The Video Game Critic's
Nintendo 64 Reviews M-R

While it fails to live up to the legacy of its SNES predecessors, MLB Featuring Ken Griffey does adopt a similar easy-to-play, arcade style. The controls are simple and games progress at a brisk pace. You still need to aim a "batter cursor" to hit the ball, but it's not especially hard to make contact. At least you don't have to wait for the catcher to toss the ball back to the pitcher. Fielding is fun, and the running system is one of the most intuitive I've seen. Remarkably, the game stumbles badly when it comes to graphics. Apparently the game employs some kind of "smoothed over" rendering technique that causes everything to look blurry and indistinct. Players mirror the mannerisms of their real-life counterparts, but their bodies tend to be extremely top-heavy. The animation is nice however, and the game consistently provides a good camera angle. Still, MLB lacks the level of quality usually associated with a Nintendo title. There are some notorious bugs, including one that makes playing a season practically impossible. You'll witness bizarre occurrences like a runner from first being tossed out at second after a solid base hit. In a game at Camden yards, the attendance was announced at over 48,000, yet the stands were practically empty! There's no instant replay feature, which is a another major no-no for a modern baseball game. The lack of commentary is equally lame, although Ken Griffey does chime in on occasion. I was hoping Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey would offer the same brand of fun as his SNES series, but its ugly graphics and numerous quirks prove otherwise. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

It's interesting how similar Mario Golf is to Hot Shots on the Playstation. I suppose that could be considered a compliment, since Hot Shots is by far the best golf series for the Playstation. Mario Golf's graphics are higher in resolution however, and you get to play as your favorite Nintendo characters instead of weird freaks. Mario Golf is easy and fun, and with few lulls in the action you can whiz through eighteen holes in just a few minutes. Adding replay value are some nice bonus modes. "Ring mode" challenges you to hit the ball through rings in addition to making par. "Club slots" mode randomly selects your three clubs for each hole, forcing you to employ unusual strategies. In "speed golf" you must finish a course as fast as possible, and while it would have made for a perfect split-screen contest, it's one-player only (rats!). There's also a betting screen that lets you to challenge your friends for the longest drive or closest shot to pin. Mario Golf is mostly good, but there are a few negative aspects. Lacking a manual camera control, it can be hard to tell where you're aiming, and the wire-frame grid that conveys hills and valleys tends to get in the way. The round ghost in the corner makes for a lousy wind indicator, since it's hard to tell which way he's facing. Finally, although fourteen characters and six courses are available, you'll begin with only four golfers and a single course, which kind of sucks. Still, this is a quality golf game that should keep you occupied for many lazy afternoons. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This is a slick 3D update of the classic SNES game, and while Mario Kart 64 is certainly good, it's not great. Up to four players can select from eight characters and sixteen imaginative courses. Each track provides a completely unique racing experience, and many feature some cool shortcuts. The control is fair, but gaining traction can be frustrating, especially on the more narrow tracks. A wide variety of crazy powerups add strategy and chaos. Unfortunately, the AI leaves something to be desired because Mario Kart 64 seems intent on keeping all of the races artificially close! And don't you think that special shell that goes after the leader is just a little bit unfair? A few of the tracks are too long, and that rainbow track is just plain boring. Personally I prefer Diddy Kong Racing over this. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

This innovative title ushered in a whole new genre of video games: the party game. Mario Party is a board game at heart, where players roll dice and move between spaces on a map. Yes, there are 56 action mini-games included (!), but if you're looking for nonstop action, you may want to look elsewhere. Mario Party is a well-designed, mixing the strategic gameplay of a board game with the excitement of an arcade title. The object is to collect the most stars, but you also collect coins, which indirectly help you obtain stars. Players take turns moving down paths on the board down that branch but eventually converge back together. Colored spaces trigger different events to occur. Once each player has taken a turn, all four players engage in a randomly-chosen mini-game. These games are preceded by simple instructions, and are usually a lot of fun to play. Many are based on classics like tug-of-war, hot potato, or musical chairs. Although a few rely on fast button mashing or rotating the joystick, none are particularly abusive on the controllers. After a set number of turns, the game ends and awards "bonus" stars for certain accomplishments before determining the ultimate winner. Mario Party is most fun with four players, but if you only have two or three, the computer can control the other characters. The one-player mode is pretty lame in comparison. My friends enjoyed Mario Party, but some complained that it takes too long to play. Even on the quick setting, a game can easily exceed an hour and a half. If you have the attention span however, Mario Party delivers some terrific multi-player mayhem. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

