While it’s great that people hold fond memories of their times with these games, in a way it’s also a bit sad, as it means that many other great titles managed to fall by the wayside. While the N64′s software library is a tad on the small side, there was still a good number of multiplayer titles released throughout the system’s life. What’s more, not all of them were developed by Nintendo.

Below is a list of some great N64 multiplayer games that you might not have tried before. Those cartridges weren’t exactly cheap back in the day, so who can blame you for sticking to the best games? Needless to say, if you’ve got a bit of spare cash and are looking for a different multiplayer experience to enjoy with your friends, then you should definitely check out these great N64 multiplayer games.

Snowboard Kids

Hard to get board of this one

Snowboard Kids never received the praise that its more popular counterparts Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing did, but it’s still a great game. Released in 1998 and developed by Racdym, the game adopts the same style as kart-racing games, albeit with snowboards. The multiplayer mode allows for up to four people to race against each other at the same time, and the power-ups are surprisingly balanced. If there’s one thing that hurts the overall experience, it’s that there are only nine tracks (of which three must be unlocked). With that said, the tracks that do feature are all cleverly designed and the ability to perform tricks mid-race makes this title stand out as a unique and fun offering.

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Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh should already be familiar to some retro heads out there; the game was ported to the Dreamcast and released in 2000/2001 under the simpler title of Bangai-O. This later version features quite a few gameplay changes, most of which are designed to streamline the experience.

Those of you who are interested in a truly hardcore gaming experience should definitely look into picking up a copy of the N64 original. Despite being in Japanese, it’s relatively simple to work your way around the menu screens and the title is quite easy to pick up and play. Nevertheless, there are plenty of online guides should you need help.

As will hopefully come across in my review, Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh is a really fun title that offers up a frantic gameplay experience that you’ll be hard pushed to find in other games.

Read the full review over at Nintendo Life

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As we all know, the N64 controller is a work of art (well, an abstract piece of art), but one of its biggest limitations is that it features a pretty short cable. Thankfully, Retro-Bit’s solution, the Wireless Hypermode controller, has built-in wireless functionality and turbo mode, while still retaining the three-pronged design to which we’re all accustomed. Joystiq’s Richard Mitchell did note, however, that the build quality isn’t quite up to par with Nintendo’s original effort, with the key difference being the analog stick not feeling as tight. We’d be interested to know if these sticks are also subject to the same wear that plagued the original pads.

Another key difference is that the pad itself does not feature the expansion port for Controller Paks, Rumble Paks, etc. Instead, this is built into the receiver which plugs into the N64 system. It’s not the most practical setup, but at least the controller hasn’t abandoned the feature entirely.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to eventually get our hands on one of these and tell you for ourselves what we really think of it.

The image below (which can be found on Retro-Bit’s Facebook page), shows the pads and receivers.

[Source: Joystiq, Retro-Bit]

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And with that, my month-long coverage of all the Nintendo 64′s Star Wars games is finally complete. I say all the games, knowing full well that only four Star Wars-themed titles were ever released on the system, but I feel it’s an accomplishment nevertheless.

Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo is one of my favourite games on the N64. When it released in 2000/2001, it never got the attention it truly deserved. I imagine many were put off by its focus on the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Not only that, but releasing late in the N64′s life probably didn’t help.

However, this game is a piece of technical wizardry, and one of the most advanced titles to have released on the system. Not only that, but it’s also a pretty fun game. If you ever happen to stumble across a copy at a good price (UK collectors be warned: this game can fetch a high price here and there), then I wholeheartedly recommend picking it up.

We’ll have more exciting N64 content coming this month, with the focus being predominantly on Japan-only games, so please stay tuned!

Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo Review

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• Read the whole story over at Nintendo Life

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Therefore I decided to divide up this month’s Star Wars themed work between the two sites. Hopefully, you’ve already had the chance to read my Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire review. Moreover, Paul Darbyshire produced an excellent review of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which I must admit has put all my previous writing efforts to shame. It’s a brilliant read and perfectly captures the essence of the game.

That leaves just two more Star Wars games on N64 to be covered in one way or another: Star Wars Episode I: Racer and Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo. I’ve decided to cover these games on Nintendo Life, as there previously wasn’t a retro review for either title over there. My Star Wars Episode I: Racer review is already live and you should hopefully see the Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo piece on the site in the next week or so. I really hope you’ll take a look at them and leave a comment. Otherwise, you can speak to me directly on Twitter; just send your messages to @n64blog.

Link: Star Wars Episode I: Racer Review – Nintendo Life

Happy reading, and may the Force be with you!

—

Please note that N64 Blog is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo Life — I just like to write about Nintendo 64 games on their site as well!

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But while my memories consist mostly of happy occasions — such as gunning down TIE fighter after TIE fighter and bombing Imperial bases — there’s also a part of me that fears this game. That’s because Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is a game that is horrendously tough and unforgiving at times. For example, defending the shuttle during the mission Prisons of Kessel, or providing covering fire to the AT-PTs in Escape from Fest (the pilots of which are utter morons it seems) are extremely difficult tasks; you could get all the way to the end of the mission and just slight screw-up would force you to do it all over again. By comparison, it makes Luke’s tremendous task of destroying the Death Star look like an absolute doddle.

