Rare Replay is developer’s first No.1 UK hit since 1998’s Banjo-Kazooie

By Danny Cowan August 10, 2015

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Veteran British game developer Rare has captured the top spot in the UK sales charts with its newly launched retro compilation Rare Replay, earning it the honor for the first time in nearly two decades.

The studio last took the top UK chart spot in 1998 with Banjo-Kazooie, a popular 3D platformer for the Nintendo 64. Rare Replay includes an upgraded version of Banjo-Kazooie, along with 29 additional games from the developer’s back catalog.

The Xbox One-exclusive Rare Replay launched as the UK’s sole retail release for consoles last week, and surpassed the previous week’s sales leader Lego Jurassic World to become the single biggest-selling software title across all platforms.

Other big sellers in the UK last week include Batman: Arkham Knight, The Elder Scrolls Online, Grand Theft Auto 5, and FIFA 15.

Rare Replay also marks the first time in several years that a budget-priced release has topped the UK sales charts. Nintendo’s fitness game expansion disc Wii Fit Plus previously led weekly sales in the UK back in 2009.

Boasting a range of classics for the ZX Spectrum, Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo 64, Rare Replay resurrects a number of acclaimed games that were once exclusive to legacy platforms. Rare Replay marks the first time that highly regarded classics like Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini are playable on a console other than their native Nintendo 64.

The package also includes an array of visually upgraded games previously released for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, including Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Banjo-Tooie. These games are playable via the Xbox One’s newly implemented backward compatibility features, which are set to roll out in full by the end of the year.

Though many of its games are beloved worldwide, developer Rare focused squarely on the UK market at its inception. After publishing multiple ZX Spectrum games under the name Ultimate Play the Game, Rare later tackled a worldwide audience with NES releases like R.C. Pro-Am, Cobra Triangle, and Snake Rattle n Roll.

Rare Replay is available exclusively for the Xbox One, and is priced at $30.

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