This Nintendo All-Star sports extravaganza attempts to mimic the addictive gameplay of Sega's Virtua Tennis (Dreamcast, 2000), and with fairly decent results. Fourteen of your favorite Nintendo characters are represented, including Yoshi, Peach, Toad, Boo, and Donkey Kong. The courts look simple but clean and attractive. The big yellow ball is easy to follow, and the color of its streak indicates what type of shot was taken. My main issue with Mario Tennis is its control scheme, which is far less intuitive than Virtua Tennis. Hitting combinations of the A and B buttons result in a number of various shots, including lobs (hit A then B), drop-shots (hit B then A), low slices (hit B twice), high top-spins (A twice) and smashes (A and B). And that's not all. You can "charge" your shots by holding in A or B, but unlike Virtua Tennis this causes you to "freeze" in place, and you'll have to press Z to "snap" out of it. The fact that the manual dedicates twelve pages to explaining the controls says it all. Mario Tennis is fun and competitive once you get a feel for it, but even then the game lacks that natural "flow" of Virtua Tennis. One annoying feature is how the instant replay automatically kicks in after every shot! I don't think I've ever wanted to see any of those! The game supports one to four players, and a tournament mode lets the solo player ascend the ranks. There's a doubles tournament included, but for some reason you can only play with a CPU partner - not a friend! There are a few wacky "bonus" games included, but these range from headache inducing (rings mode) to vomit inducing (tilting court). Mario Tennis is a quality title with a lot of bells and whistles, but I wish Nintendo would have shown a little constraint in the control department. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Micro Machines lets you race tiny toy cars (and boats) around normal household environments including a kitchen table, desk, pool table, and swimming pool. There's even a beach with sand castles! A super party game, Micro Machines allows up to eight players to play simultaneously using four controllers (two people per controller!). Unlike most racers, this game isn't played on a split screen. The camera simply follows the leader, and those who fall behind (off the screen) lose. It's a blast to play, especially with the wacky assortment of weapons available (like the big sledge hammer). The one player modes are less exciting, but they do allow you to unlock bonus cars which you can save and use later. The tracks convey a good sense of humor and attention to detail. The main problem with Micro Machines 64 has got to be its limited overhead view, which doesn't let you see much of the track ahead. If you go too fast, you may find yourself flying off the table before you even see it coming! As a result, success in this game is largely a matter of memorizing the tracks. Still, you can't beat Micro Machines for chaotic, multiplayer racing action. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

If you're looking for some hoops action for your N64, this is the only game you need to consider. Courtside 2 Featuring Kobe Bryant offers nice graphics, a truckload of options, and most importantly, engaging gameplay. The players look remarkably similar to their real-life counterparts, but the generic arenas are less impressive, lacking even bench or coaches. With the exception of an occasional hiccup in the frame-rate, Courtside's action is fast and fluid. The inside/outside game is well balanced, and you have plenty of moves at your disposal, including a crossover, quick first step, special dribbles, and pump fakes. But what's most impressive are the fancy low post moves. You'll definitely want to take advantage of these, because dunks in traffic are denied on a regular basis. The game's AI is impressive, except players sometimes take their sweet old time getting up the floor when they should be hauling ass! Other issues include a tough, overly-complicated foul-shooting system. The two-man commentary is limited, but I actually found these guys to be unintentionally funny at times. The normal simulation mode is great, but even better is the NBA Jam-style "arcade mode", featuring icons for 10-point shots, gravity-defying dunks, and players who can literally catch fire! Realistic enough for purists and wacky enough for casual players, I can highly recommend NBA Courtside 2. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

I was a huge fan of the original NBA Jam (Super Nintendo, 1993), but it's been easy to pass up the mediocre sequels Acclaim has been pumping out year after year. Still, when I saw NBA Jam 99 for $7.99, it was tough to resist. I soon discovered that the franchise has evolved from a simple two-on-two slam-fest to a full blown five-on-five simulation. That transition was not entirely successful. The original Jam was simple, fast and fun, with some of the flashiest graphics ever seen in a video game. NBA Jam 99, on the other hand, offers none of that. What is does offer is sluggish animation, awkward controls, and unspectacular graphics. The players don't look bad, but when they shoot or make a move to the basket, the action slows to a crawl. The dunks don't look the least bit impressive and the controls are erratic. The shoulder buttons are used to cycle through the players, making it impossible to select any player quickly. The so-called "Jam Mode" is supposed to give the game an arcade flair, but it's saddled with the same problems as the normal mode. Announcers Bill Walton and Kevin Harlan sound like Jesse Ventura and Marv Albert respectively, saying stupid things like "He's so fast you need to rub your eyes!". NBA Jam 99 does do a few things right. The players play to their actual abilities - you won't see a John Stockton dunk, or a Shaq execute a killer crossover dribble. The foul shooting system is original, and I like how the referee actually tosses the ball to the shooter! It seems trivial, but details like that are missing from most modern basketball games. Frequent steals and blocks add unpredictability to the game, and I like how the ball rattles inside the rim. Still, by straddling the line between fantasy and realism, NBA Jam 99 probably won't strike a chord with too many b-ball fans. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

