Space Station Silicon Valley Gamefaqs

Whether you agree with Nintendo's philosophies on game design or not, there really is no arguing with the fact that the company makes some of the best software in the world. Five years ago Nintendo proved this when it released its new 64-bit console alongside the Shigeru Miyamoto designed Super Mario 64, a 3D platformer that outlined the way 3D games are made even now. Five years later, the pioneering effort remains one of best titles in existence.Since that time dozens and dozens of other great games have graced Nintendo 64. We've seen the arrival of unsurpassed first- and second-party efforts - be them from Nintendo itself in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Wave Race 64 or developer Rareware in GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark.

And we've seen spectacular third-party contributions too - games like WWF Wrestlemania 2000, Resident Evil 2 and Rocket: Robot on Wheels. While Nintendo 64 will never be remembered for sheer selection of software (only 230 titles released thus far compared with more than 800 on Sony's PlayStation), it could very well be remembered for the most quality games. With this in mind IGN64 set out to compile a list of the 25 best games to ever appear on Nintendo 64. The selection process we used was totally straightforward and honest, but most of all simple in nature. We threw our rating system out the window, disregarded the software's impact on the market when it was initially released, and rated everything based on how it fares in the current marketplace.

2006-11-8  Blast Through the Wall In the sewer stage where you get the keycard, get a rat and lay a mine near the first toxic barrel. Then stay there and when it blows up, you will blast through the wall and into the king rat's hole.

What you see is what you get and there's nothing else to consider. Note: Bear in mind that our list does not take into account unreleased software like Eternal Darkness or still-import games like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. IGN64 will construct a future list that encapsulates upcoming software. In the meantime, here is our full list of 25 games:Synopsis: Many N64 owners lobbied long and hard for Harvest Moon 64 to come to the US and when Natsume released this charming game at the end of 1999, it grabbed a lot of attention over the Holidays. It was unique to say the least, and copies of the game were hard to come by early in 2000.

There was more stuff to do in this game than your average Rare platformer, but this proved to be Harvest Moon's hook. Keeping up with the variety of daily tasks in HM64 was an exercise in patience and persistence. There's nothing else like it on the N64. Aaron Boulding's Take: Harvest Moon was by far the best farming simulator on the system, but it makes the Top 25 thanks to some of the richest and most addictive gameplay I've ever come across.

The big head graphics, isometric point of view and poor audio elements were all forgotten once my first crop of potatoes came in, and that's all that matters. There wasn't any shooting, puzzle solving, or even jumping in Harvest Moon, but with all of that farmwork to be done everyday, who would have time for all of that nonsense anyway? It wasn't fast, it wasn't frantic, it was, however, chock full of something we at IGN like to call 'fun.'

You haven't experienced happiness in a videogame until you've won Karen's heart.Synopsis: First-time Nintendo 64 developer Sucker Punch Studios jumped onto the scene with a highly original 3D platformer called Rocket: Robot on Wheels. The design philosophy behind the title is simple - rather than build the platformer around the main character, the software house opted instead to focus on the interactivity of the 3D environments he travels. To that end, Rocket employs an advanced physics engine which allows the main character, a lovable unicycle-based robot named Rocket, to travel and experiment with colorful, platform-esque worlds with realistic gravity and inertia. Matt Casamassina's Take: Rocket is one of the most underrated games for Nintendo 64 and it's really a shame because the game really does advance the platformer genre with great main character control, well-designed 3D worlds and fun puzzles. But even more, there is an enormously impressive physics engine powering this game that allows for a truly realistic sense of gravity and inertia, and interactivity between objects.

Every object has its own set of lifelike attributes that must be 'weighed' into consideration when solving puzzles. Can Rocket stack certain objects on top of each other or will everything become too heavy and fall over? Can the robot latch onto objects as they fly through the air and use them to travel across to areas that can't otherwise be reached? It's all in the puzzle solving. This is a really well balanced little platformer that absolutely deserves to make the Top 25. It's too bad though that most Nintendo 64 owners haven't realized it.Synopsis: When the whole Nintendo gang got together and jumped into a golf game, who knew it would be one of the most addictive sports games of summer 1999?

