Opinions about the N64

[shadow460]

Most of the games I've played on this system were actually decent, and that's made me look a second time at it for gaming purposes. I don't have a lot of carts for it, but now that they are getting cheap, I might pick up a few more than I had.

 

My only gripe with it it the Rumble Pak, which requires that a second controller be plugged in with the Controller Pak. I hardly ever use third party hardware, and I've not had any luck with switching from Controller Pak to Rumble Pak while the system's on.

Then there's the way the Rumble pak weights your controller at the front. Yuck.

 

To my surprise, I found that MRC uses the Rumble Pak. I thought MRC was a launch title, though, and wouldn't rumble. Guess I was wrong!

 

Any thoughts? Anyone else think the N64 is still viable as a low cost gaming system?

[ClassicBoy]

I still play my N64 from time to time and still pick up carts for it every once in awhile. The N64 really has a great library of games. One of the standouts for me is Resident Evil 2. It looks better than the Playstation version and has all the full-motion cutscenes with no load times. It's such a sturdy and cool looking system, too.

 

I'll always have a soft spot for the N64. The last great cartridge based home system.

[blastermaster]

I think its a good system. Perfect dark, goldeneye, mario 64...its got a good lib. The controler is kinda funky, but all in all godd stuff IMO!

 

~Jon

[Lost Monkey]

What's MRC?

[Uber Troll]

For some reason I love WipeOut on this system, pop-up and all

[Lost Monkey]

For some reason I love WipeOut on this system, pop-up and all

936158[/snapback]

 

 

I have Wipeout 64 and I was really impressed with it... I was used to the Saturn version though.

 

Also Beetle Adventure Racing - some very cool tracks, although not many...

 

But the game that really stands out for me on the N64 is Super Mario 64. After seeing the speed runs posted here recently, I started playing it again and tried some of the tricks - I got to the final level with only 16 stars and I was having a blast...

 

 

It is a great system for my little girls - the cartridges aren't going to get scratched up, there are many kid friendly games, and thanks to Game Crazy's $5.00 sale, they have about 30 games to play when they are old enough to be interested.

[Atariboy]

MRC = Multi Racing Championship

 

Wasn't a launch title, came out in 1997 I believe.

[+remowilliams]

I was way more excited about the N64 than the Gamecube or the "Revolution"

 

Though a lot of that had to do with Goldeneye. I was floored when I first saw it in a pre release display. I actually stood there and played with the damn kiosk for like an hour, and I never touch those things.

 

I think the N64 is a great little system, the carts hurt it in the end - but nice nonetheless.

 

I really loved it after I got a Z64 and was able to play a whole new range of games

Edited September 22, 2005 by remowilliams

[Avid Fan]

I just picked up an N64 this past spring and totally took advantage of the gamecrazy 5 dollar sale. Damn cool system IMHO, but some widely hyped games just didn't really do it for me (donkey kong) and Mario 64 is cool and all, but I guess I'm just not a 3D platformer guy. I loved Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, and I'm not a big FPS guy. Mario Kart 64, whats not to love

[dogcorn]

I have mildly favorable feelings toward the N64, for sentimental reasons. My roommate used to have one and we'd spend hours playing Diddy Kong racing. One time I went to sleep, and my roomie and his friend were playing NBA Jam. When I got up at 8am they were still at it. LOL

 

Unfortunately, I cannot vouch for the controllers. The analog joystick gets all crumbly reeeal fast, esp. if you have a game like Mario Party.

[shadow460]

wipEout 64 and Saturn wipEout are night and day different. The Saturn version is based on the very first wipEout game for PSX. wipEout 64 is the N64 port of wipEout XL. Each of those ports has its ups and downs, but wipEout XL can really only be enjoyed with a good steering wheel (PC version) or the negCon "twist pad".

 

All that aside, I think Piranha II is bittersweet in wipEout 64. It was better with just raw speed, but the loss of weapons in XL was noticeable.

 

I've got most of the wipEout titles (minus wipEout 3 and the very newest one after Fusion), and they're all decent. Saturn wipEout leaves a bit to be desired, as it does not support analog control.

Also note that wipEout XL is not fully compatible with the PS2--it uses negCon analog control only, which the PS2 does not recognize.

 

Nintendo solved the analog control problem, though. I'm gald the 64 came stock with analog pads, as it forced everyone else to follow suit with the next systems.

I was thinking, too, that I have games for the first and last cart based systems (well the 2600 is close enough to first) in my collection.