I fell head over heels in love with NFL Blitz on the Playstation in 1998. Like NBA Jam (SNES, 1993) did years before, Blitz transforms its sport into an over-the-top, arcade bonanza. Instead of realistic animation and sprawling playbooks, you get non-stop action, over-the-top hits, and showboating galore. Hell, unsportsmanlike conduct is actually encouraged. This N64 "Special Edition" follows the same formula, but what's so special about this? An updated roster and some lame mini-games? C'mon now! Oh well, I still had a ball beating the stuffing out of my friends and rubbing it in mercilessly. The controls are simple as can be (two buttons!), and you can play an entire game in about ten minutes! The action moves at a torrid pace, but why is there an annoying five-second pause after each play?! You can use the opportunity to apply a late hit, but once the novelty of that wears off, the delay is just irritating. The player models look very angular (at least up close), but the bone-crunching tackles look great. I really like the simple kicking controls, but the collision detection between the ball and goal posts seems way off. The commentator makes a lot of smart aleck remarks, but once he starts repeating things, you just tend to tune him out. I was very dismayed by the complete lack of a halftime show. Considering the menus are plastered with hot digitized cheerleaders, you'd think Midway could have come up with something. A few suggestive cheerleader poses would have been sufficient. I enjoyed playing this game against friends, but facing the CPU isn't nearly as fun. He's cheap as hell, and since there's no marker underneath a CPU-controlled ball carrier, it's hard to tell who has the ball! NFL Blitz Special Edition is a fun lighthearted romp, but it feels like a big step down from the original. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

If GoldenEye was "A" material, Perfect Dark has to be an "A+". Using an enhanced version of the GoldenEye engine and taking full advantage of the expansion pack, this is the ultimate first-person shooter for the N64. No, you don't get the familiar James Bond characters, but you do get a lovely redheaded heroine named Joanna Dark. The game challenges you infiltrate a futuristic corporation and lay waste to scores of guards and aliens. The graphics are slightly improved over GoldenEye, with realistic shadowing, reflective glass, and slick modern environments. The angular Joanna Dark is probably the most poorly-rendered object in the game, but since you're playing from a first person perspective, it's not much of an issue. Enemies scream realistically when shot, and the blood is substantial. Interestingly, this was the very first Nintendo-published game to earn a Mature rating. The single player mode offers a compelling storyline and can also be played cooperatively with a friend! Thanks to the handy "take cover" and auto-aim mechanisms, blasting enemies has never been easier. You can carry and switch between a number of weapons, and each has a secondary function as well. There's even a remote-controlled camera that let's you scout out hazardous locations, and this presents you with a slightly distorted, circular view. Of course, it's the multi-player mayhem that appeals to most N64 gamers, and Perfect Dark delivers big time. You can now include CPU-controlled "simulants" to your split-screen contests, and these are far more than simple generic drones. You can select from a wide variety of behaviors, including "PreySims" which prey on the weak, "PeaceSims", which hoard weapons, "VengeSims" which take each attack personally, and the ultra-relentless "KazeSims". Better yet, you can mix and match these to your heart's content. These also allow to you engage in solo frag-fests when no one else is around. Robust option screens provide for endless customizations, including setting player handicaps and configuring teams. Rounding out this fine package is an outstanding futuristic soundtrack that perfectly conveys the drama and urgency of the game's underlying theme. Perfect Dark's graphics may be showing their age, but in terms of first person shooting action, it's held up remarkably well. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Okay, I'm reviewing this game under the disclaimer of having never played a Pokemon game before! I actually picked up Pokemon Stadium on clearance, and it's not too bad! For the benefit of the older folks, Pokemon are a series of Japanese cartoon monsters you can collect and battle against each other. Kids who play Pokemon on their Gameboys can transfer their creatures into this game via a transfer pack that's included with this cartridge. For Pokemon veterans, this cartridge is solid gold because it lets you download, view, organize, and trade your Pokemon. But you don't need a Gameboy to play Pokemon Stadium - you can "rent" Pokemon to play in the single-player tournaments or the multi-player battles. Over 151 are available, and I was fascinated by the variety and creativity of these creatures. The battles seem surprisingly simple, but there are subtle nuances that will be lost on the casual player. You choose a set of Pokemon for each battle, but the fighting is one-on-one. At the start of each round you select from a list of attacks. The action is carried out in the form of spells, with no physical contact between fighters. Certain types of attacks are more effective against specific types of creatures. You can swap your creatures in and out at any time, like a tag-team match. Once all creatures the creatures on a team are disabled, the match ends. Pokemon Stadium's graphics and audio are mediocre. The characters look good enough, but the arenas are boring. The announcer's voice isn't very clear, so you may want to turn him off. Extra modes include a set of simple four-player games. Pokemon Stadium is probably a must-have for Pokemon fans, but everyone else will find it only mildly amusing. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

If you enjoy the classic first-person shooting action of Doom, you'll feel right at home with Quake. Its modest polygon count might make the dungeons look fuzzy and the demons angular, but its rich colors and fluid frame-rate manage to hold everything together. You'll face knights, chainsaw-toting ogres, and even rottweiler dogs while prowling dark, torch-lit corridors. The moody lighting effects are terrific, and the red skies with their swirling clouds are beautifully hypnotic. The monsters can be fairly unpredictable. They'll fall over and get back up when shot, and sometimes they even turn on each other! Cool new weapons are available early and often, including nail guns, double-barreled shotguns, and the nasty "thunderbolt" which unleashes electricity like a water hose. The thumbstick is used to move, the C buttons strafe, and the trigger fires. As in Doom, it's not necessary (or even possible) to aim up or down. As long as your target is centered on the x-axis, it's vulnerable. Quake also gives you the ability to swim (I'm not a fan), and there are plenty of secret areas to uncover. The graphics aren't bad for the Nintendo 64, and the brooding, bass-heavy soundtrack adds tension and a sense of foreboding. The single-player mode is incredibly challenging - even on the "easy" difficulty. When you die, you have to restart the entire level! Curses! And who says there are no load times in cartridges? It's takes about ten seconds to "build" each stage! There's a split-screen mode to accommodate two players, but its jerky frame-rate and dark environments render it practically unplayable. Like most first-person shooters, this game hasn't aged particularly well, but if you're up for a challenge and can stomach the graphics, Quake will serve up your demons medium rare. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

This has aged far better than the original Quake, partly due to its revamped control scheme, which uses the four C buttons to move and the analog stick to aim (like Goldeneye). The controls are touchy, but the ability to aim (and look) in any direction provides for a more realistic, rewarding experience. The visuals and sound effects are noticeably more high-tech this time around. The stages look sharper, and excellent use of colored lighting adds a visual flair. The electronic musical score is generally understated, yet conveys an unmistakable feeling of isolation and paranoia. When you hear the sudden grunt of a monster, it sounds like he's breathing right down your neck! Each stage contains a few puzzles (usually of the find-the-key variety), and you'll sometimes need to contend with traps like timed laser beams. Among the more interesting enemies are flying droids, femme fatales called "Iron Maidens", and Terminator-like "Tanks". The first time I heard the massive stomps of one of these Tanks, it scared the living hell out of me. Your potent weaponry includes chain guns, rail guns, and the ever-popular "BFG 10K". The pixelated flying blood is gratifying, and igniting flammable barrels is always a good time. Quake II is challenging and fun for solo players, thanks to missions that tend to be short and sweet. The split-screen mode accommodates up to four players, but due to a choppy frame-rate it's just barely playable. If you're hankering for some solo old-school shooting action however, Quake 2 is food for your trigger finger. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Rally racing is known for its muddy off-road action, which usually involves the use of long power slides. The Saturn has Sega Rally and the Playstation has Rally Cross, but this Nintendo 64 entry isn't even in the same league. The poor graphics look more like a first-generation Saturn game, with scenery that looks chunky as hell. The pop-up is tolerable in the one-player mode, terrible in the two-player split screen, and absolutely heinous in the four-player mode! The road looks like it's being drawn right in front of your car! Slowdown is another major problem, bringing races to a crawl. The on-screen display has no radar or rank indicator, so you never know where you stand. You'll need a controller pack to save your progress and times, but this racer is one you may prefer to forget. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Ridge Racer was the groundbreaking title that launched the original Playstation (PS) to success in 1995, but it took five whole years for Nintendo fans to finally get a piece of this action. If you have all of the Playstation Ridge Racer games, you probably don't need this, right? Well, as it turns out, Ridge Racer 64 has a lot to offer, even for long-time fans. First and foremost, besides containing the tracks from the original Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution, you get a new track location made specifically for this game. The series has always been known for its bright, scenic locales, so cruising around a brand new one is always a treat. The graphics have a "smoothed out" look lacking in the PS games, and I even detected extra details you couldn't see in the older games. Ridge Racer's gameplay is pure arcade fun, with unrealistic controls and cars that bounce off each other. I prefer this brand of racing, but it's not for everyone. You can tap the brake to swerve around tight turns, but my friend lamented the lack of a reverse button. The collision detection is a little off, and when you touch the edge of grass, the game behaves like you're rubbing against a wall! The tracks are ideal in length and you get a large field of CPU cars to compete against. Vibration is used to good effect, and the impressive split screen supports up to four players. A slick new "grand prix mode" allows you to unlock new cars and save your progress to cartridge. Ridge Racer was never known for its music, and the awful, whimsical, electronic ditties in this game are bound to get on your nerves. RR64 arrived awfully late in the system's life cycle, but if you're looking for fun racing action on your N64, it doesn't get much better than this. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

After having a phenomenal run on the Sega Genesis and a terrific follow-up on the 3DO, I always wondered whatever became of the Road Rash series. Now I know: It got really, really boring. Making an undistinguished transition to the murky world of 3D graphics, Road Rash 64 lets you putt-putt over foggy hills like a grandmother on a Sunday morning drive. The sense of speed is non-existent - even after you upgrade your bike! In fact, the lack of speed was so bad that I found myself frantically paging through the instruction manual searching for some kind of gearshift control! The crisp rolling hills of the Genesis versions have been replaced with dull, faded scenery that all looks the same. The building-lined streets of the 3DO game absolutely put the dreary ones in this game to shame! Even the control scheme is poor, with no less than seven functions assigned to the four "C" buttons. The steering is okay for straight-aways, but what in the [expletive] are those 90-degree turns doing in this game?! Talk about ill-advised! The combat aspect of Road Rash 64 is equally lame. You can smack your opponent all day before he finally falls from his bike, and even hits with a spiked mace seem soft. The single-player mode is unbearable, so you know the four-player split-screen sucks. The muffled rock music soundtrack includes some old Sugar Ray, but it all gets lost in the buzz of the engines. Road Rash 64 is a monumental letdown. It took a classic high-octane racer and reduced it into a smoldering pile of manure. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

After the horrible Playstation version of Robotron X, Crave took the opportunity to make some much-needed improvements to the N64 version of this robot-shooting twitch game. For the most part, they seemed to forgo some of the fancy graphics in favor of improved gameplay (always a good idea). Gone are the crazy camera angles and cool explosions, leaving a game that looks a heck of a lot like the original Robotron arcade game. If only it was as fun! You view the action from high overhead so you can see the entire "board", and the "C" buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller are a fair substitute for a second joystick. But there's definitely something missing from Robotron X - oh yeah - the challenge! Even on the so-called "insane" difficulty level, I could play this indefinitely, wiping out wave after wave until my thumb was too sore to proceed! If there's a lesson to be learned from this mess, it's this: Stick to the original, classic Robotron 2084. It's incredibly addicting, infinitely more challenging, and available on William's Greatest Hits. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

After the first abysmal San Francisco Rush (1996), Midway apparently went back to the drawing board and made the necessary improvements for this sequel. To some degree or another, they addressed each and every one of the problems that plagued the original Rush, including shoddy graphics, irritating audio, and non-existent controls. In Rush 2, the fog has lifted to some extent, allowing you to enjoy a nice variety of scenic tracks set in New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. Some sweet shortcuts have been incorporated as well. There are a few "fantasy" courses tossed in, but these are less compelling that you might expect. There's still some minor fog, which unfortunately tends to hide the gray concrete barriers - until you slam into them at full speed! That was a really bad oversight by the developers. Still, Rush 2 manages to deliver a fun, high-speed racing experience. The tracks are easy enough to follow, and - *gasp* - you can actually steer your car this time. The power sliding isn't the same caliber as Ridge Racer, but as least it provides some degree of control. The cars model damage and tend to look like beat-up tin cans by the end of each race. The circuit modes are challenging, but I wish the number of laps could be adjusted, because three is usually too long. In terms of audio, the music has an old-school "gangsta" vibe that I dig, but the occasional sound effects like birds chirping in the park sound positively fake. When you hear that crowd roar, it's hard to tell if they're cheering or screaming in horror. Rush 2 has its flaws, but if you're looking for arcade racing on the N64, this one should do the trick. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.