@@n64glennplant Oh man. It was really dumb. I was trying to be off-beat. I think they realised that, but still proceeded to roast me. Anywho, it was something like: "What is Princess Peach's favourite fruit?" "Onions."
I actually loved Shadowgate 64 as a kid. However, once I got stuck at about halfway through, I ended up going to my local library to use their internet, look up a walkthrough and print out all damn near 200 pages... yes, I got in trouble 🤣
Great contribution Glenn! Thank you, I really appreciate your work. As an art designer in video games. I think that Shadowgate64 may be important in the future, for the development of new independent N64 games. Its mechanics, graphics, controls, and plot are totally simple and elementary. The SG64 developers understood the limitations and possibilities of the N64 and focused on an aspect that other companies neglected in those years, telling an intricate plot in the most engaging and simple way possible. Polygonal Hi5 from Argentina!
Here in Brazil we had our own nintendo magazine, named "nintendo world". The writters were great and the humor was of a tart wit. It made my youth playing n64 and reading about upcoming games. I miss those times.
Glenn thanks for making this enduring pandemic so much more bearable. Your approach to reviewing and discussing this period of gaming history is genuine and uplifting. So happy to have you back with regular videos. In Australia we had N64 Gamer (later Nintendo Gamer) which filled the same independent and irreverent niche as N64 magazine. The experiences you describe reading this magazine continues to resonate across the lands.
I have vivid memories of begging my late father to take me to best buy and drop $74.99 on Shadowgate 64. Miss you dad. I remember getting stuck on the water cube puzzle since Nintendo Power had multiple mis-prints about the solution.
God I miss this magazine. To me the reviews were secondary to the wit and personalities of the writers. Used to love seeing it in the car after school once a month on a Friday, and would read it cover-to-cover! Had a couple of letters published, though I won’t say which as they’re very cringe in retrospect! Also my parents had a clear-out and binned my collection!
Tbh, I enjoyed South Park Rally as a kid and replayed it a lot, though acknowledge its flaws and felt like it had some unnecessarily difficult completion criteria.
It was one of my first games. Didn't have a memory card so for a few weeks I would start off every game in that dang jail cell lol. Glenn is on point, music is a great soundtrack and I spent a lot of nights staying up half scared and half excited about what was coming next.
Yeah I found myself stuck a lot but luckily the year I had subscribed to Nintendo power one issue had a walkthrough for portions of it but also my father had internet since '94 so a bit after it came out i was able to find walkthroughs to help for the later parts
I remember a screenshot in N64 Gamer (if I remember correctly) of Shadowgate where you "gag on the greasy meat" They added a caption that read "your character works the streets for extra cash". Still makes me laugh.
I loved the N64 magazine when I was a kid, always looked forward to a new issue. The writing snd humor was very British in nature and always managed to make me laugh. Even to this day I can still rember a mock review of a game dubbed Bill Oddie Harvest by possibly Jez. And the random Ed comments in screen shots. Took Me an embrasingly long time to work out who 'Ed' was. The writers and editors seemed a decent bunch of guy and girls.
Bomberman 64 was incredible. I got it for Christmas '97 without even asking for it. Ended up collecting every single gold card, and trust me, you had to be OBSESSED with the game to accomplish that
I remember eventually renting MRC on a whim and I couldn't believe how harsh the N64 magazine review of 71% was, especially in the context of Top Gear Rally getting 86%. Yeah, MRC had only a few tracks, but aside from that everything about it was really fun I thought.
I had no idea what a big pile of garbage all the Acclaim wrestling games were until I played WWF SmackDown 1 for the Playstation. And that's also the problem with all those magazines: They can't jump back in time and fix their old ratings.
We had some whacky reviews on Brazilian game magazines as well! One of these magazines said that Donkey Kong 64 would become the "Banjo killer", big mistake haha! There were 2 big ones, Nintendo World and SuperGamePower, I remember sometimes even the cheat codes they gave were incorrect! Still, I used to love collecting these magazines. I'm really grateful for having my childhood during the n64 era of games, they weren't afraid of experimenting at all, and we've got some very creative games that never came back (Hybrid Heaven is one of my favorite n64 games). Great video as always Glenn!
Awesome re-review and re-evaluation of the "verdicts". As a German collector of both the UK SuperPLAY (SNES) & the UK N64 magazine I always felt that the staff was tooo critical on many games. Great examples of that shown here! I also remember the bashing of the "unimaginative" DKC2 in one article.
This isn't really related, but some years ago I was looking through gaming magazine scans, reading some UK Amiga game reviews out of curiosity (never owned an Amiga, but was curious), and looked up gameplay for the Amiga ports they gave glowing reviews, and they were largely absolutely terrible ports, not sure what they were smoking. I guess the point is to never take a single review from a publication as gospel, just as another datapoint.
I remember going to the arcade to play some Cruisin USA with my friends after studying at a pre-university academy. I loved that game. Cruisin USA is not about speed or slick performance, it's about the trip itself. Very much like Outrun, it's about enjoying the ride and watching the colorful landscapes. And I also love Shadowgate. That's why it was one of the first N64 cartridges I got when I started collecting for the console.
@@yellowblanka6058 I loved the voice at the beginning, it was something like " ..in the USA, yeeeeah!!!" I always thought it was the voice from David Lee Roth. And the GIF girl giving you the trophy at the finish hahaha, that game is the 90's from top to bottom.
My wife; What are you doing? Me: Watching some guy make overly detailed rebuttals for articles from a 25 year old magazine that even the authors have forgotten about. My wife: Oh...ok
My wife; How can you tell me to have a sort out of my clothes when in the bottom of the cupboard you have a load of crappy games mags!? Me; Would you rather it was porn? Wife; It would be less worrying!
I LOVE Bomberman 64. Both the adventure mode and multiplayer. I know not everyone had the same feelings, but It really clicked with me and my friends back then and we still fire it up for a few rounds every now and then.
Same! I always found the Adventure Mode to be really engaging, each level has a unique challenge to it. And the frenzy of dodging and lobbing bombs at friends is always great
Maybe not critical reception but the overall consensus labeling Castlevania 64 a bad game is disagreeable. Just a sidenote: I wish N64 had a bigger homebrew scene. 200+ games isn't enough. We're gonna run out of stuff!
Not sure why it got bashed so much, when plenty of classics from that time were just as janky- Tomb Raider, for instance. CV64 had some really nice atmosphere, between its graphical style and music/sound.
Interesting you mention ONM, I remember them re-reviewing Donkey Kong 64 after Microsoft had purchased Rare & calling it 'the most pointless collect-a-thon of all time' (this after their initial review score of 97%). I asked their editor on a web chat why they did this, & he refused to answer my question!
@@n64glennplant I just got annoyed because it felt like they were treating Rare like the ex-wife after they were bought by Microsoft. They actually put DK64 in a list of 'worst Christmas games of all time', & in their Banjo Pilot review asked sarcastically 'was Rare worth all the money you spent on them, Mr Gates?' I found the whole thing incredibly childish, & as Rare are my favourite games company of all time, it really turned me off the magazine.
As an aussie n64 boxed collector….finding a good condition shadowgate in the box with a G rating on it is super rare. I settled for a UK version but still payed all my pennies.
