Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64 (November 5, 1996), Wii Virtual Console (August 6, 2007)
Genre: Extreme Sports, Racing
Wave Race 64 is the follow up to the overlooked Gameboy game Wave Race, and it improves on it in many ways.
The gameplay is a bit different from the Gameboy. The perspective moves from Top-Down to Behind-The-Rider 3Rd Person, and it works great. The objective is to race around water tracks as fast as you can, but you have to slalom through Buoys on the course. There are two types of Buoys, Yellow ones with an L on them have to be passed on the Left and Red ones with an R on them have to be passed on the Right. When you correctly pass a Buoy, you an arrow on the Power meter fills, when all 5 arrows fill, you have maximum Power and can go the fastest you can. When you miss a Buoy, your Power goes back down to 0, but you can build it up again. You also build up your Miss counter, if you miss 5 Buoys in a Race, you are disqualified. You can also be disqualified by going outside of the Pink Buoys marking the edge of the track or by remaining on anything but water for 10 seconds. The main modes are Championship, Time Trials, Stunt Mode, and 2P VS. Championship Mode tasks you with racing through the tracks in order against 3 CPU racers. On each track, you have to get a certain point total to move on to the next track, or it is Game Over and you must start from Race one. 1st Place awards you 7 Points, 2nd is 4 Points, 3rd is 2 Points, and 4th is 1 Point. If you are disqualified, you receive no points. There are 4 difficulty modes, with higher levels involving more difficult Buoy placement and more races. Normal has the easiest placement and 6 races, Hard is slightly hard placement and 7 races, Expert is the hardest placement and 8 races, and Reverse is the Expert difficulty only running the tracks in Reverse. If you start a Normal Championship, you have the option to Warm Up by free riding on the special training track Dolphin Park. You can free practice all you want and start the Championship if you choose. There is also scrolling text at the bottom that explains the basics if needed. Time Trials is a straight up contest to go as fast as you can on any of the unlocked tracks. Stunt More tasks you with trying to get the highest score you can in one lap around the track. You score points by passing through rings without missing them and performing stunts in the air and on the water. You are on a timer, and you get time bonuses too, and earn more Time at checkpoints. You can play on any of the unlocked tracks and the special Dolphin Park track in Stunt Mode. 2P VS is a race between 2 human players, first to the goal without being disqualified wins. You can play on any of the unlocked tracks, and set a handicap to speed up the losing player if you choose. 2P VS is a fun time on the 8 tracks, like 1080 Snowboarding, even with the lack of many tracks and options, it still proves to be fun for hours when playing against a 2nd player. You can also go to the options screen to adjust some of the settings, like the Wave Conditions. There are 4 riders to choose from, each with different stats, from the High Speed one to the Turning one to the Balanced one. You can also customize the Jet Ski to tweak the stats slightly, giving you just that little bit more speed or corning. Even though you can tweak the stats, you can't ever quite get the Max Speed guy to have the same corning as the Turning guy and such. The gameplay is fun, and the slalom between the buoys is interesting and keeps cheaters in check.
The music and sounds are tight, and the Water Physics are really good for the N64, the water behaves like...water, and crashing against the waves feels like the real thing (probably).
Bottom Line: Wave Race 64 is a fun racer, like it's buddy series 1080 Snowboarding. The 2P VS is fun and keeps it rolling for hours. The is worth a Buy or Play.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Retro Lookback: Bust-a-Move 99
Developer: Taito
Publishers: Taito, Acclaim
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Sega Saturn (December 31, 1997), Playstation (February 28, 1999), Nintendo 64 (April 30, 1999)
Genre: Puzzle
Bust-a-Move 99 (known as Puzzle Bobble 3 outside of North America) is the third main entry in the Bust-a-Move series, and it continues the Bubble Popping Puzzle Action.
