Introduction 

There have been a lot of games released over the years that include extra games. Games within games. These could be emulations or remakes of games released for other systems, or they could be fun little original games or games inspired by other games that were just included as extras. 

Here's my top 10 list of games within games.

MegaMan52's Top 10 Games Within Games 

10."That Is Galactic Dancing" (Ridge Racer Revolution, PS1)

Namco's Ridge Racer Revolution includes what is basically a game of Galaga that you get to play while you wait for the game to load. The inclusion of this little extra game isn't too surprising, since Pac-Man also makes some cameos in Ridge Racer.

9.Anaconda (TimeSplitters 2, GameCube)

TimeSplitters 2 has a few hidden games, one of which, called Anaconda, is based on a classic, well-known game titled "Snake" (which has had a lot of variations over the years). Because the TimeSplitters games were made by some former Rare staff who worked on GoldenEye 007 for N64, TimeSplitters 2 not only plays similar but also includes several references to GoldenEye. Hidden in some of the levels are games that resemble N64 cartridges. '

8.Jetpac (Donkey Kong 64, N64) 

One of Rare's first games, titled Jetpac, was included as an extra in Donkey Kong 64. Unlocking it requires fifteen Banana Medals, which are earned after any of the characters collects seventy five regular bananas in any of the levels. You then visit Cranky Kong, who gives you the chance to play Jetpac which was originally released for the ZX Spectrum in the early '80s. If you score a certain amount of points in the game, a Rare coin appears which unlocks the game in DK64's Mystery menu (where you can play it whenever you'd like). It is also needed, along with the Nintendo coin, later in Donkey Kong 64.

7.Donkey Kong Arcade (Donkey Kong 64, N64)

The original Donkey Kong Arcade game was also included in Donkey Kong 64. For years, this was the only re-release of the Arcade version of the game until it was released for the Switch as part of the Arcade Archives series. 

This version is a little different than the Arcade original. You can go through all of the levels during the first loop. In the original Arcade version, it was different in that you would only play two levels on your first run through the game, then three levels on the second run, and then all four levels on your third playthrough. Still, the version in DK64 at least gave more people a chance to play through the Pie Factory level (the second level) that was removed from most versions of the game (including the NES version, until a modified version of it called "Donkey Kong Original Edition" was released in 2010). Also, if you complete the game a second time, you'll earn the Nintendo coin that, along with the Rare coin, is needed later in Donkey Kong 64. 

6."Run! Run! Run!" (Game Boy Camera) 

(Note: This is a picture of one of my videos)

This racing game was included with the Game Boy Camera. I actually remember playing the Game Boy Camera at a Real Canadian Superstore in 1998, and came across this racing game while browsing the menus. Anyway, "Run! Run! Run!" has you playing as a stick figure racing against a bird and a mole. The face of the character depends on whatever you took a picture of. If you took a picture of your face, then technically the stick figure is supposed to be you. You have to mash a button to run, and press up to jump. It's a basic game and a nice little diversion from the Game Boy Camera's other features.

5.Mega Man Battle & Chase (Mega Man X Collection, PS2/GameCube) 

Originally released in Japan and Europe for the PS1 in 1997, Mega Man Battle & Chase was finally released in the U.S. and Canada in 2006 and included as an extra in Mega Man X Collection for PS2 and GameCube. This also marked the games' debut on a Nintendo system.

The game is a kart racing game similar to the Mario Kart series, but is very much still a Mega Man game because each character has their own weapon like in the traditional Mega Man games. In the Grand Prix mode, after winning a race, you can take a part from each character. Parts include Body, Engine, Wing, and Tires. Wings enhance acceleration. You can only take one part from each character per playthrough, but after completing the Grand Prix mode you can play through it again and again until you've collected all of the parts. Once you've collected a character's Engine, Wing, and Tires, you can take their vehicle's Body which also allows you to take their weapon like in the regular Mega Man games. Each of the characters has their own tracks, each with varying hazards like moving walls, dirt, ice, deceleration zones, and cones. Sometimes a race might be interrupted, and if this happens you'll race against one of three other characters known as the Black Troop. If you win these Black Troop races, four Extra Parts appear as question marks on some of the tracks. These are hidden, so you have to do a little exploring while you race to find them.

