Developer: KID (SNES), Athena (N64)
Publisher: Athena (SNES), UFO Interactive (N64)
Platforms and Release Dates (US): SNES (September 1992), Nintendo 64 (January 15, 2001)
Genre: Sports
Super Bowling was the title of 2 bowling video games released for the SNES and N64, and while the core mechanics are they same, they are fairly different.
I will discuss the N64 version here (I may add the SNES version here after I acquire more information).
The N64 version has more than double the content of the SNES version of the same name. There are 8 character each with different stats that govern Power, Accuracy, and Curve. There are also 8 different lanes to bowl on, based around a different theme and Oil Pattern. The Oil Pattern affects how the ball behaves on the lane. In No Oil, the ball will start to curve a lot right away, Half Oil the ball will barely hook on the first half of the lane and will hook a lot on the second half of the lane, Normal Oil has Oil on about 3/4 of the lane, with the ball barely hooking on the front 3/4 of the lane and hooking a lot on the last 1/4 of the lane, and All Oil has the whole lane coated in oil causing the ball to barely hook at all on the lane. Two of the lanes also have bumpers, which prevents the ball from going in the Gutters on the side for a 0. The mechanics use a 3 step system. You got the Top Arrow, which is where you will throw the ball. Next, you go to the bottom arrow, which is where you will stand. The 3rd step involves 3 different meters. The Power Meter is how fast you through the ball and can be adjusted by pushing the stick up/down, the Curve Meter is how much the ball will curve and can be adjusted by pushing the stick left/right, the Accuracy Meter starts when you press the A button after you adjusted the other 2 meters, it fills up with Blue, Orange, and Yellow segments, and rebounds when it fills up, you press A in the middle of the Yellow section on the Rebound for the best accuracy. Missing the middle of the Yellow section left/right will cause the ball to go left/right respectively of your intended target when you release it. You can also adjust the Power and Curve meter while the Accuracy meter is filling up before for the rebound if you need a last second adjustment. Once you start up the Accuracy meter, there is no going back. You can also change the weight of your ball, from 6-16 pounds. Lighter balls can be thrown harder and hook more, but deflect off pins more easily instead of plowing through. Heavier balls can't be thrown as hard or hook as much, but will plow through pins with little deflection. Choosing the right ball for a given setup of pins can be crucial. You can also play on a Single Lane or Double Lane, the screen is always split in 2 vertically, in Single Lane mode, play takes place on the left half and a Live window on the right half. On Double Lane mode, play takes place on both lanes, which can make for faster play, when one side is done, that side can walk around on the lane and look at things until the other side gets done. The option of Single Lane or Double Lane depends on the number of Players and Game Mode. You can play most modes with 1-4 players, with at least 1 player being Human, the rest can be filled in with CPU players.
The gameplay is basic bowling, you try to get the highest score you can over 10 frames, which is called a Game, 10 frames in a Game of bowling. Each frame can allot you up to 2 balls to knock down all 10 pins. Getting all 10 pins on the first ball is a Strike and the next two balls you throw are added to that frame. 2 Strikes in a row is called a Double, 2 Strikes in a row is called a Turkey and every Strike thereafter is just XX in a row, with XX being the number of Strikes. Getting all 10 pins on the second ball is a Spare and the next ball you throw is added to that frame. If you fail to knock down all 10 pins on the 2nd ball, it is called an Open Frame. The pins reset after all 10 pins are knocked down or once both balls are thrown and play moves to the next frame. On the final frame, which is Frame 10, you can throw up to 3 balls on that frame if you get a Strike or a Spare. If there is a gap between the pins after the 1st ball, it is called a Split, Splits are usually hard to pick up on the 2nd ball. If the ball goes into the gutters on the sides, it is called a Gutter Ball and the ball counts as a 0. A perfect game in Bowling is a 300, which is 12 strikes in a row. The CPU on Pro difficulty will get very close to 300 games on a regular basis.
There are a selection of game modes as well. You can play Standard Bowling (Open Bowling) as described above in Singles, Doubles, or Teams. Singles is that each person bowls for him/herself, for 1-4 players on Single or Double Lane. Doubles is where you pair up with a 2nd player, you each bowl your own Game and your scores are added together for a total, for 2 or 4 players on Single or Double Lane. Teams is where you pair up with a 2nd player, this time you share a game, as in you alternate balls, Player 1 throws ball 1, Player 2 throws ball 2, Player 1 throws ball 3, and so on, and you do that for the whole Game for the highest score, for 2 or 4 players on Single or Double Lane. Golf mode is Bowling Golf, how exciting! In this mode, each frame is a hole, and each hole has a different pin setup that you have to knock down in as few balls as possible. Each hole has a Par, which is always 1 of 2, with the objective being to get at or under Par. You have a maximum of 8 balls to knock down all the pins on that hole before you are forced to move to the next one. There are 9 holes in each game of golf. Stroke mode is a contest to get the lowest score possible in a game, for 1-4 players on Single or Double Lane. Match mode is a direct competition between 2 players, where you compete on each hole for the lowest score, the player that scores the lowest on that hole wins the hole, with the objective being to win the most holes overall, for 2 players only and on Double Lane only. There is also the Challenge Mode. In this mode, you have to clear 10 different setups of pins within 5 misses, if you miss 5 times it is game over. The setups get progressively harder the further in the challenge mode you go, for 1-4 players on Single or Double Lane. In Acquisition Mode, you play in best of 3 matches against CPU opponents, this is also where you unlock characters and lanes to use for other modes. You bowl in the home lane of the opponent you choose, for 1 player only on Double Lane only. You also have the Practice mode, where you can choose any setup of pins and practice forever if you feel like, for 1 player only on Single Lane only.
