Nintendo 64 gamers have asked for more RPGs and more mature games. Ogre Battle 64 delivers on both levels. Not only is it a deep strategy-RPG, but it also features mature characters in a deep story. Ogre Battle 64 has got to be one of the best games on the Nintendo 64. Even if you don't like traditional RPGs, Ogre Battle might still peak your interest. The story alone is enough to keep you playing and there are so many different possible story lines that you might never see them all. There are also many heroes you can meet along the way, and many of them may even join your army. Ogre Battle is a very deep game and it may be difficult to get into, but once you get into it you'll never want to put the controller down.
Graphics
The graphics in Ogre Battle are decent, but not spectacular. All of the characters look pretty good and are distinguishable, but the environments seem really flat and boring. Some of the spells look just spectacular, however. If you get sick of the spell animations, though, there is an option to turn them off which is even accessible during battle. All-in-all, a decent looking game considering the amount of information that was crammed into the cartridge.
7.0
Sound
The music in Ogre Battle is incredible. It's hard to believe that MIDI songs are playing. They almost sound as good as if they were being read off a CD. If you were a fan of Ogre Battle for SNES then you may recognize some familiar tracks. The sound effects are decent, but not spectacular.
8.0
Gameplay
Ogre Battle 64 is a tough game to learn, especially if you aren't familiar with the Super Nintendo version. Luckily, there is an extensive tutorial provided which lasts over half-an-hour. Much of your learning, however, will be on the battlefield. There you control your armies and try to complete a certain mission objective, usually taking over the enemy's headquarters. When you encounter an enemy unit you engage them in battle. However, these battles are not standard RPG-fare. You do not directly control the characters, rather, you give them a specific strategy such as "Attack Leader" or "Attack Weakest." As boring as that sounds it actually makes the game better than it would be if you controlled every character. It makes you feel more like you are leading the army if that makes any sense. There are also numerous characters, both good and bad, that you will meet along the way. They may or may not join you depending on your actions taken. This makes the game very interesting because it can change every time you play it. Words really do not do this game justice, so if you can find it then give it a shot.
9.5
Replayability
I have already played through this game three times since I got it and that's tough for a college student. You always want to try and see if you can learn from your mistakes and earn a better ending or try to convince characters to join your army. There are also many hidden secrets, including ultra powerful spells, in the game which you can only find by exploring the towns. This game may suck you in for a long time so be prepared.
9.5
Buy/Rent
You probably won't find Ogre Battle for rent anywhere but if you're lucky you may find it for sale at an videogame store but it will probably be $40-$50. Chances are you'll pay the same price on eBay for a used game so if you can find it at a store then try to pick it up, otherwise you can watch as the price for this rare gem continues to skyrocket on eBay.
I have got to be one of the biggest Indiana Jones fans around and when this game came out for the PC I had to have it. I was extremely disappointed. While the game was good conceptually the controls were so horribly awkward that it took away almost all of the fun. The Nintendo 64 version fixes these control problems, making the game a Tomb Raider-type game that is actually fun to play and doesn't need bouncing female body parts to sell. LucasArts and Factor 5 did a wonderful job porting this game to the Nintendo 64 and any fan of Indiana Jones will probably consider this the best Indy game made. Although that isn't saying much, Indiana Jones would make a worthy addition to your N64 library.
Graphics
The graphics for the PC version were pretty good, but, if you can believe it, the N64 version actually improves upon them. The expansion pak, although not required, is used to its full potential to create awe-inspiring landscapes and locations. There is a very long range of vision which produces little pop-up making to feel like you are actually at the archaeological sites. The lighting effects in the game are great, and don't feel like they are overused like they sometimes do in Rare games. The creatures in the game all look very realistic and there is no slowdown to speak of.
9.0
Sound
Factor 5 is known for great sound production and they don't disappoint in Indiana Jones. Ambient sounds pervade the game, making the locations feel all the more realistic, and instead of a constant sound track, ambient music is played when you enter new locations. Of course, the Indy theme is present and there are also various other tracks that get you into the mood of the game. Every character speaks and Indy even sounds like Harrison Ford, even though I know it isn't really him. Surround sound is used expertly in this game which makes it sound much better than its PC counterpart. This is easily one of the best sounding games on Nintendo 64.
