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Builds over the 64 and 98 entries while polishing sounds, animations, and graphics all while acting as a last hurrah for the ISS games on the Nintendo 64 making this one of the definitive soccer games of its time.
One thing that always got me was the lack of the "Career Mode" that was advertised in the back cover of the game but was not included in the game. Can't believe Konami got away with that.
One thing that always got me was the lack of the "Career Mode" that was advertised in the back cover of the game but was not included in the game. Can't believe Konami got away with that.
1997
A very competent rally game in the early life cycle of the Nintendo 64. The key to continue progressing through the game was to either get new rally cars with better stats and/or upgrade the components of your vehicle such as suspension, tires, engine, etc.
One of my favorite features in the game was the livery creator that allowed you to customize the looks of your rally cars. It was very well implemented and it had enough options to come up with detailed designs.
One of my favorite features in the game was the livery creator that allowed you to customize the looks of your rally cars. It was very well implemented and it had enough options to come up with detailed designs.
I rented this game back in the day when it came out and had fun with it for a few hours before I felt the game got repetitive. This was not a bad effort considering it was an early-gen title with limitations but I thought the use of the Simpsons license was well done and driving around Springfield was fun and interesting despite early hardware limitations.
One things I appreciated over the obvious Crazy Taxi comparison is that this game allowed for more breathing room and thus it was easier to explore the surroundings.
One things I appreciated over the obvious Crazy Taxi comparison is that this game allowed for more breathing room and thus it was easier to explore the surroundings.
This is typically regarded as one of the best Pokemon games out there by fans but I personally didn't feel much on my 15+ hour exploration of this game.
Besides the obvious graphics improvements and some quality-of-life features over older titles, this felt like a fairly regular Pokemon game to me (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
Besides the obvious graphics improvements and some quality-of-life features over older titles, this felt like a fairly regular Pokemon game to me (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
2000
Improves on certain aspects of the first game such as more polished graphics and animations. Gameplay and rules remain the same and the single player mode is fairly straightforward with nothing interesting besides the obvious Pokemon battles in 3D.
However, as most players already know, the real place to be in this game are the minigames. They were designed very well and were very fun to play against 4 people and even against the CPU.
However, as most players already know, the real place to be in this game are the minigames. They were designed very well and were very fun to play against 4 people and even against the CPU.
1997
Extreme-G was a very good futuristic racing game inspired by F-Zero.
Graphics were good and stylish for the time (over-excessive use of lens flare effects for the win) however performance was not very good with low frame rates due to all the effects and things happening at one time.
The game featured the use of weapons to keep opponents at bay. One of the highlights of this game is the techno-style soundtrack, perhaps one of the best and most memorable of its time for that genre.
Graphics were good and stylish for the time (over-excessive use of lens flare effects for the win) however performance was not very good with low frame rates due to all the effects and things happening at one time.
The game featured the use of weapons to keep opponents at bay. One of the highlights of this game is the techno-style soundtrack, perhaps one of the best and most memorable of its time for that genre.
1997
Reviewing ClayFighter 63 1/3 is tough because two of the core mechanics that make good fighting games (performance, combat, gameplay) are actually some of the weakest points in the game. Where Clayfighter really shines is the character/fighter design as well as the stage/levels design which feature different sections and environments.
Additionally, the character design and the clay presentation is great. Humor is on the edgy side and may not be for everyone but I personally enjoyed most of it through the different characters and their backgrounds.
Additionally, the character design and the clay presentation is great. Humor is on the edgy side and may not be for everyone but I personally enjoyed most of it through the different characters and their backgrounds.
2019
This game is only meaningful to those of us that have actually used Microsoft's older operating systems from the early to mid 90s. The developer did a really good job of creating the look and feel of said OSes while applying a touch of humor with different minigames and pseudo OS interface exploration.
As you play and improve your skills in the provided minigames, you level up and are able to buy upgrades for your PC, as well as upgrades for your OS. Truthfully, the minigames are nothing special but the applied coat of old-school Windows system really adds a charming and interesting value to this release.
