Favorite under rated N64 game.
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The two Snowboard Kids games are really under appreciated. They are Mario Kart clones, but damn good ones. I like the second one better, and it is one of my favorite games ever. The first one is also good, but the controls were stiffer, some of the weapons were poorly balanced, and the AI in the later courses was far too unfair. There was a PS1 updated version of the first game that never made it out of Japan (grrr) and a very underwhelming reboot for the DS. I don't usually find myself too disappointed in games because I rarely make expectations, but that game was very disappointing.
Other than that:
Jet Force Gemini,
Ogre Battle 64,
Doom 64,
Star Wars: Battle for Naboo,
Blast Corp,
Chameleon Twist 1 and 2,
Body Harvest,
Rocket: Robot on Wheels,
the two Mystical Ninja games,
Beetle Adventure Racing,
the very excellent Resident Evil 2 port,
Tetrisphere,
and The World is Not Enough
Other than that:
Jet Force Gemini,
Ogre Battle 64,
Doom 64,
Star Wars: Battle for Naboo,
Blast Corp,
Chameleon Twist 1 and 2,
Body Harvest,
Rocket: Robot on Wheels,
the two Mystical Ninja games,
Beetle Adventure Racing,
the very excellent Resident Evil 2 port,
Tetrisphere,
and The World is Not Enough
Friggin' Body Harvest developed by DMA Design (which would eventually become Rockstar North of Grand Theft Auto fame). Seriously, this game rocked my world back in the day. It's about a time-traveling super soldier who's on a mission to stop an alien invasion of Earth. You visit Greece in 1916, Java in 1941, the US southwest in 1966, Siberia in 1991, and an alien stronghold in the game's present day.
The game's biggest selling point is that it's an open-world where you can fight either on foot or by vehicle. The game is absolutely filled with vehicles. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, propeller planes, APCs, jets, ships, tanks, hovercrafts, helicopters, etc. Each with their own unique stats and sometimes built in weaponry if you score a military vehicle. It's a lot like a proto-GTA.
As far as I can tell though the game went mostly under the radar. I never had any other friends who owned it, and I rarely ever saw anyone talk about it even online. Granted, the game has its faults. Of which there are many. The controls are kinda wonky, fighting on foot is a waste of time compared to finding a set of wheels, some of the combat can be a bit unfair at times, and I'm pretty sure someone at DMA Design/Rockstar North is deathly afraid of water - because just like some of the earlier GTA's swimming in this game is more lethal than the enemies.
The game's biggest selling point is that it's an open-world where you can fight either on foot or by vehicle. The game is absolutely filled with vehicles. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, propeller planes, APCs, jets, ships, tanks, hovercrafts, helicopters, etc. Each with their own unique stats and sometimes built in weaponry if you score a military vehicle. It's a lot like a proto-GTA.
As far as I can tell though the game went mostly under the radar. I never had any other friends who owned it, and I rarely ever saw anyone talk about it even online. Granted, the game has its faults. Of which there are many. The controls are kinda wonky, fighting on foot is a waste of time compared to finding a set of wheels, some of the combat can be a bit unfair at times, and I'm pretty sure someone at DMA Design/Rockstar North is deathly afraid of water - because just like some of the earlier GTA's swimming in this game is more lethal than the enemies.
Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage. A pretty damn awesome rpg for the N64, pretty damn tough too, with perma-death for all your companions and a robust leveling up system (in my eyes).
Jet Force Gemini. Legitimately my first third person shooter. You can play as a dog with a jet pack! How cool is that?!
Quest 64. Third person action rpg, with a magic attack mechanic that was pretty damn awesome for me. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water where the use of each set of spells (as well as the staff attack) can level them up, unlocking devastating specialist spells or pretty damn good mix spells. Simple story, but the music overall was pretty damn awesome too.
Jet Force Gemini. Legitimately my first third person shooter. You can play as a dog with a jet pack! How cool is that?!
Quest 64. Third person action rpg, with a magic attack mechanic that was pretty damn awesome for me. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water where the use of each set of spells (as well as the staff attack) can level them up, unlocking devastating specialist spells or pretty damn good mix spells. Simple story, but the music overall was pretty damn awesome too.