9.0
Gameplay
The creators of the Tomb Raider series admitted that they were influenced by the Indiana Jones movies and the creators of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine admitted that they took the gameplay of Tomb Raider and applied it to Indiana Jones. I was a fan of the original Tomb Raider game but then the gameplay just didn't evolve at all. Putting Indiana Jones into the Tomb Raider formula just seemed to fit. The gameplay is solid. If you like the Tomb Raider games, at least in concept, then you'll love Indiana Jones. Platform jumping is done well and very rarely do you find yourself frustrated trying to accomplish make a jump or use the whip. The Legend of Zelda's Z-Targeting is implemented and changed slightly to help you aim both the whip and other weapons more accurately. The puzzles in the game will stump you a lot but you will always feel a sense of gratification when you solve them. There are treasures to be found in each level which will earn you IQ points which are needed to truly complete the game. It will take a lot of exploring to find all of them and is something I'm not even close to accomplishing yet. The game is a lot of fun and if you want Tomb Raider-type gameplay it's your only option on Nintendo 64.
8.0
Replayability
Indiana Jones takes an incredibly long time to beat, even for more experienced gamers, so you may not feel the urge to play it again right away. There are hidden treasures to find in every level, however, and this is a task that you probably won't accomplish the first time through. Most of the levels are huge, and fun to explore, making searching for the treasures seem like fun instead of a chore. And it's always fun to go back and shoot some Communist Russian soldiers.
5.5
Buy/Rent
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine isn't sold in retail stores so don't bother looking. It is available to rent, however, but it may be difficult to finish with just one rent. You can probably find the game used but be prepared to pay $20 to $35 for it.
*#&@ off! You don't need to read my &%*#ing review! Go buy this @!#$ing game! Okay, to start this review off let me say that Conker's Bad Fur Day is definitely not for everyone. If you are young and easily impressionable or you take offense to toilet humor and sexual innuendoes then do not buy this game. But if you are sick of the same old platformers and want a game that will make you laugh then Conker may be for you. Whether you have to feed chunks of corn to the Great Mighty Poo (who, by the way, has an excellent singing voice) or jump off the rather large, uh, melons of a talking flower, Conker will never cease making you laugh. In my opinion this is Rare's best game since Goldeneye. Get it now you %$#&head!
Graphics
Graphically Conker is beautiful. It looks as good as Banjo-Tooie, if not better. The lighting affects are not overused in this game as I thought they were in previous Rare games. There is slight pop-up but never any noticeable slowdown. Some of the images in Conker will make your jaw-drop for more than one reason. Also Conker himself has some pretty cool idle activities. While Mario would take a nap in Mario 64 if you left him alone too long, Conker does a wide variety of activities. He will play with a yo-yo, play his Gameboy Color, or flip through a porno magazine. Let me reiterate that you will not stop laughing while playing Conker.
9.0
Sound
Rare once again proves they are masters at sound. The sound effects in Conker are near perfection and the music tracks are incredible for being stuffed on a cartridge. There are only a few games I can think of with better sound and most of them are Rare games. What else needs to be said?
10.0
Gameplay
The gameplay in Conker is fairly standard platformer fare. The most fun you'll have, though, is the jokes and the tasks you have to perform for people. While Mario had to bring a lost baby penguin to it's mother, Conker had to get a cow to drink prune juice so it will go poo. While Banjo and Kazooie had to climb up an anthill, Conker had to convince some bees to tickle a busty flower so the king bee could "pollinate" her. While Donkey Kong fought a raging armadillo, Conker had to fight the Great Mighty Poo. There are also funny parodies of pretty much every popular movie under the sun including Saving Private Ryan, The Godfather, and Aliens. Conker is hilarious the whole way through and if you aren't offended by the humor then you'll love it.
8.5
Replayability
Conker has some awesome multiplayer modes. Many are similar to standard FPS games but they all have a certain twist. I'll explain the modes here:
Deathmatch : Standard deathmatch with multiple levels to choose from.
Heist : A bag of money is in the middle of the bank. You have to grab the money and take it back to your safe. You go much slower when you have the money and you can't use weapons. Speaking of weapons, you start with a baseball bat and can also use throwing knives, an uzi, and a bazooka amoung other weapons.