As you play and improve your skills in the provided minigames, you level up and are able to buy upgrades for your PC, as well as upgrades for your OS. Truthfully, the minigames are nothing special but the applied coat of old-school Windows system really adds a charming and interesting value to this release.
The Smash series is an interesting one for me. I love playing its games since I'm a big Nintendo fan and this is pretty much the ultimate fan service fest featuring characters, soundtrack, stages, and themes from anything Nintendo released over time including obscure franchises. But as much as I love playing these games and as much time as I put them, I never managed to become good at any of the games. Honestly, I treat these games as more of a party game with friends (which is kind of the original intent from Sakurai from what I understand).
Smash Bros. Melee featured a monumental jump in just about every category compared to its predecessor, the original Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64. For being only the second game in the series, Melee was loaded to the brim with characters, stages, trophies, collectibles, etc. making it a true dream for Nintendo fans. This is definitely up there for best game in the series and still to this date features the fast-paced gameplay that hardcore fans still praise and love.
Smash Bros. Melee featured a monumental jump in just about every category compared to its predecessor, the original Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64. For being only the second game in the series, Melee was loaded to the brim with characters, stages, trophies, collectibles, etc. making it a true dream for Nintendo fans. This is definitely up there for best game in the series and still to this date features the fast-paced gameplay that hardcore fans still praise and love.
2010
Just when everyone thought that masterpiece-level JRPGs were over, Xenoblade Chronicles stepped into the scene in 2012 (2010 in Japan) and joined the likes of Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and Final Fantasy VII to be considered an all-time great and favorite. It's pretty crazy to think that this game required a devout group of fans to bring the game to North America via Operation Rainfall in 2012 and now there are many games set in this universe, defining how important and successful this franchise has become to Nintendo.
Xenoblade Chronicles success formula is pretty simple but hard to pull for other developers: the game offers an excellent story, excellent character development, fun combat system, a wonderful soundtrack, and an engaging setting, creating a complete JRPG package.
The game touches upon themes of love, compassion, hate, war, politics, social inequality, and even defies traditional creationism....all these subjects are tactfully presented throughout the 65+ hour journey and keep the player engaged at all times. Gameplay and combat are fun and presents an MMO-like feel with a setup of auto-attacks and an array of arts that have cooldown periods and need to strategically be used in unison with your other party members to increase efficiency and damage output to enemies.
The soundtrack of this game is fantastic and among my favorites of all time with perhaps the best audio-visual intro screen in gaming. Yoko Shimomura, Manami Kiyota and ACE+ deliver in all cylinders.
All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles is among my favorite JRPGs and even overall games of all time and it was a fantastic journey experiencing this game when it came in 2012 for the Nintendo Wii.
Xenoblade Chronicles success formula is pretty simple but hard to pull for other developers: the game offers an excellent story, excellent character development, fun combat system, a wonderful soundtrack, and an engaging setting, creating a complete JRPG package.
The game touches upon themes of love, compassion, hate, war, politics, social inequality, and even defies traditional creationism....all these subjects are tactfully presented throughout the 65+ hour journey and keep the player engaged at all times. Gameplay and combat are fun and presents an MMO-like feel with a setup of auto-attacks and an array of arts that have cooldown periods and need to strategically be used in unison with your other party members to increase efficiency and damage output to enemies.
The soundtrack of this game is fantastic and among my favorites of all time with perhaps the best audio-visual intro screen in gaming. Yoko Shimomura, Manami Kiyota and ACE+ deliver in all cylinders.
All in all, Xenoblade Chronicles is among my favorite JRPGs and even overall games of all time and it was a fantastic journey experiencing this game when it came in 2012 for the Nintendo Wii.
While NMH2 is not as good as the first game, it still manages to provide epic assassin fights and characters with some interesting gameplay changes that were aiming to provide variety to the game. I actually enjoyed the 'shallow' retro-looking minigames for what they were although they do start getting stale later in the game after playing them for so long.
