Rare Grabs Ghoulies For Microsoft, Gets Mixed Results

Thanks to 1UP for their review of Rare's first Xbox title, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, which has just shipped to stores following the company's acquisition by Microsoft last year. The reviewer is lukewarm at best on this swiftly-developed title, arguing it "...really is nothing but monster-punching and room-advancing", and lamenting that "...most of all, the game's short. Really short." While a recent hands-on preview at TotalVideoGames was much more positive, suggesting that "as far as we're concerned the criticism of 'Grabbed by the Ghoulies' has been a little harsh", IGN Xbox have now weighed in with a similarly ambivalent review, praising "some really great presentation", but ultimately suggesting "there aren't any landmark moments or climaxes to diversify the gameplay in any significant matter." So, which forthcoming Rare titles are you looking forward to?

Comments

collectionfest

[h0mer]

I think Perfect Dark Zero will fit in the Xbox lineup perfectly. As for other titles, I hope they don't decide to put 500 blue things, 200 yellow things and 50 red things to find in each level. All that collecting nearly ruined some of their Nintendo 64 games, like the Banjo-Kazooie series, Jet Force Gemini, and of course Donkey Kong 64.

Rare has made some great stuff, but I want to see them do more with a 3D environment than hide a bunch of fucking coins or gems or dildos.

Classic Ultimate game?

[BenjyD]

The game really sounds more like something from the 'Good old days' of Ulimate Play the Game (now Rare) - trapped in a small area, lots of bad guys to fight, using specific moves/equipment/order to kill the monsters. Like JetPac or Psst! (damn that game was hard).

Rarely Compelling

[Kamalot]

Can someone explain to me Rare's appeal? Yes, they made a good first-person shooter (FPS) for the N64. We all know that no matter how good a console FPS is, they pale in comparison to FPS on PCs. While Starfox Adventures (Nintendo GameCube) is one of the most fantastic looking games, the gameplay is uninspired and the story is dull. The game has no soul. Color me jade, Rare does not impress me.

Re:Rarely Compelling

[NexusTw1n]

I suspect Rare's appeal comes from journalists and gamers old enough to have been playing games in the 1980's.

Ultimate Play the Game were the best software house during the 8 bit home computer days. At least as far as the UK is concerned. This perhaps would be less true in the states where the NES took the place of the Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad.

From Pssst! to Jet Pac to Knight Lore and Underwurlde every single game was an addictive well made classic.

They were legends and their refusal to do PR interviews help magnify their mysterious God like qualities. The silent software house would just quietly and without fuss churn out hit after hit like Willy Wonka's mysterious Chocolate Factory.

They have never been a "nice" software house, being the or at least one of the first 8 bit companies to switch from the 5.99 game price to 9.99 in an oversized box that doesn't fit on your shelf.
I believe they still threaten legal action against anyone trying to offer emulation versions of these ancient games. Possibly because I think we'll see mobile phone versions of some of the classics before too long.

But as you say, since evolving into Rare that old magic has gone and there has to come a point where they have to create their own reputation, not rely on one created 20 years ago.

Bluntly

[Kyouryuu]

To put it bluntly, I don't feel Rare has made anything worthwhile since Goldeneye. Perfect Dark was plagued by a choppy framerate that only marginally improved with the N64 memory expansion. Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, and Donkey Kong 64 were all mediocre easter egg hunts under the disguise of pretty graphics. Starfox Adventures is a dull adventure game with Zelda elements seemingly thrown in at the last moment. Maybe Ghoulies is changed - I don't know.

What Rare really needs to do is find some way of reinspiring and reinvigorating its games, especially in the way of gameplay. They are just tired models of gameplay - Rare should try their hand at something bold and new instead of the neverending item hunt. They have talented artists, designers, and programmers. It's making a compelling game with fun mechanics where I feel Rare continues to fall short. All of the graceful programming and pretty graphics can't save a game with a lackluster basis to begin with. And while there are some people who really enjoy item collection games, Rare slit its own throat by producing one after another after another on the Nintendo 64.