Rare Replay
Overview -
Rare, formerly known as Rareware, was founded in 1985 by arcade developers and brothers Tim and Chris Stamper. Since its inception the British company has developed over 100 video games. Throughout much of the 90s they were a second-party developer for Nintendo, and released iconic games in the 'Donkey Kong,' 'Killer Instinct,' and 'Banjo-Kazooie' franchises. In 2002 they were bought lock, stock, and barrel by Microsoft for a respectable $375 million, a record at the time for a video gaming company purchase. The company has had a rockier time of it the last five years or so as their place in the Microsoft stable has shifted at first towards and then away from the Kinect, but the company is still alive and working on their next title, 'Sea of Thieves'.
Video Review
As mentioned, some of the games have a resolution upgrade or similar feature, making them look a bit better on the Xbox One (there is, however, only so far you can go with resolution on 15-year-old textures). None of them have had a redraw, and the 360 games look exactly as they did in 2006 or whenever they were released. The pre-64 era games can add scanlines for an even more authentic feel. The menus and metagame have a high production value, and the whole package is made to look like an old-timey movie theater, complete with sensational movie posters for the games and their stars.
Audio Review
With the exception of the bonus content detailed below, almost all of the compilation’s audio comes from its component games. Everything has been ported fine and there are few issues.
Final Thoughts
It feels like we get a remake, compilation, or some other form of do-over once a week or so in the gaming community. Many of them are not worth buying unless it’s a great game and you’ve missed the previous version. With 'Rare Replay,' Rare has managed to put together not only a set of some of their best games, but added in some colorful bonuses and replayability. It is missing some of their brightest stars, but it still has a lot to offer.