[img width=700 height=525]https://imgur.com/QVl6J9G.jpg[/img]
I love racing games.
[Pause for readers to double-check the avatar and realize the obvious]
Being a collector, you always want those special titles. I tend to gravitate to the harder-to-find games that usually come with at least a good recommendation. Part of the thinking behind the Top 20 lists was to get others talking about games that would be highly rated, even if some of them were obvious.
The other side is that for many games, especially the harder-to-find titles, it's become a harder and harder decision as to whether to try and pick up a physical copy or just find another way to play the title. For example, as of this writing, authentic copies of Final Fantasy III are selling on eBay in the $85-$95 range. I bring this title in particular up because not only is it a very highly rated game, it's available on a multitude of platforms.
Continue reading Everyone has a price
 |
Posted on Feb 13th 2021 at 01:00:00 PM by ( EZ Racer) Posted under top 20, nes, snes, genesis, pc, n64, playstation, nintendo, ps1, mario, zelda |
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/223564-super-mario-bros-nes-screenshot-starting-a-new-game.png[/img]
So after taking much of 2020 to look at some of the best games for several different home console systems of the 70's, 80's, and 90's, it only seemed natural to kick off 2021 with a list of the best of the best.
The results are based off of 5 participants:
Crabmaster2000
EZ Racer
DisposedHero
Fokakis79
Wempster
Voters were encouraged to list all their best games if they couldn't get it cut to 20, and a few lists took advantage of that. Games from all systems released as 5th generation consoles (N64, Playstation 1, Sega Saturn) and prior were eligible. Japan exclusives were also eligible, along with PC titles released in 1999 or earlier.
In all, there were 89 games that were considered among the best of the early video game generations, and rather than list the also-rans separately, I thought it woulld be fun to list every game in order. My thought is that all these games are considered exceptional by at least one person, so if your looking for ideas for something to try, it might be for you as well.
Before getting to it, thanks to those who participated this month, and all who made lists in 2020. It's been a lot of fun, and look forward to a lot more in '21! If you're a GameCube fan, check out the link for the next list coming up- http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=19495.0
So here are your Top 20...er top 89 games as voted on by RFGen members!
Continue reading RFGen Top 20 plus? Games of the Early Years
[img width=600 height=416]https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/n64-3.jpg[/img]
Nintendo in 3D! Some games took advantage of the new graphic capabilities, many of which you'll find below. Like all systems, it had its clunkers (hello Superman), but it was interesting to put this list together because it was similar to the Super NES; at the top were some mainstays that received near universal praise.
Speaking of the top, the ranks definitely came into play, which you'll see when we hit the top 2...
Continue reading RFGen Top 20 Games- N64 Edition
 |
Posted on Mar 2nd 2018 at 01:00:00 PM by ( Crabmaster2000) Posted under Mario, Nintendo, Platormer, NES, SNES, N64, GCN, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GB, GBA, DS, 3DS |
[img width=640 height=168]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4672/38725642600_3246f65d29_z.jpg[/img]
I've reviewed games casually on and off for the better part of the past 15 years. It's something I enjoy doing and I feel like I've got a relatively decent handle on objectively looking at the whole package of what a particular game consists of. What I don't have a lot of experience doing is comparing a game directly to another game, as I usually just look at what is in front of me and for the most part ignore any past or future releases. Can games even be, or should they even be, directly compared to one another?
Continue reading Comparative Mario
Episode 2 of Game vs Game covering the N64 and Wii versions of the ever-classic Goldeneye. What a nostalgic game for so many people, 4-Player Multiplayer was a dream. Then years later it got a remake to the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3.
How do the two compare? Let's find out!
So the end is near. I started this journey Feb 12th 2013 and I am still poking at it.