The last mode available is the Vs Mode, which is probably the most unique mode. This is a 2 player only mode on Double Lane only. This mode is a direct Survival competition between the 2 players. You both start with a set amount of Life, measured in Time. When you run out of Life, you lose. Your life constantly drains while you are lining up your shot, when you go to step 3 of the throwing, the accuracy meter automatically starts to fill and your character begins to throw the ball, so you have to adjust the Power and Curve before the Accuracy meter rebounds. While you are throwing the ball and the ball is traveling down the lane, your Life stops decreasing, and begins decreasing again when you go back to lining up your shot. Unlike the other modes, you can take as many balls as you need to knock down the set of 10 pins that are there, and they reset when you knock down the last pin. There are ways to gain life, lose life, and attack your opponent. If you get a Strike, you attack your opponent's life, and the attack grows stronger with each successive Strikes in a row. If you get a Spare, you regain your life the amount equivalent to bring attacked with a single Strike. Every ball after a Spare increases your life by a lesser amount when you knock down the last pin in the set. If you pick up a Split, you regain life and attack your opponent's life at the same time. If you fail to hit at least 1 pin on each ball or get a gutter ball, it is a Miss and you take a hit on your Life. When you have 5 seconds of life life, you get a warning countdown. Play continues until 1 player runs out of Life. This is probably the most interesting mode out of the lot.
The graphics and music are kind of blah, but get the job done.
Bottom Line: N64 Super Bowling is a pretty blah game overall, but it can provide a bit of fun, especially the unique Vs mode. This is worth a Rent or a Play.
I also did an LP on this game, watch them here!
Part 1: Practice and Open-Single
Part 2: Open-Double and Open-Team
Part 3: Golf Mode and Challenge Mode
Part 4: Acquisition Mode
Part 5: Vs Mode
Showing posts with label Nintendo 64. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nintendo 64. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Retro Lookback: Crusi'n World
Developers: Midway Games (Arcade), Eurocom (Nintendo 64)
Publisher: Midway Games
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Arcade (1996), Nintendo 64 (September 26, 1998)
Genre: Racing
Crusi'n World is the 2nd Game in Midway's Cruis'n line of racing games, and it is personally my favorite of the series.
The gameplay is straight racing, get from the start to the goal before time runs and while overtaking all your opponents. That's it. You got the classic Arcade mode, where you can do a Single Race on any of the tracks, or you can Cruise the World, where you race on each course in order to get to the final track. You have to place 3rd or higher on each track to advance to the next one, which is easier than the game before, Crusi'n USA, where you had to place 1st. Along with the final Florida track, there is an Extra Moon track exclusive to the N64 version that is unlocked after Florida is cleared. You can play the Arcade Mode with 1-4 players, with Cruise the World being available for 1 or 2 player play (I don't know about 3 or 4, as I don't have the adequate controllers to verify, if you know, please let me know). The N64 game has the Championship mode, which takes the environments from the Arcade Mode and resale them to run in laps instead of a straight Point A to Point B race. There are 3 levels, each level taking the tracks of each difficulty level (Easy, Normal, Expert). On default, you have to race 3 laps on each track, and like the arcade mode, place 3rd or higher to advance. Championship Mode also has the Turbo option. Press the Turbo button during the race to give your car a 5 second burst of speed above your Top Speed. The number of Turbos you have is equal to the number of Laps, so a 3 Lap race gives you 3 Turbos to use. Championship Mode can be played with 1-4 Players as well. New to this game is Stunts. You can perform stunts off ramps and other cars by doing wheelies over them. Each successful stunt knocks time off your total time for a lower total. The selection of cars are nice and varied compared to Crusi'n USA, with unlockable Pain jobs and more Cars. The tracks for both Arcade Mode and Championship Mode are nicely laid out and provide for a good flow of speed. The Single Player experience can be fun for a bit, but this is best enjoyed with 4 players. Multiplayer more is good fun and can prove entertaining for hours.
Some things from the Arcade version have been altered or removed for the N64 version, but it is nothing that affects the overall experience of the game.
Bottom Line: Crusi'n World is a pretty fun arcade racer, but it is best played with a room full of friends. This is worth a Play or Rent.
Publisher: Midway Games
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Arcade (1996), Nintendo 64 (September 26, 1998)
Genre: Racing
Crusi'n World is the 2nd Game in Midway's Cruis'n line of racing games, and it is personally my favorite of the series.
