The Best Xbox Game Every Year 2001 - 2024
10. 2015 - Rare Replay
Several years before the launch of Game Pass, 2015’s Rare Replay - intentionally or otherwise - made for a strong rebuttal against the talk that Xbox didn’t have a solid portfolio. Or, moreover, Microsoft's acquisition of Rare gave them a solid portfolio by proxy.
Celebrating 30 years of the company with 30 of their best titles, the quality and artistry on display was inarguable. The package featured Viva Piñata, Blast Corps, as well as the remastered versions of Perfect Dark and the Banjo-Kazooie games, and a slew of early ZX Spectrum outings.
It’s arguably cheating to feature a collection of classics, but Rare Replay was so much more than that. Everything was tied together with the attention to detail that one expects from Rare, with a charming UI and unlockable documentary pieces on the company’s history.
And whilst Rare Replay wasn’t a brand-new game, it did feature the console debut of the Battletoads arcade sequel. This was the extra cherry on top of the video game preservation sundae. When many classic games are getting harder to get a hold of, Rare put 30 of their best in one place for a mere $30.
Despite criticisms that it wasn’t totally comprehensive thanks to various copyright issues from Nintendo, Rare Replay was still well worth its below average asking price (and even moreso in later years when Goldeneye was eventually gifted to owners for free).