Cruis 'n USA (Rating: 9/10)
Cruis'n USA isn't actually as bad the averaged out Amazon rating says. There's some good arcade-style racing here. You may not be interested in this category if you like games like Mario Kart, but it's still a pretty good game. Granted, there are some pretty cheesy things that have been said in-game ("Wow, so THIS is the Grand Canyon!"), but you can get used to that easily.
Another thing that some may complain about is that the game is short. You can beat the game in a little less than a half hour. But I don't care about how long a game is. It just needs to fit with its price...and boy, do you have a chance of buying a used copy for a few bucks.
The game is like Rad Racer on the NES, but 10 times better. If you like games that are similar to Rad Racer, Ridge Racer, or maybe Need for Speed, then Cruis'n USA is definitely something to buy.
Another thing that some may complain about is that the game is short. You can beat the game in a little less than a half hour. But I don't care about how long a game is. It just needs to fit with its price...and boy, do you have a chance of buying a used copy for a few bucks.
The game is like Rad Racer on the NES, but 10 times better. If you like games that are similar to Rad Racer, Ridge Racer, or maybe Need for Speed, then Cruis'n USA is definitely something to buy.
Mario Kart 64 (Rating: 10/10)
Mario Kart 64 is the true 3D Nintendo 64 sequel to Super Mario Kart. Since the characters wouldn't look so great on karts in 3D on the N64, the sprites are in 2D, which explains how they are fully detailed.
There are 16 courses you can race in, along with 4 courses for your average Battle Mode.
Now that there are 4 players, the 2-4 Player modes can be pretty fun, especially 2-Player since it has all the options from 1-Player Mode.
The item roster is slightly different from Super Mario Kart, but it's fun to use them all.
Overall, Mario Kart 64 is another game that defines 3D gaming on the Nintendo 64.
There are 16 courses you can race in, along with 4 courses for your average Battle Mode.
Now that there are 4 players, the 2-4 Player modes can be pretty fun, especially 2-Player since it has all the options from 1-Player Mode.
The item roster is slightly different from Super Mario Kart, but it's fun to use them all.
Overall, Mario Kart 64 is another game that defines 3D gaming on the Nintendo 64.
Mortal Kombat 4 (9/10)
Mortal Kombat is a totally cool fighting game series. Digitized and bloody fighting combined with neck-breaking, spine-ripping fatality moves make the series seem like gold. But I personally find the transition from 2D to 3D for this series scary at first glance. I originally thought the fatalities would end up being like horror movie scenes. However, I ended up sticking with it.
In Arcade mode, there were about 5 or 6 difficulty modes. In Mortal Kombat on the SNES, I played well on it. In Mortal Kombat 2 on Game Boy, I was able to tackle Hard mode. In Mortal Kombat 4 for Game Boy, I can beat Master mode, but that version of this game was too easy. Here, I got my butt kicked even on Normal mode! The game is pretty challenging, but I think if a player's good enough, he can whop through easily.
The gameplay is traditional Mortal Kombat fighting action. There are also some new moves, such as twisting someone's leg.
The graphics are also really great, especially considering some of the Nintendo 64's limits, such as the 2D blood during the Game Over screen.
And of course, the sound is top-notch.
There are very few fighting games for the Nintendo 64, and this is your saving grace for your virtual strength.
In Arcade mode, there were about 5 or 6 difficulty modes. In Mortal Kombat on the SNES, I played well on it. In Mortal Kombat 2 on Game Boy, I was able to tackle Hard mode. In Mortal Kombat 4 for Game Boy, I can beat Master mode, but that version of this game was too easy. Here, I got my butt kicked even on Normal mode! The game is pretty challenging, but I think if a player's good enough, he can whop through easily.
The gameplay is traditional Mortal Kombat fighting action. There are also some new moves, such as twisting someone's leg.
The graphics are also really great, especially considering some of the Nintendo 64's limits, such as the 2D blood during the Game Over screen.
And of course, the sound is top-notch.
There are very few fighting games for the Nintendo 64, and this is your saving grace for your virtual strength.
Namco Museum (Rating: 8/10)
Namco Museum has been hogged with by Playstation for 5 volumes. It was time for the series to come to Nintendo.