The gameplay is straight racing, get from the start to the goal before time runs and while overtaking all your opponents. That's it. You got the classic Arcade mode, where you can do a Single Race on any of the tracks, or you can Cruise the World, where you race on each course in order to get to the final track. You have to place 3rd or higher on each track to advance to the next one, which is easier than the game before, Crusi'n USA, where you had to place 1st. Along with the final Florida track, there is an Extra Moon track exclusive to the N64 version that is unlocked after Florida is cleared. You can play the Arcade Mode with 1-4 players, with Cruise the World being available for 1 or 2 player play (I don't know about 3 or 4, as I don't have the adequate controllers to verify, if you know, please let me know). The N64 game has the Championship mode, which takes the environments from the Arcade Mode and resale them to run in laps instead of a straight Point A to Point B race. There are 3 levels, each level taking the tracks of each difficulty level (Easy, Normal, Expert). On default, you have to race 3 laps on each track, and like the arcade mode, place 3rd or higher to advance. Championship Mode also has the Turbo option. Press the Turbo button during the race to give your car a 5 second burst of speed above your Top Speed. The number of Turbos you have is equal to the number of Laps, so a 3 Lap race gives you 3 Turbos to use. Championship Mode can be played with 1-4 Players as well. New to this game is Stunts. You can perform stunts off ramps and other cars by doing wheelies over them. Each successful stunt knocks time off your total time for a lower total. The selection of cars are nice and varied compared to Crusi'n USA, with unlockable Pain jobs and more Cars. The tracks for both Arcade Mode and Championship Mode are nicely laid out and provide for a good flow of speed. The Single Player experience can be fun for a bit, but this is best enjoyed with 4 players. Multiplayer more is good fun and can prove entertaining for hours.
Some things from the Arcade version have been altered or removed for the N64 version, but it is nothing that affects the overall experience of the game.
Bottom Line: Crusi'n World is a pretty fun arcade racer, but it is best played with a room full of friends. This is worth a Play or Rent.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Retro Lookback: Mario Party 2
Developer: Hudson Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (January 24, 2000), Wii Virtual Console (December 20, 2010)
Genre: Party
Mario Party 2 is the follow up the successful Mario Party, and it continues the Partying and the Fighting that ensures when playing Mario Party.
The story is that Mario and Co lived peacefully in Mario Land until Wario decided that it should be called Wario Land, a fight breaks out and they bicker while Bowser plots to take over the kingdom. Mario and Co then decide that whoever stops Bowser shall have the land named after him/her, so they go off on the various boards to party and stop Bowser and be the Superstar.
The gameplay remains largely the same from the first game. 4 Players play a set number of turns on a board, while collecting Stars and Coins to win the board in the end, and playing Mini-Games between turns. There are different features from the first game. The boards are themed, like a Space Land or a Pirate Land, and the characters dress up in different costumes to suit the board. New spaces have been added. The Bank Space makes you pay a minimum of 5 coins when you pass it, and when a player lands on the space, he/she gets all the coins in the Bank and the Balance is reset to 0. The rules are Reversed in Bowser Land, however, where you get 5 Coins when you pass the bank and the player that lands on it has to pay off the whole balance. The Item space allows you to play a Board Specific Mini-Game for an Item, but only if you don't already have an item. Battle Spaces trigger a Battle Game, where each player has to pay up the cost and fight to win their money back, with 1st and 2nd receiving a 70/30 Split of the total pot. If there is an odd coin left, it gets randomly tossed to a player. The Mushroom Space and the 1 Player Game spaces have been removed. Different board features and mechanics are in this installment as well. As mentioned before, you can hold 1 item to use before you roll for the turn, these can benefit you or hinder another player. You can buy an item by passing an Item Shop or win an Item from an Item Space. Boo works slightly differently, instead of stealing coins for Free, you have to fork over 5 coins, but you can steal up to large amounts of coins instead if the 1-20 coins of the 1st game. You can still steal a star from another player for 50 coins. Baby Bowser also is on the board and takes the spot of where the Star (Toad) was previously when it is bought. Baby Bowser will take 5 coins from you when you pass him, although he occasionally gives you 5 coins. If a player has a Bowser Bomb at the end of the turn before the Mini-Game, Baby Bowser turn into Bowser and rolls 3 dice, whoever Bowser catches up to has to fork over all their coins. Koopa has been removed from this game, so you don't get a coin bonus for lapping the board. Hidden Blocks occur, and contain either 20 coins or a Star instead of the roulette of Koopa/Boo/Bowser from the first game. Each board has their own gimmicks and features that makes them stand kit form the others. Mystery Land, for example, uses a Day/Night cycle which would later be a main feature of Mario Party 6. At the end of the board, you can get 3 Bonus stars for Most Coins held at once, Most Coins won in Mini-Games, and Landing on the most Green Happening Spaces, like the first game. Instead of the winner being announced right there, a cut-scene in which the winner defeats Bowser plays out. Unlike the first game, every player's coins and stars go into the bank, even CPU players. Stars are converted into 50 Coins each. Coins in the bank are used to buy Mini-Games from Woody in Mini-Game Land.
