What's the Greatest Video Game: Hybrid Heaven

This is an ongoing series where I attempt to play...complete...and rank every video game that ever existed. That is all

I grew up with a nintendo 64. It was the first console that was all mine, unlike earlier systems that I shared with my siblings. I only got gifts on holidays or birthdays, because I was a kid without a job, and was not one who was paid to do chores (they were expected, not rewarded). When I did ask for a game, it was one I would either rent multiple times, or one that was hyped enough in Nintendo power that I could tell myself I wanted regardless of playing it. Ocarina was a no brainer, so were all the NBA games, and wrestling games. One game existed in my collection that I still to this day don't know how I acquired it. That game is of course our title game Hybrid Heaven. I would dabble in it from time to time, but I can tell you that I never got that far, certainly never beat it, and forgot about it just as soon as I put it down.

When it was time to start my collection of video games over (sold games off when I was younger), you would assume that this game would not make the list, but again the most peculiar thing happened where this was legit one of the first 4 N64 games I sought out to buy. Mario, Ocarina, Blast Corps, and Hybrid Heaven (?) Why would this game come up now in my mind? There were so many games that I played the hell out of for N64 that would make more sense? Perhaps it was the sins of the past where I felt I needed to make up for never really giving the game a shot as a kid, or maybe this game is calling to me.

Hybrid Heaven is a 3rd person sci-fi, RPG, wrestling game, where you explore the underground of New York City and discover that not everyone is who they say they are.. Something to that effect, but we will touch on that later, instead I want to call back to calling this a wrestling game, and yes, I meant to say that. While most of this game plays like a 3rd person action game, when you get into battles it turns into an ATB (Active time battle) RPG wrestling game. You and your opponent have a meter that fills up before you can act, during this time you have free mobility where you can wander the area, and when you are ready to attack you can get into position and trigger your action. This freezes the game and allows you to select from a move list, which includes punches, kicks, and headbutts, but if you happen to be grabbing the opponent a list of wrestling moves. Want to try and give a pig monster a brainbuster, or a creature that appears to be made of bricks a DDT, you can! The game also took cues from Final Fantasy 2 (not the super Nintendo, but the OG 2) where you level up based on what was done in a fight. Use a right hook a lot, and your right arm gets stronger and that move gets stronger, get punched in the head a lot, and your Head gets more resistant. It is an admirable system, that over the course of the game can allow you to spec in a couple different ways, which "could" allow you to replay the game slightly differently. This playthrough you could be a devastating boxer with heavy hands, and in another playthrough be a grappler that absolutely destroys if the enemy gets up close. Its a concept that on paper I really like, but much like OG Final Fantasy 2, I hate the concept of forcing me to get my ass kicked on purpose to better myself. In addition to powering up parts of your body, you can learn moves from enemies as long as they successfully pull them off on you. It goes against your instinct, but you might want to allow yourself to get grabbed and slammed to the ground a couple times, just to hopefully learn that brainbuster or DDT so you can bust it out later. However, risk it too much and die, and everything you learned goes out the window as you load an old save. While I think the system is interesting here, and incredibly unique, it can be a trying game of patience as enemies can be rather dumb. This is even worse if you are in a fight just to learn a new move. You could sit there looking to learn a new kick move, but 20 minutes into the fight the opponent might only try the same punch over and over again, or even worse might attempt the kick but it misses you completely. When you first start off, it is exciting to learn new moves, but I found that despite wanting to get better, I instead wanted to make sure I just killed the enemy as fast as possible rather than risk a game over so far from a save point.

Unlike RPGs of similar ilk, there are a finite number of enemies in the game. You will find floor pads that spawn enemies, and while they may seem endless, they do officially run out, so while you can (and should) grind to get stronger in the game, you will not be able to drastically over level for where you are in the game. As there are a handful of different enemy types in the game, you will learn what each one specializes in, which is useful in knowing which enemies you want to hit you in an attempt of learning something. Pig monsters are grapplers, the block monster are kickers, and the enemies that look like plants can F off, because they have unlimited range and can poison you.

Back to the story, the game centers around the fact that there are replicants that are slowly starting to take over the world. The overarching story is that the main enemy is trying to dispose of the president and instead replace him with a replicant. Presumably this would allow our foe to control the army, declare war, and make the world more replicant friendly. I am on board for all this silliness, but the plot gets overly busy to the point where it feels to lose its thread and then just throw in other sci-fi tropes along the way. During your travels you will meet actual little aliens, who have crash landed in this underground bunker and are hiding from our big bad, sure why not. The game for what its worth felt 5-10 hours too long, and perhaps that is a "me" or a "now" problem and not one I would have felt in 1999, but I kept waiting for the end and it was always just out of reach.

I do have to very quickly call out how drab and boring the setting/environment was with this game. I know the N64 limitations, I understand other games of the era don't score high marks, but the whole game takes place in this underground lab, and it is just an eyesore from moment 1 to 101. When they obviously re-release this game, I hope we get some new locations, and can bring some color and light to the areas we are stuck in for hours on end.

