This was fun! I have enjoyed all the slob appearances ( for different reasons each) but if I’d pick the 2 that would work a chat-show this is the line up I’d choose to join EJ and Frankie. This worked well. I also must add, I wish every pod had a Jason. He doesn’t fuck around and is pure facts. Yeah, this was good.
Some of the greatest sequels ever made just flatly reuse the original game's engine and many of its assets. Fallout New Vegas, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Mario Galaxy 2, etc. When devs already have the bones of a game to work with, they can just let loose and push that framework to its creative limits. Majora's Mask is arguably the best example of this. Nintendo have made games _like_ Ocarina, but I don't think could make another game _like_ Majora even if they tried. Its atmosphere is its greatest asset, and that can't really be reduced or quantified. It's not a dark game because they were trying to make it that way; that vibe is the result of so many extenuating circumstances that can't be recaptured in a bottle. Anyway this was a very entertaining episode to watch while I was working. Thanks fellas!
I think Mario 64's staying power speaks for itself. Even Gen Z loves the game with all the creepypastas, liminal images and speedruns. I still think no other 3D Mario managed to become as iconic and unique as 64. And it probably has the best movement of all of them too.
Very entertaining chat, I always enjoy people just giving opinions and thoughts on games. Everyone got a good word in too, considering there’s 4 of you. It never felt too chaotic. I’d love to hear you guys chat about video game/systems and massages again!
Diddy Kong Racing was my jam, and the space stage the cherry on top. I hope that either Retro, Rare or Playtonic will make a spiritual successor BTW we have a phrase in Spanish that describes EJ and Frankie's relationship. It goes something like 'EJ even celebrates Frankie's farts'
There are a lot of things about Goldeneye that can’t be truly appreciated without growing up with it. The multiplayer was probably the best thing about it and that just can’t be enjoyed in the same way today. It was also very innovative for the time, very few FPS games took the mission based approach with objectives which went beyond just getting keys to doors. And it was an excellent use of a film licence.
Dan did a fabulous job with this edit. I remember the original pod being an hour and a half of beautiful chaos, and this plays like a clean and coherent discussion.
@@deengew Agreed. It is still fun. 😎 At the time, with its mission-based structure, it was one of the most sophisticated FPS games on any platform including PC. With 3D accelerators “arriving” with the release of Quake II and Unreal shortly thereafter, it was also one of the best looking games on the market, and all of this available on a $199 console. Ha, I think my Voodoo Rush was $199 Plus, the couch multiplayer pre-dated Halo by 4 full years. It was hard to find the game, it was sold out for a while until they finally printed more. My best friend at the time was the only kid on the block that had GoldenEye! Kids nowadays won’t understand 😆
The 64 seems to be the ultimate fomo console. If you didn’t have it as a current console (or have a friend who did) then you can’t appreciate the games. And of course as you mention, many games are stuck on the console or they tried to revive it only to fail to capture what made it great.
best time I can remember is waking up on summer mornings and playing N64 until about 9am to go play with my friends next door until around noon when the south Florida thunderstorms would roll in. Then we would go inside their house and play their N64
On the wrestling games, THQ made the WCW games for N64 first, there was World Tour and Revenge. Then WWF got THQ to make Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy. All the same engine.
N64 will always be special for me. I was 12 when I got mine in 1997, and I played games on it solidly for at least 5 years. It was the console that i played the most multiplayer sessions with my friends on (before online play was more common), it was the console where I started buying games with my own money and not my parents', and it was the console that my Dad enjoyed the most. He would play the fishing part of Ocarina of Time for hours on end, and it basically became a stress relieving tool for him. And I don't care what anyone says, Goldeneye is still an all time classic and I don't care how aged the graphics are now.
I've commented this before I think, but smash remix the rom hack for Smash 64 is excellent while remaining true to the original feel (playable on real hardware with expansion pack)
@@SuperAnthony3hey did you see my vid about Super Mario 3D World? I lay it on the table and hoooo boy did people 1- not get the “irreverent gaming humor” and 2- remind me that the first and only commandment is apparently not to say anything less then glowing about anything on the 64! 😮
y'all covered mostly everything i can think of, but i've gotta give a shout out to Jet Force Gemini! as well as Army Men Sarge's Heroes and the series in general (also on PS1) which is a personal favourite of mine that continued strongly into the following console generation and i wish would get a modern entry
I was born in the 1970s and was an adult when the Nintendo 64 came out. I worked at a major video game chain during the N64 era and got to play almost every game for the system. The N64 hardware was a 3D beast when it came out in 1996, especially considering it was a $200 toy. The fact that the textures didn't pixellate no matter how close I moved the camera to them was like magic. As someone who experienced these games being released in real time and lived through the evolution of 3D polygon graphics, I'm cringing at some of your takes on these games lol Here's my perspective on a handful of titles: •Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64 were, and still are, masterpieces. Mario's move set in this game is perfect. And the water in Wave Race 64, both in terms of visuals and physics, is perfect. The fact that Nintendo nailed 3D platforming and 3D water right out of the gate on their first try, so early on in 3D gaming, is baffling. Both games still feel so good to play today. Moving the