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I'm an opinionated gamer. I usually think differently than what other people might say, but I choose to not have so much of a bias (infact, I try to have as little to no bias as possible. I try to be fair).
But, I'm a very big gamer. I've played videogames since 1999 when I first got an N64, with Pokemon Snap and Yoshi's Story. They were fun, and then I got into more of Nintendo's franchises, as well as some games that aren't necessarily on a nintendo console (examples: Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper). Still, I grew up knowing Nintendo, and I think the Gamecube was more than capable of winning last gen (great games, yet people ignored the whole console. WTF?).
Still, it's great to be here. And feel free to add me.
Added by Alaska_Gamer on Dec. 21, 2008
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This post relates to:
Sin & Punishment 2
There are plenty of obscure Japanese only games, and there are quite a few that have been favorites among the import gamer community. While I didn’t really have the necessary stuff needed for imports, I was always left in envy of all the awesome stuff the Japs got.
I only really got interested in the whole importing scene after getting my hands on Sin & Punishment. I didn’t have much interest in the game until I stumbled upon it last year when it came on to the Wii Virtual Console, and I had only heard nothing about it beforehand, save for a few mentions by various gaming magazines and other publications. After seeing that it was a game from Japan, I checked it out, forked over 1200 points from a Wii Points Card I got for my birthday, downloaded it, and upon playing it with my new Classic Controller, I got so addicted I couldn’t put it down when it got very late that night and I didn’t feel tired.
Why am I so addicted to this game? It’s the gameplay behind it all. Fast-paced, arcade, on-rails shooting action. I then took the time to look up some info on the developer, Treasure. After looking at their previous work, and their philosophy behind their games, I’ve now become quite a fan of their works. I appreciate what they do, and this game is in my top 5 games of all time (ranked #4, just beating Super Smash Bros Brawl).
Now, the sequel is coming, one that I had desperately wished for, but felt it wouldn’t happen, since Treasure chooses to avoid making sequels of their games. Well, I was proved wrong, and I was very much ecstatic over it that I couldn’t shut up on the game at school (true story. It was very tough for me to refrain from talking on it).
Now, we all know the 2 important rules of a sequel (of any kind, movies, books, games, so on) are
1: Take all that was established within the predecessor.
2: 1-Up it.
So, what could we expect to see out of this sequel? Well, let’s take a look at the establishments from the first game and see how these could be improved on.
#1: Language and Subtitles
Sin & Punishment was a Japanese exclusive game, yes, so you’d expect everything to be in the Japanese language. Well it was, except in voices. While there was text, and plenty of easy to understand instructions in the tutorial mode, the bulk of the game contained an English voiceover cast, which even a gamer who doesn’t wanna put up with Japanese text without understanding it could pick up on and have little trouble.
So, with this set up, there could be more added to it, like say, Japanese voiceovers and English subtitles. Don’t get me wrong, the English voiceovers are good for the most part (not the best, but not awful), but sometimes I like to see the difference between voices in games. It was one thing I did in Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, except those games voiceovers were worse.
#2: Keep the Anime-styled Story and Length
This is sure to be subjective to others, but I actually liked the anime-styled plot, which ties in with the voice over essential mentioned above. Even though the game was on an N64, Treasure did quite a bit in making the anime effects, like streamlines or crazy camera angles, look pretty cool. This also plays into the game’s length. It works because #1: It’s an arcade shooter in general, and most arcade games don’t last you a month, or a week for that matter, and #2: The anime inspired plot is the perfect way of making you play this game over and over, in my case, since you can finish it in one after noon sitting the same way you would watch a couple episodes of your favorite anime.
But that’s not to say it should be EXACTLY like that. I can for the most part finish the game in about 40 minutes. The three acts in the game were kinda setup in the manner of anime episodes, and possibly adding in more could increase the length, with no more than 3 to 4 hours. It should be the kind of game the one HAS to play in one day. No one wants to start at a midway point in the game the next day and lose the score you had up to that point, right?
#3: Bring the Rankings to the Online Scene
Sin & Punishment is an arcade action shooter in nature, so it’s second hand nature to have a scoring system and rankings. With today’s gaming society playing more and more games with network multiplayer and other things, Online Leader boards would be a good way of sparking some inspiration in players to beat the record established by someone.