Some of the members on this group know that I have been living in Italy the past few years, but before moving here I lived in Michigan for the bulk of my life and then followed that up with three years in Nebraska. During that time frame I was a local game shopper, commonly visited places for me were game stores, good wills, thrift stores and flea markets. The normal spots most game collectors head to on a average day of game hunting. Well during the first year here in Italy, I only bought newer games on the Military base I work on and games from the local American community that also works on the base. It kinda worked for a while but it did not satisfy my needs for the hunt.
Well a year passes, I knew that I was going to be heading back to Michigan to visit family and I even made a trip to Nebraska to visit a friend as well. During that time frame I stopped by a local game store I use to go to so I could pick up some games and bs with my buddy Mike who ran the store. He was telling me of a huge score he got over the summer and how excited he was. He was at a thrift shop and asked if they had any games. Well it turns out they just got over 1000 CIB snes games and they were sitting in the back. He then offered them $2000 dollars for the lot and they took it. I was super excited but then as the story went on he was explaining that he already made over $18,000 dollars profit on it but there was hardly anything left.
My excitement kinda went away knowing most of it was gone but I still asked him to bring in what he had left. I assumed what would be left was all sports titles but I was actually wrong. This is what he still had available and was still posted on Amazon at the time.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/Tadpole13132003/Snesboxlot.jpg[/img]
I up until this point never made a purchase online in regards to video games and I honestly did not know a solid price to offer. I desperately lacked knowledge in complete in box collecting and I hardly knew anything of many of the titles here. I then shot him a $300 dollar offer for the lot to see what he would say. It really took him a minute to honestly agree to it and I understood because despite not really knowing much I did feel like it was kinda a low offer but I did not have much spending money since it was the very back in of the trip I was on and I spent most of the money I put aside for the game hunt. Well that same day I had to catch my flight back to Italy and did not have much time left before the post office closed and I knew if he sold it I needed to get it to the post office asap to mail this out. Eventually he agreed to the $300 dollars I offered him and we then peeled the price stickers he had on the plastic bags around them at the time so he knew what games to take off amazon.
When we started peeling the stickers I soon realized that it was adding up quick. It could of easily been at least $800 dollars worth of inventory he had on amazon that he just hooked me up with. Well fast forward to early Feb 2013 and this ties back into not being satisfied with the lacking of game hunting locally in Italy. I finally broke down and made my first gaming purchases online. My stubborn self went 11 years of game collecting without doing so up until this point. I even wrote a blog on this site about being on edge and whether i should do it or not.
But what was my first gaming purchase online? It was NBA JAM 99 for the N64 CIB for a whopping $2 dollars with free shipping. I was not complaining, but why that game? No real reason other then knowing that the journey to a Complete N64 set was on my mind for the past year in a half prior to that point. But I was not sure if I was ever going to pursue that journey and if I did I defiantly did not know that it was going to be the CIB journey. It was the huge super Nintendo lot that I got from my friend that made me realize that I wanted to not only pursue the N64 set as I have wanted to but to also work towards getting the complete collection with boxes.
Fast forward to today and I am nearing the completion of what I set out for.
[img width=682 height=1024]http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/Tadpole13132003/IMG_8022.jpg[/img]
This is what I have amassed so far when it comes to Nintendo 64. As of this time I am down to the last 9 games I need to complete the set. However it is not a easy task, I have been waiting patiently for the games to show up for sale in near mint or great condition which is not as easy it sounds. Just to give a example I have only added three games to the collection since July 9th with the purchase of Bomberman 2nd attack.
[img width=700 height=466]http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/Tadpole13132003/IMG_8015.jpg[/img]
The next game to come to me is a nice Castlevania Legacy of Dark Box and manual. Technically I am still waiting on a cart I ordered separate so I need 10 games. But this does not count haha 
[img width=700 height=466]http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/Tadpole13132003/IMG_8016.jpg[/img]
And finally the most recent CIB game I received. I actually had this game in my possessing for a whole whopping two hours and then as I left work with my box of games I condensed to one box I managed to forget the box on top of my car and drove off. I was about 10 minutes away when I noticed I did not have the box and I drove back quick but the box was no where in site. A few days go by and still not luck. I lost one of my pricier N64 purchases and one of the games I spent the past year in a half waiting on quality wise. A week later however the girl i know at the post office on base calls me up and informs me that a individual found the box and dropped it off at the post office. I was so relieved and stoked and I am happy to have this game currently sitting on my shelf and in my possessing.