Jet Force Gemini here. Damn, though I was gonna be first... Oh, maybe Aero Fighters Assault too. I LOVED that game. My first flight combat dog fighting game, and still one I enjoy from time to time~
I don't know if it really was underrated, but Jet Force Gemini sold so poorly, that I got it new from Target for $15 when similar games were going for $50-$60. I don't know anyone who played it and disliked it, but so few people actually played it that I think it still counts as underrated.
I keep hearing great things about Space Station Silicon Valley, but have never played it.
I'm trying to play Body Harvest but it is a real chore. So long between save points. Good atmospheric creepy music though.
I'll second The World is not Enough. When it came out, some called it 'the second best Bond game ever made'- and I think it still is. Forget Nightfire. I'm playing through Everything or Nothing so jury's still out on that, but TWINE had the most accessible multiplayer of the big three N64 shooters. And in my opinion, the best multiplayer map design of the lot.
As for me- gotta be Re-Volt. An RC car racer with Mario Kart style weapons- and on higher difficulty the car physics was almost too close to how tiny plastic cars drive and bump about. Awesome music, too.
I'm trying to play Body Harvest but it is a real chore. So long between save points. Good atmospheric creepy music though.
I'll second The World is not Enough. When it came out, some called it 'the second best Bond game ever made'- and I think it still is. Forget Nightfire. I'm playing through Everything or Nothing so jury's still out on that, but TWINE had the most accessible multiplayer of the big three N64 shooters. And in my opinion, the best multiplayer map design of the lot.
As for me- gotta be Re-Volt. An RC car racer with Mario Kart style weapons- and on higher difficulty the car physics was almost too close to how tiny plastic cars drive and bump about. Awesome music, too.
Yeah, Mischief Makers and Body Harvest are the first to come to mind.
Mischief Makers is special with it's fluent grab/pick up and shake shake game play. You could pick up most things in the game and chuck them, including missiles and giant fists, or you can throw all these ingredients in a pot to make advanced items to help you over come obstacles easier. But what made this game great is that the levels are all really well designed and fun to play again, the boss fights are amazing fun and challenging, and there are some other interesting events that make you think.
Body Harvest is an interesting one. It's starts of a bit lackluster and it does make you do some chorish challenges, but then suddenly you get into large area's that look like battle fields, littered with many different vehicles all over the place (all of them you can use) with the enemies getting bigger and bigger, and then you get to the bosses which are fucking huge and really damn fast. It's really epic.
Mischief Makers is special with it's fluent grab/pick up and shake shake game play. You could pick up most things in the game and chuck them, including missiles and giant fists, or you can throw all these ingredients in a pot to make advanced items to help you over come obstacles easier. But what made this game great is that the levels are all really well designed and fun to play again, the boss fights are amazing fun and challenging, and there are some other interesting events that make you think.
Body Harvest is an interesting one. It's starts of a bit lackluster and it does make you do some chorish challenges, but then suddenly you get into large area's that look like battle fields, littered with many different vehicles all over the place (all of them you can use) with the enemies getting bigger and bigger, and then you get to the bosses which are fucking huge and really damn fast. It's really epic.
I'll also say The World Is Not Enough. It was a nice looking game on N64 (and PS1), and played like a more refined Goldeneye. The multiplayer was also fun, especially since it allowed bots if you didn't have enough people.
Turok 3 is hated quite a bit out of the trilogy. While the first 2 had great success, the third fell a bit flat. However it's not that bad at all. The cutscenes in particular were rather impressive, with full motion lip syncing, something we didn't really see until the PS2. It didn't look as impressive overall as Turok 2, but it was to remedy the frame rate issue that Turok 2 had. It still played like a Turok game, but admiteddly the environments were a bit boring in comparison. It was neat to revisit the Lost Land from the opening level of the first Turok though.
Turok 3 is hated quite a bit out of the trilogy. While the first 2 had great success, the third fell a bit flat. However it's not that bad at all. The cutscenes in particular were rather impressive, with full motion lip syncing, something we didn't really see until the PS2. It didn't look as impressive overall as Turok 2, but it was to remedy the frame rate issue that Turok 2 had. It still played like a Turok game, but admiteddly the environments were a bit boring in comparison. It was neat to revisit the Lost Land from the opening level of the first Turok though.
