#the game itself IS like. incredibly impressive for an N64 title

[taffywabbit]

i've been playing through the leaked N64 prototype build of Dinosaur Planet (that rareware game that got turned into Starfox Adventures on the gamecube later) over the past couple nights and i gotta say... i think people gave the gibberish alien voice acting in Adventure a bit more hate than it deserved? like don't get me wrong, it WAS hilariously awkward and impossible to take seriously, but i'd take that shit ANY day over having to listen to... a handful of british people doing the most inscrutable attempts at racist accents i've maybe EVER heard in a video game??? like holy FUCK it's bad y'all. in fact the entire chunk of the game in Swapstone Circle is pretty much fully unsalvageable. the music, the iconography, the way the NPCs talk and are dressed, the literal most basic tropes of the storyline itself in that area... good grief, it's no wonder that entire chunk of the game was cut from the final product. absolutely wild that anyone at Rare thought that shit was okay to include, even 20+ years ago

[kieuecaprie]

KieueCaprie's Games Completed List of 2022 - Reflections

I don't think I'm gonna be able to throw in one last entry into this (and that would be unhealthy to do so) so I'm gonna call this list good. It would've been nice to at least put Super Lesbian Animal RPG on there but I've been taking my time with that game. (RPGs are also exhausting after a while so I need time to recharge. I love the genre, it's just that I lack the energy to go through them in long bursts and I appreciate it when the RPG breaks itself up into chunks that have clear endpoints)

With that out of the way, however, it's time for the opinions nobody asked for. That's right, this is a blog post about my opinions on what impressed me this year. No restrictions on release date, it just has to be something I've completed. And no repeats. If you wish to unveil my bad opinions, click that funny "keep reading" button and let's get on with it.

Favorite Replayed Game: Banjo-Kazooie

(The entry can be found here!)

This was a toss-up between Banjo-Kazooie and Plok, and while I like the Incredible Exploding Man (who has a webcomic now for some reason, not gonna question it), Banjo-Kazooie has left a deeper impression on me.

Hell, I've completed it, like, six or seven times! Several of which have been true 100% completions! Stop'n'Swop notwithstanding...

I genuinely enjoy the Banjo-Kazooie universe a lot and it saddens me to this day that the only modern-day relevancy they have is as merch to sell and a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which I guess is more than can be said for a lot of old fogies.

I appreciate Microsoft for 1) keeping backwards compatibility with Rare Replay for Xbox and 2) allowing Nintendo to put Banjo-Kazooie on N64 Online, so that's something!

Favorite Modernized Remake: Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

(The entry can be found here!)

Again, another toss-up because this and LIVE A LIVE came very close to leaving their mark in my soul. However, I have to give my little wahoo mans his due, even though I appreciate LIVE A LIVE for finally leaving Japan.

It's just that the game is cute as hell and it's a crime that Namco-Bandai really likes to not advertise their games sometimes (I wonder where I've seen this before. Maybe where The World Ends with You?) and dooming the game to obscurity.

So, I will not shut up about how good this game is, even if it's a re-release of the two major games in Klonoa's lifespan. But two good games they were.

Favorite VR Game: Cosmonious High

(The entry can be found here!)

The only new VR games I've played this year has been this, BONELAB, and Zenith VR, all of which are great, however Zenith VR is an MMO and MMOs are long and it is still fairly barebones atm, PLUS I didn't finish the MSQ for it so...

Cosmonious High is yet another Owlchemy Lab VR Toybox-like game with similar mechanics to their previous titles, more specifically Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator. But boy do they know what they're doing. There's a more proper STORY going on this time!

I genuinely enjoyed my time playing through this, even though BONELAB has the better replay value in the end, and I loved pretty much every character I came across, including the one who is a big fan of blebs. I, too, love blebs, they are friends. :)

Favorite Series I Got Introduced To: Armored Core

(Armored Core 1's entry in my games completed list can be found here!)

Gran Turismo (and Forza Horizon) are close second(s) and introduced me to the other side of the racing genre that wasn't just yeeting (beat) koopas and bananas at opposing drivers.

Armored Core, however, is a different story. For the longest time, the title made me think of it as some sort of generic mil-sim game and not the dystopian sci-fi mech action game it truly was. As much as I hate to say it, The Game Awards and them showing the Armored Core VI trailer opened my eyes to its true colors.

Started with the very first game in the series, it was clunky, it was a Playstation 1 game, it was very clunky, but I liked it a lot. Sure, there were times when it got frustrating to deal with like the final section of the game or fighting bunny-hopping enemy ACs but I really liked everything.

Then I started playing the other numbered games, up to 4, to see what each generation was like. 2nd Gen was more of the same but it was on PS2 and introduced a heat mechanic that I have a love-hate relationship with. 3rd Gen took 2nd Gen and improved upon it, I dare say it may be my favorite AC generation by far. 4th Gen took everything and made it significantly faster, which I enjoyed, with a more story-based focus which was great but the missions had horrible, and I mean horrible, difficulty spikes where the game at its lowest was a slogfest and where the game at its highest was fun. It's the only generation that I have mixed feelings about really, the pace was nice but 4A kind of made everything too fast.

But all in all, I'm now looking forward to the day that Armored Core VI comes out to see what kind of game it turns out to be. I just hope it isn't locked to something like PS5, which I still don't have btw.

The Game Of A Time: Hello Neighbor 2

I didn't even include this in my Tumblr list but it's on my Twitter list. I dunno what to say about this one other than it was a game and it was a time. And it was surely Hello Neighbor 2.

(High On Life would've been my pick had I actually bucked up and finished it... but it's exhausting.)

My Game of the Year: My Friend Peppa Pig

(The entry can be found here!)

Yeah, sorry, can't compete with perfection. :)

My Actual Game of the Year: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

(The entry can be found here!)

The best ever 3D Kirby title that is actually in 3D and not played in a 2.5D perspective! Sure, the powers were a little small in selection but it was made up for in the amount of upgrades you could have for each of them. Not to mention that the game is fun and cute as hell!

Yeah, it's a little on the easy side, even in Wild Mode, and the True Arena didn't pose much of a challenge this go around but Kirby is a good game and I love it so much.

(Honorable mentions go to: Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (already picked for Favorite Modernized Remaster), Cosmonious High (picked for Favorite VR Game), LIVE A LIVE, Bugsnax, Earthbound (the one on SNES Online))

And that's all for now.

I'll start up a 2023 list as soon as I have something to report. As I've said, I'm currently working through Super Lesbian Animal RPG and Silent Line: Armored Core. Fortunately, the former works on Steam Deck so I can get my Super Lesbian Animal Role Playing Action before going to bed.

...yes I know what I said. No, I refuse to reiterate.

[aion-rsa]

20 Underrated Wrestling Games

https://ift.tt/3mx7pH3

Whether you don’t know the difference between a mark and a bump or you can name the main event of every WrestleMania, you’re probably aware of at least some of the absolute best wrestling games of all-time. Titles like SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain, WWF No Mercy, and WCW/NWO Revenge have transcended the popularity of professional wrestling itself and have become a part of many gamers’ fondest memories.

Yet, there are some forgotten wrestling games that are still worth remembering. While it’s true that there are well-defined tops and bottoms in the wrestling game hierarchy, there are also a few titles somewhere near the middle that have been unfairly lumped together even though some of them deserve a spot near the top of the card with the undisputed legends of the wrestling game scene.

So join us as we look at 20 of the most underrated wrestling games of all-time:

20. Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special

1994 | Human Entertainment | Super Famicom

Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special’s status as one of the earliest wrestling games with a substantial story mode is noteworthy enough. However, what really makes this one special is the fact that one of the game’s scenarios writers was Suda51: the legendary game director known for some of the weirdest games ever made. 

True to form, this game is weirder than you could ever imagine. I can’t think of another wrestling game that ends with the protagonist killing themselves after realizing that their championship win is hollow due to the pain and losses they suffered along the way, and while I’m grateful no other game has tried something like that, this title’s dark and bizarre story should at least make it more talked about than it typically is. 

19. Natsume Championship Wrestling

1994 |  Natsume  | SNES

This is hardly the best wrestling game on this list (clearly), but it does represent a fascinating turning point for wrestling video games that is sometimes overlooked. 

This game combined two eras of wrestling games by featuring the more simplistic arcade style of many early console wrestling titles with a few concepts (such as an advanced fatigue system) that would go on to help shape the more complex wrestling games that would define the years to come. If you like that classic style of wrestling game, this is one of the best ways to revisit it. 

18. Wrestling Revolution 3D

2014 |  MDickie  | Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Mac, Ouya 

Let’s be clear: this is a very bad game. It’d go so far as to call it objectively bad in many ways. However, it’s the fact that the game is so bad that makes it so much fun. 

Considered by many to be maybe the only example of a “So bad, it’s good” wrestling game, Wrestling Revolution is slow, awkward, broken, and clearly made with love. At a time when so many of the recent yearly WWE games end up being glitchy messes anyway, there’s something to be said for a game that embraces its glitchiness and usually leads to a lot of laughs. 

17. WWE ‘13

2012 |  Yuke’s  | PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360

As suggested above, there’s a point where it’s hard for all but the most hardcore WWE game fans to distinguish recent WWE titles from one another. Maybe that’s why WWE ‘13 is sometimes forgotten when we’re talking about the best relatively modern wrestling games. 

