Nintendo 64

"Nintendo 64 - my honest opinion."

Length of Review : 903 words
(I put this in so that you know what you’re getting in to. If it seems too long skip down to the ratings and Quick Sheet. Now I’m not saying this one’s long, I’m just giving an example. :P)

Nintendo 64 – it seemed like Nintendo was going to rule the world again according to what they said. But where did they go wrong? Why did Sony take over? The answer is simple. The Nintendo 64 had a strong set of games at its launch – Mario 64, Wave Rave 64, and some other good titles. But the fact is after those games were released there was a huge drought. There were no more games to play and a lack of RPGs and Fighting games – I wonder where those customers went? And then people came to realize that almost all the high-quality games were either coming from Nintendo themselves, or Rare.

The cartridge format went to Nintendo’s disadvantage. The cartridge costs more money for the gamer, and the music quality and storage space for developers goes down as well. The controller wasn’t bad, but the analog didn’t work as well over time. The rumble pak and controller pak cost quite a bit of money – and the controller pak was rarely used. It seemed like Nintendo’s 64-bit monster wasn’t going to be around very long.

However, even after losing Squaresoft, Namco, and more to Sony, Nintendo remained strong. They were much more successful in North American then in Japan and the high-quality games sold very well. Nintendo’s policy has always been quality, not quantity. So the ones who remained faithful to Nintendo (or the kids who really didn’t care about anything but mashing buttons) were treated to several gems over the course of N64’s life.

Goldeneye for example practically carried the N64 on its back for at least a year. Rare had done everything right, and gave to the people exactly what they wanted. Nintendo provided several exclusive titles – and huge hits such as Zelda : ToOT and Mario games. But it seemed that Nintendo would be stuck in Sony’s shadow – at least for now no matter how hard they tried.

But even while losing popularity, they gained even more from the younger audiences. You know, the kids who don’t really mind going through a whole game twice just to get every single golden banana, or magical coconut, or whatever. Those platformers are made for this audience – and there’s more then enough on the N64. Secondly, the N64 was like the ultimate party system. No multi-tap required, and plenty of great multiplayer games available.

I’ve been faithful to Nintendo, as I grew up with the NES, but I really couldn’t take sitting for months waiting for new games. But when they came – the wait definitely seemed worth it. But I was starving for a good RPG, and then came Quest 64. Would I finally receive the answer to my prayers? No. In fact, I think this may have been a punishment of some sort. A terrible game. And me, being the huge RPG fan that I am was definitely thinking about buying a Playstation. It was a smart choice – I could have the great Nintendo exclusives plus a huge library of games to choose from on the Playstation.

So do I have a favourite out of the consoles I own? No, not really. I generally have each for a particular reason. Nintendo 64 – simply for the games like Zelda and Multiplayer games. Playstation – to nourish my RPG-stomach, and Dreamcast for everything else.
Nintendo really excels in giving the gamer what they want – they just take their time. If you can stand waiting, you’ll get some of the greatest games you’ve ever played. And when you have 3 other friends with you, be ready for outrageous multiplayer action. Nintendo had put 4 controller ports for a reason. This was going to be the system that would flourish when it came to parties and get togethers.

I definitely have mixed feelings when it comes to the Nintendo 64; it’s not for everyone that’s for sure. It has its problems here and there and great games like Prefect Dark will be available to you. It all depends on you and what type of games you enjoy playing. If you’re a hardcore fighting and RPG gamer, N64 is not going to be a good investment. However, if you plan on playing with people more often and enjoy what Nintendo has to offer, pick one up.

***
Sushi’s Quick Sheet™

Controller : Sort of large. Z trigger is nice, and everything else is okay.
Library : Quite a few great games here and there, but not enough variety.
Design : Looks great.
Capabilities : When pushed to its limits, the N64 can pull off some good stuff.
Sound : Ick.
Multiplater-friendly : Yes, all the way.
Overall : It all depends on your opinion.
***

Ratings

Controller : 7/10
Library : 5/10
Design : 8/10
Capabilities : 7/10
Sound : 4/10
Muliplayer-friendly? : Yes!
Overall (not an average) : 7
Sushi says : Needs more RPG and Fighting games, but it really is the ‘Fun Machine’ when it comes to multiplayer.


Noteworthy titles

Super Mario 64
Mario Part 1,2
Resident Evil 2
Mario Tennis
Goldeneye
Perfect Dark
Zelda : ToOT
Zelda : Majora's Mask
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Goemon's Great Adventure
Mischef Makers
Harvest Moon 64
Mario Kart 64
Excitebike 64

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/22/00, Updated 10/22/00