Cube

After doing a few franchise playthroughs (Sonic, Star Trek and James Bond), I decided to pick something that would be a bit more varied by focusing on a console. I picked the N64 as I remember loving it, and I read about so many games in N64 Magazine that I never got to play. The number of games (419, including some prototypes) also makes it a reasonable endevour. For playing the games, I'll be using different ways to play. I'll mainly be emulating (using different emulators, as some work better in particular ones), plus using some ports/remasters. The ports/remasters are on a case-by-case basis and the game as a whole needs to have the same vibes as the N64 version, as sometimes the N64 versions had different level designs (and features) to other versions that remasters are based on. That said, some of those do kindly include the N64 mode as well. Some ports will be fan made and I will be allowing some graphical and QoL enhancements (mainly widescreen, textures that keep the right vibe and camera control). There was one game where I felt I went a bit too far on the graphical department, but a bit too late for that (it wasn't a big N64-specific one anyway). In the case of sports games, I'll be mainly getting a feel for them by playing a few matches rather than going insane while playing an entire season of each one. I also won't be shy in using cheats, mainly extra lives (they were pointless in most games of this era and losing them just wasted time as you walk back to where you were) and for games of genres I completely suck at - such as 1-on-1 fighters (I had no idea the N64 had so many). Some games only came out in Japan. I don't read or speak Japanese and I'm dreadful at understanding Japanese. For some games, there are fan-made translations that I will be using, for others, I'm relying on Google Lens (which, while some results are a big mangles, has been fairly successful and I get the gist of what things mean) . My reasoning for all of this is that this is for fun, not a serious challenge. For ordering the games, I've gone by the first release in any region, it seemed like the most logical way to do things. I've also inserted a few prototypes of games into the mix for checking out unfinished (or in a few cases, completely finished but unreleased) games. I'm already a fair amount of time into playing the games, up to number 150 on my list (an obscure game called Ocarina of Time). Out of the three Japanese launch titles, It would be rude to not start with: Super Mario 64 JP release: 23rd June 1996 NA release: 29th September 1996 PAL release: 1st March 1997 Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 96% Starting off with a bang, one of the Nintendo 64’s launch titles just happens to be a revolutionary game that’s one of the best games on the system. It didn’t just show the world how platform games could work in 3D, but it set the standard for movement in 3D as well. Despite its legendary status, Nintendo have never given us the port that this game deserves. Super Mario 64 doesn’t need a full remake, just a little bit of sprucing, widescreen and an updated camera. Luckily, fans of the game have done this themselves by fully recreating the game’s engine on PC, with lots of options to set it up the way you want. There are some much more graphically impressive options than what I chose, but I wanted it to look similar to the original game, with just crisper textures and some of the 2D objects replaced with 3D ones. The movement of Mario still feels amazing all these years later. His move set is brilliant with all of his moves (minus the special hats) available from the get-go, it’s just a case of learning it and figuring out the best way to move. Most people will start off doing taller jumps by doing the backflip, but then transition to the quick turn jump to get up to the tall platforms. Even now, it’s an absolute joy to control. The camera from the original game is the main part of the game that now feels clunky. It was pretty amazing when the game came out, but it’s one aspect of games that has improved over time. Luckily, the version I played lets you turn on a more modern analogue camera, which (along with widescreen) is really all Super Mario 64 needs to feel modern. The levels are small, but it’s a style that really suits the game. They’re packed full of