The game isn’t really made for typical online gameplay, whether it be co-op or competitive, but with some sort of online through the form of rankings and leader boards, this game could make a large community out of it, and increasing the fanbase.
#2: Full Blown Cooperative Play
Anyone who’s played the first game will surely know that the game’s “2-player” mode is really just using two controllers, with one controlling the character’s movement, while the other aims. Definitely sounds a bit awkward, and if the sequel is gonna have it, they best make it something much more enjoyable.
One thing I should say is that, Sin & Punishment is the 3D on-rails equivalent of Gunstar Heroes. That being said, the co-op in the sequel should be along those lines. 2 people on screen in an on rails game is definitely doable. I can picture it perfectly right now.
#1: Use the Controls in a Genius Manner Without Over Doing It
The Wii Remote has had a tendency of being abused by most 3rd party developers, usually assigning it to what would be done more efficiently with a button press, and makes the game not so fun. Luckily, games that require you to aim at the screen to shoot do a good job of making things play well and not feel tedious. But that may not be enough to get by.
One thing I can be sure of is that Treasure, with their tendency of making weird control setups that work in the end, knows how to use the motion controls to their best and make it satisfying.
And, in my attempt to think up a Treasure-esque control setup, what I came up with is a control mode that is based around the Wii Zapper. Yes, you heard me, but looking at what games have been easily made compatible with the Zapper have been games that are on-rails, light gun styled games. So, this control setup I came up with uses the Zapper, but you don’t keep the Nunchuck in the little clamp area in the back of the shell.
B - Fire/Use Sword at Close Range
C - Charge Shot (seen in the trailer)
Z - Jump
Control Stick -Move
Nunchuck - Flick left or right to do an evasive roll in the respective direction.
You’d think the Nunchuck would not be able to do it without mistaking it for something else, but when you think about it, it’s actually good, and it uses motion control without abusing it. Much like how the spin mechanic in Mario Galaxy flowed with the game and didn’t feel gimmicky, this form of control is sure to work well with Sin & Punishment 2.
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This game is in one of my top 5 games of all time, and the sequel is already my most anticipated title for 09. For those who have not played the first game, don’t wait on it. Get yourself some Wii points, buy the game, and take the time to enjoy this critically acclaimed action shooter.
Can’t wait for it.
Added by Alaska_Gamer on Dec. 16, 2008
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This post relates to:
Punch-Out!!
IGN has lately been passing the time by writing editorials about what they want to see in the future for games on Wii, since there really isn't much left to do during the holidays in terms of games, and they just made a new one, this time for Punch-Out!! And I actually agree with the whole thing. Well almost.
Punch-Out!! was one of my first games I downloaded on the Wii Virtual Console, and I discovered just exactly what it was that made this game special in many other Nintendo fan's hearts. The characters, the gameplay, the style, all the great memorable segments and details strewn throughout the game made it a great package, and another example of what games should be: "easy to pick up, difficult to master"
Here's IGN's article. My commentary is in bold.
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December 16, 2008 - 2008 has come and gone. Old news. Here at the IGN NintendoTeam secret headquarters (it looks sort of like Skull Mountain from Mighty Max, by the way) we're already looking to the future, and one of the brightest stars in Nintendo's line-up for '09 is the Next Level Gamesdeveloped Punch-Out!! Punch-Out!! has been around since the dawn of Nintendo time, and for that reason nearly every closet N-fan out there has been getting hyped for its eventual 2009 release. The game recently beat out The Conduit in a "Vs. Poll" on our front page, and since then we've been preparing for the inevitable storm of old school goodness that's sure to come next year.
But what's needed in a Punch-Out!! game? No, we're not talking about Wii MotionPlus, online, voice chat, or any of that. Sure, we want it, but that's not the point.
These are the true, must-have, Fundamental Elements of Punch-Out!!. 20 years later, NES still sets the standard. Check out our list, and fire back in our comments section below. As far as we're concerned, this is what old school Punch-Out!! is all about, and Wii's version will need to really deliver to carry on this classic's tradition of excellence.