Hey Glenn, loved this video, I worship N64 mag, still have all of my copies and still read them when I'm bored with RetroGamer! When I was at school in the 90s I discovered Usenet forums around 1996 (this was well before I had an internet connection at home) and in a passionate discussion about the N64 I spotted the user "Wil.Overton" commenting - I private messaged him if he was The Wil Overton from N64 mag, and saying I adored it. It was, and he chatted and asked for my address in New Zealand, and about 3 weeks later a package turned up with a signed message from Wil, heaps of N64 magazine swag, and the two latest N64 mags (NZ got them 3 months behind the UK so I didnt have them yet). One of my most fondest gaming experiences!
Thank you for this video. I used to buy a Spanish translated version here in Panama, called Magazine64. Up to this point I had never heard anyone else talk about it and the only proof I have of it is a couple issues that have survived and my memories. This magazine truly was my compass when it came to recommendations and, specially, figuring out what the hell i was supposed to do in certain levels (and certain games) due to my limited English back then. And I have to agree, sometimes their reviews and scores were waaaaaay off the mark. Bomberman was one that I enjoyed a lot. They claimed in their first issue that they only gave scores to games that they had fully completed, but I doubt they actually 100%'d most of the titles.
@@n64glennplant thank you! I've only recently discovered your channel and I'm having a blast! One of the few channels that make me stop whatever I'm doing to actually look and listen 100% to the videos! The funny part about the M64 Spain translation is that sometimes the humour and certain comments made absolutely no sense when translated to Spanish
I finished Shadowgate 64 and can agree with the author's impression of the trial & error gameplay. There are plenty of unforeseen deaths that can lead to frustration, as well as that annoying music puzzle towards the end. On the other hand, there is that constant feeling of mystery and the grim tone of the castle. It's kind of refreshing to play a game with such a dense atmosphere on the N64. Nowadays where the classics are defined and well known to many gamers, you should take a look at the more unique games of the N64. Shadowgate 64 may be the perfect example and I really liked it.
I recalll Mystical Ninja 2 getting around 66% in N64 magazine which puzzled me at the time, as despite removing the free roaming elements of the prequel, was an overall improvement in other aspects.
When South Park Rally came out i played it for weeks and weeks trying to unlock all the characters. Its weird how people have such varying opinions, while i played sarges heroes and couldent get into it at all. Keep up the great work love seeing these reviews.
I love the originality of your videos. So many retro channels now just regurgitate Wikipedia articles whilst adding nothing new - Top Hat Gaming Man and DJ Slopes for example. You do marvellous work Glenn. Fair play.
This was the wild west of games journalism. No boundries between publishers and writing staff, bribes, parties, free games often conflicted with the integrity. This continues to this day, it was just way worse back then.
I do hold Shadowgate 64 in a special place. but honestly for the average gamer it has alot going against it. Along with the Castlevania franchise Metroid & Shadowgate are my forever favorites. For me personally, I would give Shadowgate 64 an 8/10. I find it relaxing.
I had a great fondness for cruisn USA having played it many times in Peter pans in Southend with my dad on a Saturday. A fun mindless arcade racer which probably deserved a 75% at least
I play arcade version of Cruis'n USA and N64 version and don't see any big difference. I really don't like N64 magazine writers because they shi* on so many good games just to look ''cool''
After watching your review, this, and some other reviews of Shadowgate 64, I decided to give it a try, and I'm quite hooked. I love the feel and atmosphere, there's so much mystery, it's awesome!
You have to keep these N64 Mag videos up, great to see. Especially the N64 issue by issue videos. Who knows it could lead to gaining the attention of the likes of Tim Weaver, Jes and Wil Overton to do video interviews, if they knew the interest out there.
oh many of the team have been in touch over the years - I think just a week ago even a lad who did work experience there got in touch. perhaps interviews would be interesting to have up on the channel
Yeah me too, I think because it was always billed to be arcade perfect for n64 and when it was released it wasn’t so didn’t live up to the hype and expectations but yeah way too harsh imo
Wow. I can't remember Attitude getting such a high score and I was a big N64 Mag fan. I'd be knocking 20 off that score at least. What a let down it was.
@@n64glennplant I remember quite vividly my feelings as Steve Austin trudged into the ring like a stroppy teenager to a crowd of about 20 sprites. So flat. Wrestlemania 2000 had so much personality. Blew it out the water.
Funny thing is all of the wrestlers that play tested Attitude hated it immediately. I remember seeing D'lo Brown and Edge play test WrestleMania 2000, and they were shitting on Attitude really hard once they got their hands on it and literally every single guy was commenting on how superior the animations of the moves was. Attitude also was massively delayed and didn't even represent the television product at all by the time it came out anywhere
A fellow Shadowgate 64 fan! This game is an absolute gem and any retro/N64 enthusiast should try it! It was a memorable experience for me and my sister. Also, I'm super impressed by Tarzan's graphics here! They look close to PS2 visuals imo. More N64 games should've tried this "cell-shading-like" look.
You're spot on with WWF Attitude. It was SO hyped up in magazines and based on all the things they added to it, it sure seemed like it was gonna be an amazing game. I remember being so stoked that it would have entrance music along with titantron video. Only to be let down once I finally played it for the 1st time in my friends basement. Realizing it was pretty much Warzone. WCW/NWO Revenge made up for all of it, still my fav 64 wrestling game!
Magazine's did this all the time. I remember EGM going on & on about how SF2 for the snes was arcade perfect and the closest arcade to home translation in history....... Then I got the game and was like ummmmm"
I can't help but feel like the Bomberman 64 piece didn't take into account the secret last area when calling the single player an afterthought. Meaning they didn't get all the gold cards, which is where some of the difficulty comes in the game. In my opinion at least.
THE most outrageous review from Nintendo Power is when they said Earthbound STINKS! They even added those smelly "scratch me" pages, making the magazine smell like a urinal 😩
I rented Shadowgate 64 back in the day (and much later bought it to play it again) and I loved it! Still do in fact... Just did a play through a couple of months ago. I completely agree with you on the music and environments, I think it's the best part of the game. The puzzles and needless items stumped me back in the day and never finished it, which frustrated me because I really enjoyed the game. Admittedly, I had to use a guide when I bought it later in a few areas. For instance, an obscure item hidden in the shadows that I kept overlooking that was needed to advance. But, boy, let me tell you the feeling when you were able to figure out certain puzzles on your own without help! :D Bottom line: This game requires you to think, read, and search carefully... not have your hand held. I believe that's why some people missed this great game. I'd give this game a cool 85%, only because I feel some of the puzzles were VERY obscure and I don't know if it was lost through translation in notes found (for instance), but sometimes I'd find myself just trying every item in my inventory until something happens when I was stumped.
I've just begun this game and read it's quite tricky at times. I'm going to try to not use a guide if it gets hard but I'm sure i'll need to haha. Is there an official strategy guide for this?
@@shredguitarob I don’t think they did make a guide… maybe a section in Nintendo magazine? I can be super tricky and downright cryptic at times, but I can’t help but love it! 😁
I played Shadowgate 64 just last year (having never played it before) and really enjoyed it. I had to use a guide for some bits as it’s definitely too cryptic at times, but I agree it more than makes up for it with its atmosphere and music. I loved the story too and all the books to read. I even found myself trying to find all the different ways you can die, just for fun 😀
I agree with the mag on Bomberman and Cruis'n USA. I haven't played some of the others. But this reminds me I need to play Army Men again. And Tarzan actually looks pretty good.
Its a strange feeling. Im Literally a super play fan boi since i was a child. I was never a fan of the direction the magazine took when it became n64 magazine. The newer trendy format with less of an anime influence, meant it stood out on the shelf a lot less than super play, which always featured a hand crafted cover of splendour. The amount of written content was shifted down in favour of large screenshots. Still loved the talent begind the magazine and ofc it was still the very best n64 centric magazine on the market, but future publishings own edge soon took the crown as the best magazine on the shelf.