Beach : You can either be on the side of the Frenchies or the Tedizes. If you are with the Frenchies then your goal is to make it across the beach without getting killed. The Tedizes will fire at you with a powerful machine gun, bazooka, or a sniper rifle. You can find powerups that burst your speed which will greatly help you avoid the gunfire. There is also a dynamite plunger you can use to blow the stuffing out of the Tedizes. As a Tediz you sit atop the hill and shoot at the frantic Frenchies with your three weapons. I can't explain in words how much fun that is.
Raptor : This ones pretty tough if you are on the Ugas side. As an Uga your goal is to steal a raptor egg and bring it to the large frying pan. Problem is Mama Raptor is out to prevent that. The Uga can use many primitive weapons to attack Mama Raptor but Mama Raptor has a vicious bite which is tough to compete with. This game is more fair when multiple Ugas take on a single Mama Raptor.
War : There are two modes to this, Total War and Colors. In Total War the Squirrels and Tediz both occupy seperate sides of the same fortress. Your goal is to find the enemy's canister of lethal chemicals and put it into the opposing sides sewer system, thus killing everyone who is not in a safe zone or wearing a gas mask. In Colors you simply play capture the flag. Get your enemy's flag and take it back to your own base.
Tank : This is similar to Total War except you are in tanks. Find the chemical canister and return it to your base to destroy the other tanks if they are not in safe zones. There are many different hardware pickups you can find such as a high-velocity gun barrel, a telescopic sight, a shield, and a nitro-booster. There is an option that lets one player control the tank's movement while another controls the turret.
Race : You race the hoverboards across lava with nitro-boosters and missles scattered about. It is the same race that is in the single-player game.
8.5
Buy/Rent
Buy it now! What are you waiting for?! Best Buy lowered the price of it to $30 so you have no excuse anymore!
I was never a big fan of the original Castlevania for NES. While I liked the game, it was never one of my favorites. Super Castlevania IV, however, was easily one of my five favorite games for the SNES. The game was tough, maybe not as tough as the original, but tough nonetheless. Also, the graphics were spectacular for an early SNES game. The music was also great. There was little that I could complain about regarding this game and it ate up a lot of my time when I first got it. Let us journey with Simon Belmonte and help him on his quest to save the land from the evil Count Dracula.
Graphics
Super Castlevania was one of the best looking games on the SNES, if not the best looking game, when it was released. It even looks good when compared to later games on the SNES. Everything looks spectacular in Super Castlevania and there are many great effects that were previously never used on the SNES. Moving backgrounds appear for the first time in a SNES game and they look great. The only problem in this department would be the occasional major slowdown. All slowdown can be suffered through, however, and it only comes up in certain locations. It is the only thing keeping the game from getting a perfect score in this department.
9.5
Sound
The music in Super Castlevania is amongst the best on the SNES. All of the tracks are gloomy and spooky and provide a good backdrop for the creepy levels. This is one of the few early games where the tracks don't sound annoying when listened to outside of the game. The sound effects aren't anything special, though. Simon's whip makes a cracking sound when it hits enemies and there are various other effects but most of the resources are devoted to the music and graphics.
8.5
Gameplay
If you've played the original Castlevania then you can play Super Castlevania. The gameplay is nearly identical with only a few slight tweaks. Simon can now whip his whip in all directions, allowing him to hit enemies below him as well as enemies at angles. This change makes it hard to go back to the original Castlevania and is akin to the change in Super Metroid that allowed Samus to fire diagonally. The game is fun and is also extremely hard. Some of the bosses are nearly impossible to beat but it's gratifying to finally defeat them. The only problem is the lack of an on-cart save system. Instead a password system is used which is mildly annoying. Nothing else to complain about, really. You've probably played Castlevania at some point in your life so chances are you know what the game is like.
8.0
Modern Appeal
The game looks good so chances are the graphics won't turn you off. It's a fun game no matter how old it is but chances are, after you beat it, you won't play it as much. A quick game every once in a while is probably as much as you'll play it after you have it mastered.
7.5
Purchase Price
This game is in fairly high demand so expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $20. You shouldn't have much trouble finding it, though. Just check eBay or your local used game store.