[img width=700 height=466]http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/Tadpole13132003/IMG_8013.jpg[/img]
So this is where you come in, maybe I should of posted this list at the top but if you are still reading and with me thanks for hanging in there. I am currently on the hunt for the following 9 CIB games. Condition is a big factor to me but please message me with what you have and if you can help me in my journey to completing my first ever collection of any console.
Bust A Move 99
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
International Superstar Soccer 2000 (English text)
International Track and Field 2000
MLBPA Bottom of the 9th
NBA Jam 2000
Stunt Racer 64
Top Gear Hyper-Bike
Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion
A long, long time ago, Redd used the Power Glove, and created his very own gaming series with it. One day, it broke, and he was upset. However, I, his long-time friend, made this prophecy, from the Dogs, to the Mini-Me (Yes, I am a fan of Goldmember). A New Glove would reveal itself, and our Champion, ReddMcKnight, would rise again. That time has finally come...
Behold...
THE REALITY GLOVE!!
[img width=650 height=488]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/Reality-Quest-glove-controller-for-the-N64-104142848P_zpsc745d1db.jpg[/img]
That's right. I am finally returning to my insane, glove gaming adventures, with a new kind of glove on hand.
The estimated date of my Grand Return is sometime this August. Input, Feedback, and Suggestions are welcome. Specifically, should I do the old format and just describe how a game is played with it, or do Videos?
Get ready, for this time...no game is safe!
Zagnorch Productions
in association with
[img width=234 height=60]http://www.rfgeneration.com/left.gif[/img]
presents
SEVEN-DAY SCORE CARD:
NINTY MEGA-HAULS
Week of 28 April to 3 May 2014
This week's episode sponsored by
Leon's Firewater and Boomstick Emporium
Now with two locations in downtown Cincinnati to serve you
Monday 28 April: The first day of this thrifting week commenced with the acquisition of a grape Game Boy Color with nine kiddie-game carts and carry case for $19.99 (the case's back zipper pocket stored a Disneyland autograph book for some reason). Then it was off to the local Savers, which yielded a loose GBA SP with F-Zero: GP Legend cart for $6.99. Rounding out the day's finds was a sealed box of ten 5.25" floppies for my C64 for $1.99.
[img width=700 height=552]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score4-28-2014_zpsfa7886f6.jpg[/img]
Tuesday 29 April: This day belonged to PlayStation, as I picked up three back issues of PlayStation: The Official Magazine for $0.29 each, as well as the CIB PS2 games Barbarian, Defender, Jumper: Griffin's Story, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms IX for $2.99 a pop.
[img width=700 height=517]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score4-29-2014_zps1b1beb75.jpg[/img]
Wednesday 30 April: "Hump day" was a fitting term for this day, as it plateaued with a mighty stack of Ninty goodness. The timing was absolutely perfect as I caught the Goodwill clerk rolling out a large assortment of N64 and Genesis carts on its way to the electronics showcase. From that assortment I dug out Super Smash Bros., GoldenEye, Pokemon Stadium, Yoshi's Story, Diddy Kong Racing, and Banjo-Kazooie, along with Out of This World and Earthworm Jim 2 for Genesis, all for $2.99 each. I also snapped up Pokemon Gold and Silver for $1.99 each, and a CIB Dream Pinball for $2.99.
[img width=569 height=498]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score4-30-2014_zps17ea52b2.jpg[/img]
Then it was off to Savers, where I discovered a complete hardcover Piggyback CE Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag strategy guide for $4.99 $3.49. This was a rather surprising find, considering how recently the game was released. Then there was the GameCube unit with memory card and WaveBird receiver that I grabbed for $6.99 $4.89. I'll take any and every opportunity to make sure WaveBird components don't fall into the hands of a certain deranged individual whose name rhymes with Gus Beeman.
