Nintendo Gaming
Talk about Nintendo's consoles and their games here, including the Nintendo Switch, Wii U & 3DS.
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Starter Guide for the Network Test: Finished watching one of the previews and the 3-player limit sounds like it makes a little more sense with how some bosses are designed (the three-headed dog boss in the trailer apparently splits off into three dogs?!), but it's still ultimately a bit of a bummer as my online group is typically a part of four, but alas, someone's getting the sack -
So a further update, Nintendo contacted me to say they’d need to replace my console, but they don’t have any white NN3DS models like mine, so would I be happy to receive a black New Nintendo 3DS XL instead. I’ve asked them about transferring my account and they’ve assured me I can redownload all my existing software into the new device. I’ve accepted (not that I had much choice) but the upgrade seems like a good alternative! -
Random trailer drop (with decidedly few new shots?) and a date – this is coming 30th May 2025: Pleasantly surprised to see that this will be getting a physical release, too (source). Standard edition placeholder image is just the promo cover art, so that's why I'm not posting it here I'm not a steelbook guy in the slightest but DAMN is that a nice steelbook! A bunch of previews have dropped too: So, uh, I guess this won't be at tonight's State of Play then UPDATE: standard edition will be £34.99 and the deluxe edition will be £47.99, per the game's PS Store page.
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I haven’t played this one myself, but I hear that the N64 version was actually a significant upgrade from the PC version. And it does so while running in 480i to boot. No mean feat for a PC to N64 port in 2001! But then again, this was a Factor 5 job. You know, the wizards who got Contra 3 running on a frigging original Game Boy! -
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine NA release: 15th December 2000 JP release: N/A EU release: N/A Developer: LucasArts, Factor 5 Publisher: LucasArts N64 Magazine Score: 81% Looking back at N64 Magazine regarding this game is a bit confusing. In Europe, this was due to come out in September 2001. THQ then informed N64 magazine that the release date was pushed forward to June 2001, which is what issue their review was posted in. Yet, despite the PAL version being finished, it never came. I quickly checked the following few issues for a mention of the game not appearing on shelves, but there’s no mention of a delay or cancellation – there was even a guide in their August 2001 issue. It was a game I was interested in, but in, but wasn’t on my list to buy – although it turns out that I wouldn’t have been able to buy it anyway. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine was a mixture of a Tomb Raider style platformer and a point and click adventure. It’s a nice idea, but the flaws of each part of the game really work against each other. The original PC version of Infernal Machine used tank controls, but Indy is given proper analogue control for the N64 port, while the “place camera behind Indy” button also allows for strafing to line up shots, which does feel a bit awkward. While generally moving around feels much nicer on the N64, you still need to be immensely precise, which can lead to a lot of frustrations – Indy really needed to be able to grab ledges even when he’s slightly to the side. Incidentally, the modern control options in the Tomb Raider remasters also faced the same criticisms, as those games were designed around tank controls. What makes the platforming even worse is the camera. It’s very, very close to Indy and points straight forward. In a great many rooms and areas, platforms you need to jump up to are just out of view. You can stop moving and use a slow first person camera, but even then, ledges can blend in with the ceiling. I had to keep looking up videos, as I was constantly missing things that really shouldn’t be part of the challenge. Infernal Machine also employs point & click puzzle elements, where you have to find objects and work out what to use them on. One reason this mechanic works really well in puzzle games, is that it’s easy to identify what objects you can interact with, and it’s easy to test out objects on other objects. But not in Infernal Machine. The “take” button is often a pain to make appear – interacting with objects as a whole requires you to be standing on the exact pixel the game wants you to be on. This isn’t just a faff in picking things up, but using items to interact with objects. You can use the right thing, but because you’re slightly at the wrong angle, it just seems like you used the wrong item. Take the lagoon level. It’s set in a place that had some WWII conflict, with some boats and planes crashed. After a few lengthy puzzles and an underwater maze, you unlock a secret tunnel to some kind of underwater temple. When you get there, the door is shut. However, there’s no switch. Hopefully you found a rusty hammer in the underwater maze, as you’ll need to use it on a sunken plane to break off a part of the propeller, and then use the propeller on the door. While doing this, I also found another annoyance with items: on top of needing to be in a very precise location, you also need to remember to holster your weapon, as if you use an item while you’re holding something, the game will act in the same way as using an item in the wrong place. Incidentally, I was holding a machete, which seems like a much better instrument to use to pry open doors than a propeller you smashed off a wet, rusty plane with a rusty hammer. These obscure puzzle things work fine in 2D point & click adventures, because you can easily highlight objects that can be interacted with, you’ll be given hints as you interact with the various items, and if all else fails, it’s easy to test every object with other objects. In a 3D world like this, it’s just frustrating. Combat comes across fine, with Indy automatically targeting enemies. Your revolver is your main weapon due to infinite ammo, but you can also find other weapons to use. Your biggest threat isn’t other humans, but small wildlife – particularly spiders. They’re small, hard to see, come out of nowhere, and will poison Indy, so make sure you get loads of anti-venom kits. I also found it amusing that the water sections don’t just have mines and sharks, but they had to add piranhas as well. All of this is a great shame, as buried beneath this frustration is a great Indiana Jones adventure. The story is intriguing and fully voice acted (although, due to the compression, the lack of subtitles is a hindrance), and you can tell that, if some parts were smoothed out, it could be a ton of fun. A few of the later levels add vehicles to the mix, such as using a jeep for a chase, or having to hop in and out of a minecart to adjust its route through the level, and it would be nice to see this in a tidied up package. Fine Remake or remaster? This would benefit massively from a remaster. Camera control would help massively along with widening the area for grabs and interacting with items – and perhaps add something to highlight what can be interacted with. Perhaps an “intuition” button that highlights objects that can be used. Official Ways to get the game The original PC version is on GoG, with some support for higher resolutions, but has no proper upgrades. It also includes the latest official patch, which breaks the game on level 7, so you still need to track down an unofficial patch.
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