You’d remember a lot of the super play team that moved on to n64 and then dropped off as the years went by and they grew older etc. Will Overton did some awesome covers when he was given the chance during the n64 era though
@@n64glennplant yeah….the magazine also shared some staff like editor Johnathan davies with amiga power too……watching your videos brings all this back up so many thanks 😄 i actually got into anime by ordering akira on vhs from super play….way before there was a market for it….or pokemon…and the snes to me is what it seems the n64 was too you. I remember seeing mario 64 for the first time shown at e3 and thinking “but how does he run around like that”. Ofc my brain was still working in 2d not understanding how an analogue controller would work.
Great video! As a big fan of point & click adventures games Shadowgate 64 is one of my favorite games on N64, but I played it just some years ago, didn't know it back then. Greetings from Germany!
@@n64glennplant I like many Point & Click-Adventures like Leisure Suit Larry (it's fantastic to have the new ones on Nintendo Switch), Monkey Island (Special Edition), Syberia, Sam & Max, Thimbleweed Park,... if I have to choose one it would be Gabriel Kngiht: The Beast within because I love the FMV and it's funny the story is based in Germany (Munich)
Agree that the Bomberman 64 review is a bit too critical, but I have fond memories of South Park Rally (and not just because I love show). I actually liked the mission variety, I found it a nice change for the kart racing genre.
@@n64glennplant I agree about not having time to get into a big RPG these days. I’ve watched reviews for Stick and But Whole and did buy the former last month for Switch, when it was on sale on the eshop (not that I’ve had time to fully get into it yet).
I genuinely loved South Park Rally so much 😭 debating whether or not I had embraced it’s flaws, or I genuinely just loved how the races were and how difficult the game was when most games I played felt so much more easy.
Back in the late 90s I had something similar. They just did not trash certain good games... but certain people. Bought a few PC gaming magazines and picked a new one because of the game on the disc they shipped with. The magazine itself turned out to be a lot of trash reviews. The whole magazine was filled with hate against certain parts of our country instead of legitimate criticism. Never bought a single issue ever again, even if the game on disc was cool. To make it more clear: Imagine buying a magazine that told you, that HOLY MAGIC CENTURY is so bad, that only Florida would have fun playing it. It was similar to that.
I loved Sarge’s Heroes as a kid. Whenever I had friends over I’d always play the multiplayer with them and have fun melting them with the flame thrower. To this day it’s the only game I’ve played that had a strong flame thrower. Damn that campaign took me ages though.
I remember NBA Hangtime getting 52% back in the day despite being a virtually arcade-perfect port of what was essentially NBA Jam's very fun sequel and a great early multiplayer title. It's made even funnier when you consider they gave NBA Jam '99 and NBA Jam 2000 scores in the 80's, while those games had nothing to do with the original games and did nothing to stand out from other basketball games at the time. As a reminder, NBA Courtside was already out for months when NBA Jam '99 released. I also think Rayman 2 deserved better than the 73% and being called "another below-par Mario clone" and they may have been a bit too generous with the Fighter's Destiny games comparing them to Tekken haha (unless they were talking about the first Tekken; that one was ROUGH).
NBA Hangtime literally deserved a 90% and was buried for not using the "3D capabilities of the Nintendo 64"......nobody who reviewed this game in magazines gave it a proper review. It was near arcade perfect, plus added the 1996 draft class. Should have gotten great reviews, but it got buried for not being Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey. I had both games very early in the N64 lifespan and me and my friends absolutely loved them
Glenn man, I absolutely love this channel. I'm trying to go through everything you've done and it's just top tier N64 content and I'm glad you love wrestling of the era as much as I do! I know you've got the Ultra HDMI mod but I'd like to know if you've tried any of the retrotink products with the N64? All the best and keep up the great work.
I remember really loving shadowgate 64 and renting it from my local movie rental/ ice cream shop. I wish I could have owned it as a kid. Exploring a medieval 3-D world was pretty exciting to me at the time. Like you said I don’t think you will fix anything like it on N64 and it was my first point and click “shadowgate” style game.
Wow, he was dead WRONG about Cruisin. Me and my buddy used to play this and the world version all the time. Those matches got pretty intense actually...
Cruising USA will always have massive nostalgia value for me, but having revisited the ps1 racing library earlier this year...I have to agree with the reviewer.
Honestly I can't recall any particular scores in N64 that were massively off, but as you point out at the end... the official magazine, which I only picked up occasionally, was useless at genuine reviews.
I still think that most N64 magazines gave Quake and Doom 64 unfair reviews. And they were way too lenient on Turok 3 (this coming from someone who ranks Turok 1+2 + Rage Wars as superb games) Also, Castlevania 64 gets way too much hate right now. I think it has a lot to offer, is really original, and despite its flaws, I remember having an absolute blast with it back in the day. Seems like people are just jumping on the current bandwagon of hating on it.
I always thought they were very harsh on Mystical Ninja 2. I reckon because it was 2D rather than 3D, they scored it lower. I also think Banjo-Tooie deserved to be a star game but wasn’t. I also bought V Rally based on their stellar review and utterly hated it
yeah I mentioned below to someone else who mentioned it that It was close to being on this list but the article they wrote was actually a proper review and made sense based on the reviewers opinion - just not the same opinion I have
Two games I bought on the basis of good reviews in N64 Magazine were Body Harvest and Shadowman 64, both of which I found not to my liking at all, but many people love them. I found them so blurry and murky to look and the controls slow and clunky that I just couldn't get engaged in their game worlds.
Cruis'n USA is one of the most definitive racing games of the 90's. It is easily my favorite series from Eugene Jarvis. The N64 port deserves no less than a 75%. I only wish the draw distance was a bit farther from view.
In all honesty most magazines in the mid to late 90s were really harsh on any game that was 2D and used sprites after a while and considered them not good enough to be on many systems since they didn't push the hardware enough. With a few exception of course but the main narative was that no one was really interested in traditional 2D games after about 1996 anymore. Looking back it is many of those games that hold up so much better not just in how they play but how they look even on modern TVs. I missed out on several years worth of great fighting games because many magazines lead me to believe those games weren't as good as the more hardware pushing 3D ones.
Thank you for uploading this. Great video. I was a big fan of N64 magazine and i was very lucky to collect every single issue of the magazine too. It was hard work to get all of them haha 😂 The reviews for majority of the games were great, but some were controversial in my opinion 😮💨
Back when I first got Shadowgate 64, I didn't like it really much because I basically expected every N64 Game to be as good as Zelda. Now, it really has a special place in my heart and I love its design abd atmosphere. I even love its sub-par graphics and think they enhance the experience. For years I wanted a remake of this game, and I would still play it, but having replayed SG64 recently, I think its perfect the way it is. But you might wanna look into a guide from time to time.
I purchased almost all of N64 magazines. The ones that come straight to my mind are Turok 2 (good game but waaayy too high 95% if I remeber? - they actually finished saying it was better than Goldeneye!! 2-1 to Acclaim then Rare!), Gauntlet Legends (fantastic game and best home port - too low) and Extreme-G (good score but still too low).
@@n64glennplant no I took it from Final Fantasy IV on the SNES where it originally came from. It was one of those nostalgic gaming moments for me as a kid when we met him on the moon. My mate had a Super Famicom from Hong Kong with a 3.5" disc machine on the top so we could play USA/Jpn games on it. You can imagine how impressed I was years later when the "Ask FuSoYa" page was created by the mag!
