• Tag Archives Nintendo 64

  • Tips & Tricks (January 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Tips & Tricks – January 1997

    Though descended from my favorite magazine, VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, Tips & Tricks was never a magazine I paid much attention to. Many loved the hints, strategy guides and cheats it provided but I was always more interested in news, reviews and that sort of thing. Tips & Tricks provides a little of that also but it’s emphasis is, as the name would imply, on tips and tricks. The January 1997 issue includes:

    Departments

    • Power Up! – An introduction to the staff which includes Chris Bieniek, Wataru Maruyama, Ione Flores, Nikos Constant, Bett Hallock, Tyrone Rodriguez and Deborah Lockhart.
    • Readers’ Tips – Readers write in with tips on Daytona USA as well as various questions and comments.
    • T&T Select Games – Overviews and previews of recent and upcoming games including:
      • Jet Moto (PlayStation) – A racing game featuring a vehicle something like a Jet Ski.
      • Crime Wave (Sega Saturn) – A vehicle combat game featuring a top-down point of view.
      • Ten Pin Alley (PlayStation) – A bowling game of course.
      • Suikoden (PlayStation) – An RPG that allows not only individual and group combat but full scale wars.
      • Powerslave – A Doom-like game in which you wield magic as well as weapons.
      • NFL ’97 (Sega Saturn) – A football game featuring licensed teams, stadiums and players.
      • NBA Live ’97 (PlayStation) – Because we need a new basketball game every years…
      • FIFA Soccer ’97 (PlayStation) – …and soccer too of course.
      • FIFA Soccer Gold Edition (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo) – A soccer game for the 16-bit systems.
      • FIFA Soccer ’97 (Game Boy) – Blurry soccer…
      • Madden ’97 (Game Boy) – Blurry football…
      • Burning Road (PlayStation) – A racing game out of France that is somewhat similar to the likes of Daytona USA and Ridge Racer.
      • Toshinden URA (Sega Saturn) – Another tweek to the Toshinden 3D fighting game franchise.
      • Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo) – The pinnacle of Mortal Kombat on 16-bit systems.
      • Destruction Derby 2 (PlayStation) – I loved these games and this one was among the first i had for my PlayStation.
      • King’s Field II (PlayStation) – A fairly well regarded 3D RPG.
      • Amok (Sega Saturn) – Frantic 3D action under the ocean.
      • Sonic 3-D Blast (Sega Saturn) – The first Sonic game for the Saturn.
      • TNN Motor Sports Hardcore 4×4 (PlayStation) – An off-road racing game.
      • Contra: Legacy of War – A 3D sequel to Contra. I still prefer the 2D versions.

    • Game Genie/Game Shark Codes – Game Genie codes for the Genesis games Toy Story, Vectorman and Garfield: Caught in the Act; Game Genie codes for the Super NES games Porky Pig’s Haunted Holiday (I swear I’ve never heard of that one); Game Shark codes for the PlayStation games Bubble Bobble, Crash Bandicoot, Olympic Soccer, Project Horned Owl and Robo-Pit; and Game Shark codes for Sega Saturn games Bubble Bobble, Iron Storm and Shining Wisdom.
    • Letter from Betty – Betty has some tips for Mr. Do (Super NES) and Vectorman 2 (Genesis).

    Strategy

    • X-Men vs. Street Fighter – A detailed strategy guide for this arcade game featuring general moves and how to use them as well as details for each character. Also, how to play as a couple of hidden characters.
    • Kizuna Encounter – Another fighting game strategy guide, this one for the Neo Geo.
    • Wave Race 64 – A detailed guide for this Nintendo 64 racing game featuring Jet Skis. It was a pretty outstanding racer for the time.
    • Tomb Raider – A detailed strategy guide for the classic Tomb Raider on both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

    The last half of the magazine features tips on dozens if not hundreds of games for the Super NES, Genesis, PlayStation, Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, 3DO and arcade. These tips can be anything from passwords to simple strategies to secret button combinations and more. If you are looking for secrets, cheats or strategies to beat a certain game then Tips & Tricks was always a gold mine.