Originally only an Arcade release in Japan, Bust-a-Move 99 was ported to a few systems years later. The gameplay remains largely the same, you shoot colored bubbles at the bubbles on the field, align 3 of a like color next to each other to clear them. You can also drop hanging bubbles to get extra points by clearing bubbles that causes them to drop. The single player Puzzle Mode tasks you with completing various puzzle up tiers of letters of the alphabet to reach the end, with 5 Rounds in each. There is a new type of field now, an Endurance filed. This field is 5x longer than a standard round, you have to clear all the way to the top to clear. This also constitutes 1 letter, so you can play 5 standard rounds or 1 endurance round to advance. The standard rounds are also slightly different. This game introduces nodes into the mix. Instead if the bubbles connecting to the Top, they connect to nodes. When all the bubbles attached to a node are destroyed, the node vanishes, destroy all nodes on the board to clear it. The top is no longer sticky, and bubbles will bounce off it like walls. Bubbles can also bounce back down out of the play field, which there is no penalty, but it still constitutes a move towards making the field drop 1 empty line. You can also play in Version 2.5, which takes the Puzzles from Bust-a-Move 2 and remolds them around the node idea. You can also play against the CPU, which is a series of Battle matches to reach the final boss. You can build attack by clearing more than 3 bubbles at once or by dropping bubbles, the more cleared at once or dropped at once, the stronger the attack. Unlike previous entries, you can choose a character, each with their own bubble attack pattern. Some attack by throwing bubbles up from the bottom, pushing the field down another level from the top, or both. If your character can throw bubbles up, as soon as you build an attack and your opponent shots, they will be launched. However, if you character can push the field down, you can build up the attack to a Red Bubble for that attack. If your character can do both, it will do the push down first (if there is enough attack power), then the rest get thrown up. There is also the 2 player version in which 2 humans play. Other modes from the arcade mode includes a Contest mode that tasks you with getting the highest win streak you can without losing against the CPU, a Challenge mode which gives you 6 sets of 5 rounds to complete with each set having a different goal and gives you a score at the end, a mode that has 1000+ Puzzles submitted by various people for free play, and the Level Editor which allows you to make your own Puzzles. The puzzles are nicely designed and are a challenge, but not too frustrating..the Endurance puzzles are a nice change of pace as well.
There is also 1 new bubble type, the Rainbow bubble. These bubbles are initially clear, but when bubbles next to them are cleared, they will take the color of the cleared bubbles. You can also make the Rainbow bubbles cascade clear for big points and a strong attack, as in they change color, pop, make more change color, make them pop, and so on. Rainbow Bubbles cannot be cleared out by Star Bubbles.
The N64 version also contains a 4 player mode. This works like the 2 player mode, except expanded for 4 people. There are 2 modes with 2 ways of scoring. This can be played with 2-4 players, with CPU players being able to fill in for non-humans if you choose. Arcade mode is the Battle mode, where the last one standing wins. You can select which player to attack using the C-Buttons or let the game decide which opponent it feels like attack. Time Trial is a contest to see who can clear their field the fastest, you cannot attack other players in Time Trial. The Wins system keeps track of Wins, reach the number of Wins first to win the match. The Points system gives out points for placement, 1st gets 5, 2nd gets 3, 3rd gets 1, and 4th gets nothing, the first player to get the requires points first wins. The Multiplayer is fun with 4 Players, either with the CPU or other Humans, just make sure your TV is a bit larger for the smaller play areas.
The graphics are bright and colorful, and the animations are nice. The music is good, it reminds me of Remixes from Bust-a-Move 2 myself.
Bottom Line: Bust-a-Move 99 is another good addition to the series, with small nuances that make it different enough from the others. The N64 version has a slight advantage with the 4 Player Mode, but all versions are a blast to play. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Publishers: Taito, Acclaim
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Sega Saturn (December 31, 1997), Playstation (February 28, 1999), Nintendo 64 (April 30, 1999)
Genre: Puzzle
Bust-a-Move 99 (known as Puzzle Bobble 3 outside of North America) is the third main entry in the Bust-a-Move series, and it continues the Bubble Popping Puzzle Action.