This was an enjoyable Travis Touchdown adventure and hit some interesting and wacky points in terms of the story in pure Suda51 style.
This was an enjoyable Travis Touchdown adventure and hit some interesting and wacky points in terms of the story in pure Suda51 style.
1997
While it's clear from the get-go that Mace is far from being a Mortal Kombat/3D fighter contender, I thought the game held on its own fairly well thanks to the impressive graphics (port of an arcade game) and interesting cast of fighters featuring unique stages with dynamic features.
Gameplay and performance make or break fighting games and Mace was average at best on these categories. CPU difficulty was unfair and added frustration to each playthrough the further you got on Arcade mode.
Gameplay and performance make or break fighting games and Mace was average at best on these categories. CPU difficulty was unfair and added frustration to each playthrough the further you got on Arcade mode.
A very influential FPS of its time featuring one of the most impressive and cinematic experiences with the infamous D-Day / Normandy first level. The introduction was very cinematic coupled with impressive (for the time) voice and sound effects.
Graphics were good for the time and the art direction was adequate featuring muted colors for most of the levels. Gameplay was good for the time but pales in comparison to all the improvements that other FPS games have made since then.
Graphics were good for the time and the art direction was adequate featuring muted colors for most of the levels. Gameplay was good for the time but pales in comparison to all the improvements that other FPS games have made since then.
An enhanced version of the SMB3 SNES All-Stars version considered by many as the 'definitive' SMB3 game over the original.
Definitely one of the most enjoyable classic Mario side-scrolling games and (at the time) a huge improvement over the first two games in terms of level design, powerups and overall content. The improved graphics and additional content are welcome additions to this GBA version of the game.
Stages are on the shorter side but well-designed with perhaps the exception of World 8 where the game becomes frustratingly difficult.
Definitely one of the most enjoyable classic Mario side-scrolling games and (at the time) a huge improvement over the first two games in terms of level design, powerups and overall content. The improved graphics and additional content are welcome additions to this GBA version of the game.
Stages are on the shorter side but well-designed with perhaps the exception of World 8 where the game becomes frustratingly difficult.
1997
One of the most influential console first-person shooters of all time. When this game came out in 1997 there was nothing alike and playing this for the first time was a mind blowing experience.
Besides the obvious high points of this game such as great graphics and soundtrack, the gameplay really stood out above all else by introducing objective based tasks within each mission that changed and built upon each other depending on the difficulty, thus extending the replay value of the game. Gunplay was excellent and simply different from the twitch-based shooters of the time. Aiming and hitting different body parts and objects had different effects a provided a new layer or realism that was previously not found. Level design was very solid, following the main events of the Bond movie and complementing all other mechanics of the game wonderfully.
Furthermore, besides the excellent single-player campaign, this game also introduced one of the most addictive couch based competitive multiplayer modes of the time. I spent countless hours playing this with friends, there wasn't anything like this and the experience was truly unique.
While it's true that the game has not aged well, those of us that had the privilege of playing this "back in the day" can vouch for its importance and influence and will always hold this game in the utter most high regards.
Besides the obvious high points of this game such as great graphics and soundtrack, the gameplay really stood out above all else by introducing objective based tasks within each mission that changed and built upon each other depending on the difficulty, thus extending the replay value of the game. Gunplay was excellent and simply different from the twitch-based shooters of the time. Aiming and hitting different body parts and objects had different effects a provided a new layer or realism that was previously not found. Level design was very solid, following the main events of the Bond movie and complementing all other mechanics of the game wonderfully.
Furthermore, besides the excellent single-player campaign, this game also introduced one of the most addictive couch based competitive multiplayer modes of the time. I spent countless hours playing this with friends, there wasn't anything like this and the experience was truly unique.
While it's true that the game has not aged well, those of us that had the privilege of playing this "back in the day" can vouch for its importance and influence and will always hold this game in the utter most high regards.