Near the end of the Super Nintendo's life span, things weren't looking too good for Nintendo. Sega's Saturn and Sony's Playstation has already hit the market and had begun to take a chunk of the 16-bit crowd away from the SNES. Not helping matters, the Nintendo 64, known back then as Project Reality or the Ultra 64, was constantly being delayed. 3D was the"in-thing" and the SNES, while it did have some 3D games like Star Fox and Stunt Race FX, was really starting to show its age. That's where a little-known company called Rare came in. They used a large amount of resources, partly donated by Nintendo, to create a make-or-break game that would star Nintendo's own Donkey Kong. When Donkey Kong Country was being released Nintendo promoted it to no end. People were awed by it's graphics and many originally thought it was a game for the upcoming Nintendo 64. Donkey Kong Country even looked better than many of the games on Playstation even though it was really only 2.5D. Donkey Kong Country was one of Super Nintendo's last great games and it helped top off one of the greatest consoles ever.
Graphics
Easily the best graphics on Super Nintendo, bar none. Even compared to the next generation consoles Donkey Kong Country was able to hold its own. Whereas games like Star Fox and Stunt Race FX had the extremely noticeable textures and were really buggy, DKC did a fantastic job putting 3D characters in a 2D environment. The landscapes were awe-inspiring and the characters and enemies looked terrific. Not much to complain about in this department. There was never even any noticeable slowdown.
10.0
Sound
Catchy tunes and funny sound effects helped make this game sound great. The music seemed to fit the stages perfectly and the monkey sounds and grunts from the enemies were just plain hilarious. The sound effects were professionally done and were a foreshadowing of Rare's unbelievably sound tracks and effects for their Nintendo 64 games. I truly think there are very few companies that produce better sounding games than Rare.
8.5
Sound
Donkey Kong Country was a classic 2D platform that added a few tricks to make things interesting. The buddy system worked great in the game. Donkey and Diddy each had their stregths and weaknesses and you'd soon learn which situations each excelled in. Playing the game with two players was a lot of fun. You could either make it a competition and try to get farther than your opponent or you could each control either Donkey or Diddy to try to beat King K. Rool. This was one of the first games to use a lot of different mini-games and it was something that would be used in later games again and again. In order to truly beat the game you had to find all of these mini-games which was a task in and of itself. And who could forget the minecart races? While there weren't many of them, they were so much fun to play over and over again. Donkey Kong Country was not just another 2D platformer, it was an incredibly addictive game that would bring Rare into the spotlight as a videogame developer.
8.0
Modern Appeal
Even today Donkey Kong Country looks good. The game has a polished look and the graphics won't turn people off like many NES games sometimes do. The classic platforming action is just plain fun and it's the kind of game you can pick up and play for a few minutes or a few hours, depending on what you're looking for. A thoroughly addictive game if you haven't played it or are a fan of 2D platformers.
8.0
Purchase Price
Donkey Kong Country is a very common game and should be easy to find. Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 for it. Don't pay much more than $20, even if it's brand new.
Snake, Rattle, and Roll was one of Rare's last NES games. They weren't called Rare back in the NES days but they were churning out fun games none the less. Snake, Rattle, & Roll was one of their best. Even if you haven't played it, chances are you've seen or heard of it. Who can forget the images of the snakes destroying enemies with their tounges and getting power ups to increase their length? It was also one of the few semi-3D games on the NES. Marble Madness and Q-Bert come to mind as some other games that utilized a 3D grid. SNR was simply a fun, arcade-action game, and it would even be ported to the Sega Genesis years later. Not many NES games were ported to other systems, mostly due to Nintendo's strict rules, so Snake already stands out from other NES games.
Graphics
Excellent graphics for an NES game. The 3D grid looks pretty good and bright colors are used to increase the happy mood of the game. The snakes look good as well as the enemies. Even the water graphics are decent. Overall, one of the best looking NES games.
9.5
Sound
The music in the game helps to increase the happy mood of the game as well, but it can get slightly annoying. The sound effects sound pretty good, though. The audible thwomp when you kill an enemy is great as well as the noise when you attack. Decent sound for an NES game.
6.5
Gameplay
Snake, Rattle, & Roll is very fun and very addictive. The point is pretty much to make your way through the 3D levels and get to the exit. The catch is that you have to eat little balls along the way that increase your snake's length (Please no sick jokes). You need to have eaten enough to open the door when you get to it. A scale we determine if you weight enough to open the door. Of course, there are numerous enemies and traps along the way to try and stop you. The game is really challenging and will take some time to master. You can also compete with a second player to add to the fun of the game. The multiplayer option makes the game ten times as fun. It's a tough game but you'll find yourself not wanting to put it down.