Camelot's attention to detail on this Nintendo published title -heckling during someone else's turn is great stuff- made what could've easily been a lame experience, a whole lot of fun. To get more life out of Mario Golf, there were extra characters available in the Game Boy Color version, a nice advantage this game has over other golf titles.

Aaron Boulding's Take: There are more golf titles on the N64 than hockey sims (Gretzky doesn't count) so Mario Golf had to earn its place on our list. It gets major points in my book for pick-up-and-playability even though it borrows heavily from Hot Shots Golf.

The learning curve was a lot steeper than you'd expect from such a fruity looking game, and believe it or not I actually took some tips from this game onto the course with me. Any game that allows you to heckle should always be on a Top 25 list somewhere.Synopsis: The wacky team from DMA Design has created an equally off-the-wall product in Space Station: Silicon Valley, a 3D platformer of sorts that puts players in control of a variety of different robotic animals. All of the madness takes place in the future as a Space Station housing the creatures glides steadily on a destruction path towards Earth. The unique title encourages players, as a robotic chip, to jump into the bodies of these cyborg-animals in order to accomplish various missions. Matt Casamassina's Take: Silicon Valley, like Rocket, is one of the 3D platformers that most Nintendo 64 owners seem to have overlooked for no good reason. The game features 30+ levels of remarkably well put together missions that have players doing everything from jumping into the bodies of hovering sheep to taking over farting rats in order to solve puzzle-based challenges and advance. The action is odd; in the opening level, you actually get a bonus for positioning a clueless sheep underneath a spaceship's rocket booster, where of course you power the sucker up and roast the poor animal.

Sure, it's odd and even questionable behavior, but it's ingeniously hilarious too. At the end of the day, Silicon Valley is a 3D platformer that you can pick up and play without worry of tedious collecting and formulaic puzzle solving. It controls great, looks solid, and is a crack up - and original designs like this should be embraced.Synopsis: Back in 1997, Blast Corps served as an important reminder that not everygame had to be a sequel to an existing franchise to pack mass appeal. Puttogether by British second-party developer Rare, Blast Corps is almost likea nostalgic trip back to the heydays of the NES or the time of Robotron andMissile Command. The game puts players behind the controls of current andfuturistic destruction machinery with the objective of clearing a path foran out-of-control nuclear missile carrier.

Released to very little mediahype on March 24, '97, Blast Corps quickly won the hearts of N64 owners byoffering a well-rounded combination of destructive gameplay and intelligentpuzzles, topped off with a rocking soundtrack and good graphics. Peer Schneider's Take: I actually bought Blast Corps for the secondtime just a few months ago (someone borrowed my first copy and never gaveit back, but I can't remember who.). While the graphics are a bit datednow, especially when compared to more recent Rare titles, it still remainsone of my favorite Rare games of all times. Unlike Diddy Kong Racing,Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, there is nothing else like Blast Corps onN64 - or any other console, for that matter. Although the game is a tad too short, Blast Corps's strength lies in itssheer gameplay variety.

None of its eight vehicles are alike, but all ofthem have one thing in common: a steep learning curve. Learning how tocontrol the Backlash dumptruck is one thing - mastering it is anotherstory entirely. If you haven't played Blast Corps in awhile, pick it upagain and see if you can beat the Diamond Sands railroad tracks levelwithout breaking a sweat. I get tense just thinking of the alarm buzzerthat sounds every time the missile carrier gets close to a building. Addto that some of the best bonus levels around (the shuttle sequences weretruly inspired) and you've got one of the most explosive action titles onthe console to date.

