The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
The N64 has certainly had a rough ride since its birth; having being thrown straight into the battlefield with the PlayStation, and later on against the Sega Dreamcast, there’s no doubt that the console has had a tough job right until its eventual recent demise, with the last game coming out for the battle-worn console.
However, the old cliché of “it was good while it lasted” can be applied here, as it offered a plethora of top notch games oozing of gameplay and addictiveness; but as I find myself playing more and more on the PS2, even abandoning the PC in terms of games, and with the rest of my time allocated to keeping up with college work, it’s fair to say that the N64 tucked away in the drawer will remain there for quite some time. In addition, Nintendo’s new console is set to catch up and overtake Microsoft’s own Xbox pretty soon after its release on 3rd May, so I have therefore decided to write this moderately dull piece as a “tribute” to the curviest console I’ve ever bought.
The SNES was a fantastic console. Classics such as Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Donkey Kong Country all contributed to its long lasting status. Alas, technology was ever improving, and Nintendo released the N64 to great acclaim with instant classics such as Super Mario 64 firstly in Japan, and (much) later on the N64 made its way to the UK on the 1st March, 1997.
Having been released almost half a decade ago, I can’t remember the specs that made up the console; I vaguely remember that it had 4MB of initial graphics memory, but I only remember that because I purchased the Expansion Pak to play Perfect Dark.
Anyway, it’s the games that make a particular console a success or a flop, so the technical specification wasn’t realty important. What was important though was the price; and the console was released with the RRP of £249.99, with games retailing at £49.99.
Although the price of the console itself was respectable (remember this was five years ago - nowadays, just under £200 would be respectable - anything more would isolate sales to the fanatic, the power hungry and the rich), I (and probably thousands of other UK N64 owners) found the £50 price tag for each game a little too costly. Of course, way before the console release in Japan, it was decided that the cartridge format would still be used in place of the new CD format (it as new in terms of consoles, at least). There weren’t many reasons not to continue using it, after all - for example, would you use the tried and tested format that your company has been using since its breach into home entertainment gaming (and every other successful post 80’s consoles), or the format that your nearest competitor uses, but with a failure rate not in PlayStation’s favour? I’m sure that after the company directors saw the speedy falls of the CD-I, CD32 and the Saturn (please correct me if I’m wrong here - I don’t have much knowledge regarding consoles that were operating in my early life), it was obvious which direction they would choose.
Added to that Nintendo’s previous experience (and success) in using cartridges, their almost instant (and quiet) loading times and the ability to generate data onto the screen instantly, it seemed to Nintendo that they could do no wrong with the cartridges. And they should have been right.
Of course, there had to be drawbacks, besides the price of a cartridge, which would prevent Nintendo from leading both in terms of quality games and market share. The most significant one was the storage space included on a typical cartridge; although there has been a few that used the 512 Megabit size (equivalent to 64 Megabytes of space), including Resident Evil 2 and later on Conker’s Bad Fur Day, there was still a struggle that was ever present for developers throughout the N64’s life to squeeze their game content onto a typical 128Mb cartridge i.e.16MB, which was quite small even back then, especially when compared to the maximum 700MB that could be stored on a single compact disc using the PlayStation format.
Shigeru Miyamoto argued, however, that games such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time was not possible using the CD format, as it would require a constant stream of data to be read and then stored into the N64’s memory, which was just not possible with the 4MB that came with the console, unless sacrifices such as extreme fogging and pop up were made. It was much better to use cartridges, as the data was already there to be used; just think of the cartridge as an extension to the console’s main memory - when required, it could be accessed instantly and shown on-screen right after, with none of the delay that was needed for the media to memory to screen process.
However, third party developers found it hard building games using the hardware, especially with the initial “Dream Team” approach adopted by Nintendo, which turned a blind eye to the lesser known developers and publishers, and therefore restricting dev kits only to “the elite”. This, along with the cons associated with the choice of media, I believe were the reasons to why the N64 wasn’t as successful as it should have been. Of course, it can be said that if Nintendo did employ CDs as the format instead of cartridges, classic games such as Ocarina of Time, Goldeneye and Banjo Tooie (to name a few) would not have been possible, as the limited memory would have severely restricted viewing distance. To take things further, the N64 would probably have been less successful than it actually was, because without these features that made quality games exclusive to the N64, it would not have sold anywhere near the actual quantity. Why? Well, take Ocarina of Time for example. It uses the successful Zelda franchise, and by creating a highly innovative and playable game with a well executed story (it’s still my favourite game of all time, beating Metal Gear Solid 2), it has turned out to be a console shifter - i.e. helping N64 sales improve over the Christmas period when the game was still fresh in stores. However, at the time console technology did not incorporate oodles of memory for the developer to exploit; all in-game graphics and other computer operations had to be efficiently produced in order for the game to work as well as it did, and graphics were pretty limited and had to be continually spooled from the media source. This was the advantage of the cartridge over the compact disc - where the latter would take a while before the graphics would fit into the console’s memory to be used in the game, the cartridge would fetch and discard the data direct from the cartridge extremely quickly, contributing to the fast (and silent) loading times.
The N64 controller was one that can be heralded as a revolution at its time; a fully analogue, mini joy-stick never before seen on a joypad was included made up the controller’s main new innovation. Other areas of the pad were: large A and B buttons that were perfect for your fingers when playing, the L and R buttons brought over from the SNES controller, the D-Pad, C buttons beside the A and B buttons for extra commands and other game movements (such as the in-game camera) and the Z trigger. These buttons were all placed in optimum gaming positions, and although it may look large compared to the PlaySation pad, it certainly was comfy. Although the stick was ever so slightly painful to use at times, especially after extended gaming sessions, it provided complete grip with the grooved circled on the top of the stick. However, the placement of the Z-trigger makes up for this, and in first person shooters such as Goldeneye, along with a Rumble Pak inserted in the slot in the controller, shooting was a pleasure in itself.
Later on, the Transfer Pak, which allowed data to be transferred (obviously, given the name) from a Game Boy cartridge to the games that supported such an accessory on the N64, sold quite well, and although it was known primarily for transferring gamers’ Pokemon collection from their version of the game to the Pokemon Stadium (and near the end, Pokemon Stadium 2) cart, giving those the pleasure of watching their nurtured creatures in full 3D, there were other (albeit small and minor) uses for it, such as unlocking hard to get cheats in Perfect Dark (this required the GBC of Perfect Dark to be plugged into the Transfer Pak, naturally). Hopefully, developers will use the announced connectivity between the Game Boy Advance and the Gamecube much more effectively and creatively in the future, as this in itself is a unique selling point that Nintendo must (and are intending to) exploit.
Back to the history - despite a draught in the flow of games that appeared for the console, the N64 still managed to keep afloat, what with the already installed and loyal customer base, content for the time being at least. Then, when Zelda: Ocarina of Time appeared - and in my opinion, the best game ever - sales of the N64 increased at a rapid rate, and it had to be taken seriously by its competition.
However, even though the games drought that gamers experienced at the start of the console’s launch was now less of a problem, the quantity of games that were released was nothing compared to the level released for the PlayStation. Although I, and many, many others will still stick by the adage, “it’s the quality, and not the quantity, that counts”, the public In general seemed to disagree with this at the time, as the PS continued to outsell the N64.
Of course, it can be said that the range provided by the PlayStation library that grew over time accounted to more stereotypes (and I say that in the kindest possible way) being provided for in terms of games, therefore upping the sales of PS software and its console in general.
In spite of this, the N64 still refused to give up, and although by now a comparison of sales with the PS was like comparing a blockbuster movie to a cult one, Nintendo did exactly what a cult series would do - continue to provide its audience with the best service available (although this doesn’t really apply to N64 owners in the UK, with a countless number of release data delays, higher prices and a several games unable to make it to British shores). Late in its life, Perfect Dark, Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Banjo-Tooie, along with others, managed to entertain the N64 owner will hours of quality entertaining gameplay. And this was what the audience wanted.