Cool idea for a video Glenn! Have you ever thought about doing something similar for IGN or Gamespot reviews of N64 games? Would love to hear your thoughts, especially Gamespot's reviews of Diddy Kong Racing and Mario Kart 64
yeah maybe one day, have such a long list of ideas written down im trying to work through them to mix things up rather than hashing out similar videos one after another in quick succession
@@n64glennplant I'll definitely try it again if I can though, I absolutely loved the atmosphere and reading the lore in the books, it was a very enjoyable experience even with the limitations of the time
people say kane and lynch 2 is a terrible game, and i agree with all their points. ive beat it several times at this point and really still enjoy it a lot
I agree cruisn usa tends to get way more hate than it deserves. I've only played shadowgate a bit but yeah it's very atmospheric and I want to play through it soon I actually have one of the songs on my mp3 player
I actually got a copy of Shadowgate 64 after watching your video. I really enjoyed the game, but have to agree that the 'items that do nothing' was a letdown. I also think the ending is crazy abrupt. I know there was another n64 Shadowgate game planned that never came to be, but I wish the developers had focused all their efforts in making 'Four Towers' that much more polished and expansive. Still, as is, I'd say Shadowgate 64 is a solid 75% - 80%.
Back then, we had a lot of fun with south Park rally (especially at the Multi Player). The Game was fun to Play, Good graphics and a lot of south Park stuff. Not a 88, but really a 70% Game.
Yeah I remember Bomberman 64 had some harsh reviews back in the day. Here in the US Bomberman Hero was also disliked by most outlets, most of all second attack was given as low as 4/10 and even 2/10 by some professional reviews at the time mostly because it came out late in the N64 lifespan when PS2 and the next gen was starting. You'd think it would be a broken and offensively bad game based on those reviews. I mean it's not perfect by any means but I have a good laugh at those reviews now since they're so ridiculous.
I remember reading N64 Magazine in Australia [I did know it was an import mag as a kid], such fond memories. I don't remember if I had a different opinion to their critiques at all, jus that some of the more complex games they praised I was prob a bit too young to play. I've not played South Park Rally, still haven't, and just kept that 88 rating in the back of my head.
Glenn I just have to say, never stop! You’re a gem in a youtube sea of ‘hey what’s going on hit that like and sub and notification bell!’ Shit 😂 Also been rewatching some of your older videos, helping inspire me to do some stuff soon!
Nothing is surer to make me NOT subscribe than some idiotic "hey, like and hit up that subscribe bell!" idiocy. Hey - how about you create compelling content and I'll like and subscribe? Begging before the video even starts is not a good look.
N64 Magazine once printed a joke I sent it. I've never felt more famous.
We need to hear that joke!
@@n64glennplant Oh man. It was really dumb. I was trying to be off-beat. I think they realised that, but still proceeded to roast me. Anywho, it was something like:
"What is Princess Peach's favourite fruit?"
"Onions."
I actually loved Shadowgate 64 as a kid. However, once I got stuck at about halfway through, I ended up going to my local library to use their internet, look up a walkthrough and print out all damn near 200 pages... yes, I got in trouble 🤣
haha OMG I get they got so annoyed at that
I used to use my local library for game research all the time! Rode my bike down, it was a great way to spend an afternoon as a kid.
Great contribution Glenn! Thank you, I really appreciate your work. As an art designer in video games. I think that Shadowgate64 may be important in the future, for the development of new independent N64 games. Its mechanics, graphics, controls, and plot are totally simple and elementary. The SG64 developers understood the limitations and possibilities of the N64 and focused on an aspect that other companies neglected in those years, telling an intricate plot in the most engaging and simple way possible. Polygonal Hi5 from Argentina!
I’m glad that you too can see the great aspects of SG64!
Bomberman 64 was the first game I bought for the N64, and I really enjoyed it.
Even now it’s quite a fun game I think
Here in Brazil we had our own nintendo magazine, named "nintendo world". The writters were great and the humor was of a tart wit. It made my youth playing n64 and reading about upcoming games. I miss those times.
There’s lots of cool Brazilian n64 fans here too 😃
I was more of a “Ação Games” reader, but man, those were the times…
Tenho uma pilha de Nintendo World aqui até hoje
Glenn thanks for making this enduring pandemic so much more bearable. Your approach to reviewing and discussing this period of gaming history is genuine and uplifting. So happy to have you back with regular videos.
In Australia we had N64 Gamer (later Nintendo Gamer) which filled the same independent and irreverent niche as N64 magazine. The experiences you describe reading this magazine continues to resonate across the lands.
Thanks Richard, thankfully our lockdowns this part of the world are over but man do they absolutely mess with your head right!
I feel for you in Australia. They’ve gone way overboard.
I have vivid memories of begging my late father to take me to best buy and drop $74.99 on Shadowgate 64. Miss you dad. I remember getting stuck on the water cube puzzle since Nintendo Power had multiple mis-prints about the solution.
Oh man that must have been frustrating as hell!
I agree with the reviewers about Cruisin USA. Driving mechanics and crashes feel really bad. The game just feels empty.
Yeah but that’s part of what I enjoy for a strange reason
@@n64glennplant It's good as long as you enjoy it :)
The Bomberman soundtrack…oh my, so much nostalgia. Renting games for the weekend…those were THE mornings…
Pure class OST
@@n64glennplant hell yeah!
Yep. Massive nostalgia.
God I miss this magazine. To me the reviews were secondary to the wit and personalities of the writers. Used to love seeing it in the car after school once a month on a Friday, and would read it cover-to-cover!
Had a couple of letters published, though I won’t say which as they’re very cringe in retrospect!
Also my parents had a clear-out and binned my collection!
Haha now you’ve got to say! Cringe at ones teen self is the funnest memories!
Tbh, I enjoyed South Park Rally as a kid and replayed it a lot, though acknowledge its flaws and felt like it had some unnecessarily difficult completion criteria.
Yeah some of the “modes” were also just too much
I remember renting Shadowgate 64 all the time growing up, but I never beat it. Always got stuck and had no idea what to do.
It’s probably more suited to older gamers I think
Even as a fifteen year old gamer, I still got stuck, lol. I had to use a strategy guide.
@@n64glennplant Most definitely. I struggled with the game as a kid and never got far.
It was one of my first games. Didn't have a memory card so for a few weeks I would start off every game in that dang jail cell lol. Glenn is on point, music is a great soundtrack and I spent a lot of nights staying up half scared and half excited about what was coming next.
Yeah I found myself stuck a lot but luckily the year I had subscribed to Nintendo power one issue had a walkthrough for portions of it but also my father had internet since '94 so a bit after it came out i was able to find walkthroughs to help for the later parts
I remember a screenshot in N64 Gamer (if I remember correctly) of Shadowgate where you "gag on the greasy meat"
They added a caption that read "your character works the streets for extra cash". Still makes me laugh.
Haha those are hilarious comments!
80-90's UK magazines were great and funny... but yeah the reviews always suspicious, paid or for ads, or for laughs.
I loved the N64 magazine when I was a kid, always looked forward to a new issue. The writing snd humor was very British in nature and always managed to make me laugh. Even to this day I can still rember a mock review of a game dubbed Bill Oddie Harvest by possibly Jez.
And the random Ed comments in screen shots. Took Me an embrasingly long time to work out who 'Ed' was.
The writers and editors seemed a decent bunch of guy and girls.