10: Pink Jumpsuits, Lots of Running
If we know anything about the stereotypical boxing superstar, it's that the guy needs to get his butt kicked, receive an inspirational speech of some sorts, and then decide to train like he's never trained before. We're not sure when Punch-Out!!'s own Little Mac hit his lowest low, but we sure as hell can see his training montage in action in the original NES Punch-Out!!, and it's complete with not only the Statue of Liberty in the background (featuring a road to nowhere… creepy), and bike riding trainer Jerome "Doc" Louis, but also a sexy little pink jumpsuit. Normally we'd instantly dismiss pink as a girls color, and go back to drinking beer, chopping wood, and eating live animals while farting, but in this case, Little Mac pulls of the pink with gusto. Oh hell yes, bring that back.
I sure remember that part. Quite entertaining to watch Mac run with the music playing in the background. It's an awesome part of the game, and maybe one way to make it more entertaining is to have some way of allowing interaction during the scene. It could help you increase your stamina and make you lose less damage than normal. This could be done by moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck back and forth. Yes, you heard me, but really, the Wiimote is meant to be like an extension of your hand as a controller. So, if you were joggin for real, you sure would be moving your arms as you keep running. Shaking the controllers for anything else, THEN I would call it waggle.
9: Post-Round One Liners
There are some pretty great little nuggets of personality in Punch-Out!!'s design back on NES, and if it's done right, the Wii version (which is already looking like a remake of sorts) will have some of its own. We're talking about the random Bald Bull obsession with Doc ("Doc can't help you now. Will you beg me for help?" and "Zip your lip, Doc. Little Mac is mine now."), the borderline racist Piston Honda ("I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo." And "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi…"), and the borderline intoxicated ramblings of "Soda Popinski", or so he's now called. You know, the killer lines like "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" or "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!" That's drama you can't build in the ring, so hopefully some sort of rebirth of that mechanic is kept. It's awesome to beat the hell out of a smug-nosed Don Flamenco, but it adds a whole new dimension when he steps to his corner and says "Carmen, my love… I dance so sweet for you!" Who is this mysterious Carmen, and why is such a beautiful man risking all in a fight for dear life?
Need I say anymore? Really sums it up, and is one of the best ways to learn about a character's personality.
8: Single Player Focus
Wait, what? IGN, (says you, to us), you're crazy! It's Wii! Wii is all about multiplayer! Oh so right you are, loyal Nintendite, but Punch-Out!! is all about killer pattern recognition and the battle for the top. We wouldn't be pissed if some kind of vs. mode was included, but the point is that it isn't needed. If connectivity comes with time trials for each fight, online rankings through multiple difficulties and the like, we really don't need a two-player mode as much as other titles of its kind. If it can be pulled off, more power to Left Field games, but if it's about getting the true arcade feel of the game, we really don't need to bring a friend over and make our Punch-Out!! experience better; it already kicks plenty of ass, thank you very much. Fight us on that one though… it'll be fun.
Okay, I'm all for a good single player focus, but for crying out loud, this is 2008. This isn't the mid 80s where the tech had limitations and other things. I'm not as big of a fan for multiplayer as other people, but quite frankly, once you have memorized everyone's patterns and signiture attacks, then what will you do after that? That's where a human controller character could come in. Two non-computer individuals could make the most interesting match as they would try to outsmart each other, and it could provide another layer of depth to the already amazing formula established by Punch-Out!!
7: Inaudible Mario Referee
When he isn't fixing pipes, Mario frequents a local boxing arena and refs part-time in the Bronx, New York. The greatest part about his 8-bit offering specifically though, was his random, not real voiceover. We love the idea of a ref that counts by saying "Bink, bink, bink…….bink-king-koo" and delivers that TKO line with such eloquence and charm. Don't get us wrong. We love Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario). The guy is cool, and we'll gladly play some Punch-Out!! with him over a couple of beers, but the last thing we want when we boot up Punch-Out!! Wii is to hear "Oh a-hello! Welcome to Punch-Out!! Thank-a-you for playing! Coo-coo-crazy-yippie!" We'd punch ourselves in the face.
Some reason, even though Next Level Games did the Mario Strikers games, I don't really see Mario coming in as the referee. If he did, though, it would be just weird to have him speak some weird gibberish, to be honest. If he ever showed up, he'd probably only have to say the countdown and other things. He wouldn't go around announcing or explaining everything about the game.
6: The Star Punch
We know this one is in the game already, but that doesn't make it less "fundamental" in the least. The star punch is classic, and is one of the determining factors in some regular, two-bit boxing trash, and Nintendo's arcade great. Remember the Power Glove commercials where the kid jumps and delivers a huge star punch to put the final touches on a well-fought match? That sold, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, elevinty-billion copies of the game. The star punch separates the men from the boys. It's Little Mac's caged dog. Screw with him, and he'll make you see stars. Refuse to back down, and your punk-ass is kissing canvas. Just pray to the boxing gods that the green-gloved gladiator doesn't have two more in the bank.
HECK YEAH! No way this can ever be left out.
5: Pattern-Based Bosses
Every schmuck that calls themselves a true gamer knows that Don Flamenco isn't beaten with regular punches. The "L,R,L,R" combo has been engraved into our heads, and it's that type of boxer-to-boxer strategy that made Punch-Out!! so cool in the first place. If it was about stepping into the ring and just beating the hell out of a guy until he fell, the game wouldn't have the legs it does. With so many returning boxers already announced for Punch-Out!! Wii though, it's obvious this vital step is being taken once again. Fighters need tells, they need style, personality, and strategic elements. That goes hand-in-hand with why two-player just wouldn't have the same feel. It's you vs. an idea in Punch-Out!!, and a large part of that comes with giving each opponent direct strengths and weaknesses in the squared circle.
If King Hippo's presence in the trailer is of any indication, we can expect these type of bosses to appear. Not only do we hope for new fighters, but that with the addition of classic, returning fighters that all their patterns and weaknesses are all intact.
4: Quick, Responsive Animations
If you're a fan of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcasts, you've heard us say that we're worried about poor motion control in Punch-Out!! Wii, and that we'd be down for classic controls (at least as an option) even if Next Level goes with Wii MotionPlus. There's another side to the controls though, which comes with the animations and character movement. Punch-Out!! has always been a quick, almost rhythm-based fighter at times, and snappy, fluid animations are the key reason for that feeling mid-battle. If the game is too sluggish, or focuses too much on providing eye candy instead of properly-timed punches, blocks, and ducks, it won't play as well as the originals. Our hope is that we'll sit down with Punch-Out!! Wii, and find that same classic feeling as we did on NES, and that comes with quick animations, responsive characters, and a "no-BS" take on game design.
I'm not worried about the motion controls, but to be honest, what I see happening is that Motionplus isn't really gonna be used, nor are you gonna have to aim the remotes to hit some where. My guess is a combination of button presses. Hey, atleast the wiimote and nunchuck still act as your fists, and while you aren't gonna aim precisely where you want, I'm pretty sure it would be for the better to just jab the controllers rhythmicly as you try to take down everyone.
3: Epic Music
Little has been said so far about the music in Punch-Out!! Wii, but we did have a chance to hear some of it at Nintendo's press summit a few months ago. During the showing of the first video clip (the day after the game's announcement in Japan), Nintendo showed off not only the visual style, but also the return of some of the franchises most epic tunes, completely redone. The main song – the montage music from NES; think pink jogging pants once again – was a Rocky-inspired choir mixed with a classic rock "montage" feel. It blew us away, and if that's just one track of music in the game, we've got continued hope that the rest of the package sounds as epic and fully-premastered as Little Mac's most memorable tune. If the music stays consistent with it's "Punch-Out!! meets Gonna Fly Now" design, we're so on board.
Ah, yes, the trailer music. The remix was definetely done some justice for sure. Let's hope the rest of the themes hold up just as much.
2: Magic, Tigers, and Underpants
Little Mac may be five feet of business in the ring, but Punch-Out!! is far from grounded in reality, or even semi-serious for that matter. Any game where players punch a fat, orange king in the mouth while he barks, and then proceed to jab him in the stomach while be pulls up his shorts is fine by us, and we can only hope that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about it's crazed style. We've already seen some great Punch-Out!! moments from the Glass Joe fight (most recent screens), but this is hopefully just the beginning. Apparently magic is not only legal, but entirely encouraged in the world of Punch-Out!!, and if Great Tiger can bring his pet to the ring, we're excited to see what type of new fighters –if any – are included in the game, and what type of tricks they have up their sleeve. May we suggest a cutie-pie girl fighter that poses sexy and then ducks in for a quick "knock your head off" uppercut? That might rock at least a little bit…
My God, I remember Great Tiger. And, I don't have much else to add for this, other than that some new characters have some reality-breaking tricks and awesomeness.