In 2000, it was revealed that a new console was under development by Nintendo - and this new baby, later to be called the Gamecube, was released more than a year later in Japan on 14th September, 2001. Although sales were “quiet” compared to the Playstation2, the successor of the original PS, it could hardly be considered as disastrous (just look at the Xbox figures in Japan as proof); and with the lack of any killer apps such as a Mario or Zelda game at launch, sales were actually pretty good. The American launch a few weeks later was much better, rivalling Xbox sales (roughly) at its home turf. With the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee in Japan soon after, which contributed to a rush in Gamecube sales, the future is definitely looking rosy for Nintendo.
However, the old cliché of “it was good while it lasted” can be applied here, as it offered a plethora of top notch games oozing of gameplay and addictiveness; but as I find myself playing more and more on the PS2, even abandoning the PC in terms of games, and with the rest of my time allocated to keeping up with college work, it’s fair to say that the N64 tucked away in the drawer will remain there for quite some time. In addition, Nintendo’s new console is set to catch up and overtake Microsoft’s own Xbox pretty soon after its release on 3rd May, so I have therefore decided to write this moderately dull piece as a “tribute” to the curviest console I’ve ever bought.
The SNES was a fantastic console. Classics such as Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Donkey Kong Country all contributed to its long lasting status. Alas, technology was ever improving, and Nintendo released the N64 to great acclaim with instant classics such as Super Mario 64 firstly in Japan, and (much) later on the N64 made its way to the UK on the 1st March, 1997.
Having been released almost half a decade ago, I can’t remember the specs that made up the console; I vaguely remember that it had 4MB of initial graphics memory, but I only remember that because I purchased the Expansion Pak to play Perfect Dark.
Anyway, it’s the games that make a particular console a success or a flop, so the technical specification wasn’t realty important. What was important though was the price; and the console was released with the RRP of £249.99, with games retailing at £49.99.
Although the price of the console itself was respectable (remember this was five years ago - nowadays, just under £200 would be respectable - anything more would isolate sales to the fanatic, the power hungry and the rich), I (and probably thousands of other UK N64 owners) found the £50 price tag for each game a little too costly. Of course, way before the console release in Japan, it was decided that the cartridge format would still be used in place of the new CD format (it as new in terms of consoles, at least). There weren’t many reasons not to continue using it, after all - for example, would you use the tried and tested format that your company has been using since its breach into home entertainment gaming (and every other successful post 80’s consoles), or the format that your nearest competitor uses, but with a failure rate not in PlayStation’s favour? I’m sure that after the company directors saw the speedy falls of the CD-I, CD32 and the Saturn (please correct me if I’m wrong here - I don’t have much knowledge regarding consoles that were operating in my early life), it was obvious which direction they would choose.
Added to that Nintendo’s previous experience (and success) in using cartridges, their almost instant (and quiet) loading times and the ability to generate data onto the screen instantly, it seemed to Nintendo that they could do no wrong with the cartridges. And they should have been right.
Of course, there had to be drawbacks, besides the price of a cartridge, which would prevent Nintendo from leading both in terms of quality games and market share. The most significant one was the storage space included on a typical cartridge; although there has been a few that used the 512 Megabit size (equivalent to 64 Megabytes of space), including Resident Evil 2 and later on Conker’s Bad Fur Day, there was still a struggle that was ever present for developers throughout the N64’s life to squeeze their game content onto a typical 128Mb cartridge i.e.16MB, which was quite small even back then, especially when compared to the maximum 700MB that could be stored on a single compact disc using the PlayStation format.
