Is The N64 Crippled for 2D games? or "How many 2D games exist for N64?"

[vdub_bobby]

What do you mean by big holes, that you think most of the games weren't good?

No no no! Many of the games were great, some of my favorites are Defender, Donkey Kong, Squish 'Em, The Dreadnaught Factor, Hard Hat Mack, Lode Runner, Mr. Do!, Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory, O'Riley's Mine, Spelunker, Boulder Dash, etc.

 

But if you are looking for a Metroid-style platform adventure, what have you got? If you are looking for a side-scrolling, SMB/Sonic-style platformer, what have you got? Where is the R-Type-style side-scrolling shoot-em-up? Where is the Final Fantasy-style RPG? Where is the Zelda/Cystalis-style action adventure? That's what I mean by holes.

Edited August 3, 2007 by vdub_bobby

[A Sprite]

Where is the Zelda/Cystalis-style action adventure?

 

Not going to touch this one...

 

If you want to see N64 do 2D...

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2007 by A Sprite

[vdub_bobby]

Where is the Zelda/Cystalis-style action adventure?

 

Not going to touch this one...

Just to be clear, I was writing about the Atari 8-bit line of computers with that comment.

[A Sprite]

Where is the Zelda/Cystalis-style action adventure?

 

Not going to touch this one...

Just to be clear, I was writing about the Atari 8-bit line of computers with that comment.

 

D'oh.

[Jess Ragan]

Where is the Zelda/Cystalis-style action adventure?

 

Not going to touch this one...

 

If you want to see N64 do 2D...

 

 

 

 

Good call! And let me add one to that list... Rakugakids by Konami. Not only is it one of the few 2D games on the Nintendo 64, but it's also one of the only Street Fighter clones. Imagine a more frantic version of that Capcom classic with paper-thin characters, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect.

 

JR

[shadow460]

The only games I've played that come close to 2d are KI gold, Asteroids Hyper 64, and StarCraft 64. Command and Conquer is done almost entirely in 3D. Hence the full name: Command & Conquer 3D. Only the mission briefings and the menus are 2D. It's an excellent port of the game as long as you can get past the lack of FMV in the briefings.

[Video]

Am I the only person on the plannet that couldn't stand the 3D zeldas?

 

Er...And I'll say that the reason I bought the 64 OVER the PSX...was actually because of carts. Sure, there was a lack of 2D games, but that was the era of 3D anyways, so it was kind of expected. There was more 2D on the PSX (if you love fighters...I don't) But considering there was over a thousand games for the PSX, it probably still had a rather limited supply of 2D games as well.

 

Still, the N64, in comparrison to the PSX is actually quiet a bit supperior (in terms of capability) than the PSX, first, it had 4megs of ram built in, upgradeable to 8 megs (wasn't it 1 or 2 megs on the PSX) Top that off with the cart, which adds almost unlimited upgradeabillity, so I'd say, no. The N64 was not crippled for 2D games. It was just released at the wrong time to have a 2D library.

 

The 64 was actually limited in thew 3D area though. (though spec wise, it's technically supperior to the PSX still) The problem is, the system was built ground up for 3D games, so it simply didn't have 2D games, but it was really built up to play Mario 64, which hurt it in the 3D relm, but damn....did it have a killer first app.

[shadow460]

I never could complain about the N64's 3D visuals. Many of them look rudimentary, but they range from acceptable to jaw dropping. Most of the Star Wars titles are closer to the "jaw dropping" end of the scale. *puts on flame suit* IMO, Perfect Dark is there as well, and would truly be perfect if the frame rate would stay consistent. For the time, I think the picture quality of PD's visuals is excellent.

wipEout 64 outperformed XL on the PlayStation. extreme-G got close to that visual level, too. Rush looked decent, IMO. Everyone knows Goldeneye's gameplay made up for its horrid 3D. Ocarina of Time looked better than Goldeneye did, and I liked it a bit better, too. Now those are all pre expansion pak games. Bust out the Expansion Pak and you've got games like Rogue Squadron and Episode I Racer.

 

I doubt the N64 was crippled in any area. If I had to pick one, it would be FMV for obvious reasons. Still, I'll take rendered cutscenes like Perfect Dark and Majora's Mask over thirty second loading times.

Another game comes to mind, though. It's a PC only game, Command and Conquer: Renegade. It has no FMV. All the cutscenes in that game are rendered as well, even though they could easily have been stored on either of the two game discs. It was released while the N64 was still active.

On that note, there are a lot of non N64 games I've played with all rendered cutscenes. Unreal Tournament, Grand Theft Auto: LCS, Renegade...I gotta think of more...

Edited August 6, 2007 by shadow460

[Hackmann]

I doubt the N64 was crippled in any area.

I've got four words for you: "4 kilobyte texture cache". I suspect many N64 dev teams had a list of SGI employees that they wanted to throttle because of that little doozy.

[shadow460]

I doubt the N64 was crippled in any area.

I've got four words for you: "4 kilobyte texture cache". I suspect many N64 dev teams had a list of SGI employees that they wanted to throttle because of that little doozy.