1: Simple, Classic Controls.
This one's a given, but it also plays into the whole "don't screw it up with motion" argument we've got. Sure, if there's a way to make an awesome Punch-Out!! with Wii MotionPlus (and we believe there is), then blow gamers away with a new "virtual boxing" experience. At the end of the day though, Punch-Out!! has gained popularity for being fast, simple, but extremely challenging, and that's all due to the title's "easy to pick up, impossible to master" controls and fighting mechanic. If we attempt to punch high and end up punching low, or waggle only to find that the throw didn't go in even just once, it's going to really hurt the experience, and take away from what Punch-Out!! is all about. Toy with motion control, and if it's possible to work it in, use it. At the end of the day though, we'll want the option to fall back on good old two-button goodness that made Punch-Out!! awesome in the first place. Hopefully it's there to greet us with open arms.
Again, look at my commentary for Essential #4, but one thing I have to add on the whole "classic control options," I really, REALLY wanna punch Sakurai in the face for encouraging other developers to allow support for classic and gamecube for controllers. Okay, just adding those into new current wii games COMPLETELY eliminate the purpose of the console in the first place, and it just gives haters another reason to bash it. If I wanna play Virtual Consoles games, I'll use the Classic Controller. If I wanna play Gamecube games, I'll use a Gamecube controller, thank you very much! If there are classic control options in the game, It wont keep me from purchasing the game, but I just wish that Sakurai never gave other game devs a lazy excuse to cheat out of utilizing motion controls (and is the reason why I'm waiting for someone to attempt to use the wiimote and nunchuck in a manner that works for a 3D fighter).
Added by Alaska_Gamer on Nov. 30, 2008
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This post relates to:
Metroid Prime
We know now that the games are not gonna be simple ports with updated controls. As seen with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the game is getting redesigned levels, and a more traditional control scheme (good thing, too, we wouldn't want Barrel Blast controls), among other things. It seems very much possible, and likely, that other games will be getting updates as well.
So, with Metroid Prime being one of those games...
Anyone remember this guy?
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I'm pretty sure I dont need to inform very many here, but if not, Kraid was originally meant to appear as a boss in the original Metroid Prime. As the picture can prove, he was fully modeled and rendered, but sadly, he could not be included due to time constraints, and Retro Studios didn't want to delay the game just to put him in. A shame really, because I would've liked to see how it would've been to actually fight him.
I'm sure this is wishful thinking, but, I would like Retro to try and include what they couldn't into this new upgraded version of Metroid Prime. Surely they didn't just go and delete that character model, right?
If not, we may just have to wait for another opportunity to see him in a 3D Metroid.
Added by Alaska_Gamer on Nov. 21, 2008
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This post relates to:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Today, on November 21st, marks the tenth anniversary of what many revere to be the greatest game of all time.
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
In honor of this moment, Nintendo Power did an interview with Eiji Aonuma to talk about what it was like developing the game, looking at how far the series has come since, and although, nothing really about the next game in the series (other than he took a break to do the interview).
Will we see a successor to this masterpiece? Only time will tell.
TheHylia was courteous enough to take scans of the interview, and can be downloaded for your viewing pleasure.
Or if you dont feel like downloading, here are the scans for you to view.
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Added by Alaska_Gamer on Nov. 15, 2008
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I'm gonna be quite a bit busy this weekend, as well as next week. I'm still expecting Mirror's Edge to arrive from Gamefly, and it looks I may not get it until Monday, if not today. Then, I'm gonna rent Sonic Unleashed for the wii, just to see how decent it is (Nintendo Power gave it an 8, so it should be).
Anyway, this is some old art pieces I did over the summer with my graphics tablet. These are basically Profile pics of the characters in Smash Bros Brawl. I did these to atleast practice getting the details and basics of drawing the characters right. Why? Well, I've been working on a fan-manga of the game, sort of like a fan-prequel. I pretty much got the concept stuff finished, but I'm having trouble with progress since I cant seem to make a final decision on the panel layouts. Driving me crazy.
Anyway, here they are (in no particular order). Click for full view.
Zelda
Yoshi
Wolf
Wario
Toon Link
Sonic the Hedgehog
Solid Snake
Shiek
Samus
R.O.B.
