Top 5 Impressive Self-references Hidden in Iconic Rare Games

November! It was a month where every Rare game ever made had an anniversary – or it seemed as much if you tuned into social media. Looking back through Rare‘s archives, it does seem like every title shares one big cohesive universe, with Grabbed by the Ghoulies cameos in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Killer Instinct tucked away in Conker’s Bad Fur Day. The most interesting references however, seem to be the ones that smashed through the fourth wall like Miley Cyrus in a hard-hat zone, inspiring Inception-like scenarios as the game you’re playing showcases the game you’re currently playing! Intrigued? Of course you are! These are the Rare titles that took some serious foresight and humor to raise some eyebrows, these are the Top 5 Impressive Self-references Hidden in Iconic Rare Games!


#5. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE DRIVER! – KINECT SPORTS: SEASON TWO (XBOX 360)


Released alongside Darts V.S. Zombies and Pitcher Perfect in the second Challenge Pack, Prize Driver allowed avid golfers to tee-off against the clock, clubbing a fair share of lucrative prizes out to sea as they made their way down the conveyor belt. From trophies to mascot plushies and even featuring Rare‘s resident goldfish, Roysten, there was no telling what could be served up next, which made it that much more shocking to see the original Kinect Sports Xbox 360 game as well! Marked up considerably from its retail price and valued at $100, its appreciation likely took a nosedive as you reared up and smashed it skyward – ever-resilient however, the case would remain intact amongst the other prizes when time ran out. You could also find this cheeky nod in Kinect Sports Gems where Prize Driver delivered gold twice!


#4. T.J. COMBO FINISHES OFF THIS KILLER CABINET – KILLER INSTINCT 2 ARCADE (ARCADE)


After the Killer Instinct series was unexpectedly thrown 2000 years into the past for its stunning sequel, fighters like T.J. Combo returned to the Ultratech driven fray to take on new challengers and hardened veterans alike. Perhaps the most surprising match-up, and one that proved to be a tad one-sided, was T.J.‘s face-off against the Killer Instinct 2 Arcade Cabinet itself! To witness this feat yourself, you’ll only have to take T.J. Combo through the seasoned ranks of KI2. Each time you can punch the competition into submission, you’ll follow up each victory by watching him grapple with the Killer Instinct 2 cabinet, lifting it effortlessly over his shoulders and throwing it away with equal ease. If it wasn’t enough trying to shift an arcade machine, imagine how heavy it was when it was weighed down with quarters!


#3. THE BEAR, THE BIRD, THE BACKPACK AND THE BOX ART ARE BACK! – BANJO-TOOIE (N64)


Rivaling only that of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, the second entry in the Banjo series was rife with some quirky cameos and cheeky fourth wall humor. While it was true that exploring the ruins of Spiral Mountain, players could chance upon some sentient Banjo-Kazooie cartridges grappling with their own existential crisis’ and googly eyes for good measure, Banjo-Tooie hit the ground running with another nod found in the file selection menu. Drifting the bears hairy hands over the Multiplayer option revealed a Nintendo 64 that would mirror your own as you unplugged and switched controllers, along with a Banjo-Tooie cartridge and its accompanying box just behind. Further interest was added in Banjo-Tooie XBLA where the cartridge remained, but a new Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts case could be found on the table instead.


#2. WATCH IT, THIS VIEW TO KILL IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – GOLDENEYE: 007 (N64)


Finding himself interminably jailed with the masochistic bullet-sponge Natalya after being grabbed by the Spetznaz, the fifth mission through the Soviet Bunker tasks Bond with escaping from his cell and getting his hands on the CCTV tape of his rather embarrassing capture before it’s posted to YouTube (we reckon). Once you’ve managed to escape the confines of the Bunker prison you’ll find the sought-after CCTV tape sitting in plain sight on a table. If the details are lost as you observe the tape from above, taking a closer look with your Q Watch once you’ve managed to collect it reveals a VHS copy of the GoldenEye film! The fact that the film would showcase Bonds capture is one of palpable genius, but perhaps the heads of Mi6 should fast-forward to the end to see how things work out for Sean Bean. Hint: Not very well!


#1. THE MYSTIC HAS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS! – KAMEO: ELEMENTS OF POWER (XBOX 360)


After her initial attempt to thwart Thorn and his sister Kalus go a bit pear-shaped, Kameo regains consciousness in the Mystic‘s Hut. Rummaging through the large cupboard nearby will reveal an interesting recipe: “Take one Cube of ice… Add two beetles from a Box of Creepy Crawlies… Heat to 360 degrees… Add Meepo scales to taste. Eat before the crust heals over. A dish best served cold.” The bolded terms actually elude to Kameo‘s development cycle across three console generations. Kameo began initially on the GameCube before switching over to the original Xbox, and then finally to the Xbox 360. As for Meepo, this pint-sized dragon would have acted as Kameo‘s companion but was unfortunately left on the cutting room floor.


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