secrets, with six stars to find in each one (plus an extra star for collecting 100 coins). Once you collect a star, you’re thrown out of the level, which does mean you have to re-do parts of levels multiple times, but there are sometimes changes to the level depending on which star you collect. There is a mod that lets you remain in levels, but I feel like this alters the game too much, and is itself fiddly as you need to work out when you need to manually leave the level. Each level has a very distinct feel to it and I enjoyed every level in the game, except for two of the water levels. While some have generic themes (lava, water and ice), the levels are still built in unique ways, and even matching themes (like the two snow levels) don’t feel like a reuse due to the level design. Other than a couple of stars that include the wing, metal and invisible caps, you can also complete levels before moving on, or just do a couple of stars and try somewhere else. You only need 70 out of 120 stars to complete the game (far fewer if you choose to do glitches), but it’s enjoyable collecting them all. To unlock different sections of the castle (and access more levels), you need to complete Bowser’s levels. There are three in total (the last one being to save Peach) and these are much more linear platform challenges, which creates a nice change of pace. At the end of these you have to face off against Bowser, grabbing his tail and spinning him to throw him into bombs, and I’m still absolutely dreadful at aiming my throws. The final section of the game has some outstanding levels. Wet-Dry World is the third water level of the game, but this one stands out much more due to the mechanic of raising and lowering the water levels. There are different ways to move upwards depending on the water level, and you’ll need to make use of these to collect all the stars. Tiny-Huge Island has you using pipes to swap between a giant Mario and a mini Mario. You get to see cute tiny goombas or have to fight ones that are much larger than Mario. It’s not Mario’s size that actually changes, but the level itself. It’s an absolutely adorable level full of joy. Tick Tock Clock is actually a lot smaller than I remember, but is focused on well timed jumps. The unique aspect of this level is that the level entrance is itself a clockface, and where the minute hand points alters the speed of the objects in the level, or even stops them completely. I have quite strong memories of trying to figure out what was happening when this happened as a kid. The final main level, Rainbow Ride, is more linear than most levels, with different segments connected via magic carpets. You’ll need to jump off the carpets to avoid obstacles, but if you take too long, the carpets will vanish. This level requires you to have learnt how to master Mario’s moveset. Super Mario 64 is still an absolute joy to play, especially so with an updated camera. I think a full remake would alter the game too much, as the level design and movement is integral to its identity. It just needs a bit of sprucing up, and I really hope we get an official version that does this at some point. This was an amazing start for the Nintendo 64. Not only was this game integral to the development of 3D games as a whole, but the gameplay and levels still hold up today. Games keep trying to be bigger and better, but smaller and varies levels are also a great approach. Remake or Remaster? As the fan-made PC version shows, Super Mario 64 still holds up really well and just needs some basic improvements. A remastered Super Mario 64 would be perfect. Official Ways to get the game There is no way to buy a new copy of Super Mario 64, the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak. Re-releases 1997: Super Mario 64 Rumple Pak Version (Japan Only) 2003: iQue (China Only) 2006: Wii Virtual Console 2015: Wii U Virtual Console 2020: Super Mario 3D All Stars (Switch, temporary release) 2021: Nintendo Switch Online (subscription only) Other versions 2004: Super Mario 64 DS. This version featured altered levels, more stars and extra playable characters. The extra content was well received, but forcing previous stars to certain characters was frustrating. The controls also don’t work very well on the DS. The touch screen minigames were a brand-new addition and were well liked.