Originally only an Arcade release in Japan, Bust-a-Move 99 was ported to a few systems years later. The gameplay remains largely the same, you shoot colored bubbles at the bubbles on the field, align 3 of a like color next to each other to clear them. You can also drop hanging bubbles to get extra points by clearing bubbles that causes them to drop. The single player Puzzle Mode tasks you with completing various puzzle up tiers of letters of the alphabet to reach the end, with 5 Rounds in each. There is a new type of field now, an Endurance filed. This field is 5x longer than a standard round, you have to clear all the way to the top to clear. This also constitutes 1 letter, so you can play 5 standard rounds or 1 endurance round to advance. The standard rounds are also slightly different. This game introduces nodes into the mix. Instead if the bubbles connecting to the Top, they connect to nodes. When all the bubbles attached to a node are destroyed, the node vanishes, destroy all nodes on the board to clear it. The top is no longer sticky, and bubbles will bounce off it like walls. Bubbles can also bounce back down out of the play field, which there is no penalty, but it still constitutes a move towards making the field drop 1 empty line. You can also play in Version 2.5, which takes the Puzzles from Bust-a-Move 2 and remolds them around the node idea. You can also play against the CPU, which is a series of Battle matches to reach the final boss. You can build attack by clearing more than 3 bubbles at once or by dropping bubbles, the more cleared at once or dropped at once, the stronger the attack. Unlike previous entries, you can choose a character, each with their own bubble attack pattern. Some attack by throwing bubbles up from the bottom, pushing the field down another level from the top, or both. If your character can throw bubbles up, as soon as you build an attack and your opponent shots, they will be launched. However, if you character can push the field down, you can build up the attack to a Red Bubble for that attack. If your character can do both, it will do the push down first (if there is enough attack power), then the rest get thrown up. There is also the 2 player version in which 2 humans play. Other modes from the arcade mode includes a Contest mode that tasks you with getting the highest win streak you can without losing against the CPU, a Challenge mode which gives you 6 sets of 5 rounds to complete with each set having a different goal and gives you a score at the end, a mode that has 1000+ Puzzles submitted by various people for free play, and the Level Editor which allows you to make your own Puzzles. The puzzles are nicely designed and are a challenge, but not too frustrating..the Endurance puzzles are a nice change of pace as well.
There is also 1 new bubble type, the Rainbow bubble. These bubbles are initially clear, but when bubbles next to them are cleared, they will take the color of the cleared bubbles. You can also make the Rainbow bubbles cascade clear for big points and a strong attack, as in they change color, pop, make more change color, make them pop, and so on. Rainbow Bubbles cannot be cleared out by Star Bubbles.
The N64 version also contains a 4 player mode. This works like the 2 player mode, except expanded for 4 people. There are 2 modes with 2 ways of scoring. This can be played with 2-4 players, with CPU players being able to fill in for non-humans if you choose. Arcade mode is the Battle mode, where the last one standing wins. You can select which player to attack using the C-Buttons or let the game decide which opponent it feels like attack. Time Trial is a contest to see who can clear their field the fastest, you cannot attack other players in Time Trial. The Wins system keeps track of Wins, reach the number of Wins first to win the match. The Points system gives out points for placement, 1st gets 5, 2nd gets 3, 3rd gets 1, and 4th gets nothing, the first player to get the requires points first wins. The Multiplayer is fun with 4 Players, either with the CPU or other Humans, just make sure your TV is a bit larger for the smaller play areas.
The graphics are bright and colorful, and the animations are nice. The music is good, it reminds me of Remixes from Bust-a-Move 2 myself.
Bottom Line: Bust-a-Move 99 is another good addition to the series, with small nuances that make it different enough from the others. The N64 version has a slight advantage with the 4 Player Mode, but all versions are a blast to play. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Retro Lookback: Vigilante 8 2nd Offense
Developer: Luxoflux
Publisher: Activision
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Playstation (October 31, 1999), Dreamcast (November 30, 1999), Nintendo 64 (February 2, 2000)
Genre: Vehicular Combat
Vigilante 8 2nd Offense (also known as V8:2 or V8:2nd) is the follow up to the first game released a year earlier. How does this compare?
The story continues from the first game. The story of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense centers on the international meddlings of an oil conglomerate from the future known as OMAR (Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime). After finding an electronic armband in a service station bathroom, former Vigilante Slick Clyde rose to be controlled by OMAR. Working up through the ranks of command he soon came to be the CEO of OMAR itself and made a complete monopoly on all oil trades with the sole exception of the United States. With the help of his student and hitman, Obake, he steals the technology to allow him to travel through time. Taking with him Obake and his cybernetic assassin, Dallas 13, he makes the jump back to 1970s to cripple the United States and bring OMAR to total domination. Appearing in 1970s, the three vehicles encounter Convoy, the former leader of the Vigilantes. Upon seeing him, the three cars open fire. (Plot synopsis from Wikipedia). Each character also has their own story to follow, which folds out in the Quest mode.
