Cube

Don-Chan Puzzle: Hanabi de Don JP release: 2003 (Arcade) EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Aruze Publisher: Aruze N64 Magazine Score: N/A While the N64 stopped receiving retail games, the Aleck 64 arcade hardware still had a few more games to go. Hanabi de Don is one such title, and one of two of the remaining Aleck 64 games that also happened to get a Game Boy Advance port. Hanabi de Don is a colour matching puzzle game with a fireworks theme, that uses a slot machine as a main mechanic. You need to select the slot machine at the top to select your three tiles (I think they’re some kind of punching ball, but they look like bombs). You need to match up groups of these tiles, and also link a matching character title to actually trigger scoring. Getting rows of characters activated a special ability. Get a combo and you’ll fire some stuff in the air to set off fireworks, which pushes dud titles to the opponent. I struggled due to the colour issues (mainly matching the characters to the regular tiles), but it seems like a fun puzzle game. Fun Remake or remaster? If someone can get the rights for a collection of lesser known puzzle games, this would be a good one to include. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Don-Chan Puzzle: Hanabi de Don

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 JP release: 20th August 2002 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Neversoft, Edge of Reality Publisher: Activision N64 Magazine Score: N/A The final official retail release for the N64 is strange, due to how late it was. Not only was the previous retail game in America released 9 months earlier, but Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 came out on the PS1 and PS2 before that. Even the GameCube version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 was 9 months old by the time this came out. So this time around, this isn’t just an acceptable port of the main game, but it’s an acceptable port of a downgraded version of the main game, released much later than other versions. This uses the smaller, static level variants of the PS1 version (which are very different to the PS2 levels) while keeping the engine from the N64 version of THPS2. The next gen THPS3 was loved for its much improved trick system, but the revert is the only new addition here. All the new trick types, more interactive environments, NPCs, and the like are gone. While it’s an interesting curiosity that this came out so long after any other N64 game, there’s also no reason to play this version, especially as it’s also rather buggy and I fell through the level multiple times. Fine Remake or remaster? Having the PS1/N64 level variants as a bonus for the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remake would be great, but I doubt it would happen. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.

Bomberman 64: Arcade Edition JP release: 20th December 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Racjin Publisher: Hudson Soft N64 Magazine Score: N/A In Japan, the Bomberman 64 games were called “Baku Bomberman”, so when this compilation of Bomberman games was released in Japan, it was simply called Bomberman 64. To distinguish them, fans have dubbed this as “Arcade” edition. This Bomberman game is a collection of four games. Bomberman The main mode is a traditional Bomberman campaign. Blow up all the enemies and find the up and down exits to choose the next stage to progress to. It’s as fun as ever, and also features the classic multiplayer with a few options (although not a massive number of stages). It’s a really good version of classic Bomberman. Panic Bomber Panic Bomber is a colour match minigame where you place blocks (consisting of different colour Bomberman heads) to clear lines, and has been released on various consoles, including the Super Famicom and Virtual Boy. This version just features a score attack mode, so no story or multiplayer. SameGame SameGame is a puzzle game which originally released in 1985 under the name Chain Shot!. It has no previous association with Bomberman, so its inclusion is a bit random. You click on sets of coloured Bomberman heads to remove them from play, with the main objective to clear as many as you possibly can. Bomberman Park Bomberman Park is sort of a port/epilogue to the PS1 game Bomberman Land. It’s set after Bomberman has saved the park, and he has simply returned to have some fun. You get to explore the park (with some areas locked behind needing medals) and take part in a load of minigames. The series has had multiple games throughout the years. The minigames are all quite simple, but most are also enjoyable. There’s some duds, like sliding jigsaw puzzles and following a ball in a cup (or a bomb in a pipe for this version), but ones like sorting bombs or having to slice targets (and dodge bombs) are a lot of fun. This was the last N64 game in Japan, and also the best Bomberman game on the system, with a well made classic Bomberman mode and a great selection of extra games. Great Remake or remaster? There’s a finished fan translation that helps with the language issues, although an official English re-release would be nice. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Bomberman 64: Arcade Edition.