Pokemon Trainer
Pit
Pikachu
Peach
Olimar
Ness
Mr. Game and Watch
Metaknight
Marth
Mario
Luigi
Lucas
Lucario
Link
Kirby
King Dedede
Jigglypuff
Ike
Ice Climbers
Ganondorf
Fox
Falco
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Captain Falcon
Bowser
Zero Suit Samus
All of these pics (except Sonic's), I used a reference pic of one of their moves or actions from the game. I did not trace, I used them just to show me how to draw the characters in the poses I chose.
Enjoy.
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When you look at platformers today, most of them may seem familiar. That's because Super Mario 64 made the blueprints for how a 3D platformer should be done.
Story: Mario receives a letter from Princess Peach, saying that she has baked a cake for him (insert sexual innuendo here). Mario arrives at Peaches Castle and finds it to be empty. He goes inside and hears a voice, telling him to get out, and that no one's home. Mario finds a toad, who says that he and the other toads and Peach are trapped inside the Castle Walls thanks to Bowser's magic. Now it's up to mario to recover all of the power stars necessary, and defeat Bowser once again, inorder to save the princess. Very straightforward as usual.
Controls: Control stick to move, and A button to jump. Very simple right? Well, here's some new tricks mario's added. Press the B button to make mario punch. Press it 3 times, and he will do a punch-punch-kick combo. Press the Z-Button to crouch, and you can press A for high back flip, B to do a breakdance-esque kick, or move the control stick to crawl on the ground. Camera controls are assigned to the C buttons and right shoulder button. These camera controls can be a bit of a hassle at times, which doesn't make the game perfect, but if you're like me, you'll ignore them the whole time, because the camera works fine on it's own a very large percentage of the time (like 99%).
Graphics: Very great graphics for a 64 bit console. I was impressed with how much detail was put into Mario, so much to the point that he looked less polygonal than what most N64 games would look like. Still very impressive, and the details in the levels are pretty good. Though at times, I just didn't feel satisfied with enough detail, but I still liked how the Mario character model looked, and overall, the graphics look nice. They still do even today.
Sound: Like any good Nintendo game, they got the right music for the right place. My personal favorite is the music used in Bob-omb Battlefield. My second favorite was the music from the snow level (the fourth stage, I forgot what it was called). Plus, the music in Jolly Roger's Bay was very peaceful and slow paced. I just love what Nintendo can do with the music in their games.
Replay Value: There really wasn't enough replay value other than make a new file whenever you're feeling bored. But I guess there is SOME. After getting 120 stars, you'll find a cannon outside that you can use to get up onto the roof of the castle, and there you'll find (SPOILER)...YOSHI! Sadly, you dont get to ride on his saddle. He gives you a message from Nintendo and maxes out you're lives, then jumps off the roof and isn't seen again. Also, when you race the penguin on the snow level, you'll find that he's gotten fatter and a bit faster, so there is a bit more challenge. Speaking of challenge, this game is sure to keep you busy (or frustrated) trying to get the next power star. There's almost no hints in sight. But I guess that's challenging enough for some.
Overall: A great game, though it does have it's flaws. The camera controls are hard to use, but you can ignore them. Textures seemed a little bland sometimes, but the game is still fun to play. Definetely buy it (on N64, not Wii Shop Channel). 4 1/2 Stars.
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The Greatest Zelda Ever Made
A very epic game, and revolutionary for it's time, and was (if I remember correctly) the first game on Gamespot to ever receive a perfect 10 score (thank you Jeff). Already 10 years have passed, and it's still the best. If you think this is gonna be more of a praise than a review, then I'll start talking about the different aspects right now.
Story: Link is greeted one morning by a fairy named Navi (oh, how so many HATE her), telling him that she's been assigned to be his guardian fairy, and that the Great Deku Tree wishes to speak with Link. After going through some hassles, Link meets the Deku Tree, and learns that a curse has been put on the tree. Link goes inside to deal with the threat and beats Queen Gohma, the creature responsible for the curse. Link returns outside, and the Deku Tree tells him about Ganondorf, who was searching for the keys neccessary to opening the gates to the sacred realm. Before the tree dies, he entrusts the Kokiri Emerald, the stone Ganondorf was after, to Link, and tells him to go to Hyrule Castle and speak with Princess Zelda. Once you leave the forest, the real adventure begins.
