Dcubed Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 50 minutes ago, Cube said: I mistakenly didn't check, I just presumed it wouldn't be due to the strange legal issues with the franchise (like how the GameCube one was redone, but not as a Harvest Moon game). To be fair, it was exclusive to the JPN NSO service for a good while due to said trademark issues, but it did hit the western service eventually. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh64 Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 I briefly tried this on NSO but I think I've had my farming fill for a good few years thanks to Stardew and Doraemon. As you said, it is was probably good at the time, but going back to it now isn't great after the genre has been refined so much in the last few years! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 (edited) 7 hours ago, Dcubed said: To be fair, it was exclusive to the JPN NSO service for a good while due to said trademark issues, but it did hit the western service eventually. Harvest Moon 64 and Ten Eighty released on the JP NSO + Expansion Pack on 08/12/2023. Harvest Moon 64, Ten Eighty and Jet Force Gemini released on the UK NSO + Expansion Pack on 08/12/2023. The JP SNES Harvest Moon, however, was out over a year before we got it last summer. Edited July 7 by darksnowman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 3 hours ago, darksnowman said: Harvest Moon 64 and Ten Eighty released on the JP NSO + Expansion Pack on 08/12/2023. Harvest Moon 64, Ten Eighty and Jet Force Gemini released on the UK NSO + Expansion Pack on 08/12/2023. The JP SNES Harvest Moon, however, was out over a year before we got it last summer. Evidently I stand corrected! Was probably thinking of the SNES game then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 8 minutes ago, Dcubed said: Evidently I stand corrected! Was probably thinking of the SNES game then. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 WCW Nitro NA release: 9th February 1999 JP release: N/A PAL release: N/A Developer: Inland Publisher: THQ N64 Magazine Score: 42% This wrestling game feels like it’s trying to be more of an arcade style fighter than a wrestling game. That said, you still need to finish the fight with a pin or ring-out, just after you deplete their health bar. It’s not a terrible idea in theory, but WCW Nitro is just an incredibly shoddy product. Outside of the incredibly ugly graphics, the biggest issue is the controls. They’re incredibly unresponsive, where pressing a button is a gamble as to if your fighter is doing to do it, and the combinations are even worse. Most of the fights ended in a ringout because, no matter how much I tried, my character would ignore my requests of getting back into the ring. The game starts with very few wrestlers unlocked, with over 50 in the total, unlocked by repeatedly doing tournaments. This seems fairly poor for such a multiplayer focused game, as people want to play as their favourite wrestlers. The PS version was praised for having a live action cutscene for wrestler introductions (made specifically for the game), but the N64 lacks this one redeeming feature. There was one interesting ring that looked like a stretched pool table with the wrestlers looking tiny, but that’s about it I can come up with for praise for WCW Nitro. Quote It’s hard to know where to start picking faults. Should we mention the suspiciously well-choreographed nature of certain moves? In some instances, you perform a throw and actually see your opponent shuffle apologetically into position so that it works. Now that is feeble. - James Price, N64 Magazine #27 Remake or Remaster? The idea could work if tried again, but there’s nothing remarkable about the actual game. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play WCW Nitro 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 17 hours ago, Cube said: Is there a snooker minigame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 6 hours ago, darksnowman said: Is there a snooker minigame. Nope, nothing fun like that. Snowboard Kids 2 JP release: 19th February 1999 NA release: 1st March PAL release: 30th April 1999 (AUS only) Developer: Racdym Publisher: Atlus N64 Magazine Score: 86% Some sequels try to reinvent the wheel, others try to make improvements on the original while some, like Snowboard Kids 2, just provide more of the same. The first Snowboard Kids was a pretty good game, and so is Snowboard Kids 2. You snowboard through some nice looking levels, using ski lifts to finish a “lap” and use items to hit other racers. The story mode feels very much expanded upon, with a little town you can walk around acting as a menu and cutscenes before and after with some silly but fun little animations. In terms of what you actually play, it doesn’t actually change much, so it’s a nice example of how a bit of nice presentation can make something feel much more like a fulfilling experience. One of the biggest issues in Snowboard Kids 2 is the track design. The themes are great, and includes space and underwater levels. The problem is the tracks are much flatter, which makes the game extremely slow. The speed issue was present in the first game, but this highlights it even more. Considering the absurdity of the game, the snowboards accelerating on flatter surfaces really shouldn’t be a problem. There are