camera around in SM64 never bothered me, nor did it come across as weird. It felt like a natural aspect of 3D gaming. To me, it would've been weird *not* having control over the camera in a game like that. •Pilotwings 64 was fun for a little while. A good companion US launch title for SM64. The 3D graphics were impressive and the human cannonball bonus mode was addictive, but I loved the original SNES version and the sequel didn't quite capture the same feeling for me overall. •Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was decent. Some of the levels had an eerie, creepy vibe to them, but there was a jankiness and crustiness to the game overall. The opening level was the highlight. •NBA Hangtime and Cruis'n USA were fun, fast paced arcade games. Reviewers at the time ragged on the N64 port of Cruis'n USA for having mediocre graphics and a short draw distance, which was strange because the textures in the port are oddly crisp and colorful for an N64 game, and the visuals are close to the arcade original when compared side by side. I thought it looked impressive for a third party "launch window" title. •Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey was billed as the hockey equivalent of NBA Jam. It was decent, but was missing the magical spark. And for some reason, the ice was purplish blue. •I played the heck out of KI Gold when it came out. The levels don't blow me away now like they used to, but the music is still phenomenal. I remember some reviewers being disappointed with the N64's audio capabilities when it came out. They claimed it wasn't any better than the SNES, or maybe even a step back. How can anyone listen to the music in KI Gold and think that? lol I love a good SNES soundtrack, but SM64, WR64, KI Gold, etc. obviously sounded better than the SNES on a technical level. •Blast Corps. started off fun and I liked destroying the environments with the various vehicles. It was a brilliant concept for a video game. But several levels in, it became too puzzle heavy and fizzled out for me. •I never got into Turok, Turok 2, or Shadow Man. I appreciated the technical achievements in graphics, but the games were too sprawling for me. Giant maze-like levels were never my thing. I preferred the more linear and streamlined approach in Turok 3. •South Park was atrocious. I forced myself to get far into the game when it came out, hoping it would get better or at least funnier. It didn't. It was boring, foggy, and repetitive. It was clearly a quick cash grab by Acclaim, repurposing the Turok engine and slapping together weak concepts for levels and enemies. It was a huge seller, but an embarrassing waste of the South Park license. •Goldeneye is an eye tat is golden. I replayed Goldeneye 007 and it still holds up today. It's such a fun, well crafted, ingenious game. Perfect Dark too. Excellent single player modes and timeless multiplayer modes. Rare was on fire during this period. •007: The World Is Not Enough is a solid, worthy follow up to Goldeneye 007, which is quite an accomplishment considering it was developed by a different company. It's a little better than Goldeneye in some ways, and a little worse in some ways. The multiplayer is still fun. •Perfect Dark is a technical achievement...at times, too much of a technical achievement. There's so much going on with the architecture, weapons, reloading animations, textures, realtime light sources that can be shot, special effects like the CamSpy wide angle lens with scanlines, all the enemies on screen, the variety and smoothness of their animations when shot, all their voices, etc. that the framerate often suffers, which is a shame. It didn't bother me at the time though, that's how good the game is. It was worth putting up with back then. And of course the multiplayer is among the best ever. •Star Wars Episode One Racer and Beetle Adventure Racing were solid. Nice visuals, decent enough framerates. •Mario Kart 64, Cruis'n Exotica, Ridge Racer 64, Stunt Racer 64 are the best arcade racers on the N64. You could probably include the Snowboard Kids games too. •Diddy Kong Racing- I prefer Mario Kart 64, but Diddy Kong Racing is a polished, well produced game. It's also a much deeper racing game than Mario Kart 64, which is what I don't like about it. With Mario Kart 64, I can turn it on, choose my tracks, and race. There's no adventure mode, boss battles, hidden keys, or silver coin challenges to get in the way. Some people prefer that level of depth though. •1080 Snowboarding was stunning at the time. The graphics were a technical achievement- beautiful backgrounds, lens flares, different types of snow, the snowboard leaving a trail behind the player, clothing rippling in the wind when speeding downhill. And the various types of snow somehow felt realistic. Great soundtrack too. Nintendo nailed the whole vibe and feeling with this title. I found it addictive and played it until I unlocked all the difficulties and levels. •I'm not into racing sims at all, but World Driver Championship and the F-1 World Grand Prix games were touted as being the best you can get on the N64. Try them and see for yourself. •F-Zero X was fantastic. The most intense racing game I've ever played. 30 vehicles on screen at the same time, and running at a constant 60 frames per second. •The two Extreme G games had some impressive graphical effects, but ugly art direction on the tracks and low framerates overall ruined what were supposed to be lightning fast racing games that required quick reflexes. Pass. •Yoshi's Story was visually beautiful, but a shallow disappointment to all of us who were expecting a worthy follow up to Yoshi's Island on the SNES. Anyone who plays Yoshi's Story, do yourself a favor and press the L button on the controller to hide the on-screen fruit frame. •Castlevania started out strong with the lightning strike jumpscare in the beginning causing the tree to fall down. What an effective and promising start to the game. The rest of the first level is ok and the boss battle was cool. Like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, the rest of the game never exceeded the mood and atmosphere of the first level. It's not a horrible game, just average. I expected more, especially since Super Castlevania IV on the SNES is one of my favorite games of all time, along with the first