Blast Corps continues to show that there is still room for originalgameplay mechanics beyond the 'but-now-it's-in-3D' sequelmania that hasbefallen many console game developers in recent years.Synopsis: One of the more difficult gaming experiences to be had for Nintendo 64, Rare's Jet Force Gemini is a third-person 3D action-shooter set to the backdrop of an entire galaxy in a war engulfed future. Players control Juno, Vela and Lupus the dog through tons of beautiful 3D environments plugging enemy after bloody enemy in order to save groups of kidnapped 'Tribals' and retrieve spaceship parts. JFG also features a semi-cooperative mode for two-players, and various deathmatch battle options for up to four gamers. Matt Casamassina's Take: Jet Force Gemini is one of Nintendo 64's best action games, and yet it's also one of the most frustrating. The game has a wonderfully original style mixing cartoony characters and over-the-top violence - and it works. In JFG, it's not uncommon to run into groups of gun-wielding insects, zoom in on them with your sniper, and pick their heads off one by one.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Rare game if their noggins didn't explode in a bloody mess spilling green bug slop everywhere. But while gore plays a big part in JFG, the title is hardly limited to it. Complex and varied level design coupled with a whopping amount of enemies to destroy ensure the action never slows to a standstill, but the Rare design - the collection of dozens upon dozens of well-hidden Tribals in an effort to extend replay value - does get on the nerves. All things said and done though, JFG still has no trouble whatsoever making the Top 25 as its one of the most refreshingly original games to hit the console - even if it does have a few drawbacks.Synopsis: MBL Research did a bang up job on NHL '99. The development team did the best job of bringing the rowdy fun of 16-bit EA Sports hockey to the N64 and many hockey fans were finally able to relax and enjoy a hockey game worthy of their attention. Yes it was a port of the previous year's PlayStation NHL game, but when you give a starving man a cracker it's going to be the best cracker he's ever had.

With all due respect to both Eddie Murphy and MBL Research, NHL '99 took advantage of the N64's capabilities well enough to provide a robust and full hockey game regardless of the other drivel that had appeared on the N64 to that point. You had the full license, you had all of the arenas, you had all of the rules and regulations of hockey, of course. More than all of that however, you had the nonstop hockey action that had been missing from the N64 library. There were 3D players, but with the overhead perspective it didn't really matter, all you needed to see was the man with the puck and your opponent's goal.

Hockey is a game that's best played from a top down perspective, even if that isn't the best way to show off a system's 3D capabilities. What we did get in NHL '99 was plenty of speed and a perfect balance of hockey realism and arcade thrills rolled into one outstanding game.

Aaron Boulding's Take: Not only did the guys in the movie Swingers get it right in regards to the inclusion of fighting in the Genesis NHL games ('93 had it, '94 didn't) but they inspired me to pick up NHL '99 immediately and dig into it like the rabid skeptic that I was. The game stood up to every criteria for greatness that I had. With hockey I don't need a lot of extra features, create-a-pucks and bells and whistles. I need a nice responsive turbo button, some bone jarring checks and a realistic one-timer mechanism to see me through.

The C-down button was a little tough on the thumb, but being the hockey veteran that I am, I played through the pain because turbo and power checking is just that important to me. Since the automatic deke move hasn't been in a NHL game for a good six years, setting up for a clean shot was that much more important. The one-timers didn't happen as often as I would've liked, but the extra challenge made me enjoy it even more. An enjoyable, well designed sports game can never be too difficult.

NHL '99 was all that and a red-flavored sno-cone.Synopsis: Ten years from now, when we look back on all of this, Acclaim's legacy on the N64 should be limited -for their own good and ours- to Turok and the marvelous All-Star Baseball franchise. You know you've put together a realistic baseball sim when readers send in comments like 'Why can't I steal signs from the catcher with my third base coach?' Or 'Are they going to include fan interference in the next game?' ASB first dazzled us back in 1998 with its truly next generation graphics and animation. Baseball games, by nature, are limited and narrow in scope, but that's all the more reason to make your game look and move as well as possible. By the time the 2001 version rolled around, ASB had been refined with a ton of options and spruced up gameplay.

ASB 2001 had the most flash and depth, so it's the definitive baseball game on the N64. Aaron Boulding's Take:: Unfortunately, the bad continued with the good as that annoying statistics bug and some baseball no-nos (double switch anyone?) found their way through every version of All-Star Baseball including this most recent one. Despite these obstacles, I still found myself strangely hooked on it once I got a final copy of the game in my hands. Believe it or not, this is one of the few baseball games, where I actually enjoyed playing defense more than being up to bat. Give me Pedro Martinez and I'll throw a complete game 1-hitter any day of the week. That's much more fun than hitting five home runs in one game with Sammy Sosa.

The batting interface in ASB 2001 should certainly be considered among the videogame innovations that came to life on the N64. ASB '01 was written off by many as simply more of the same old baseball, yawn, yawn, blah, blah. As we said then, the game of baseball hasn't changed so if you can get anything new and substantial out of your new videogame, then the mission's been accomplished. And if nothing else, the final edition of ASB had such detailed stadiums you could even read the fake Budweiser and Coke signs at Turner Field.