a few nice minigames, such as a speed challenge using items and a trick mode. The most interesting was a Paperboy mission where you have to deliver newspapers to houses. Snowboard Kids 2 is in a nicer package than the first, but the lack of speed can just be frustrating. Quote Snowboard Kids 2 is criminally slow. Yes, we know that speed on your snowboard is dependent on the steepness of the hill. Yes, we know that if you fall or collide with something, you can only accelerate off as gravity allows. WE KNOW THESE TGINS! But in a game where reality gets cast aside with wilful abandon at every opportunity, in the name of things good in gaming, why pick this one law of physics to stick to? In places – particularly after a fall on a flat section – Snowboard Kids 2 is so arse-bendingly slow. It really and truly, purely and simply, utterly and completely MAKES YOU WANT TO SCREAM. - James Ashton, N64 Magazine #28 Remake or Remaster? A remake with all the courses with a bit more speed would be great. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play Snowboard Kids 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 I remember really loving those games. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 Vigilante 8 NA release: 17th March 1999 PAL: release: March 1999 JP release: N/A Developer: Luxoflux Publisher: Activision N64 Magazine Score: 74% I remember having a lot of fun with the sequel to Vigilante 8, Second Offence, but never played the first. The car combat genre seems like something that would do extremely well with online, yet the more recent implementations of Vigilante 8 (as well as Twisted Metal) just never seemed to recreate what was fun about the earlier games – although they just haven’t tried since the 360/PS3 era. That said, I didn’t find playing Vigilante 8 to be that much fun, although I’m sure multiplayer would help with that. The main mode has you going through five levels blasting enemies. There seems to be two kinds of AI opponents, those that stop in front of you and shoot until they die, or ones that flee to the health pickups whenever they get grazed and are incredibly annoying to deal with. In each level, you also have a (thankfully optional) objective to protect a random building. A couple of these I failed within the first 10 seconds of a match, due to enemies being spawned right next to them. The levels themselves are quite nice, with good visual variety and destructible buildings. They have a very 60s American feel about them. Ultimately, though, the game is fairly basic and repetitive. I think a singleplayer mode for a game like this should have different objectives, and even the multiplayer should be more than wiping everyone out. Quote Vigilante 8 is a PlayStation game that’s been given the Nintendo cartridge treatment. Having been stung by previously shoddy ports, we approached it with a fair amount of caution. However, developers Luxflux are plainly aware of what makes the N64 tick and have created a game that is the very model of conversion etiquette. - Jes Bickham, N64 Magazine #28 Remake or Remaster? We do need a new game in this series. Even if it’s a smaller downloadable title. There is a fan-made Unity remaster of the game that incorporates things from both games. It seems quite faithful to the original in terms of feel, so is a good way to try out the games on more modern hardware. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play Vigilante 8. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Hard to keep up with this thread. Fair play to you for not treating Castlevania as a laughing stock. Obviously, it's no classic and it didn't make the jump to 3D as well as Mario and Zelda, but what did? Plenty of games had similar teething problems—some still do. It was a decent attempt (nothing more) at a 3D follow-up to IV with some memorable things like the skeletons and being chased through the hedge maze. Other aspects are memorable for the wrong reasons. Vigilante 8 provided some fun multiplayer but I won't argue that it's nothing special overall. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 10 Author Share Posted July 10 California Speed NA release: 18th March 1999 PAL: release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Midway, Atari Publisher: Midway N64 Magazine Score: 36% California Speed seems like what the Cruis’n games would be like if they were competently made. California Speed is the same style of arcade racer (it even has the same useless radar), yet feels much more stable. That said, it has its own set of ups and downs. The tracks in California Speed are a great spectacle. In the first track alone you’ll drive through a city, across a beach, through an aquarium and over a golf course. Others have you driving through the inside of a computer, through a volcano, riding a rollercoaster track, navigating a mall, visiting some aliens and over the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the tracks is a miniature California (a bit like the USA map in Pilotwings), where you plough through skyscrapers. While the tracks look nice and keep you wandering what will crop up nice, they’re really, really boring when it comes to actually driving on them. Most are wide, straight and with very few turns (not that the cars can manage sharp turns), so once you’ve played it once, you’ll have no interest in trying