Body Harvest (N64 review)

Developer: DMA Design
Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment
Released: 1998

Body Harvest is a third-person action-adventure game that's exclusive to the N64 console.

+ Missions have a multi-objective approach that's engrossing, and having access to air, land and sea vehicles adds variety.

+ Makes you feel incredibly vulnerable when on-foot and trying to find a vehicle while under alien attack adds real intensity.

+ Does a decent job of signposting you to the next objective and the exploration element resembles Nintendo's Metroid series.

+ Soundtrack is astonishing and perfectly encapsulates the isolation and paranoia that's omitted by the game world.

- Save points are only available after each successful mission, which can mean losing an hour's worth of progress if you die.

- Can be very strict on how it expects you to complete each mission, and you will have to restart if you don't follow it to a tee.

- Constant alien invasions distract you from your objective(s) and can sometimes seem like a way to pad gameplay length.

Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64 review)

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Rare
Released: 2001

Conker's Bad Fur Day is a 3D action-platformer and the final Rare developed game for the Nintendo 64.

+ Lots of scenic / gameplay variety, and the graphics are outstanding with detailed textures and a great draw distance.

+ Follows a more linear format than previous 3D Rare platformers which keeps the story moving along briskly.

+ Humour is South Park-esque and will have you laughing out loud at its inappropriate jokes that often break the fourth wall.

+ Includes an impressive amount of audio and cut-scenes, and the ending is surprisingly emotional.

- Arduous tasks feel like busy work rather than something that the developers intended to stimulate and entertain players.

- Despite its linear nature, the game doesn't offer enough hints regarding where to visit to trigger the next plot point.

- Camera is atrocious and always seems to work against you by refusing to give the best view of your surroundings.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64 review)

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1998

Banjo-Kazooie is a 3D platformer that was re-released as part of the Rare Replay compilation (2015, Xbox One).

The evil witch Gruntilda has kidnapped your sister Tooty and your mission is rescue her by working your way through nine worlds. These worlds house ten missions each and allow you to collect various items to unlock new hub areas, or upgrade your attacks / abilities. When compared to the Rare developed Donkey Kong 64 (1999, N64) there are many similarities in terms of collect-a-thon gameplay, move-sets and procedure of world progression. However, Banjo-Kazooie is more refined with its smaller levels that are tightly crafted; everything serves a purpose and if you're stuck you're never too far away from the answer. Even when you do have to backtrack, you'll be armed with new power-ups and attacks that open up the gameplay and levels in fresh ways. Clanker's Cavern takes a typically tedious underwater world and fills it with fun mission objectives, whereas Freezeezy Peak is a visual feast with its cool Christmas setting. The gameplay constantly rewards players too with new attacks, weapons and unlockables which encourages you to explore. It's fun doing so with challenges and puzzles at every turn, and I like how you usually have a multitude of options in terms of what to tackle next. It's not all perfect though, as Rusty Bucket Bay's harbour setting falls flat due to its confusing layout and instant death traps. The camera can also be a huge pain and the game unwisely forces you to collect almost everything to advance to the end boss. Speaking of which, the prelude to this final encounter slows things to a crawl as you're bizarrely forced to answer pointless trivia questions about the game.

Banjo-Kazooie is a great launch for the series thanks to its tightly crafted level design that's packed with wonderment and entertaining missions. It does lean too heavily on excessive collectability (which could deter some casual players from seeing it through to the end), but the platforming is such high quality that it's worth the effort.

Random trivia: Originally, the Fungi Forest world in Donkey Kong 64 was supposed to be included here, but was dropped due to time constraints.

F-Zero X (N64 review)

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1998

F-Zero X is a racing game and the follow-up to the original F-Zero (1990, Super Nintendo).

Modes include GP Race (5 cups with 6 tracks each), Death Race (try to wreck all opponents) and VS. Battle (between 2-4 players). Noticeably, the graphics aren't anything to write home about and the lack of scenic detail across each track results in a rather unappealing experience from a visual standpoint. However, the trade-off in graphical fidelity is buttery-smooth 60 frames-per-second gameplay, blisteringly fast action and a whopping 30 racers competing at the same time. Once you've witnessed the intense action the more you appreciate the developer's choice, as you don't even have time to look at the scenery! The track design shines with its diversity that includes being flipped around in cylinder loops, anti-gravity corkscrews in mid-air, and sections where you catch huge air and have to position yourself for a safe landing as the floor starts to pop back into view. What's more, the unlockable X-Cup features randomised layouts, making for some huge replayability. The gameplay is tough with plenty of trial-and-error, but the inclusion of 30 racers keeps you engaged throughout every second and the constant carnage resembles a destruction derby. Also, the lanes are usually wide enough to where you're not getting annoyed by constantly bashing into opponent vehicles. Learning when to use your boost at the cost of vehicle energy is crucial and it gives the gameplay a strategic edge that co-exists with a fun risk-reward element. Special mention has to go to the amazing hard rock / metal soundtrack, as its wailing guitar solos really set the tone for the exciting racing action.

F-Zero X is a challenging game that makes you work hard for every victory, but the impressive number of simultaneous opponents, ferocious speed and varied track design result in an excellent all-round racer. It successfully translates the series to the 3D space and offers tons of content to keep you occupied for a long time.

Random trivia: An add-on called the F-Zero X Expansion Kit was released in 2000 on the Nintendo 64DD and featured a track creator.