Really, if you can ignore the cost, carts have a lot of advantages to them. Nowdays they can even have miniature drives in them, but then it's more of a hybrid than a cart. Even with the lack of durability (for a cart anyway), the games are far more difficult to damage than a CD-ROM. I usually just stack my N64 and my 7800 carts on my gaming set, unless I ain't gonna play 'em for a while (then they go into a case of some sort). You can't do that with CD's. My Saturn games are all in a case, but I have seven carts within a couple of feet of the consoles--5200 Galaxian, 7800 Ballblazer, 7800 Asteroids, 7800 Centipede, Galaga, Activiosn Skiing, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. I gotta go digging through CD cases for PC, PSX/PS2, Saturn, or DC games.

 

I guess as long as one doesn't toos the N64 around, it'll last them a while.

I wonder how many games it's got?

 

Here's what I have

Ocarina of Time

Majora's Mask

Goldeneye

Perfect Dark

Extreme G

XG2

MRC

wipEout 64

PilotWings 64

StarFox 64

Next on my list are the games i used to have but sold:

San Francisco Rush

Shadows of the Empire

Killer Instinct Gold

Blast Corps

 

Oops, almost forgot--gotta get Bomberman!!!

Edited September 22, 2005 by shadow460

[christianscott27]

as i've said before, i'd keep mine just for rogue squadron alone! oddly enough the battle for naboo follow up really sucked but anyways...

 

the crazy thing about the N64 is how quickly it sunk to junk status in the used market. when i head out to the flea markets these days they are everywhere for dirt cheap. most of the time i can pick up the carts for about $3. i've got around 50 games for it now and i really enjoy it as a collectible system. the thing to do is pick up controllers that are in working order, its a big multiplayer system and i predict finding 4 working controllers will be tough in ten years. so many of the sticks i find have the little joystick snapped off.

[Flojomojo]

Shadow -- that's a nce collection you've got there. Many cream of the crop games.

 

I really liked the N64, it was a lovely little system. The best games on it really felt substantial, like a lot of effort was placed in tuning them. The rock-solid 3D graphics didn't hurt, either. I really should drag out my system and play with it soon. I just wish there were wireless controllers and higher screen resolutions ... I'm spoiled by the current generation.

[joeybastard]

I love my 64, it has a solid library of games and some of my favorite controllers to boot. Hard to say what my favorite games are on that system since I seem to get "hooked" on certain games from time to time.

 

Off the top of my head, I'd recommend:

Pilot Wings 64

Blast Corps

Conker's Bad Fur Day

Jet Force Gemini

All of the Mario Party games

RE2

Rogue Squadron(add in the code and play as a 60's Lincoln Continental!)

[Vic George 2K3]

Some things I didn't like about the Nintendo 64:

 

1) The games when they first came out costing around $80.

 

2) Too few good and/or original games for me to play.

 

3) Nintendo deciding not to release the 64 Dynamic Drive stateside.

 

4) Rare pandering to South Park fans by making Conker and his game just like the show and characters. (And I think pandering is the right adjective in that statement.)

[joeybastard]

Some things I didn't like about the Nintendo 64:

 

 

4) Rare pandering to South Park fans by making Conker and his game just like the show and characters. (And I think pandering is the right adjective in that statement.)

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1 game makes you have a problem with the entire system?

 

Conker is just like South Park? That's a stretch at best. It's like saying South Park invented swearing and potty humor.

 

You can think pandering is the right word but I think you'd best be careful not to slip off of your high horse. If the game wasn't good and was just swearing and sex jokes, it would be a different situation. It's a game clearly made and marketed for adults who find that sort of thing funny. Don't play it if it offends your delicate sensibilities.

Edited September 22, 2005 by joeybastard

[ClassicBoy]

as i've said before, i'd keep mine just for rogue squadron alone! oddly enough the battle for naboo follow up really sucked but anyways...

 

the crazy thing about the N64 is how quickly it sunk to junk status in the used market. when i head out to the flea markets these days they are everywhere for dirt cheap. most of the time i can pick up the carts for about $3. i've got around 50 games for it now and i really enjoy it as a collectible system. the thing to do is pick up controllers that are in working order, its a big multiplayer system and i predict finding 4 working controllers will be tough in ten years. so many of the sticks i find have the little joystick snapped off.

936330[/snapback]

 

 

The way the analog stick wears out on the control pad concerns me too. I've seen replacement parts on ebay that let you swap out the whole analog mechanism and stick with a brand new one. They are offered in different quantities. Anyone tried this?

[ninjarabbit]

I give the N64 an 8.5/10, it's great for FPS and platformers (Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are still the best FPS of all time in my eyes) but it's crap for fighters and rpgs, though Super Smash Bros and Ogre Battle 64 are gems though.