9.0
Modern Appeal
Snake, Rattle, & Roll can be placed in the same category as Ms. Pacman, Pong, and Asteroids. It's the kind of game that is fun no matter how old it is and how dated the graphics look. SNR is a great arcade-type game that will keep you hooked like so many quarter-eating arcade games used to do. The good thing is this game is for NES and you won't spend all your quarters trying to beat it.
8.5
Purchase Price
Snake, Rattle, & Roll is a very common game and it won't cost you much at all. Look for it to be less than $5. At this price you'd be crazy not to pick it up. You aren't crazy, are you?
P.O.W. is really an unheralded game. That may be because it was overshadowed by the better Double Dragon series. That doesn't mean P.O.W. doesn't deserve a shot, though. It had similar gameplay to Double Dragon but is set in a war zone which provides for, in my opinion, a more interesting scenario. If you liked the Double Dragon series then give P.O.W. a chance.
Graphics
P.O.W. had similar graphics to Double Dragon but looked just a little better. The people in the game all looked pretty good, at least better than the clunky, cartoonish enemies from Double Dragon. It's good enough so that it won't turn you off but it's nothing spectacular.
7.5
Sound
Nothing special here and I really mean it. The sound track can get annoying and the sound effects are almost nonexistant.
4.5
Gameplay
This is your standard Double Dragon-type game. You know the type of gameplay. There are weapons and powerups you can pick up along the way such as brass knuckles, knives, and machine guns. This makes the war zone seem all the more realistic and makes the game a heck of a lot more interesting. You can also play with a second person which is always fun.
8.5
Modern Appeal
If you liked this type of game back in the day then you will like P.O.W. If you've never played this type of game you might enjoy P.O.W. anyway simply because it's fun arcade-type action. The graphics are decent so they won't turn you off. That's a good thing.
8.0
Purchase Price
Shouldn't cost you much. Probably about $5. You shouldn't have much trouble finding it on eBay or at a used game store.
Incredible game after incredible game, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and other brilliant game designers,was released for the NES in the early days. The market was still in itsinfancy and there was a lot of room to innovate. The Legend of Zeldawas one of those innovative games. Not only was it the first game to featurescreen scrolling in four different directions, but it was also the firstNES game to feature a save system. While the save system wasn't perfectthere is no way you could complete Zelda without the ability to save unless you had a lot of time on your hands or you used the trick I used sometimes and left the NES on while you were away. The Legendof Zelda didn't only bring about technical innovations, it also provided us with a seemingly never-ending quest that would keep us playing until our eyes were bleary. Then what happens? We are given a second quest, asomewhat new quest with brand new dungeons in new locations that was much harder than the original quest. The Legend of Zelda marked the birth of a series that is highly regarded in the gaming community as one of, if not the best series of games in existence. No review can really do the game justice but I'll give it a try.
Graphics
For it's time, Zelda had decent graphics. While it wasn't anything mind blowing like Donkey Kong Country was for the SNES, it looked up-to-par with the other early NES games. A limited number of colors were used to provide the mood of the different areas of the game. The early parts that Link could explore were bright and the green really made the place seem nice. Whereas the dungeons were dark and gloomy, and did a good job setting the tone along with the music. There were only a few occurrence of slowdown in the game, mainly in the dungeons, when there were a lot of enemies on screen but it didn't take much away from this great game.
7.5
Sound
Who doesn't remember the Zelda over world theme? Many gamers were shocked when the theme didn't reappear in Ocarina of Time. The sound, along with the graphics, provided the mood for this epic quest and the tunes, while some people may be annoyed by them, were good for the limited resources that the NES had to devote to sound. Not much you can do in the way of sound with an the 8-bit NES.
Zelda is the type of game that you yearn to play every once in a while. While it isn't the same type of epic quest as Ocarina of Time or Final Fantasy, it does provide hours of pure 8-bit entertainment. It's not the type of game you will pick up and put down in a hour. When you are bored and don't have any new games to play, pick up the Legend of Zelda and go on a quest to save Princess Zelda and the Land of Hyrule from the evil clutches of the monster Ganon.
8.5
Purchase Price
Even the gold cartridge of Zelda, which isn't as rare as some might like you to think, won't cost you too much. You shouldn't pay more than $10 for this game.
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