Castlevania on the NES. •The Bomberman games were average too. Meh. •Fun fact: Resident Evil 2 for N64 has an option for analog control, which for me was a huge improvement over the standard tank controls. To my knowledge, it's the only version of RE2 to feature an analog control option. •Winback is solid if you commit to it and get a feel for the controls. Fun multiplayer too, once you learn the controls. It's not the best, most mind blowing game ever made, but it's solid. •Mischief Makers- if you stick with it for a little while, it gets really good. One of my favorite games. There's variety and creativity in the levels as the game progresses, and most of the boss fights are cool, especially for someone who loved 1980s transforming robots growing up. Good mix of 2D and 3D graphics overall. Fun, quirky game. Give it a chance. •Sin and Punishment gets really good further into the game too. These aren't games you can casually try out for a few minutes and make a snap judgement; you have to get a feel for the controls and gameplay and give the game time to start cooking. Things will click if you commit and give it a chance. •Rayman 2 was a top tier non-Nintendo, non-Rare platformer. Beautiful visuals and fun, quirky game with variety in gameplay from level to level. •Conker's Bad Fur Day- a technical marvel. I appreciate the variety and silliness Rare achieved. It's a fun, solid game but doesn't reach the magical heights of Super Mario 64. •Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time- I was working at the video game store the day this came out. The line stretched out the door and down the hallway inside the mall. There was such major buzz for this game, and rightfully so. Such a beautiful game. Unbeatable atmosphere and emotion, great controls, a variety of items and game modes (horseback riding, fishing, swimming, sword fighting, archery, etc.), and gorgeous realtime lighting and graphical effects. And I loved the genius concept of revolving the game around music. •The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask- I tried but couldn't get into this one. Ocarina's highs were so high for me, there was no way this follow up could live up to my expectations. And even though the graphics were improved in some ways, I found some of the art direction garish. •Star Fox 64- another masterpiece. Beautiful visuals and solid framerate combined with addictive arcade style gameplay. I played the heck out of this one when it came out and was determined to earn medals on all the levels. I loved the team aspect of the game too- your team helping you out at times, and you having to help them out at times.
•Mortal Kombat 4- best fighting game on the system. Impressive graphics. 60 frames per second. Fun, silly game. I like that it never takes itself seriously. Other consoles have better fighting games, but on the N64, this was exponentially better than ClayFighter 63 1/3, Dark Rift, Dual Heroes, etc. etc. •Mace: The Dark Age- I would've chosen this as the best fighting game on the system if the framerate were higher and more stable. It's a shame because the graphics are nice and there are some great characters and levels, but the framerate needed to be a bit higher.
20:28 best Mario Kart for racing, yes, I have to agree. 1, you have the vehicle variety, but also you have the Mario 64-esque open world with balloons collecting/etc. That's all awesome. Diddy Kong Racing wins. But, for my money, the best Mario Kart experience is battle mode, and the best courses are on Mario Kart 64.
Frankie - That Shadows of the Empire menu music IS John Williams, it's on the extended Empire Strikes Back score. It was composed for the cut scene where the Wampa drags Luke back to it's cave. You can hear the very beginning of that cue in the film during the closeup of unconcious Luke being dragged before it hard cuts to an establishing shot of Echo Base.
55:27 I recommend checking out the game Bakeru for switch/steam. It's by some of the main people who made Mystical Ninja and is a sort of successor. It's also by the devs who did Yoshi's Crafted World. On that note I agree, I played it with my young nephew and it was a great way to bond. Also, as EJ said, kids just like to play around in the game and not worry about objectives. I noticed that with my nephew for games like BotW and I almost forgot that I kind of used to be like that too
We are being spolied with the clips this week! Thanks guys!! I loved Lylat wars as a kid. Im sure we had a Turok of some description. Oh and Perfect Dark, I remember loving being able to play as a girl.
Shadows Of The Empire was one of my fav games to "mess around in" back in the early N64 days after I discovered the debug mode that is accessible after starting a new game and entering your name as "Wampa_Stompa". There was all kinds of neat features and glitches, like giving you the jet pack earlier in the game and letting you clip through the walls and boundaries, plus you could even change your ship to a TIE Fighter in the final level if you wanted to. Wasted hours with the debug mode lol.
My parents accidentally bought me mischief makers when I was a kid because they mixed it up with ocarina of time at the store. A sad birthday was had that year.
You know what N64 game I actually remember playing the most with my next door neighbors (it was theirs, but they'd actually haul it over to my apartment because idk. less noisy parents???)? Rampage World Tour. Sure, Mario Kart and Goldeneye were a thing, but Rampage was Rampage, maaaaan.
It plays well, but where Mario 64 is happy to let you grab the stars you want and get the hell outta there - the progression in Sunshine locks you into having to play the first 7 missions of every stage in order to progress. And while a lot of them are fun, some of them are outright bullshit, watermelon contest being the one that sprung to mind when I was editing but there are others. The blue coins are also awful 😂
@@TheParappa Sounds like it. I'm from Earth Prime so whenever I run into variants such as yourself it really weirds me out how different reality could have been.
lol, she he talks about “the bad Star Wars music” he unknowingly shits on a song by John Williams which is actually used in the movie. If you’re going to talk about star wars games info, leave it to the pros. Fun show either way!