Shigeru Miyamoto argued, however, that games such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time was not possible using the CD format, as it would require a constant stream of data to be read and then stored into the N64’s memory, which was just not possible with the 4MB that came with the console, unless sacrifices such as extreme fogging and pop up were made. It was much better to use cartridges, as the data was already there to be used; just think of the cartridge as an extension to the console’s main memory - when required, it could be accessed instantly and shown on-screen right after, with none of the delay that was needed for the media to memory to screen process.
However, third party developers found it hard building games using the hardware, especially with the initial “Dream Team” approach adopted by Nintendo, which turned a blind eye to the lesser known developers and publishers, and therefore restricting dev kits only to “the elite”. This, along with the cons associated with the choice of media, I believe were the reasons to why the N64 wasn’t as successful as it should have been. Of course, it can be said that if Nintendo did employ CDs as the format instead of cartridges, classic games such as Ocarina of Time, Goldeneye and Banjo Tooie (to name a few) would not have been possible, as the limited memory would have severely restricted viewing distance. To take things further, the N64 would probably have been less successful than it actually was, because without these features that made quality games exclusive to the N64, it would not have sold anywhere near the actual quantity. Why? Well, take Ocarina of Time for example. It uses the successful Zelda franchise, and by creating a highly innovative and playable game with a well executed story (it’s still my favourite game of all time, beating Metal Gear Solid 2), it has turned out to be a console shifter - i.e. helping N64 sales improve over the Christmas period when the game was still fresh in stores. However, at the time console technology did not incorporate oodles of memory for the developer to exploit; all in-game graphics and other computer operations had to be efficiently produced in order for the game to work as well as it did, and graphics were pretty limited and had to be continually spooled from the media source. This was the advantage of the cartridge over the compact disc - where the latter would take a while before the graphics would fit into the console’s memory to be used in the game, the cartridge would fetch and discard the data direct from the cartridge extremely quickly, contributing to the fast (and silent) loading times.
The N64 controller was one that can be heralded as a revolution at its time; a fully analogue, mini joy-stick never before seen on a joypad was included made up the controller’s main new innovation. Other areas of the pad were: large A and B buttons that were perfect for your fingers when playing, the L and R buttons brought over from the SNES controller, the D-Pad, C buttons beside the A and B buttons for extra commands and other game movements (such as the in-game camera) and the Z trigger. These buttons were all placed in optimum gaming positions, and although it may look large compared to the PlaySation pad, it certainly was comfy. Although the stick was ever so slightly painful to use at times, especially after extended gaming sessions, it provided complete grip with the grooved circled on the top of the stick. However, the placement of the Z-trigger makes up for this, and in first person shooters such as Goldeneye, along with a Rumble Pak inserted in the slot in the controller, shooting was a pleasure in itself.
Later on, the Transfer Pak, which allowed data to be transferred (obviously, given the name) from a Game Boy cartridge to the games that supported such an accessory on the N64, sold quite well, and although it was known primarily for transferring gamers’ Pokemon collection from their version of the game to the Pokemon Stadium (and near the end, Pokemon Stadium 2) cart, giving those the pleasure of watching their nurtured creatures in full 3D, there were other (albeit small and minor) uses for it, such as unlocking hard to get cheats in Perfect Dark (this required the GBC of Perfect Dark to be plugged into the Transfer Pak, naturally). Hopefully, developers will use the announced connectivity between the Game Boy Advance and the Gamecube much more effectively and creatively in the future, as this in itself is a unique selling point that Nintendo must (and are intending to) exploit.
Back to the history - despite a draught in the flow of games that appeared for the console, the N64 still managed to keep afloat, what with the already installed and loyal customer base, content for the time being at least. Then, when Zelda: Ocarina of Time appeared - and in my opinion, the best game ever - sales of the N64 increased at a rapid rate, and it had to be taken seriously by its competition.
However, even though the games drought that gamers experienced at the start of the console’s launch was now less of a problem, the quantity of games that were released was nothing compared to the level released for the PlayStation. Although I, and many, many others will still stick by the adage, “it’s the quality, and not the quantity, that counts”, the public In general seemed to disagree with this at the time, as the PS continued to outsell the N64.