The Mini-Games are the main attraction probably. There are about 70 Mini-Games, both new and remixes from the 1st game. You play a different Mini-Game Badass on what spaces the players have landed on. A 4 Player Game occurs when all 4 Players are either Red or Blue, these are usually Free-For-Alls with 1 winner. A 1 vs 3 game is when all but one player is the same color, it is a team game of the solo player vs the team of 3, with the solo player given a slighter advantage due to the ways the teams are layer out. A 2 vs 2 game is when the players are evenly split between Red and Blue, the teams of 2 battle each other with one team winning. A Battle Game is when a Battle Space is landed on, which was explained earlier. Players bet the amount of coins determined and fight for the pot, with a 70/30 split going to 1st and 2nd and an odd coin going to a random player if applicable. An Item Game is when a player lands on an Item Space, if you have no item, you get to play for an Item. Duel Games are introduced in this game. In the last 5 turns, whenever 2 players occupy the same space, they play a board specific battle game to determine the winner. The challenging player (the one who landed on the space) bets any amount of coins up to the maximum of the lower coin total, the winner gets all the coins. You can also initiate a Duel Game by using the Dueling Glove item. The Mini-Games where you has to spin the control stick around as fast as you can has been removed from this game due to lawsuits from the first game.
There is also the Mini-Game land, where you can play the Mini-Games without playing the board. You can free play any of the games you bought from Woody in the Park. You can go to the stadium to play a best of series of mini-games to win. You can also play a figure-8 board similar to the Pot-o-Skills in the first game, and you earn coins by lapping the board here unlike the standard game. Lastly, there is the Mini-Game Coaster. This works like the Mini-Game Island from the first game. You can select Easy, Normal, and Hard each having 3, 6, and 9 Worlds to complete respectively. You start with 3 Lives and earn coins by successfully beating Mini-Games. You get a 1up for every 100 coins. You can also get a Win Streak Bonus, where your coin winnings are multiplied by the current win streak. Like the first game, you can also select a partner to compete with you in the 2 vs 2 games and when you are on the 3 side in 1 vs 3 games. You can save at the start of each world and continue from there when you run out of lives. The objective is to get to the end of the Coaster before you run out of lives.
Since this is Mario Party, this game is best enjoyed with 4 People, but the CPU can still be fun to play against (especially when they cheat and rig every Chance Time to work against you). This game has tons of replay value in a group setting.
Bottom Line: Mario Party 2 improves from the first game and adds good new features. This is an experience best enjoyed with friends, but can still be fun solo. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Author's Note: That statement about the Cheating CPU comes from experience... Don't ask... Also, the Runaway Guys have done Let's Plays of Mario Party 2 on YouTube. Go watch them, they are very funny.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (January 24, 2000), Wii Virtual Console (December 20, 2010)
Genre: Party
Mario Party 2 is the follow up the successful Mario Party, and it continues the Partying and the Fighting that ensures when playing Mario Party.
The story is that Mario and Co lived peacefully in Mario Land until Wario decided that it should be called Wario Land, a fight breaks out and they bicker while Bowser plots to take over the kingdom. Mario and Co then decide that whoever stops Bowser shall have the land named after him/her, so they go off on the various boards to party and stop Bowser and be the Superstar.
The gameplay remains largely the same from the first game. 4 Players play a set number of turns on a board, while collecting Stars and Coins to win the board in the end, and playing Mini-Games between turns. There are different features from the first game. The boards are themed, like a Space Land or a Pirate Land, and the characters dress up in different costumes to suit the board. New spaces have been added. The Bank Space makes you pay a minimum of 5 coins when you pass it, and when a player lands on the space, he/she gets all the coins in the Bank and the Balance is reset to 0. The rules are Reversed in Bowser Land, however, where you get 5 Coins when you pass the bank and the player that lands on it has to pay off the whole balance. The Item space allows you to play a Board Specific Mini-Game for an Item, but only if you don't already have an item. Battle Spaces trigger a Battle Game, where each player has to pay up the cost and fight to win their money back, with 1st and 2nd receiving a 70/30 Split of the total pot. If there is an odd coin left, it gets randomly tossed to a player. The Mushroom Space and the 1 Player Game spaces have been removed. Different board features and mechanics are in this installment as well. As mentioned before, you can hold 1 item to use before you roll for the turn, these can benefit you or hinder another player. You can buy an item by passing an Item Shop or win an Item from an Item Space. Boo works slightly differently, instead of stealing coins for Free, you have to fork over 5 coins, but you can steal up to large amounts of coins instead if the 1-20 coins of the 1st game. You can still steal a star from another player for 50 coins. Baby Bowser also is on the board and takes the spot of where the Star (Toad) was previously when it is bought. Baby Bowser will take 5 coins from you when you pass him, although he occasionally gives you 5 coins. If a player has a Bowser Bomb at the end of the turn before the Mini-Game, Baby Bowser turn into Bowser and rolls 3 dice, whoever Bowser catches up to has to fork over all their coins. Koopa has been removed from this game, so you don't get a coin bonus for lapping the board. Hidden Blocks occur, and contain either 20 coins or a Star instead of the roulette of Koopa/Boo/Bowser from the first game. Each board has their own gimmicks and features that makes them stand kit form the others. Mystery Land, for example, uses a Day/Night cycle which would later be a main feature of Mario Party 6. At the end of the board, you can get 3 Bonus stars for Most Coins held at once, Most Coins won in Mini-Games, and Landing on the most Green Happening Spaces, like the first game. Instead of the winner being announced right there, a cut-scene in which the winner defeats Bowser plays out. Unlike the first game, every player's coins and stars go into the bank, even CPU players. Stars are converted into 50 Coins each. Coins in the bank are used to buy Mini-Games from Woody in Mini-Game Land.