again. For a few races I even held the controller awkwardly in one hand, with the accelerator held town and using the tip of my thumb to steer, while drinking a cup of tea with my mind on something else. And still won. As an arcade game, working your way though the game to see what crazy thing comes next is something that might be appealing. But as you’ll never want to play any of the tracks a second time, it doesn’t translate well to a home console. It’s sad as there are some imaginative ideas, they just don’t play well. Quote Califonia Speed, then, is driving horse manure of the highest order. Not perhaps quite in the same league as Cruis’n USA but definitely well on the way to getting there. It’s a boring N64 game derived from a boring arcade game derived from an idea sketched on the back of a napkin in MacDonalds by not-very-talented programmers. Bit harsh? Wait till you play it. - Tim Weaver, N64 Magazine #28 Remake or Remaster? A Midway Racer collection would be nice. Perhaps even allow to mix racing styles, tracks and vehicles from different games. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play California Speed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Sumo 64 2 JP release: 19th March 1999 PAL: release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Bottom Up Publisher: Bottom Up N64 Magazine Score: N/A I really enjoyed the first Sumo 64 game, much to my surprise. It had simple but quick gameplay, and an intriguing story that went a bit off the rails (in a fun way) by the end. As a result, I was very interested in seeing how the second one would be like. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. There are some improvements, and I think the language barrier does hinder these improvements somewhat. The combat system is much more in depth, with special moves and abilities that I could never quite figure out – and even then, I liked the simplicity of the first game. It still retains the more rhythm style of combat, though. You do get to create your own character in this game. There’s a few options to change and you can enter your name, which is used for just the opening cutscene – then you pick your Sumo name (from a limited set of Japanese words – possibly linked to what the announcer can say) and the first name you inputted is never used again. The story this time no longer unfolds in between individual matches (you very occasionally get a standalone little skit, but it doesn’t advance the story), but instead in between tournaments. You can pick different locations to visit. Important events are highlighted, but outside of that, where you pick makes no difference. Some cutscenes are just random little skits, while others further your relationship with a few women. After around 20 tournaments, I ended up giving up on the game. No overall plot had begun (even at the start of the first game, you had a few rivals and would have some fights outside the tournaments), just standalone stories with three different women. Two of them crop up occasionally, with the main one being a restaurant owner where you spend years trying to help her come up with a new menu. I kept waiting for the main story to start, but just got fed up in the end. I got strangely addicted to getting through the first Sumo 64, but the changes to how the story work (and seeming lack of a main plotline) means that this wasn’t as enjoyable. Remake or Remaster? I would still like to see both of these games – perhaps I missed some stuff due to Google Translate? Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play Sumo 64 2. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Are the images for the last two posts not working for anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 48 minutes ago, Ashley said: Are the images for the last two posts not working for anyone else? They're down for now. Currently undergoing a server migration. Edit: @Ashley I've replaced the images from the last couple with imgur uploads, so it should work now. Migration seems to have been successful and working fine on my PC (changing to Google DNS helps) but I know things can take time for everyone to be able to see the changes, so I'll stick with the alternative uploads for the next few. I think this site's ability to automatically turn the url into an image will be a good indication (at the moment, it can't see my website so keeps it as a link) -- King of Pro Baseball 2 JP release: 19th March 1999 PAL: release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Genki Publisher: Imagineer N64 Magazine Score: N/A King of Pro Baseball 2 feels a lot more stable and smooth than the first game. Hitting the ball seems much more reliable, due to better markers showing the patch of the ball. Not that it makes much difference, as the computer will catch it every time you hit the ball, and they’ll hit it nowhere near your pitchers. There is an RPG mode in this game, which lets you create a character and join a beginner league. You make some dialogue choices throughout and will play small sections of games. I got through a few parts and was told that no team was interested in me. I expected to have to play more beginner matches until I got noticed, but no. I instead just got a game over message and booted out of the mode, having to create a new character from scratch. King of Pro Baseball 2 could have been an enjoyable, but once again, a baseball game is ruined by absurd CPU players. Remake or Remaster? There are better baseball games to update. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play King of Pro Baseball 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 The Game of Life 64 JP release: 19th March 1999 PAL: release: N/A NA release: N/A Developer: Takara Publisher: Takara N64 Magazine Score: N/A The “classic” board game The Game of Life is very popular in Japan. The board game is incredibly basic as you roll, move and do what the square you land on says, with the biggest choice you get to make is choosing what career you do – for the most part, though, it’s fancy Snakes & Ladders. When it comes to making a video game version of The Game of Life, the Japanese publisher Takara haven’t just made a digital recreation of the board game, but have instead properly adapted the game to take advantage of being a video game. Without needing to fit within the constraints of the board, the spaces twist through a large landscape of farms, countryside and cities. There are different size board for different game lengths, and you can also create your own out of different themed sections. The method of moving is unfortunately still the same – spin a spinner and move that many spaces, but it at least does something with it. At the start of the game, you get to create an avatar to represent you, with a decent amount of options. If you can’t be bothered with this, then you can select a pre-made one. When the game start, you start as a child, with the initial avatar to suit the age you’re supposed to be at that point of the game, up to an elderly version of it. It’s a nice little touch to visualise the game more. When you land on spaces, you get amusing little animations showing the event happening (and as I didn’t get a repeat in a game, there must be a lot). Sometimes you also get to make a choice as to how your react to a situation. These will then alter one of your four stats (which affect bonuses at the end of the game) or your money. It solves the problem of multiple people getting the same event. This version also has “game” tiles, with a small selection of minigames to play. These are fine, but nothing outstanding, with a lot of focus on the strange aliens prominent throughout the game, with arse-UFOs. Winning or losing will affect stats and money. They can be played with one controller (so you can do a full 4 player game with just one controller), which is a nice touch for a game like this. Getting married and having children is also massively expanded upon for the video game. When you land on a romance square, you enter the dating minigame and can visit a place to meet new people, ask someone you’ve met to go on a date, propose or work on improving yourself. It’s an interesting way to expand upon it, but as it requires landing on a lot of exact squares, difficult to do. In a “short” 2+ hour game, only one person managed by taking a chance and proposing with a 50% chance on the final romance square of the board. When you reach the end of the map, all your assets and achievements are converted into money. From then on, when it’s your turn, you spin the spinner and collect money, which is a really boring way to end the final part of the game, especially as it can still take a while before others reach the end as well. You can also risk all your money by gambling in the hopes of getting more. At the end, bonus money is rewarded based on categories, such as all the individual stats and a winner is the person with the most money. At the end, each player get judged based on their morality of their choices during events, which determines the kind of afterlife you get. It’s a fun little ending to the whole thing. This version doesn’t turn the game into a good game (it’s still 95% spinning and not deciding on anything), but it’s nice to see attempts to turn a board game into more of a video game, utilising what can be done in the digital format that would be a pain for the actual board game. Remake or Remaster? New versions are being made, with the latest on the Switch. An English version would be intriguing to see. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play The Game of Life 64 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 14 Author Share Posted July 14 Pokémon Snap JP release: 21st March 1999 NA: release: 26th July 1999 PAL release: 23rd March 2000 (AUS), 15th September 2000 (EUR) Developer: HAL Laboratory Publisher: Nintendo N64 Magazine Score: 80% This is a game I had as a kid, and I ended up trading it in (for a Robot Wars game on Game Boy, for all things) because of how much it annoyed me. All these years later, I still have the same major problem with the game: I can’t push back my ideals of a great photo in favour of what the game likes to have as a great photo. Pokémon Snap is an on-rails shooter where you shoot Pokémon…with a camera (I’m sure that joke has been done many times before). Your vehicle moves on its own, but you can look in all directions to try and take photos of pokémon. Throughout the game, you will unlock apples, bombs and a flute that let you manipulate pokémon to get them into special poses, or to cause new ones to appear. This aspect of the game is the best part, as its a puzzle to solve. At the end of each level, Professor Oak grades you