But for anyone who has played through Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, there’s one mission that will stand out in their mind for being one of the most terrifying gaming experiences of their life: The Raid on Sullust. This particular stage is especially strong in the Dark side and has ended many a budding fighter pilot’s career over the years. In fact, I’ve even spoken to people who never finished the game, simply because they found this mission to be too hard.

The objective in Raid on Sullust sounds simple enough; destroy an Imperial station situated within a volcano. What’s they don’t tell you, however, is that the volcano is packed full of homing missile launchers, turbolaser turrets, AT-STs and plenty of enemy fighters.

It’s the missile launchers that make Raid on Sullust such a nightmare; from the moment you start the mission they’re already locking on to your ship. In this particular instance, you’re using a Y-wing, which — as the game constantly feels the need to remind you — is designed to take a beating. I’ve always taken issue with this notion, mainly because Y-wings seem to do anything but this. Throughout the original film trilogy we see a fair few of them erupt into fireballs after taking a shot or two, and even the box art for Star Wars: Rogue Squadron shows one exploding in the background. This valid observation aside, your Y-wing inevitably ends up the victim of a constant barrage of missiles due to the fact that there are so many of them, not to mention that you can’t really outrun them in the painstakingly slow thing. It’s a vicious situation to be in.

Given all the painful memories this particular mission has created for many an N64 gamer, I thought I should relive the experience to see if it really was as bad as I remember. As you’ll see from my amusing little playthrough, it’s certainly no walk in the park. Keep an eye out for some of the hilarious things that happen, too — in this instance, it seemed that suicidal TIE interceptor pilots and missiles that pre-emptively detonated my bombs were a more pressing concern.

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The amount of detail in even the little aspects of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron are impressive

Set in between the legendary events of Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron places you in control of none other than Luke Skywalker (and later on, Wedge Antilles) who is now in command of a unit of highly talented and skilled X-wing pilots known as Rogue Squadron. The game follows their exploits in battling the might of the Galactic Empire, offering sixteen missions spread over four distinctive chapters. Refreshingly for a game based on a movie franchise, this is just as epic as it sounds.

Unlike its predecessor, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron does away with the on-foot style stages and focuses entirely on vehicular combat; in hindsight, a wise decision given some of the issues that dogged Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. You are offered the initial choice of five different and iconic crafts from throughout the Star Wars saga and, as you would expect, fan favourites are very much present and accounted for. From the ever popular X-wing and snowspeeder right through to the comic-only V-wing, each vehicle is brilliantly designed with tremendous attention to detail.

Missions such as Blockade on Chandrila show off the power of the N64, with plenty of on-screen ally and enemy ships

From an audiovisual standpoint, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is nothing short of masterful, and given that it was released in 1998 (1999 in Europe), Factor 5 worked a minor miracle given the technical limitations of the N64. Everything within the game has an impressive sheen to it that was often absent from most third-party N64 titles, and although there is an unwelcome appearance from the dreaded ‘fog’ that plagued the majority of games on the system, it’s never enough to a have a negative impact on the overall experience. Each world has been faithfully recreated and is brimmed with authentic detail ensuring that things never get too barren when hunting down enemy ships.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was one of the first titles to make use of Nintendo’s 8MB Expansion Pak, which allowed the game to run at a very smooth 640 x 480 resolution. This really shows in the game’s fantastic cut-scenes. Each one takes direction straight from the movies and is brilliantly animated, showing that lengthy CG sequences were not always necessary. Each level and scene is also packed full of voice samples — a bit of a rarity in the N64 world — and although they’re not always crystal clear, the quality is nevertheless still pleasingly high. As in Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, the quality of the music and sound effects is of the highest order. Many of John Williams’ superb scores have been squeezed into the game and still somehow managed to come out sounding stunning; it really does bely the humble cartridge origin of the game.

The high-resolution mode provides an exceptionally crisp image if used on the right sized CRT screen.

As the vast majority of this game is about zooming around and engaging in dog fights, tight controls are massively important, and thankfully this is where Star Wars: Rogue Squadron comes into its own. You really could mistake it for a Nintendo or Rare title, it’s that good. Taking the best bits of its predecessor and somehow managing to improve on them further, piloting each vehicle feels exactly as you would hope it would and is a truly exhilarating experience. Flying alongside the freight train on Chandrila and navigating the Imperial Construction Yards are genuine triumphs. The only nagging issues are the occasional hint of slowdown when the screen gets really busy and some often disappointing enemy AI — it’s just a little too predictable at times. As there are usually so many other things to concentrate on though, it’s not always noticeable. Factor 5 employed an excellent learning curve with this game, and while progression is usually constant after a few attempts, there are a few levels that will test the skills and patience of even the most experienced gamers. The rewards for hitting certain targets though, are well worth the effort, with some pretty nifty unlockables up for grabs. (a certain Millennium Falcon being among them!).