The Mini-Games are the main attraction probably. There are about 70 Mini-Games, both new and remixes from the 1st game. You play a different Mini-Game Badass on what spaces the players have landed on. A 4 Player Game occurs when all 4 Players are either Red or Blue, these are usually Free-For-Alls with 1 winner. A 1 vs 3 game is when all but one player is the same color, it is a team game of the solo player vs the team of 3, with the solo player given a slighter advantage due to the ways the teams are layer out. A 2 vs 2 game is when the players are evenly split between Red and Blue, the teams of 2 battle each other with one team winning. A Battle Game is when a Battle Space is landed on, which was explained earlier. Players bet the amount of coins determined and fight for the pot, with a 70/30 split going to 1st and 2nd and an odd coin going to a random player if applicable. An Item Game is when a player lands on an Item Space, if you have no item, you get to play for an Item. Duel Games are introduced in this game. In the last 5 turns, whenever 2 players occupy the same space, they play a board specific battle game to determine the winner. The challenging player (the one who landed on the space) bets any amount of coins up to the maximum of the lower coin total, the winner gets all the coins. You can also initiate a Duel Game by using the Dueling Glove item. The Mini-Games where you has to spin the control stick around as fast as you can has been removed from this game due to lawsuits from the first game.
There is also the Mini-Game land, where you can play the Mini-Games without playing the board. You can free play any of the games you bought from Woody in the Park. You can go to the stadium to play a best of series of mini-games to win. You can also play a figure-8 board similar to the Pot-o-Skills in the first game, and you earn coins by lapping the board here unlike the standard game. Lastly, there is the Mini-Game Coaster. This works like the Mini-Game Island from the first game. You can select Easy, Normal, and Hard each having 3, 6, and 9 Worlds to complete respectively. You start with 3 Lives and earn coins by successfully beating Mini-Games. You get a 1up for every 100 coins. You can also get a Win Streak Bonus, where your coin winnings are multiplied by the current win streak. Like the first game, you can also select a partner to compete with you in the 2 vs 2 games and when you are on the 3 side in 1 vs 3 games. You can save at the start of each world and continue from there when you run out of lives. The objective is to get to the end of the Coaster before you run out of lives.
Since this is Mario Party, this game is best enjoyed with 4 People, but the CPU can still be fun to play against (especially when they cheat and rig every Chance Time to work against you). This game has tons of replay value in a group setting.
Bottom Line: Mario Party 2 improves from the first game and adds good new features. This is an experience best enjoyed with friends, but can still be fun solo. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Author's Note: That statement about the Cheating CPU comes from experience... Don't ask... Also, the Runaway Guys have done Let's Plays of Mario Party 2 on YouTube. Go watch them, they are very funny.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Retro Lookback: 1080 Snowboarding
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (April 1, 1998), Wii Virtual Console (January 28, 2008)
Genre: Extreme Sports, Racing
1080 Snowboarding is Nintendo's stab at Snowboarding, and it is a good time.
The gameplay is simple, get down the mountain as fast as you can by using different routes and balancing after jumps. You also have a Damage meter, where you take damage everytime you fall. You are forced retire when you fill up the damage meter. The main modes are Match Race, Time Attack, Trick Attack, Contest, Training, and 2P Vs. Match Race puts you in a series of Head to Head races against CPU controlled riders across the various runs. There are 3 difficulties, with harder difficulties becoming harder and more races. You also get 3 lives for each attempt, if you are forced to Retire or fail to beat the CPU, you lose a life, lose all 3 lives and you have to restart from the first race. Time Attack is a straight up speed contest to get to the bottom as fast as you can. Trick Attack tasks you with getting the highest score you can down a run by performing various tricks and combos. You are also given a timer, which gives a time bonus, and checkpoints that boost time left. Along with the regular courses, you can also run on Air Make and Half Pipe for Trick Attack. Contest is a special Trick Attack mode that takes place on the first 3 regular tracks and the 2 special trick runs. The goal is to get the highest combined score on the 5 runs. On the regular courses, there are Red and Blue flags scattered throughout that give you points and a alight time bonus by slaloming through them. You can still perform regular tricks for more points. Training places you on a special training run and allows you to practice tricks and landing. 2P Vs is the 2 Player Head to Head mode, 2 Players compete against each other to get to the bottom first. You can also elect if each player gets a speed boost when they are in 2nd via the Handicap option. 2P Vs can provide a good bit of fun for a while, even given only 6 tracks total. The 6 regular tracks are nicely laid out, each having a few different routes to the bottom, making for multiple replays for the best run. There are 8 riders, with 5 being available from the start and 3 being unlockable. Each rider has different stats that gives them an edge in different modes. There are also 9 boards to choose from, with one being unlockable. Each board has different stats as well, making for careful board selection. Landing from jumps can be a bit tricky, but with careful stick and button work, you can land those jumps every time. The rush you feel going down the mountain is exciting, the gameplay is solid and fun. The marquee trick, the 1080, is a bit hard to pull off at a 9 button combination, but it js satisfying to land.
The graphics and sounds are pretty solid, the character models look smooth, the snow effects look like snow, and the music fire nicely.