[img width=640 height=478]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/23/a3y7unab.jpg[/img]
Force yourself to gaze upon the man's horrific handiwork, and be sickened.
[img width=110 height=96]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/BillSickGif_zps393cfd32.gif[/img]
Thursday 1 May: Starting this rather light day was a grab bag of video-game-related tchotchkes including several Skylanders dog tags and a couple Marioverse character dangly-charm thingies. Then there was the GameShark Game Codes for PS2 box that contained an odd assortment of code discs for both PS2 and PS1. Ending the day was a CIB Flashback and Techno Clash I spent some trade credit on... along with a pack of Chuckles. Which I didn't know they even made anymore.
[img width=648 height=480]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score5-1-2014_zpscf9db74e.jpg[/img]
Friday 2 May: Another light day as I managed to wrangle a CIB Medievil Resurrection and XBox Live Arcade Game Pack at one place for $4.99 each. Then it was off to Savers where I discovered a Skylanders Book of Elements: Magic and Tech for just $0.69.
[img width=573 height=428]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score5-2-2014_zpsb37afc0c.jpg[/img]
Then there's the showcase find of the day: a loose Tiger Mega Man 2 handheld for $2.99, a score that's likely bumming Crabby and RetroRage out something fierce right about now. Just wait 'til they see the next day's scores...
Saturday 3 May: The week concluded with the picking up of several NES carts at my workplace Goodwill for $4.99 each, including Donkey Kong Classics, Donkey Kong 3, Mario Bros., Xenophobe, Seicross, Kirby's Adventure,, a gold Legend of Zelda,...
[img width=469 height=501]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Score5-3-2014_zpsd61a7b93.jpg[/img]
...aaand Mega Man 1,3,4,and 5. That's right, I got the first 5 Mega Mans (Mega Men?) in just two days!
[img width=645 height=478]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/MegaRun_zps0a90bf10.jpg[/img]
Whattaya have to say to that, Crabs and Rets? Hmmm?
Oh, I also grabbed a CIB Sega Superstars Tennis for DS... not that you care or anything.
NON-VIDYA BONANZA: Just the usual suspects, including a Yamaha YT-2200 Tuner device for $0.79, and a slipcased HP 15C calculator for $4.99.
[img width=586 height=368]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NonVidya5-3-2014_zpsb745183b.jpg[/img]
The big number-crunching hit of the week however, was this HP 48G...
[img width=251 height=488]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/nupetease_zpsb2cc130b.jpg[/img]
...which came with all this other stuff...
[img width=401 height=573]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NonV5-2-2014a_zps180ed446.jpg[/img]
...all for just $25.00.
Hey Nupes, whattaya think of that, huh? Pretty impressive, isn't-- whoah, what the hell are you-- oh, that is just disgusting! Stop that right now! What the hell is wrong with you?! G0dd@mn, get a room next time!
Until next week, this is your Thriftmaster Admiral signing off.
'Late
Update to my N64 collection
So it has been 5 months since my last update on my N64 collection. I have been hard at work and my collection has actually made another big jump since my last post. I think i may be coming to a huge stoppage in games however due to me being on the final stretch. So lets start.
So I think it was around March or so when I made my first post of this journey. This is what I currently had on hand as of that time.
It seems like it was only yesterday I made that original post and I think if I knew what I know now about the value and the time it takes to look into these games I might of been scared off before I started. However I am happy that is not the case and I now proudly own ruffly 240 different N64 titles boxed and I also have 10 more games on order. It would seem as if I would be nearing the end very shortly, but as any of the fellow CIB collectors in here knows, things slow down alot. Some of these titles rarely show up on ebay and when they do I try to only purchase the best of the best. So lets hope for a complete collection sooner then later as this might be my last post about the collection til then 
I went ahead and grabbed a few titles that I think stand out value wise and you should defiantly keep a eye out for to avoid paying a arm and a leg. The Blitz Special Edition and Mega man 64 are both sealed. There are a handful of other games I do not own that you might want to keep a eye out for as well and that is. Stunt Racer, Indiana Jones, Worms Armageddon, Bomber Man 2nd Attack, Battle Zone: Rise of the Black Dogs, Daikatana and now as of recent Tom and Jerry: Fists of Furry.