This game’s best feature has to be its “Attitude Era” story modes which let you relive some of the best moments from WWE’s most beloved period. More importantly, this game benefited from pretty good animations and a hit detection system that made it feel good to play years before the clutter of this series’ engine would drag these titles down. 

16. WCW vs. The World

Given that PlayStation gamers spent years lamenting that N64 owners got to play WCW/NWO Revenge and WWF No Mercy (two of the best wrestling games ever), I’m shocked that we don’t hear more people praise WCW vs. The World. 

Essentially the predecessor to those brilliant N64 games made by AKI, WCW vs. The World is by far the closest PlayStation gamers came to getting a wrestling game on the level of the best N64 titles. It’s pretty rough compared to those titles, but I can’t help but think of the years I spent missing out on this true gem.

15. WWF War Zone

1998 | Sculptured Software, Acclaim | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy

Granted, it’s not nearly as good as the best wrestling games of its era, but at a time when WWE (then WWF) was enjoying an incredible popularity resurgence, WWF War Zone allowed fans to live out a truly special era of wrestling.

War Zone’s roster is a time capsule of that era that includes a fascinating blend of big-name stars and notable novelty acts. Its gameplay could have been much smoother, but the game’s presentation and graphics made it feel special. It’s still one of the better PS1 wrestling games of its era and is sure to invoke a strong sense of nostalgia.

14. Legends of Wrestling II

2002 | Sculptured Software, Acclaim | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance

Legends of Wrestling II’s appeal was (and always will be) its roster. This game’s roster of legendary wrestlers includes some names that still haven’t been included in modern WWE titles. The list of superstars in this game includes Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Mil Mascaras, Bam Bam Bigelow, and many more legends.

The game’s appeal goes beyond its roster, though. The game’s territory-based story mode, which lovingly recreates the structure of ‘80s wrestling, is one of the most inventive ever featured in a wrestling game. It even lets you recreate the famous feud between Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman.

13. TNA Impact!

2008 | Midway Games | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS

TNA Impact was not a great game. Its roster was thin, its gameplay needed a few more months in development, and it just didn’t have nearly enough modes and features to compete with WWE titles. However, the one thing TNA Impact did have was the benefits of the TNA name.

It turns out that counts for quite a lot. Developed during the arguable peak of TNA’s talent level, Impact allowed you to play as everyone, from Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe to AJ Styles and Abyss. On top of that, the game benefited from its impressive presentation and a surprisingly deep story mode. It was far from perfect, but it was and is a must-have for any TNA fans.

12. MicroLeague Wrestling

1987 | MicroLeague | Commodore 64, Amiga, DOS, Atari ST, AmigaOS

MicroLeague Wrestling is arguably the most obscure, odd, and fascinating game on this list. Released for Commodore 64, Amiga, DOS, and Atari ST, MicroLeague was actually a professional wrestling strategy game that allowed you to decide matches and careers through a series of turn-based commands.

It may feel hopelessly outdated today, but MicroLeague Wrestling was a surprisingly advanced concept at a time when wrestling games were dirt simple. It would be fascinating to revisit this concept through some kind of modern wrestling management game.

11. The Main Event

1988| Konami | Arcade

You’d think that a wrestling game released by Konami in 1988 would be better known, but The Main Event has somehow managed to mostly escape the scrutinizing lens of history. That might have something to do with its unlicensed roster that was only vaguely (and hilariously) based on actual wrestlers.

Still, The Main Event should have been a stepping stone for bigger Konami arcade wrestling games to come. It featured deep wrestling gameplay (for the time) that served as a preview of some more notable wrestling games to come.

10. WCW Wrestling

1989| Nihon Bussan | NES

The NES wasn’t exactly known as a haven for great wrestling games, but WCW Wrestling still deserves to be remembered above most of its console contemporaries. Somehow, though, memories of it remain relegated to the few that played it and are not always as fond as they should be.

WCW Wrestling not only offered WCW fans the chance to play as some of their favorite wrestlers of the era, but it included features such as an expanded ringside area and customizable move sets that were ahead of their time. This game certainly remains one of the most playable of its generation.

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9. WCW Mayhem

1999| EA | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy

It’s generally agreed that the N64 got better overall wrestling games than the PS1, but it’s simply a fact that the N64’s WCW games were better than those featured on the PlayStation. However, WCW Mayhem did offer PS1 gamers a taste of something pretty good (especially if they missed out on WCW vs. The World).

Granted, Mayhem was a poor man’s version of the WCW N64 wrestling games (its canceled sequel was going to be developed by the same team that made those N64 games), but it was unfairly overlooked by many PS1 gamers who were burned by too many bad wrestling games over the years. Of course, the game’s N64 version was less impressive in comparison to its direct competition.

8. Power Move Pro Wrestling

1996| Yuke’s | PlayStation

Power Move Pro Wrestling was originally based on the NJPW promotion, but it seems that fears over the international popularity of that promotion (at the time) caused the NJPW stars to be replaced with generic wrestlers with NJPW move sets. That decision stands as this game’s most glaring weakness.

Otherwise, this is a solid wrestling title for its era. Power Move Pro Wrestling was released on the cusp of an incredible generation of wrestling titles, but even though it lacks some of the refinement and features of those games, it does boast some admirable 3D gameplay that was head and shoulders above many other wrestling games at the time.

7. WWE Raw 2

2003| Anchor Inc. | Xbox

The WWE Raw games for Xbox were generally not as strong as their GameCube and PS2 counterparts, but they have been unfairly swept under the rug by fans that feel that they had very little to offer.

WWE Raw 2 actually boasted a few features that would soon become standard. The most notable of those features is the game’s “Create an Entrance,” which not only let you create custom Titantron videos but even let you import your own music. Raw 2 also featured an interesting RPG-lite story mode that complemented its more arcadey elements.

6. Fire Pro Gaiden: Blazing Tornado

1994| Human Entertainment | Arcade, Sega Saturn

Fire Pro Gaiden: Blazing Tornado was a 1994 Arcade/Sega Saturn game that combined elements of Saturday Night Slam Masters, Street Fighter, and more “traditional” pro wrestling games. It was a strange hybrid that was sadly overlooked by too many gamers.

Blazing Tornado is more of a fighting game than a wrestling game, but the ways that it incorporates grappling and other pro wrestling elements make it one of the more notable games of its kind. Its visuals are also enjoyable in a cartoonish kind of way.

5. WWE WrestleMania XIX

2003| Yuke’s | GameCube, Wii

While WrestleMania X8 and XIX would eventually be spun into the overall superior Day of Reckoning titles, WrestleMania XIX deserves to be remembered both as the forerunner of that series and for its wonderfully absurd story mode.

WrestleMania XIX’s story mode saw you seek revenge on Vince McMahon by fighting regular employees and other wrestlers across construction sites, barges, malls, and other random locations. The goal is to cause enough havoc to ruin WrestleMania. It’s a glorious piece of “who came up with this?” game design.

4. Wrestle Kingdom 2

2007 | Yuke’s | PlayStation 2

Wrestle Kingdom 2’s release date is notable not only because it’s the newest game on this particular list but also because it was released at a time when major wrestling games were veering more into “simulation” territory, a time when wrestling games stopped catering to more casual players.

Well, Wrestle Kingdom 2 happens to be “arcadey” and accessible in all of the right places without sacrificing depth. Its gameplay is deep enough for genre masters, but can also be picked up fairly quickly. The fact that it so happens to feature some brilliant tournament modes along with an impressive collection of Japanese stars is just the bow that tops this gift to wrestling.

3. WWE Smackdown! vs Raw 2006

2005| Yuke’s | PlayStation 2, PSP

“Underrated” might be a bit of a stretch in this instance considering that those who love this game place it alongside the greatest wrestling games ever made, but the fact remains that not enough gamers know that this is an absolutely brilliant wrestling title.

In fact, some believe this to be the perfect middle ground between SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain’s lovably ridiculous gameplay and the more grounded games that would follow in this series. SvR 2006 includes an unbelievable number of match types, a very welcome general manager mode, and pick up and play gameplay that some at the time compared to the timeless WWF No Mercy. It deserves to be remembered as a classic.

2. King of Colosseum II

2004| Spike | PlayStation

While there are quite a few Japan-only wrestling games that would qualify as underrated in the West, many consider King of Colosseum II to be the crown jewel of that particular crowd. With its massive roster, deep grappling system, and incredible create-a-wrestler mode, this game is often thought of as the closest we’ve come to a 3D successor to the Fire Pro Wrestling series (it was made by the same team responsible for many of the early games in that series). It’s a shame that it was never exported to the West.

1. Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation

2002| AKI Corporation | GameCube

Many people know that AKI Corporation, developers of those classic N64 wrestling games like WWF No Mercy, went on to develop the first two excellent Def Jam titles. What fewer people remember is that AKI also developed this absolute gem of a wrestling game.

Essentially an anime wrestling game, Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation sees good and evil wrestlers battle across the universe. Bolstered by AKI’s all-time classic grappling gameplay, Ultimate Muscle proves to be a wonderfully over-the-top wrestling game that’s just as fun to watch as it is to play. Imagine if DragonBall FighterZ and WWF No Mercy had a video game child. This is what you’d get, and it’s better than you can imagine.