Of course, it can be said that the range provided by the PlayStation library that grew over time accounted to more stereotypes (and I say that in the kindest possible way) being provided for in terms of games, therefore upping the sales of PS software and its console in general.
In spite of this, the N64 still refused to give up, and although by now a comparison of sales with the PS was like comparing a blockbuster movie to a cult one, Nintendo did exactly what a cult series would do - continue to provide its audience with the best service available (although this doesn’t really apply to N64 owners in the UK, with a countless number of release data delays, higher prices and a several games unable to make it to British shores). Late in its life, Perfect Dark, Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Banjo-Tooie, along with others, managed to entertain the N64 owner will hours of quality entertaining gameplay. And this was what the audience wanted.
In 2000, it was revealed that a new console was under development by Nintendo - and this new baby, later to be called the Gamecube, was released more than a year later in Japan on 14th September, 2001. Although sales were “quiet” compared to the Playstation2, the successor of the original PS, it could hardly be considered as disastrous (just look at the Xbox figures in Japan as proof); and with the lack of any killer apps such as a Mario or Zelda game at launch, sales were actually pretty good. The American launch a few weeks later was much better, rivalling Xbox sales (roughly) at its home turf. With the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee in Japan soon after, which contributed to a rush in Gamecube sales, the future is definitely looking rosy for Nintendo.
Page:
Once the Gamecube's out, and given a few months after this, the GBA GC connectivity will begin to show. Hopefully. And remember, the new Zelda and Pokemon games haven't been released for the format yet.
My brother has a GBA and it is really rubbish...
It didn't matter you wrote. People who were convinced it was a failure before, are still gonna be convinced regardless of what you say. But hey, that's liiiiife! :-D
But the GBA will never rule! I am convinved of that and no matter what you say, I will always be convinced of it's crapness. :-D
But the GBA will never rule! I am convinved of that and no matter what you say, I will always be convinced of it's crapness. :-D
I was trying to point out that the N64 wasn't a failure in this topic, but somehow people still think it was. Oh, and the N64 did rule, once in a lifetime. But pretty soon the GC, PS2, GBA and PC will rule together, if you know what I mean.
Indeed it does.
blahpro wrote:
> N64 RULES!
He's right you know.
> N64 RULES!
He's right you know.
N64 RULES!
Res€vilfan wrote:
> name them all which is just above a few and you still have yourself a
> poor selection,
F-Zero
Perfect Dark
Goldeneye
Mario Kart
Mario Party
Mario Golf
Mario Tennis
Lylat Wars (though the fun depends heavily on which vehicles are playing)
Beetle Adventure Racing (didn't get the most from it until you unlocked all the arenas - which was feckin hard!)
I think that's a pretty good selection. There aren't any realistic sports sims since they don't tend to give much multiplayer fun. Although a fouling session at a footy game is fun from time to time.
What is there on PS2?
Timesplitters
Tekken Tag (which get's REALLY boring)
That's about it. Admittedly I haven't played many multiplayer games on the PS2 but I don't see many that look good. Twisted Metal does though. Mind you, a few mags said that Wipeout had a brilliant multiplayer game. It was NOTHING on F-Zero.
I resty my casey! :-D
> name them all which is just above a few and you still have yourself a
> poor selection,
F-Zero
Perfect Dark
Goldeneye
Mario Kart
Mario Party
Mario Golf
Mario Tennis
Lylat Wars (though the fun depends heavily on which vehicles are playing)
Beetle Adventure Racing (didn't get the most from it until you unlocked all the arenas - which was feckin hard!)
I think that's a pretty good selection. There aren't any realistic sports sims since they don't tend to give much multiplayer fun. Although a fouling session at a footy game is fun from time to time.
What is there on PS2?