X’Treme Roller (Prototype) NA release: N/A EU release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Microids Publisher: Neko N64 Magazine Score: N/A X’Treme Roller was an European-exclusive PS1 Tony Hawk’s clone that had so little fanfare, it got a single critic review score of 30% (from Jeuxvideo.com). It was also in development for the Nintendo 64 at some point, although this prototype is in very early stages. There’s no physics or stunts implemented, so you can just go around two levels, unable to get any air. One button swaps between levels and another changes the character model. Poor Should it be finished? The PS1 version was, and it seemed to be quite bad.

So it releases on the 25th, but you can't play it on day one unless you pay extra. It's crazy that Microsoft are still doing this on ports, it's bad enough on regular releases.

NFL Blitz Special Edition NA release: 28th September 2001 EU release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Point of View Publisher: Midway N64 Magazine Score: N/A NFL Blitz got a Special Edition just for the N64. What this meant is that it was the previous version of the game with some roster changes, similar to Madden 2002 on N64, and what EA later dubbed as “Legacy Edition” for their games. The roster isn’t the only difference: the minigames have also been removed. A fairly pointless release. Poor Remake or remaster? It would be interesting to see a similar game return. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play NFL Blitz Special Edition.

Now I want an original style GBA with an OLED screen (although it would need a brightness setting for the video to allow for compensating for oversaturation in some games).

Razor Freestyle Scooter NA release: 27th September 2001 EU release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Titanium Publisher: Crave N64 Magazine Score: N/A With the success of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, it was inevitable that there were going to be clones. While the PS1 had a few, only one made it to the N64, using scooters in place of a skateboard with the license of an actual scooter manufacturer. I can’t imagine Razor actually looked at the game much before approving the use of their brand. Instead of using adult professionals, the game features a colourful cast of kids, all with loose clothing and zero protective gear, constantly and painfully falling off their scooters and off buildings. It doesn’t seem like a great endorsement. The gameplay is pretty much a wonky Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1, everything works in the same way, with similar objectives, and a 2-minute timer. It doesn’t control anywhere near as well, but the biggest issue is the level designs. Out of the three levels in the game, not a single one has a good flow to it, instead feeling like completely separate parts cobbled together. The only way to get a high score is to find the one small corner that works. There are a few additional “challenge” levels, which are a few basic shapes hovering in the air. These let you unlock some secret characters like a Tiki Man, a sock monkey, and one of the strangest celebrities to use in a game like this: a shirtless child version of MMA fighter Tito Ortiz. I’m not even sure MMA was even popular – it certainly didn’t have any video games at this point (other than a few MMA elements incorporated into the Japan-only Virtual Pro Wrestling 2). It’s the icing on the cake of being a cheap knockoff aimed at kids. Poor Remake or remaster? The Tony Hawk games already surpassed it before release. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Razor Freestyle Scooter.

The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction NA release: 19th September 2001 EU release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: VIS, Asylum Publisher: BAM! N64 Magazine Score: N/A From the same developer as Tom & Jerry: Fists of Furry is a very similar game with the Powerpuff Girls. The gameplay is just as monotonous, a few punches, kicks, and a focus on throwing objects, although I found that by getting in the air and attacking, I could combo my opponents indefinitely for some easy wins. The presentation is abysmal. The short loop of the main theme is on continuous loop from the game booting, never stopping as you play through the story. In the main story, you pick one of the Powerpuff Girls and fight each enemy. You then have to repeat this with the other two to be able to defeat the final boss, Him. The entire process takes around 20 minutes, and none of it fun in the slightest. Oh, and the opening and ending are just one page of white text on a black background with clip art of a pie and a Chemical X bottle. Worst Remake or remaster? No. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction

Madden NFL 2002 NA release: 12th September 2001 EU release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Budcat Creations Publisher: EA Sports N64 Magazine Score: N/A With focus being on the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox, the final version of Madden for the N64 was pretty much the previous one with some roster changes. The silly, fun teams seem to be completely gone now, and the whole game just feels extremely sterile. Poor Remake or remaster? Nothing with this version. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Madden NFL 2002.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 NA release: 21st August 2001 EU release: 12th October 2001 NA release: N/A Developer: Neversoft, Edge of Reality Publisher: Activision N64 Magazine Score: 90% Most of what I said about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 still applies here: while this is a perfectly functional port of a PlayStation game, some of the cutbacks – especially the heavily reduced soundtrack – make this more of a “it’ll do if you don’t have a PlayStation” kind of game. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 does bring some new features, such as the manual move to better string combos together (although I found it rarely actually continued a combo when I played) and more consistent levels across the game. You could also unlock Spider-Man in the game (made possible due to the developers also making a Spider-Man game). It’s interesting to see how licensed characters could be handled back then – he isn’t mentioned at all on the box, he’s just a secret unlockable in the game, just a bit of a bonus, rather than something purely done for marketing reasons. One thing of note is that this was the N64’s final game in Europe, and the last N64 game reviewed by N64/NGC Magazine. Fun Remake or remaster? The remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the best way to play most of the game, but if you want Spider-Man (plus some bonus levels), you’ll need to check out Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2x on the original Xbox. Official Ways to get the game The remake is available on most platforms.

