Nintendo 64: The Under-Rated Console

You Know What's Going To Be Here: Background
To start off my review on a somber note, it's midnight, on a Saturday night. This is one of my last few nights of the winter break, and I am doing nothing. I officially have no life, and me writing this review, at this time, is a testament to that statement. Remember that all you epinioners out there. If I'm ever bragging about anything in my reviews, (Exception: Madden 2001 review) boasting about how good I am, how my writing is ingenious, (It may not be, but don't knock me down now) and how my daddy can beat up your daddy, simply say "Pav, remember your Nintendo 64 review?" That right there will be enough to humble me and put me down to or below the normal level of the "Ego Meter." In any event, if I'm going decide to write a review at this time of night, and hurt my own self-esteem, this may as well be it. This is the unofficial 200th review on a console that sits very close to my heart, the Nintendo 64.

My Nintendo 64 and I: Friends Forever
On December 25, 1996 I received my last official gift from Santa Clause. Sure, I still get gifts labeled "From Santa", but it's all just to humor my little sisters. If you’re a very young kid reading this review, (Doubting it, I really am) I truly apologize for breaking the news to you that there is no Santa. It's not a big deal though; you would have learned it in the years to come. Anyway, that gift, under the tree, was the black rectangle of fun that I had been wishing for, the Nintendo 64. Since that day, for nearly 5 years, the Nintendo 64 and I were best friends. I loved my N64, as it will be called from here on, and I really think it loved me back. I tried my best to only put the highest quality of games into it, and always made sure that we visited as often as possible. Yes, Gamecube has somewhat replaced the N64, but my time with this little black system will always be looked upon by me as some of the happiest moments of my childhood. (Tear, tear)

N64 In Action: The Best Of It's Time
In the times of 1996 and 1997, the N64 was seen as an innovation to the gaming industry. When this thing came out, it was sweet; Case closed. The great thing about the N64 was that it showcased many things that the gaming industry had never seen before. Up to this time, the world had yet to see a console that featured 64 bit graphics.(The Atari Jaguar does not count, I don't consider it a gaming system.) This was also the advent of the standard 4-controller ports.(no multi tap needed) In addition to that, it had a quick 94 MHZ (93.75) processor. Sure, 94 MHZ is nothing for today's standards, but compare the 94 MHZ that the N64 has to the just under 34 MHZ that the Psx has, and the difference is like night and day. It showcased a few lasts for in the gaming industry as well. Along with being the first console with 64 bit graphics, it would prove to be the last.(Again Jaguar=Bad) Along with being the last 64 bit system, it is, for now, the last system to use cartridges for it's games rather than discs.

N64 Graphically: Not. Too. Shabby.
Graphically, the N64 was a real eye opener. No, the N64 was not the first to feature 3D graphics, but it was the first to perfect the use of them you. With the Psx, you saw so many triangles, squares, and sometimes pentagons in the graphics that you felt like you were studying geometry.(I hate geometry) With the N64 that was not a problem. Nintendo was the first to make a system that was graphically powerful enough to support "Realistic" 3D setting. The objects and figures were always rounded, and the background was always detailed. This is something gamers had never seen before, but would get used to in the years to come. I will mention some of the games with great graphics in the games section of this review.

Sound: Nothing Awesome, But Not A Letdown
The sound capabilities for the N64 are nothing but decent. Yes, it can showcase clear sounds, but it will not amaze you. One of the downsides of the Carts,(cartridges) is that the sound quality in a cart can never meet or beat the sound quality of a Cd. Your ears, on the other hand, will not want to crawl into your head or anything,(as long as you're not playing madden 2001) because the sound quality is never that pathetic. Most great games for the N64 made the best of the sound capabilities. It could support multiple tracks, sound effects, and many a background tune. On the other hand, it never really was too good with voice. Overall, the sound gets the job done, but hardly ever amazes the ears.

Controller: Nintendo Has Done It Before, They Do It Here, And They Will Do It Again
Nintendo has long been known for producing great controllers. The controller for the N64 defiantly does not break the chain. At first glance, the N64 controller is huge.(Like the Xbox's, but with a comfortable shape) The 3 long handles on the controller on the right hand side, the left-hand side, and in the center really stand out. But regardless of the size, and the long handles, this controller was made for comfort. With the long handles, your hand slipped right into the grooves of the controller. After a couple of hours, you were used to the controller, and you were good to good to go. This controller featured many buttons. You've got the R and L buttons, The A and B buttons, the start button, the D pad, the new analog stick, the new Z button, and the New C up, C down, C left, and C right buttons. The A and B buttons serve as the action buttons in most games. Like in Zelda 64 where you use the B button for attacking, and the A button for almost everything else. The R and L buttons are used as extras to the A and B buttons. The new Z button is regularly used as a trigger button. For instance, back in Zelda 64 you would target objects and opponents with it. The C buttons are used for many things, but often control camera angles. The start button, as usual, will take you to the menu/pause screen. The new analog stick is just a 360 degree control pad, which proved to be perfect for 3D gaming, and is used interchangeably in many games with the D pad. With many buttons, and great comfort, the N64 controller will surely add to the fun and excitement of gaming.

Carts: Not As Bad As You Think They Are
My love for carts was always a vast love, but here, I am going to keep it brief. The N64 put their games on cartridges, and with carts, there are many upsides, and many downsides. I personally love the cartridges because they are much more durable than cds. They are hard as rock, difficult to break, well protected, and they don't scratch. They can not be burned,(copied) which can be viewed as an upside or downside. While they produced some great games, they also prevented the production of many more great games. Various developers found the carts too difficult to develop games onto. This left developers like squaresoft, capcom, and even EA to play only a small role in the development of games for the N64.

Games: What? N64 Has No Good Games?
As I looked back and thought of all the N64 games that I had played, I was really amazed at all the great games the N64 had. The problem may have been the lack of many good games. N64 had about dozen great games, a few good games, and lot of mediocre games. I have reserved this space to be as used for my Top Ten N64 Games!

10: Donkey Kong 64- If you were a big fan of Donkey Kong for Snes, than you'll love this game. 5 total Donkey Kong characters in a HUGE game. Many levels, secrets, extras, and so on.

9: Star Fox 64- One of the very under rated games for N64. When you put together a great 3D shooter with a great storyline, you get a great game.

8: WcW/Nwo Revenge- If you're into wrestling,(I've grown out of it) then this is the one for you. Great game play with a lot of old school wrestlers.

7: Perfect Dark- Play as Joanna Dark and take down corruption. Actually, the missions aren't that cool, but the multiplayer is. Very similar to bond, and almost as good.

6: Madden 2001- By far the best sports game for N64. John Madden brings back all the Nfl Teams, with the Madden signature game play. Try exhibition, practice, season, tournament, 2-minute drill, or franchise mode. Hours and hours of fun. Read my review for more.

5: Zelda: Majora's Mask- Zelda is back for a second helping on the N64. You control Link as he tries to save the planet from the coolest looking moon ever, which will crash down onto the Earth in 3 days. Save the world again, or go eat lunch?

4: Goldeneye 007- The greatest FPS game ever.(In My opinion) Take James Bond through a plethora of levels from his movie Goldeneye, or battle with your friends in the awesome multi-player mode. Ohhhhh Jammmmesss!

3: Marion Cart 64- The sequel to Mario Cart for Snes! Strap one of 8 of your favorite Nintendo characters into a go-cart, and start your engines. Take home the Mushroom cup, Flower cup, Star Cup, or special cup by winning a grand prix. Or play against your friends in a battle mode.

2: Mario 64 Mario is back again in an all-new 3D adventure. With masterful graphics and controls this game is one of the bests. Battle through various stages and try to collect all the coins. It's the game that started it all, it's a must havefor an N64 collection.

1: Zelda 64 The gem of the set of games for the N64. Link must once again save the princess Zelda from the evil Gannondorf. Go through dungeons, volcanoes, towns, and fields on your question. The greatest graphics and controls you'll see on the N64. If you have an N64, you better have this as well.

Yes those were my top 10 N64 video games. If you get an N64, and a few of these 10 games, you will surely have hours of great gaming. Sure N64 doesn't have hundreds of good games, but it has a few great ones, and I personally am one to buy the great ones, and rent the good ones. I feel that a few of the games on this are some of the best of their time, if not ever. Other games to play include Super Smash Bros, Banjo Kazooe, Waverace, Nhl 99, Paper Mario, and the Mario Party series.

What Went Wrong?
Why do SOME, not me, not support the N64? The N64 is viewed as a "for kids" system. Because Nintendo failed to make a lot of "M" games for the system, and produced a lot of cartoony games for it, some people think this system is only for kids. I disagree. The great games that Nintendo pumps out for their systems are meant for enjoyment by all. Super Mario 64 may not have blood and gore, or zombies, but it has a classic and developed story line. Zelda 64 doesn’t use guns when fighting, nor have graphic killing, but it does have a character, link, that gamers feel for. I wanted Link to succeed, not only because I wanted to beat the game, but also because I felt for the little man. Just because it's not only for adults, doesn't mean it's only for kids. If you can truly call yourself a devoted gamer, then there are various games for N64 for that you will play and enjoy.

My Final Thoughts On N64
If your in the market to buy a gaming system, and don't want to spend the big bucks on one of the next generation consoles, than N64 would be a great system for you. You can find them all over the place in the 40-50$, and the games range from 20-40$.(sometimes more, sometimes less) If you have an N64, and are looking for some games to play, I would recommend trying some of the games in my list. Overall, I think that Nintendo 64 is a pretty darn good system, and really doesn't deserve some of the bad rap that it gets, if you haven't played it, find someone that has it, and give it a shot. As for my N64, while it may be currently shoved aside because of my Gamecube, I guarantee that I will periodically take it back out, and give it some PT. (playing time)

This review is over, yes it is. It’s currently 3:30 in the morning in the cold, tundra-like setting that is Michigan. I’m sorry is this review slowly and slowly slipped as it got close to the end. I really couldn’t devote all of my time to this review because I had to help a friend fix her computer. Either way, I edited this right before posting it, and mechanically, it’s pretty well written. I don’t know what is yet to come. Will I ever be writing another review at 3 in the morning? Will I ever get to bed? Do any of you care? I’ll thank any of you who read this review in advance, and just in case we don’t me again for a while, Happy New Year!