The gameplay is pretty much the same as the first game. You collect various weapons scattered on the maps and blow up all the other vehicles before you get blown up. Pretty simple. The Quest mode follows each character's story through various maps. Along with destroying all enemies, you have to complete 2 other objectives on each level for a pass. You can go on to the next level without completing all 3 objectives, but it won't be considered complete until all 3 objectives in each level are met. You also got the classic Arcade mode, where you can choose the enemies and the map to, with the goal being to destroy all the CPU. There is also Survival more, where enemies will keep endlessly respawning until you are eliminated, the goal is to destroy as many as possible. You can also play Quest, Arcade, and Survival in 2 Player Co-op as well, which is good fun with no decrease in frame rate or graphics. There is also a Multiplayer mode for 2-4 players, you can play a tram game or a Free-For-All. There is a small bit of suffering in terms of performance, but the gameplay is still solid, 4 players is great fun. Each vehicle also has their own Special weapon, which gives them an edge over the others. Along with some returning vehicles, there are all new vehicles as well. Each vehicle has different stats to suit different styles. You can also collect Salvage Points form defeated foes to improve the stats of that vehicle even more. You can also edit the color of the vehicle. You can unlock more vehicles by completing all the objectives with characters in Quest more. Along with the Vigilante and Coyote sides, there is also the neutral Drifter side, with the characters there having their own motives different from the other two sides. The gameplay is solid fun, especially with 4 people. There are comparisons to Twisted Metal, which is logical. I personally find V8 and V8:2nd more fun than the Twisted Metal series in my opinion, but both Twisted Metal and V8 are still really fin.
The music on the N64 versions suffer a bit, with the disc-based ones having better music. The graphics across all 3 are still solid though
Bottom Line: Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense is just as good as the first game, with more and bigger levels and more vehicles. Multiplayer is a blast to play. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Publisher: Activision
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Playstation (October 31, 1999), Dreamcast (November 30, 1999), Nintendo 64 (February 2, 2000)
Genre: Vehicular Combat
Vigilante 8 2nd Offense (also known as V8:2 or V8:2nd) is the follow up to the first game released a year earlier. How does this compare?
The story continues from the first game. The story of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense centers on the international meddlings of an oil conglomerate from the future known as OMAR (Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime). After finding an electronic armband in a service station bathroom, former Vigilante Slick Clyde rose to be controlled by OMAR. Working up through the ranks of command he soon came to be the CEO of OMAR itself and made a complete monopoly on all oil trades with the sole exception of the United States. With the help of his student and hitman, Obake, he steals the technology to allow him to travel through time. Taking with him Obake and his cybernetic assassin, Dallas 13, he makes the jump back to 1970s to cripple the United States and bring OMAR to total domination. Appearing in 1970s, the three vehicles encounter Convoy, the former leader of the Vigilantes. Upon seeing him, the three cars open fire. (Plot synopsis from Wikipedia). Each character also has their own story to follow, which folds out in the Quest mode.
The gameplay is pretty much the same as the first game. You collect various weapons scattered on the maps and blow up all the other vehicles before you get blown up. Pretty simple. The Quest mode follows each character's story through various maps. Along with destroying all enemies, you have to complete 2 other objectives on each level for a pass. You can go on to the next level without completing all 3 objectives, but it won't be considered complete until all 3 objectives in each level are met. You also got the classic Arcade mode, where you can choose the enemies and the map to, with the goal being to destroy all the CPU. There is also Survival more, where enemies will keep endlessly respawning until you are eliminated, the goal is to destroy as many as possible. You can also play Quest, Arcade, and Survival in 2 Player Co-op as well, which is good fun with no decrease in frame rate or graphics. There is also a Multiplayer mode for 2-4 players, you can play a tram game or a Free-For-All. There is a small bit of suffering in terms of performance, but the gameplay is still solid, 4 players is great fun. Each vehicle also has their own Special weapon, which gives them an edge over the others. Along with some returning vehicles, there are all new vehicles as well. Each vehicle has different stats to suit different styles. You can also collect Salvage Points form defeated foes to improve the stats of that vehicle even more. You can also edit the color of the vehicle. You can unlock more vehicles by completing all the objectives with characters in Quest more. Along with the Vigilante and Coyote sides, there is also the neutral Drifter side, with the characters there having their own motives different from the other two sides. The gameplay is solid fun, especially with 4 people. There are comparisons to Twisted Metal, which is logical. I personally find V8 and V8:2nd more fun than the Twisted Metal series in my opinion, but both Twisted Metal and V8 are still really fin.
