Top 5 Most Canadian Moments in Rare Games

by Lerako on Jul 13th, 2018

It was Canada’s birthday earlier this month, which meant that all across the Great White North people stood outside of their igloos, saluted a Mountie, ate three live Canadian Geese and proceeded to douse maple syrup all over the Stanley Cup. Right, perhaps some of our traditions are a little strange, or even just made up now for the introduction of this list – what we need is some solid representation to show that there’s more to Canada than just hockey, lumberjacks and beaver pelts.
Luckily, Rare has managed just that with some choice Canadian references in their classic titles of yesteryear, I know, I’m shocked they bothered putting in more than one as well, eh? If you’re ready for a bit of digital history aboot America’s Hat, grab a poutine and join us on the ice – these are the Top 5 Most Canadian Moments in Rare Games!

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#5. THIS ANTHEM IS REACHING FOR THE SKYDOME, EH? – KEN GRIFFEY, JR.’S WINNING RUN (SNES)

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While you might associate hockey with Canada’s true sport and observance of patriotism, our ‘friendly’ competitive nature couldn’t let America keep baseball all to itself. Since 1977, Canada’s only major league team, the Toronto Blue Jays and by extension their stadium, the SkyDome, have gone down in Canadian and American sports history, but their legacy is cemented with an appearance in Rare‘s classic SNES baseball title, Ken Griffey, Jr.’s Winning Run. Selecting the Toronto Blue Jays as your rivals in the World Series option will whisk you away to the Skydome where you’ll be treated to a 16-bit rendition of O Canada courtesy of Eveline Fischer. Always going the extra mile, Rare has filled the SkyDome video board with a Canadian flag that backs the words, ‘Blue Jays Baseball’ prominently displayed for the entire stadium.

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#4. PUT ON SNOW TIRES FOR THE CANADIAN CIRCUIT, EH? – DANNY SULLIVAN’S INDY HEAT (NES)

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Racing through the arcade scene and later making a pit stop on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Danny Sullivan’s Indy Heat was a formula racing title that tasked players with dominating the competition in a cross-country Grand Prix. Traveling north of the border, avid racers would find themselves on either side of the country, with a circuit in Eastern Canada and Western Canada. Interestingly, there are iconic landmarks on either course, with Vancouver offering up sights of the B.C. Place Stadium, and Toronto showcasing the Princes’ Gate found at Exhibition Place. Rare has also managed to improve from the arcade version, providing the NES title with two Canadian flag buildings found in Toronto where the original title leaves the second under construction.

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#3. IF YOU’RE A LUMBERJACK IT’S TIME TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, EH? – WORLD GAMES (NES)

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There are plenty of images conjured for the lumberjack, from the Log Driver’s Waltz to the comedy sketch stylings of Monty Python, but perhaps the most understated is their appearance in the Epyx-inspired Rare release of World Games on the Nintendo Entertainment System. With each country represented by a single event, Canada was host to Log Rolling; a downright bizarre sport where two lumberjacks run in place on a shared log in an attempt to throw each other off. Only Sabreman’s Tea Drinking challenge has a chance to top the ridiculously stereotyped sight of Canada in a single screen, though if you are able to set a new world record under any sport in World Games with Canada set as your nationality, you’re greeted with an 8-bit variation of the National Anthem, so it has that going for it.

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#2. SUIT UP AND LEAF ALL OF THE COMPETITION BEHIND, EH? – KINECT SPORTS RIVALS (XBOX ONE)

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The Summer of Sport Campaign in Kinect Sports Rivals brought with it enough flags to serve as an alternative United Nations, with each player encouraged to set their country on a winning streak using their select kit. If you were a resident of Canada (or were from elsewhere and going through a bit of an identity crisis) and wanted to represent the home and native land, you could do so with a quick stop into the locker room. Inside you’ll find an outfit brandished with a Canadian flag that you can choose to wear during the events for Wakeracing, Climbing, Soccer, Tennis, Bowling and Target Shooting. You’re free to take as many snapshots in the Gallery as you’d like, with the countries flag serving as a backdrop, just don’t be late getting on your custom Canadian Wakeracer featured in the Preseason. Looking sharp, eh?

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#1. ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED PIÑATAS, EH? – VIVA PINATA: TROUBLE IN PARADISE (XBOX 360)

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If you’ve mastered Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise you’ll want to naturally spread your resident Piñatas to the far reaches of the earth; Langston Lickitoad can help you there, as he’s looking for select Piñata’s for each country. Unlocking Region 4 will open up Langston’s Canadian Piñata checklist, which requires a Blue Pretztail (Fox) to Victoria, a Green Squazzil (Squirrel) to Vancouver, a Profitamole (Mole) wearing a beaded wig to Edmonton, a Yellow Sweetooth (Beaver) to Montreal and a Yellow Moojoo (Moose) wearing a stethoscope to Toronto. Once you’ve finished shipping off your moose Piñata representing universal health care, you’ll be rewarded with a Mountie Hat of all things, which is both equally fitting as a Canadian stereotype, as well as an outfit for all of your Piñata residents.

Categories: Top 5 Lists