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Nintendo 64 Obscure Games Thread: Quality Optional
Rocketlex
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The Nintendo 64 was a great console. Lots of people had 'em. Games like Super Mario 64 and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time still stand up today as great titles with groundbreaking gameplay and slavish attention to quality and fun. However, like most systems and most Nintendo systems in particular, today the N64 is remembered only for a few high-profile games with the majority of the system's library disappearing into the mists of obscurity.
Taking my cue from the obscure PS1 games thread which appeared recently, I figured it might be interesting to take a look back and pool our collective memories of N64 games which no one seems to remember anymore. I personally was in the 12-15 age range when I had my N64, and every weekend I'd rent a different game from the local game retailer, so I experienced a very wide range of games, both highlights and low-lights. A lot of my personal memories of the console are going to be filtered through that period of my life when I was willing to throw myself wholeheartedly into any-damn-thing for a weekend.
And on that note, let me get this ball rolling...
Bomberman Hero was a bit of an oddball as far as Bomberman games go. There had been a previous game, Bomberman 64, which tried to put Bomberman-style gameplay into the 3D setting, but Bomberman Hero went in a different direction. Instead of trying to rigidly copy the Bomberman formula, Bomberman Hero was a just a 3D platformer starring Bomberman with gameplay only loosely inspired by previous games.
And the results were pretty awesome.
Instead of laying bombs as traps, in this game you just threw bombs which exploded on impact. You could also drop and kick bombs, like in previous games, but the toss was your main ability. Bomberman could also charge up and fire a spread of bombs to take out several enemies at once. It made for a really fun mechanic. Nothing like previous Bomberman games, but satisfying as hell.
As you can see on the title screen, the game's other gimmick was that Bomberman could get different attachments which change his powers. He could turn into a jet, a helicopter, a submarine and a...well...a guy on a snowboard. Each of these transformations completely changed the gameplay and were generally levels unto themselves. As Jet Bomberman, the game was basically an on-rails shooter similar to Starfox, whereas Copter Bomberman had a top-down perspective and you drop bombs on bad guys. These sections were fun, although they tended to be a bit annoying to control.
In general, the game just did a lot to change up the gameplay and keep things fresh. In some levels you get ice bombs which allow you to freeze enemies and use them as platforms. Another level had special salt bombs which were the only way to kill slug enemies, but were completely ineffective against regular baddies, so you had to keep switching back and forth. The amount of variety was pretty surprising.
My only real gripe as a kid was with the difficulty. Some of the bosses in particular could be really unforgiving. Bomberman himself was fairly slow so you needed a really fast reaction time if you wanted to dodge some of the enemies and projectiles coming your way. This wasn't a problem in most of the levels proper where a little strategy could get you the upper hand, but in boss encounters where it's just some crazy creature jumping around trying to smack you, it could get frustrating in a hurry.
So that's my opening bid. Share your thoughts. I'd love to see how deep this gets.
Taking my cue from the obscure PS1 games thread which appeared recently, I figured it might be interesting to take a look back and pool our collective memories of N64 games which no one seems to remember anymore. I personally was in the 12-15 age range when I had my N64, and every weekend I'd rent a different game from the local game retailer, so I experienced a very wide range of games, both highlights and low-lights. A lot of my personal memories of the console are going to be filtered through that period of my life when I was willing to throw myself wholeheartedly into any-damn-thing for a weekend.
And on that note, let me get this ball rolling...
Bomberman Hero was a bit of an oddball as far as Bomberman games go. There had been a previous game, Bomberman 64, which tried to put Bomberman-style gameplay into the 3D setting, but Bomberman Hero went in a different direction. Instead of trying to rigidly copy the Bomberman formula, Bomberman Hero was a just a 3D platformer starring Bomberman with gameplay only loosely inspired by previous games.
And the results were pretty awesome.
Instead of laying bombs as traps, in this game you just threw bombs which exploded on impact. You could also drop and kick bombs, like in previous games, but the toss was your main ability. Bomberman could also charge up and fire a spread of bombs to take out several enemies at once. It made for a really fun mechanic. Nothing like previous Bomberman games, but satisfying as hell.
As you can see on the title screen, the game's other gimmick was that Bomberman could get different attachments which change his powers. He could turn into a jet, a helicopter, a submarine and a...well...a guy on a snowboard. Each of these transformations completely changed the gameplay and were generally levels unto themselves. As Jet Bomberman, the game was basically an on-rails shooter similar to Starfox, whereas Copter Bomberman had a top-down perspective and you drop bombs on bad guys. These sections were fun, although they tended to be a bit annoying to control.
In general, the game just did a lot to change up the gameplay and keep things fresh. In some levels you get ice bombs which allow you to freeze enemies and use them as platforms. Another level had special salt bombs which were the only way to kill slug enemies, but were completely ineffective against regular baddies, so you had to keep switching back and forth. The amount of variety was pretty surprising.
My only real gripe as a kid was with the difficulty. Some of the bosses in particular could be really unforgiving. Bomberman himself was fairly slow so you needed a really fast reaction time if you wanted to dodge some of the enemies and projectiles coming your way. This wasn't a problem in most of the levels proper where a little strategy could get you the upper hand, but in boss encounters where it's just some crazy creature jumping around trying to smack you, it could get frustrating in a hurry.
So that's my opening bid. Share your thoughts. I'd love to see how deep this gets.
While you were asleep, your windows told me all your secrets.
Rocketlex on
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But I also remember it was furiously difficult. And not in a good way. Too bad, it wasn't that bad of a game aside from that.
Anyway, one of my favorite games on the N64, hands down, that everyone else hated, was Quest64.
Man I
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
I remember liking Body Harvest, but I also remember screwing myself over somehow and I think I got into a position of "Go kill the aliens but I can't save the people" or "Go save the people but then I run out of time to kill the aliens." That wasn't fun.
SHAKE-SHAKE!
I mean, check out the boxart. How could a kid not think this was anything but awesome
It was a giant fucking advertisement for Volkswagen, but somehow it was good.
Heeeeeey foggy!
Beetle Adventure Racing was fantastic.
Forsaken was great fun in multiplayer as well.
Steam - Minty D. Vision!
Origin/BF3 - MintyDVision
fuck yes.
Rakuga Kids had sooo many problems, but the whole style somehow made up for them.
Also:
A wholeheartedly mediocre and rather buggy racing game with the standout feature of it having a hilariously awesome theme song. "That's a lap record! Go g-g-go! That's a lap record! GO! GO!"
This game was awesome. And by "awesome", I mean "thoroughly mediocre, but I played it a whole lot anyway".
It had some neat elements. It had two different modes that were basically two separate games. "Virtual mode" had realistically proportioned characters and I thought it was incredibly boring and terrible, so I played it like twice, ever. The real mode was "SD", and in addition to actually being reasonably playable and fun it had some neat RPG elements in the story mode. Characters could level up and equip items and such.
I liked it, okay.
Edit: Oh, it is a fighting game in case it wasn't clear.
You can bodyslam pig-men in it!
Also, Body Harvest is fantastic and was the actual precursor to the Grand Theft Auto III games.
Space Station: Silicon Valley is also incredible.
Beetle Adventure Racing was the best racing game on the N64.
The Transformers Fandom: Consistantly bitching about something or another since 1984.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/03/28/warbot_001/ - "WARBOT In Accounting"
Yet fantastic. Never finished it though, furthest I got was the stage set in the US in the '50s.
That was one of the best levels...
They were all the best levels tbh.
One of my favourite things to do was use the upgraded alien weapons cheat, get in a vehicle and shoot the handheld howitser cannon, which would send the vehicle flying across the gigantic levels...literally flying.
The Transformers Fandom: Consistantly bitching about something or another since 1984.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/03/28/warbot_001/ - "WARBOT In Accounting"
I friggen loved Aidyn Chronicles, the game was so massive in scale, I would just wander around. As a result of me loving that game I have ended up calling most of my rpg characters Alaron. Plus I still have the original cart somewhere.
Also, zombies plus combine harvester always made me smile.
Edit: Opium, did you just call a Zelda game obscure? Seriously?
That's the best Zelda game, it's a shame it's overshadowed by Ocarina of Time.
The Transformers Fandom: Consistantly bitching about something or another since 1984.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/03/28/warbot_001/ - "WARBOT In Accounting"
...Let's just say I didn't go sightseeing.
The combat system was fucking awesome.
I'm pretty sure this was a terrible fighting game, but I absolutely loved it.
I really don't remember much about it at all, other than the fact that I would play it for hours at my uncle's house.
Oh god, Kabuki Jo? Really?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdJxZ2xsaWc&feature=related
It was pretty bad.
[edit]
The Transformers Fandom: Consistantly bitching about something or another since 1984.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2009/03/28/warbot_001/ - "WARBOT In Accounting"
Wow, me and my brother used to play SD mode all the time. I doubt it's aged very well but man was it fun at the time.
fucking yes. Such a charming little game. fantastic theme tune as well.
also: Buck Bumble
A 3D flying shooter made by Argonaut, who did the original Starfox.
You played as a cyborg bee, fighting a variety of evil cyborg bugs in somebody's garden. The awesomely hilarious reggae theme tune made up for any deficiencies in gameplay or graphics.
Anyone ever play Mace : The Dark Age?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcomUBll0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGNMVJP_bNU
Steam - Minty D. Vision!
Origin/BF3 - MintyDVision
dont think it was obscure.. game was released on pretty much every platform there was, ps1 (which sucked) n64, dreamcast and pc, the pc and dreamcast are the best versions, the other two have stuff cut.
still one awesomely fantastic game, shame there was no sequel.
yes there was no sequel. ever.
do not talk about such evil things that never existed.
4 difficulties, jetpack action and stuff hidden everywhere, I loved it and cherished it until I stopped playing the Nintendo 64, where I lost this game cardtridge not long after.
I barely heard about this game anywhere on the internet, but the hidden codes in this game were a blast. Will buy again this if I comes to the Virtual Console.
If it gets released on VC, I am buying that shit. How does it stand up now?