The music on the N64 versions suffer a bit, with the disc-based ones having better music. The graphics across all 3 are still solid though
Bottom Line: Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense is just as good as the first game, with more and bigger levels and more vehicles. Multiplayer is a blast to play. This is worth a Play or Buy.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Retro Lookback: Battletanx: Global Assault
Developer: 3DO
Publisher: 3DO
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64, Playstation (October 12, 1999)
Genre: Vehicular Combat, Action
Battletanx: Global Assault is the sequel to Battletanx, does it out-do the first game?
The story in the Campaign mode picks up from the end of the first game. On January 13, 2006, a Queenlord, Cassandra, is spying on Griffin Spade's family, telling her troops to kidnap Griffin's son Brandon and kill everyone else. Griffin and his army manage to push back the invaders, but Cassandra soon turns the tables by mind-controlling Griffin's own army. Griffin and Madison manage to escape San Francisco and begin chasing Cassandra across the United States, eventually cornering her in Washington, D.C.. Cassandra, however, escapes with Brandon to Great Britain; Griffin and Madison follow. They build a new army in Europe, and chase Cassandra through England, France and Germany. While in Paris, they discover Cassandra released the virus in 2001 to kill every female on Earth who didn't have the power of the Edge. It is in Berlin where Griffin finally rescues Brandon. They make it back to San Francisco and push back another invasion by the Storm Ravens, and finally corner and defeat Cassandra on Alcatraz Island. The story ends with a cliffhanger; an unidentified magician finds Cassandra's body and speaks of a "chosen one" as he resurrects her. (Plot Synopsis by Wikipedia. Yes, I felt lazy this time, hey, at least you know the plot now, right?)
The Gameplay is basically the same as Battletanx, except with improvements. It's basically just more Battletanx! There is an array of new tanks to use, and a few only on the Playstation version. Each tank has its own stats and advantages, finding the right one for a situation can involve some strategy. There are also many different gangs in this game compared to the first. Each gang has a different set of 5 tanks available to use and a starting Special Weapon. This allows you to pick a gang to suit your play style. There are also all new maps, both from the campaign and multiplayer only maps. The different items scattered on the maps can help provide you an advantage in a pinch. The control scheme is now Arcade by default, which I found to be the better control scheme. The tanks also handle a bit differently from the first game. It may feel a bit off at first, but it makes the game more fast-paced and exciting. The terrain also can factor in as well, with some vertical movement, especially with the faster tanks, can be achieved. Most everything can be destroyed as well, making for less hiding places and more open and dangerous. There are many different modes of play, from straight up Deathmatch to more objective based games. The campaign can now be played in 2 player co-op, where it was only a solo experience in the first game. All the other modes can be played with 1-4 players, with the CPU or against Human opponents. You can Free-For-All or be the color of the same team to team up. The CPU can provide enough replay value by yourself, but the fun really starts when you get some other people with you, can have fun for hours.
The graphics, music, and sounds all are fairly good, and get the feel of the battlefield decently.
Bottom Line: Battletanx: Global Assault can be entertaining for a bit by yourself, but it is best enjoyed with friends. This game shines the best with multiplayer. This is worth a Play or Buy, even solo, but especially with friends.
Publisher: 3DO
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo 64, Playstation (October 12, 1999)
Genre: Vehicular Combat, Action
Battletanx: Global Assault is the sequel to Battletanx, does it out-do the first game?