Thanks for checking out my post and If any of the members here have any of the titles below in decent shape and want to sell or trade them please let me know.
Aerogauge
All-Star Baseball 2001
All-Star Tennis 99
Battle Zone: Rise of the Black Dogs
Bomberman 64: Second Attack
Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling
Bust A Move 99 Manual/Game
Bust A Move 2
Castlevania Legacy of Darkness
Chameleon Twist 2
Daikatana
Destruction Derby
Donald Duck's Going Quakers
Dual Heroes
Elmo's Number Journey
FIFA 99 Manual/Game
Fighter's Destiny 2
Geomon's Great Adventure
Harvest Moon
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Iggy's Recking Balls
In Fisherman Bass Hunter 64
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
International Superstar Soccer 2000
International Track and Field 2000
Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask Non Collectors Edition
Looney Tunes: Duck Dodgers Manual/Game
Mia Hamm Soccer 64
MLBPA Bottom of the 9th
NBA In The Zone 2000
NBA Jam 2000
NFL Blitz 2001
HNL Blades of Steel 98
PGA European Tour
Razor Freestyle Scooter
Road Rash Manual/Game
Rocket Robot on Wheels
Space Invaders
Starshot Space Circus Fever
Stunt Racer 64
Tom and Jerry: Fists of Furry Manual/Game
Top Gear Hyper-Bike
Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion
V-Rally 99
WCW Backstage Assault
Wetrix
Worms Armageddon
RGB is the holy grail of display formats for retro video games. The people who prefer hooking their consoles up via RF do so for nostalgia, not image quality. The folks who use composite and S-Video are on the right track, they want a higher quality picture, but RGB is better.
Component video is not RGB. While component video cables are Red, Blue, and Green in color, they still send combined signals over the same cable which results in a slightly lower quality picture. They typically carry YPbPr signals.
In YPbPr:
Y (Red cable) carries luma (luminance/brightness) and sync (synchronization) signals
Pb (Blue cable) carries the difference between blue and luma (B-Y)
Pr (Green cable) carries the difference between red and luma (R-Y)
The information for Green is not sent because it can be determined with the blue, red, and luma signals.
An RGB signal carries the Red, Green, Blue and Sync data on four separate cables. If you are interested in more of the technical aspects of RGB or if you would like to see some screenshot comparisons, I strongly recommend you check out http://www.retrorgb.com
On to the mod...
IMPORTANT! This mod restores RGB output to the N64 A/V Out. You will need an RGB monitor and the appropriate cables in order to hook your system up to an RGB monitor. LOTS of info on the cables required can be found at http://www.retrorgb.com
Not every N64 is capable of outputting an RGB signal. In the US, the early N64s had a video chip on the motherboard that was capable of outputting RGB so all you have to do is connect the RGB outputs on this chip to the RGB spots on the video output terminal and you have an RGB capable N64. Nintendo eventually changed the video chip on the N64 to one that did not natively output RGB so the mod is only possible on early N64s.
How early?
If your N64 has a serial number that starts with NS1, you can mod it to output RGB
If your N64 has a serial number that starts with NS2, you cannot mod it to output RGB
There is always a (slim) chance that the guts of your N64 have been swapped so another way to check is to open your N64 and look at the motherboard revision.