This compilation contains 6 arcade classics: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position, and Dig Dug. Each one of them has simple gameplay, but it can easily become addicting.
However, you might overlook this for the more popular N64 games, such as Super Mario 64, but overall, it's a pretty good collection.
This compilation contains 6 arcade classics: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position, and Dig Dug. Each one of them has simple gameplay, but it can easily become addicting.
However, you might overlook this for the more popular N64 games, such as Super Mario 64, but overall, it's a pretty good collection.
Pokemon Stadium (Rating: 4/10)
I may not be a Pokemon fan anymore, but I LOVED the series when I was a lot younger (Fun Fact: A Jirachi card was what motivated me to ride my bike). Actually, I'd probably go play Pokemon Sapphire again if I were to come back to Pokemon fandom. Now, let me tell you: I'm not one to troll Nintendo. I'm a HUGE Nintendo fanboy, just so you know (See lots of my other reviews for proof).
But then when you look at Pokemon Stadium, you'd probably think: "OMG POKEMON ON NINTENDO 64!!!" It would be one of the best Nintendo games ever, considering how awesome the series was on Game Boy, right? WRONG.
Pokemon Stadium isn't what you'd expect to be the next big entry in the franchise. Rather than it being an RPG, the series's turn-based battles replace it all! It's all about fighting your Pokemon. Nothing else. In turned-based battles. How the heck is that supposed to work? It's not. If it's an RPG with that stuff, then we'd be all over it. You CAN'T have the turn-based battles make up a whole game by itself.
Okay, maybe it actually isn't ALL about the turn-based battles. There are minigames, and some of them can be rather interesting. But they only remind you that this should have been an RPG. We had to wait for Pokemon Colosseum to give us the experience that we really needed. This should be left alone, as one of Nintendo's few pieces of crap. At least the graphics were amazing for the N64.
But then when you look at Pokemon Stadium, you'd probably think: "OMG POKEMON ON NINTENDO 64!!!" It would be one of the best Nintendo games ever, considering how awesome the series was on Game Boy, right? WRONG.
Pokemon Stadium isn't what you'd expect to be the next big entry in the franchise. Rather than it being an RPG, the series's turn-based battles replace it all! It's all about fighting your Pokemon. Nothing else. In turned-based battles. How the heck is that supposed to work? It's not. If it's an RPG with that stuff, then we'd be all over it. You CAN'T have the turn-based battles make up a whole game by itself.
Okay, maybe it actually isn't ALL about the turn-based battles. There are minigames, and some of them can be rather interesting. But they only remind you that this should have been an RPG. We had to wait for Pokemon Colosseum to give us the experience that we really needed. This should be left alone, as one of Nintendo's few pieces of crap. At least the graphics were amazing for the N64.
Rayman 2 (Rating: 10/10)
Now that Rayman 3D (another version of this game) is coming, I might as well go ahead and review this Nintendo 64 version. Well, Rayman 2 has been released in numerous game systems, such as the PC, the Playstation, the Dreamcast, the Nintendo DS, you know, to name a few. I can see why: This game is so good that it can't be missed.
The game tells about an evil pirate named Razorbeard who plans to capture everybody as slaves, including Rayman himself and his best pal, Globox. Most of the time, I welcome the cutscenes, mainly because of how funny and/or dramatic they are, especially the part where Rayman meets the Teensies. When he meets them, the king says "Congratulations, Rayman! As King of the Teensies-", and then a fellow Teensie butts in and tells Rayman that HE'S the king. And then the 4 Teensies all fight about who's king. It's funny when you watch the scene. Another hilarious scene is when Razorbeard eats a Lum. Now, there are 1000 Lums existing in the game. There are kinda like coins from the Mario series. Here, as Razorbeard eats one, the HUD actually drops the total of Lums from 1000 to 999! That cracked me up very much.
The gameplay is obviously the very best part of the game. It is what makes the game what it is. Here, you can throw white stuff (Not sure what it actually is) at the enemies to kill them. You can also hold down Z to get into a combat position to make the fighting easier. There are also breaking open cages and collecting Lums, as well as sliding down waterfalls and falling from huge heights.