I made it to my second game: P.N. 03 The gameplay is decently enjoyable (once you get used to it), but it's very lacking. The whole dancing part of it turned out to have pretty much no relevance to the game and only exists so the main character wiggles her butt. It's just not part of the gameplay or style of the game at all, not even the music is particularly strong, instead oddly muted. You can't move while shooting, but dodging works well but there aren't that many enemies and you can figure the patterns out quite easily (again, they aren't linked to the music - there's just no rhythm to the game). The roll move is completely useless because the developers made sure she crouches with her butt in the air before she can roll. The game actually feels a lot like an on-rails shooter (even though you can move freely), in terms of having to mash A to fire (you can unlock automatic fire), the combo system and it's a fun shooter in this style. Unfortunately, it's lacking in the spectacle that shmups have, with most of the game taking place in a load of lifeless grey rooms (which are often repeated) or a brown wasteland. It's a bit disappointing, really. It needed to delve into the whole dancing thing more in terms of style, movement, music and enemies.

Derby Stallion 64 JP release: 10th August 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: ParityBit Publisher: Media Factory N64 Magazine Score: N/A The second horse racing game for the N64. This one has a lot more focus on betting than G1 Stable, so I could at least see some races, which include text-based Japanese commentary. As you start earning more money, you can get involved more into the business management side of things, as you buy, trade, and breed horses to give you an advantage in races. This was another late N64 game which was initially developed for the 64DD. This was originally going to use the Game Boy link cable (which was part of the 64DD project, but never for released) to allow players to hide their bets from others in multiplayer. ? Remake or remaster? The series is still ongoing and evolving, with the latest game on Switch. Although still only in Japanese. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Derby Stallion 64

https://www.tonyhawkthegame.com/ There's a countdown page for the announcement, which will take place on 4th March. <div class="thps-3-4-countdown aem-GridColumn aem-GridColumn--default--12"> The code says its for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4

Animal Forest JP release: 14th April 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 80% While what was released on the 64DD was a failure, the whole venture did end up resulting in a massive success story for Nintendo: the Animal Crossing franchise. The game was inspired by what the 64DD hardware could do, and was probably why some features (such as the clock) ended up being added to the GameCube. When the 64DD failed, the game was scaled back to release on a regular cartridge (with its own internal clock), and only released in Japan. It was originally intended to be a dungeon crawler with the social aspect being in choosing a part, but the focus became on the social aspect, which probably worked out for the better in the long run. While there is an English patch for the game, it’s still work in progress and crashes a lot, often getting to a state of having to delete saves and start again. As the game ended up releasing on GameCube, I just messed around a bit in this version. Animal Forest is a relaxing game where you move into a small village, and get given a house. In order to pay it off, you have to do errands for Tom Nook, the owner of the only shop in the town, even if you only need to work when you want to (although it’s the only way to upgrade your house). Outside of this, you can chat to all the villagers, make friends, collect insects, fish, paintings, and fossils, and enjoy events that happen on certain days. You can even write letters to the other animals in the village, or other players using the same cartridge. One thing that didn’t make it to the N64 version is the museum, which means the collection aspect in this version isn’t quite as compulsive, as you have no way of recording what you have or haven’t collected before. This (along with the Able Sisters design shop) were added to the GameCube version, and both are such a vital part of the game that they feel like they should have been there from the start. One interesting feature that did make it into the N64 version was the ability to play some NES/Famicom games by collecting coloured consoles in-game, although the library was expanded for the GameCube. The Animal Crossing series is a wonderful and unique kind of game, although the N64 version isn’t much more than a curiosity, as compromises had to be made, and the original intention was later brought to the GameCube, which I will look at in a lot more detail. Fun [Note: Takashi Tezuka, Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami are the main producers and directors behind Animal Forest] Remake or remaster? The game got its full potential on GameCube. Although it would be nice for it to get a re-release, as later games focus a lot more on online and aren’t as nice to return to. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Animal Forest.