Bottom Line: 1080 Snowboarding is a solid racing experience, with physics that are challenging, but not unfair. The 2P Vs mode can be a blast for hours. This is worth a Buy or Play.
Author's Note: Ricky Winterborn is the best rider, no contest.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (April 1, 1998), Wii Virtual Console (January 28, 2008)
Genre: Extreme Sports, Racing
1080 Snowboarding is Nintendo's stab at Snowboarding, and it is a good time.
The gameplay is simple, get down the mountain as fast as you can by using different routes and balancing after jumps. You also have a Damage meter, where you take damage everytime you fall. You are forced retire when you fill up the damage meter. The main modes are Match Race, Time Attack, Trick Attack, Contest, Training, and 2P Vs. Match Race puts you in a series of Head to Head races against CPU controlled riders across the various runs. There are 3 difficulties, with harder difficulties becoming harder and more races. You also get 3 lives for each attempt, if you are forced to Retire or fail to beat the CPU, you lose a life, lose all 3 lives and you have to restart from the first race. Time Attack is a straight up speed contest to get to the bottom as fast as you can. Trick Attack tasks you with getting the highest score you can down a run by performing various tricks and combos. You are also given a timer, which gives a time bonus, and checkpoints that boost time left. Along with the regular courses, you can also run on Air Make and Half Pipe for Trick Attack. Contest is a special Trick Attack mode that takes place on the first 3 regular tracks and the 2 special trick runs. The goal is to get the highest combined score on the 5 runs. On the regular courses, there are Red and Blue flags scattered throughout that give you points and a alight time bonus by slaloming through them. You can still perform regular tricks for more points. Training places you on a special training run and allows you to practice tricks and landing. 2P Vs is the 2 Player Head to Head mode, 2 Players compete against each other to get to the bottom first. You can also elect if each player gets a speed boost when they are in 2nd via the Handicap option. 2P Vs can provide a good bit of fun for a while, even given only 6 tracks total. The 6 regular tracks are nicely laid out, each having a few different routes to the bottom, making for multiple replays for the best run. There are 8 riders, with 5 being available from the start and 3 being unlockable. Each rider has different stats that gives them an edge in different modes. There are also 9 boards to choose from, with one being unlockable. Each board has different stats as well, making for careful board selection. Landing from jumps can be a bit tricky, but with careful stick and button work, you can land those jumps every time. The rush you feel going down the mountain is exciting, the gameplay is solid and fun. The marquee trick, the 1080, is a bit hard to pull off at a 9 button combination, but it js satisfying to land.
The graphics and sounds are pretty solid, the character models look smooth, the snow effects look like snow, and the music fire nicely.
Bottom Line: 1080 Snowboarding is a solid racing experience, with physics that are challenging, but not unfair. The 2P Vs mode can be a blast for hours. This is worth a Buy or Play.
Author's Note: Ricky Winterborn is the best rider, no contest.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Retro Lookback: Dr. Mario 64
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (April 8, 2001)
Genre: Puzzle
Dr. Mario 64 is an enhanced update of the classic game for NES and Gameboy, does it hold up since then?
The gameplay is still classic Dr. Mario. You line up 4 of the same color horizontally or vertically to clear all the viruses before your opponent or before you fill up. There are various modes of play in 64 compared to the NES/Gameboy version. Classic more is the classic NES Dr. Mario more, you pick a level from 0-20, one of 3 speeds, and clear all the viruses to move on the the next level, and keep going until you fail. Story mode is a 1 Player Mode where you play as Dr. Mario or Wario in a quest to get back the Megavitamins via 8-9 matches against the CPU, with 4 difficulties available. Vs Computer puts you against the CPU in a standard Vs Match. Flash puts you against the CPU to clear 3 flashing viruses first. Marathon is an endless mode, where the viruses will keep regenerating from the bottom, you keep clearing viruses until you fill up. Score Attack is a mode where you get the highest score you can in 3 minutes, if you clear all the viruses, you get a Time Bonus for time left. There is also some 2 Player Modes. 2 Player Vs is a standard Vs Match between 2 human players. Flash is a 2 Player Match to clear the 3 flashing viruses first. Score Attack is a 2 Player variant of the 1 Player Mode, you cannot attack each other in this mode, it plays like the 1 Player variant, higher score wins. The best edition is 4 Player Mode. 4 Players can play simultaneously to clear viruses, for 1-4 Players, with CPU filling in for Non-Human players. 4 Player Vs is an expanded version of 2 Player Vs, the goal is still the same, clear your viruses first or knock out all 3 of your opponents. 4 Player Flash is the same as 2 Player Flash for 4 People, first of clear the 3 flashing viruses wins. There is also a Team Battle 2 vs 2 mode, Players 1 & 2 vs Players 3 & 4, it works like 4 Player Vs except only one person on the team needs to clear their viruses first or to knock out the 2 opposing players to win. If a human player gets knocked out in a 4 player mode, they can Practice by pressing start. Their board gets reset and they can play while waiting for the other players. You cannot attack or be attacked while in Practice mode. The 4 Player Mode is great fun with 4 humans, just make sure you have a sizeable screen.