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[soshinee]

if i’m going to be honest i think super metroid is nintendo’s most enduring masterpiece, not ocarina of time. don’t get me wrong, ocarina is astounding—it was at the time for sure and it still is to some extent. i won’t deny that it’s a great game and that it changed the face of gaming going forward. i like oot. i respect oot. it’s important and i think everyone who takes games seriously should play it at least once. the same goes for mario 64, too. both of those games were masterpieces of their time, and both of them are still monuments of nintendo’s ingenuity when it came to game design and working with the technology available (this is still true but i think oot & sm64 are a bit more impressive just bc the hardware was so limited it took some rlly creative thinking to make those games the way they did).

imo, oot and sm64 are classics. they’re amazing games that deserve all the praise they receive. but are they still masterpieces now, in 2020? i don’t think so. i’m only rlly thinking about the original n64 releases here and imo neither game has aged particularly well. the ds remakes fixed a lot of issues, but in comparison with the gaming industry now? i just don’t think they’re as flawless as many people want to say they are. granted, a lot of the issues with those games and any games from those early eras comes down more to the technical limitations of the time and the fact that 3d games of that scale were nearly unheard of, and less to the actual design of the game itself. in the present day, however, it’s difficult for me to suspend my disbelief enough when playing them for me to be able to try and claim these games are perfection.

super metroid, though? i think super metroid is probably the greatest game nintendo has ever made up to this point, though i’m sure that will change over time. to be sure, a large part of my opinion on this has formed based on the pure longevity of the game. it’s still just as much of a masterpiece as it was in 1994. the graphics and the sound design are still phenomenal—i will admit that 2d graphics tend to hold up much, much better than 3d graphics in general, which gives most metroid games a bit of an edge in this respect—and the gameplay is still incredible. there’s a reason there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of games at this point that build off of the foundation provided by super metroid. the fact that you can play super metroid now, nearly 30 years after its release, and it’s still just as tight, snappy, and beautiful as it ever was is truly a testament to its developer’s mastery of their craft. no other game really compares to it, not even other 2d metroid games. it’s still the standout 2d title in the series and it’s still one of the standout open world 2d platformers in the entire industry. and that, i think, is what makes it nintendo’s best title in its history so far and one of the best, if not the best game ever made.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #454

Top Ten Launch Games 

Oooh, it’s finally here!  

By the time you read this, the Xbox Series X/S consoles will be out, and the PlayStation 5 will be imminent if not already with us. At the time of writing I’ve yet to sample either console, although hopefully that will soon change. However, it’s a bit of a weird console launch, especially for Xbox owners, as there’s not much in the way of actual launch titles. PlayStation has the excellent-looking technical showcase (in that it shows off their sexy new controller, if not necessarily the excesses of the console’s visual prowess) Astro’s Playroom. But on the Xbox side, the only genuine first-party exclusive (not including the port of rather smashing PC title Gears Tactics) was to be the troubled Halo Infinite, which has now been pushed to next year to deal with some of its apparent graphical deficiencies. For what it’s worth, as a Halo fan, I thought the actual gameplay presented looked as good as it always has, so I’m still very excited, but it’s a shame not to sample something genuinely new and shiny at launch. For me, then – as someone not getting a PlayStation this year – I’m going to have to contend myself with updated versions of older games, and hopefully something like the really exciting-looking The Falconeer or, eventually, Cyberpunk 2077.  

Of course, it’s not always been like this; in the past, a landmark game has often been the core reason to upgrade to a new console. Certain titles have defined their hardware platforms, offering a taste of the experiences to come, be it through revolutionary control systems, previously-unimaginable graphics, or simply by shattering preconceptions and expectations. As such, this weekend I’m celebrating my favourite launch titles. 

Now, a couple of my usual caveats. I’ve hardly owned any consoles in the grand scheme of things; I was a computer gamer until the launch of the first Xbox, and even then was PC-first until about midway through the 360’s life. As such I came to a lot of these late, or played them on friends’ systems. I’m sure a videogame historian would give you another list, one that was able to put each title into its historical perspective. For my part, I’m mostly basing it on how much I like the game, but I am also trying to weight it in terms of its “importance”. I mean, one of my favourite “launch titles” of all time would be Lego Marvel Super Heroes on the Xbox One/PS4, but that seems a bit of a ridiculous game to call a launch title, especially as it doesn’t really show off the hardware or define the generation in any particular way. I just think it rocks. So I’m trying to judge it also in terms of how effective a given game was at being a launch title, as well as my personal preference; as such, some games, which I think are more emblematic of their time or their hardware, might end up higher in the list than if I was otherwise just ranking my favourites.  

Christ, that was boring. Look, here are ten games that I like that came out when a console came out. Have at it. 

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2001): it’s not just that it made playing an FPS on a console as comfortable and enjoyable as on PC, but it revolutionised what an FPS could do. Expansive open landscapes, dynamic combat with intelligent enemies, an ingenious shield/health combo, two weapons, drivable vehicles, and frankly outstanding graphics. And for Xbox – a curious underdog, a big black sheep devoid of cool or class and feeling like Microsoft was trying to buy its way into the console space with a hefty dose of brute force – here was something unique, something incredible. I don’t think anyone quite expected Halo, and it’s arguable that it single-handedly changed not only Microsoft and Xbox’s fortunes but the entire game industry too.  

Wii Sports (Wii, 2005): the Wii was this strange outlier, a tiny white box that eschewed the grunt and girth of its rivals, and seemingly built around its unique motion controller. Would it work? Wii Sports proved that yes it would, a delightful bundle of games that perfectly showed what the console and controller could do. Immense fun in and of itself, but the Wii’s ability to lower the barrier of entry to non-gamers meant that your dad could thrash your brother at bowling. And that is a thing to cherish forever. 

Tetris (GameBoy, 1989): depending on where you look, Tetris may just be the best-selling game of all time. It’s on everything now, from the Xbox Series X to your watch. But there was a time when “Tetris” meant “GameBoy”; that four-colour greenscreen box of wonder that everybody had but me. It was beyond ubiquitous, and its short-form nature and simplistic styling made it ideal for the portable console, its chirpy and iconic music sounding perfect coming from those tiny speakers. And above all else, of course, Tetris is fantastic, one of the greatest games of all time. It was a perfect marriage of software and hardware. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017): so here’s the thing: I like Zelda, but I’ve never fallen in love with it. I didn’t grow up with it, so coming to Ocarina of Time, there were too many old-fashioned trappings in the way; it just didn’t feel as enthralling or as fun to play as, say, Half-Life or Deus Ex. BOTW changed that; the limitations were gone, the world was blown wide open. It no longer felt like an 80s game in three dimensions, it felt new. Better than new – it felt like tomorrow. Despite the Switch being graphically weaker than its contemporaries, BOTW was and is simply gorgeous to look at, but it’s how it plays, how it feels like a vast but real world, how it has its own rules and they make sense instantly. It’s the greatest open world game of all time, and emergent physics sandbox, and yet it’s still unquestionably Zelda, emphatically Nintendo. Okay, it technically came out on the Wii U at the same time, but who the hell played that? This was the game that made you want a Switch.  

Super Mario 64 (N64, 1997): this is often the game people cite as being one of the great revolutionary launch titles, but I must confess its charms were lost to me at first. Taking what was great about Mario and converting it expertly into 3D was a heck of a feat; graphically for the time it certainly impressed in the scale of its worlds, and whilst back then I felt it lacked the detail and granularity of some PC titles, in retrospect it was a perfectly-suited art style, offering smooth textures even when right up close. But it was its precise controls and the open, hub-based nature of its worlds that was revolutionary; many games aped its style, but it took a long time before anything really matched it.  

Hexic HD (Xbox 360, 2005): not every game here has to be some genre-busting graphical powerhouse; they can be simple but quietly revolutionary. Hexic HD is a terrific puzzle game with a simple hook, brilliantly executed, and enough intrigue and nuance to keep you coming back for one more go, to beat your high score, to get to the next tricksy level. But the time and manner of its release, and what that signified, marked it out as something more important. It was the first Xbox Live Arcade title; Microsoft’s curated gallery of smaller, more indie-flavoured games. More than that, it was free, coming pre-installed on all Xbox 360 Pros (the ones with the removable hard drive). It was a taste of what was to come, introducing audiences not only to the idea of playing these kinds of smaller, less intense games on a console, but also the idea of purchasing and downloading them digitally. It was great and ground-breaking in equal measure.  

WipEout (PlayStation, 1995): I kinda missed the PlayStation generation. I was still, more or less, in my PC-centric “consoles are toys” mindset (which I wouldn’t fully shake off till the release of the N64). But I came to appreciate its qualities as a cool, exciting, super-fast futuristic racer. I’m pretty sure it’s not the first 3D hover-car racing game, but it was presented in such a groovy package that it ticket all the boxes, and helped show off just what the PlayStation was capable of in terms of its 3D graphics and CD sound. And, of course, it helped define the console as being a bit more edgy and grown-up than the previous Nintendo and Sega stalwarts. 

Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1988): what can be said about one of the most iconic games of all time? Mario Bros defined not only a console, not only a generation, but arguably an entire artform. Creating what we now know as a platform game, it expanded and surpassed the basic template of Donkey Kong into a roaming adventure, part twitch-gaming reaction test, part puzzle game. I played a lot of copycat games on my Amiga, but even then, as a whiny computer brat, I knew that Mario was better. Even when my cousins got a MegaDrive and Sonic, I knew – deep in my heart – that Mario was better. It's a deep game, an endlessly replayable game, a supremely fair game despite its difficulty. I think it’s hard to overstate just how good, or how influential, Mario was. 

Project Gotham Racing (Xbox, 2001): I tried hard to pick a different platform for every game in this list, but I couldn’t exclude PGR. This may be tied up with my biography a little bit, but my other half and I played this game to death. I never think of myself as a big racer fan, but every once in a while a title comes out that I just really, really get into – Jaguar XJ220 on the Amiga, Midtown Madness on PC, the Forza Horizon series nowadays – and PGR did that in spades. A gorgeous arcade racer, it was a great launch title to show off the sheer grunt of the Xbox; then, as now, the most powerful console on the market. It also offered a terrific four-player split-screen. But its Kudos feature – borrowed from semi-prequel Metropolis Street Racer – offered ways to win outside of sheer racing graft, awarding cool driving. I still love the original, and I kinda wish they’d bring back or reimagine its city-based driving for a future release or Forza spin-off. 

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion (PSP, 2004): okay, so this is a bit of a cheat as I've barely played the original PSP version, but Lumines is just phenomenal; the best moving-blocks-around game since Tetris, and probably the most influential one since then too (for the record, I've played it extensively on multiple other platforms). An excellent spin on a Tetris-a-like, its use of music and colour made it a beautiful, brilliant sensory experience. With Sony entering the handheld market, the PSP needed a USP, something vibrant and cool that suited a portable experience, and Lumines provided it in spades; also its funky visuals and music was a good fit for Sony’s brand.  

Well, that was fun, and a lot harder than I expected. If you’re enjoying a new console this Christmas, then hopefully you’ll have fun with one of the new launch titles too – even if I doubt any (apart from maybe Astro) would trouble a list like this in the future (although I do think The Falconeer looks all kinds of cool). 

[oldnintendonerd]

The SNES Collection

Ah here it is! The SNES! It is probably my favorite console from Nintendo. Released in August of 1991, and triggering the notable console wars. It was superior, at least in my opinion, to everything it went up against at the time. This could be argued until everyone is dead and gone, but to me, The Old Nintendo Nerd, SNES takes it.

This console is in much better shape. Extremely clean, near mint condition as compared to my NES. Zero yellowing, dings, dents, scratches, scuffs or marks really of any kind. It is as if it was just taken out of the box. The elusive box, unfortunately, that, like the NES box, is also long gone. In trying to obtain one of these I believe there was a great deal of resistance in getting a SNES anywhere near launch date. If I had to guess I would say it was somewhere in 1994 that I actually got a SNES of my own. Likely purchased by my parents as well. I obviously took better care of the console itself, but no such luck on the box.

Man, I wish I had kept that box.

So many incredible titles were released for this system. It has an absolutely stunning library behind it. I cannot wait to possibly get my hands on a few more of them. This collection is much smaller than the NES, with my N64 collection even smaller still. This was the result of moving to a more expensive platform as the NES was phased out, but still being a young teen with not much of my own money. The collection is small, though I still have some VERY good titles in here, take a look.

All in great shape aside for the one permanent marker “P” on Uniracers, damn it. Why did kids write on these things, what purpose could it ever serve? Ugh!

Even more so than the NES collection, there are gaps, where is Gradius III or Super Metroid? Pilotwings? F-Zero? We don’t even have a copy of any of the Mega Man X series. Or Mario Kart! For shame! Hopefully we can fix that in my quest to fill out my collection a little bit.

I’m not looking to get any complete sets with this quest. Let me make that perfectly clear. No that is so frightfully above my head at this point it isn’t even funny. It takes a level of both time and financial dedication I just could not begin to muster to go for a complete set. But I do want a nice, well rounded core set of really great games. To do that I do need to obtain a few select titles, including the ones above and maybe a few more. With any luck we’ll be rocking a respectable collection in a year or so, maybe two. I am under no impression that this will be completed in a few months. This will take patience, and persistence. Yard Sales, Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and maybe even LetGo and OfferUp.

LetGo and OfferUp have the tendency to have eBay syndrome though. To me it is still an attempt to get rid of something, like a Yard Sale, where the prices are “get it out of my house” low. But people still go on eBay, check prices and wind up pricing a dirty, yellowing Super Nintendo that they found in a box in the garage, have no idea if it works, with one filthy copy of Madden 95, no cords and one controller at $60. The $60 one they saw on eBay was pristine, tested and guaranteed working as well as bundled with all cords, two controllers and a clean copy of A Link to the Past.

You get my point, I ranted about this type of thing in the last post enough, I said there would be less ranting so I’ll let it be. For now. I’m sure it will come up again and again.

My favorite SNES game is probably Super Metroid. The game is an absolute masterpiece. From the controls, to the graphics, environment, ambiance and enemies, it is hands down one of the best games I have ever played. Period. I don’t think I could ever come up with a negative, it is a 10 out of 10 game.

And it is missing from my collection.

Womp Womp.

This one will be, as a friend put it, my white whale so to speak. It isn’t rare by any means, it is readily available on eBay and even in retail stores local to me, but for an astounding $50 to $60. If that does not speak to the quality of game that it is, I don’t know what does. I will have Super Metroid though. Mark. My. Words.

Of the games I own, while Mario World is up there, I think the one I played the most of is TMNT IV: Turtles in Time.

Played the hell out of this growing up, it was like the arcade game was on my TV. I loved it. Graphics, sound, music, controls, all top notch. Pitching foot soldiers into the screen to actually beat the boss? Genius. Solid 9 out of 10 game, a must have for collections of any size.

A very close second is Battletoads in Battlemaniacs.

Fantastic game, the graphics and animations are stellar, and it is hard. Boy is it hard. But it’s a Battletoads game, it has to be. I love the music too, you find yourself bobbing your head as you are playing. They even kept the pause beatbox.

This next one would be higher on the list had I played it more, but I honestly, and I am ashamed to say this, have never beaten, or even played very far into this game.

*dodges all of the rotten tomatoes and other vegetables that are thrown at me*

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

I have it back out, and have started a new play through, so I will do it, I want to, the game is awesome. I just got this very late in my career of the SNES, I would say something like 1997, maybe even as late as 1998, and didn’t ever play it all the way through. I probably started a dozen games that always got overshadowed by another new shiny game on a newer console. Namely the Nintendo 64, which had been out for at least a year by the time I got my hands on a copy of this game. It will get finished. Oh yes. Soon.

A friend and I would rent a SNES on a weekend with a Monday holiday. Like Labor Day or Memorial Day. Not only would we be off from school, but we would also not have to return the console until Tuesday. Normally if you rented a console for the weekend you had to return it Monday. We would play all weekend long. Probably switching between 2 or 3 different games that we also rented. I remember one weekend in particular we rented The Lost Vikings, and Out of This World. The Lost Vikings is a fantastic puzzle platformer. With each viking possessing a different ability to help the three progress as a group through each stage. Music is fantastic, graphics are engaging and the control is right where it needs to be. We played this for hours.

The fact that we rented this game further reinforces my guess of me getting a SNES in 1994, since Lost Vikings was released in 1993. Out of this World I believe was some time in 1992. Though I am not 100% sure, I know it came out on Amiga in 1991, but as for an official SNES release date, I’m coming up empty. I’m merely guessing it may have taken a little time to port it to the console. SNES released second half of 1991. Puting the possible release of Out of this World first half of 1992. It could very well have been the same year though. I recently picked up the re-release on steam with better graphics. It was a trip to play I’ll tell you. I don’t have a copy in my collection so I have not played it for a very long time.

Ten out of ten console, I could go on for the foreseeable future on this one. But I’ll resist and snip it off here.

No pickups or video game buys thus far, total stays $83.09.

Next Post, the Nintendo 64 collection!

2017.04.21

[terryblount]

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy – PC Review

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a remake of the three original fun-loving, cartoon-like Spyro games, originally created by Insomniac Games in 1998, 1999, and 2000 for the PlayStation. However, before discussing this modern ‘reignited’ collection, I need to go back to the late 1990s and share with you my personal history with Spyro.

Back in the Nintendo 64 Days

For his 7th birthday my brother received a Nintendo 64 from our grandparents. This was our first home console, and with this gift we now we had the ability to play so many yearned-for games which, until that moment, could only be played in our most improbable dreams. Indeed, now the two of us no longer were limited to my GameBoy and an old PC, and seeing games in full 3D (limited as it was back then) was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a unique moment in my gaming life.

Spyro the Dragon flying majestically in astounding 3D graphics!

Thinking about that moment, now, makes me almost cry. I had never seen something like that before, and what was even more amazing was that I could also explore such huge, colorful, and incredible worlds thanks to the invention of the analogue stick. I ate up so many games. Super Mario 64 was unprecedented, Mario Kart 64 was so fun, and Banjo-Kazooie was difficult. Through all these games, I felt like my only limit was the time per day I had to explore them because there was always a new corner to discovery and enjoy.