If your motherboard revision is NUS-CPU-01, 02, 03, or 04, you can mod it to output RGB. If it is NUS-CPU-05 or higher, you cannot
You can see your motherboard revision just above the cart slot when you take the top cover off of an opaque system:
[img width=592 height=254]http://i.imgur.com/EvD5Kvi.jpg?1[/img]
and you can see it on a clear system without taking the shell off, just remove the power supply:
[img width=700 height=288]http://i.imgur.com/p9LqZOO.jpg?1[/img]
You can also swap the guts of an older N64 into the shell of a newer model that you really want to get RGB from. For example, I love the Jungle Green N64 but my Jungle Green model is an NUS-CPU-05. I swapped the guts from an 03 into the Jungle Green shell and presto! Jungle Green RGB 
Tools you will need
4.5mm security bit to open the N64
Phillips screwdriver
Soldering Iron with a fine tip (I prefer a chisel tip for this job)
Solder and flux
Thin gauge wire, 26 gauge works well
Hot glue gun OR electrical tape
OPTIONAL but HIGHLY recommended
RGB amplifier chip THS7314DR installed onto a
SOIC 8 to DIP 8 board
Three 75 ohm resistors with the lowest tolerance possible
Once you have determined that your N64 is capable of RGB, Strip the system down to the motherboard. There are LOTS of screws so make sure you take a few "before" pics or organize them in a way that will make it easy for you to put them all back in the right places.
This is the chip you are looking for
[img width=700 height=394]http://i.imgur.com/e9bitS6.jpg?2[/img]
The three indicated legs output the signals for R, G, and B. All you have to do is connect three wires from these three legs to the RGB posts on the A/V output area on the back of the board.
[img width=638 height=446]http://i.imgur.com/IJCP9Zm.jpg?2[/img]
[img width=627 height=376]http://i.imgur.com/CuLsfm6.jpg?2[/img]
If you are not installing an amplifier, ignore the Power and Ground posts, just connect three wires from the RGB legs on the front to the RGB posts on the back and you are done.
Let me tell you why you really should install the amp, though. The RGB signals that the N64 outputs are quite weak. Without an amplifier, you will have to crank up the brightness and/or contrast every time you want to play your N64 on your RGB monitor. The amplifier is inexpensive and easy to install. Here is what it looks like assembled:
[img width=700 height=255]http://i.imgur.com/8G9lkr4.jpg?1[/img]
But Bil, why do I need resistors on the output side?
You need the resistors because the amplifier amplifies the signal just a little bit too much. Without the resistors, you would have to slightly lower the contrast/brightness on your monitor. Adding the 75 ohm resistors means that you will not have to fiddle with the dials at all.
[img width=619 height=333]http://i.imgur.com/yTFaPVl.jpg?3[/img]
I do sell assembled amps with wire so that you can just solder 8 wires to the N64 motherboard and be done.
I find it easier to start on the back/underside of the board..
[img width=700 height=388]http://i.imgur.com/RrFzCph.jpg?1[/img]
so that I can set the board into the bottom case and finish up the front
[img width=700 height=345]http://i.imgur.com/upHnuq9.jpg?1[/img]
You can now test the system to see if you were successful. Pro Tip Make sure you put the jumper or expansion pak back in the system before you power it on. I forgot and just connected power and a/v and got a little scare when the screen was black. After I put the expansion pak in, I got this image.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/2w1FOOn.jpg[/img]
And I didn't think that title screen could have looked any better.
Once you know you were successful I recommend applying a little hot glue from a glue gun to the three connections on the top of the board just for a little added security.
After I put the rf shield, heatsink, and all of the screws back in, I wrap the amp in a little electrical tape for a little added protection.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/1kPxsL3.jpg[/img]
And that's it! Please feel free to ask any questions below or via PM.
[img width=500 height=349]http://i.imgur.com/fo4Pdjm.jpg[/img]
HiiIIIiii! It's Kirby in his first 3D adventure, Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards. The sixth entry in the Kirby series since he arrived on the Nintendo Gameboy eight years earlier. This is the second game in the series I've had the pleasure of playing, the first being Kirby's Dream Land on Gameboy. Each game has a new story, and can be easily picked up without prior experience with Kirby.