The graphics are gorgeously detailed for a Nintendo 64 game. At the time, I bet most of these textures looked real, while the characters came from some kind of 3D-animated movie. The cutscenes are also well-programmed. You can tell what actions the characters would do neatly.
The music and sound effects are also greatly composed. They are in great quality as you hear smacks coming from you beating up the enemy pirate or some kind of boss. The characters don't really speak English, or any known language for that matter, but I assume it's some kind of made-up language translated below each cutscene.
Overall, this is a great N64 gem. It's a must-have. If you can't get this for your Nintendo 64, then get it for the Dreamcast. Heck, get it for any system you can find it released for!
The game tells about an evil pirate named Razorbeard who plans to capture everybody as slaves, including Rayman himself and his best pal, Globox. Most of the time, I welcome the cutscenes, mainly because of how funny and/or dramatic they are, especially the part where Rayman meets the Teensies. When he meets them, the king says "Congratulations, Rayman! As King of the Teensies-", and then a fellow Teensie butts in and tells Rayman that HE'S the king. And then the 4 Teensies all fight about who's king. It's funny when you watch the scene. Another hilarious scene is when Razorbeard eats a Lum. Now, there are 1000 Lums existing in the game. There are kinda like coins from the Mario series. Here, as Razorbeard eats one, the HUD actually drops the total of Lums from 1000 to 999! That cracked me up very much.
The gameplay is obviously the very best part of the game. It is what makes the game what it is. Here, you can throw white stuff (Not sure what it actually is) at the enemies to kill them. You can also hold down Z to get into a combat position to make the fighting easier. There are also breaking open cages and collecting Lums, as well as sliding down waterfalls and falling from huge heights.
The graphics are gorgeously detailed for a Nintendo 64 game. At the time, I bet most of these textures looked real, while the characters came from some kind of 3D-animated movie. The cutscenes are also well-programmed. You can tell what actions the characters would do neatly.
The music and sound effects are also greatly composed. They are in great quality as you hear smacks coming from you beating up the enemy pirate or some kind of boss. The characters don't really speak English, or any known language for that matter, but I assume it's some kind of made-up language translated below each cutscene.
Overall, this is a great N64 gem. It's a must-have. If you can't get this for your Nintendo 64, then get it for the Dreamcast. Heck, get it for any system you can find it released for!
Super Mario 64 (Rating: 10/10)
Right off the bat, before it came out, you'd probably wonder how would you ever imagine Mario in 3D. Well, here's your answer: Mario 64.
There's 15 huge courses with 7 missions in each (Counting 100 coin stars), with stars for rewards. Those stars help you unlock more levels.
At the time, no one ever saw anything like this before. Although the graphics look fairly primitive now, they were still eye candy for most Mario fans, especially back then.
Super Mario 64 plays how a 3D game should be played like: With a free camera, flawless control, and extremely playable environments.
Getting all 120 stars is the real challenge. (SPOILER ALERT) If you do manage to get them all, you get to visit Yoshi on the castle roof and he will give you 100 lives along with an improved triple jump move.
Overall, you know what I want you to do, so do it. Buy the game
There's 15 huge courses with 7 missions in each (Counting 100 coin stars), with stars for rewards. Those stars help you unlock more levels.
At the time, no one ever saw anything like this before. Although the graphics look fairly primitive now, they were still eye candy for most Mario fans, especially back then.
Super Mario 64 plays how a 3D game should be played like: With a free camera, flawless control, and extremely playable environments.
Getting all 120 stars is the real challenge. (SPOILER ALERT) If you do manage to get them all, you get to visit Yoshi on the castle roof and he will give you 100 lives along with an improved triple jump move.
Overall, you know what I want you to do, so do it. Buy the game
Super Smash Bros. (Rating: 9/10)
Super Smash Bros......before it, there were fighting games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Virtua Fighter. Their rules were a bit similar, and every fighting game was like that.......until Smash Bros came along!
Super Smash Bros reinvented the rules of fighting games, combining platforming with fighting moves, such as punching, kicking, etc. What's even more of a no-brainer is how several Nintendo franchises crossed over to star in this one game. Each character has their own abilities, such as Mario throwing fireballs, and Fox using his laser gun.