Controls: The controls are good. What was great about this game were to parts of the controls. The Action Button, which was where you pressed the A button in different situation, so you could say it was a context sensitive button for it's time. Another good aspect, was the Z-targetting, where you held down the Z button to lock on enemies and objects, and your attacks would be aimed automaticly at whatever you're targeting. Very revolutionary, and the system is still used today in every other 3D zelda game.
Graphics: These graphics were very impressive, and have defintetly stood the test of time. Very detailed character models and environments. In fact, I'm just impressed at the Ganondorf character model just because of HOW detailed it is, and I actually like how he looked ingame more than the offical art. This game definetely had the best graphics on ANY system from the 5th generation of videogames.
Sound: There is a LARGE variety of music. You got it for just about everything. In the forest, you got cheerful music with a beat (my personal favorite is hearing Saria's Song througout the Lost Woods). In the Goron Village, you got tribal music, and in Zora's Domain, the theme has the feel of serenity and peacefulness. they've got very quiet and low-pitch music for the dungeons (one of them which would be edited for later versions, due to it sounding like an "Islamic Prayer") Plus, the 6 warp songs you learn from Shiek are great. Also, know actual voice acting, but Link will always grunt and scream and make noises without saying a word.
Replay Value: There is enough replay value to keep you busy, even if you just want straight ahead through the main quest without taking the time to explore. There are tons of mini quests, plus a very large trading quest, which will get you a very neat prize. Besides that, take the time to look for Heart Pieces, and Golden Skulltulas. Maybe even upgrade the size of your quiver and other little minigames. Heck, so far, this is the only Zelda game I've played so far where I got virtually EVERYTHING 100%.
Overall: A very fun game, and epic. 5 stars.
But may I suggest, since there have been multiple versions of this game, by yourself an N64 and get the game for it. This is how the game should be played in it's original entirety. Dont just get it on the Wii Shop Channel, do what I did. Besides, it's probably not to hard to find a good working N64. Right?
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Starfox 64 is one of those games that does it's series justice, and the sequels that follow cannot match how amazing this game is. With a full Voice Cast, multiple paths to completing missions, and a simple yet awesome story, this game is a must own.
Story: The game gives the backstory to the events when you first start. Andross was once a scientist that was banished to the faraway planet, Venom, due to his dangerous experiments. 5 years passed since Andross's exile, and General Pepper of the Cornerian army, hires the Starfox Mercenarie team to investigate unusaul activity coming from Venom. When they arrived, Starfox member Pigma Dengar betrayed the team and resulted in James McCloud and Peppy Hare's capture. Peppy barely escaped Andross's clutches, and returned to Corneria and informed Fox McCloud of "his father's fate". A few years passed by, and Andross began a full scale blitzkrieg on the Lylat System. Fox McCloud arose as the new Starfox leader, with old mentor Peppy Hare, long-time friend Slippy Toad, and ace pilot Falco Lombardi, ready to take on Andross and free the Lylat System from tyranny.
Controls: Use the control stick to steer the Arwing, or on different planets, the Landmaster and Blue Marine, and press the A button to fire your lasers and B to launch a smart bomb. The Z and R buttons are used to tilt your craft left or right for quick steering. Pressing Z or R twice will make you perform the infamous barrel roll (copyright 1997 Peppy Hare :P). Plus, there are other neat little tricks that can give you the advantage. Aside from the on-rails segment, you will get to on occasion go into all range mode, a feature that was transferred from the scrapped Starfox 2. In all range mode, the same basics apply, but you'll also get to perform U-Turns. Flying the Arwing in Allrange mode is just excellent, especially one your shooting down enemies, or engaging in dogfights with the rival Starwolf team (again, another feature from the scrapped Starfox 2).
Graphics: The character models are very close to their official art, which I believe was intentional. As if the character models couldn't look better, the bosses you fight are detailed and HUGE. Andross, the final boss, is pretty amazing. A gigantic monkey head with two gloves. Aside from the character models and bosses, the environments look very detailed. My personal favorite is Macbeth, where you're driving the landmaster as you are trying to catch up to the enemy train, and there is just so much, especially the detail put into the train cars. The graphics are overall great, and they're still great to look at.