This game will also have the first designation of me "cheating" on my notion of playing games without looking up a walkthrough to get past a hurdle in the game. The moment doesn't require much attention, but there is a part where you are locked in a room with a giant rancor/xenomorph and I couldn't figure out how to escape. I'm not proud of cheating, but I was at the point where it was either look it up, or put the game down and never return.

Hopefully now, having atoned for the sins of my youth, by beating this game, i will no longer be hunted by its ghost. Who knows, maybe if I have to rebuild my collection a 3rd time, this game will no longer be at the top of my list for replacements.

Is this game the Greatest game of all time: Can't say that it is

Where does it rank: This was another game that I had a hard time ranking, I knew where it fell (between 17-21) but specifically it was harder. Ultimately I am putting this at the new #19 spot. It falls below #18 Adam's Venture Origins, and above #20 Bugs Bunny's Birthday Blowout. Despite not caring a lot for Adam's Venture, apparently I felt having a whisper of a story was better in this instance than having a long confusing story.

Up Next: "EQQo" for the Switch (also available for VR, phones, and PC)

Anyone looking for it: here is the link to the list and more if you are interested in following along with me (this is not a self promotion). Here

Thanks for listening.

You're a lunatic, which I mean as a compliment.

How are you picking this selection of games? Do you have some kind of spreadsheet randomizer?

I have...made mistakes*...when it comes to picking games to play, but I also play actually good games** from time to time. You're out there like a madman trying to figure out whether Hybrid Heaven is better than Adam's Ventures, and have EQQo next up and...why? How is it that no top tier games just slot into the rotation by accident?

*Not the greatest video game

**Probably not the greatest video game but possibly a defensible choice.

@bigsocrates: Haha.. i absolutely love this comment. Without getting too into the weeds, i use a randomizer that first picks the system and then the game and i spin it three times, and pick out of those three games. If there are games i really want to play, i still make time for them but im just slow at getting through them. I do have good games finished i have to do write-ups for (super mario world, mega man 2, ocarina of time, etc) but i ruminate on what i want to write for those longer then i will for EQQo.

Thanks as always for reading my stuff, ill have to check out your bowsers fury impressions.

Like you, I really bought into the Nintendo Power hype for this game, but I never ended up actually playing it. I probably dodged a bullet there, but if you can do a DDT in this game, maybe I should play it.

@imunbeatable80: That makes sense. I understand why it's harder to say something meaningful about Super Mario World (a game everyone has played and has had millions of posts made about it) than Hybrid Heaven.

I admire your resolve in getting through these games. I find it really hard to force myself to play bad or mediocre games unless I have a specific purpose, and I really need to space them out. Even just doing R&C: All4One and R&C: FFA had me gritting my teeth. You're doing....not the lord's work exactly here, but someone's work I'm sure!

@chaser324: Yeah DDTs, suplex, bulldogs.. and for some reason you can do ground moves to enemies (rare but possible). So feel free to put the monsters in figure four leg-locks, sleeper holds, and even the steiner recliner if you want to spec in that direction. If you were dying for a turn based wrestling game, this might be the closest you can get.

@bigsocrates: Appreciate it buddy.. while i know these arent great games, i can usually find something promising, redeaming, interesting, or enjoyable in almost any game. Key word is "almost".

While this game might not be the best game of all time, that box art sure is in contention for best box art of all time.

@holland1946: the box art certainly sells the game more than the game itself.. but i dont know if im with you on greatest of all time. I mean that honor has to go to mega man 2, right?

Jeff actually reviewed this, he disliked it giving it a 4.1. Not that, that matters, just an interesting fact. My brother likes it a lot; I didn't so much aside from some of the very little New York setting there is in it. That said, I would be very interested to see what an HD remaster would look like, with quality of life improvements.

@ntm: i dont know if the game is that bad, but different sttokes for different folks. While this game certainly doesnt deserve a remaster, that doesnt mean i wouldnt play it if something that strange ever came out.

I played a lot of this and sorta enjoyed it. Thecombat system was unique.

I remember playing through this whole game as a kid, and I remember loving it. I have a distinct feeling that if I were to go back to this game today that might change. There are just certain games I loved as a kid that I know if I go back to I won't love it anymore. I have almost played this again multiple times over the years, but always end up picking something else.

Fighting Force is another one I feel like would be in this same category. I remember playing through it over and over again and loving it, but I just feel like if I play it now it would ruin it.

@bobafettjm: i cant speak to fighting force, but hybrid heaven probably doesnt live up to your memories. Unless all you want to do is a turn based suplex once in a while, then maybe avoid it.. thanks for the read.

It's a great game. I remember playing it with my brother. Now the games have become much worse, but they have started to bring in more money. For example, Counter-Strike Global Offensive. It is a good game to play with your friends, and I spend a lot of time playing it with my friends, but the main problem with this game is that there are many cheaters. This is the main reason why I lost interest in this game. I sold all my skins from my inventory on skincashier.com. I invested a lot in skins, so I was happy that I could get back the money.

@cutilead: thanks for the read.. hybrid heaven is definitely a unique game, dont know if i would go as far to call it great. I cant think of another game that really uses the same type of gameplay.