Mickey's Speedway USA (N64 review)

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 2000

Mickey's Speedway USA is a kart racer that was also released on the Game Boy Color (2001).

It contains 10 characters, 5 Grand Prix worlds (each with 4 courses), as well as multiplayer battle arenas. Weapons can be obtained that include a Paint Splotcher (causes a fellow racer to skid), a Baseball Chucker (explodes when it hits a car) and a Spritzer (temporary speed boost). In terms of presentation and gameplay, it can often feel like a well-made hack of Mario Kart 64 (1997, N64) with only the characters and weapon icon substitutes to differentiate both titles from one another; even the starting grid flyover, musical jingles and post-GP celebrations are so obviously (and heavily) inspired by Nintendo's racer and it's a shame that Rare didn't do more to set this game apart. A significant issue is how short each course is, as most can be beaten in 40-90 seconds total for a three-lap race; by the time you're starting to get into each course, it's suddenly over leaving you with a rather anticlimactic feeling. This also means that you have very little time to catch up in the event of falling behind the pack in higher difficulties. The racing is still highly enjoyable though and the courses do offer enough scenic variety to encourage you to keep unlocking the next GP. The controls are perhaps the best of any N64 kart racer as the vehicles react smoothly and precisely; in particular, powersliding and then simultaneously manoeuvring into the vicinity of an item box is a breeze, even for newcomers. Another neat feature is how the race position indicator is hidden whenever you take a shortcut; this adds some tension and encourages you to constantly assess whether a detour is actually worth it.

Mickey's Speedway USA does many things right and its pleasant course design is complimented by some remarkable, rock-solid controls. However, there's no denying that it's highly unoriginal as it does nothing to advance the genre and sticks way too closely to the blueprints set out by other N64 kart racers.

Random trivia: The game code features many unused areas and test maps.

Donkey Kong 64 (N64 review)

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1999

Donkey Kong 64 is an adventure-platformer and the first title in the series to feature 3D gameplay.

Playing as DK, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky and Chunky, your mission is to stop King K. Rool from destroying Kong Island with his Blast-o-Matic machine. There's nine worlds and opening them involves collecting items such as golden bananas, regular bananas (that only certain Kongs can obtain) and boss keys. The gameplay is undoubtedly a 'collectathon', but it also encourages exploration and hooks you in by keeping items tantalisingly out of reach behind locked doors. You're never far away from obtaining a new item or ability to open them, which provides enough incentive to keep delving into the intriguing worlds. It also offers you a ton of freedom in terms of which task to focus on next, and the ability to switch Kongs gives the game some minor puzzle elements that greatly enhance the experience. The worlds are mostly excellent with huge, intricate areas to explore; standouts include Jungle Japes with its lush greenery and curious caves, and Fungi Forest which introduces a cool day/night cycle that you can alternate between to open up otherwise inaccessible paths. However, Gloomy Galleon is an absolute clunker, as it takes place mostly underwater, making for some slow, tedious gameplay that accentuates the awkward camera controls that plague most early 3D platformers. Also, most of the mini-games don't appear to have been well tested, as they feature shocking collision detection. These criticisms don't ruin the overall experience though, especially when you consider the humongous amount of content on offer; just seeing the credits will take you 20+ hours so there's plenty of value for money.

Donkey Kong 64 is a hugely ambitious title that draws you into its enticing and well thought-out environments by constantly rewarding the player and encouraging them to explore every nook and cranny. It's expertly crafted, but make sure you set aside dozens of hours as beating it requires some serious dedication.

Random trivia: In 2015, the game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console.

Cruis'n USA (N64 review)

Developer: Williams
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: 1996

Cruis'n USA is a racing game that was originally released in the Arcades in 1994.

Supporting 1-2 players, the objective is to race across America and place first in each of the game's 14 courses. The notion of racing from coast-to-coast is a terrific idea and gives your mission a grander feel than focusing on singular races. Courses such as Beverly Hills and Golden Gate Park offer plenty of visual stimulation due to the many famous landmarks on display, and the wide open spaces give you plenty of room to jockey for position. However, others such as Death Valley and Redwood Forest offer ridiculously narrow lanes where it's almost impossible not to crash every few seconds due to the amount of traffic. This is no more apparent then when swerving around a bend, as you're almost 100% guaranteed to be greeted with unforeseeable vehicles lining up to ruin your day. Weirdly, non-racer cars have a habit of veering onto the wrong side of the road which is both annoying and unfair considering you're not even competing against them! What also irritates is the fluctuating frame-rate and peculiar opponent A.I. that's seemingly unbeatable on your first course attempt, only to become a pushover on the next go. Still, despite these technical flaws, I do like how the controls are simple for anyone to quickly master (e.g. only two buttons are really needed so you can accelerate and brake, the latter rarely being required due to your car's extreme turn radius). The unlimited continues are also great, as is the fact that each course is short to ease some frustration. There's no positives regarding the graphics though, as the blurry textures, low-poly car models and poor draw distance resemble a PS1 title.

Cruis'n USA is a flawed game that can be incredibly cheap at times due to its technical deficiencies that often rely on good fortune favouring driving prowess in order to succeed. However, with its decent course design and simple controls, those looking for some mindless racing action can certainly do a lot worse than this.

Random trivia: While planned as an N64 launch title, this port was delayed by three months due to Nintendo requesting various changes.