Game Reviews

In this part of my site I have some reviews from the best games available for Nintendo 64.

The party continues in this terrific sequel to the goofy-but-great multiplayer original.

In Mario Party 2, Nintendo has thoughtfully provided an instant clique for you to hang with.

Okay, so your new friends are animated characters with freaky names like Wario and Peach--

And here's the most amazing thing: Odds are if you have this game, you'll soon find you have

at least three friends who will be over at your place 24/7. Mario Party 2 is like video game heroin.

If you saw the first go-round, you know what to expect. MP2's more of the same, but better. You

choose from one of six characters--Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario and Donkey Kong--then head

out to do battle (alone against CPU opponents or mano a mano with up to three friends) in a variety

of board-game-style levels. Your goal is to earn coins and all-important stars--whoever has the most

There are five basic levels: Pirate Land, Western Land, Space Land, Horror Land, and the Egyptian-themed

Mystery Land (there's also a secret Bowser Land). They're set up Candyland-style, dots following a pattern

Play begins with each character rolling a die, then moving that number of spaces. There are several

possible outcomes. Land on a blue dot, and you get coins; a red dot sucks 'em away. Green item blocks

give you a power-up, such as a golden mushroom that lets you roll the die three times in a single turn, or

keys that open blocked paths. A red Bowser square means big trouble. Green squares with a lightning

bolt lead to four-player battle games, in which each contestant ponies up 10 coins and all battle it out for

Stop by the Koopa bank, and you'll have to make a five-coin deposit (land on the right spot though,

and you'll collect the bank's jackpot). Pass Baby Bowser and you'll lose another five coins. Find Big

Boo and you can pay him to steal coins or stars from other players (which sends a great message to

kiddies playing this one: Why work hard for your money when you can pay some big guy to go beat it

At the end of each turn (you can choose how many comprise a game), you go to a randomly selected

mini-game. Sometimes the action pits one character against the three others, sometimes it's two-on-two

teams, and sometimes it's every animated character for himself.

I counted 66 mini-games in all. More than a dozen of the best from MP1 are back for an encore,

but the rest are brand new. And, just like in MP1, some of 'em are stupid, and some of 'em rock.

Bumper Balloon Cars: you protect the balloon on the back of your vehicle while you pop opponents' with the pitchfork on front

Bowser's Big Blast: each player takes a turn pushing a plunger that could blow up--like Russian Roulette

Deep Sea Salvage: pilot your submarine to collect coins tossed from a ship (watch out for the mines!)

Filet Relay: carry a fish across a slippery frozen tundra faster than your opponents

If you'd rather skip the board game action, there are some other scenarios. You can use the coins you

earn to secure the rights to various mini-games, and then play those in a variety of modes.

Basically, this game is MP1 with some new mini-games. But there are a couple of other improvements.

For one thing, losers in the mini-games don't have coins yanked away; winners still get coins, but there's

no penalty for sucking. And remember the controller-smashing rounds from MP1 that had you beating the

snot out of your analog stick, rotating it like a helicopter out of control or hammering it back and forth like

a metronome gone berserk? Fuggedabout'em--they're thankfully gone this time around.

If you didn't like MP1, you're not going to like MP2. But if you were a fan of the silly original, you'll love it

like I do. Sure, after a couple of hours I feel like I should be wearing a pointy hat and drooling (a practice

I usually reserve for Fridays and holidays), but one man's childish waste of time is another man's goofy fun.

If you're playing with any CPU-controlled characters, change the setting to player-controlled before the last turn of the game. That way, you'll get credit for the coins and stars earned by CPU players.

The computer can be brutal when it comes to relieving you of hard-earned coins. But that can be a good thing. If you're way behind, seek out the Bowser blocks. Sure, they're bad news for you, but they can be bad news for everyone else too, which will help level the playing field.

It's never over till it's over: No matter how far behind you are, there's always a chance to get back in the game.

No lead is safe: The computer can be randomly brutal, stealing coins and stars by the fistful.

DK finally makes it to the N64 in his very own adventure, which is colorful, well designed,

I first met Donkey Kong in a pizza parlor in 1983. It was pretty much love at first sight.

