San Francisco Rush
Publisher: Atari Games
Developer: Atari Games
Release Date: November 1997
Best Feature: Shortcuts Aplenty
Jet down the streets of San-Fran at a blinding pace with San Francisco Rush. Styled closely after the namesake arcade cab, this cart is a stunt-heavy racer with outrageous jumps that send you flying square across the city skyline. It comes nowhere close to the original graphically, lacking a sharp resolution and brimming with fog to hide pop-in, but as far as physicality and playability, this version is a choice pick. The key is to attach your controller to the Rumble Pak accessory. The added support will leave your hands all but numb as varied degrees of feedback sensitivity leaves the heart racing. This home port further adds exclusive tracks with plenty of shortcuts and secret areas to discover, as well as shiny cars to unlock. A solid addition to the pile of circuit racers.
Mischief Makers
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Treasure
Release Date: October 1997
Best Feature: Innovative Design
Shake, shake! Treasure strikes gold with Mischief Makers, a side-scrolling platformer rife with the developers' trademarked fast-paced action and quirky charm. It stars Marina Liteyears, a cybernetic housecleaner with a super-speed jetpack and an amusing habit of shaking her enemies, as she sets out to rescue her creator and the beleaguered civilians of Planet Clancer from an evil emperor. Players will slide, roll, and shake through a plethora of unique stages, each graced with imaginative graphics (What's with the face blocks? -Jet). MM shines in its puzzle-solving elements and, particularly, its stellar boss encounters. It is strongly reminiscent of Super Metroid's exploration-driven combat. Warning: Intense learning curve ahead! Gunstar Heroes fans will undoubtedly feel right at home.
Turok
Publisher: Acclaim Ent.
Developer: Iguana Ent.
Release Date: March 1997
Best Feature: Fun Weaponry Options
Turok was one of the earliest titles unveiled for Nintendo's next-gen device. Developers promised a first-person adventure set in a lush, prehistoric world filled with explosive firepower. They sought to break away from the age of tight corridor shooters with wide-open spaces populated with mutated creatures and dinosaurs. This cart delivers these tenets and proves to be an impressive visual treat to boot. Motion-captured animations bring lifelike movements to enemies and add a touch of realism to the otherwise fantastical scenes. A heavy dosage of fog in most areas cleverly attempts to mask the graphical limits of the N64, though doing so sadly blurs jungle areas together. Tricky controls - C-buttons for movement and stick for aiming - are a big drawback for us. Still some kick-ass dino fun, alright.
Blast Corps
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Release Date: March 1997
Best Feature: Explosions!
Blast Corps truly energizes the anemic Nintendo 64 catalog, proving Rare's three years of development resulted in a unique and creative payoff. You're tasked with clearing a route for an out-of-control nuclear missile carrier, demolishing anything blocking its way. It's like living a childhood dream with Tonka trucks, but bigger and bolder. It’s not simply about mindless destruction; this game blends puzzles, vehicle simulation, and strategy into a stimulating challenge. Throughout its over 60 distinct stages, you control a dozen varied machines, ranging from bulldozers to a missile-firing motorcycle, each with their own handling of demolition. The game looks sharp - clean polygons and appealing lighting effects. With its expansive stages, lasting appeal, also that irresistible urge to play "just one more level," Blast Corps stands out as a worthwhile purchase among Nintendo 64 games.
Mario Kart 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: February 1997
Best Feature: Battle Mode
Mario Kart 64 retains the style and fun of its 16-Bit predecessor and supercharges the action onto the N64 with bright visuals and a challenging assortment of racetracks. Its gameplay immediately invokes familiarity thanks to straightforward, responsive controls utilizing the controller's analog stick. An abundance of play modes, racers, and items keeps the action engaging and the blood pumping. However, MK64 is not without its imperfections. Tracks are missing any real hidden paths or shortcuts, and the varied power-ups sometimes feel unbalanced - oftentimes propelling last-place characters to the lead. Wish we could disable that awful lightning bolt! Oh, plus a smidge of slowdown in four-player Battle Mode. That aside, the good far outweighs the bad, and surpasses the Super NES classic in virtually every way. This is a magnificent game that is certainly worth picking up to play with fellow player pals.
Goldeneye 007
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Release Date: August 1997
Best Feature: 4-Player Deathmatches
Rare's GoldenEye 007 isn't simply a great adaptation of the movie - its quality surpasses the film and is arguably the best N64 first-person shooter yet. It moves beyond the mindless corridor shooters on the market and forces players to rely on stealth and strategic thinking, truly embodying the spirit of James Bond. This title's eighteen intricate levels contain twenty missions, each with nifty gadgets at your disposal to accomplish your tasks. Using a silencer to sneak into a facility and rescue captured scientists isn't seen in your average Doom clone. Prepare to be immersed in this game world courtesy of solid enemy AI and realistic animations. Outside of the main missions, four-player, split-screen deathmatch mode is the stuff of shooter dreams. This is what the N64 was made for. We would warn that these controls may take a bit to get used to for players new to 3-D gaming.
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