[img width=445 height=326]http://i.imgur.com/rg6eaTd.png[/img]
Ripple Star, a peaceful planet inhabited by Fairies is one day attacked by a mysterious cloud of Dark Matter! It was after the Fairies' secret Crystal, but a Fairy named Ribbon got to it first. Escaping before the planet was overrun, she rescued the Crystal only to be followed by three small clouds of Dark Matter that broke off from the main mass. They caught up to her and attacked, shattering the Crystal into shards that scattered across the entire solar system! Grabbing hold of a shard, Ribbon fell with it onto the planet Pop Star, where she bumped right into Kirby himself. When he heard what happened he knew he had to help, and set out to gather all the shards and take back Ripple Star from the evil Dark Matter.
"Where's the title music?" was the first impression of Kirby 64 I had after the introduction sequence. There is none for whatever reason, but that was the only complaint about music I had throughout the whole game. Each level and menu screen had some great tunes; from the happy and up-beat (http://youtu.be/uUJhAeCOCHQ), to the intense (http://youtu.be/hU2h5NyF68M). One of my favourites has to be from the Forest stage of level 2, it perfectly captures the atmosphere of a calm walk through the forest. There's a good selection of original tracks and remixes of the old themes. By the time you finish Kirby 64 you'll definitely have some songs stuck in your head, in a good way.
[img width=600 height=345]http://i.imgur.com/1KI9SpF.jpg[/img] We're all gamers here, what really matters most in a game is the gameplay. How are the controls? How fun is it? The answers are "Great", and "Heaps of fun!" This is one of the few N64 games that employed the D-pad over the Joystick that is favored by most games. It may not be commonplace but it gets the job done, with Kirby responding nicely to your every command. Alongside flying, running, sliding kicks, and shooting blasts of air at enemies, Kirby has his classic ability to inhale enemies and gain a new ability from them. Not only can he get one power up, but he can now inhale 2 enemies to combine their powers into one super power! With 7 different powers to combine, there are dozens of awesome abilities. From crushing enemies as a giant walking rock, to slicing them with a light saber, to exploding in a burst of fireworks. You can even turn into a refridgerator and kill enemies with the tasty foods expelled from inside you. I did have one complaint about the controls, as responsive as they are Kirby always feels a bit slow. Yes, you can run with a double tap of the D-pad, but the difference is so minor that sometimes I had trouble knowing if I was even running or just walking. Other than that they're great though.
[img width=442 height=325]http://i.imgur.com/ILo6aRE.png[/img] Along the way you'll meet 4 friends that are there to lend a hand when you need it. First is Ribbon the Fairy, who doesn't actually help any, she's just along for the ride and holds onto the Crystal shards you've collected. Next up is Waddle Dee, who does something useful! Whenever you need some transportation he's the man...thing...to help. At certain points he'll jump in with a boat, minecart, sled, or other vehicle to help you get where you need to go. Then there's Adeleine, the artist who's paintings come alive. She'll be there to draw you some health items or a 1UP at certain locations. Lastly is your old enemy, King Dedede, who reluctantly decides to help you this time. He shows up when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place with a hammer to smash the way through. None of these characters are there very often, but when they are it's a nice way to change up the gameplay.
[img width=641 height=349]http://i.imgur.com/E3YFP5m.png[/img] I said this game was Kirby's "first 3D adventure" above, but it's really 2.5D. Everything is rendered in 3D, but the entire game plays on a 2D plane. It feels a lot like Yoshi's Story in that sense, and even some of the visuals are similar, which is great in my books. There aren't many technically impressive visuals in this, except for a couple spiral staircase rooms. Where it lacks in the "wow" factor though, it makes up for with style. Almost every level has a unique style that just looks great, with places like the moody autumn forest, snow covered Shiver Star stages, or the weird awesomeness of the upside-down pyramid stage. There's a bit of everything, and it's a real treat for the eyes.