on your photos. They have to be in the centre of the screen, take up most of the photo and ideally be striking a pose. You also get additional points for additional photos of the same pokémon in the same photo – other types don’t count. Which is my biggest issue with the game, especially as the game sets up many nice photos of multiple types – such as a diglet and pikachu playing together. Solving the puzzle aspects of Pokémon Snap is a lot of fun, but I really don’t like the actual photography part of it. Quote Pokémon Snap also has the distinction of being the best realisation of the Pokémmon universe to date. The locations are perfect – familiar and yet somehow other-worldly. The monsters behave just like you’d expect them to, and are cute beyond belief. Plus, there’s a challenging and engrossing game to play. - Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine #45 Remake or Remaster? Recreating these levels in New Pokémon Snap as additional content would have been nice. Official Ways to get the game There is no way to buy a new copy of Pokémon Snap the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 On 7/13/2024 at 10:37 PM, Cube said: Getting married and having children is also massively expanded upon for the video game. When you land on a romance square, you enter the dating minigame and can visit a place to meet new people, ask someone you’ve met to go on a date, propose or work on improving yourself. It’s an interesting way to expand upon it, but as it requires landing on a lot of exact squares, difficult to do. In a “short” 2+ hour game, only one person managed by taking a chance and proposing with a 50% chance on the final romance square of the board. That sounds pretty realistic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 (edited) 40 minutes ago, Cube said: Pokémon Snap is an on-rails shooter where you shoot Pokémon…with a camera (I’m sure that joke has been done many times before). Your vehicle moves on its own, but you can look in all directions to try and take photos of pokémon. Throughout the game, you will unlock apples, bombs and a flute that let you manipulate pokémon to get them into special poses, or to cause new ones to appear. This aspect of the game is the best part, as its a puzzle to solve. That's the thing though... it isn't really a joke at all. Pokemon Snap is basically a Star Fox game, with a very heavy emphasis on scoring and optimisation of said scoring. Granted, it lacks the ability to duck & weave through enemy fire and the surrounding environment, but the set of items that you get gives you enough ability to interact with the environment & choose/alter your path to make up for this and seperate it from your typical light gun game. I've said it many times before and I still believe this. This is the biggest part of the game's appeal that most people do not understand (and indeed, something that Namco failed to understand with its Switch sequel; as they turned it into more of a sleepy safari photography game). Pokemon Snap is an arcade score-attack rail shooter, just wearing a photography skin. Everything involving the photography aspect of the game is just mere window dressing around the core rail-shooter gameplay. It's a proper rush to see those scores multiply as you game the system to achieve the most optimal photos possible If I have any major flaw to levy against the game though? It's that there is an optimal path to take with each stage; with only certain types of photos leading to the best possible score. I'd chalk this one up to an overall lack of Pokemon variety and a limited number of stages, with only a mere 63 Pokemon being available in-game and just 6 stages in total... a casualty of being moved from 64DD to standard N64 cartridge no doubt. Either way, I still love the hell out of the original N64 game; it really does help scratch that Star Fox itch Edited July 14 by Dcubed 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 Was hovering over Pokémon Snap on NSO yesterday evening. Would have hopped on it for a refresher had I known it was next in line for this thread. 10 hours ago, Dcubed said: If I have any major flaw to levy against the game though? It's that there is an optimal path to take with each stage Well you see, most people just don't understand it's basically a Star Fox game. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 Beetle Adventure Racing! NA release: 23rd March 1999 PAL: release: 4th September 1999 JP release: 26th November 1999 Developer: Paradigm, EA Canada Publisher: EA (NA/EU), EA Square (JP) N64 Magazine Score: 81% Beetle Adventure Racing has a rather odd story of how it was created. EA gave a team the task of making a Need for Speed for the N64. Instead of doing this, they developed their own idea for a car game, one they felt suited the N64 more. EA executives were impressed but still wanted NfS – and the developers still carried on with their idea before getting greenlit and deciding on adding the Beetle as the car of the game. The adventure angle is entirely within the tracks, and is something that comes across really well. The tracks are filled with interesting parts, and there are a ton of shortcuts and hidden areas to discover. I really like how the laps work in the game – the starting area is on its own little stretch, you do laps of the main course, but the end of the third