Perfect Dark is an overall improvement of GoldenEye 007 in about every category. The 'wow' factor and the influence that GoldenEye created upon its release is obviously not as big in this game but nevertheless Rare were able to, once again, craft an incredibly polished game that set the quality bar very high for its time.

The ambition in Perfect Dark goes all across the board with a more complex (and at times silly) storyline, tons of weapons featuring alien technology, improved graphics and setting (expansion pack required), and a more robust local multiplayer mode with more options and a hint of nostalgia (Complex level from GoldenEye to remember the good old times with friends). While Perfect Dark won't ever carry the influence weight that GoldenEye did, it created a fun environment for console first-person shooter fans with yet another unforgettable local multiplayer mode for the ages. Well done Rare, for this was one of your last masterpieces before the Microsoft buyout.

An improvement in just about every aspect over the first game with perhaps the exception of level design depending on your perspective of how it was handled. If you enjoy labyrinthic setups, back-tracking, and large levels then this may seem an improvement for you but if not, it's a big con since levels feel more complicated over the first game.

Multiplayer mode was simple but it was a nice addition to extend the replay value of the game and take a break from single-player mode. Playing the game with an expansion pack was the way to go to appreciate the new graphical improvements over the original game. Black N64 cartridge was cool.

It's very interesting to see how much AKI Productions improved this game in the span of a year based on the tremendous success that the previous game (World Tour) had. Just about every component is a massive improvement starting with graphics (more details in character models, signature entrances, better animations, more detailed background and stages, crowds, etc), better sound, improved gameplay, and added game modes.

Admittedly, AKI went on to further improve said mechanics in future games that had the WWF/WWE licenses but on a personal level I was a WCW/nWO fan and this is where the gaming wrestling genre peaked for me. The roster that WCW simply can't be beat since it featured a mix of wrestling legends like Hogan and Flair but also had a good combination of new and upcoming stars like Goldberg and Kidman. This game is not only a fun time but also a trip down nostalgia lane to a time where the wrestling industry as a whole peaked.

A very faithful remake of one of the most beloved SNES RPGs of its time that manages to retain the unique charming feel and experience that we all know and love.

Super Mario RPG for the Switch provides quality-of-life features and slight improvements enough to have a better experience over the original.
Graphically, the game uses improved 3D graphics but doesn't overdo it by keeping simplicity and colorfuness at bay. Performance is not the best with frame drops in certain areas of the game but nothing that deters from a great experience. Soundtrack was updated but you can switch to the original if you prefer. The game structure is basically unchanged with the same Mushroom Kingdom locales and fairly linear progression throughout the game's story. Dialogue between main characters and even regular NPCs is charming and fun, and adds to the world-building experience making this one of my favorite experiences in terms of interacting with the Mushroom Kingdom. Combat remains turn-based and follows the same formula but with certain improvements and additions that make things go faster and overall a more enjoyable time.

If you are familiar with RPGs in general, then this game will be a cakewalk in terms of difficulty. This is a good game to introduce players to the genre. Despite the lack of challenge, I still enjoyed my time with the game except perhaps with the last few sections of the game which are very combat-heavy. Huge thumbs up to Nintendo for reviving this game...odd choice considering it was not the biggest seller back in the day but I won't complain and I'm extremely happy that younger gamers will get to experience this charming RPG in a modern way.

My impressions were/are not as bad as my friend (whom I borrowed this game from back in the day) who thought the game was so bad that he ripped the cartridge out of his N64 without turning the system off. With that being said, I guess the game is bad in many ways.

Controls are the number one enemy when it comes to this game and sets up the frustration that you will encounter throughout the game. It doesn't help that the game features closed spaces that require good maneuverability all while aiming and shooting at enemies with confusing ship controls. At least the setting was somewhat interesting with the futuristic environment dystopia.

While it's true that World Tour has aged horribly, this game served an important role in paving the way for modern wrestling games and introduced the magic of the AKI Corporation's intuitive wrestling gameplay mechanics that have been used in many games and that, in my opinion, remain the best in the industry.

Even at the time of its release, the graphics and presentation were not the best but the gameplay mechanics and great selection/design of the gameplay modes (such as tournament and battle royale) more than made up for any presentation flaws.

Another plus for this game is that it's based on arguably one of the best (if not the best) eras of wrestling, particularly in the WCW world which was experiencing the best entertainment angle with the nWo storyline.

In a time where RPGs were hard to come by as a Nintendo 64 owner, Paper Mario came in and impressed everyone with its unique art direction portraying a pop-up storybook look, wonderful soundtrack, and unique gameplay featuring turn-based combat with specific quick time commands for attacks and defense.