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  • Electronic Gaming Monthly (September 1998)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – September 1998

    Electronic Gaming Monthly was one of the most successful gaming magazines and one of my favorites. I never subscribed but did buy issues frequently and bought pretty much every issue in a span between 1990 and 1993. By 1998 I was rarely buying an issue. I’m not sure why really but I guess like everybody else, I was starting to get more content online. Contents from the September 1998 issue (the 110th issue!) include:

    Features

    • Metal Gear Solid – Nothing had been seen from the Metal Gear franchise for the better part of a decade. In fact, it couldn’t really be called a franchise at that point. But it was back in a big way on the PlayStation in 3D glory so of course EGM had a story on it.
    • Hurry Up and Die So I Can Play – This is an article on female game designers and sound engineers. Why sound engineers specifically vs. graphic artists or other game designers? I have no idea. Anyway, this article goes into how female game designers and sound engineers feel about current (at the time) female characters in gaming.
    • Pocket Cameron – This is an article about the Game Boy Camera and making your own ‘blockbuster’ (Pocket Cameron, James Cameron, get it? Hahaha…heh.) Though the article goes over how to use the camera it is a bit tongue-in-cheek. After all, it can’t even really record video, just black and white images. Though you can make some simple animations by using a series of photos. As a side note, at the time the Game Boy Camera was in the Guiness Book of World Record as the world’s smallest digital camera.

    Departments

    • Editorial – This editorial is about making gaming a little more grown-up instead of something targeted at adolescent males.
    • Letters – The Letter of the Month talks about how Sony made the PlayStation a success with their marketing despite it being technically inferior to the Nintendo 64. It foreshadows the failure of the Dreamcast with a warning to heed the lessons of the PlayStation vs. the Saturn.
    • Press Start – EGM’s news section. The feature story was about violence in video games and Florida’s latest attempt at censorship (which fortunately failed).
    • Gaming Gossip – A regular column featuring rumors and gossip in the gaming industry. This month the Dreamcast, Game Boy Color games, and Saturn’s Virtua Fighter 3 were the topics.
    • Review Crew – EGM’s regular reviews section. Pocket Fighter, Banjo Kazooie and Shining Force III were the featured games though there were many other reviews.
    • Previews – EGM’s regular previews section. It is similar to the reviews section except it looks at unfinished games with an uncritical eye. For the Nintendo 64, Twisted Edge SnowBoarding, Bomberman Hero, Madden NFL 99 and Wipeout 64 were looked at among others. For the PlayStation Bust-a-Groove, Parasite Eve, Tenchu, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, and Colony Wars: Vengeance were featured. For the Saturn, Castlevania was the featured preview. There were arcade previews too (big name arcade game were still being made in 1998) including Street Fighter Alpha III, Daytona 2, Soul Calibur and Gauntlet Legends.
    • Jump Start – This is what EGM was calling their strategy section. This month’s featured strategy was on Vigilante 8.
    • Trick of the Trade – EGM’s tips and tricks column featuring X-Men vs. Street Fighter on the PlayStation.
    • Get Some! – This was a column dedicated to new gadgets and media. This month it looked at The Buz video capture device by Iomega, a book of Photomosaics, Space Ghost: The Musical, and Sony’s new TRV64 Hi-8 camcorder.
    • The Final Word – A sort of second editorial to wrap up the magazine. This one is a rant about the deficiencies of modern controllers, focusing on the Dreamcast and Nintendo 64.

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  • Jet Force Gemini (Nintendo 64)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Girls of Gaming – Volume 1



    While I had a PlayStation at the time, there can be no doubt that Rare and the Nintendo 64 made a great combination. Jet Force Gemini is one of Rare’s games for the N64 and it’s a good demonstration of what they could do. Jet Force Gemini, released in 1999, is a combination third-person shooter/action adventure game in which you play the role of a member of a galactic law enforcement team.

    While this isn’t a game in which the story is too terribly important, it involves saving a race (Tribals) that have been enslaved by a large insect named Mizar and his drones. At least that is the story in the 1-player game. In a 2-4 player match, you can compete in a typical deathmatch style game.

    Featuring tons of enemies and lots of shooting, influences include everything from 80’s arcade games to Aliens to Super Mario 64 and more. The control system is somewhat unique. While wandering around, this game plays like other action platformers of the time. However, when enemies appear you have the option for manual, precise aiming in which case your character becomes translucent and a crosshair appears for aiming. With 15 worlds to explore, each with various stages, there is plenty to do. Fortunately, you have unlimited ammo..you are going to need it.

    Jet Force Gemini received generally good reviews and also seems to be a fan favorite (as are many Rare games). The criticism that exists is mostly directed towards the complicated control scheme. It was re-released as part of the Rare Replay compilation for the Xbox One otherwise you’ll have to track down an original cartridge or play it via emulation. Fortunately, unlike some Rare games, this one is fairly common and a cartridge will only set you back $10 or so on eBay.


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