The story in the Campaign mode picks up from the end of the first game. On January 13, 2006, a Queenlord, Cassandra, is spying on Griffin Spade's family, telling her troops to kidnap Griffin's son Brandon and kill everyone else. Griffin and his army manage to push back the invaders, but Cassandra soon turns the tables by mind-controlling Griffin's own army. Griffin and Madison manage to escape San Francisco and begin chasing Cassandra across the United States, eventually cornering her in Washington, D.C.. Cassandra, however, escapes with Brandon to Great Britain; Griffin and Madison follow. They build a new army in Europe, and chase Cassandra through England, France and Germany. While in Paris, they discover Cassandra released the virus in 2001 to kill every female on Earth who didn't have the power of the Edge. It is in Berlin where Griffin finally rescues Brandon. They make it back to San Francisco and push back another invasion by the Storm Ravens, and finally corner and defeat Cassandra on Alcatraz Island. The story ends with a cliffhanger; an unidentified magician finds Cassandra's body and speaks of a "chosen one" as he resurrects her. (Plot Synopsis by Wikipedia. Yes, I felt lazy this time, hey, at least you know the plot now, right?)
The Gameplay is basically the same as Battletanx, except with improvements. It's basically just more Battletanx! There is an array of new tanks to use, and a few only on the Playstation version. Each tank has its own stats and advantages, finding the right one for a situation can involve some strategy. There are also many different gangs in this game compared to the first. Each gang has a different set of 5 tanks available to use and a starting Special Weapon. This allows you to pick a gang to suit your play style. There are also all new maps, both from the campaign and multiplayer only maps. The different items scattered on the maps can help provide you an advantage in a pinch. The control scheme is now Arcade by default, which I found to be the better control scheme. The tanks also handle a bit differently from the first game. It may feel a bit off at first, but it makes the game more fast-paced and exciting. The terrain also can factor in as well, with some vertical movement, especially with the faster tanks, can be achieved. Most everything can be destroyed as well, making for less hiding places and more open and dangerous. There are many different modes of play, from straight up Deathmatch to more objective based games. The campaign can now be played in 2 player co-op, where it was only a solo experience in the first game. All the other modes can be played with 1-4 players, with the CPU or against Human opponents. You can Free-For-All or be the color of the same team to team up. The CPU can provide enough replay value by yourself, but the fun really starts when you get some other people with you, can have fun for hours.
The graphics, music, and sounds all are fairly good, and get the feel of the battlefield decently.
Bottom Line: Battletanx: Global Assault can be entertaining for a bit by yourself, but it is best enjoyed with friends. This game shines the best with multiplayer. This is worth a Play or Buy, even solo, but especially with friends.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Game Rant: Pikmin 2
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo Gamecube (August 30, 2004)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Pikmin 2 is the sequel to the first game released 3 years earlier, does it improve over the first game?
The plot of the Adventure mode continues from the first game. After Olimar escapes, he returns to Hocotate, only to find that Hocotate Fright is in debt after a shipment of Pik-Pik Carrots were stolen. When the President finds out that the trinket Olimar brought back for his kids is worth Pokos, he sends Olimar back to the mysterious planet with Louie in tow, where they must collect treasures to pay off the debt. The second part of the game begins when the Debt is paid. The rocket launches from the planet, once on the way to Hocotate, Olimar realises that he left Louie behind. When Olimar arrives, he explains how Louie is still down there as well as more treasure. The President decides to accompany Olimar back to the strange planet to find Louie and to salvage all of the treasure.
The gameplay is basically the same as the first game, with improvements. Other than the 1st day (which is the tutorial), you have the whole day (roughly 13 minutes) to spend in an area to collect as much as the Treasure as you can and grow more Pikmin. At the end of the day, you have to make sure to have all your Pikmin under your control or at the landing site or they get left behind to get eaten. You use the Pikmin to fight enemies and carry treasures and defeated enemies and pellets back to the landing sites to register the Treasures and grow more Pikmin. There are 4 overworld areas to explore, each with its own hazards, treasures, goodies, and caves. Unlike the previous game, there is no Day limit, you can take as many days as needed to retrieve all the Treasures. You also have 2 Pilots to control, so you can split up the work force and get more done. There are also 2 Sprays you can make by collecting 10 of one type of Berry, one spray will Power-Up your Pikmin for a short time and the other will Freeze enemies for a time. If a frozen enemy is defeated, they leave behind no body and spit out nectar instead. Along with the topside world, there are also Caves to explore, each of varying depths. In caves, time does not advance, so you can spend as much time as you can. When you enter a cave, only the Pikmin you have with you can go, no back-ups. You exit a cave by finding a geyser on the bottom of the cave or on a sub-level higher up on larger caves.
