Does it Hold Up? Playing every N64 game on the Switch Virtual Console, Part 3.
Pokemon Snap
What do I remember about this game? I didn’t play this game when it was new because Pokemon was for little kids and I was a teenager. However, I did later play New Pokemon Snap on the Switch and thought it was pretty good.
What holds up? The overall concept is appealing and unique. Taking pictures of Pokemon is a lot of fun, and the overall flow of the game has a fun “dark ride” feel to it.
What doesn’t? The game is very short, and can get repetitive, especially since repeat pictures of Pokemon don’t really get you anything. This was fixed in the Switch sequel, which had better progression and 4 different picture categories for each species.
Overall… Pretty solid. The sequel on the Switch is definitely much better, but the N64 original is still good. I’m mostly impressed that the game was able to store so many pictures on the cartridge.
Pokemon Stadium
What do I remember about this game? Again, I didn’t play Pokemon games.
What holds up? The graphics are pretty good.
What doesn’t? I honestly don’t understand the point of this game. It’s basically just the turn-based battles from Final Fantasy but with no story, context, or character development.
Overall… Pointless. I think these were an add-on for the Gameboy Pokemon games. I don’t know what purpose they serve without that.
Sin and Punishment
What do I remember about this game? This game wasn’t released in North America until 2009, but I did have it on the Wii and remember it being pretty great. It also had a pretty good sequel, IIRC.
What holds up? The gameplay is very unique, essentially being a blend of Starfox and Contra. The fast-paced action is pretty awesome, and is very replayable. The levels have a good variety.
What doesn’t? I still have no idea what the story is about. The English script is poorly written and acted.
Overall… Pretty rad! Sin and Punishment is a weird game, but also a fun and fast-paced rail shooter with tons of interaction.
Star Fox 64
What do I remember about this game? We owned this one and I enjoyed it a lot. Star Fox 64 was my first introduction to “rumble” control, which blazed the way for Sony’s current Dualsense controller.
What holds up? The varied levels, tight controls, creative boss fights, and high adrenaline. The large number of different things to shoot is highly impressive, and in general the game is still a lot of fun. The branching structure of the campaign works well with the fast-paced arcade feel of the game, and serves to merge the gameplay and story..
What doesn’t? The technically impressive cinematic presentation is largely wasted on bad voice acting and writing (Falco and Slippy are particularly terrible characters). Some advanced moves are finicky.
Overall… Still really awesome! Star Fox 64 is short and sweet, and probably still the best Star Fox game. You can play through it in an evening, and then come back later to try different paths through the game. That said, I don’t imagine a quick arcade-style game like this selling for full price today.
Wave Race 64
What do I remember about this game? I played this game a bit when it was new and was impressed by the graphics, especially with the water effects.
What holds up? Racing on water is a unique concept, and played into the mechanics very heavily. Turns and jumps feel great when you hit them just right. The buoys provide interesting strategic considerations, as you sometimes have to just take the hit and plow through the “wrong” path.
What doesn’t? The controls take a bit of getting used to, as do the courses, which are sometimes poorly marked. The game doesn’t have a lot of content: only 9 courses and 4 racers.
Overall… A very interesting experiment. I don’t find this one as enjoyable as FZero or Mariokart, but the racing mechanics are really cool and the game is very unique.
Winback
What do I remember about this game? I’d never heard of this one at all.
What holds up? The “cover” mechanics are extremely well-used and clearly set the precedent for modern games such as Uncharted. The puzzle aspect of the level design is interesting.
What doesn’t? The game is very repetitive, and filled with similar enemies and obstacles throughout. Once you’ve beaten the first few levels, you’ve basically seen what the game has to offer.
Overall… Starts strong, but gets repetitive. If the story and scenario elements were better, we’d have a serious competitor to Metal Gear Solid. As is, it’s an interesting prototype for the cover-based-shooter.
Yoshi’s Story
What do I remember about this game? I distinctly remember that I rented this one for myself in highschool, figuring I could blow through it in a weekend… but somehow couldn’t find the time to complete a 2-hour game (it was really hard to find time to play videogames back then).
What holds up? The graphics still look great, with pre-rendered sprites and an artstyle that overcomes the low-resolution of the N64. The open-ended structure of some levels is interesting.
What doesn’t? The collection-based level progress is unsatisfying and doesn’t really fit the gameplay style. Even less fitting is having the player only complete 6 of the 24 levels in each playthrough (Star Fox 64 handled this idea much better). Overall, Yoshi’s Story has an “unfinished” feeling to it.
Overall… Doesn’t hold up. Yoshi’s Story is just OK. The graphics are great, but the gameplay is mediocre.