature fool you though, because this game is still as tough today as it was back then. 10 Seconds may save you one time, but it may be too late for others.

N64 Era: Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Coming into the N64 era, there was a lot to consider. This is the era that Rare really shined the brightest in terms of quality and quantity. While many are eager to crown Banjo Kazooie as the top spot, this is not the case with me. In my opinion, Conker outshines every other title in this era to prove that over 10 years later this once overlooked gem has become one of the most infamous and controversial games of its time. Everything from foul mouthed animals and barn equipment, to a pile of singing poo and a giant sunflower with rather large “stigmas”, really set up a game that in no way wants you to take it seriously. Not to mention the introduction of “Context Sensitive” gameplay where you conveniently find and use tools that you need in that moment of time. Throw in a fun 4 player split screen multiplayer with plenty of game modes to keep you interested, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day easily earns the title of the best N64 era Rare game.

Xbox Era: Viva Piñata

Out of all of the eras and games in this collection, the Xbox era stuck out to me the most from all the others. This comes from the fact that I had constantly heard about the games in this era, but never had the chance to play them. The only game from this section that I had played was Grabbed by the Ghoulies, which I think is an underrated gem. I was also eager to finally try out the mixed received Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. In the end, it ended up being a toss-up between N&B and Viva Piñata. Nuts & Bolts was going to be crowned winner, but sadly the game was still suffering from some pretty bad frame dropping in the hub world. I was hoping for them to fix this problem when I played it earlier this year at comic con (hopefully it gets fixed in a future patch). I’m happy to say that Viva Piñata is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever played. All you do is create a garden for growing and harvesting piñatas, but it’s got that rare charm that makes it a step above the rest. Never have I spent so much time watering plants and tilling my land in order to attract the most beautiful and rare Piñata creatures. Top that off with classic rare humor and an absolute mouthwatering score from composer Grant Kirkhope and you have yourself one of the best and most addicting games to come out of the company PERIOD.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, I can’t say enough good things about Rare Replay that everyone else has already said. This is possibly the best collection of games ever compiled. $30 is a steal of a price for how much value that both gamers, and non-gamers will be getting out of it. If you have an Xbox One, you owe it to yourself to buy this amazing package and see what all the hubbub is about.

Rating: Buy