I've always enjoyed playing Zelda games, but with Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker I often felt like the world wasn't big so much as it was empty. Compared to the top down games like the Oracle series, the world felt compact, but inhabited. As a kid, Hyrule field was big, but that's about it. I didn't feel like traversing it because it was empty. A game like Shadow of the Colossus on the other hand makes its world huge and empty as a way to evoke isolation and loneliness. It is funny to reconsider the legacy of the N64 as a nostalgia machine for a generation of gamers. Unless you were there, the impact is lost. I loved Jet Force Gemini or Conkers Bad Fur Day for multiplayer, but because the camera, 3d graphics, and controls have been improved a generation later its really hard to go back and enjoy. But it was a big part of my early friendships too because of the couch co-op. I had a playstation, so multiplayer was limited. N64 did a good job developing games that got people together.
Beetle Racing was one of those games that was more exciting at the time but is harder to appreciate now. I think part of it is you learn the shortcuts and secrets gradually and those make it more fun. But when you play as an adult is kind of like meh I could be playing MK64 or Diddy Kong Racing right now lol.
I feel like to enjoy the N64 games on Switch you 100% need the N64 controller. The games are just too specifically designed for that controller. All of those games play better with it imo. Winback was cool back in the day! Not as a good as Metal Gear, but it felt like they were going for that spy vibe. It definitely is a product of its time with the janky aiming / cover system. And Diddy Kong Racing is the best cart racer for sure on N64. Wave Race was fun as well! And Episode I Pod Racing is the ticket. Love Beetle Adventure Racing too. Hope they put it on NSO eventually. Love ya’ll content
Dude playing robotron 64 with 2 controllers. Is one of the best experiences on the system. Oh and doom64. But as a whole I feel like the system is just blurry poop
THQ had the WCW license and WWF signed with them because they saw how well those games sold compared to the WWF games. WCW then left because they didn’t want to share a developer with a rival promotion and signed with EA and made crap games after that.
Since you guys brought up Star Fox 64 and the Nintendo Power promo, I definitely recommend checking out the fan-made Star Fox Animated series, 'A Fox in Space'. Episode 2 has an entire interrogation scene parodying it.
The biggest missed opportunity for N64 was peripherals. No light gun, no steering wheel, no Nintendo gimmick hardware...it's shockingly barren as a platform. Star Fox is the only title that's still worth playing in 2024. Do a barrel roll.
I read the thumbnail as “the ultimate n word discussion”
This was fun! I have enjoyed all the slob appearances ( for different reasons each) but if I’d pick the 2 that would work a chat-show this is the line up I’d choose to join EJ and Frankie. This worked well. I also must add, I wish every pod had a Jason. He doesn’t fuck around and is pure facts. Yeah, this was good.
Some of the greatest sequels ever made just flatly reuse the original game's engine and many of its assets. Fallout New Vegas, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Mario Galaxy 2, etc. When devs already have the bones of a game to work with, they can just let loose and push that framework to its creative limits. Majora's Mask is arguably the best example of this. Nintendo have made games _like_ Ocarina, but I don't think could make another game _like_ Majora even if they tried. Its atmosphere is its greatest asset, and that can't really be reduced or quantified. It's not a dark game because they were trying to make it that way; that vibe is the result of so many extenuating circumstances that can't be recaptured in a bottle.
Anyway this was a very entertaining episode to watch while I was working. Thanks fellas!
I think Mario 64's staying power speaks for itself. Even Gen Z loves the game with all the creepypastas, liminal images and speedruns. I still think no other 3D Mario managed to become as iconic and unique as 64. And it probably has the best movement of all of them too.
Really enjoyed this. Would love to see more gaming chats like this from you guys. The 'Slightly younger' takes from the guests are good too
Very entertaining chat, I always enjoy people just giving opinions and thoughts on games. Everyone got a good word in too, considering there’s 4 of you. It never felt too chaotic. I’d love to hear you guys chat about video game/systems and massages again!
Diddy Kong Racing was my jam, and the space stage the cherry on top. I hope that either Retro, Rare or Playtonic will make a spiritual successor
BTW we have a phrase in Spanish that describes EJ and Frankie's relationship. It goes something like 'EJ even celebrates Frankie's farts'
There are a lot of things about Goldeneye that can’t be truly appreciated without growing up with it. The multiplayer was probably the best thing about it and that just can’t be enjoyed in the same way today. It was also very innovative for the time, very few FPS games took the mission based approach with objectives which went beyond just getting keys to doors. And it was an excellent use of a film licence.
Hey! I'm Justin!
Hey! I’m Justin
Melon!
Justy!!!!
HIIYAH
Hooooooowl
the daniel craig hitting the tennis ball edit is nothing short of genius
I am far too proud of it
That’s exactly what I said to myself when I saw it
Dan did a fabulous job with this edit. I remember the original pod being an hour and a half of beautiful chaos, and this plays like a clean and coherent discussion.
GoldenEye was a classic example of “you had to be there” to understand why it’s a 10
FPS games just very rapidly evolved. I still think its pretty decent
@@deengew Agreed. It is still fun. 😎
At the time, with its mission-based structure, it was one of the most sophisticated FPS games on any platform including PC. With 3D accelerators “arriving” with the release of Quake II and Unreal shortly thereafter, it was also one of the best looking games on the market, and all of this available on a $199 console.
Ha, I think my Voodoo Rush was $199
Plus, the couch multiplayer pre-dated Halo by 4 full years. It was hard to find the game, it was sold out for a while until they finally printed more. My best friend at the time was the only kid on the block that had GoldenEye!
