Topic: A Decade of PGC/NWR: 2000

[Nick DiMola]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to disagree that Valve doesn't make some stellar games. I absolutely love the entire Half Life series, as well as Portal, Team Fortress 2 (and Classic), and Left 4 Dead.

I believe that Perfect Dark, and Goldeneye by extension, are a unique breed of FPS. They offer an experience that has NEVER been duplicated successfully, and play uniquely in comparison to anything else in the genre.

When I mention controls, I say they are still fine because if people can stubbornly play Halo and the like with an Xbox controller, the jump back to an N64 controller is nothing big. The control is extremely similar (though a bit disjointed on the N64). As I mentioned in my other post, really the only thing that makes Perfect Dark unplayable is the framerate. Goldeneye is still very playable and very fun to this very day.

I'm very up on the PC shooter market, and I still think Perfect Dark/Goldeneye gameplay stands up because it is unique. It would be awfully shortsighted to say that just because <insert_game_here> is all the rage right now, that unique concepts are out-of-date or not fun anymore just because your current interests are different.

[TJ Spyke]

I never played Perfect Dark, but I didn't like Majora's Mask. It was the whole time travel thing that I hated.

Totally agree about Pokemon Gold and Silver. I think I sunk around 600 hours into Silver (and around 800 on Crystal). That is why I was so disappointed with Ruby and Sapphire, they obviously looked better but I didn't think the games were as good. I know I am not the only one wanting a re-make similar to FireRed and LeafGreen.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Goldeneye and PD did something similar (though not exactly) to what Bioshock did, in that they offered mini-sandbox levels with missions to accomplish that weren't always "run from one end to the other". They were linear with MANY non-linear elements.

[Rize]

For my part, I liked the Goldeneye and Perfect Dark controls the same way I like the controls in Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4.  Yes they're weird and technically limited compared to modern games, but they had a unique feel that worked for the game.  That said, they definitely needed to be put to rest.  I also love the mission structure of GE and PD.

You want to play a game with truly terrible controls today, try Doom 64.  I can still play Doom on the PC (and playing co-op Doom is still tons of fun imo).

[Mop it up]

Regardless of the merits of how they pulled it off or shoe-horned the control into the N64 controller if you actively play with either mouse and keyboard or the Wii-mote and Nunchuk at a minimum the N64 control is embarrassingly bad.

I simply cannot stand to play games with a keyboard and mouse. A mouse is too precise for its own good, I find it to be incredibly finicky making fine-tuned aiming impossible. The Wiimote and Nunchuk setup is better but the N64 controller still works extremely well for FPS games; much better than any dual-analogue controller. The 1.2 setup -- where you move with the C buttons and look around with the analogue stick -- has all of the same functionality of the Wiimote + Nunchuk, and I have no problem moving around and firing at multiple targets at once. Of course, after over 800 hours of playtime it's easy to become accustomed to the controls.

As I said before, control styles are one of the most personal aspects of gaming. Since everyone has their own preferences, there is no universal setup which everyone is going to like.

As for Doom. If you loved them, don't try to go back and play them.

I love Doom and I still play it every now and then today. Not the PC version either, but the Super NES version. Since the game was designed around its limitations, I've never found any problems with it.

You want to play a game with truly terrible controls today, try Doom 64.

I disagree with this. Doom 64 has fully customizable controls so you're bound to find a setup you like. I myself ditch the analogue stick and use the D-pad.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Old obtuse N64 shooters play well with a potato plugged into a cheeseburger.  Saying analog sticks work "kool" with those games isn't saying much.

And mice do suck.  They're an inherent crutch for the PC side of the genre.  Look!  It's sitting on a desk!  Even tho you're not touching it, it's already aiming for you!  How amazing!  Analog controls also "aim for you" to some degree as well.  It all plays into the illusion of making players feel cool that they're "controlling" a floating virtual gun.

And they really do float -- let go of the mouse and the gun/camera still maintains the last known viewpoint for you.  Try dropping a Wii Remote or a light gun and you get EL-OH-ELz.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

SO, um, anyone want to talk about non-FPS games of 2000 before this thread falls into the abyss?

I *love* Wario Land 3. It's such a carefully crafted game on multiple fronts: the treasures, which include power-ups, make the deceptively disparate levels intertwined not unlike a Metroid game. (Folks from Metroid worked on it, BTW.) I love Shake It, but I really wish it had taken more of this approach with its level design.... Anyway, the graphics are vibrant and detailed, with clever animations and subtle "shading". And the music is top notch, too.

So what is *your* favorite game that wasn't mentioned in the GotY 2000 write-ups?

[Halbred]

Beetle Goddamn Adventure Racing FTW.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Beetle Goddamn Adventure Racing FTW.

That game was really fun.

[BeautifulShy]

Hmm I didn't get a chance to play Beetle Adventure Racing.

Other than Majoras Mask and Pokemon B,R,Y,G,S.
I was playing Pokemon Stadium, WWF:No Mercy. and Excite Bike 64.

I managed to beat Pokemon Stadium fully. Excitebike 64 I played alot with friends. The Desert and Soccer Multiplayer games were great.
No Mercy I got at launch and enjoyed it till the game erased my created wrestler.Aparently it was a bug in early copies. Oh well it was a great game.

[NWR_pap64]

OMG I FORGOT ONE AWESOME GAME!!

MARIO TENNIS!

The original game rocked. I thought I wasn't going to like it, but I rented it like crazy. It was awesome seeing Daisy and Birdo after so many years being absent, and I thought Waluigi was weird.

Oh and "Beetle Adventure Racing" came out in 1999.

[Mop it up]

I have Wario Land II DX, that game is pretty awesome even although it is quite easy due to the "no die" system. Wario Land III has been on my want list for a while now... perhaps I should bump that one up closer to the top.