Mortal Kombat 4 NA release: 23rd June 1998 PAL release: 15th September 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Midway, Eurocom Publisher: Midway (NA), GT (PAL) N64 Magazine Score: 84% The big Mortal Kombat game for this generation of consoles, and this one brings the graphics into full 3D. After experimenting with a few styles of graphics and gameplay with their earlier N64 fighting games, Mortal Kombat 4 settles on polygon models that manage to capture the spirit of the 2D sprites pretty well. The gameplay also feels quite solid to me. It sticks to working from a 2D point of view with some slight 3D movement from dodging. One new feature is the ability to use items like rocks to throw at opponents, and each person can bring out a weapon with a special move (which the opponent can also use if dropped). There’s a few modes such as an endurance mode fighting random opponents, the standard arcade mode and some tournament options for multiplayer. The practice mode also gives you a move list, but this is only on a static screen and you can’t pin one to try. This seems like the N64’s most solid fighter so far, although it doesn’t try to do anything special either. Remake or remaster? A Mortal Kombat collection would be good. Official ways to get the game. The PC version of Mortal Kombat 4 is available on GoG.

Little Kitty, Big City looks like fun, more than any of this "Silksong" stuff.

Mike Piazza’s Strike Zone NA release: 18th June 1998 PAL release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Devil’s Thumb Publisher: GT Interactive N64 Magazine Score: N/A Not knowing the name Mike Piazza, the name made me think of bowling. Unfortunately, this is another baseball game, and by far the worst one so far on the N64. It’s definitely not helped by the horrific and extremely ugly graphics, either. In Strike Zone, there’s no indicator for aiming the bat. I’m not entirely sure you actually able to aim as I really couldn’t tell any difference when moving the analogue stick. This doesn’t help with hitting it though, as the strange angle used makes it very difficult to judge where the ball is. Fielding is also a mess, as it doesn’t change to the closest fielder until far too late and it feels like you’re just yelling at the players rather than directly controlling them. There is a cheat where you can turn almost any hit into an instant home run, and the game can be amusing to see the unrealistic distances it produces. Remake or remaster? There’s much better baseball games. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Mike Piazza’s Strike Zone

Virtual Chess 64 NA release: 10th June 1998 PAL release: July 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Titus Publisher: Titus N64 Magazine Score: 76% I wasn’t expecting much from Virtual Chess as it’s just chess, but at least you can’t mess up chess – or so I thought. Against all odds, Titus have managed to achieve the impossible and create a chess game that looks bad and controls poorly. The analogue stick or d-pad move the cursor, but way, way too fast so you need to perform the quickest tap or move the stick immensely slightly. With the 3D view, you expect the c-buttons to control the camera and they do – at least two of them do. c-right spins the board right while c-left spins the board up. It’s impossible to find a good camera angle and adjusting is itself a big pain. When a piece is taken, you see the pieces fighting (similar to Battle Chess), only the designs of al the characters are absolutely hideous and carry no charm whatsoever. As it doesn’t happen with the other pieces on show, it also feels completely disjointed from the main game. You can choose a 2D board. I turned it on and was presented with a really baffling design. I checked the options and found no way to change it – although I eventually figured out that c-left and c-right can change the the look of the board and pieces. Now, there is one aspect that Virtual Chess is competent in, and that’s playing chess. The problem is that it’s too good. While it’s got 17 levels of difficulty, the first beginner level will trounce most people – especially if they’re using the 3D view that makes it very difficult to judge how pieces can move. There are plenty of good chess games, but this is just trash. I’m amazed that it got good reviews Remake or remaster? You can get much better chess games on your phone for free. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Virtual Chess 64

Holy Magic Century / Quest 64 NA release: 10th June 1998 PAL release: 30th September 1998 JP release: 9th July 1999 Developer: Imagineer Publisher: THQ (NA), Konami (PAL) Imagineer (JP) N64 Magazine Score: 71% There’s a lot of curious things about the Quest series. This game was given different names in different regions. In North America, it was the very generic Quest 64. In Europe is was the rather meaningless Holy Magic Century and in Japan it was Eltale Monsters (I think Eltale Book would have worked better). Despite being a JRPG, it also came out in Japan last. Quest got a spin-off in the form of a Mr. Do clone on Game Boy Color called Quest: Fantasy Challenge in the USA and, oddly, Holy Magic Century in Europe (it wasn’t released in Japan) and then a remake of the original game on Game Boy Colour (with an expanded story) called Quest: Brian’s Journey in the USA and Elemental Tale – Jack’s Great Adventure: Satan’s Counterattack in Japan (this one wasn’t released in Europe). As for Quest 64, the game itself is also interesting as it seems like a great starting point for a game, but it feels like it isn’t finished. It works fine and isn’t glitchy, it’s just there isn’t a lot to it. The idea behind the story is interesting, but it isn’t told well. It’s very easy to lose track of what you’re supposed to be doing due to lack of context, and NPCs rarely have anything interesting to say. The combat has some interesting ideas, too. It’s turn-based but you move around in the actual game world. You can move around within a circle (which is more of a circle in the Japanese version) to position yourself and select an attack. When enemies attack you have a bit of movement to try and dodge. You collect spirits in four elements: fire, wind, water and earth (no heart) and as you get more, you unlock more abilities. There are three “levels” of attack but in each new “level” you can mix in another element for a wide variety of spells. Unfortunately, there are just a couple of attacks that are far better than others. By far the biggest issue with the combat is the random encounter system, as the amount you get is extremely overboard. You can be drawn into a new battle immediately after one ends and, other than trying to break the game by hugging walls (or using a Gameshark code), there’s no proper way to avoid battles. What doesn’t help is that a lot of battles won’t reward you with anything, as the game won’t give you an item if you already have one of them in your inventory. You’ll get tired of the random encounters before the end of the first area. There’s plenty to like about Holy Quest Monsters, but also a lot to hate about it. It feels like the developers had a lot of ambitions but had to tone it back during development. It has a lot of interesting ideas, it just doesn’t fully use them. Remake or remaster? Quest 64 definitely deserves a fresh attempt. Refine the combat system, add more context to the story and give NPCs more to do with side quests and other activities. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Quest 64