Kids nowadays won’t understand 😆
@deengew its better than most because of the open world freedom it offered. Most "better" FPS just pushed you along a predtermined path.
The 64 seems to be the ultimate fomo console. If you didn’t have it as a current console (or have a friend who did) then you can’t appreciate the games. And of course as you mention, many games are stuck on the console or they tried to revive it only to fail to capture what made it great.
best time I can remember is waking up on summer mornings and playing N64 until about 9am to go play with my friends next door until around noon when the south Florida thunderstorms would roll in. Then we would go inside their house and play their N64
frankie was thinking of the smash bros dojo! very cool aspect of brawl's marketing. that first e3 trailer was earth-shattering for me as a kid.
Where were you when I was editing this?? 🤣
This is such a great edit, Dan
To me, Banjo Kazooie is a platforming masterpiece.
Agreed and I'm about to upset people but I think it's better than Mario 64 .
Banjo is top 5 N64 hands down
WTFFFF 68-minute N64 extravaganza just like that 😂 AWESOME 35:15 Dig dig dig diggity DAWG!
Super Mario 64 would be hands-down the definitive 3D Mario game, if Galaxy and Odyssey didn’t exist
And 3D World!!
I loved this discussion. I would love to hear more stuff like this!
On the wrestling games, THQ made the WCW games for N64 first, there was World Tour and Revenge. Then WWF got THQ to make Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy. All the same engine.
best guests besides Junt and the family. Keep them coming these are fun
“How do you like the LandStalker, Fox?”
Unexpected Genesis video a go-go!
Star Fox Assault is awesome. I wish they kept going in that direction.
I love both of these guys!
Frankie is objectively correct, Double Dash was the best kart racer. Early GameCube titles were magical
N64 will always be special for me. I was 12 when I got mine in 1997, and I played games on it solidly for at least 5 years. It was the console that i played the most multiplayer sessions with my friends on (before online play was more common), it was the console where I started buying games with my own money and not my parents', and it was the console that my Dad enjoyed the most. He would play the fishing part of Ocarina of Time for hours on end, and it basically became a stress relieving tool for him. And I don't care what anyone says, Goldeneye is still an all time classic and I don't care how aged the graphics are now.
The "whap whap whap" music was also John Williams. It was cut from the final film.
Great video!
Awesome love the slobs on this one!
I guess it's time to finally order that Everdrive.
Dan did a great job with the edit, well worth the wait!
If you ever take a moving picture of EJ, a CRT will always be present in the background like some kind of retro gaming poltergeist.
Best N64 racer is Wave Race 64. Actually, its one of the best games of all time.
I've commented this before I think, but smash remix the rom hack for Smash 64 is excellent while remaining true to the original feel (playable on real hardware with expansion pack)
The original Paper Mario is a great game for N64. One of the only RPGs on the system.
Grew up with N64 near the end of its life. Favorite games were Mario 64, Toy Story, yoshi story, paper Mario, star fox 64, f-zero X, Mario kart 64
Also forgot Pokémon stadium 1 and 2!
Super Mario 64 is arguably the best video game ever made.
and by best, it's a tragedy that ruins everything good about the original Mario games
You're thinking of Arkanoid on C64.
@@SuperAnthony3thank you! I mean where are the flagpoles and fire flowers?
@@GTV-Japan
@@SuperAnthony3hey did you see my vid about Super Mario 3D World? I lay it on the table and hoooo boy did people 1- not get the “irreverent gaming humor” and 2- remind me that the first and only commandment is apparently not to say anything less then glowing about anything on the 64! 😮
Fun talk, thanks a lot.
Not enough love for Banjo-Kazooie and the birdman stage in Pilotwings tho.💔
y'all covered mostly everything i can think of, but i've gotta give a shout out to Jet Force Gemini! as well as Army Men Sarge's Heroes and the series in general (also on PS1) which is a personal favourite of mine that continued strongly into the following console generation and i wish would get a modern entry
I loved the shit out of Army Men: Air Combat.
I misread this as a Mega64 collaboration
I was born in the 1970s and was an adult when the Nintendo 64 came out. I worked at a major video game chain during the N64 era and got to play almost every game for the system. The N64 hardware was a 3D beast when it came out in 1996, especially considering it was a $200 toy. The fact that the textures didn't pixellate no matter how close I moved the camera to them was like magic.
As someone who experienced these games being released in real time and lived through the evolution of 3D polygon graphics, I'm cringing at some of your takes on these games lol
Here's my perspective on a handful of titles:
•Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64 were, and still are, masterpieces. Mario's move set in this game is perfect. And the water in Wave Race 64, both in terms of visuals and physics, is perfect. The fact that Nintendo nailed 3D platforming and 3D water right out of the gate on their first try, so early on in 3D gaming, is baffling. Both games still feel so good to play today. Moving the camera around in SM64 never bothered me, nor did it come across as weird. It felt like a natural aspect of 3D gaming. To me, it would've been weird *not* having control over the camera in a game like that.
•Pilotwings 64 was fun for a little while. A good companion US launch title for SM64. The 3D graphics were impressive and the human cannonball bonus mode was addictive, but I loved the original SNES version and the sequel didn't quite capture the same feeling for me overall.
•Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was decent. Some of the levels had an eerie, creepy vibe to them, but there was a jankiness and crustiness to the game overall. The opening level was the highlight.