Sound: This was probably one of the first Nintendo games to feature a full voice cast. And it fits so perfectly. Fox's voice fits his personallity as a young teenager with a mildly cocky attitude and the charisma of a leader. Falco fits the bill as the ace pilot, yet who is brash and uncooperative, yet he still respects his leader and friend Fox. Slippy...well, for most, he's annoying, but I can handle him. The only strange thing is that he's male, yet his voice sounds like a girl. WTF? And Peppy's voice is perfect for an old timer. The music is great as well. And once you get to Area 6, you'll be determined to keep going forward, not because of what you're up against, but the Area 6 theme, is the BEST out of any starfox game. It just fits the mood.
Replay Value: Oh, theres plenty. 15 different levels, and scoring enough kills, while keeping your team all intact (which sounds tough, seeing as thousands of people want to kill Slippy), will earn you a medal. Earn all 15 medals to unlock expert mode, where you got much more tougher enemies as well as James' sunglasses. Earning the medals in both normal and expert on Venom will unlock some neat bonuses for multiplayer. Multiplayer is up to 4 players, with all-range mode maps as well as 3 different modes up play. Now, earning the medal on venom the first time unlocks the landmaster. Earning the Venom medal on Expert will allow you to play as your character on foot. It's a unique sort of ground combat, but multiplayer is all around fun.
Overall: Don't ignore this game. Get it. One of the best railshooters to be created. The characters are memorable, the levels are fantastic, and you just cant pass up the multiplayer. A great addition to anyone who loves the N64. 5 stars.
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By today's standards, not the best Mario Kart but close
The three Mario Kart games that I found definetely worth buying were Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart Wii. Out of these, I would find MK 64 ranked at #2. Still a great game, though parts have not aged well. It was the first game in the series to incorporate 4-player in multiplayer, along with a battle mode. While Mario Kart DS seems to surpass the N64 classic, in my opinion at least, there is, however, no reason why you should skip this.
Story: Actually, no story is really present in this game. There is a single player Grand-Prix mode, but there's nothing of a story in it either. Just race through 4 circuits per cup for the gold trophy.
Controls: The controls are conviently placed, as were pretty much every N64 game from Nintendo. Pressing the A button will accellerate your kart, and B is your brake and reverse. Use the control stick to steer your cart around the track, and use the Z button to use any items you have grabbed. Pressing the R button will make your kart hop, and the C buttons will change the BGM volume, switch from a map to a speedometer, or change the camera view (all depending on which button you press). Nothing to complicated to learn.
Graphics: This is where the aging comes in. When I first played this game, I was baffled as to why the characters look so crispt while the rest looked blocky. I was 6 or so at the time, so I had no idea of pre-rendered sprites, as that is what was used for the characters, and certain background objects. Mixing these together have some interesting results, and looking at them now, you can tell the visual quality isn't necesarily timeless.
Sound: Nintendo never fails when it comes to music, does it? There are quite a few themes that might get you humming, as they can be a bit catchy (like Luigi Cuircit or Rainbow Road). Alot of tunes that are of Mario quality, being simple and just hard to hate (unless you never liked the series to begin with). But of course, it's all MIDI, but atleast the format is still bearable.
Replay Value: The Grand Prix wears off after a while, as it's always the same race four circuits per cup, win the trophy. Pretty much that, though you might get a good challenge on 150cc difficulty. But the real fun lies in the game's multiplayer mode. Not only can you have up to 4 players, this entry in the series was the debut of the battle mode. Even with only four battle mode tracks, it can be a lot of fun with some friends to try and knock away everyone's baloons. Another extra feature to Mario Kart is the compatability with the N64 memory pak. This accessory would plug into your controller, and you could save your ghosts from different tracks to it.
Overall: Again, by today's standards, not the best Mario Kart but close. While the game did introduce some favorites like the battle mode, the graphics are no coubt a bit dated, due to the pre-rendered sprites used in a full 3D background. But, for which version, would you get this for? It doesn't really matter, as they are pretty much the same, though the Wii Classic Controller doesn't quite give the same feel, and one big difference, is that you cant save your ghosts to a memory pak, because you cant plug it into the classic controller. If you really feel like saving your ghosts in time trial, best get it on an N64, and remember to have a memory pak with you.
4 out of 5 stars
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