Who knew the Nintendo 64 had RPGs?
When it comes to RPGs on the Nintendo 64, the choices are more limited than a fast-food menu. To say this is one of the best RPGs on the system sounds good at first, but doesn't actually speak much of its quality when you consider to what it is being compared. This is probably the purest RPG on the system since there are four party members, actual statistics, a money system, level grinding, a confusing, unintentionally nonsensical plot... everything a true RPG should have!
This is another game from a bargain bin a while back. I played through this entire game back then; the battles get old fast but some of the dialogue between the characters is priceless. This time around I just played the beginning sequence, as I don't think it is really worth it to play through it again.
There are perhaps around fourteen or so controllable players, and there are lots of options for customization. Each of the characters' statistics and skills has its individual level, and you decide on which to spend your experience points. Not all skills can be learned by all characters, so it is important to find a good balance with your party members. One real drawback is that there is no way to revive a party member, and so that means that if the main character is killed, then it's game over man. Said character is also one of the best in the game since he can learn all skills and use all weapons, so placing him in dangerous situations can't be avoided.
The battle system is slow and clunky. Your party members tend to start on the opposite side of the field from the enemies, making the first minute or so simply moving into position. Movement speed is the pace of walking, and sometimes there is a second or two delay when choosing an action. Because the target selection is highlighted by a flashing light on an enemy rather than something more clear like an arrow, it can be difficult to tell which enemy of a group you're aiming at. Considering how a bulk of your time with the game will be spent in battles, they could stand to be more streamlined.
The expansive world in the game has quite a lot of detail to it. As you wander through the various regions on your quest, rarely will you come across repeated scenery. From deep forests to snow-covered mountains, from treacherous swaps to dry deserts, every area is different. Each town has a unique look, and even the caves are all distinguishable from one another. There is also a day/night system in place, as well as varying weather. These elements have an affect on fighting, such as the hit rate of attacks, or being spotted by a wandering enemy. It is also possible that it affects the chances of safely opening a treasure chest.
The graphics are pretty good for the most part. The environments are pretty expansive with the fog pushed quite far back, though there is some pop-up with objects like trees. Some of the textures are muddy, such as the grass, though the character models are fairly detailed. The sound is lacking for the most part. The music is pretty simple in composition and rather repetitive, and some of it isn't exactly suiting of its environment, such as the "bouncy" castle tune. The sound effects consist of mostly footsteps and the "thuds" and "thwacks" of weapons, as well as a few generic voice samples for when characters and enemies are attacked.
If you want to see what an RPG would be like on the N64 then this is it. This game has it's ups and downs: it's slow to start and the combat can get tedious, but the writing can be surprisingly witty and the leveling system allows for some customization. There are times when you have a choice of what to say and which characters to take with you, but that mostly just changes the progression of the conversations and doesn't really affect the story at all. I believe it took me about 45 hours to complete it that one time. That's a lot of time to invest in mediocrity.
Have you considered not reviewing these in alphabetic order? While I'm enjoying the ongoing coverage, I feel the feature might benefit from a schedule that wasn't based on the first letter of the game title.
At this rate it's going to be July before you get to Banjo-Kazooie, which will be the first game most people care about (or have even heard of before--AeroGauge? Seriously?).
Also, I'm not looking forward to the May's month-long Army Men stint.
Part of the point I've perceived from Kathrine's column is that it's indiscriminate. Each game is played, and by going in alphabetical order, there isn't a weighted preference to them. The point is to experience everything that came out on the N64, good, bad, crazy, and everything in-between. Personally, I think going in alphabetical order demonstrates that idea pretty effectively, and I don't see any reason to stuff the front end of the column with the best games, leaving little of the good games left for later parts.
I didn't say front-load the good games. I agree that would be bad. But if you take 4+ months to get to a game that any of us have even heard of before (BK) you run the risk of the opposite problem--people will lose interest in the feature and give up.
Ah, then we disagree. I like the feature because I get to read about all the N64 games I didn't play. Why would I care about Kathrine's impressions of Banjo-Kazooie? I like the game, I know how it plays. I don't need validation for enjoying it, and, no offense, Kathrine, I really don't care if she doesn't like it, either. I want to read about all the other games... Like Aidyn Chronicles, that I never spent time on. I don't care if they're particularly notable games or not, I want to read about the ones I didn't play. I want to read about the games I've never heard of, or heard of once and passed over. That's a major part of what I think is so special about the feature.
Leave something for me to say Jason! :P
He pretty much nailed it, but I'll give my quick thought anyway.
One reason I chose alphabetical is due to organization, as it is much easier to remember what I have played that way. It is also easier for people to browse through an alphabetized list.
I can't say I agree about people only caring about games they've heard of, but then again, I don't really know what people care about and aren't going to speak for them. I, myself, would be curious about unknown games for a system I like; they're my favourite ones to write about, because there isn't anything I can say about Banjo-Kazooie that no one else has said.
I have been discussing with the staff about the frequency of these articles. Ideally I would want to post them more often, but remember, this isn't my website, it is a multiplatform site focused on the current generation of systems. I can't post an entry every day like I could on my blog, though I never wrote enough to do that there anyway. It is my goal to write more regularly, though.
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