International Superstar Soccer 98 JP release: 4th June 1998 PAL release: 1st September 1998 JP release: 15th September 1998 Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami N64 Magazine Score: 92% ISS vs FIFA was a big debate for a while, with 1998 probably being the biggest year for the argument. N64 Magazine clearly preferred ISS, but for me, I enjoyed FIFA 98 more. I do think I know the main reason why people prefer each one, as while they seem the same from a distance, they both have slightly different targets. FIFA is more about casual fun, while ISS is more geared towards providing a more tactical experience. Which means that it isn’t a case of which one is better, but rather what kind of game you want. ISS 98 is a marginal improvement from ISS 64, focusing on the World Cup. In Japan, it had an official World Cup branding, but still not player names (other than the Japanese squad), but is the same game. You do get a new set of scenarios, so if you liked those, these are the main new thing in this version compared to the previous year. Remake or remaster? Other than Konami looking back to move forward, not really. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get International Superstar Soccer 98 I'm sure @Dcubed can say a lot more about this one.

Their favourite method is just throwing PC versions from the 90s onto Steam with no improvements, no compatibility fixes and no controller support. Sometimes they'll throw in a PS1 rom and a terribly configured emulator. Although they did make a new PC version of Glover, but that turned out even worse. They buy up old games and just sit on them.

Thankfully I'm not forcing myself to fully complete every single one. I'd go insane, Wetrix PAL release: 29th May 1998 NA release: 16th June 1998 JP release: 27th November 1998 Developer: Zed Two Publisher: Ocean (NA/PAL), Imagineer (JP) N64 Magazine Score: 74% As Tetris set the standard for puzzle video games, other puzzle games try to have names similar to it. A water-based puzzle game? Of course it has to be named Wetrix. Wetrix is all about keeping water from falling off your square “island”, raiding the environment to keep it contained. Different “blocks” will fall down from the screen. Most of these are upwards arrows which will raise the land in that shape, along with water to fill up the enclosed areas you make. The goal is to keep as much water contained as possible, as if to much falls off the sides, you’ll get Game Over. There are other kinds of “blocks” as well. Down arrows will reduce the level of the land, bombs will blow up holes in the island that you’ll need to repair (on that note, don’t try to launch a bomb down a hole, the game will punish you for it), ice to freeze water and fireballs to get rid of some water. I can definitely see the appeal of Wetrix, but I really could not figure out how to do well at the game. There’s a bunch of different modes, including one where you can change settings to make the game even more difficult. It’s not for me, but it’s a solidly made game. Remake or remaster? A new version would be nice, alongside a collection of the various Wetrix games on N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Wetrix.

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-renewed-lower-decks-ending-1235969332/ Strange New Worlds has been renewed for season 4. Lower Decks has not been renewed and season 5 will be the last.

