Top 5 Rare ways to Celebrate the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Anniversary

by Lerako on Jul 17th, 2019

It was during this week fifty years ago that NASA decided enough was enough; they were going to send Buzz Aldrin and his chums Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins streaking through the stratosphere to stroll about on the Moon, plant their flag in its pock-marked surface and then play a few cheeky rounds of golf in order to symbolically cross the Space Race finish line. The crowning moment of human achievement was broadcast around the world, where those unable to lift-off from their couches could still take in the breathtaking event of walking on another planet for the first time in history.
In order to commemorate the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, we’re touching down on our couches again and providing five instances from Rare‘s classic titles where a moonwalk can be broadcast in your living room once more.
These are the Top 5 Rare ways to Celebrate the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Anniversary!

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#5. FINISHING THE SPACE RELAY RACE WITH LUNAR JETMAN AND CO. – RARE REPLAY (XBOX ONE)

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Serving as Ultimate‘s proverbial ‘first steps’ on the ZX Spectrum, spacepilot Jetman would rocket into stardom with his trilogy of Jetpac, Lunar Jetman and Solar Jetman. All three titles can be found in Rare Replay, where the dramatic tension of The Space Race would be convincingly portrayed in the Relay Race Playlist. Starting off in Jetpac, would-be astronauts were tasked with constructing a rocket, fueling it up and then blasting off in under 60 seconds for a victory. After a successful launch, the next space mission would see them into Lunar Jetman where they would need to construct makeshift bridges over craters for their Lunar Rover. Solar Jetman would provide the final time-sensitive mission in refueling the ship and returning in one piece. It’s all one small step for Jetman…

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#4. THE BLAST CORPS TEAM ARE CASTING BEYOND THE MOON – BLAST CORPS. (NINTENDO 64)

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As the volatile Missle-Carrier is safely detonated during the finale of Blast Corps., an urgent mission involving a Space Shuttle thrown off course during re-entry cuts the celebrations short. Rising to the occasion, the team manages to create an impromptu runway for the descending spacecraft in ‘Shuttle Clear’ and narrowly avoids a second catastrophe. Finishing their duties to protect the Earth, the Blast Corps. find the next port of calling in space with the aforementioned Space Shuttle at their disposal. After a successful launch orchestrated in an inspiring cutscene, the self-proclaimed ‘ridiculous’ mission sees them clearing harmful debris on the surface of the Moon. For us, this mission takes a backseat to ramping off of craters in reduced gravity like a rogue rover. Yee-haw!

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#3. MOONRAKING UP THE PAST WITH DRAX’S NASA SHUTTLE – GOLDENEYE 007 (NINTENDO 64)

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Featured as the first post-campaign mission in GoldenEye 007, the Aztec assignment unhinges itself from the chronology of the Bond universe, paying tribute to Roger Moore’s fourth jaunt as the suave secret agent in Moonraker. Hidden deep within the Teotihauca’n Complex, the villianous Hugo Drax plans to launch a stolen NASA shuttle and its military payload into space to be intercepted by his less than savory clients. Armed only with his standard issue PP7, Bond must reprogram the shuttle guidance system to send the craft into the waiting arms of Mi6. Known for its unforgiving difficulty, the Aztec mission does end on a high note where Bond manages to single-handedly trigger the countdown sequence and launch the rocket with a sight that will live on in GoldenEye infamy.

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#2. THIS RECREATED MOON LANDING IS UTTER LUNACY – IT’S MR PANTS (GAMEBOY ADVANCE)

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After Conker: Live and Reloaded had managed to memorialize the First Squirrel on the Moon in a celebratory front page article in the Cock & Plucker, Mr. Pants took it upon himself to visit the famous landing site in nary a spacesuit just because he could in It’s Mr. Pants. The iconic shot could be unlocked for the Gallery page if players could best the ‘Cosmos’ section found in Puzzles sixteen through twenty in the Hard difficulty mode. Featured on a television straight from the Moon Landing era with vintage channel knobs in the Gallery, the Lunar Pants painting presents Mr. Pants’ arrival on the Moon in a hastily drawn lunar module, planting his Pants flag on its surface. No detail has been spared with this faithfully accurate historical recreation (except for most of them.)

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#1. A GARDEN GIVING THE MOON-ON-A-STICK – VIVA PIÑATA: TROUBLE IN PARADISE (XBOX 360)

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The most sincerest form of art is imitation, and if you’d like to recreate your own lunar landing site you’ll find that Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise has provided all of the nessesary supplies. You can start by dusting your entire garden with a snow packet to make the landscape look barren, then lay down some ‘Moon Walk Paving’ tiles that are randomized with craters and astronaut footsteps. The Moon-on-a-stick lantern along with the Deep Space Detector Arrays will give way to the pièce de résistance with the Intrepid Voyager Toy; a miniature rocket that can be launched at any time. The best resident for this lunar garden will be Galagoogoo’s fitted with Juno’s Helmet and Astro-Walkers, as their uneasy toddle makes for a convincing moon walk. Viva Apollo Piñata!

Categories: Top 5 Lists