You have the 3 colored Pikmin from the first game returning. Red Pikmin are Fire-proof. Blue Pikmin can swim in Water. Yellow Pikmin have been altered slightly, they still can be thrown high, but this time the are Electric-proof and no longer able to pick up Bomb Rocks. There are also 2 new Pikmin colors in this game, both can only be found in Cave areas by throwing other Pikmin into the respective Candypop Bud. Purple Pikmin are the strongest in combat, and when carrying things, are equal to 10 of any other color of Pikmin. White Pikmin are the lightest and fastest, Poison-proof, and can find hidden Treasures and Objects buried in the ground. Purple and White Pikmin don't have Onions, they are stored in your Rocket and can only be produced from Candypop Buds. There is also a 6th type found only in caves called a Bulbmin. If you have less than 100 Pikmin with you on certain caves, a Parent Bulbmin can be seen leading Bulbmin. Defeat the Parent to recruit the Bulbmin with you. Bulbmin are resistant to all elements (water, fire, electricity, poison), but they cannot leave caves. Figuring out the right team of Pikmin to take with you on a cave venture or for overworld exploring requires strategy.
Along with the Adventure mode, there is 2 Player Battle and a Challenge Mode. 2 Player Battle is available from the start, it puts 2 players against each other. Player 1 is Olimar with Red Pikmin, and Player 2 is Louie with Blue Pikmin. There are 2 normal win conditions. You can win by collecting 4 Yellow Marbles or by collecting your Opponent's Marble. You can also win if the opposing player runs out of Health or Pikmin. Each player can have up to 50 Pikmin on the field, making 100 total. You can select a handicap before each match to give each player a set amount of Pikmin to start with. You can also collect Cherries on the field to spin a roulette wheel to help you or hinder your opponent, you can store up to 4 spins in your stock box. The Freeze spray works slightly different, it buries your opponent's Pikmin when you hit them with it instead of Freezing them. Pikmin can attack each other and the opposing players, but they never do any damage. When a Pikmin falls by an opposing Pikmin, they respawn as a seed in your opponent's onion, so they can be used by your opponent. There are 10 different arenas to choose from with varying hazards and layouts. This mode can be fun, trying to outwit your opponent and picking the right tactic for the easiest win. Challenge Mode is unlocked when The Key treasure is collected in Adventure Mode. This mode gives you a selection of Caves to explore, each with varying hazards, depths, Pikmin, and Sprays available. The objective here is to collect as much treasure as you can and exit via the geyser on the lowest level before time expires. You start each Cave with a set time limit, and earn bonus time every floor you go down to. You earn points for Treasure collected (enemy bodies count as treasure), Time Left, and Pikmin left. If you clear the cave with no Pikmin loss, it counts as a Perfect, and gives you a Purple flower instead of a White Flower, and by getting all Perfects, can unlock a special movie sequence. Challenge Mode can be played with 1 Player or 2 Players. Challenge more is fun with a 2nd player, trying to coordinate strategies for maximum points, and is just as fun solo. I only wish the Adventure mode could be played in 2 Players.
Bottom Line: Pikmin 2 takes everything from Pikmin, makes it better, and fixes all of the problems. Pikmin 2 is especially fun when playing the 2 Player Challenge Mode. This is definitely worth a Play or Buy.
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms and Release Dates (US): Nintendo Gamecube (August 30, 2004)
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Pikmin 2 is the sequel to the first game released 3 years earlier, does it improve over the first game?
The plot of the Adventure mode continues from the first game. After Olimar escapes, he returns to Hocotate, only to find that Hocotate Fright is in debt after a shipment of Pik-Pik Carrots were stolen. When the President finds out that the trinket Olimar brought back for his kids is worth Pokos, he sends Olimar back to the mysterious planet with Louie in tow, where they must collect treasures to pay off the debt. The second part of the game begins when the Debt is paid. The rocket launches from the planet, once on the way to Hocotate, Olimar realises that he left Louie behind. When Olimar arrives, he explains how Louie is still down there as well as more treasure. The President decides to accompany Olimar back to the strange planet to find Louie and to salvage all of the treasure.