Bomberman 64 was incredible. I got it for Christmas '97 without even asking for it. Ended up collecting every single gold card, and trust me, you had to be OBSESSED with the game to accomplish that
Great channel Glenn! Listening to you talking all things N64 is pure nostalgia.
Thanks tucky!
I remember eventually renting MRC on a whim and I couldn't believe how harsh the N64 magazine review of 71% was, especially in the context of Top Gear Rally getting 86%. Yeah, MRC had only a few tracks, but aside from that everything about it was really fun I thought.
I have to say...I was more a TGR guy. I spent waaaay too long in the livery editor. WRC finally have it in '21 but Boss had it in '97. Just sayin. 😄
I had no idea what a big pile of garbage all the Acclaim wrestling games were until I played WWF SmackDown 1 for the Playstation.
And that's also the problem with all those magazines: They can't jump back in time and fix their old ratings.
But n64 magazine would tweak their ratings that’s the thing! As time went by they would adjust although not massively
We had some whacky reviews on Brazilian game magazines as well! One of these magazines said that Donkey Kong 64 would become the "Banjo killer", big mistake haha! There were 2 big ones, Nintendo World and SuperGamePower, I remember sometimes even the cheat codes they gave were incorrect! Still, I used to love collecting these magazines. I'm really grateful for having my childhood during the n64 era of games, they weren't afraid of experimenting at all, and we've got some very creative games that never came back (Hybrid Heaven is one of my favorite n64 games). Great video as always Glenn!
Glenn your channel is a sight for sore nostalgic hearts! Please, keep going! You rock!
Thanks dale I appreciate that
Awesome re-review and re-evaluation of the "verdicts". As a German collector of both the UK SuperPLAY (SNES) & the UK N64 magazine I always felt that the staff was tooo critical on many games.
Great examples of that shown here! I also remember the bashing of the "unimaginative" DKC2 in one article.
I know right - dk2 was my fav!
This isn't really related, but some years ago I was looking through gaming magazine scans, reading some UK Amiga game reviews out of curiosity (never owned an Amiga, but was curious), and looked up gameplay for the Amiga ports they gave glowing reviews, and they were largely absolutely terrible ports, not sure what they were smoking. I guess the point is to never take a single review from a publication as gospel, just as another datapoint.
I remember going to the arcade to play some Cruisin USA with my friends after studying at a pre-university academy. I loved that game. Cruisin USA is not about speed or slick performance, it's about the trip itself. Very much like Outrun, it's about enjoying the ride and watching the colorful landscapes. And I also love Shadowgate. That's why it was one of the first N64 cartridges I got when I started collecting for the console.
I think everyone’s either an outrun or cruisn fan - I’m in the cruisn category myself
To be fair, it did perform well in the arcade, the performance issues came in porting the arcade game to the N64.
@@yellowblanka6058 I loved the voice at the beginning, it was something like "
..in the USA, yeeeeah!!!" I always thought it was the voice from David Lee Roth. And the GIF girl giving you the trophy at the finish hahaha, that game is the 90's from top to bottom.
@@stonerdemon That girl has an "interesting" filmography on IMDB.
@@yellowblanka6058 Really? Hahaha what's her name? I'll do some research!
My wife; What are you doing?
Me: Watching some guy make overly detailed rebuttals for articles from a 25 year old magazine that even the authors have forgotten about.
My wife: Oh...ok
Sounds like a happy marriage to me 😂
My wife; How can you tell me to have a sort out of my clothes when in the bottom of the cupboard you have a load of crappy games mags!?
Me; Would you rather it was porn?
Wife; It would be less worrying!
Bomberman 64 is another favorite, definitely 80's for me. I wish there were more puzzle games like it.
Yeah and I know many people weren’t too happy they went more platform style than puzzle despite the next n64 games still being awesome
I LOVE Bomberman 64. Both the adventure mode and multiplayer. I know not everyone had the same feelings, but It really clicked with me and my friends back then and we still fire it up for a few rounds every now and then.
You didn’t mention…..THE MUSIC!!!!
Same! I always found the Adventure Mode to be really engaging, each level has a unique challenge to it. And the frenzy of dodging and lobbing bombs at friends is always great
Maybe not critical reception but the overall consensus labeling Castlevania 64 a bad game is disagreeable.
Just a sidenote: I wish N64 had a bigger homebrew scene. 200+ games isn't enough. We're gonna run out of stuff!
It’s getting much better but the translation scene is getting very hot
Not sure why it got bashed so much, when plenty of classics from that time were just as janky- Tomb Raider, for instance.
CV64 had some really nice atmosphere, between its graphical style and music/sound.
Interesting you mention ONM, I remember them re-reviewing Donkey Kong 64 after Microsoft had purchased Rare & calling it 'the most pointless collect-a-thon of all time' (this after their initial review score of 97%). I asked their editor on a web chat why they did this, & he refused to answer my question!
Lmao that’s hilarious!!!! They also had an issue with conker remember when they found out it was going to be 18 and started boycotting coverage.
@@n64glennplant I just got annoyed because it felt like they were treating Rare like the ex-wife after they were bought by Microsoft. They actually put DK64 in a list of 'worst Christmas games of all time', & in their Banjo Pilot review asked sarcastically 'was Rare worth all the money you spent on them, Mr Gates?'
I found the whole thing incredibly childish, & as Rare are my favourite games company of all time, it really turned me off the magazine.
I used to own so many of these magazines I really miss getting them every month as a kid thanks for the memories mate
You should get a sub to retro gamer….not quite the same but still a lovely mag
As an aussie n64 boxed collector….finding a good condition shadowgate in the box with a G rating on it is super rare. I settled for a UK version but still payed all my pennies.
Yeah I know right! The pal English language Uk version is like gold dust
Hey Glenn, loved this video, I worship N64 mag, still have all of my copies and still read them when I'm bored with RetroGamer! When I was at school in the 90s I discovered Usenet forums around 1996 (this was well before I had an internet connection at home) and in a passionate discussion about the N64 I spotted the user "Wil.Overton" commenting - I private messaged him if he was The Wil Overton from N64 mag, and saying I adored it. It was, and he chatted and asked for my address in New Zealand, and about 3 weeks later a package turned up with a signed message from Wil, heaps of N64 magazine swag, and the two latest N64 mags (NZ got them 3 months behind the UK so I didnt have them yet). One of my most fondest gaming experiences!
Thank you for this video. I used to buy a Spanish translated version here in Panama, called Magazine64. Up to this point I had never heard anyone else talk about it and the only proof I have of it is a couple issues that have survived and my memories.
This magazine truly was my compass when it came to recommendations and, specially, figuring out what the hell i was supposed to do in certain levels (and certain games) due to my limited English back then. And I have to agree, sometimes their reviews and scores were waaaaaay off the mark. Bomberman was one that I enjoyed a lot.
They claimed in their first issue that they only gave scores to games that they had fully completed, but I doubt they actually 100%'d most of the titles.
Check out n64 magazine time capsule episodes ✌️
@@n64glennplant thank you! I've only recently discovered your channel and I'm having a blast! One of the few channels that make me stop whatever I'm doing to actually look and listen 100% to the videos! The funny part about the M64 Spain translation is that sometimes the humour and certain comments made absolutely no sense when translated to Spanish
@@archphaeton2632 haha yeah I can imagine - the writers all have a very British sense of humour
I finished Shadowgate 64 and can agree with the author's impression of the trial & error gameplay. There are plenty of unforeseen deaths that can lead to frustration, as well as that annoying music puzzle towards the end. On the other hand, there is that constant feeling of mystery and the grim tone of the castle. It's kind of refreshing to play a game with such a dense atmosphere on the N64. Nowadays where the classics are defined and well known to many gamers, you should take a look at the more unique games of the N64. Shadowgate 64 may be the perfect example and I really liked it.