The freedom of flying, with modern graphics, recreated from the original 1998 gameplay.

Besides feeling like the cool kid with my Nintendo 64, I also remember thinking that only Nintendo could possibly provide me with such vibrant worlds. But I realized how wrong I was when, a few years later, I went to a friend’s house and become initiated in the ways of the original PlayStation.

Enter the PlayStation Glory Years

When visiting my friend (thanks to our mothers being busy socializing), my friend and I could play all night long, and we could choose from his wide collection of games since he was one of those friends who had all the games you can’t ever afford. (For the record, my personal PS1 was bought some months after launch, but I just got a few games and lots of demo discs.)

It’s a dinosaur or something who talks and says things!

I remember one night in particular in which my friend (named Matteo, in case you were wondering) decided that evening that we should play a new game he received (probably from his grandparents), which according to him was the real Super Mario 64 competitor on Sony’s console. You guessed it… that game was Spyro the Dragon.

Prior to this night, I had only gotten a chance to see a few screenshots of the game on some of the earliest videogame websites and in some Italian magazines, so I didn’t know much about it. What I did know was that there were no other free-roaming 3D platformers available around that time on any other home consoles, apart from the N64 with the aforementioned Super Mario 64.

There were some other games that tried to be open in their world design. I had the chance to try a PC demo for a game called Croc (which was great!), but it wasn’t very open like Mario. Crash Bandicoot (on the PlayStation) was obviously a great game, but it was built to be “on-rails”. The Tomb Raider series was certainly a thing, but those games were still limited to the confines of the caverns and hallways you were in.

Spyro lets you enjoy the freedom of open 3D platforming like never seen before (in 1998).

Introducing Spyro: A Decent Mario Competitor

With all these things in mind, we now come to my history with Spyro the Dragon, itself (himself?). Sure, Mario was (and likely always will be) the real platformer king, but back in the late 1990s I really wanted to find a decent competitor in order to widen my choice of games to play. And Spyro delivered.

I recall booting up the game. Spyro magically started to live when the disc was inserted into the PlayStation, and it was love at first sight, sound, and play. From the start the humor was there that really made me laugh. The bright, vivid colors popped out at me, and the game was one of the best looking at that time. (Keep in mind that many of the ‘hot’ PS1 games were ‘mature’ with dark colors and themes.)

Spyro’s full of colorful characters who sometimes carry around creamy cakes!

Last, but not least, for us Italians, it was one of the first times where the whole game was completely dubbed with Italian voices, thanks to Italian voice actors. If I wasn’t already smitten with the game before, this last selling point was all it took to totally fall in love with Spyro, the pretty-friendly Dragon!

Thanks to all of Spyro’s charms and much more, the developers, Insomniac (who recently, in 2018, put out the universally acclaimed smash hit Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4), strongly entered the videogames industry, and Universal (the publisher) made lots of money.

The new graphics are just as impressively beautiful and vivid as they were back in the day.

Much more importantly than fame or money, many players finally got to enjoy a real open-world 3D platformer on a console other than Nintendo, and there clearly was an appetite for this style of game. Consequently, Spyro, in his cool purple dragon style, sauntered himself through two additional Insomniac-developed chapters also on the PS1.

Hard Times for Old Heroes

Unfortunately, Spyro soon declined in popularity as game design evolved past the joys of simple 3D platformers. A couple PlayStation 2 titles (2002 and 2004) were developed and were moderately memorable. Other spin-off titles were also made to milk the franchise.

Then there was an attempt to revive Spyro in the 128-bit era by Activision (who bought the rights and owns them to this very day). This led to the creation of less interesting and semi-forgettable titles, including a dubious 2006-2008 rebooted trilogy with big-name voice actors and a planned movie tie-in (yuck).

Given Spyro’s rocky years, Activision shifted gears and directed one of their wholly-owned studios, Toys for Bob, to create a new type of game that mixed real-life collectible toy figures with videogames. This new vision would become the insanely successful Skylanders series. So in 2011 Spyro found himself becoming a ‘collectible toy’ video game designed to be inoffensive and accessible with RPG ‘hooks’ to keep the player engaged (and buying toys).

It’s ironic, then, that Skylanders began as a spin-off of Spyro but soon came to completely eclipse the Spyro brand. Soon enough, Spyro was mostly forgotten about as Skylanders went on to create an entire genre full of collectible toy creatures and mildly interesting ‘children’s’ videogames over the 2011 to 2016 period. Quite a fall for Spyro from being the up-and-coming threat to dethrone platforming-king Mario back in the early 3D days.

Finally, Spyro Returns, Reignited!

Having been dormant for some years now, and thanks to the trend in remaking old 3D classic games, Activision has finally brought back the original Spyro in this modern remake of the three very original games, much like how Activision remade the Crash Bandicoot saga in the ‘N. Sane Trilogy‘ in 2017. To accomplish this remake, Toys for Bob was called back to the action, which is fitting since they’ve had years of experience with Spyro-inspired games since 2011’s Skylanders series began.

Spyro can smile again, having been returned to his glory days in this modern remake!

First released in 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One, this remake has been a huge success from both critics and players, in part because it has allowed so many of us to relive old childhood memories in modern accommodations while retaining the appreciated ’90s gameplay mechanics. Accordingly, sales were huge, and Activision has successfully ridden the wave of instant nostalgia and given fans a real blast-from-the-past treat.

How Faithful is the ‘Reignited’ Remake? Very!

As far as the faithfulness of the remake goes, Toys for Bob have created a very faithful product, with the same story, worlds, and enemies of the originals. This is very much a 1:1 remake, much like its reboot-cousin, Crash’s ‘N. Sane Trilogy.’ With this reboot, from the first moment when you boot the game, it’s like traveling through time with some magic trickery.

Happiness and sunshine is what Spyro feels now having been given a quality remake.

Everything is there, in the same place I remember it, with all the same gems and chests right where I left them some 20 years ago. Even all the enemies are in the right places, with the same movements and noises. Indeed, all the gameplay and mechanics are basically identical to the original games. Even the beloved dragonfly character Sparx is faithfully recreated, who shows how much health is still available before collapsing and losing a life (you’ll understand when you play the game).

The only big difference in this remake is the technical, not structural, changes. Under the hood, the game hums along with excellent performance thanks to the Unreal Engine 4 engine, and all the modern effects create a visually pleasing, if still simplistic, style. The game engine also provides lots of configuration options to fit the power of various PCs, and the semi-cartoon visuals mean the game looks good even on lower settings.

Overall, this remake is ultra-faithful gameplay-wise but also has excellent additional details to make these original games come alive in ways never before seen. All the new aesthetic details are a treat to behold, even if they don’t change the underlying gameplay, and the few minor gameplay tweaks are welcome.

Very strong art and graphics create a new view of these old treasured games.

The Same Gameplay: Both Good and Bad

Delving into the actual gameplay, it should be noted that it’s both good and bad that this remake is so faithful to the originals. There’s no denying that these games are dated in design with gameplay that has aged a bit badly, but as long as you know what you’re expecting, you’ll likely find lots to appreciate.

As far as the structure, all three games maintain the world hub and its respective world zones scattered around it. Just like before, the player needs to collect all the gems, free all the dragons, and find all the stolen eggs using Spyro’s powers.

There’s just a few new additions here and there: for example, Spyro now has a new way of moving, inspired by feline movements, which make him smoother than before. The same treatment was used for every 3D model, allowing cleaner movements, making the game easier to appreciate in our time.

Out exploring, enjoying the smooth movement (but the gameplay is a bit stiff).

An Italian Aside

For the readers out there from Italy, let me once again say that we yet again have a completely localized game with redone (and superior) voice acting. Gone are the questionable accents of the original games, so the localization efforts deserve praise.

Game Difficulty: Not Hard

Let’s bring up Crash Bandicoot again. That series was cruel and difficult despite its happy cartoon-like design, and both the originals and remake were obviously aimed at experienced players. Spyro, on the other hand, was always aimed at younger players, and both the originals and remake have much easier controls and laid-back design.

Mind you, Spyro can still be a tough game at times, but it’s only ever difficult, not nightmarish, and most of the game is easy to explore and enjoy. Basically, Spyro is the type of game everyone (including kids) can play through and reach the end, feeling satisfied at the result.

It would have been nice to have some way to select or unlock more difficulty options in this remake, but whether you’re young or old there still is enough challenge to keep most players focused. Still, you can decide for yourself if the lesser challenge is a plus or minus for you, personally.

Concluding the Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Now I’ve taken you on my person journey through Spyro, leading up to this recent remake. I’ve enjoyed my time with this modern Spyro, and it’s been like a homecoming for me, reliving my old cherished memories. However, even if you’re never played Spyro before, there’s much to enjoy. The game is colorful, smooth, and interesting with a cartoon-like story and charming characters.

There’s much to love in this charming game world, if you don’t mind old game mechanics.

Make no mistake, this Reignited Trilogy is nothing more or less than a totally faithful, high-fidelity remake of the first three games (some would say the only legitimate Spyro titles). New players might not be willing to endure the old-school mechanics and simple challenge, but with the right mindset it’s really enjoyable to play.