Before You Blast off in Your X-wing…

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is amongst the elite of third-party N64 titles. Though not as refined as its PC sibling, it is still something of a technical showcase of what the N64 could do when placed in the correct hands. The sheer amount of variety, fan service and excitement on offer make it a more than worthy rival for the mighty Star Fox 64, and unlike countless other games of the period it has aged very well. The only real let down is the game’s lack of multiplayer option (a real surprise on a title from this period). Even so, for Star Wars fans both new and old, this game is an absolute must.

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Throughout Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, there were so many moments I found myself saying “Wow, that was incredible!”. But what makes this game such a memorable experience? Let’s take a look:

The Hoth Battle

“Good shot, Janson!”

Tons of Star Wars games throughout the years have featured the Hoth battle, from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the Atari 2600 to Star Wars: The Arcade Game and Star Wars: Rebel Assault. However, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire takes the cake for the best controls, feel, and overall sensation of being on the frozen planet of Hoth, battling the Empire and protecting that shield generator.

The sense of scale here is what really counts – the massive AT-ATs, the large map you’re fighting on, and even the little probe droids floating about – if you’re a fan of the movies, this scene garners some serious appreciation.

The post Top 5 Moments in Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire appeared first on N64 Blog.

Dash Rendar: badass smuggler

Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the game follows the exploits of bounty hunter, Dash Rendar. A loveable rogue, Dash’s adventures begin during the Battle of Hoth, where he finds himself helping the Rebel Alliance hold out against the Imperial landing invasion. The game focuses purely on Dash’s involvement in the overall Shadows of the Empire storyline (which features virtually all of the main characters from the first trilogy), and sees him travelling to a number of key destinations across the galaxy. The plot plays out in a consistent manner (even if it does contradict the novel in places), and seeing what is happening from an outsider’s perspective is actually pretty intriguing. Annoyingly, the storage limitations of the N64 cartridge put a damper on the overall experience; the PC version contains fully voice-acted, computer-animated cut-scenes as opposed to the static artwork used  in the N64 game.

The Battle of Hoth mission is one of the game’s most memorable moments

One of the first things you notice about Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is just how varied it is. Throughout the game you regularly switch between on-foot and vehicle-based missions, and this helps to keep things interesting. The vehicle missions are certainly the more successful of the two mission types, allowing you to fly Dash’s ship, The Outrider, Snowspeeders and even swoop bikes. The controls are tight, and these missions are generally more action-packed. These sections may have quickly been outclassed by Factor 5′s Rogue Squadron, which released in 1998 (1999 in Europe), but they’re still pretty fun to play.

However, when Dash finds himself on foot, things get a little messy. These missions tend to follow a very linear format with some room for minor exploration, which at least keeps things simple. In fact, this structure would be perfectly fine were the in-game combat more exciting. Unfortunately–and incredibly–LucasArts managed to make shooting Imperial Stormtroopers a very dull affair. Very rarely do you encounter a large group of enemies, and because they all move ever so slowly, they also hardly ever put up a challenge. Things improve when it comes to the boss battles; Dash has to face off against some pretty tough opposition, such as an AT-ST, a Gladiator droid and even the notorious Boba Fett (complete with Slave 1). In these situations, you need to have a strategy, because standing still and tapping the shoot button just isn’t in your best interests.

The swoop bike mission is incredibly good fun!

Otherwise, the only other area where Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire truly falls short is in its controls. Movement feels awkward, especially because strafing is assigned to the R button and not the left and right C-buttons. Also, vertical aiming requires you to hold Z (which forces you to remain stationary). It’s fair to say that it isn’t that big a deal in most encounters with standard enemies, but it really has an impact on the boss fights. For example, shooting an AT-ST in the legs is nowhere near as effective as unloading your blaster into its head. It’s something which wasn’t too much of an issue at the time–Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire did, after all, arrive quite early in the life of the N64–but coming back to it now really requires you to adopt the retro mindset.

In terms of longevity, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a surprisingly short game for its time, and can be easily completed in an afternoon. Thankfully, there are various difficulty levels to attempt (completing the game on medium or above unlocks an extending ending), as well as collectibles called Challenge Points. These award you with you more lives and if you collect all of them, you unlock some pretty cool stuff (depending on the difficulty). Even on Easy difficulty, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a fairly challenging game, so this is certainly a good game for diehard completionists.

Before You Make the Jump to Lightspeed…

The Suprosa mission reveals how the Rebels managed to get their hands on the Death Star II plans

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is one of those N64 games that just hasn’t aged well. It’s certainly still playable, but the outdated control system and the on-foot combat lessen what should be a monumental experience; after all, the game takes place between two of the best Star Wars films ever made. Furthermore, the vehicle sections, while still entertaining, lack the action-packed nature of later games, the most notable being Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

But, for all its faults, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is still a fun game, which is well-paced, varied, and Star Wars through and through. If you’ve ever wondered what happened between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, then treat yourself to a copy of this off eBay and see what all the fuss was about.

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