35 replies to this topic

[King Atari]

I know the N64 has very few titles compared to PS1, and I often hear that most of the games for the system are bad, or to put it accurately, I hear "It has no games". I've bought quite a few N64 games, and have almost always been pleased. There may not be that many titles, but what there is seems to be good. Super Mario 64, Star Wars Rogue Squadron/Racer/Shadows of the Empire anyone? I played the heck out of Madden 64, that's for sure, and Duke Nukem: Zero Hour is tied with SM64 as my favorite game for the system.

With the PS1, there's a lot of games, but the more I buy, the more I find that I'm picking up losers and/or mediocre retreads of previous games. The only two games that I absolutely love for the PS1 are Duke Nukem: Time to Kill and Star Wars Epsiode 1: The Phantom Menace. Don't get me wrong, there are PS1 games I like, but not games I can come back to over and over again like I can with these two. I do love the system however.

So, let me know what you think, this has really been on my mind over the last few days.

[MegaManFan]

I vote good, but I'm biased by being a "Nintendo fanboy."

[chrisbid]

well, first party titles are almost always good

third party titles are just as hit and miss as any other system, the PSX cant make the same claim for its first party titles.

[Scooterb23]

I think the best way I can describe the entire N64 catalog is remarkably average. There are some good games, but not as many as I would expect from a Nintendo product (I don't really like Mario 64 that much...).

To be fair, I only have about 20 games for the thing...and I'd only rate 3-4 of them a B or higher on a quality scale...

[PuddWakkr]

Zelda OOT, F-zero, and 1080 are the three that I play. I've got about twenty other games but I don't play em at all. They're not all bad games it's just that I've already beaten them or their not my style. PSX had alot of bad games but when you have that many games out there then there is bound to be alot of stinkers.

[ElectricTroy]

BAD. That's true for the majority of all consoles. And books. And movies. 95% of anything is crap, with 4.9% good, and only 0.1% genius.

[Foxy Cleopatra]

My favorite game on the N64 was NWO/WCW wrestling. Of course that's the only game I've ever really played on it, besides Pokemon Snap.
I did enjoy going into Wal-Mart and counting how many different Mario games were in the case. I think the most I ever saw was 8 or 10. I always did want to try that Perfect Dark game.

[Ze_ro]

The good thing about the N64 is that you can usually spot the bad games from a mile away. I mean, when you see a game called "Blues Brothers 2000", you can't really expect the game to be good.

You generally can't go wrong with Nintendo-made games for the N64, they're all quite high quality... There are a lot of other good games for the system too, but beware of games that you've never heard of, and be careful about 2D->3D conversions like Castlevania, Megaman and Bomberman.... some are good, some are bad, and some are really really bad.

--Zero

[King Atari]

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I mean, when you see a game called "Blues Brothers 2000", you can't really expect the game to be good.  

I actually didn't think that game was that bad. It was no Super Mario 64, or even Banjo-Kazooie, but it was an enjoyable time killer.

'Course, it is related to SNL, so I'm probably giving it more of a shot than other games of it's type.

At the very least, the music is good.

[DeV0]

N64 games are generally pretty good i find, In fact the only one i dislike so far is Top Gear Rally, Its like racing shopping trolley's.

Mario 64 was a ground breaking title in it's own right, And the majority of 1st person shooters are particularly good as well, once you get the controls worked out.

[Yar]

Almost all of the first party titles are excellent, and the quality of the third party games is, as previously mentioned, varied.

[z28in82]

I think with N64 it was a matter of quality over quanity, where as the PSX was about about quanity and variety which has it's own benefact and drawbacks. There were as many N64 games so the good ones shore and the bad one (which there were quite a few) looked even worse when compared to the rest of the library of games. I presonally didn't care too much for the N64 and if it were for a few N64 only Star Wars titles, the whole NFL Blitz series and gauntlet legends I wouldn't have much good to say about the N64.

[ElectricTroy]

Variety is good. You won't find anything like RC Stunt Copter or Dance Dance Revolution on an N64.

[kisrael]

ElectricTroy said:

Variety is good.  You won't find anything like RC Stunt Copter or Dance Dance Revolution on an N64.

N64 had its share of innovative and niche titles, like Blast Corps and Space Station Silicon Valley. It also had many innovations later copied: 4 controller ports (which Sony still doesn't get, unlike DC and XBox), the return of the analog stick, the rumble pack. It had all these months or years before anyone else.

As for games, the N64 had the "best in class" for many genres:

FPS: Golden Eye, Perfect Dark
Racers: Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing
Party: Mario Party Series
Action 'Puzzle':Pokemon Puzzle League
3D Platformer: Mario 64, Conker, DK64
Realtime RPG: Zelda:OoT and MM
Brawler:Smash Bros
Tank Game: BattleTanx and its sequel (still looking for something as good on a current platform!)
Star Wars:Rogue Squadron (and previously SotE)
Multiplatform: Blitz 2000, Micromachines
Shooter: Star Fox
Puzzle Solvers:Space Station Silicon Valley, Blast Corps
Sports: Mario Tennis, Mario Golf

For 4 player gaming, it was undisputed champ.

I think a previous poster was right though; first party games by Nintendo can almost be bought on sight and you know you're getting a great game. Everything else was a mixed bag.