Pachinko 365 Days JP release: 29th May 1998 PAL release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Seta Publisher: Seta Original Name: Pachinko 365 Nichi N64 Magazine Score: N/A Another Pachinko game. While I still have zero interest in the Japanese hybrid of slot machines and 10p machines, this one at least seems competently made. You can properly walk around the three Pachinko parlours to find machines and they look alright. You can also talk to the guests, who have various things to say about Pachinko. The pachinko is still just pachinko, but the a and b buttons now increase/decrease the ball release lever, actually giving you control over how the balls are fired. There are five machines, one of them being an “old style” one. n this one, you manually launch the balls into the machine, instead of the standard autofire ones. It adds a bit of variety. The goal of the game is to play over the course of one year (with a day being sped up) to try and earn as much money as you can. Remake or remaster? Nothing, really. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Pachinko 365 Days

Robotech: Crystal Dreams (Prototype) PAL release: N/A NA release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: GameTek Publisher: N/A N64 Magazine Score: N/A Based on an American/Japanese sci-fi animated series, Robotech: Crystal Dreams was an extremely ambitious flight simulator game that ultimately went over budget and was cancelled when it needed another six months of development. The prototype for the game features a demo area you can fly around, there’s a large ship and you can find some of the logos from the very nifty-looking opening. You can see your character’s reflection in the cockpit window and can even look around the cockpit. It controls really well and seems like a good starting point to build a game from. The ship also has a few different transformations. You can also turn on random dialogue, and there’s a surprising amount of it in the prototype. The plans for the game was that this would be fairly open-ended. You’ll collect missions from bases that you can walk around then go out into space to complete them. A simple “crystal” enemy was designed for the console in as the specs of the N64 weren’t well known. On top of this, over 40 minutes of dialogue was already done at this point. With only three programmers, the game proved too ambitious for the company and they were unable to get the funding and publisher needed to finish. Should it be finished? With the script and many design aspects finished, it would be great to see what this could have been like.

Mobius was mentioned in some early game manuals but abandoned after Sonic Adventure. They just started calling it Earth.

He's the ultimate lifeform created by Professor Gerald Robotnik (Dr. Robotnik's granddad) and an evil alien who was setting up a long-term invasion of Earth. He then ended up in stasis for 50 or so years before Dr. Robotnik finds him. He looks like a hedgehog because the professor saw an ancient prophetic mural depicting Super Sonic.

Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. NA release: 25th May 1998 PAL release: 1998 (Australia only) JP release: N/A Developer: Angel Studios Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 74% With this being published by Nintendo, you would hope for a fun and solid portrayal of Baseball, similar to how NBA Courtside did the same for Basketball. Unfortunately, while this does go for a more arcade-style format, it’s rather clunky and messy by comparison. This features a similar system than most of the other N64 baseball games, and this seems to be the easiest to hit the ball – but still almost impossible to actually do anything with it, struggling to land a hit that doesn’t go straight to an opponent, while the CPU hit a home run first try. One thing I do like is that the games seem snappier and go by much quicker, so you can get through a match in a decent time, but this is just an average baseball game. Remake or remaster? Newer baseball games are likely better – although it’s interesting that Nintendo once had the Major League Baseball license, as Sony have now had it for a while. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.

https://www.wired.com/story/lucasfilm-games-star-wars-ubisoft-indiana-jones-bethesda/ Working with Ubisoft and Massive Games (The Division). No other details so far, they're still recruiting for it so it's going to be a few years away.

World Cup 98 NA release: 19th May 1998 PAL release: 19th May 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: EA, Software Creations Publisher: EA Sports N64 Magazine Score: 73% World Cup 98 is simply FIFA Road to World Cup 98 with some minor gameplay changes and a ton of stuff removed. While the previous game had every official international team, plus teams from multiple leagues (such as the Premiership), this just has the teams that qualified for the world cup (plus 8 extras). The gameplay has some minor tweaks that isn’t as noticeable and one of the fun parts of the previous game – the indoor 5-a-side – is also gone. This is just the previous game with fewer stuff. Interestingly, the FIFA branding is missing (even though the World Cup is a FIFA tournament) – I wonder if they thought that not having the FIFA name would make people think that this is another competitor to try out. Remake or remaster? Nothing interesting is offered here. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get World Cup 98

Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. NA release: 19th May 1998 PAL release: September 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Saffire, Midway Publisher: Midway (NA) GT (PAL) N64 Magazine Score: 76% I really had no idea that the N64 had so many people trying to claim the title of being the N64’s fighting game. In BioFREAKS, the concept is that in a dystopian future, people have been modified into grotesque monsters (although, predictably, the female characters aren’t modified as much). The only notable character to me was a fish monster, although he oddly throws up blood before and after matches. A couple of things set BioFREAKS apart. First is the hover, where you can fly. This doesn’t seem that well integrated into the fighting and is mainly used to making distance, as this fighting game relies a lot on projectile attacks, which don’t even need special attacks to use. Levels are a 3D but not that interesting, although a couple do make use of the flying. Do enough damage to an opponent and they may lose limbs and lose some of their attacks. I think this is supposed to look gruesome (as with the whole game), but it all comes across as laughably silly, unlike the gore in Mortal Kombat. This isn’t bad, but it’s just another fighting game on the N64. Remake or remaster? Throw all the Midway fighting games in a collection. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get BioFREAKS

Too Human started was originally announced for the PlayStation, but development was paused when they made a deal with Nintendo to make Eternal Darkness on the N64. Incidentally, Too Human is still available digitally on the Xbox store https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/too-human/BQ216SGGM4M8 It's cheaper than the physical versions, too. Still not sure it's worth the price.

ClayFighter Sculptor’s Cut NA release: 15th May 1998 PAL release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Interplay Publisher: Interplay N64 Magazine Score: N/A This is an “improved” and updated version of ClayFighter 63⅓ featuring some gameplay changes and new characters. It was exclusive to Blockbusters, the small amount of copies being sold after the promotion ended, making it one of the rarest N64 games. That said, everything good about the game you see before the main menu: the game’s intro is a nice little song. But the game is still incredibly slow and tedious. The main changes to gameplay are the removal of a bunch of special moves. Some of the new characters are slightly more inventive than the originals, but there’s still none that I wanted to actually choose. This is just a small patch for a terrible game. Remake or remaster? Like I said for 63⅓, throw them all in a compilation. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get ClayFighter Sculptor’s Cut

Forsaken 64 NA release: 30th April 1998 PAL release: 1st May1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Iguana, Probe Publisher: Acclaim N64 Magazine Score: 87% When it comes to remastered versions of games, I give play around with the remaster and the N64 version a bit to compare feel and features. While Forsaken Remastered is a great version, it’s based on the PlayStation/PC version and while it contains the N64 exclusive levels, it lacks a few features and the exclusive levels are bonuses, so it felt a bit to different to play – so I stuck to the N64 version (if you just want to play the game, then definitely play the Remaster). Forsaken is a spaceship combat game that takes place in cramped maze-like arenas. Naturally, this feels very disorientating, even though the controls (once you adjust them to your liking and get used to them) do a good job at allowing you to move in so many directions and there’s a lot of weapons to find and use. The third person mode is exclusive to the N64 version and looks neat with the see-through ships, but a lack of crosshairs makes it difficult to aim. It’s still a nice novelty, though. There’s a lot of levels, but unfortunately they all feel quite samey, and while enemies look different, they don’t feel that different to blow up. That said, Forsaken 64 is a decent game, there’s a lot of levels and a good multiplayer. A bit of variety and some more open levels would be nice, though. There’s also a lot of impressive background lore and detail on the characters, none of which is really carried through to the game, which is just a case of completing the objectives and going to the next level. Remake or remaster? The remaster is probably the best way to play Forsaken, even though it’s lacking the 3rd person view (it looked nice but isn’t practical), it plays a lot nicer and looks cleaner – although an “N64 playlist” to play levels in the order of the N64 game would be nice. Official ways to get the game. The remastered version of the PC/PS1 Forsaken is available on GoG and Steam.

Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition NA release: 30th April 1998 PAL release: June 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Taito, Probe Publisher: Acclaim N64 Magazine Score: 80% Another colour match puzzle game, Bust-a-Move (or the much better named Puzzle Bobble in Japan) is a well renowned puzzle series, with this being a port of the popular arcade version of Bust-a-Move 2. Unfortunately, I had issues with this as quite a few colours looked similar to me. The game does use shapes as well – but they’re partly obscured by the puzzles, and the shapes spin around (and out of sync), so it takes me too long to properly check I’m aiming at the right colour. If it wasn’t for this, then Bust-A-Move 2 would be a puzzle game that I would enjoy, and on top of competing against more difficult enemies (with little animations before each “battle”), there’s also a puzzle mode – but this is also against a timer, so my issue with colours persisted in this mode. I’m sure this is a good puzzle game, but unfortunately my colourblindness gets in the way. Remake or remaster? It doesn’t really need a remake and the newest game in the series, Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! (they’ve moved to using the Japanese name worldwide) is out on Switch. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Bust-a-Move 2: Arcade Edition

Bomberman Hero JP release: 30th April 1998 NA release: 31st August 1998 PAL release: 23rd October 1998 Developer: Hudson Publisher: Hudson (JP), Nintendo (NA/PAL) N64 Magazine Score: 66% Coming out a mere six months after the first Bomberman game on N64, this Bomberman game seems like it was developed as a separate take on Bomberman rather than a sequel to Bomberman 64 (it actually started out as a Bonk game). This focuses solely on platforming rather than the more puzzle-orientated Bomberman 64, but unfortunately doesn’t so much with it. Bomberman Hero is made up of a lot of short, linear levels, ether played from side to side or up into the screen. You collect gems, kill enemies and try to get to the door. The main challenge is from the poor depth perception and rather naff jump, with the difficulty of the first level and final level being pretty much the same. Very few levels stand out, and the ones that do (one that adds a lot of fog and one on moving platforms) do so because they’re particularly bad. There are a few types of vehicle levels, which all feel like slow and boring copies of Star Fox 64. Move into the screen, firing off torpedoes while avoiding enemies. Bosses are a particular nuisance, not so much that their attacks are difficult to dodge, but rather because they have a lot of health and take ages to defeat – the last world before the ending being comprised of repeated boss sections before the final boss. Like Bomberman 64, there is a hidden final bit of story, but the game is far to dull to hunt for all the collectibles required to do so – and it’s just more of the same, really dull gameplay. It’s nowhere near as tedious as Bobmerman 64, it’s just a really boring and average platformer. Incidentally, despite Bomberman being legendary for multiplayer, Bobmerman Hero has no multiplayer whatsoever. Remake or remaster? Again, there are better Bomberman games to focus on – these can just be part of a larger collection. Official ways to get the game. There is no official way to get Bomberman Hero.

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside NA release: 27th April 1998 PAL release: 10th June 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Left Field Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 90% Licensed sports games aren’t what you expect to be published by Nintendo, but here we are with NBA Courtside, a licensed basketball game and one that does a really good job with the sport. The graphics were particularly good on the N64 at the time, with some really nice reflections on the court. At first, it seemed like a very back and forth game like other baseball games, with you and your opponent taking turns to score, but I eventually learnt how to properly tackle and defend (players you aren’t directly controlling move to sensible positions) and was able to go on the offensive and win some matches. Controls are fluid with a lot of options to adjust to your liking. NBA Courtside is a very solid basketball game, one that is enjoyable for non-Basketball fans and probably great for those who are into the sport. Remake or Remaster? Sports games evolve over time. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play NBA Courtside

All-Star Baseball 99 NA release: 14th April 1998 PAL release: 1st August 1998 JP release: N/A Developer: Iguana Publisher: Acclaim N64 Magazine Score: 84% The N64’s first baseball game that was actually released in America (and Europe). This follows similar control schemes as most of the Japanese baseball games, aiming the bat with the stick. One notable thing is that this is entirely in 3D, and doesn’t switch to a different style when the fielders are chasing the ball. Like Power Pros 5, it also has an indicator to show where the ball is heading towards, but this is initially confusing as it moves as the ball curves, and I did manage to hit the ball a few times and even get a home run. The computer still feels like they’re far too skilled, especially when catching balls, though. There’s a nifty cheat that allows for playing in an alien stadium (which deforms players to look alien-like) but there aren’t a lot of modes. This seems like a decent baseball game, but that’s coming from someone who has yet to win a baseball match in a video game. Remake or Remaster? Like other sports games, the genre has evolved. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play All-Star Baseball 99