[figgler]

Yeah I had a whole lotta fun with my N64 in the day. I spent hours upon hours getting 100% completion on Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie alone. Rogue Squadron, Quake 2, Battle for Naboo, Mario Kart, both Zeldas, Smash Bros and Mishief Makers ("shake, shake") all stick out in my mind as great moments in gaming.

I sold off the ol N64 years ago though, and I probably won't go back to collecting for it. I can't really say why, I just never had a deep love for the system like I do with other Nintendo machines I guess. Hopefully we'll get some good classics available via Revolution's downloading. That'll quell my nostalgia for the 64 nicely

[ninjarabbit]

The biggest 'problem' with the N64 was that it was the followuo to the SNES, agruably the greatest console of all time.

[MCHufnagel]

I just love my N64. It really ranks up there, even without a lot of the 3rd party support that the SNES had. But that is another story for another time!

I really don't have any problems switching between the rumble pak and the memory card though. I find that the games stay at that screen until you press the A button.

It is a great system to collect for. I have 35 games for it, and they are all good to great games. I bought the system late in it's life for my kids. They were really into Pokemon and wanted the Stadium games. So I bought it early in 2000. As far as the prices on used games and systems, I noticed a big price drop 1 - 1 1/2 years ago and the prices have slowly gone down in the last 6 months.

This is a great system to buy now because most of them have been dumped after the GameCube came out. I'm sure down the road prices will go up. After all it is the last cartridge based home console.

[Dones]

Some things I didn't like about the Nintendo 64:

 

1 game makes yoiu have a pronblem with the entire system?

He may not have given more reasons, but I can come up with some:

 

* Nintendo's stubborness to stick with carts was the most decisive negative factor in N64's image during its days. The industry and consumers embraced and moved forward to CD technology, making the system look limited and crippled in many consumer minds.

* One of the areas carts crippled the N64 was audio. Nintendo tought people would be fine with MIDI soundtracks for its games. The Playstation raised the bar with cd-quality music. It was only understandable gamers were put off by N64's lacking music quality.

[To be fair devs eventually learned to cram music files to avoid this shortcoming. RARE did some ingenious use of dynamic midi music with Banjo Kazooie.]

* People like intro videos. Playstation had a lot of them, N64 didn't. Personally I don't really care but I remember people dissing the N64 for not having enough videos. Playstation redefined again what to expect from a game.

* Some people didn't like the controller. The three prong approach confused many and deterred some. People back then were wowed by the Playstation and the dualshock. It's design is deeply ingrained in people's mind and used by comparison even to this day. (I happen to like the controller [it works extremely well for emulation] but that's me).

* Nintendo 64 suffered some of the worst game droughts in console history. It was not uncommon to go for months with 1 or 2 releases per month and yes in some instances there were months were no games were released at all. Some publishers (in an effort to reduce losses) made direct to Blockbuster releases. It was that bad. It is interesting to mention the Gamecube is suffering with these same problems as well (though at a lesser extent).

* Just like today with Gamecube getting 2nd chair attention to Nintendo portables, the N64 suffered the same fate. Nintendo owes a lot to RARE for keeping the console afloat (and out of the red). Without a doubt they were the premier developer for the unit. Sure Nintendo released Mario, Pokemon and Zelda, but it were RARE titles (Goldeneye, DK64, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker) that kept the unit from having games worth playing while Nintendo was busy attending the Gameboy.

 

Like today, if you bought a Nintendo 64 it was to play Nintendo games. More sorely felt was the absence of certain genres and variety. Basically the unit had the same problems the Gamecube suffers today, but its symptoms more accute. Like today Nintendo managed to stay profitable although never as successful as their competitors. Still if you didn't mind any of this there were some good titles to be found.

 

EDIT: Post was too long. Shortened it a bit.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Dones

[christianscott27]

Some publishers (in an effort to reduce losses) made direct to Blockbuster releases

 

how does that work, dollars and cents wise?

 

anyways i still want to get my hands on the BB exclusive indiana jones and the infernal machine

[sega saturn x]

Let me put it this way, i would pick my saturn and psx over the 64 in a heart beat. The n64 has some good games my favorite being kirby 64. And i would still like to get paper mario mystic ninja and maybe ogre battle 64. Most of the games haven't aged well and the system only has two 2-d platformers. It really seems like the cube has better versions of many of the worth while 64 games.

[Famicoman]

N64 is my fav. I have about 50 carts. Be sure to get Perfect Dark, and Goldeneye.