As a N64 fan who then got a PS1 late, thinking he'd pick up tons of great cheap games, well....all they had was the mixed bag. (there was some guaranteed quality, GTs and FFs, if you like those, which to be fair I didn't. And Arcade Paks. And I got the system partially to get "Unholy War", I'm a Star Control/Archon fanboy from way back)

[PuddWakkr]

kisrael said:

As for games, the N64 had the "best in class" for many genres:

FPS: Golden Eye, Perfect Dark
Racers: Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing
Party: Mario Party Series
Action 'Puzzle':Pokemon Puzzle League
3D Platformer: Mario 64, Conker, DK64
Realtime RPG: Zelda:OoT and MM
Brawler:Smash Bros
Tank Game: BattleTanx and its sequel (still looking for something as good on a current platform!)
Star Wars:Rogue Squadron (and previously SotE)
Multiplatform: Blitz 2000, Micromachines
Shooter: Star Fox
Puzzle Solvers:Space Station Silicon Valley, Blast Corps
Sports: Mario Tennis, Mario Golf

I'd agree with most though the racers I'd add Fzero. And I'd have to give the sports titles to the PS. Mario tennis and golf were fun but there were alot of good sports titles for the PSX. RPG's are hands down PSX. Zelda OOT still is one of my all time favs but the sheer numbers of good RPG's on the PSX gives it the edge in my book.

[kisrael]

PuddWakkr said:

I'd agree with most though the racers I'd add Fzero.

Oops, oh yeah. Actually, I couldn't find a few of my favorite titles as I perused my collection, that was one of them.

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And I'd have to give the sports titles to the PS. Mario tennis and golf were fun but there were alot of good sports titles for the PSX.

Could be. Not into sports that much, my cousin might have more to say...his N64 broke, sometimes he brings over this ancient version of Madden with this really goofy repetitive titlescreen music. Doot doo doot, doot de doot, doot doot dootdoot doot...
I do like Blitz though.

Quote

RPG's are hands down PSX. Zelda OOT still is one of my all time favs but the sheer numbers of good RPG's on the PSX gives it the edge in my book.

True, N64 was noticeable for its lack of proper RPGs. (And of course couldn't do FMV in any respectable way, though otherwise I think the cart format was a plus, not a minus.)

To me, "action RPGs" like Zelda are a different breed than say, Final Fantasy whatever. Some other thread was asking about "Zelda like RPGs for GB", and said the discerning factor is boring turn based combat vs. Zelda's much more interactive, and I think that nails it. I want to like a game like FF7, but a few random monster encounter battles and I'm bored and frustrated to tears.

[Vic George 2K3]

kisrael said:

True, N64 was noticeable for its lack of proper RPGs.  (And of course couldn't do FMV in any respectable way, though otherwise I think the cart format was a plus, not a minus.)

To me, "action RPGs" like Zelda are a different breed than say, Final Fantasy whatever. Some other thread was asking about "Zelda like RPGs for GB", and said the discerning factor is boring turn based combat vs. Zelda's much more interactive, and I think that nails it.  I want to like a game like FF7, but a few random monster encounter battles and I'm bored and frustrated to tears.

I can agree with that. Final Fantasy games to me might as well be like playing Dungeons & Dragons with paper and dice, which may make it interesting as far as devising mental strategy but lacks the reality of just picking up a sword and shield and duking it out with whatever comes your way, like in the Zelda games.

[Ze_ro]

kisrael said:

True, N64 was noticeable for its lack of proper RPGs. (And of course couldn't do FMV in any respectable way, though otherwise I think the cart format was a plus, not a minus.)

I'd say that lack of FMV was a plus. RPG's these days have far too much non-interactive FMV. I'll take a Zelda game over a Final Fantasy game any day. It may not be as long, as involved, or as deep... but at least I get to play instead of just watch. But I guess this is getting off topic.

--Zero

[snorlaxnut]

The two Zelda games, South Park, Quest 64, all the Pokémon games and Mystical Ninja staring Goemon were the only games I really enjoyed on that system. All the others were not that much fun to play.

[joeybastard]

I think N64 catalogue is pretty good. Not as good as the SNES but definetely better the the PS. I still don't own a PS because I'm so unimpressed with every game I've played on friend's consoles.

[shep]

There may be less titles than the PSX but that means there is less crap, and you know those first party and second party tittles are grade A

[kisrael]

shep said:

There may be less titles than the PSX but that means there is less crap, and you know those first party and second party tittles are grade A

I think that's Nintendo's last ace in the hole; no other console has a reliable first party game maker. I think the GC has some other advantages, good form factor, great controllers--but if it weren't for that, all the system would have going for it is Monkey Ball and Rogue Leader.

For its main consoles, has Nintendo ever done a really bad game? I mean, I know many were disappointed were Luigi's Mansion, it wasn't a Mario and it was short, but still I thought it was well-polished, balanced, and fun.

[King Atari]

kisrael said:

shep said:

There may be less titles than the PSX but that means there is less crap, and you know those first party and second party tittles are grade A

I think that's Nintendo's last ace in the hole; no other console has a reliable first party game maker. I think the GC has some other advantages, good form factor, great controllers--but if it weren't for that, all the system would have going for it is Monkey Ball and Rogue Leader.

Agreed. Frankly, Rogue Leader is the only GC game I can sit back and play for hours, and not get bored, and I've had it for nearly a year. Mario Sunshine was fun, but I spent far less time on it than I had with Super Mario 64. I loves me GC, but I'm sad that Nintendo hasn't been marketing quite as well as they should. Oh well.

Back to the N64. One game that gets fairly well rated is Blast Corps. For some reason, I just can't get into it, and I love destruction in my video games. Still, it wasn't as bad as Turok 2, which I sold off.

PSX may have more sports titles, but I must say I find Madden 64 to be a lot of fun, even today.

[chrisbid]

nobody has mentioned Sin and Punishment, and the original Bangai-O

[kisrael]

King Atari said:

Back to the N64. One game that gets fairly well rated is Blast Corps. For some reason, I just can't get into it, and I love destruction in my video games.

Dunno quite what the appeal is...I don't think it's just the destruction...and I'm not usually the biggest fan of "figure it out" games. But this one just clicked for me, it was fun maninpulating the environment with the different vehicles i guess.