There are a variety of stages to choose from, and most of them have their own gimmicks. The Mushroom Kingdom (unlcokable) has pipes you can go into, and Pokemon Stadium lets you open a door that certain Pokemon pop out of and attack.
The 1-Player Mode is a series of battles, like how fighting games usually are. Unfortunately, the rosters of the battles don't change.
However, overall, you'll get a huge kick out of this game, especially when it comes to playing multiplayer. 4 players duking it out...what more can you ask for? Well, besides Brawl and Melee.
Super Smash Bros reinvented the rules of fighting games, combining platforming with fighting moves, such as punching, kicking, etc. What's even more of a no-brainer is how several Nintendo franchises crossed over to star in this one game. Each character has their own abilities, such as Mario throwing fireballs, and Fox using his laser gun.
There are a variety of stages to choose from, and most of them have their own gimmicks. The Mushroom Kingdom (unlcokable) has pipes you can go into, and Pokemon Stadium lets you open a door that certain Pokemon pop out of and attack.
The 1-Player Mode is a series of battles, like how fighting games usually are. Unfortunately, the rosters of the battles don't change.
However, overall, you'll get a huge kick out of this game, especially when it comes to playing multiplayer. 4 players duking it out...what more can you ask for? Well, besides Brawl and Melee.
Wave Race 64 (Rating: 10/10)
Wave Race is a childhood classic. From the memorable soundtrack to the fun of its gameplay mechanics to really great graphics, there's no doubt that one could have a lot of fun playing this game.
It may consist of a handful of tracks, but you get to unlock some if you play a harder difficulty mode, in a similar fashion to how the Mario Kart series handles unlockables. Plus, the tracks themselves are actually thought out well and are fun to race in (Don't believe me? Watch some gameplay videos). For something that's supposed to look realistic, the courses are pretty imaginative.
Really, one of the major things that make this game stand out from other racing games is how there are symbols floating on the water, telling you which direction you must go relative to it to avoid "Misses". If you collect enough "misses", you immediately lose. It's simple, but it works much better than it may sound.
It may consist of a handful of tracks, but you get to unlock some if you play a harder difficulty mode, in a similar fashion to how the Mario Kart series handles unlockables. Plus, the tracks themselves are actually thought out well and are fun to race in (Don't believe me? Watch some gameplay videos). For something that's supposed to look realistic, the courses are pretty imaginative.
Really, one of the major things that make this game stand out from other racing games is how there are symbols floating on the water, telling you which direction you must go relative to it to avoid "Misses". If you collect enough "misses", you immediately lose. It's simple, but it works much better than it may sound.
Yoshi's Story (Rating: 8/10)
Yoshi's Island was a huge hit in the mid-90s. The Nintendo 64 follow-up, however, isn't living up to it. It uses 2D graphics all around without any 3D models to be seen other than the pop-up book (Which is where the game takes place in, by the way) and what it's lying on.
The main game is a 2D side-scroller in which you must go and eat as much fruit as possible. If you eat enough fruit, you move on to the next level. There are only 6 levels, though, so that said, you can beat the game in under an hour. That doesn't necessarily mean the whole game is bad, though. After all, the gameplay is very intriguing.
However, the game is leaning over to the childish side, given the fact that the intermission and title screen music are grin-inducing for older people, since Yoshis were heard singing. The difficulty isn't steep, either. You can romp through the game pretty easily. Although, I would still recommend this game to you. That is, if you can look past the kiddy parts of the game.
On the outside is a childish kind of package. On the inside is a unique platformer.
The main game is a 2D side-scroller in which you must go and eat as much fruit as possible. If you eat enough fruit, you move on to the next level. There are only 6 levels, though, so that said, you can beat the game in under an hour. That doesn't necessarily mean the whole game is bad, though. After all, the gameplay is very intriguing.
However, the game is leaning over to the childish side, given the fact that the intermission and title screen music are grin-inducing for older people, since Yoshis were heard singing. The difficulty isn't steep, either. You can romp through the game pretty easily. Although, I would still recommend this game to you. That is, if you can look past the kiddy parts of the game.
On the outside is a childish kind of package. On the inside is a unique platformer.