There are also Versus and Time Attack modes, which include extra tracks in addition to all of the tracks from the Grand Prix mode. These extra tracks include three Sky Circuit tracks, and a Space track for the unlockable character Duo (who is from Mega Man 8).

In the Versus and Time Attack modes, there is a Memory Card option on the character select screen that allows you to load and use your customized vehicle from the Grand Prix mode.

You can unlock and play as Dr. Wily after completing the Grand Prix mode. Duo can also be unlocked by collecting all of the hidden Extra Parts in Grand Prix mode.

4.Wily Tower (Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive)

"Wily Tower" is an extra game included in Mega Man: The Wily Wars, unlocked after completing the remakes of Mega Man 1, 2, and 3.

Before playing, you are able to pick from any of the weapons Mega Man obtained in Mega Man 1-3 (but only a limited amount). After that, you're given access to three entirely new stages and robot masters exclusive to this game. You then move on to Wily Tower, which has four more new stages. If you defeat Dr. Wily here, you'll be able to watch the ending for Mega Man: The Wily Wars (completing the other games just allows you to see the endings for those games). Protoman also makes an appearance.

3.Beetle Mania (Super Mario RPG, SNES/Switch) 

Beetle Mania is an extra game included in Super Mario RPG. In the Mushroom Kingdom (the area in the game with the Mushroom Castle where Princess Peach lives), there is an Item Shop where you can talk to someone playing a Game Boy. If you keep talking to him, he'll give you his Game Boy and you can play Beetle Mania. It's an Arcade-style shooter game where you play as a Beetle and shoot stars at Koopa shells. It's basically like any good Arcade shooter from the 70's and '80s, like Space Invaders, Galaga, Galaxian, and Astrosmash (Intellivision). Beetle Mania is also included in the Super Mario RPG Remake for the Switch.

2.Pac-Attack (Pac-Man World 2, GameCube) 

While Pac-Attack is basically just a Pac-Man themed clone of Tetris, there's a reason why I'm including it on this list. The game was originally released for the SNES and Genesis, and later for the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color. However, the version included in Pac-Man World 2 isn't based on any of those versions. Rather, it is based on a PS1 version of the game that was included in a compilation titled Namco Anthology 2 (which also included the Genesis version) that was released in Japan only. This is a remake of Pac-Attack that has different graphics and music.

The music is a lot catchier than any of the other versions.

If two Controllers are inserted, you can access the game's two player mode by pressing B on the title screen. In the one player mode, if you hold right on the Pad and select the Veteran difficulty, you'll access an even harder difficulty call "Godhand" where the game gets hard right from the beginning. If you somehow manage to clear 999 lines on any of the regular difficulty settings, an end screen appears informing you that it was basically just a warm-up. If you manage to complete the seemingly impossible task of clearing 999 lines on the Godhand difficulty, the game's true ending and  credits appear. Some players have managed to complete these tasks in both Namco Anthology Vol. 2 for PS1, and in Pac-Man World 2.

1.NES/Famicom Games (Animal Crossing, GameCube)

Animal Crossing for GameCube (as well as the original N64 version released in Japan) includes lots of NES games. Some of the highlights include Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Punch-Out!!, Excitebike, Wario's Woods, Ice Climber, and Donkey Kong. These are unlockable in many different ways, including participating in Treasure Hunts, connecting a GBA and scanning e-Reader cards, travelling to an Island, participating in Tom Nook's lottery (Raffle Days), or winning prizes for Fishing Tourneys. The NES is my favorite game system, so it make sense that this would place high on my list. 