lap twists off into a new final part of the track – in one level, a volcano erupts and you have to drive around lava. While there are only six tracks, they’re packed full of so much stuff that you want to try different routes – not to mention that they’re quite long. Although it’s not just a case of seeing a shortcut and taking it – as some of them are slower than the main track. There are bonus point crates to find (which gets you extra lives) and some of them are just fun to take, yet I do wish that there was an exploration option that tasked you with finding the crates (and perhaps other hidden collectables). Beetle Adventure Racing is a lot of fun and the handling works very well, but a few more modes to take advantage of the tracks would have turned it into a must-have. It’s a lovely idea for a racing game, and something you don’t see now. It’s a shame the sequel, Adventure Racing II (which was going to ditch the Beetles to have unique, customisable cars) was cancelled. Quote There are some amazing effects to marvel at, particularly in the desert level’s pyramid, where towering pillars are reflected in the polished floors and eerie shadows play across the ceilings. Since there’s so much to see, the effort expended in seeking out all the various routes is usually rewarded with a glimpse of some kind of visual treat, as well as the simple thrill of battering through what you thought was a solid wall and heading into an entirely new section of track. - Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine #27 Remake or Remaster? I would love to see an expanded remaster of this. Sprucing it up a bit, trying to incorporate what was planned for the sequel and adding some modes and missions. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play Beetle Adventure Racing. 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 I need to get this game at some point. Ain’t no way it ever gets added to NSO, so long as EA continue to hold the rights sadly… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 I have been summoned! I did pick this up but long ago as I saw it in CEX. Now I just need an N64. It was one of those games I rented a few times because I couldn't afford to buy it but really enjoyed it and I'm not a huge racing person. In fact famously I disdain cars. But it's a fun game. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksnowman Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 A gem. Finding different routes, seeing the sights (perhaps imagining your own story about what's going on in the stages as you uncover more areas) and ultimately deciding what route you thought was fastest made for something that held its own pretty handily against the other N64 racing games. I speak from memory so its reassuring to see @Cube had a fun time with BAR nowadays. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 Micro Machines 64 Turbo NA release: 24th March 1999 PAL: release: 23rd April 1999 JP release: N/A Developer: Codemasters Publisher: Codemasters (EU), Midway (NA) N64 Magazine Score: 86% While the only Micro Machine toys I remember having were the Star Wars playsets, the Micro Machines video games on the Mega Drive were a big part of my early childhood. The concept was simple yet brilliant: toy cars racing around household settings. I was never good at the games, though, and that has not changed in the years since, as this port of Micro Machines V3 has shown me. I did find it difficult to get into the controls, which has much more to do with how I haven’t played a racing game of this style for a while, and now I’m used to direction of movement to be based on the camera. This isn’t a fault of the game at all, the controls are very precise and you need to master them to do well at the game. The tracks are brutal. They start off difficult and then, as you go through the campaign, you unlock more and more sets of tracks of increasing difficulty. You need to mostly stay within the lines, as if you spend too long off the course, you’ll blow up when you get back on it and be sent all the way back to when you were last on it. The game will let you cut some corners, yet others are extremely strict. As you need to learn the courses inside-out to do well at them, you’ll also need to figure out where you can and can’t cut corners. Micro Machines truly shines in its multiplayer mode, which retains it’s classic formula. It’s not who makes it round the track the fastest. the camera moves with both players, and if enough gap is made to throw a player off the track, the player in front gains a place. Micro Machines 64 Turbo also offers up to eight players, each using a half of an N64 controller (although the controls aren’t as good, due to not using the analogue stick), making it a great multiplayer title for when you have lots of people round. Quote Racing through school chemistry equipment (and exiting a bunsen burner as a ball of flame), swerving around a Godzilla-sized sleeping dog, speeding through a garden pond – all these skewed-perspective set pieces haven’t lost their power to entertain. - Jis Bickham, N64 Magazine #25 Remake or Remaster? A Micro Machines collection is long overdue. Official Ways to get the game There’s no official way to play Micro Machines 64 Turbo 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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