That's as American as it gets.Synopsis: Depending on who you ask, Mario Kart 64 is either one of the greatest racers to hit Nintendo 64 or one of the console's biggest let-downs. Many would argue that the single- and multiplayer modes present in Super Mario Kart are superior to those in the 64-bit version, and while we can certainly sympathize, Mario Kart 64 still offers one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on Nintendo 64.

Like its predecessor, the title is once again a kart race featuring classic Nintendo mascots. This time around players can race as everybody from Mario himself to Luigi, Bowser, the Princess, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Wario. Mario Kart 64 features a good selection of straightforward single-player levels that allow players to sabotage computer controlled opponents on the roadside with various power-up bonuses. The title also sports an addictive multiplayer mode in which up to four players can battle against each other through several arena-style environments.

Matt Casamassina's Take: The single-player game in Mario Kart 64 is fun. There are lots of different levels to race through and each one has its own unique theme. The power-ups are a nice addition as you can really knock opponents out of position with a well-placed shot to the back.

The graphics, even by today's standards, are simplistic and cartoony, but colorful and polished all the same. It all comes together for a solid little racing experience.

But Mario Kart 64 simply wouldn't be on our list if it wasn't for the game's fantastically addictive multiplayer mode. The simple truth is that it's still one of the best multiplayer games to be had for Nintendo 64 thanks to some classic Nintendo gameplay mechanics, balanced controls and power-ups, and well-designed battle arenas. Once you've whipped around a corner as Mario, triggered your Star Power, and rumbled through three friends in your path, you'll be hooked - guaranteed. And your friends will be too. We popped the game back in for the purposes of the Top 25 and ended up playing it for hours. Time sure can fly when you're having fun.Synopsis: You didn't think we'd forget about Nintendo's snowboarding game, did you? The EAD developed 1080 Degrees Snowboarding was somewhat of a surprise when it debuted for Nintendo 64 in 1998 as Nintendo only announced the title was in existence six months before it released.

Just ask Boss Game, which had spent a good amount of time working on Twisted Edge Snowboarding only to be informed by Nintendo that 1080 was in development, and in fact would release first. 1080 Snowboarding is, obviously, a snowboarding game. Growtopia indir.

It features six courses and eight playable characters, a half-pipe, trick challenges, licensed Lamar boards, a two-player cooperative mode and more. It's got all of the options and extras one would hope would be included for a game of this type, of course. It's a Nintendo game and we'd expect nothing less. Matt Casamassina's Take: 1080 Snowboarding is still the best snowboarding game available on any console (though EA is looking to dethrone it with its PS2 SSX - the verdict is still out). What makes it so spectacular are the same aspects that solidify so many Nintendo games as classics - indescribably tight control and a feeling that the activity of snowboarding, the sensation of it all, has truly been captured. Everything from the way snowboarders slide out and kick up trails of icy snow as they speed along to the way the wind screams by players as they slide downhill - it just feels right.

And from a visual standpoint, 1080 has really gone the extra mile. Think great draw distance, top texture design, amazing particle effects (you'll swear the snow is real), realistic boarder animation, and even a fancy little lens flare effect - all with a solid framerate.

Just the thought of a Dolphin sequel makes me giddy.Synopsis: After way too long Capcom's 'survival horror' series makes its Nintendo 64 debut in form of Resident Evil 2 - a port of the PlayStation original. Raccoon City has somehow fallen victim to a zombie outbreak and it's up to you as either police officer Leon Kennedy, or Claire Redfield (sister to Chris Redfield from RE1), to find out what's going on. The adventure, which takes place in 3D using pre-rendered backgrounds, drags you through spooky crash sites, abandoned buildings, experiments gone wrong and more - all the while battling undead monstrosities, solving puzzles and, most of all, trying to stay alive.