And wrestling moves. Hybrid Heaven was so odd, and lovable. Fighting man sized biological experiments and suplexing them, knocking them to the ground hard enough you can then rush to the stunned monster and pop on the figure four. Knocking some sense into one with a DDT and following up with a headlock. With mechanics based on segmented body damage so you could used simple strats like working the left leg and eventually making your enemy's limb useless. Such a fun game.Dead Century said:
Also as others have already mention, Body Harvest, very fun.
much fun was had in The World Is Not Enough, not playing the game properly but playing the one level were MI6 gets attacked. Oh, this is kinda grim, but I'd pretend Bond was a business man and M just fired him. He'd then start a shooting rampage (which worked quite well what with the SWAT guys busting in through the window). The only thing that made is possible was that they let you kill M/Money Penny/Whomever Else and continue to finish the level (although with MISSION FAILED flashing on the screen).
want a really fun racing game? California Speed, hours were lost with me and my cousin playing it and it's whacky levels.
and I'm be remised if I didn't bring up Beatle Adventure Racing, simply for it's awesome music:
(I have this level's song downloaded and on my Christmas playlist)
Ohhhh and one last one, Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil. That was one game I'd just put the cheats on, the weapons were so much fun to use. Crossbows with the arrow staying in the guy, the razor thing that bore into the guys head, and The Nuke. My God did I love the Nuke.
want a really fun racing game? California Speed, hours were lost with me and my cousin playing it and it's whacky levels.
and I'm be remised if I didn't bring up Beatle Adventure Racing, simply for it's awesome music:
(I have this level's song downloaded and on my Christmas playlist)
Ohhhh and one last one, Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil. That was one game I'd just put the cheats on, the weapons were so much fun to use. Crossbows with the arrow staying in the guy, the razor thing that bore into the guys head, and The Nuke. My God did I love the Nuke.
Not sure how underrated MegaMan 64 (Legends) was, I don't remember it being all too common but has it's cult following, but I lived in a small town with no dedicated video game stores, and between the 2 rental stores they still had limited stock. I wish capcom would reboot that... Megaman/X is my favourite capcom universe. Maybe after he finishes Mighty No.9 Inafune will make Mighty No.9 'chronicles'
I noticed how terribly grainy the graphics were due to the data compression needed to force-fit them into cartridges. Also the sound in RE2 tended to glitch, causing it to sound very echo-ey. They were apt demonstrations of why the other console makers at the time had switched to CDs. (that and discs were much cheaper to manufacture) If only something akin to today's chips were available back then... Oh well.ShogunGino said:
I'll add Superman 64 to this list. j/k
In all seriousness, LoZ: Majora's Mask. "Who underrated this game," you ask? Nintendo themselves apparently. They could remake it for the 3ds like OoT, but currently they're only "considering it" despite plenty of demand. I honestly don't know wtf they're basing their decisions on anymore.
Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon is probably my favourite game of all time. I loved the art style, the music, the humour...the gameplay was fairly standard platformer fare, but I didn't mind since everything else worked so well. If ever I become a (moderately) rich man, I may buy an N64 and a copy just for old times sake.
You might have been playing that version on an N64 that didn't have an expansion pak, because with it, the game auto-adjusts to a maximum resolution of 640x480, which is quite good for the N64. I don't think the PS1 version output that high. Some games did, but few. Other than that, several features were added to the N64 port that the other versions don't, and they fixed the perspective on some of the models. The pre-rendered cutscenes looked worse, I agree, but that was, sadly, the downside of cartridges.EiMitch said:
Strange that you say the sound was worse, since they redid the soundtrack from scratch and the N64 port has a higher sample rate than the the other versions.
The Dreamcast version still ran at 60fps, though, so that one does run smoother.
Don't worry about it.scorptatious said:
The last level sucks.
Although the bear foaming at the mouth while it swings its arms at you still scares me to this day. Every night outside is accompanied by a cold sweat thanks to Silicon Valley.