Another highlight is the inclusion of not only the NES version but also an updated version of Clu Clu Land (titled "Clu Clu Land D", or "Clu Clu Land Welcome to New Clu Clu Land" on the title screen), the latter of which (seen in video above) was originally released in Japan only for the Famicom Disk System. This is the most interesting of the included games.

Honorable Mentions 

Gradius Minigame (Blades of Steel, NES)

Konami's Blades of Steel includes a Gradius minigame that you get to play after the second period. It serves as an ad for some of Konami's other NES games, such as Contra.

Parlor Games (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, GameCube) 

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, there is a Parlor you can go to where you can play games that make use of Mario's paper abilities. In these games (as well as throughout the main game), Mario transforms into a paper airplane, flips sideways to enter tiny spaces, rolls up into a tube, and becomes a paper boat. I'd say the Paper Airplane and Tube games are my favorite, though they're all a lot of fun.

The Mercenaries, Assignment Ada, and Shooting Gallery (Resident Evil 4, GameCube)

Resident Evil 4 includes several extra games.

The Shooting Gallery appears in a hall in the Castle in Chapter 3. In Shooting Gallery, you use your Rifle to shoot cardboard cutouts.

The Mercenaries is an extra game unlocked after completing the main game. It's Arcade-style and has you shooting the enemies that appear in the main game for high scores. You're given a time limit but it can be extended by finding hour glasses in the levels. When time runs out, your evacuation Chopper is heard (but not seen) and a results screen appears. If you get a five star ranking in each level, you'll unlock a weapon. In addition to the game's main protagonist (Leon Kennedy), you can play as Ada Wong (from Resident Evil 2; she also makes several appearances in the main game of RE4), Jack Krauser (a villain from the main game), a character named Hunk, and Albert Wesker (a villain who appears in many RE games). 

The results music (which also plays after completing the main game), BTW, is badass.

Assignment Ada has you playing as Ada Wong on the island that appears in the main game's Final Chapter. It's a difficult mini-game, but lasts for around twenty minutes. As Ada, you've got access to some different weapons and items than what Leon has in the main game. The game in Assignment Ada is basically the same as in the main game, but your objective is different. At the end, you're put up against Jack Krauser, a villain who battles Leon in the main game and is playable in The Mercenaries mode mentioned above. Defeat him, and the credits for Assignment Ada appear. Watch the credits again (the game asks you if you want to watch them again) to listen to some secret music.

Both The Mercenaries and Assignment Ada are considered non-canon, but that doesn't mean they're bad. They do a good job giving the game extra replay value.

Gnat Attack (Mario Paint, SNES) 

Gnat Attack is the Fly Swatter game in Mario Paint. It is a good way to try the SNES Mouse before drawing or painting pictures. It has a few levels, with different music in each. I remember it actually being kind of fun and fast-paced.

Japanese and American Versions of Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic Mega Collection, GameCube) 

Sonic Mega Collection on GameCube includes multiple versions of Sonic the Hedgehog. By default, you play one of the Japanese versions of the game that features moving clouds in Green Hill Zone, rippling water in Labyrinth Zone, the spike glitch fixed (meaning if you get hit and land on spikes, Sonic can stand on them unharmed as long as he's blinking), and the levels are listed in the correct order on the level select screen. On the information screen for Sonic 1, press Up, Z, Down, Z, Left, Z, Right, and Z (a variation of Sonic 1's level select code). "US" appears on the info screen, and you can play the American release of the game that has still clouds in Green Hill Zone, no ripple water effect in Labyrinth Zone, the really cheap spike glitch is included, and the levels are listed in a different order on the level select screen. It's there if you want to play the game exactly as it was when it was released in the U.S. and Canada, while giving you the option to play a slightly more polished Japanese version of the game.

Conclusion

And there you have it. There are plenty of other games that have games in them, but these are my favorites.

Thanks for reading my 36th Blog, and be sure to check out my other blogs if you enjoyed this one.

This blog will be updated to fix typos and add more pictures. 

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