Category: Game Reviews

Developer: 3DO Publisher: 3DO Released: October 12, 1999 Rated: T 9/10 Sometimes when sequels come right on the heels of their predecessor, you feel like you can only expect so much. That quick turnover development time can only allow for so many foundational changes to the formula. But sometimes all it takes is that extra… Read more

Developer: Japan System Supply Publisher: Sunsoft Released: November 30, 1997 Rated: E 7/10 Coming in as an early entry to the pool of the N64’s signature genre, Chameleon Twist operates like something of a discount Yoshi title. The use of the chosen animal comes from a platformer based on using a prehensile tongue for puzzle… Read more

Developer: Midway (Arcade Original), Saffire Corporation (Port) Publisher: Midway Released: March 30, 1998 Rated: T 6/10 The original side-scrolling “smash-‘em-up,” as the franchise likes to call itself, got a healthy reboot in 1997, when Midway’s original three-player monster sim Rampage returned to arcades with Rampage: World Tour in 1997. A home port naturally followed and… Read more

Developer: Genki Publisher: Ocean Released: September 4, 1997 Rated: E 4/10 It would be great if seeing a developer like Genki contribute a racing title on the N64 could inspire confidence and excitement, given their future pedigree in the genre with the Tokyo Xtreme Racer franchise. But as one of the system’s perennial bargain bin… Read more

Developer: 3DO Publisher: 3DO Released: December 31, 1998 Rated: T 8/10 Somewhere between an army shooter and a car combat title, we arrive in the post-apocalyptic dudefest of BattleTanx, where roving gangs of tanks, big and small, roam the American countryside. With some help from a Captain Trips-like virus, 99% of women on earth have… Read more

Developer: DMA Design Publisher: Midway Released: October 20, 1998 Rated: T 6/10 With the late ‘90s being the boom period of media about fighting alien space bugs, the N64 proved to be no slouch in this department — in spite of all of the other trends it failed to meet. And while top-tier established developer… Read more

Developer: Opus Corp, Anchor Inc. Publisher: Ocean Released: January 26, 1998 Rated: T 7/10 When the N64’s genre shortcomings are listed off, we often hear about the RPGs (taken away by Square, Capcom, and to a degree, Enix) and the fighting games (again, Capcom, why must you forsake us so?). And while the RPGs are… Read more

Developer: Devil’s Thumb Entertainment Publisher: GT Interactive Released: June 16, 1998 Rated: E 3/10 Released too late to even snag the coveted “first to market” title stateside, Mike Piazza’s Strike Zone does at least one thing right: it reminds us of a time when any old publisher could snag a professional sports license and release… Read more

Developer: Raven Software (PC Original), Software Creations (Port) Publisher: GT Interactive Released: May 31, 1997 Rated: M 6/10 Hexen joins the ranks of fellow Id Software shooters Doom and Quake on the N64 in between each’s respective release, though sadly we have more of a barebones port for the dark fantasy shooter than the original… Read more

Developer: Rare, Ltd. Publisher: Nintendo Released: November 22, 1999 Rated: E 8/10 “The bloat, the bloat, the bloat.” I’ve never seen a game’s public perception change over the years the way I have with Donkey Kong 64. As a kid, it was as highly-regarded as any of Rare’s 3D platformers, including those starring a beloved… Read more