There's also a multiplayer component to Kirby 64, in the form of three mini-games. They're Mario Party style games like a foot race where you can only jump either one or two spaces to move. Then there's a simple catch-the-fruit game where you aim for the highest score while bumping around your opponents to make them miss their fruit. Lastly is a survival game that involves a floating checkerboard that gradually shrinks, and you can direct a row of blocks to fall in an attempt to drop the other players. Last one standing wins, and that has the most potential replayability. Speaking of replayability, this game has that covered. With six main worlds and one bonus, a ton of shards to collect for 100%, cards you collect from the post stage mini-game, and multiplayer, you aren't going to stop having fun with this for a long time. Experimenting with all the power-up combinations alone is a ton of fun.
In conclusion, this is a game clearly aimed at younger players, with its gradual learning curve and (mostly) easy bosses, but don't let that deter you from playing. With it's charming style, memorable music and solid gameplay, this is something everyone can enjoy.
Title: Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: June 26, 2000
Genre: Action/Adventure, Platforming
Players: 1-4
Controller Pak: No (Saves to Cartridge)
Rumble Pak: Yes
I'd like to join the ranks of RFGeneration members who regularly post blogs here with a series of N64 game reviews. I haven't been playing much N64 recently so I'll have to replay the classics and/or try out something new before I really get going on this. So expect to see some entries on the Fun Machine within the next couple of weeks!
N64.
For a few years now I have been wanting to start a complete N64 collection. I already have ruffly about 90 games out of the 296 American released titles. However as of recently I aquired a box of 53 Super nintendo games all in there original boxes with manual. It was at that moment I realized, not only do I want a complete N64 collection but I want a complete collection boxed. This is the hard part thoe, I have about 90 games but only 12 boxed as of right now. I have about 25 on order and I am going to keep at it for about the next year or 2.
Most titles are pretty reasonable but there are a few that are going to cost me a pretty penny with the worse one being clayfighters 63 1/2 sculptor's cut currently going for $1600 as of today with the box and manual. This is not going to be easy but it should be fun. I have tried to talk to co workers and other friends about this epic task. But not to many people understand the mindset and dedication of a collector. Nor do they care.
Hopefully the few that read this shall understand  If anyone on the site has some extra boxed games or N64 boxes and manuals up for sale or trade please message me and keep me in the loop. Thanks everyone.
If everything has gone to plan. Below is the sad 12 lonely Games boxed I currently own at my house.
A little while ago, I made a blog post called NES Collecting By The Numbers, where I explored NES collecting as sorted by rarity. This was to assist in narrowing down my missing titles by how easy it would be to find them, which has been a HUGE help.
I recently decided to go for a complete N64 set and figured this would be a good tool for that as well. I made a similar tool for N64 stuff, and added more formulas so it can calculate more information automatically. I'm happy with the results, so I've set up base versions of these files as shared Google docs so you can do this yourself! You'll need to make a duplicate copy of these on your Google Drive to edit it. Here are the links:
NES Stat Machine
N64 Stat Machine
Here's how it works. Each spreadsheet has 2 tabs: one called 'Totals' and one called 'Game List'. The former spits out all the numbers based on what games you have. To indicate those, all you need to do is go the 'Game List' tab and put the word 'Yes' in the 'Owned?' column next to each game. Once it's done, go back to the 'Totals' tab and you'll see something like this:
[img width=609 height=224]http://i.imgur.com/jgtZe.png[/img]
You can also use filters in the 'Game List' tab to see which games of a certain rarity you're missing:
[img width=700 height=117]http://i.imgur.com/Z1Q1V.png[/img]
Seriously, how have I never picked up All-Pro Basketball? Oh well.
Anyway, that's about all there is to it. I'm interested in making more of these for different systems (assuming there's a generally agreeable checklist with rarities on it), and to expand the stats to sort by other things (such as year, publisher, etc.) Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to leave suggestions!
|