One thing I hope they do in the 3+4 Remake is create some fictional characters to replace the licensed ones to keep the extra move sets. Ideally, they'd get the actual licenses, but I can understand their expense. The jetpack move is such a fun thing in THPS4 and I wouldn't want to see it removed. Also, they do potentially have Microsoft's franchises to pick from to replace them. Jango Fett is just a suit without a personality, so slap a jetpack on Master Chief and they'll serve the same purpose.

That was actually a complete typo. You have no idea how many times spellcheck has told me I've spelt platformer wrong.

The (rather bad) arcade-themed games are getting replaced: It looks like a really fun playtormer on its own.

I've only played one Wario Land (the second game), so I had no idea it was based on something specific.

Dr. Mario 64 NA release: 9th April 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 43% Dr. Mario is a long-running puzzle series that started off on the NES, and even inspired a similar game from Nintendo called Tetris 2. In Dr. Mario, you have to match four or more of the same colour, but instead of just creating combos, you have the objective of clearing all the viruses from your play area by including them in a colour match. Each piece you play only consists of two parts, and you have to carefully place them so you don’t end up blocking yourself. It’s simple, but fun. The N64 version doesn’t do a lot of new stuff, outside a four player mode. The presentation looks nice, even if it’s very cheap (with the characters in the game being static images pasted on wooden blocks for the story mode). This sort of game is better suited to downloadable services- which is what later Dr. Mario games did. Poor Remake or remaster? A new version would be nice – a small downloadable title that just makes the game look cleaner in HD would be great. Official Ways to get the game There is no way to buy a new copy of Dr Mario 64, the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

Hamster Story 64 JP release: 6th April 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Culture Brain Publisher: Culture Brain Original Name: Hamster Monogatari 64 N64 Magazine Score: N/A Hamster 64 uses a very fancy Japanese font. As a result, Google Lens really struggled to detect the text a lot of the time. I managed to get the gist of the opening: a girl is wondering about owning a hamster after seeing one on TV, when a creepy old pervy man starts chatting you up, leaving behind his hamster as he heads off. She goes to the shop he recommended, and they happen to have a cage for free, as an old man left it behind. The stranger danger vibes were immensely high, and she really should have stayed very clear. When you do get to the game, you have to decide a training regimen for your hamster, with the goal being to raise multiple hamsters, and have them participate in competitions to earn a lot of money. There are massive amounts of options regarding customising the cage, different foods, and different ways to discipline your hamster. From the difficulty Google has recognising the text, and the vast amount of options, all I could do was pressing random things and seeing what would happen. It does seem like a decent pet simulation game, but I can’t really go into more detail than that. ? Remake or remaster? I don’t understand enough of the game to comment. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Hamster Story 64

Power Pros Baseball Basic Edition 2001 JP release: 29th March 2001 EU release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Diamond Head Publisher: Konami Original Name: Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Basic Ban 2001 N64 Magazine Score: N/A There’s not really much to say about this. The gameplay is the same as the last few Power Pros games, however, this one is lacking the RPG mode, which is the reasoning for the “Basic Edition” part of the name. It still has the management mode, so it’s not entirely stripped down. Poor Remake or remaster? The latest game should get an international release. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Power Pros 2001

Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage NA release: 14th March 2001 EU release: 3rd August 2001 JP release: N/A Developer: H2O Entertainment Publisher: THQ N64 Magazine Score: 60% A large RPG, a genre the N64 didn’t have much of. The world and story of Aidyn is definitely a curious one, but I really couldn’t stand playing much of this. Aidyn demonstrates the importance that sound can have to a game, as the deathly silence of Aidyn Chronicles immensely disturbed not just me, but my fiancée as well. So I’m going to recount the very start of the game, which was far longer than it had any right to be. The game starts off with an in-engine cutscene. There are subtitles, but no audio, which is a really annoying way to watch a cutscene. The more standard RPG method of letting the player choose to progress text is thankfully used elsewhere. One other thing I noticed is that the music was just really bland background music, it doesn’t change to portray the emotion of the scene, which is really noticeable with how the cutscenes are presented in a cinematic manner. When you do take control of Alaron, you wander around a wood until you get attacked by goblins, a fight you have to lose. The battle system is lifted from Quest 64, but I’ll go into it later on. After another oddly quiet cutscene, you have to make it through a forest to find your way home. There’s no music, and almost no sound effects. The lack of sound is immensely depressing, which isn’t the tone of the game. It’s very easy to miss one of the waymarkers, and the map is horrible. I eventually made it home to the castle, where I had to meet the king. The camera while inside is horrible, using badly placed fixed cameras that miss important areas. I managed to walk right through the throne room, as the camera didn’t bother to reveal the side of the room with the throne, it just looked like a corridor. I spent ages wandering around until I found the king. The goblins had poisoned you, and you need to travel to another city to get cured. You then have to pick your squad, which is another nightmare of trying to navigate the castle. The map contains no room names and doesn’t show your location, so it isn’t much help. One of the characters mentioned that Alaron childhood friend/rival – the prince – was waiting in the training room, but the room marked “training room” was their armoury, and I never found his location. From the dialogue and mismatched names, I thought it was a bad translation, but the game was developed in English. I eventually picked my three squadmates, and set up on my epic journey. Just outside the main gates, I encounter the first proper battle: a pack of wolves. The battle system is likely Quest 64’s, where you can move within a circle during each character’s turn, and choose which attack or action to perform. Everyone is very, very good at dodging, so the battle took forever. The wolves were slightly better at dodging, so they took out two of my squadmates. After the battle, I discovered that all deaths are permanent: half of my party was gone, just outside the main gates of the first village. Due to the elongated and extremely difficult battles (it’s hard to come up with tactics when most attacks miss), as well as the depressing atmosphere from the lack of sounds, I ended up giving up on the game there. I’m sure there’s some fascinating story and characters here, but the whole game was grating on me. Poor Remake or remaster? There’s some promise in the game, a remake (even keeping a simpler N64 style presentation) could fix a ton of issues, and make the game much nicer to play. There’s some interesting stuff in here. There are also some fan patches that change up a few things and add more features. Official Ways to get the game There is no official way to play Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage

It baffles me (the same with the remakes) that there isn't a "classic mode" with the traditional lives and points system. It seems like such an easy thing to do.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day NA release: 5th March 2001 EU release: 13th April 2001 JP release: N/A Developer: Rare Publisher: Rare (NA), THQ (EU) N64 Magazine Score: 89% During the course of the N64’s life, Rare showed off Twelve Tales: Conker 64 , a cutesy 3D platformer starring the squirrel from Diddy Kong Racing. With Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64 already announced, people noted how many cute 3D mascot platformers Rare were making. Due to this criticism, Conker’s game was transformed. It was still a mascot platformer, but not a child friendly one. Instead, it was full of gore, swearing, and obvious sex references. The plot is wonderfully ridiculous: a panther king spills his milk due to a broken leg on his table. His insane scientist deduces that the missing height perfectly matches a squirrel. That said, it takes a while for this plot to reach Conker, who goes the wrong way on a drunken stumble home and gets caught in all sorts of things, like hatching a dinosaur, becoming a vampire bat, making a shy sunflower giggle to bounce on her breasts, and fighting an opera singing giant poo. All mixed in with a ton of film references from the era (luckily, for the game, extremely memorable films that are still notable today). The biggest flaw of Conker’s Bad Fur Day is, sadly, the gameplay. The moving and jumping isn’t as refined as Rare’s other platformers in the system. The game does alleviate this with the large variety of things you’ll be doing in the game, so you’re playing the game in slightly different ways all the way through. The last few chapters are shooting segments, and these are, unfortunately, the worst parts to play as they don’t utilise the N64 controller well at all. Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a hilarious and amusing game, which makes it even more of a shame that it’s so clunky to actually play. Fun Remake or remaster? The Xbox Remake refines the gameplay, and I would personally recommend that version over this (unless you want the multiplayer mode from the original). The shooting sections are proper third person shooter sections as well, which is a big improvement. The downside is the increased censorship, but there’s really only one moment where it is noticeable. With people accusing the Rare Replay version of extra censorship, I think people forgot how much was bleeped in the original. It looks great, running in HD on newer Xbox consoles, although a widescreen update (with the original amount of bleeping) would be very welcome. Official Ways to get the game The original can be purchased on Xbox One/Series as part of Rare Replay, and the remake, Conker Live & Reloaded, is also available on Xbox One/Series.