The N64 Thread


Kscriv

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I should probably weigh in here, as I'm 50% to blame for the creation of this thread.

I think Dubs brings up some points that aren't just perfectly valid, but absolutely true about the N64 being a turning point for Nintendo in a bad way. The generation in question was the worst for Sega as it forced them out of the home console market (and given the incurred losses of making systems, it's debatable as to how much of a "loss" that is), but the Playstation did overtake the N64 in market superiority and attracted the third party developers that couldn't work with the N64's hardware limitations. As such, Nintendo wouldn't recover until the Wii, and even then, at the expense of the "hardcore gamer", who feel/felt alienated by the abandonment of being catered to: something the Gamecube continued to attempt, despite being way behind in the race.

That being said, it's my favourite system for bringing me my favourite games in gaming history (and I owned both a NES and a SNES beforehand). I am NOT arguing that it's the greatest or most important game system of all time, and was never attempting to. It's simply my favourite. Super Mario 64 introduced me to 3D platformers in the sames way Super Mario Bros. introduced me to 2D platformers as a 5 year-old. Banjo Kazooie bettered it in every way. Goldeneye was a wonderful (if ugly) game and arguably had more people sitting down to enjoy a multiplayer scenario than its PC forbears. I would stress the word "arguably" though.

For all the developers that would desert the N64, it was on this console that Rare (whose headquarters are in my home county) experienced their renaissance, following their successful Donkey Kong Country series on the SNES and, to a certain extent, Killer Instinct. In addition to Goldeneye, Banjo Kazooie & its sequel Banjo Tooie, they also produced Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Oddly enough, I hated Donkey Kong 64 for being generic, with only the bundled-in Expansion pack and the DK rap to its credit. Still, aside from Rare, there was also both Zelda games, most every wrestling game available, 1080 Snowboarding, Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, Wave Race, Star Fox/Lylat Wars, International Superstar Soccer 98 and, as Dubs notes, Sillicon Valley, Beetle Racing and Snowboard Kids. I'm sure there are a few more but those are the ones that jump out at me.

Great games, large games, no loading times and I had no controller issues. As far as I was concerned, the N64 was a delight to play. Graphically, the games don't hold up today, but the gameplay was almost universally fantastic. Then again, I did avoid the stinkers (Clayfighter, Superman 64, Mortal Kombat Mythologies).

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Absolutely agree. I don't begrudge anyone at all for saying it's their favourite (especially considering I'm Mr. Dreamcast over here).

I don't remember who made the claim that it was the greatest, Koete maybe. That's not really important. We got some fun debate out of it.

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Yes, the N64 was probably the most important system in gaming history, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

nes-console.jpg

The NES didn't change the whole industry like going to 3d did. The NES had the same type of games that were on the systems before it, just prettier. The only thing it really changed was licensing for third party publishers.

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The only thing it really changed was licensing for third party publishers.

Let's not shuffle that to the side. That's fucking massive.

It's also too "Inside Baseball" to affect the consumer like Super Mario 64 did. It changed the way companies made money, not the way they made games.

Also, the industry had been revived at least twice before the NES came along. Once in the 60s, and once in the 70s.

Edit: My bad, we are talking home consoles, so you were right about that.

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