I recalll Mystical Ninja 2 getting around 66% in N64 magazine which puzzled me at the time, as despite removing the free roaming elements of the prequel, was an overall improvement in other aspects.
That very nearly made the list believe it or not
@@n64glennplant both games are amazing
When South Park Rally came out i played it for weeks and weeks trying to unlock all the characters. Its weird how people have such varying opinions, while i played sarges heroes and couldent get into it at all. Keep up the great work love seeing these reviews.
Yeah I guess unlocking all characters was a draw to add some longevity as they did manage to pack loads in!
I love the originality of your videos. So many retro channels now just regurgitate Wikipedia articles whilst adding nothing new - Top Hat Gaming Man and DJ Slopes for example. You do marvellous work Glenn. Fair play.
Thank you 🙇♂️ I try to do the type of things I’d like to watch and it’s always enjoyable when people seem to dig what I do here
@@n64glennplant You’re a class act. Watching you for years.
UA-cam is pretty bad now but you’re still knocking it out of the park.
This was the wild west of games journalism. No boundries between publishers and writing staff, bribes, parties, free games often conflicted with the integrity. This continues to this day, it was just way worse back then.
I do hold Shadowgate 64 in a special place. but honestly for the average gamer it has alot going against it.
Along with the Castlevania franchise Metroid & Shadowgate are my forever favorites. For me personally, I would give Shadowgate 64 an 8/10. I find it relaxing.
It’s like blue cheese I think, to those that love it they love it, but to many others it’s a bit strange
I had a great fondness for cruisn USA having played it many times in Peter pans in Southend with my dad on a Saturday. A fun mindless arcade racer which probably deserved a 75% at least
the good old days hey! I agree, for pure relaxation its worth a better rating than they gave it here
Yeah, their scores for all the Cruis'in games never sat right with me. Even though I never got to play any of them until twenty years later.
Yeah seemed way overly critical hey
I just wanted to throw a shout out to REDIAL from Bomberman Hero playing in the intro. Also glad you're posting videos again, missed your content.
That’s a banger of a tune right
I play arcade version of Cruis'n USA and N64 version and don't see any big difference. I really don't like N64 magazine writers because they shi* on so many good games just to look ''cool''
It's so good to have you posting regularly again! Thank you for another top video.
Thank you 🙏🏼
After watching your review, this, and some other reviews of Shadowgate 64, I decided to give it a try, and I'm quite hooked. I love the feel and atmosphere, there's so much mystery, it's awesome!
Glad I could help!
Always love to see videos by you Glenn! Brings a smile to my face every time I see one.
Thank you so much, glad people enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them
You have to keep these N64 Mag videos up, great to see. Especially the N64 issue by issue videos. Who knows it could lead to gaining the attention of the likes of Tim Weaver, Jes and Wil Overton to do video interviews, if they knew the interest out there.
oh many of the team have been in touch over the years - I think just a week ago even a lad who did work experience there got in touch. perhaps interviews would be interesting to have up on the channel
@@n64glennplant Have you ever contributed yourself to the magazine, whether it be the I'm the Best section to the users How To guides?
No but I would often be able to beat many of the I’m the best scores just never went to the effort to prove it etc
@@n64glennplant I was a contributor to both, was proud of my How To section as well 😁
Some great content Glenn, I enjoyed crusin USA. Shocked how harsh the team at N64 mag went on it. It's not perfect but it's it's fun
Yeah me too, I think because it was always billed to be arcade perfect for n64 and when it was released it wasn’t so didn’t live up to the hype and expectations but yeah way too harsh imo
Wow. I can't remember Attitude getting such a high score and I was a big N64 Mag fan. I'd be knocking 20 off that score at least. What a let down it was.
Tell me about it, after 1 day I was like well this wasn’t worth the wait
@@n64glennplant I remember quite vividly my feelings as Steve Austin trudged into the ring like a stroppy teenager to a crowd of about 20 sprites. So flat. Wrestlemania 2000 had so much personality. Blew it out the water.
Funny thing is all of the wrestlers that play tested Attitude hated it immediately. I remember seeing D'lo Brown and Edge play test WrestleMania 2000, and they were shitting on Attitude really hard once they got their hands on it and literally every single guy was commenting on how superior the animations of the moves was.
Attitude also was massively delayed and didn't even represent the television product at all by the time it came out anywhere
@@n64glennplant Sometimes you mistakenly call the game 'WWf Warzone' instead of WWF Attitude.
@@troywright359 c’est la vie 🇫🇷
A fellow Shadowgate 64 fan! This game is an absolute gem and any retro/N64 enthusiast should try it! It was a memorable experience for me and my sister.
Also, I'm super impressed by Tarzan's graphics here! They look close to PS2 visuals imo. More N64 games should've tried this "cell-shading-like" look.
Let me catch someone trash talking Cruisin' USA IRL. I'll tear the whole room up. 😂 It's where I started my love for racing games.
Haha it’s a great one!
You're spot on with WWF Attitude. It was SO hyped up in magazines and based on all the things they added to it, it sure seemed like it was gonna be an amazing game. I remember being so stoked that it would have entrance music along with titantron video. Only to be let down once I finally played it for the 1st time in my friends basement. Realizing it was pretty much Warzone. WCW/NWO Revenge made up for all of it, still my fav 64 wrestling game!
Magazine's did this all the time.
I remember EGM going on & on about how SF2 for the snes was arcade perfect and the closest arcade to home translation in history.......
Then I got the game and was like ummmmm"
I think Dark Mark was taking over when that South Park Rally review was being written...
Or the 🌱 🚬 ‘s 😂
My favorite gaming magazine growing up was Electronic Gaming Monthly.
I can't help but feel like the Bomberman 64 piece didn't take into account the secret last area when calling the single player an afterthought. Meaning they didn't get all the gold cards, which is where some of the difficulty comes in the game. In my opinion at least.
THE most outrageous review from Nintendo Power is when they said Earthbound STINKS! They even added those smelly "scratch me" pages, making the magazine smell like a urinal 😩
I rented Shadowgate 64 back in the day (and much later bought it to play it again) and I loved it! Still do in fact... Just did a play through a couple of months ago. I completely agree with you on the music and environments, I think it's the best part of the game. The puzzles and needless items stumped me back in the day and never finished it, which frustrated me because I really enjoyed the game.
Admittedly, I had to use a guide when I bought it later in a few areas. For instance, an obscure item hidden in the shadows that I kept overlooking that was needed to advance. But, boy, let me tell you the feeling when you were able to figure out certain puzzles on your own without help! :D
Bottom line: This game requires you to think, read, and search carefully... not have your hand held. I believe that's why some people missed this great game. I'd give this game a cool 85%, only because I feel some of the puzzles were VERY obscure and I don't know if it was lost through translation in notes found (for instance), but sometimes I'd find myself just trying every item in my inventory until something happens when I was stumped.
I've just begun this game and read it's quite tricky at times. I'm going to try to not use a guide if it gets hard but I'm sure i'll need to haha.
Is there an official strategy guide for this?
@@shredguitarob
I don’t think they did make a guide… maybe a section in Nintendo magazine? I can be super tricky and downright cryptic at times, but I can’t help but love it! 😁
I played Shadowgate 64 just last year (having never played it before) and really enjoyed it. I had to use a guide for some bits as it’s definitely too cryptic at times, but I agree it more than makes up for it with its atmosphere and music. I loved the story too and all the books to read.
I even found myself trying to find all the different ways you can die, just for fun 😀
I agree with the mag on Bomberman and Cruis'n USA. I haven't played some of the others. But this reminds me I need to play Army Men again. And Tarzan actually looks pretty good.
Tarzans worth a play I think, solid platformer imo
Its a strange feeling.
Im Literally a super play fan boi since i was a child.
I was never a fan of the direction the magazine took when it became n64 magazine. The newer trendy format with less of an anime influence, meant it stood out on the shelf a lot less than super play, which always featured a hand crafted cover of splendour. The amount of written content was shifted down in favour of large screenshots. Still loved the talent begind the magazine and ofc it was still the very best n64 centric magazine on the market, but future publishings own edge soon took the crown as the best magazine on the shelf.
You’d remember a lot of the super play team that moved on to n64 and then dropped off as the years went by and they grew older etc. Will Overton did some awesome covers when he was given the chance during the n64 era though
@@n64glennplant yeah….the magazine also shared some staff like editor Johnathan davies with amiga power too……watching your videos brings all this back up so many thanks 😄
i actually got into anime by ordering akira on vhs from super play….way before there was a market for it….or pokemon…and the snes to me is what it seems the n64 was too you.
I remember seeing mario 64 for the first time shown at e3 and thinking “but how does he run around like that”. Ofc my brain was still working in 2d not understanding how an analogue controller would work.
Really enjoying these timecapsule videos.
Thanks commander! Appreciate the positivity
Great video! As a big fan of point & click adventures games Shadowgate 64 is one of my favorite games on N64, but I played it just some years ago, didn't know it back then. Greetings from Germany!
What’s your fav point n click game?
@@n64glennplant I like many Point & Click-Adventures like Leisure Suit Larry (it's fantastic to have the new ones on Nintendo Switch), Monkey Island (Special Edition), Syberia, Sam & Max, Thimbleweed Park,... if I have to choose one it would be Gabriel Kngiht: The Beast within because I love the FMV and it's funny the story is based in Germany (Munich)
@@peterschuhmann3758 I really like broken sword and flight of the Amazon queen 🙂
@@n64glennplant Oh yes, I had Flight of the Amazon Queen on 3,5" floppy disk. The Wii Version of Broken Sword was very nice!
Agree that the Bomberman 64 review is a bit too critical, but I have fond memories of South Park Rally (and not just because I love show). I actually liked the mission variety, I found it a nice change for the kart racing genre.
See I like the show but that generation of SP games were all terrible imho. I should try the new ones but don’t have time to get into a big rpg
@@n64glennplant I agree about not having time to get into a big RPG these days. I’ve watched reviews for Stick and But Whole and did buy the former last month for Switch, when it was on sale on the eshop (not that I’ve had time to fully get into it yet).
I genuinely loved South Park Rally so much 😭 debating whether or not I had embraced it’s flaws, or I genuinely just loved how the races were and how difficult the game was when most games I played felt so much more easy.
Back in the late 90s I had something similar. They just did not trash certain good games... but certain people. Bought a few PC gaming magazines and picked a new one because of the game on the disc they shipped with. The magazine itself turned out to be a lot of trash reviews. The whole magazine was filled with hate against certain parts of our country instead of legitimate criticism. Never bought a single issue ever again, even if the game on disc was cool.
To make it more clear: Imagine buying a magazine that told you, that HOLY MAGIC CENTURY is so bad, that only Florida would have fun playing it. It was similar to that.
Shadowgate 64 is probably my favorite game in the system. It’s the reason I decided to buy a N64 recently.
It’s certainly one of the lesser spoken about titles, i for one really enjoyed its atmosphere
@@n64glennplant I’ve always been a massive fan of the series. The 64 version just made it feel far more alive.
I loved Sarge’s Heroes as a kid. Whenever I had friends over I’d always play the multiplayer with them and have fun melting them with the flame thrower. To this day it’s the only game I’ve played that had a strong flame thrower. Damn that campaign took me ages though.
Yeah that was an awesome game right
It was a pretty unpolished and clunky game but that multiplayer was amazing. Me and my friends put hundreds of hours into it
I remember NBA Hangtime getting 52% back in the day despite being a virtually arcade-perfect port of what was essentially NBA Jam's very fun sequel and a great early multiplayer title. It's made even funnier when you consider they gave NBA Jam '99 and NBA Jam 2000 scores in the 80's, while those games had nothing to do with the original games and did nothing to stand out from other basketball games at the time. As a reminder, NBA Courtside was already out for months when NBA Jam '99 released.
I also think Rayman 2 deserved better than the 73% and being called "another below-par Mario clone" and they may have been a bit too generous with the Fighter's Destiny games comparing them to Tekken haha (unless they were talking about the first Tekken; that one was ROUGH).
NBA Hangtime literally deserved a 90% and was buried for not using the "3D capabilities of the Nintendo 64"......nobody who reviewed this game in magazines gave it a proper review. It was near arcade perfect, plus added the 1996 draft class. Should have gotten great reviews, but it got buried for not being Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey. I had both games very early in the N64 lifespan and me and my friends absolutely loved them
Glenn man, I absolutely love this channel. I'm trying to go through everything you've done and it's just top tier N64 content and I'm glad you love wrestling of the era as much as I do! I know you've got the Ultra HDMI mod but I'd like to know if you've tried any of the retrotink products with the N64? All the best and keep up the great work.
I haven’t tried those sadly but who knows maybe they’ll send me one and I can take a look
I remember really loving shadowgate 64 and renting it from my local movie rental/ ice cream shop. I wish I could have owned it as a kid. Exploring a medieval 3-D world was pretty exciting to me at the time. Like you said I don’t think you will fix anything like it on N64 and it was my first point and click “shadowgate” style game.
Wasn't it N64 Magazine that mocked SOTN for being 2D, while saying how great Castlevania 64 looked?
Off the top of my head I can’t remember but could very well be correct
Yeah, and we all know which is still the better CastleVania....
Sounds like something a professional would say in the late 1990s
Wow, he was dead WRONG about Cruisin. Me and my buddy used to play this and the world version all the time. Those matches got pretty intense actually...
Shadowgate 64 is unquestionably top 5 games on the system for me. No other title comes close to matching it in terms of atmosphere. 9.1/10
Cruising USA will always have massive nostalgia value for me, but having revisited the ps1 racing library earlier this year...I have to agree with the reviewer.
I remember Chameleon Twist getting a 50-60 something but I still went out and got it and thoroughly loving it !
Yeah I borrowed from a friend if I remember right and enjoyed it
Honestly I can't recall any particular scores in N64 that were massively off, but as you point out at the end... the official magazine, which I only picked up occasionally, was useless at genuine reviews.
I’ll have to get around to those goons one day
@Sandman Slim It's an idiom.
@Sandman Slim It's an idiom.
@Sandman Slim It's an idiom.
@Sandman Slim It's an idiom.
I still think that most N64 magazines gave Quake and Doom 64 unfair reviews. And they were way too lenient on Turok 3 (this coming from someone who ranks Turok 1+2 + Rage Wars as superb games)
Also, Castlevania 64 gets way too much hate right now. I think it has a lot to offer, is really original, and despite its flaws, I remember having an absolute blast with it back in the day. Seems like people are just jumping on the current bandwagon of hating on it.
I always thought they were very harsh on Mystical Ninja 2. I reckon because it was 2D rather than 3D, they scored it lower. I also think Banjo-Tooie deserved to be a star game but wasn’t. I also bought V Rally based on their stellar review and utterly hated it
yeah I mentioned below to someone else who mentioned it that It was close to being on this list but the article they wrote was actually a proper review and made sense based on the reviewers opinion - just not the same opinion I have
They were wrong about Turok 2 having smooth frame rate without slowdowns. That review was the worst. Cost me too much money.
Didn’t you like it?
Not on the N64 where it had horrible frame rate and slowdowns. The N64 magazine review said it was smooth with no slowdowns even on highres mode.
Two games I bought on the basis of good reviews in N64 Magazine were Body Harvest and Shadowman 64, both of which I found not to my liking at all, but many people love them. I found them so blurry and murky to look and the controls slow and clunky that I just couldn't get engaged in their game worlds.
Here's a like and a comment for the algorithm buddy. glad to see you doing consistent videos again.
Thanks ky bo - always enjoy seeing positivity around the place!
Great vid! More N64 Mag miserly scores: Beetle Adv. Racing (81%), C&C (75%), Destruction Derby (65%), Indiana Jones (81%), NHL '99 (74%), Quake (79%), Road Rash 64 (68%), Star Craft 64 (78%). Over-rated? 64 O-Sumo (90%), Duke Nukem ZH (90%), Ridge Racer (91%).
Cruis'n USA is one of the most definitive racing games of the 90's. It is easily my favorite series from Eugene Jarvis. The N64 port deserves no less than a 75%. I only wish the draw distance was a bit farther from view.
Love the content. Keep up the good work
Thanks Edgar
The elephants chasing Tarzan in his game look amazing.
In all honesty most magazines in the mid to late 90s were really harsh on any game that was 2D and used sprites after a while and considered them not good enough to be on many systems since they didn't push the hardware enough. With a few exception of course but the main narative was that no one was really interested in traditional 2D games after about 1996 anymore. Looking back it is many of those games that hold up so much better not just in how they play but how they look even on modern TVs. I missed out on several years worth of great fighting games because many magazines lead me to believe those games weren't as good as the more hardware pushing 3D ones.
Thank you for uploading this.
Great video.
I was a big fan of N64 magazine and i was very lucky to collect every single issue of the magazine too. It was hard work to get all of them haha 😂 The reviews for majority of the games were great, but some were controversial in my opinion 😮💨
Back when I first got Shadowgate 64, I didn't like it really much because I basically expected every N64 Game to be as good as Zelda.
Now, it really has a special place in my heart and I love its design abd atmosphere. I even love its sub-par graphics and think they enhance the experience. For years I wanted a remake of this game, and I would still play it, but having replayed SG64 recently, I think its perfect the way it is. But you might wanna look into a guide from time to time.
I purchased almost all of N64 magazines. The ones that come straight to my mind are Turok 2 (good game but waaayy too high 95% if I remeber? - they actually finished saying it was better than Goldeneye!! 2-1 to Acclaim then Rare!), Gauntlet Legends (fantastic game and best home port - too low) and Extreme-G (good score but still too low).
Did you take your name from fusoya?
@@n64glennplant no I took it from Final Fantasy IV on the SNES where it originally came from. It was one of those nostalgic gaming moments for me as a kid when we met him on the moon. My mate had a Super Famicom from Hong Kong with a 3.5" disc machine on the top so we could play USA/Jpn games on it. You can imagine how impressed I was years later when the "Ask FuSoYa" page was created by the mag!
Turok 2 came to mind instantly for me too. It was good...but 95%? Come on...
Cool idea for a video Glenn! Have you ever thought about doing something similar for IGN or Gamespot reviews of N64 games? Would love to hear your thoughts, especially Gamespot's reviews of Diddy Kong Racing and Mario Kart 64
yeah maybe one day, have such a long list of ideas written down im trying to work through them to mix things up rather than hashing out similar videos one after another in quick succession
@@n64glennplant works for me, nice to get a tidal wave of content after such a long drought. Appreciate your hard work.
I rented Shadowgate once, and I loved it, but as a child I wasn't able to beat it and got stuck about an hour in
Seems to be a common experience here which is a shame
@@n64glennplant I'll definitely try it again if I can though, I absolutely loved the atmosphere and reading the lore in the books, it was a very enjoyable experience even with the limitations of the time
people say kane and lynch 2 is a terrible game, and i agree with all their points. ive beat it several times at this point and really still enjoy it a lot
I agree on Cruisn USA! A wonderful series & really happy it got it's recent return! A great video as always & have a wonderful day!
I’ll have to get a switch to review the new one 😂
@@n64glennplant Lol no doubt!
I've got my copy pre-ordered so I'm pretty hyped 🎶 Well if you ever do cover it I'm looking forward to it 🙌🏻☺️
@@hyrulegend9786 "coffee" pre-ordered? Did you mean copy? just curious.
@@shaun8062 I think you know what I meant ☕😜 Yeah copy indeed lol
@@hyrulegend9786 lol, well I know some people like mountain dew or some people in Ireland like to drink lots of tea late at night playing lol.
I agree cruisn usa tends to get way more hate than it deserves. I've only played shadowgate a bit but yeah it's very atmospheric and I want to play through it soon I actually have one of the songs on my mp3 player
Yeah it has some damn cool unique music for sure
Cruis'n USA may be a terrible game perhaps, but boy do I have memories of it. When you were young even the bad games were good.
I actually got a copy of Shadowgate 64 after watching your video. I really enjoyed the game, but have to agree that the 'items that do nothing' was a letdown. I also think the ending is crazy abrupt. I know there was another n64 Shadowgate game planned that never came to be, but I wish the developers had focused all their efforts in making 'Four Towers' that much more polished and expansive. Still, as is, I'd say Shadowgate 64 is a solid 75% - 80%.
see im maybe showing my age here but I remember those old school text only adventures and this game gave me that vibe I always loved
They are red herrings. The original game was full of useless items, doors you could never get to and trapped items.
Back then, we had a lot of fun with south Park rally (especially at the Multi Player). The Game was fun to Play, Good graphics and a lot of south Park stuff. Not a 88, but really a 70% Game.
Yeah I remember Bomberman 64 had some harsh reviews back in the day. Here in the US Bomberman Hero was also disliked by most outlets, most of all second attack was given as low as 4/10 and even 2/10 by some professional reviews at the time mostly because it came out late in the N64 lifespan when PS2 and the next gen was starting.
You'd think it would be a broken and offensively bad game based on those reviews. I mean it's not perfect by any means but I have a good laugh at those reviews now since they're so ridiculous.
I know right, those scores are crazy
I remember reading N64 Magazine in Australia [I did know it was an import mag as a kid], such fond memories. I don't remember if I had a different opinion to their critiques at all, jus that some of the more complex games they praised I was prob a bit too young to play. I've not played South Park Rally, still haven't, and just kept that 88 rating in the back of my head.
Probably a good thing you didn’t know it was imported - you’d get beaten at school for having our pommie magazines in your possession 🤣
Glenn I just have to say, never stop! You’re a gem in a youtube sea of ‘hey what’s going on hit that like and sub and notification bell!’ Shit 😂
Also been rewatching some of your older videos, helping inspire me to do some stuff soon!
“Be sure to like and subscribe” 😂
"Hit that like button, guys, it REALLY helps me out and subscribe to the channel if you're new".
Nothing is surer to make me NOT subscribe than some idiotic "hey, like and hit up that subscribe bell!" idiocy. Hey - how about you create compelling content and I'll like and subscribe? Begging before the video even starts is not a good look.