As soon as I saw that big ape climb up those red girders and slam down with that wonderful thud,

I was drawn in. When the home version came out for Colecovision, I was first in line to pick one up.

I watched his progression from evil ape, to proud papa, to eventual hero in his own right. He has

spawned so many series of games it's hard to keep track of them all. Naturally, when I heard

Donkey Kong 64 was coming out, I waited with bated breath until I got my grubby little hands on

a copy. Needless to say, I had high expectations for this new version of my old fave.

I should have managed my expectations a little, because DK64 is just good, not great. I really

wanted great, especially from Rare (I'm a big fan of the company). The main problem with DK64 is

repetition. The game was pretty damn cool for the first three worlds, but by the time I got to the fourth,

it was just the same thing over and over again. Granted, it's the same thing in beautifully designed worlds,

but it's the same thing nonetheless. Don't get me wrong; I liked the game. It's just not all that I thought it would be.

The story is your standard evil-villain-kidnaps-family, torments-the-hometown, and steals-your-bananas fare.

The evil villain in this case is King K. Rool, some sort of alligator/crocodile/monster hybrid. He and his horde

of Kremlings are hell-bent on giving the Kong family a hard time. Speaking of the Kongs, this time around DK

has a lot of help from his family, including Diddy Kong (DK's old buddy from his last adventure), Tiny (the girly

girl of the bunch whose pigtails and shrinking ability make her one tough little lady), Lanky (the long armed

country yokel whose long arms and handstands are very useful throughout the game), and Chunky (the big, big

ape who's not very bright but can grow to huge proportions and kick ass). The whole Kong family thing is pretty

cool, but at times it reminds me of the Country Bear Jamboree.

I like the idea of having a lot of characters to choose from, but at the same time it kind of adds to the repetition

problem with the game. Each level has multiple tasks for each of the characters, and while at first this sounds

cool, it eventually starts to get boring running around the same level (not to mention confusing). It definitely adds

to the length of the game, but in a cheating sort of way--it's not really organic. It doesn't flow. I know it's unfair to

compare it to Zelda 64, but Zelda is a long, vast game that doesn't wear on you at all because it flows.

The story is captivating, and it naturally leads you to the next task. DK64 is sort of all over the place. You have

to jump from level to level using different characters, all hunting for bananas to unlock the other levels. On top

of that, there are keys to be found from the bosses, and there are blueprints to be collected. Overall, it seems l

ike a lot of collecting just for collection's sake. Plus, each character on each level has to meet with Cranky--DK's

dad--to drink a potion that provides a special move. While multiple moves are cool, it's a pain in the ass having

to go through the same drill on each board. Candy, the hottest monkey I have ever seen, compounds that by

adding to the confusion with musical instruments. Each Kong has the ability to play different instruments, each

of which is used to open doors and beat enemies, but it just feels like more useless crap to pick up along the way.

On the plus side, the game looks beautiful; each level outdoes the next in innovation. Rare's terrific lighting and

texture effects really shine in this game. It requires the Expansion Pak, which is conveniently enclosed with the

game (which is great for those who don't have the Pak, but for those who do, it's just an added expense).

Once again, Rare uses Dolby Surround Sound, which is always a plus. They also offer the wide-screen option

as well, just like in Jet Force Gemini. This doesn't really add to the gameplay, but makes it seem a little more

Speaking of cinema, the cutscenes in this game are pretty well done. I love Nintendo cutscenes; they so seamlessly

melt in with the games. The sound quality is also bumped up a notch from the average N64 game, using voices here

and there. For instance, whenever you get a big banana, Kong belts out, "Banana!" over tribal drums.

What doesn't make me smile is, once again, the needless multiplayer aspect. You would think that I would get used to

a thing like that, but it just irks me every time I see it in a new Nintendo game. I don't want to go off on this again,

but why oh why do they find it necessary to throw this tangential option into the game? Please, please take that

valuable development time and make more intricate gameplay, or come up with some other innovations instead

of beating me over the head with multiplayer. Even worse is the fact that you have to earn the right to use multiplayer.

This leads me to the next problem I have with this game, albeit a small one. For some reason, Rare likes to throw in

these little extras that are accessed outside the game itself, but can only be revealed from inside the game.

For instance, there are these little fairies that float around the game. At some point, you come across a camera

you can use to take pictures of those fairies. When you do, you open up "secrets," which has its own menu outside

the game. Secrets allow you to play the Kong theater or access the mini-games, which I guess in its own right is

Okay, enough with the Kong bashing. I really did like this game, but it's just that I was so excited for it that excitement

magnified the problems in my eyes. What I did love were the bosses. Each one is intricately designed and entertaining

to battle. Some are very easy to beat, and some are very hard to beat. I had a horrific time beating Mad Jack, the

crazy jack-in-the-box who rapidly jumps behind you, making him almost impossible to keep up with. Plus, the

cutscenes with the bosses are always entertaining as well.

The bosses aren't the only satisfying portion of this game. Some of the mini-games are terrifically designed with

streamlined gameplay. They're fast, furious fun. My absolute, hands-down, sell-the-kids, beat-the-dog-and-buy-this-title

favorite mini-game has to be the original Donkey Kong. In the Frantic Factory level, you can find an upright arcade

version of the first DK game, which is perfectly rendered right down to the artwork on the unit. The original code from

the game is included, and it plays just as well as it did when I first played it in that pizza parlor some 17 years ago.

You must beat the first three levels of the original in order to get your banana, which is no small task. You only get one

guy, which makes it tough, but it sure is fun trying. Hearing the sounds from the original game filled me with enough

nostalgic glee to play for hours. It's the little touches such as this that make this game a lot of fun.

I did like this game, but I just really wanted to love it. The non-linear gameplay didn't work for me, but the colorful

characters and superbly designed levels did. Give this game a try if you are a fan of the Nintendo-style adventure,

but this game is not innovative in any way. I still have an undying love for Nintendo, and I'll gladly play any games

that Rare puts out, but I just hope the company concentrates on gameplay and stops trying for longevity without substance.

Follow the color-coded bananas, as they tend to lead the characters where they need to go.

Use the warps. They contain the confusion a little, and the numbers usually correspond to the order in which tasks must be done.

DK64 features fun, eclectic characters with great visuals and sound. It's also one of the vastest games I have ever played.

Repetition, repetition, repetition, and it just might be too big for itself.

Flash back to 1991, and the most prized possession in my room: a Super Nintendo, attached via RF modulator to

my 15-inch monaural TV. My two little sisters vie for my attention on a nightly basis in the hopes that they can spend

a good chunk of time playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. There are three save slots on the cartridge

(dubbed aviboy, noonis, and smellyhead, respectively), and this works out perfectly for the three of us. The game

features an innovative angular overhead perspective, giving it a semi-dimensional feel. It also forces us to lose

many hours of sleep. We must collect every rupee, explore every nook and cranny of each dungeon, slay all the

bosses, get all the crystals, find the Master Sword, save the Tri-Force, get the girl, and win the game.

Due to my obsessive need to maintain the element of surprise when it comes to epic simulated quests, I won't let

either sister watch or discuss the other one's progress. Nevertheless, since I am far ahead of both of them, I tend to

watch and serve as Zen master when either of them takes to exploring some new facet of the simulated paradise

and parallel dark dimension of Hyrule. As we become more deeply immersed in the game, I ultimately hook it up

to my stereo so that we can enjoy the full audio experience. Dungeon music has never sounded so deep or evocative.

Flash ahead to 1998. I awkwardly shmooze with chronically grinning public relations folk at the Legend of Zelda:

Ocarina of Time release party at a posh restaurant in downtown Manhattan, drinking wine, munching on hors d'oevres,

and trying not to overanalyze my good fortune. I'd gladly play the game without all the swank. I scan the room nervously,

considering what to say should I have the great honor of meeting Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary designer behind the

legendary game, which has now entered the 3D realm first popularized by one of his other masterpieces, Super Mario 64.