•NBA Hangtime and Cruis'n USA were fun, fast paced arcade games. Reviewers at the time ragged on the N64 port of Cruis'n USA for having mediocre graphics and a short draw distance, which was strange because the textures in the port are oddly crisp and colorful for an N64 game, and the visuals are close to the arcade original when compared side by side. I thought it looked impressive for a third party "launch window" title.
•Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey was billed as the hockey equivalent of NBA Jam. It was decent, but was missing the magical spark. And for some reason, the ice was purplish blue.
•I played the heck out of KI Gold when it came out. The levels don't blow me away now like they used to, but the music is still phenomenal. I remember some reviewers being disappointed with the N64's audio capabilities when it came out. They claimed it wasn't any better than the SNES, or maybe even a step back. How can anyone listen to the music in KI Gold and think that? lol I love a good SNES soundtrack, but SM64, WR64, KI Gold, etc. obviously sounded better than the SNES on a technical level.
•Blast Corps. started off fun and I liked destroying the environments with the various vehicles. It was a brilliant concept for a video game. But several levels in, it became too puzzle heavy and fizzled out for me.
•I never got into Turok, Turok 2, or Shadow Man. I appreciated the technical achievements in graphics, but the games were too sprawling for me. Giant maze-like levels were never my thing. I preferred the more linear and streamlined approach in Turok 3.
•South Park was atrocious. I forced myself to get far into the game when it came out, hoping it would get better or at least funnier. It didn't. It was boring, foggy, and repetitive. It was clearly a quick cash grab by Acclaim, repurposing the Turok engine and slapping together weak concepts for levels and enemies. It was a huge seller, but an embarrassing waste of the South Park license.
•Goldeneye is an eye tat is golden. I replayed Goldeneye 007 and it still holds up today. It's such a fun, well crafted, ingenious game. Perfect Dark too. Excellent single player modes and timeless multiplayer modes. Rare was on fire during this period.
•007: The World Is Not Enough is a solid, worthy follow up to Goldeneye 007, which is quite an accomplishment considering it was developed by a different company. It's a little better than Goldeneye in some ways, and a little worse in some ways. The multiplayer is still fun.
•Perfect Dark is a technical achievement...at times, too much of a technical achievement. There's so much going on with the architecture, weapons, reloading animations, textures, realtime light sources that can be shot, special effects like the CamSpy wide angle lens with scanlines, all the enemies on screen, the variety and smoothness of their animations when shot, all their voices, etc. that the framerate often suffers, which is a shame. It didn't bother me at the time though, that's how good the game is. It was worth putting up with back then. And of course the multiplayer is among the best ever.
•Star Wars Episode One Racer and Beetle Adventure Racing were solid. Nice visuals, decent enough framerates.
•Mario Kart 64, Cruis'n Exotica, Ridge Racer 64, Stunt Racer 64 are the best arcade racers on the N64. You could probably include the Snowboard Kids games too.
•Diddy Kong Racing- I prefer Mario Kart 64, but Diddy Kong Racing is a polished, well produced game. It's also a much deeper racing game than Mario Kart 64, which is what I don't like about it. With Mario Kart 64, I can turn it on, choose my tracks, and race. There's no adventure mode, boss battles, hidden keys, or silver coin challenges to get in the way. Some people prefer that level of depth though.
•1080 Snowboarding was stunning at the time. The graphics were a technical achievement- beautiful backgrounds, lens flares, different types of snow, the snowboard leaving a trail behind the player, clothing rippling in the wind when speeding downhill. And the various types of snow somehow felt realistic. Great soundtrack too. Nintendo nailed the whole vibe and feeling with this title. I found it addictive and played it until I unlocked all the difficulties and levels.
•I'm not into racing sims at all, but World Driver Championship and the F-1 World Grand Prix games were touted as being the best you can get on the N64. Try them and see for yourself.
•F-Zero X was fantastic. The most intense racing game I've ever played. 30 vehicles on screen at the same time, and running at a constant 60 frames per second.
•The two Extreme G games had some impressive graphical effects, but ugly art direction on the tracks and low framerates overall ruined what were supposed to be lightning fast racing games that required quick reflexes. Pass.
•Yoshi's Story was visually beautiful, but a shallow disappointment to all of us who were expecting a worthy follow up to Yoshi's Island on the SNES. Anyone who plays Yoshi's Story, do yourself a favor and press the L button on the controller to hide the on-screen fruit frame.
•Castlevania started out strong with the lightning strike jumpscare in the beginning causing the tree to fall down. What an effective and promising start to the game. The rest of the first level is ok and the boss battle was cool. Like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, the rest of the game never exceeded the mood and atmosphere of the first level. It's not a horrible game, just average. I expected more, especially since Super Castlevania IV on the SNES is one of my favorite games of all time, along with the first Castlevania on the NES.
•The Bomberman games were average too. Meh.
•Fun fact: Resident Evil 2 for N64 has an option for analog control, which for me was a huge improvement over the standard tank controls. To my knowledge, it's the only version of RE2 to feature an analog control option.
•Winback is solid if you commit to it and get a feel for the controls. Fun multiplayer too, once you learn the controls. It's not the best, most mind blowing game ever made, but it's solid.
•Mischief Makers- if you stick with it for a little while, it gets really good. One of my favorite games. There's variety and creativity in the levels as the game progresses, and most of the boss fights are cool, especially for someone who loved 1980s transforming robots growing up. Good mix of 2D and 3D graphics overall. Fun, quirky game. Give it a chance.
•Sin and Punishment gets really good further into the game too. These aren't games you can casually try out for a few minutes and make a snap judgement; you have to get a feel for the controls and gameplay and give the game time to start cooking. Things will click if you commit and give it a chance.
•Rayman 2 was a top tier non-Nintendo, non-Rare platformer. Beautiful visuals and fun, quirky game with variety in gameplay from level to level.
•Conker's Bad Fur Day- a technical marvel. I appreciate the variety and silliness Rare achieved. It's a fun, solid game but doesn't reach the magical heights of Super Mario 64.
•Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time- I was working at the video game store the day this came out. The line stretched out the door and down the hallway inside the mall. There was such major buzz for this game, and rightfully so. Such a beautiful game. Unbeatable atmosphere and emotion, great controls, a variety of items and game modes (horseback riding, fishing, swimming, sword fighting, archery, etc.), and gorgeous realtime lighting and graphical effects. And I loved the genius concept of revolving the game around music.
•The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask- I tried but couldn't get into this one. Ocarina's highs were so high for me, there was no way this follow up could live up to my expectations. And even though the graphics were improved in some ways, I found some of the art direction garish.
•Star Fox 64- another masterpiece. Beautiful visuals and solid framerate combined with addictive arcade style gameplay. I played the heck out of this one when it came out and was determined to earn medals on all the levels. I loved the team aspect of the game too- your team helping you out at times, and you having to help them out at times.
•Mortal Kombat 4- best fighting game on the system. Impressive graphics. 60 frames per second. Fun, silly game. I like that it never takes itself seriously. Other consoles have better fighting games, but on the N64, this was exponentially better than ClayFighter 63 1/3, Dark Rift, Dual Heroes, etc. etc.
•Mace: The Dark Age- I would've chosen this as the best fighting game on the system if the framerate were higher and more stable. It's a shame because the graphics are nice and there are some great characters and levels, but the framerate needed to be a bit higher.
20:28 best Mario Kart for racing, yes, I have to agree. 1, you have the vehicle variety, but also you have the Mario 64-esque open world with balloons collecting/etc. That's all awesome. Diddy Kong Racing wins.
But, for my money, the best Mario Kart experience is battle mode, and the best courses are on Mario Kart 64.
This is great. Please do this for EVERY OTHER SYSTEM EVER!
Frankie - That Shadows of the Empire menu music IS John Williams, it's on the extended Empire Strikes Back score. It was composed for the cut scene where the Wampa drags Luke back to it's cave. You can hear the very beginning of that cue in the film during the closeup of unconcious Luke being dragged before it hard cuts to an establishing shot of Echo Base.
I stand corrected. Maybe it just sounds like crap due to the low fidelity.
@@RedCowArcade Yeah the compression and short loops to fit the very limited storage space of N64 cartridges did the pre-recorded music no favors.
I could totally go for another reminiscing convo of you guys discussing the original NES, Gameboy, and SNES.
55:27 I recommend checking out the game Bakeru for switch/steam. It's by some of the main people who made Mystical Ninja and is a sort of successor. It's also by the devs who did Yoshi's Crafted World. On that note I agree, I played it with my young nephew and it was a great way to bond. Also, as EJ said, kids just like to play around in the game and not worry about objectives. I noticed that with my nephew for games like BotW and I almost forgot that I kind of used to be like that too
We are being spolied with the clips this week! Thanks guys!!
I loved Lylat wars as a kid. Im sure we had a Turok of some description. Oh and Perfect Dark, I remember loving being able to play as a girl.
Space Station Silicon Valley was my favorite N64 game. Very underrated game.
Oh great. That guys on again. I can’t freakin’ stand when that guys on.
Shadows Of The Empire was one of my fav games to "mess around in" back in the early N64 days after I discovered the debug mode that is accessible after starting a new game and entering your name as "Wampa_Stompa". There was all kinds of neat features and glitches, like giving you the jet pack earlier in the game and letting you clip through the walls and boundaries, plus you could even change your ship to a TIE Fighter in the final level if you wanted to. Wasted hours with the debug mode lol.
I hate one of these guys.
Do you want them to suffer?
Oooo the edit on this was fun 😊
Karl Jobst is a huge e-beggar....
My parents accidentally bought me mischief makers when I was a kid because they mixed it up with ocarina of time at the store. A sad birthday was had that year.
Also props to solar jet man playing on the arcade back there, one of my favorites.
Great stuff fellas! Also I know you guys were joking about it but I didn't think there was too much cross-talk with 4 of you there.
Frankie, you're correct, about Double Dash. Double Dash and Melee.
You know what N64 game I actually remember playing the most with my next door neighbors (it was theirs, but they'd actually haul it over to my apartment because idk. less noisy parents???)? Rampage World Tour. Sure, Mario Kart and Goldeneye were a thing, but Rampage was Rampage, maaaaan.
Dark Forces was the first Doom engine game that could look up and down
Since when did "Mario Sunshine sucks" go up for grabs? That game was universally loved when it came out.