Lots of weapons and other gadgetry allow for some truly disgusting mayhem. RE2 for N64 is exactly the PlayStation game of the same name with a few new EX files that reveal more details about the overall franchise storyline - it's even got FMV. Matt Casamassina's Take: While it's true that Resident Evil 2 for N64 is just a port of the PlayStation game, that doesn't make it any less spectacular. Capcom enlisted the expertise of developer Angel Studios for the translation and what a job the company did. Not only are all of the FMV cut-scenes from the 32-bit original included (and that's a lot of full motion video, the way), but so are all of the audio samples and pre-rendered backdrops - all thanks to a hefty 512-megabit cartridge and some serious compression techniques.

In fact, Angel Studios even made some improvements; RE2 N64 runs in high-resolution mode for example. This time already looked amazing for PlayStation and it's even prettier for Nintendo's console. On the play side, RE2 is one hell of a great action-adventure - arguably the best of the series, and that translates perfectly to N64. The analog stick is used to control the characters through loads of spooky backdrops blasting zombies to pieces and solving obscure puzzles.

It's a game that delivers a light back-story and lots of slasher movie, jump-out-and-go-boo scares. And trust me when I tell you that if you play this game alone you're going to be too unnerved to walk down a dark hallway afterward.

Easily one of the best gaming experiences to be had with your N64.Synopsis: The first 'real' Madden offering from EA Sports, Madden '99 is certainly the prettiest and probably the most functional football title on the N64. It had the full NFL license, a major improvement over the unbearable Madden 64, and the exquisite Madden gameplay we've come to expect from that sacred franchise. This was the Madden game that defined NFL football on the console. Excellent graphics, tons of NFL detail and a wonderful new franchise mode made this the best console football game until NFL2K showed up. Both Madden 2000 and Madden 2001 have the same Blitz inspired player models that just don't stand up to the solid, flesh-and-bone players and well animated players from '99. The framerate in '99 was the worst of the group but nowhere near bad enough to take away from the enjoyment of the game.

Aaron Boulding's Take: Madden '99 proved to be the alpha and omega of NFL football on the N64. Nothing against the newer versions or Acclaim's Quarterback Club series, but the only thing that holds M99 back nowadays is the outdated roster, otherwise I'd still be wearing it out. No PlayStation version could stand up to the marvelous look and beautiful animations of Madden '99. You can actually see the fabric of the jerseys twist and ripple as the players move and the tackles looked very effective. Besides all of this, that game was tough. The running game was only for the toughest console coaches, and that only made the passing game that much tougher. The defensive AI always, and I mean always, took away the sidelines, so with no out patterns and no running up the middle you had to be pretty crafty if you wanted to put points on the board.

Super difficult sports games, may not be something today's gamers can enjoy, but hardcore gamers and Madden veterans should have an appreciation for this best version on the best console.Synopsis: Namco's classic Ridge Racer franchise hits Nintendo 64 at long last as Ridge Racer 64, a semi-port of sorts complete with new tracks and cars, a four-player mode, a brutally fast sensation of speed and an all-new gameplay mechanic to boot. Though in fact the game wasn't developed by Namco itself, newcomer NST (NOA's internal studios) has worked a little magic of its own to keep the powerslide-based formula of the series intact while offering a new style of play too. RR64 features 'nine' tracks - which, in actuality, amount for three courses with three variations of each. It also features 25 cars, many of which are not playable at first and must gradually be unlocked. This is an arcade racer to the very core. Matt Casamassina's Take: Like Resident Evil 2, Ridge Racer to N64 has been a long, long time coming.

And like RE2, though the N64 version has not been developed by the franchise's original creator, the end product does not suffer at all. NST has done a wonderful job making a super-polished, blazing fast incarnation of the Ridge Racer series. The company has also dashed in a bit of innovation with a remarkably well designed new gameplay mechanic that enables players to use full 360 degree powerslides to zip around sharp turns without losing speed. Once you've played RR this way, it's very difficult to go back to Namco's formula, and don't get me wrong - I love the original design too. The name of the game is speed and RR64 has more than you'll be able to handle.

There are times that you'll wish the action would slow down a little bit, in fact. RR64 screams along with a solid framerate and with an impressive visual look too. Environments are colorful and detailed, and while vehicles are decidedly low in polygon-count they still come off all right. Throw in a fun multiplayer mode, three levels to race through (one original) with variations on each course, 25 cars to unlock, and even a great little music soundtrack and it's not hard to see why this game makes our Top 25.Synopsis: It only added some WWF spices to a tried and true wrestling formula left over from previous.