I shall explain attacking and winning in this section. In 2 Player modes you attack the other player by doing combos, as in the capsules collapse and keep clearing without more capsules. A 2 combo will send 2 pieces, a 3 combo will send 3 pieces, and a 4+ combo will send 4 pieces to your opponent. 4 Player modes work slightly different. The strength of the attack still depends on the combo, but who you attack is dependent on which color you start the combo with (the first color cleared in the combo). If the first color is Blue you will attack the player 1 to the right of you, if the color is Yellow you will attack the player 2 to the right of you, and if the color is Red you will attack the player 3 to the right of you. If you are players 2-4, your attack will warp back around once you get to the far right, as in a Red attack from Player 2, a Yellow attack form Player 3, or a Blue attack from Player 4 will attack Player 1. You can also attack more than one player at once, if your first clear in a combo is 2 different colors at the same time, you will send attacks to both players, as in if Player 1 starts a combo with Blue & Red, Players 2 & 4 will be attacked. Team Mode works slightly different. If you attack your Teammate or a knocked out player on the other team, your attacks will instead go to a Stock pool, you can build up to 4 colors in the pool depending on the combos. Once a player on the other team is attacked that isn't knocked out, your Stock pool will be added in to your combo for up to 4 pieces. In all Vs modes except 2 Player Score Attack, you can win in 2 ways. You can win by clearing all your viruses/flashing viruses first or by knocking out all opponents by filling them up to the top. This can make for some strategy, as you can shift from one win condition to the other to get the easier win.
You also got the classic Fever and Chill music remixed, and also 2 new tracks called Cube and Que Que, they are fun to listen to while virus busting, and go into an Alegro or Frenzy mix when a player has almost cleared their screen of viruses. The graphics are bright and colorful, and the animations and voice clips are a nice touch.
Bottom Line: Dr. Mario 64 is a good update of the classic game, with extra modes to test you for higher scores. The 4 player mode is a lot of fun with 4 humans. This is worth a play.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (April 8, 2001)
Genre: Puzzle
Dr. Mario 64 is an enhanced update of the classic game for NES and Gameboy, does it hold up since then?
The gameplay is still classic Dr. Mario. You line up 4 of the same color horizontally or vertically to clear all the viruses before your opponent or before you fill up. There are various modes of play in 64 compared to the NES/Gameboy version. Classic more is the classic NES Dr. Mario more, you pick a level from 0-20, one of 3 speeds, and clear all the viruses to move on the the next level, and keep going until you fail. Story mode is a 1 Player Mode where you play as Dr. Mario or Wario in a quest to get back the Megavitamins via 8-9 matches against the CPU, with 4 difficulties available. Vs Computer puts you against the CPU in a standard Vs Match. Flash puts you against the CPU to clear 3 flashing viruses first. Marathon is an endless mode, where the viruses will keep regenerating from the bottom, you keep clearing viruses until you fill up. Score Attack is a mode where you get the highest score you can in 3 minutes, if you clear all the viruses, you get a Time Bonus for time left. There is also some 2 Player Modes. 2 Player Vs is a standard Vs Match between 2 human players. Flash is a 2 Player Match to clear the 3 flashing viruses first. Score Attack is a 2 Player variant of the 1 Player Mode, you cannot attack each other in this mode, it plays like the 1 Player variant, higher score wins. The best edition is 4 Player Mode. 4 Players can play simultaneously to clear viruses, for 1-4 Players, with CPU filling in for Non-Human players. 4 Player Vs is an expanded version of 2 Player Vs, the goal is still the same, clear your viruses first or knock out all 3 of your opponents. 4 Player Flash is the same as 2 Player Flash for 4 People, first of clear the 3 flashing viruses wins. There is also a Team Battle 2 vs 2 mode, Players 1 & 2 vs Players 3 & 4, it works like 4 Player Vs except only one person on the team needs to clear their viruses first or to knock out the 2 opposing players to win. If a human player gets knocked out in a 4 player mode, they can Practice by pressing start. Their board gets reset and they can play while waiting for the other players. You cannot attack or be attacked while in Practice mode. The 4 Player Mode is great fun with 4 humans, just make sure you have a sizeable screen.
I shall explain attacking and winning in this section. In 2 Player modes you attack the other player by doing combos, as in the capsules collapse and keep clearing without more capsules. A 2 combo will send 2 pieces, a 3 combo will send 3 pieces, and a 4+ combo will send 4 pieces to your opponent. 4 Player modes work slightly different. The strength of the attack still depends on the combo, but who you attack is dependent on which color you start the combo with (the first color cleared in the combo). If the first color is Blue you will attack the player 1 to the right of you, if the color is Yellow you will attack the player 2 to the right of you, and if the color is Red you will attack the player 3 to the right of you. If you are players 2-4, your attack will warp back around once you get to the far right, as in a Red attack from Player 2, a Yellow attack form Player 3, or a Blue attack from Player 4 will attack Player 1. You can also attack more than one player at once, if your first clear in a combo is 2 different colors at the same time, you will send attacks to both players, as in if Player 1 starts a combo with Blue & Red, Players 2 & 4 will be attacked. Team Mode works slightly different. If you attack your Teammate or a knocked out player on the other team, your attacks will instead go to a Stock pool, you can build up to 4 colors in the pool depending on the combos. Once a player on the other team is attacked that isn't knocked out, your Stock pool will be added in to your combo for up to 4 pieces. In all Vs modes except 2 Player Score Attack, you can win in 2 ways. You can win by clearing all your viruses/flashing viruses first or by knocking out all opponents by filling them up to the top. This can make for some strategy, as you can shift from one win condition to the other to get the easier win.