The gameplay is basically the same as the first game, with improvements. Other than the 1st day (which is the tutorial), you have the whole day (roughly 13 minutes) to spend in an area to collect as much as the Treasure as you can and grow more Pikmin. At the end of the day, you have to make sure to have all your Pikmin under your control or at the landing site or they get left behind to get eaten. You use the Pikmin to fight enemies and carry treasures and defeated enemies and pellets back to the landing sites to register the Treasures and grow more Pikmin. There are 4 overworld areas to explore, each with its own hazards, treasures, goodies, and caves. Unlike the previous game, there is no Day limit, you can take as many days as needed to retrieve all the Treasures. You also have 2 Pilots to control, so you can split up the work force and get more done. There are also 2 Sprays you can make by collecting 10 of one type of Berry, one spray will Power-Up your Pikmin for a short time and the other will Freeze enemies for a time. If a frozen enemy is defeated, they leave behind no body and spit out nectar instead. Along with the topside world, there are also Caves to explore, each of varying depths. In caves, time does not advance, so you can spend as much time as you can. When you enter a cave, only the Pikmin you have with you can go, no back-ups. You exit a cave by finding a geyser on the bottom of the cave or on a sub-level higher up on larger caves.
You have the 3 colored Pikmin from the first game returning. Red Pikmin are Fire-proof. Blue Pikmin can swim in Water. Yellow Pikmin have been altered slightly, they still can be thrown high, but this time the are Electric-proof and no longer able to pick up Bomb Rocks. There are also 2 new Pikmin colors in this game, both can only be found in Cave areas by throwing other Pikmin into the respective Candypop Bud. Purple Pikmin are the strongest in combat, and when carrying things, are equal to 10 of any other color of Pikmin. White Pikmin are the lightest and fastest, Poison-proof, and can find hidden Treasures and Objects buried in the ground. Purple and White Pikmin don't have Onions, they are stored in your Rocket and can only be produced from Candypop Buds. There is also a 6th type found only in caves called a Bulbmin. If you have less than 100 Pikmin with you on certain caves, a Parent Bulbmin can be seen leading Bulbmin. Defeat the Parent to recruit the Bulbmin with you. Bulbmin are resistant to all elements (water, fire, electricity, poison), but they cannot leave caves. Figuring out the right team of Pikmin to take with you on a cave venture or for overworld exploring requires strategy.
Along with the Adventure mode, there is 2 Player Battle and a Challenge Mode. 2 Player Battle is available from the start, it puts 2 players against each other. Player 1 is Olimar with Red Pikmin, and Player 2 is Louie with Blue Pikmin. There are 2 normal win conditions. You can win by collecting 4 Yellow Marbles or by collecting your Opponent's Marble. You can also win if the opposing player runs out of Health or Pikmin. Each player can have up to 50 Pikmin on the field, making 100 total. You can select a handicap before each match to give each player a set amount of Pikmin to start with. You can also collect Cherries on the field to spin a roulette wheel to help you or hinder your opponent, you can store up to 4 spins in your stock box. The Freeze spray works slightly different, it buries your opponent's Pikmin when you hit them with it instead of Freezing them. Pikmin can attack each other and the opposing players, but they never do any damage. When a Pikmin falls by an opposing Pikmin, they respawn as a seed in your opponent's onion, so they can be used by your opponent. There are 10 different arenas to choose from with varying hazards and layouts. This mode can be fun, trying to outwit your opponent and picking the right tactic for the easiest win. Challenge Mode is unlocked when The Key treasure is collected in Adventure Mode. This mode gives you a selection of Caves to explore, each with varying hazards, depths, Pikmin, and Sprays available. The objective here is to collect as much treasure as you can and exit via the geyser on the lowest level before time expires. You start each Cave with a set time limit, and earn bonus time every floor you go down to. You earn points for Treasure collected (enemy bodies count as treasure), Time Left, and Pikmin left. If you clear the cave with no Pikmin loss, it counts as a Perfect, and gives you a Purple flower instead of a White Flower, and by getting all Perfects, can unlock a special movie sequence. Challenge Mode can be played with 1 Player or 2 Players. Challenge more is fun with a 2nd player, trying to coordinate strategies for maximum points, and is just as fun solo. I only wish the Adventure mode could be played in 2 Players.
Bottom Line: Pikmin 2 takes everything from Pikmin, makes it better, and fixes all of the problems. Pikmin 2 is especially fun when playing the 2 Player Challenge Mode. This is definitely worth a Play or Buy.
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.
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