 

That's actually three words and a number.

 

The hardware's limitations don't seem to show through enough for me to notice them much, though.

[Hackmann]

The hardware's limitations don't seem to show through enough for me to notice them much, though.

They show through in the number of high-quality games available for the system, and especially in the number of high-quality third-party titles. Between the arcane graphics hardware and the added expense and headache of developing for a cartridge-based system, a lot of developers just stayed the hell away from the N64.

[Atarifever]

Most true gamers would rate the N64 near the top of all time BEST systems...

Well write me off the true gamer list. I mean, I love the Saturn, Dreamcast, Jaguar, N-Gage, SMS, 7800, Neo Geo Pocket Color, O2, and Gamecube, but even I can't find any reason to rate this system in the top 50%, let alone at the top.

[shep]

I'm a huge Nintendo fan, and for me, it may not rate as the worst console ever, but it ranks pretty low on the top console list in my opinion. I cannot stand many of its games visual styles as well as the clunky controller that is only made well in Mario 64 and StarFox 64.

[Ross PK]

Am I the only person on the plannet that couldn't stand the 3D zeldas?

 

Not at all, I find them unbelievably boring and can't understand where the gameplay (the thing that makes you want to play a game) is.

 

Oh yeah and not being able to skip through the 'fairytale' cut scenes and having to sit through them pissed me off too. I ended up watching the TV when they came on.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Ross PK

[kevincal]

Most true gamers would rate the N64 near the top of all time BEST systems...

Well write me off the true gamer list. I mean, I love the Saturn, Dreamcast, Jaguar, N-Gage, SMS, 7800, Neo Geo Pocket Color, O2, and Gamecube, but even I can't find any reason to rate this system in the top 50%, let alone at the top.

 

So you LOVE the Gamecube but don't like the N64 at all huh...LOL Well that makes no sense since both systems are nearly exactly the same in regards to their respective generations...In that both have shit 3rd party support but killer Nintendo games... You don't make sense.

[Atarifever]

So you LOVE the Gamecube but don't like the N64 at all huh...LOL Well that makes no sense since both systems are nearly exactly the same in regards to their respective generations...In that both have shit 3rd party support but killer Nintendo games... You don't make sense.

This is the most ridiculus thing I've ever read. The N64 has Zelda: OoT and Zelda: MM. The Gamecube has Zelda: OoT, Zelda: MM, Zelda: WW, and Zelda: TP. The N64 has something like 300 games total, the Gamecube has something over 300 third party games! Included in the Gamecubes third party support is some of the biggest names, like Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Metal Gear, and Resident Evil. So no, their third party support is pretty far from identical. The Gamecube has two Metroid games, the N64 has zero. The Gamecube has some rythm games, the N64 has, I think, zero. The Gamecube has a better Mario Kart. The Gamecube has Baiten Kaitos 1 and 2 and Tales of Symphonia, the N64 has what? Quest 64? The N64 has the better Mario (Mario 64), but Mario Sunshine is pretty competent. The Gamecube can have it's libary expanded by over 1000 games by adding the Gameboy Player, the N64 cannot. The Gamecube has the better Smash Bros. game. The Gamecube uses a cheaper medium, which was reflected in the game prices. The Gamecube got Animal Crossing in North America, the N64 did not. The Gamecube has the Pikmin games. I mean, the Gamecube has pretty much every genre covered in some way, while the N64 misses entire genres. So let's see, over double the games, something like 3 times the third party support, and an answer to pretty much every N64 game, with usually a better game, and then more Nintendo franchises, no, I can't see liking the Gamecube better at all, if you hate videogames I mean.

[Atari5200]

dude, just stop talking...

[Atarifever]

dude, just stop talking...

Paint.

[kevincal]

Huh? lol...

[Atarifever]

Huh? lol...

That's easier than arguing with him and side tracking the thread.

 

 

I think we'll agree to disagree on this one in the end, as the N64 is one of my last favorite systems (as are all pre-Gamecube Nintendo systems) and the Gamecube is one of my favorites. Besides, there are few enough Jaguar fans for us to be arguing about anything, and Atari systems are all that really matter in the end.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Atarifever

[phuzaxeman]

Basically, this is a spin off on the topic "PSX Was Crippled in the 2D area?". Ever noticed that there were next to no 2D games for the N64? Last time I counted, the amount was somewhere in the single digits! Looking back, it's a marvel that Yoshi's Story got as much recognition as it did. Apparently, Nintendo really meant it when they said that the N64 was going to be a console for 3D games.

 

I challenge anyone to find more than 10 2D (2.5D allowed) games for the N64. I don't think it's possible! And, thomasholzer, I think I'm beginning to see why you think N64 is the worst console of all time: No 2D games! Am I right?

 

think about the time? snes and genesis were one their way out...the jag, 3do were hanging barely around.....and of course the psx, why would people from nintendo make lots of 2d games? that would go backwards.

 

and for the record, games like killer instinct, mortal, and the new tetris where great 2D games during their time and were n64.