mariokart, goldeneye and perfect dark, who needs more?? (Nintendo N64)

Member Name: jizztrap

Product:	Nintendo N64
Date:	18/09/01 (478 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, especially compared to like consoles, great games you can only get with nintendo.

Disadvantages: There are better consoles on the market, but most don't have the gameplay

Well most people as it happens. But should you take a look?


Prelude.

I have owned the N64 ever since my Playstation broke 2 years ago. I was really into it and found the concepts in some of the games outstanding. Tenchu Stealth Assassin for example was fantastic. The gameplay was quite easy though and you got used to it quickly. When it exploded though I definitely considered buying a new one.

However the PS was still expensive and not having much money I snapped up the chance to buy my N64 for just £50 off a mate with Goldeneye, Mariokart, Rogue Squadron and Fifa 98, and 3 controllers all with memory packs.

It has been a decision I haven't regretted. The gameplay is fantastic and the easy connection for up to four players via the ports on the front is a godsend when you are having a silly night in. With the PS you had to buy a multitap and then additional controllers as well.


Games.

The games themselves are quite fast and in a lot of depth, I have acquired more as I went along but I prefer the classics. The gameplay in Goldeneye is magnificent, the graphics not flawless but adequate and certainly complemented by the amazingly hard and deep gameplay.

The difference between the skill levels is immense, and the fourplayer game is also full of excitement. Goldeneye, Mario and a few other games like this are only made by Nintendo and therefore can only be played with a platform such as this. They are probably the best games for it as well.

Perfect Dark is a recent addition to my games, and will be reviewed soon. It is by far the best of its kind, with the mother of all multiplayers.


The Console.

I am trying to review the actual N64 here, and so will not go into depth on any more games. The speed of the console is good. It occasionally latches on startup - but it is about 4 years old.

Once started though I have very rarely had it crash during a gam
e.
The PS on the other hand regularly lost game data by crashing during play.

I also like the cartridges because they are easy to insert and remove, especially during drunken sessions.


The Controllers and Installing it.

The controllers can either be held both sides, like the PS controller or with one hand in the middle. For games like goldeneye the underneath button becomes the trigger and it is easy to hold the controller as a gun and get a realistic feel.

The N64 is also easy to install. It has no fiddly plugs on the back of it, using instead a big plug with a small connector for each of the aerial and the power plug.

They are different sizes so it is easy to see which goes where. You then only have to plug in the power to the mains and the aerial into the TV. A quick bit of tuning and you are ready to go.


Extra details.

There are still many great games for the N64, and second hand can be very cheap. New games will cost anything up to £50 each, but most have so much gameplay you will see where it went.

The console can still be bought new and are available in a range of colours for around £40.
Controllers cost under £20 and are also available in a wide variety of colours.

Overall, I would have to recommend the N64 to all, especially due it s cheapness. However if you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket I would probably hold out for the GameCube, Nintendo's newest offering since i believe Nintendo will continue to create the most playable games out.

Summary: