Top 5 Best Hidden Rare Cows
While you might think yourself quite the savvy collector with hidden Jiggies, Bonus Books and Krazoa Spirits finding their way into your collection, it’s likely that you haven’t a clue regarding a mysterious meandering cow that has been featured in a number of Rare titles as an in-joke amongst the artists. Found plastered on walls and carved into sand and stone, this illusive bovine has managed to make a single appearance in every Game Boy Color title from Rare with extra cameos in Game Boy Advance as well. Its fame nearly rivaled that of Mr. Pants, with a canned mode in Blast Corps. hushedly referred to as the Super Secret Bovine Bonus with a further hidden tribute page on Rares official site by the same name. While its legendary status has inevitably died down quite a bit over the years – partially from being hidden so well that it eludes spotting – it might be worth dusting off your old cartridges, as this cameo cow is still possibly waiting to be found in a number of eligible Rare releases, such as Sabre Wulf, It’s Mr. Pants, the Donkey Kong Country GBA Trilogy, Banjo-Pilot and Mickey’s Speedway USA GBC. As our own Super Secret Bovine Bonus, we pay tribute to the Rare Cow with our personal picks of the best hidden heifers! Moove along, this is the Top 5 Best Hidden Rare Cows!
#5. VULTUREVILLES CEMETERY PATRONS – CONKER’S POCKET TALES (GAME BOY COLOR)
Serving as Rare‘s first Game Boy Color title in 1999, Conker’s Pocket Tales also shares the distinction of featuring the first debut appearance of the hidden Rare Cow in all of its glory. Players could track down the cow, as well as one of the sought-after Party Invitations, if they managed to progress through to the western-themed VultureVille and head towards the town cemetery. Traveling well off the beaten path revealed a rather hidden alternate path which traced itself back around the cemetery before opening itself up to a sandy pasture. Inside players would stumble upon two hidden Rare cows standing udderly motionless next to each other, which intrigued critics and fans alike to the nature of the curious cattle.
#4. ALIENS ABDUCTING COWS FINALLY MAKES SENSE – PERFECT DARK (GAME BOY COLOR)
While the extra-terrestrial mysteries of the first Perfect Dark title are realized in the pocket-sized prequel, Perfect Dark GBC, the continuing enigma of the reappearing Rare Cow take priority over any sort of hostile alien forces, obviously. Bulking up your arsenal for the long road ahead is hardly necessary here, as the cow can be found inside Carrington Institute during the training portion at the start. Simply complete your first assignment in Basic Training and you’ll be granted access to the exterior of the compound where you’ll be free to explore the surrounding area. Work through the alleyways to the north and then follow the exterior Institute wall to the left in order to find the Rare Cow spray painted on as a bit of cattle themed graffiti!
#3. HARBORING A SECRET – BANJO-KAZOOIE: GRUNTY’S REVENGE (GAME BOY ADVANCE)
While the Rare Cow found itself rather limited to the Game Boy Color and aforementioned Super Secret Bovine Bonus feature on Rares site, rather sticking in past pastures the Rare Cow soon found itself a nice modern spot in Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge for the Game Boy Advance. Opening the doors to the possibility of locating further appearances in other GBA titles, the Rare Cow could be spotted once players had access to the fourth world, Spiller’s Harbor. Venturing away from the gloomy piers and onto sun kissed shores of the local beach next door, Banjo and Kazooie would find the same crudely drawn cow – rendered slightly more detailed for the Advance – scrawled in the sand next to Castoffs Sandcastle.
#2. SUPER SECRET BOVINE BONUS BARREL – DONKEY KONG COUNTRY GBC (GAME BOY COLOR)
With the original Donkey Kong Country title faithfully brought to the Game Boy Color for gamers on the go, Rare wasn’t about to leave the classic untouched without some spangly new additions – which included another annual appearance from the Rare Cow, of course! This time the courageous cow had managed to brave much of DK Island and found itself inside the chilly confines of Slip Slide Ride where players could stumble upon it once they had managed to uncover its respective bonus barrel, which was also hidden well. Taking advantage of the Slip Slide surprise, players would find the Rare Cow carved into the cave wall behind a course of suspended ropes, effectively making it a secret within a secret.
#1. SPEEDING BY THE SPOTTED SPECTATORS – MICKEY’S RACING ADVENTURE (GAME BOY COLOR)
Determined to appear in as many Color titles as possible, it should come as no surprise that the monopolizing moo-cow soon found its way behind the first Rare/Disney collaboration, Mickey’s Racing Adventure. Previously undiscovered for nearly a decade, the location of the latest cow surfaced during research for this list which involved playing through the Racing Adventure for a hint of heifer. Lo and behold, the cow was spotted on Goofy‘s course, Really Rapid Rapids where it would spectate from the sidelines. Given that the Rare Cow resides above a hairpin turn, players would hug the inside track which meant missing out on the hidden cow altogether if winning was everything – and it isn’t. Finding Rare Cows is everything, obviously.
Have you found a Rare Cow that hasn’t been listed above? Let us know in the comments below.
Categories: Top 5 Lists
2 Comments
Add a comment to the existing 2 comments and join in the discussion - you know you want to.