This RPG does a good job in maintaining a charming look and feel throughout the game thanks to its art direction, characters, dialogue / writing, and the different types of locales. This game also plays a key rolein paving the way for the highly acclaimed Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the Nintendo GameCube, among other entries in the Paper Mario series and Mario RPG types of games such as the Mario & Luigi series.

Very solid tennis game for being the first in the series. Easy to pick up and play but somewhat challenge to master with all the different shot types and tricks. Subsequent games have made several improvements but this game laid the foundation for the series very well with its arcade-y gameplay perfectly suited for a Mario sports title. CPU opponents can be frustratingly hard on the major tournaments and it will require the player to explore the roster to find the best suited character to complete the game (typically powershot characters).

The original Mario Party remains my favorite despite being behind in several aspects compared to just about all the other games in the series which built upon the formula and improved via quality of life additions throughout the years. This is the game were friendships were made and were friendships could end in a blink of an eye.

Board and mini-game design were very good despite being Nintendo's first foray in the mini-game board game genre which was basically unexplored at the time. I have a ton of fond memories playing this with friends and destroying Nintendo 64 controller sticks to come out on top in certain minigames. Star reward system was not the best and it made for some unfairness at the end of each board but all the while created hilarity between sessions.

It's hard to talk and summarize the experience of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OOT) without restating the perennial praises and influences already discussed and passed down by gamers since the game released in 1998. For one, it still holds the #1 ranking as the best-reviewed video game of all time, decades after its release. It also happens to be my favorite game of all time. My choice has never been influenced by the historical hype that this game has carried over generations: it's simply based on personal experience. For those of us who had the privilege to experience this game upon release in 1998 it's easy to see why this game was the best, why it remains the best, and why it will likely remain as one of the best and most influential games of all time.

Starting with the obvious, this game pushed the boundaries on just about every category at the time of its release. Graphically, it was the first 3D Zelda game and the first time we had a chance to explore and experience the confines of Hyrule all while witnessing dynamic weather and time-of-day effects. From a soundtrack perspective, the game features an unsurprisingly number of epic tunes featuring Gerudo Valley, an updated version of Kakariko's Village theme, Intro song, among other timeless masterpieces. Gameplay-wise, there were a number of very important and influential features introduced by Nintendo including quick button mapping for items in a console game, Z-targeting system, advanced use of the Rumble Pak, etc. The game's progression was entertaining paired with the intriguing story and the time traveling featuring the switching of young and adult Link. I feel like this was the first Zelda game that also featured a more involved story and characters versus previous games and perhaps started the trend of fans over-analyzing the lore of the series and different timelines that were later made official by Nintendo making OOT a pivotal game and creating a break/diverging path in the timeline depending on the "fate" of Link.

As time passes, it's becoming more of a challenge to keep OOT's legacy alive since modern games have, are, and will improve on just about every facet. However, for those of us who experienced this game "back in the day", we can keep the legacy alive with our reviews, thoughts, and sharing our experience with younger gamers for as long as we are able to. Cheers for the memories.

At the time, this was a solid 3D platformer featuring Rayman and friends. Graphics were colorful and had the right vibe for what the Rayman universe should entail, and were as good as the hardware allowed it.

Gameplay makes or break platforming games and Rayman 2 was fairly good. Some of the platforming sections were a bit hard, especially on the landings and camera angles were not the best in certain levels. Being able to shoot enemies was fun and added a new layer of being able to strategize from afar as opposed as most of the 3D platformers of the time which required close proximity for combat.

My ranking for this game is based more on substance and what it meant at the time since in terms of overall design, Turok was a bit of a headache and confusing game with somewhat open levels that required runes and keys hidden throughout sections of the levels.

What made Turok stand out upon its release in 1997 were a number of things including over-the-top enemy death animations (both humans and dinosaurs), over-the-top weapons (including the most powerful weapon, the Chronoceptor which required assembling with different parts), over-the-top use of blood, and over-the-top concept of fighting a combination of dinosaurs and humans (based on a comic which I never heard before). So I guess in short, "over-the-top" is the best way to describe this game, and based on the time it was released there was nothing wrong with that.

Peak console Star Wars flying game when it came out for the Nintendo 64 (expansion pack a must). It provided an incredible level and feel or realism based in the movies for a unique experience. Graphics were top notch for the time and art direction and themes were all carefully developed to remain faithful to the films and Star Wars universe.

Level design was good for the most part but there were a couple of annoyances such as convoy missions and the overall difficulty could be up there as well as unfair sections of the game with the combination of current and tie fighter surprise attacks.

All in all, it is a must-play for the fans of the movies and an important game that paved the game for the Gamecube Rogue games.