At the very least, it’s nice to have Spyro back in a nice modern three-in-one package, reliving his 3D platforming glory days.

Faithful to the original trilogy

Remastered graphics

Easily customizable

3 games for the cost of 1!

Suitable for all ages

Probably too easy for some

No additional levels

No original graphics mode

No bonuses or extras

  Playtime: 12 hours total (and counting). Mathieu has not completed the game, but he’s still playing it to collect all the gems!

Computer Specs: Windows 10 64-bit laptop computer, with 16GB of Ram, Nvidia 1050Ti.

The post Spyro: Reignited Trilogy – PC Review appeared first on DSOGaming.

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy – PC Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[aion-rsa]

Is Nintendo GameCube the Most Underrated Console Ever?

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A lot of words have been spoken about the Nintendo GameCube in the 20 years since the console’s release, but the one you’re most likely to hear if you ask fans about their thoughts on the console’s legacy is “underrated.” In fact, the popular sentiment is that the Nintendo GameCube is the most underrated console ever made.

It’s a fascinating legacy for a device that once seemed destined to become Nintendo’s worst-selling home console ever (before the Wii U justifiably stole that title). We’ve talked about this more extensively in the past, but the Nintendo GameCube was something of a low point for Nintendo in a lot of ways. They were last in sales, managed to alienate quite a few developers and gamers, and generally seemed to be unsure of who they were and what their future in the video game industry looked like.

While it’s true that the “underrated” tag is usually reserved for things that failed to reach the upper echelons of mainstream popularity, I’m not sure if the GameCube is entirely worthy of that designation despite the fact that’s how many people choose to remember it all these years later.

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I obviously can’t tell you whether or not you feel that the GameCube is underrated in the minds of most people (there’s a lot of speculation involved in that process), but historically, many people have called the GameCube a pretty bad console with some truly great games. Honestly, that seems like a fair summary of what the GameCube ultimately contributed.

Now, I will say that I think it took people quite a few years to fully appreciate just how good the GameCube’s library actually was. Yes, titles like Mario Kart: Double Dash, Resident Evil 4, and Super Smash Bros. Melee were pretty much instant classics, but fewer people at the time truly appreciated how special games like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Eternal Darkness, Viewtiful Joe, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance really were. Even successful GameCube games like Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Super Mario Sunshine arguably weren’t widely recognized as the classics they very much were until many years after their release and the GameCube’s downfall. In that sense, I think there is a very strong argument to be made that the GameCube was the home of a shocking number of generally underrated gaming experiences.

The question is, “Should more people have bought a GameCube at that time to experience those great games?” That’s where things get a little tricky, but it’s important to realize that the reasons why many people didn’t buy a GameCube when it was on the market (lack of multimedia features, lack of third-party support, lack of online games, and the time between major releases) are all still valid to this day. People weren’t really ignoring the GameCube because they thought it had bad games; they were ignoring it because it was always a tough sell as a second or third console despite the obvious quality of many of its best games.

Again, “underrated” is going to ultimately mean slightly different things to different people, but in the case of the GameCube, it honestly feels like the console eventually became widely enough embraced and criticized for the proper things. The idea that the GameCube had great games and was bad at nearly everything else was always there and has only become more popular in the 20 years since its release. Maybe it should have outsold the N64, but the sales gap wasn’t that big, and the N64 didn’t have to deal with a third competitor as strong as the Xbox.

If the GameCube isn’t the most underrated console, though, then which consoles are worthy of that title? Again, this is all really a talking point meant to inspire debate, but here are a few of the top candidates that come to mind:

Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn was pretty much “DOA” in the minds of many as soon as Sony confirmed that the PlayStation would be released at the same time as Sega’s console and for a lower price. Given how great the PS1 proved to be, it’s hard to argue against anyone who picked Sony’s console over Sega’s.

Still, the Sega Saturn was a solid and powerful console that boasts one of the most unique and impressive libraries of games ever assembled. If a few things had gone differently, I’d argue that more people would have jumped at the chance to buy a Sega Saturn for the ways it tried to bridge the gap between arcade, console, and PC gaming. As it turned out, though, Sony just had the better debut and, ultimately, the better read on where the industry was heading. The Saturn truly was a great and overlooked video game console, though.

PlayStation Vita

They say that you really had to own a PS Vita to love the PS Vita, which is kind of a problem considering that Sony only managed to sell an estimated 15-16 million Vitas during the handheld’s brief run. That’s a considerable drop from the reported 80 plus million PSPs that eventually made their way into the hands of an army of eager gamers.

The “funny” thing about that discrepancy is that the PS Vita was a better device in pretty much every single way. The PS Vita is not without its flaws, but when you really look at the handheld all these years later, you start to realize its market failures can sooner be attributed to some truly unfortunate circumstances rather than irredeemable problems with the device itself.

Sega Dreamcast

On the one hand, you could argue that the Dreamcast and GameCube share similar legacies. After all, both were underperforming consoles that are now widely recognized as “underrated” and are therefore arguably no longer entirely worthy of the title.

Whereas the GameCube’s underrated status ignores the idea that people have been having the same conversations about that console since it was released, though, the years since the Dreamcast’s demise have been filled with critical examinations that ultimately changed the narrative about the console. The Dreamcast’s controller wasn’t great, Sega failed to entice sufficient third-party support, and it turns out it really needed a DVD player, but the Dreamcast’s incredible library, online support, and nearly arcade-perfect visuals alone should have helped it sell way more than 9 million units.

Atari Lynx

The Atari Lynx should honestly be a case study in what ultimately tends to matter most to consumers. While you’d think that this console’s power, library, and features would have made it a proper Game Boy rival, many at the time simply preferred Game Boy’s portability, better battery life, and lower price.

Still, the Lynx was a marvel of technology and forward-thinking concepts that are honestly even more impressive to look back on than many people considered them to be at the time. The Lynx deserved to at least be seen as a viable Game Boy alternative, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16 (aka the PC Engine) was released at an awkward time that eventually ensured that it remarkably lost to two generations of Nintendo consoles as well as the Sega Genesis. Its awkward blend of 8 and 16-bit technology also didn’t help sell the console to a mass market looking for a clear explanation for a console’s power.

That said, it’s truly remarkable to look back at the TurboGrafx-16’s best games and realize that it effectively doubles as a list of some of the most underrated games of the console era. Despite its questionable marketing and lack of certain key features, the TurboGrafx-16 was a solid overall console that eventually played host to some fascinating and innovative titles that just never really found the wide audience that probably would have enjoyed them.

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25 Best Nintendo 64 Games Ever Made

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There’s a lot to be said about the Nintendo 64’s accomplishments, shortcomings, and legacy, but when most people think back on their time with the console, it’s hardly a surprise that they tend to focus on its best games.

While you could certainly make the argument that the PlayStation had the stronger overall library of games (or at least a greater diversity of experiences in its top 100 games), the N64 is rightfully remembered as the home of an elite group of titles that changed gaming forever as they stole the hearts of a generation who love them for their innovations, charm, and, ability to bring friends together for multiplayer memories that would last a lifetime.

Those are the games we’re paying tribute to today. These are the 25 best N64 games ever made:

25. Mario Party 2

Choosing which N64 Mario Party game to highlight is really a toss-up, but in case you’re wondering, the quality of Mario Party 2’s minigames ultimately put it over the top.

In any case, Mario Party 2 remains one of gaming’s greatest digital board game experiences. Equally capable of making or breaking friendships, Mario Party 2 is one of the riskiest dice rolls when it comes to game night selections. Thta’s honestly a big part of the reason it’s so easy to love.

24. Wave Race 64

You don’t hear many people talk about Wave Race 64 these days, which is quite surprising. Not only was it one of the best of the arcade-style console racing games of its era, but it’s one of the games that helped showcase the power and potential of the N64.

Wave Race 64’s visuals won’t blow any minds these days, but this game’s amazing track designs and incredible controls make it shockingly easy to pick up, play, and enjoy even if you are a graphics snob. It’s a testament to the quality of the N64’s other racing games that this isn’t higher.

23.  Jet Force Gemini

I completely understand if Jet Force Gemini’s strange structure and mechanical issues make it hard for you to enjoy the game today. Even at the time of its release, this one rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

Yet, there’s something about Jet Force Gemini’s bizarre blend of gameplay styles that’s impossible to not at least be a little fascinated by. This was Rare at their most experimental, which makes it that much more of a shame that they (or really anyone else for that matter) never made another game quite like this one. 

22. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Granted, this probably isn’t the FPS you think of when you think of the most famous N64 FPS titles, but it’s always been a shame that this game has struggled to escape the shadow of some considerable competition.

Turok 2’s incredible graphics and phenomenal sound design rightfully stole the show at the time of its release, but years later, it’s the game’s labyrinth levels and unique weapons that feel like a breath of fresh air. Turok 2‘s multiplayer has even aged surprisingly well. 

21. Super Smash Bros.

The Super Smash Bros. series didn’t reveal its full potential until Melee, but it’s impossible to talk about the best N64 games without giving the original at least a little love.

What should have been a gimmick turned out to be one of the N64’s most surprising hits. Anyone could hop in and enjoy playing this fighting game with friends, and most of us had the privilege of doing just that and forging some great gaming memories in the process.