Timesplitters
Tekken Tag (which get's REALLY boring)
That's about it. Admittedly I haven't played many multiplayer games on the PS2 but I don't see many that look good. Twisted Metal does though. Mind you, a few mags said that Wipeout had a brilliant multiplayer game. It was NOTHING on F-Zero.
I resty my casey! :-D
The N64 has been struggling along recently, but consoles are still being made unlike the Dreamcast and games are still on sale. The N64 is not dead, just limping, knowing it has no chance of getting any better but carrying on regardless. The reason for this is that it is a comparitively cheap console with a range of games that people enjoy and recommend. For instance both Zeldas, Perfect Dark, Goldneye, Mario 64, Banjo Tooie, WWF No Mercy etc. They are considered the best in their genre so people buy the console for these classics which are now at knock-down prices.
Zelda Ocarina of Time was hyped up a huge amount and was more anticipated than that game that's not Madison Square Gardens 2. We even had an assembly at school abou Zelda, kind of.
The quality over quantity sold it to people who know a lot about games, but the general public bought a Playstation. Despite losing the console battle as Digitiser said today the Nintendo sold millions of N64s. The target audience is different so the N64 cannot be seen as a failure.
Zelda Ocarina of Time was hyped up a huge amount and was more anticipated than that game that's not Madison Square Gardens 2. We even had an assembly at school abou Zelda, kind of.
The quality over quantity sold it to people who know a lot about games, but the general public bought a Playstation. Despite losing the console battle as Digitiser said today the Nintendo sold millions of N64s. The target audience is different so the N64 cannot be seen as a failure.
Vottanator wrote:
> The N64 is not a ruin!
> It is still by far the best games console for muyltiplayer gaming.
can it go online? nope
> With games like Perfect Dark (which is admittdly showing its age now A
> BIT) and Mario Kart (which will NEVER show its age), it demolishes any
> other console.
Perfect Dark isn't bad but comparing it to some of the PS2 FPS such as Half Life, Red Faction, Timesplitters 2, Quake 3 etc it plays quite poorly, suffers from dreadfull slowdown (despite running off the expansion pack) and after the first few levels i found it offered little excitement, As for Mario Kart 64, aint bad but has to be the worst mario kart from nintendo.
> And please don't say Timesplitters is a better game than Perfect Dark.
> It may be faster, it may have better graphics, but it doesn't have any
> where near the same level of gameplay. It is a fantastic multiplayer
> game I admit, but there are so many games on the N64 that STILL beat
> it. F-Zero X, Mario Kart, Perfect Dark and MARIO PARTY!!!!
>
> ......to name but a few.
name them all which is just above a few and you still have yourself a poor selection, try not to think I'm biased I bought an N64 to play all the 'classics' from start to end and none of them have come close to "what people say" and because timesplitters uses both analog sticks it wins hand down :-D
> The N64 is not a ruin!
> It is still by far the best games console for muyltiplayer gaming.
can it go online? nope
> With games like Perfect Dark (which is admittdly showing its age now A
> BIT) and Mario Kart (which will NEVER show its age), it demolishes any
> other console.
Perfect Dark isn't bad but comparing it to some of the PS2 FPS such as Half Life, Red Faction, Timesplitters 2, Quake 3 etc it plays quite poorly, suffers from dreadfull slowdown (despite running off the expansion pack) and after the first few levels i found it offered little excitement, As for Mario Kart 64, aint bad but has to be the worst mario kart from nintendo.
> And please don't say Timesplitters is a better game than Perfect Dark.
> It may be faster, it may have better graphics, but it doesn't have any
> where near the same level of gameplay. It is a fantastic multiplayer
> game I admit, but there are so many games on the N64 that STILL beat
> it. F-Zero X, Mario Kart, Perfect Dark and MARIO PARTY!!!!
>
> ......to name but a few.
name them all which is just above a few and you still have yourself a poor selection, try not to think I'm biased I bought an N64 to play all the 'classics' from start to end and none of them have come close to "what people say" and because timesplitters uses both analog sticks it wins hand down :-D
Page: