Top 5 Awesome Rare Arcade References
While the youth of tomorrow is likely to associate the term with Xbox Live Arcade, nothing quite defines classic gaming in its purest state as found in dimly lit pokey arcades of yesteryear. Coming to grips with PONG, Pac-Man and Frogger represents hours of the machines munching through a steady roll of quarters so that you too could spell out vulgarities in the High Score menu.
Rare was no fool when it came to giving gaming a home away from home, and soon Killer Instinct, Super Battletoads and X The Ball became legendary in their own right, changing the game with their superior graphics, stellar sound and precognitive ball location abilities.
While the face of gaming has certainly changed since the bleeping blooping blitzkrieg of arcade heyday, Rare isn’t about to let us forget about them, and they’ve gone as far as hiding away plenty of sneaky asides in the meantime. Get ready for a retrogression of epic proportions, these are Top 5 Awesome Rare Arcade References!
#5. ‘VADERS OF THE LOST ARCADE – BATTLETOADS (NES)
Braving countless obstacles on the surface of Ragnorak’s World, the Battletoads descend into the Wookie Hole and finally towards the dreaded Turbo Tunnel where they’ll meet their most daunting challenge yet. No, it’s hardly the Speed Bike course, though that comes in at a steady second – but rather a small army of cheeky green invaders that have come from another time and space! The aforementioned ‘Vaders‘ are the same mercilessly descending alien ships from titular Space Invaders, which took arcades by storm in their heyday. Leave them to their own devices and they’ll break the fourth wall by snatching up bits of health from your HUD to steal away! Give them a thorough taste of your nuclear knuckles and you’ll manage to ward off a potential space invasion!
#4. HOW HIGH CAN YOU GET? – DONKEY KONG 64 (N64)
Before there was Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Land or Donkey Kong Jr. Math, there was the original coveted Donkey Kong arcade release that set the Big Ape up for stardom, and the heroic Jumpman even more so. While the arcade classic eventually warranted a release on the NES, the staple of the arcade world wouldn’t be seen in its proper context until Donkey Kong 64 hit the scene in 1999. If you can manage to see your way to the mechanical tedium of Frantic Factory, you’ll manage to come across an aged Donkey Kong arcade cabinet deep inside the break room. A quick pull of the lever with your Gorilla Grab ability will have the machine spring to life, the entire original arcade adventure available for you to play to your heart’s content. Or at least until you’ve nabbed the hidden Nintendo Coin…
#3. JEFF & BARRY’S ARCADE RACING I & II – JET FORCE GEMINI (N64)
If it wasn’t enough to showcase the one virtual arcade cabinet at the turn of the century, Jet Force Gemini recreated its namesake with a pair of twin arcade machines to be found in the illusive Big Bug Fun Club. If you manage to ignore the pressing matter of the imminent asteroid heading for Earth, and focus on salvaging the arcade chips rather than parts for your ship, you’d be treated to an addictive overhead racer in the style of Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road. Controlled with the analog stick, these courses paid homage to the original arcade racers, like Road Champion, which tasked players with competing against seasoned computer racers around the track. While setting records in this mode is tough, the second Jeff & Barry arcade cabinet provides an even greater challenge than its predecessor.
#2. CLUCKLES ROMANCES WITH FROGGER – VIVA PIÑATA (XBOX 360)
Philosophers have grappled with the age-old question for eons: ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’, and the answer seems to be, “To emulate Frogger as much as possible.” You too can become part of the paradigm if you can find two Cluckle Piñatas in your garden that fancy eachother, and then observe their Romance Mini-Game carefully. While most Piñatas are content with traveling down a linear path, the Cluckles will be forced to cross a busy road to reach the opposite bank, all while avoiding the loathers that move about the strip of road like cars. If you haven’t been able to guess, this reference pays homage to the classic arcade hit, Frogger, which tasked players with traversing a busy highway in hopes of making it to the opposite shore without getting flattened by oncoming vehicles. All in the name of love, best avoid it at all costs then.
#1. WELCOME TO MY WORLD, STUPID BEAR & BIRD – BANJO-KAZOOIE: NUTS & BOLTS (XBOX 360)
While all of the levels in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts are of L.O.G’s own creation, LOGBOX 720 must be his personal favorite. While the opening bleeps and bloops of the opening level tune will give you chills with its rendition of both PONG and Pac-Man, things get seriously glitchy in Act 6 Challenge “Bug Ridden”. With old Wartbags up to her old tricks, the hacking hag has managed to infest LOGBOX 720 with malicious bugs. Once you’re tasked with collecting the bugs up, you’ll likely notice an eerie similarity towards the Vaders from Battletoads, which is due to the fact that the many bugs are modeled around the ships in Space Invaders once again. If you’re in doubt, just ask L.O.G about it; once you stare him in the eyes and notice his televised face resembles a game of PONG you’ll find your answer…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Categories: Top 5 Lists
0 Comments
This post has been left all alone with no comments. Don't leave it lonesome - give it some company with a comment.