20. 1080º Snowboarding

Fun fact: this spot was going to go to the N64 version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, but then I remembered that port’s butchered soundtrack. It’s hard to look past that…thing.

So instead, 1080º Snowboarding gets the nod that it’s too often denied. Before every extreme sports game tried to be THPS, 1080 offered a unique and fundamentally enjoyable snowboarding experience that emphasized technique without sacrificing pick-up-and-play fun.

19. Diddy Kong Racing

I still can’t believe that Rare had the guts to challenge Mario Kart in an arena that franchise pretty much built, but it has to be said that Diddy Kong Racing came closer to dethroning the king than anyone thought was possible.

Diddy Kong Racing’s incredible courses and the way they forced you to utilize different vehicles is undoubtedly one of the game’s highlights, but as an N64 gamer that didn’t constantly have someone else to play with, I’ve also always appreciated how this title featured a single-player campaign that was so much more than racing against bots.

18. Pokémon Snap

Throughout this list, you’re going to hear the word “creativity” (or some version of it) quite a bit. Nintendo has never been afraid to get weird with it, but something about this console’s hardware and the experimental nature of game design at the time made the N64 the home of games we’ve rarely seen before or since.

Even though it eventually got its long-overdue follow-up, Pokémon Snap has to be one of the best examples of the N64 at its weirdest. A game about taking pictures of Pokémon while on a kind of glorified safari? Sure, why not. Just make sure to make it magical while you’re at it. 

17. Excitebike 64

You know, I might owe Excitebike 64 an apology for leaving it off a recent list of the hardest N64 games. This was a truly difficult racing game that even veterans at the time struggled to master.

It’s also one of the deepest and most bountiful racing games of the arguable golden era of the genre. Somewhere between an extreme sports arcade game and a sim, Excitebike 64’s gameplay was just approachable enough to keep you glued to the action but deep enough to ensure you were constantly challenging yourself to do better.

16. Sin and Punishment

Even if Sin and Punishment wasn’t a pretty weird game that featured one of the strangest control schemes in N64 history (which, given the controller we’re talking about, is really saying something), its late in the game November 2000 Japan-only release date would have been enough to ensure most people didn’t play this one. 

That’s a shame, because this fast-paced and beautiful on-rails shooter may just be developer Treasure’s masterpiece. Sure, this is a bit of a hipster pick, but it’s hard to walk away from Sin and Punishment and not feel your hands vibrating as your mind tries to process the intensity of what you just experienced.

15. Banjo-Kazooie

Rare’s incredible run of N64 games is arguably best remembered for that one shooter you just know we’re going to talk about soon and the studio’s 3D platforming titles. So far as the latter category goes, this might just be their masterpiece.

Before Rare arguably lost its way a bit by becoming a little too obsessed with the “collect-a-thon” format, Banjo-Kazooie offered one of the most visually creative and genuinely fun 3D platforming experiences of this era. It’s no surprise many collectible-obsessed gamers can trace their addictions back to this true classic.

14. Conker’s Bad Fur Day

You don’t have to try too hard to find the design flaws in Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and you certainly don’t have to try too hard to point out the many ways this game’s edgy humor loses some of its potency once you’ve passed the age of 15 or so. 

Even still, there’s something wonderful about Conker’s Bad Fur Day that’s just as hard to overlook. This was essentially Rare throwing everything they had at the wall (and then some) in order to say goodbye to the N64, and you just have to love how much they ultimately packed into this game and how much fun so much of it still is.

13. Blast Corps

It shouldn’t surprise you that Rare and Nintendo dominate this list, but it might surprise you to see just how high Blast Corps ranks among the greatest N64 games ever made.

What Blast Corps lacks in mechanical fluidity, it more than makes up for in design ambition and adrenaline. There’s never been another puzzle game built around clearing a path for a runaway nuclear weapon, and even if that was somehow the most popular subgenre today, Blast Corps would likely still be the king of it.

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12. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

There were actually a few great Star Wars games on the N64, which makes it that much more impressive that Rogue Squadron finds itself cleanly atop that particular pack.

I’d call Rogue Squadron’s sci-fi spaceship battles “simple,” but the fact that so few games have been able to replicate their brilliance means that there’s more to this one than meets the eye. While this game’s loving embrace of the Star Wars universe may just be its X-factor, I feel it’s ultimately Rogue Squadron‘s surprisingly deep missions and incredible controls that make this game so hard to top.

11. Resident Evil 2

There are a few logistical reasons you won’t find a lot of multiplatform games on this list, but even if more notable third-party games were ported to the N64, it’s doubtful they would have been able to steal the spotlight from this one. 

Considered by some analysts to be one of the most technologically impressive N64 games ever made, the N64 version of Resident Evil 2 did things that shouldn’t have been possible. You could make the argument that it was the best way to experience Resident Evil 2, which means it’s one of the best ways to experience one of the best games ever made. 

10. Star Fox 64

If I’m being honest, I’ve always felt that the original Star Fox was more of an impressive technological demonstration than a truly great game. It was a lot of fun, but it was also pretty clear that there was a better game at its core just waiting to burst free.

Star Fox 64 was that game. You could push aside the fact that Star Fox 64 changed gaming forever with its rumble pack support, and you’d still be left with this classic’s visually stunning action, blissful combat, incredible multiplayer modes, and brilliant controls. This is just a complete N64 experience and one of Nintendo’s best games of the era. 

9. F-Zero X

One of the main reasons why Nintendo hasn’t released any F-Zero games in years is that they reportedly feel like they’ve really done everything with this series they aspired to accomplish.  While the GameCube’s brilliant F-Zero GX probably has a lot to do with that belief, it has to be said that F-Zero X for the N64 arguably perfected the entire F-Zero concept.

This fast, furious, and shockingly difficult racing game left nearly every other racing game in the dust at the time when it came to pure speed. Honestly, it’s faster and more intense than most of the racing games that have been released since. With the possible exception of its successor, I don’t know if there’s ever been another arcade-style racing game that just feels as good as this one.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Again, Nintendo has never been afraid of doing things differently, but Majora’s Mask still stands as one of the company’s wildest, and potentially dangerous, ideas.

Long before time loops became a popular storytelling genre, Nintendo fans everywhere wondered why the studio was making a sequel to one of the most beloved games of all time that seemingly borrowed its core premise from the movie Groundhog Day. Not everyone loves the results, but how can you possibly deny this game the credit it deserves for ambition alone? Even if this was a more traditional Zelda game, it would be one of the best. 

7. GoldenEye 007

Some say that your love of the N64 is directly related to how many people you were able to regularly play N64 games with. In the case of GoldenEye’s legendary multiplayer, there’s obviously some truth in that statement. 

You know what, though? Even if GoldenEye was just its campaign, unlockables, technological achievements, and James Bond trappings, I think it might still have made this list. At a time when licensed games were mostly a joke and console FPS games were certainly a laughing matter, GoldenEye 007 felt like a bolt of lightning long before you ever discovered the joy of fragging friends until you watched the sun rise.

6. Paper Mario

To tell you the truth, I was also a little surprised to watch Paper Mario climb this high up this list. I mean, just look at some of the games it’s ahead of and standing shoulder to shoulder with. I know it’s the best RPG on N64, but was it really that good?

Well, you obviously know my answer to that question. Like Super Mario RPG before it, Paper Mario proves that the RPGs you’ll willfully commit hours of your life to don’t have to be the most complicated or “hardcore.” What Paper Mario adds to that game’s formula is its beautiful art style and quite a bit of that incredible humor we’d eventually see more of in the Mario & Luigi series. It’s more than worthy of being considered one of the best. 

5. WWF No Mercy

Am I outing myself as a lifelong wrestling fan with this selection? Possibly, but No Mercy is still the best wrestling game in a console library that happens to include many of the best wrestling games ever made.

More importantly, this is still the game that modern games are trying to live up to. You could argue that some wrestling games released since No Mercy have come close, but the fact that this is still the measuring stick for an entire genre two decades after its release is an accomplishment that only a couple of other N64 games could possibly claim to match.

4. Mario Kart 64

The Mario Kart series has this way of charming people who don’t even like video games much less racing games. It’s one of the best-selling Nintendo franchises ever, and, to be honest with you, so much of what makes this series an almost otherworldly success can be traced back to Mario Kart 64.

The original Mario Kart was obviously great, but Mario Kart 64 spun it out at the starting line with its wonderful 3D courses (which are still among the best in franchise history), incredible controls, and a multiplayer mode that might just be the best on a console that’s kind of known for them. You could still play this game today and not feel the miles it has accrued. 

3. Perfect Dark

It’s hard to deny the ways that GoldenEye 007 has aged over the years, and a lot of those retrospective shortcomings can certainly be applied to Perfect Dark. Whereas some of GoldenEye’s brilliance hasn’t necessarily stood the test of time, though, there are elements of Perfect Dark that I’d argue few FPS games released since have rivaled.

Said elements include Perfect Dark’s amazing AI, truly innovative weapon design, wonderful levels, complicated campaign, and a multiplayer mode bursting with customization options. Call it Rare’s victory lap if you want, but I see Perfect Dark as a case of Rare trying to hand the baton off to the next generation but finding that few were ready to really take it and run.