When I do in fact meet him, I tell him (with the help of a translator and a deep, concentrated breath) that I have been

waiting for this game for a very, very long time. Miyamoto bows his head humbly and apologizes for the wait. I insist that

it was well worth it, and that I did not mean to criticize him in any way, but rather that I appreciate the effort he puts into these

things. Sure enough, when the game is released, I spend roughly three months playing it on a nightly basis, and it proves to

be an absolute labor of love--a spiritual work of art in handy cartridge form.

Which brings us to the present, so to speak. Another new Zelda game, another new string of quests--but how can it

possibly live up to its predecessors? Remarkably enough, Majora's Mask surpasses previous incarnations of Zelda

in nearly every possible respect. The graphics are more stylistically consistent and detailed than those in Ocarina,

the geography is more enormous and fluidly connected, the challenges are considerably more diverse, and the

Set in Termina, a land beyond the confines of Hyrule, three months after the events in Ocarina ended, Majora's Mask

is a world unto itself. The initial premise is sort of an Armageddon-meets-Groundhog Day hybrid, but with a more epic,

mythological backdrop, and many, many narrative twists. You've got 72 hours to save the world before the moon crashes

into it, destroying everything. You also happen to have a certain popular instrument that controls the flow of time, allowing

you to slow it, speed it up, or backtrack a few days. And you've got the usual slew of helpful items (arrows, bombs, deku

sticks, etc.), conveniently scattered throughout the land to aid you in your quest. Or quests, rather. There isn't a singular

quest or a singular approach to tackling the game, and there isn't a set order in which to locate many of the items. In

addition to the usual items, there are also 24 masks, each of which will alter some aspect of your being upon being worn.

I think it's best for you to discover these on your own without prior knowledge of what to expect. As I mentioned earlier,

When I first played Majora's Mask, it was in a room full of primarily giddy members of the gaming press at the Zelda

Gamer's Summit in Seattle. On individual N64s neatly scattered throughout a large conference room, we each started a

fresh game from the title screen on. Within minutes, no two screens looked the same. There's a lot going on in this game,

and it becomes exponentially bigger and more prone to free exploration. So much so, that one of the items you'll want to

obtain as soon as possible is the bomber's notebook, a handy means of tracking up to 20 of your narrative objectives

Each game hour initially takes one real-world minute to pass. As a result, the first time you play Majora's Mask, you will

most likely lose within a matter of 72 minutes, much as every individual at the Zelda Summit did. Don't fret. You're meant

to see the apocalypse. You're meant to recognize the possible outcome of your actions (or lack thereof). You're meant to

feel the horrible loss of the place it is your heroic destiny to save. You're meant to enjoy the cool animated destruction

sequence. Just try not to let it happen again. There's plenty of eye candy in this game, so there's no need to limit yourself

Once you get the hang of it, take your time exploring each area, noting the changes that take place over the course of

each day and night. Study the terrain and the way things connect geographically. Watch the sun rise and set. Talk to

every friendly character. Tackle every foe. Things will fall into place, no matter how confusing they may initially seem.

And you will be confused at first. After all, you are being thrust into a new set of realities. What you'll find as you get deeper

into the game is that many of the characters you come across are related in one way or another. You'll also start to recognize

where they will appear at different times of day, and how they will behave at the time depending on different circumstances.

And you'll notice changes in the weather. On the first day, the citizens of South Clock Town prepare for the Carnival of Time,

noisily constructing a big stage in the town square. It's sunny out during the day, and a clear, starry night reveals itself at

around 6pm. At 7am on the second day, it starts raining miserably. The third day is sunny again, but it's also the final day.

The moon, looming large in the sky, tugs at Termina with its magnificent gravitational force. The citizens of Clock Town run

for the hills, the canyons, the ocean, and the massive fields surrounding their homes. The world begins to shake. No matter

where you are on the third day, you'll know that the end is near, and that you'll soon need to start over. Try not to panic. Once

The power-ups in your immediate vicinity are generally there for a reason. Pay attention to the items you collect, and consider how they might alter your current circumstances.

Before traveling back in time, save your rupees in the West Clock Town bank, or you'll lose your loot during the leap.

Images taken with your pictograph snapper are judged on content, form, centering, and proximity to subject matter. Think Pokemon Snap (with considerably more at stake).