You also got the classic Fever and Chill music remixed, and also 2 new tracks called Cube and Que Que, they are fun to listen to while virus busting, and go into an Alegro or Frenzy mix when a player has almost cleared their screen of viruses. The graphics are bright and colorful, and the animations and voice clips are a nice touch.
Bottom Line: Dr. Mario 64 is a good update of the classic game, with extra modes to test you for higher scores. The 4 player mode is a lot of fun with 4 humans. This is worth a play.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Retro Lookback: Snowboard Kids
Developer: Racdym
Publisher: Atlus
Platforms and Release dates (US): Nintendo 64 (May 3, 1998)
Genre: Racing
Snowboard Kids is Atlus' take on Mario Kart, so to speak, and I find it to be entertaining.
The gameplay is straight racing, you start at the top and have to be the first to the bottom, but you have to take a lift back to the top again and complete the required number of laps first. First to complete all the laps first wins. To help, there are two different kinds of items to get on the track. Shot items are the Red Boxes, you get 3 shots of a random projectile to shoot at your opponents, from Bombs to Parachutes. Items come in Blue Boxes, you get a random item to use to aid you, hinder your opponents, or do both. You can carry both a Shot and an Item at the same time, firing shots with the Z button and Items with the B button. You have to pay 100G to get an Item or a Shot, you can earn G by collecting loose coins on the course worth 100G each or by successfully landing tricks. There are 9 tracks available, from the standard snowy mountain to more unorthodox locales such as an amusements park and a grass valley, 6 are from the start and 3 are unlockable. There is also a selection of 6 characters with different stats, with 1 being unlockable. You can also select different boards to use, Freestyle boards are low speed but high tricks and cornering, All-Around boards are even in every stat, and Alpine boards are high speed but low tricks and cornering. You can also get 3 special boards with unique stats. The standard race mode is a 4 person race, with CPU players filling in for Non-Entrants. Single Player has a few additional modes of play. Speed Cross is a 1 Lap Time Trial on the first 3 courses with Speed Fans scattered on the course, Shot Cross is a 1 Lap run on the first 3 courses where you have to shoot all the snowmen and finish as fast as you can. Trick Attack takes place on a special course where you have to earn the highest point total you can from tricks and finish within 3 minutes. You can also do a standard 1 Lap Time Trial on all 9 courses, you are given 1 Speed Fan item to use to help you achieve the fastest 1 Lap time. The gameplay is different from Mario Mart in ways, and I find it to be fun.
A little while later, an enhanced port was made for the Playstation, but only for Japan. It had enhanced graphics, more voice clips, more characters, and other things. A sequel was made also, which I may cover in a future post.
Bottom Line: Snowboard Kids is like Mario Kart on Snowboards, and a fun game at that. This game is worth a Play.
Publisher: Atlus
Platforms and Release dates (US): Nintendo 64 (May 3, 1998)
Genre: Racing
Snowboard Kids is Atlus' take on Mario Kart, so to speak, and I find it to be entertaining.
The gameplay is straight racing, you start at the top and have to be the first to the bottom, but you have to take a lift back to the top again and complete the required number of laps first. First to complete all the laps first wins. To help, there are two different kinds of items to get on the track. Shot items are the Red Boxes, you get 3 shots of a random projectile to shoot at your opponents, from Bombs to Parachutes. Items come in Blue Boxes, you get a random item to use to aid you, hinder your opponents, or do both. You can carry both a Shot and an Item at the same time, firing shots with the Z button and Items with the B button. You have to pay 100G to get an Item or a Shot, you can earn G by collecting loose coins on the course worth 100G each or by successfully landing tricks. There are 9 tracks available, from the standard snowy mountain to more unorthodox locales such as an amusements park and a grass valley, 6 are from the start and 3 are unlockable. There is also a selection of 6 characters with different stats, with 1 being unlockable. You can also select different boards to use, Freestyle boards are low speed but high tricks and cornering, All-Around boards are even in every stat, and Alpine boards are high speed but low tricks and cornering. You can also get 3 special boards with unique stats. The standard race mode is a 4 person race, with CPU players filling in for Non-Entrants. Single Player has a few additional modes of play. Speed Cross is a 1 Lap Time Trial on the first 3 courses with Speed Fans scattered on the course, Shot Cross is a 1 Lap run on the first 3 courses where you have to shoot all the snowmen and finish as fast as you can. Trick Attack takes place on a special course where you have to earn the highest point total you can from tricks and finish within 3 minutes. You can also do a standard 1 Lap Time Trial on all 9 courses, you are given 1 Speed Fan item to use to help you achieve the fastest 1 Lap time. The gameplay is different from Mario Mart in ways, and I find it to be fun.
A little while later, an enhanced port was made for the Playstation, but only for Japan. It had enhanced graphics, more voice clips, more characters, and other things. A sequel was made also, which I may cover in a future post.
Bottom Line: Snowboard Kids is like Mario Kart on Snowboards, and a fun game at that. This game is worth a Play.
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