It plays well, but where Mario 64 is happy to let you grab the stars you want and get the hell outta there - the progression in Sunshine locks you into having to play the first 7 missions of every stage in order to progress. And while a lot of them are fun, some of them are outright bullshit, watermelon contest being the one that sprung to mind when I was editing but there are others. The blue coins are also awful 😂
I think you've been living in a different universe than the rest of us.
@@TheParappa Sounds like it. I'm from Earth Prime so whenever I run into variants such as yourself it really weirds me out how different reality could have been.
Just watched Jason's 3DO video. It's very good. Never would have clicked on it, if it wasn't for this podcast!
I need more of these discussions in my life (needs more Junt though).
Yessssss! Can’t wait to watch this 🔥
The definitive N show??
Jesus forgot about that rumble pack promo. My friends used to say that all the time to each other “Pizza for.. Bob”
lol, she he talks about “the bad Star Wars music” he unknowingly shits on a song by John Williams which is actually used in the movie. If you’re going to talk about star wars games info, leave it to the pros.
Fun show either way!
Jason with the correct goldeneye opinion 🧍♂️
Starfox 64 (or Lylat Wars as it was called here in Europe) is still the best SF game, but I prefer the 3DS remake these days.
I've always enjoyed playing Zelda games, but with Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker I often felt like the world wasn't big so much as it was empty. Compared to the top down games like the Oracle series, the world felt compact, but inhabited. As a kid, Hyrule field was big, but that's about it. I didn't feel like traversing it because it was empty. A game like Shadow of the Colossus on the other hand makes its world huge and empty as a way to evoke isolation and loneliness.
It is funny to reconsider the legacy of the N64 as a nostalgia machine for a generation of gamers. Unless you were there, the impact is lost. I loved Jet Force Gemini or Conkers Bad Fur Day for multiplayer, but because the camera, 3d graphics, and controls have been improved a generation later its really hard to go back and enjoy. But it was a big part of my early friendships too because of the couch co-op. I had a playstation, so multiplayer was limited. N64 did a good job developing games that got people together.
slobathon!
Rush 2049 with the battle and stunt mode is easily top of the racers, basically a Vigilante 8 with wings
I loved the International Superstar Soccer series growing up. They were pretty big in Japan and Europe
I'm going to be singing Day-Tone-Ah a lot today.
Beetle Racing was one of those games that was more exciting at the time but is harder to appreciate now. I think part of it is you learn the shortcuts and secrets gradually and those make it more fun. But when you play as an adult is kind of like meh I could be playing MK64 or Diddy Kong Racing right now lol.
I feel like to enjoy the N64 games on Switch you 100% need the N64 controller. The games are just too specifically designed for that controller. All of those games play better with it imo.
Winback was cool back in the day! Not as a good as Metal Gear, but it felt like they were going for that spy vibe. It definitely is a product of its time with the janky aiming / cover system.
And Diddy Kong Racing is the best cart racer for sure on N64. Wave Race was fun as well! And Episode I Pod Racing is the ticket. Love Beetle Adventure Racing too. Hope they put it on NSO eventually. Love ya’ll content
Dude playing robotron 64 with 2 controllers.
Is one of the best experiences on the system. Oh and doom64. But as a whole I feel like the system is just blurry poop
THQ had the WCW license and WWF signed with them because they saw how well those games sold compared to the WWF games. WCW then left because they didn’t want to share a developer with a rival promotion and signed with EA and made crap games after that.
Oh gosh... Karl Jobst w/Lady Decade... that would be amazing.
Episode 1 Podracer is even better on the Dreamcast
Diddy Kong racing is easily top 5 on the N64.
They really need to remake that game (not the DS one) for switch or switch 2
It’s hard to appreciate the N64 unless you lived through them times.
Hydro Thunder is the definitive water racing game.
MISBEHAVE!!!!
Since you guys brought up Star Fox 64 and the Nintendo Power promo, I definitely recommend checking out the fan-made Star Fox Animated series, 'A Fox in Space'. Episode 2 has an entire interrogation scene parodying it.
The biggest missed opportunity for N64 was peripherals. No light gun, no steering wheel, no Nintendo gimmick hardware...it's shockingly barren as a platform. Star Fox is the only title that's still worth playing in 2024. Do a barrel roll.
Wrestlemania 2000 was my go to for n64 wrestling. It is the same exact game thou lol
Unpopular opinion: I think the N64 looks great but I've only ever played it on a CRT.
Double Dash is definitely the best Mario kart game!
Also Wipeout 2049 was a good Racer in that category
Frankie dismissed the excellent Beetle Adventure Racing way too quickly!
I played it some! It was fine
In my opinion, Mario Kart 64 was the definitive Mario Kart until Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came out. 👍🏻
Gauntlet Legends is great too
I keep hoping for an HD port of Ocarina of Time for the Switch or Switch 2.
Regarding mario kart.... 8 is the peak... 64 has the staple roster that matters...
Pokemon snap was the shiznet. Conkers multiplayer with bots I put so many hours into that back in the day
I jones for GoldenEye. I yearn.
I'm curious what Jason thinks of The World Is Not Enough on N64?
I wanna see you guys play No Mercy or any other AKI wrestling game lol
sunshine is my favorite mario game and my favorite gamecube game so what buddy
BANZAI!!!!!
Decent.
“Mario Party is better than a board game…” Disagree vehemently. I own about 260 board games, and they are ALL better than every Mario Party game.