Jet Force Gemini

"Yet another N64 hit by Rare..."

Hello, it's me, your humble reviewer Coconaut.Today I'll be reviewing the Rareware masterpiece known as Jet Force Gemini.

Story: 7

The story of Jet Force Gemini is like so: In the future,an evil tyrant named Mizar is taking over the galaxy.The Jet Force leaders grew complacent after watching so many other would-be tyrants rise and fall.Mizar catches them with their pants down,and destroys many of the Jet Force's ships.The last remaining ship,piloted by Juno, Vela, and Lupus (the heroes) is boarded by Mizar's troops, therefore splitting the trio apart.
Coconaut says: Not the most original storyline, but it gets the job done.There's a classic plot twist at the end, but I won't ruin it for you.While serious, the game, from time to time, displays the trademark British humor of Rareware.

Sound: 9

The game's sound effects are great.From the squeal of Drones to the sounds of guns, everything sounds as it should and is pleasant.However, those annoying sounds made by King Jeff are not so pleasing.The music is absolutely perfect though.Each world (and in some case level) has its own unique soundtrack, all of which are a joy to the ear.

Graphics: 9

The graphics are great.Period.While not exactly saliva-producing, jaw-dropping visuals, Jet Force gets job done, and quite well I might add. The environments are well detailed and satisfying.The music fits each visual like a glove; definitely a plus there.My only complaint are the walls on Goldwood, the first world, look like cardboard displays.The frame rate is clean for the most part, except in a few enemy-stuffed rooms.

Gameplay: 8

Mmmm...hot ant blood...Machine Gun...Oh.You're still there.Well, the basic gameplay of JFG is flawless.Absolutely flawless.Killing a large variety of giant insects and
flying robots with 15 (however one of the weapons is more of a joke) is a simple, yet disturbingly fun activity which is further enhanced by the very intelligent AI.Seriously, these are some smart sprites.Instead of dumbly standing there and shooting at you (cough*Goldeneye*cough), JFG's AI is quite impressive.The opposing ants will run and dodge your shots, take cover behind terrain and other creatures, throw explosives when they see an opportunity, etc.The only exception to this are zombie ants, who are very stupid, apparently.Bosses are very fun, and that's all I'm saying about that.However, there is one accursed aspect of this game which I hate with every fiber of my being...the Floyd missions.Who is Floyd, you ask?Well, dear reader, Floyd is a rebel robot from Mizar's squadrons who will join you once you put him back together.Assembling Floyd will a second player to play as the aforementioned robot, hence making a co-op mode.Unfortunately, the wonderful, arse-shaped Floyd has a characteristic that darkens JFG.The Floyd missions reqiure you to pilot Floyd through an obstacle course of sorts, which involve picking up items and shooting targets with a time limit.Sounds simple doesn't it?Well, my friend, it is anything but simple.I wish to remember no more, as I may start spasming.

Control: 9

The game's control is simple: Control Stick moves around, Z fires, A and B select weapons, and C-Up jumps.The R Button activates a first-person type view, where the Control Stick moves your crosshairs, and the C Buttons move your character (kinda like Turok 2).The R Button targeting system will seems awkward at first, but will be mastered quickly.The only gripe here is the characters tend to slide a bit when the stick is turned sharply.

Challenge: 10

JFG's basic ant-eradicating gameplay is not abusively difficult, but not childishly simple either.The bosses are great, a fun challenge to defeat.Of particular note is the first-rate final boss who is truly difficult, as final bosses should be.Nothing like the final bosses of SM64, Goldeneye, and Zelda:TOoT.The reason it gets a ten though, is because of the horrific Floyd missions (*shudder*).

Multiplayer: 8

The multiplayer is lots of fun, even though it is nothing more than a simple deathmatch.The many secrets of the single player mode are extra multiplayer levels and characters.

Replayability: 5

JFG's one big downfall.After beating it through the first time, there's not much to keep you coming back.It may be pulled out occasionally for the odd deathmatch or two, but not much else.The bottom line is:It's fun while it lasts,all 40 hours or so.

Conclusion/Buy or Rent?

At the end of the day, JFG delivers everything it promises, and then some.A truly great game,and a lesser known gem from Rareware.

The Good:

OK Plot
Great SFX
Perfect Music
Fun Gameplay
Rareware Humor
Nice Graphics
Good Multiplayer
Challenging Bosses
Easy Control

The Bad:

Traumatizing Floyd Missions
Very Minor Frame Rate Issues
Poor Replayability

As for the Rent/Buy issue, I suggest you buy it.Now.

Coconaut's Useless Game-Related Fact:

JFG is also an obscure brand of coffee.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/02, Updated 07/10/02