My cousin gave me Pokémon Gold because he didn't like it, and I wouldn't have ever owned it otherwise. It's a decent game but two things which really drag it down for me are the level grinding and not being able to collect every Pokémon without trading with other versions. Revisiting the world of the first game felt tacked-on due to so little events taking place there and the general lack of direction at that point.

Despite having few N64 releases the year 2000 was a great year for the system. My runner-up for that year would probably be ExciteBike 64, as that game is all kinds of awesome. It has a great mix of indoor and outdoor tracks, a few minigames to spice things up, a rather extensive track creator, and even the original ExciteBike but where the track save feature actually works.

Banjo-Tooie is another release which I believe doesn't get enough praise. The huge and detailed worlds which Rare managed to create without the Expansion Pak are truly breathtaking, and the variety of the game is simply staggering. The focus on collecting has been toned down, making it a much more enjoyable game than its predecessor.

I had some good fun with Mario Tennis as well. It may not have much in the way of content, but the gameplay is solid, the character roster includes both recent favourites and blasts from the past, and the multiplayer held its own amoungst titles like Mario Kart and Mario Party.

There are many other good titles as well, such as Paper Mario, Pokémon Puzzle League, Mega Man 64, Kirby 64... Awesome year!

[GoldenPhoenix]

Forgot about B-T being fin 2000, that would be my pick for GOTY. I LOVED that game despite the erratic framerate.

[Justin Nation]

I don't know why but as much as I loved Banjo-Kazooie I wasn't quite as enamored with Banjo-Tooie. Can only think the formula by then felt too formula and lost some luster. I do remember liking it but not obsessively playing and being compelled to finish it as with the original.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I don't know why but as much as I loved Banjo-Kazooie I wasn't quite as enamored with Banjo-Tooie. Can only think the formula by then felt too formula and lost some luster. I do remember liking it but not obsessively playing and being compelled to finish it as with the original.

B-T was pretty different from B-K, it was far more open and less confined.

[NWR_pap64]

I don't know why but as much as I loved Banjo-Kazooie I wasn't quite as enamored with Banjo-Tooie. Can only think the formula by then felt too formula and lost some luster. I do remember liking it but not obsessively playing and being compelled to finish it as with the original.

This is exactly how I felt. I still liked the game, but it didn't capture me as much as the first one did.

[Stratos]

Beetle Goddamn Adventure Racing FTW.

QFT This warrants a reiteration. Didn't the ESRB list this early on as a VC release? I hope it does eventually come.

I don't know why but as much as I loved Banjo-Kazooie I wasn't quite as enamored with Banjo-Tooie. Can only think the formula by then felt too formula and lost some luster. I do remember liking it but not obsessively playing and being compelled to finish it as with the original.

I agree with you about not being quite as enamored with B-T. I think my issue was the lack of mystery and intrigue. Remember the Stop N Swap, eggs and crystal key mystery? I remember being extremely let down with how they treated it in B-T. Did anyone else try the code that unlocked all the mystery areas from the teaser trailer at the end that allowed you to actually collect the eggs and key? That one is up there with the surprise Rogue Squadron code that unlocked the Naboo Fighter in my book. The uber Shadows of the Empire codes were another one, though I don't think they were as secret as the B-K and RS codes.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Beetle Goddamn Adventure Racing FTW.

QFT This warrants a reiteration. Didn't the ESRB list this early on as a VC release? I hope it does eventually come.

I will proceed to CREAM ALL OVER IT.

[Djunknown]

The year 2000 for me in a nutshell.

First half:Re-playing Diablo I in anticipation for Diablo II. Signed up for the beta, but didn't get in (One of my friends back in high school did, oddly enough...)

Second Half: Diablo II. 'nuff said. 

When I wasn't tethered to my PC, I played Pokemon Stadium with my then little cousin when he came over to visit. He had his Pokemon leveled up from Gold/Silver, while I had to fight with 'rental' Pokemon. They grow up so fast...

I'd like to point out some of Billy's reaction at Space World. Disclaimer: Hindsight/sarcasm is always 20/20.

First bit of hardware we got to see was the Gameboy Advance. We got to see the Silver and blue version. People gasped. Myself included. Very sleek looking.

Did they gasp since they had to hold it a perfect angle to see it properly 

As far as the name is concerned, I love it. Gamecube. It says what it is. It’s a box full of love. You can sit in the message boards and forums and debate it all you like.

Talk about Déjà vu... 

Ganon and Link going at it. Hell yeah. There’s a lot happening in a little time frame. Look at how the clothes and hair of each of the characters flow in this. Do not doubt that this title is fully in the works.

One of the biggest bait n switches in history...

Joanna Dark. Yea. A render. It is interesting. Because Perfect Dark isn’t even out in Japan yet. I’m sure it’s coming though. Online death matches! Clan PlanetN2000? Oh yeah baby, I’m all over that concept. With the new broadband adapter it’s a no brainer. Bring it.

Man, if we only knew what was really happening behind the scenes...

Can't wait for the insight in 2001!

[Stratos]

Joanna Dark. Yea. A render. It is interesting. Because Perfect Dark isn’t even out in Japan yet. I’m sure it’s coming though. Online death matches! Clan PlanetN2000? Oh yeah baby, I’m all over that concept. With the new broadband adapter it’s a no brainer. Bring it.

Man, if we only knew what was really happening behind the scenes...

Can't wait for the insight in 2001!

Yeah, if only we knew so many things in regards to this.
Rare sold off and only two games that truly supported the bb adapter and no online from Nintendo. What year was Warp Pipe made for MK online play? That will be an interesting year to read about. I remember a forum thread where it was mouse_clicker versus the rest of the forum in regards to online.