2. Super Mario 64

I feel like you could justify Super Mario 64’s high place atop any list of great games by saying that it did for 3D games what Super Mario Bros. did for 2D games. That is to say that it’s the most innovative and important 3D game ever made.

However, it’s almost cruel to boil this game down to its technological accomplishments. The thing that glued people to Super Mario 64 in 1996 is the same thing that makes the game so great now: its heart. This is a love letter to the very idea of gaming that so happens to be on the shortlist of titles that you’d put in a video game time capsule.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Much like Super Mario 64, it’s hardly controversial to name Ocarina of Time one of the best (or, in this case, the best) N64 games of all time. Both were entries into beloved franchises that changed game design forever and still arguably stand tall as the best in their respective series. 

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So what separates Ocarina of Time? It comes down to dreams fulfilled and expectations exceeded. There’s a degree to which Ocarina of Time was the sweeping epic we dreamt of whenever someone made big promises about the future of 3D gaming. However, only the wildest dreams dared imagine an adventure this grand, this confident, and, strangely enough, this accessible. Nobody was immune to how they felt the first time they saw Ocarina of TIme. Over twenty years later, the game still possesses that ability to stun, excite, and make you fall in love with gaming all over again.

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15 Hardest N64 Games of All-Time

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It may not be the first console you think of when you hear the term “Nintendo Hard,” but the N64 is the quiet home of some of the hardest games in the impressive history of Nintendo consoles.

While hardly the “last great console” so far as hard games go, the N64 is one of the last consoles that consistently featured the kind of games that were so hard that you honestly wondered if they were broken. Well, some of them were actually broken (you know which one we’re going to talk about), but in most cases, they really were just that difficult.

Thanks largely to the contributions of developer Rare, these are the hardest N64 games ever made .

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15. StarCraft 64

The N64 port of StarCraft isn’t going to make you forget the PC version of the game, but it’s honestly not that bad considering that there’s no way this game should have been even remotely playable on the N64 controller

That said, the N64’s controls really highlight how tough StarCraft could be. It’s an old-school RTS that demands rapid reaction times and the kind of micromanagement that many other games just don’t prepare you for. 

14. Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine

This somewhat underrated early 3D Indiana Jones game is also one of the N64’s most surprisingly difficult experiences.

This game’s puzzles and labyrinthian level design are arguably enough to earn it a spot on this list, but what really puts this game over-the-top is the action. Somewhat imprecise controls and absurdly powerful late-game enemies join forces to bring your blood to a boil. You should also forget about trying to 100% this game unless you’re a glutton for punishment.

13. Conker’s Bad Fur Day

If you’ve only ever played the Xbox remake of this famously mature (or, more accurately, immature) 3D platformer, you may be shocked to learn that the original Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a shockingly tough game to beat. 

“Beat” really is the word to keep in mind here, as Conker’s final levels force you to navigate a series of challenges that destroy the difficulty curve so thoroughly that you’ll start to wonder if something has gone wrong. The underwater maze section alone is enough to make even a patient gamer put a controller sized hole through their TV.

12. Perfect Dark

GoldenEye’s harder difficulty levels and hidden challenges were tough, but Perfect Dark was a downright cruel FPS experience that sometimes doesn’t get enough love from fans of hard games.

Playing Perfect Dark on Perfect Agent difficulty is the kind of difficult gaming experience that’s so absurd that it’s honestly hard to be angry at it. Nearly everything can kill you instantly, and the game’s already confusing level design is made that much worse by the presence of additional objectives more demanding than any of the game’s main objectives.

11. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Turok 2 may not immediately spring to mind when you think about the hardest FPS games of a golden era of hard FPS games, but make no mistake that this somewhat underrated N64 title belongs in that elite class.

This sequel’s absurdly difficult boss fights are enough to make most sane gamers call it quits, but what makes this game legendary among challenge seekers are its incredible long and surprisingly complicated levels. It’s that combination of not knowing where you’re going and constantly dying while trying to figure it out that makes this one so special. 

10. Mischief Makers

While it didn’t get a lot of love when it was released in 1997, Mischief Makers has gone on to become a true cult classic among those who appreciate its bizarre style and the kind of fast-paced gameplay developer Treasure is known for. 

Of course, by “fast-paced gameplay developer Treasure was known for,” I really mean “incredibly difficult gameplay.” Mischief Makers isn’t Treasure’s hardest game, but its combination of tough 2D action and sometimes confusing platforming/puzzle segments means that it keeps you on your toes in a way that other games simply do not.

9. Body Harvest

While I’m actually in the camp that thinks Body Harvest is another worthwhile, largely overlooked N64 gem, the only thing tougher than recommending this bizarre title is the difficulty of the game itself. 

Body Harvest’s confusing mechanics (which the game honestly does a poor job of explaining) are bad enough, but the real issue here is the relative lack of save points. You could spend hours figuring out what you’re supposed to be doing, fall into a hole you didn’t know was there, and lose all your progress. Body Harvest may boast the most intimidating learning curve in N64 history.

8. Doom 64 

Much like StarCraft 64, some of Doom 64’s difficulty can obviously be “blamed” on the challenges of playing what is essentially a PC title on the N64 controller. However, Doom 64 surprisingly manages to retain much of its difficulty even when you play it on a mouse and keyboard or modern console controller.

Blame some of that on the title’s surprisingly challenging puzzles and secrets, but what really separates Doom 64 from other Doom games is the power level of the average enemy. They’re tougher to kill, they hit harder, and the game makes up for featuring fewer of them by ensuring that the ones it does throw at you are more than prepared to end you by themselves. 

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7. Superman 64

What do we do about Superman 64? Like some of the other difficult games we’ve talked about in the past, there’s no denying that many of Superman 64’s technical problems are the biggest contributors to its difficulty. Superman 64 is simply broken, which obviously makes it quite challenging. 

With all of that out of the way, let me just say that this could be the most frustrating game ever “designed” by a team of “professionals.” Superman 64 is like the home for bad gameplay ideas. Time limits, confusing objectives, rebellious controls…even if you summon the urge to beat this game, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever do so.

6. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is arguably best remembered for its Hoth level that essentially recreated Empire Strikes Back’s opening battle with stunning accuracy, but it should perhaps instead be remembered as one of the toughest Star Wars games ever made.

If you ever wanted to be reminded just how hard the early days of 3D platforming were (especially platforming sections in an action game) Shadows of the Empire is the jalopy that will take you down memory lane. The only thing that beats falling off a cliff for the hundredth time is realizing it’s the end of the game and you still don’t know how to properly use the jetpack.

5. Blast Corps

I love Blast Corps, and I’m thrilled that it seems like more people got a chance to play this truly original demolition game when it was re-released as part of the Rare Replay collection. I also kind of hate Blast Corps and wouldn’t wish parts of this game on my worst enemies.

The core Blast Corps gameplay is tough enough due to the strange way it combines elements of action titles and particularly challenging puzzle games, but oh man, the late game medal challenges may just be some of the toughest objectives in video game history. The story goes that the game’s QA teams challenged each other to ensure that these objectives were only technically possible to beat. Blast Corps designer Martin Wakeley previously described them as “insane” and said that he has only ever beaten a few of them himself.

4. Donkey Kong 64

We continue our journey through the “Rare” portion of the program by looking at one of the last 3D platformers of a kind of golden era for 3D platformers. Of course, Donkey Kong 64’s difficulty is arguably part of the reason that style of gameplay design went on a bit of a popularity hiatus following this title’s release.

As we’ve previously discussed, trying to complete Donkey Kong 64 means accepting a journey into the mouth madness. Donkey Kong 64 took the idea of a “collect-a-thon” platformer to an entirely different level with its absurd backtracking requirements and a list of requirements so long you couldn’t fit them onto a CVS receipt.

3. F-Zero X

You know, it’s not often we get to talk about a racing game when we’re talking about the hardest games ever made, but it’s also rare that racing game demands as much from its players as F-Zero X does.

Yes, F-Zero X was fast, but what made it so truly difficult was the fact that you could be knocked off the track at pretty much any time by even the slightest error or bump. If you want to beat this game’s toughest races, you essentially need to become an F-Zero X playing machine that is able to complete almost literally perfect runs.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

The sometimes divisive Majora’s Mask tends to split gamers over the use of its “time loop” mechanics which sometimes put a soft timer on the game. Some loved the idea, while others feel it interrupted the classic Zelda adventure they were looking for. 

One thing that most people seem to agree on, though, is that this game’s time loop mechanics make some already difficult puzzles and dungeons that much more complicated. This would still be a fairly difficult traditional Zelda game, but constantly needing to consider a ticking clock while also trying to overcome some substantial obstacles proves to be too much for many players.

1. Jet Force Gemini

The debate over which game is the hardest in a console’s library is almost always a vicious one, but in the case of the N64, the overwhelmingly popular consensus is that Jet Force Gemini is more than worthy of this honor.

This game’s pacing and requirements almost make Donkey Kong 64 look tame. The amount of backtracking required to do pretty much anything in Jet Force Gemini is enough to make you glad that mechanic isn’t nearly as prevalent as it once was, and the fact that you have to complete so much content that would be optional in other games simply to progress is reason enough alone to simply give up. Jet Force Gemini is designed to wear you down, and it accomplishes that goal better than most other games ever made. 

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