Topic: Episode 64: Now You're Playing with Ultra Power

[oksoda]

This is Episode 64. Guess what we talk about.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newscast/27373

It's our 64th episode, which sounds like as good an excuse as any to talk about the Nintendo 64. Amazingly, we only talk about half of the best games. So I guess that means we'll be doing another one of these at some point. Also on the docket this week: Zach & Mike's thoughts on the 3DS price drop. And also, a story from Mike about a GBA he owns that was decorated by pro-surfer Kelly Slater. You can see pictures of it on the podcast if you're subscribed to the AAC feed. If not, here is a link to the ancient article about it.

[oksoda]

That GBA is still blowing my mind almost a week later.

[TheFleece]

Is the AAC Feed broken for anyone else?

[Shaymin]

Yeah, I'm getting the dreaded ! from iTunes.

[TalesOfFan]

This episode really made me feel like a consumer whore... Great show though, I sadly missed out on the N64, my parents got me the PS1 instead because it had a CD player. They ended up doing the same when it came to the PS2 and GameCube, though I did eventually get a GameCube about a year before the Wii came out.

My Nintendo Handhelds

[TheFleece]

This episode really made me feel like a consumer whore... Great show though, I sadly missed out on the N64, my parents got me the PS1 instead because it had a CD player. They ended up doing the same when it came to the PS2 and GameCube, though I did eventually get a GameCube about a year before the Wii came out.

My Nintendo Handhelds

I can't believe you held on to all the systems! When I get a new one I usually pass my old one down to a friend. A few years ago I bought a GBA from a friend so I can play Game Boy games and a couple of years after that another friend gave me his Game Boy.
I never had Nintendo consoles when they were released. I had an NES, but that was it. I got a SNES when the N64 was out, but I never had one or a GameCube though I did play them from time to time. For me it's always been about handheld games, I've had every form of Nintendo handheld since the Game & Watch.

Yeah, I'm getting the dreaded ! from iTunes.

Yeah it's still that way, but I'm not worried. At least I can listen to it right on the page.

[TalesOfFan]

This episode really made me feel like a consumer whore... Great show though, I sadly missed out on the N64, my parents got me the PS1 instead because it had a CD player. They ended up doing the same when it came to the PS2 and GameCube, though I did eventually get a GameCube about a year before the Wii came out.

My Nintendo Handhelds

I can't believe you held on to all the systems! When I get a new one I usually pass my old one down to a friend. A few years ago I bought a GBA from a friend so I can play Game Boy games and a couple of years after that another friend gave me his Game Boy.

I actually had a second DS Lite, but I ended up trading it in for the 3DS. I guess the main reason that I've been able to keep them all over these years is that I'm an only child and I don't really have any close relationships with my extended family, nor are any of my friends all that interested in games. The ones that are tend to play PC, PS3, or 360 and ignore handhelds all together. I also still have every console that I grew up with and I have never once lost any of my handheld or console games.

[fernoumr]

The AAC feed is broken.  In the newest item description, there's an ampersand that needs to be changed to an entity code:


Zach & Mike's thoughts needs to be changed to Zach (ampersand)amp(semicolon) Mike's thoughts.

(I had to spell it out because the blog comment code improperly renders it.  The forum doesn't do this.)


I find the W3C's feed validator to be invaluable.

[StrikerObi]

Hey guys, sorry for the feed errors. I'll get them taken care of this evening when I'm back home.

[Kytim89]

The next time the Newscast discuss the N64 they need to discuss Rare. The N64 era was when Rare really shined because their games helped define Nintendo's console during a time when third parties had left in full. They did have a few low points, but overall Rare helped give the N64 a sense of identity. The N64 era is also when Rare peaked in terms of development quality. Since that time it has been a downward spiral for the company to present day.

[StrikerObi]

Your long national nightmare is over. I've fixed the RSS feeds (both AAC and MP3). Sorry about that again!

[NWR_Neal]

The next time the Newscast discuss the N64 they need to discuss Rare. The N64 era was when Rare really shined because their games helped define Nintendo's console during a time when third parties had left in full. They did have a few low points, but overall Rare helped give the N64 a sense of identity. The N64 era is also when Rare peaked in terms of development quality. Since that time it has been a downward spiral for the company to present day.

Anticipation says you're wrong.

But seriously, Rare was very prolific in the NES days. They just had a higher profile in the N64 days since they worked more directly with Nintendo.

And I would argue that NINTENDO gave the N64 a sense of identity. Take away Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, etc. Then take away Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, and DK64. GoldenEye, in my eyes (lolgetit?), is the only Rare game that helped define the system. The other games they made just kind of iterated on previously released games to varying degrees of quality. Not that they're all bad, but I don't think it gave the N64 its identity.

[Kytim89]

The next time the Newscast discuss the N64 they need to discuss Rare. The N64 era was when Rare really shined because their games helped define Nintendo's console during a time when third parties had left in full. They did have a few low points, but overall Rare helped give the N64 a sense of identity. The N64 era is also when Rare peaked in terms of development quality. Since that time it has been a downward spiral for the company to present day.

Anticipation says you're wrong.

But seriously, Rare was very prolific in the NES days. They just had a higher profile in the N64 days since they worked more directly with Nintendo.

And I would argue that NINTENDO gave the N64 a sense of identity. Take away Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, etc. Then take away Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, and DK64. GoldenEye, in my eyes (lolgetit?), is the only Rare game that helped define the system. The other games they made just kind of iterated on previously released games to varying degrees of quality. Not that they're all bad, but I don't think it gave the N64 its identity.

Rare helped contribute to the N64's identity is what I meant to say. However, can you honestly tell me that there is any other developer other than Nintendo thate developed many games for N64. There were other developers that made games for the N64, but it just seems that Rare and Nintendo worked hand-in-hand to define the games on the system and that is why Rare deserves their credit.
 
Rare was a good developed for the SNES, but they peaked at the N64. There was a serious drop off in the quality of their games during the Gamecube era and then when they were bought out by Microsoft. Since that time (in my eyes atleast) Rarehas become a shell of their former selves.

[NWR_Neal]

I said NES, not SNES.

When you reword it like that, I don't disagree as much. Rare was a big part of the N64, but they weren't the be-all and end-all of the system. That was Nintendo. They made the classics. Rare just piggybacked off of them (except GoldenEye).

[KisakiProject]

Actually I got Steel Diver, Pilot Wings & .....Bust - A - Move Universe.  A few months later I got BlazBlue cause I love that series.

I let myself get caught up in the hype.  I even took photos of my un-boxing it....

[oksoda]

Oh wow, yeah I can see being disappointed with that selection, Kisaki. I only got Ghost Recon and then Ocarina when it was released, so I don't feel like I overspent at launch or anything like that. Maybe you should make a new photo set of you flipping of your expensive 3DS and launch software?

[King of Twitch]

This was a good episode, captured the 64 era very well. I second the Mario 64 and Podracer love, they hold up better than most games from that time and are still fun.

[Sundoulos]

You guys should definitely have one of these when Andy and Neal can contribute.  One of the best things about the N64 was the plethora of wrestling games with multiplayer.  Can't tell you how many times my friends/roommates and I pulled all nighters playing WCW vs. NWO...when we weren't pulling all-nighters playing Goldeneye.  I'm sure my GPA suffered.

[NWR_DrewMG]

You're not joking about the WWF/WCW titles. These were some of the best multiplayer around, and for the first time in the HISTORY of wrestling video games, the graphics and animation were so high quality that you didn't really even have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate these games.


I remember highly anticipating the release of WWF Warzone in 1998, since I was more of a WWF fan and all of the wrestling games to that point had been WCW flavor. I didn't have an N64 yet, but my roommate did (I eventually just bought it off him) and we were both big WWF fans at that point, so we couldn't WAIT for Warzone.


The game didn't actually turn out that well, but we were blind to that.  We played the crap out of it.


I really wish one of these games would find a way to revive itself, either on the VC or as a WiiWare/eShop title with NEW licensing (really the ONLY way it could ever happen).

[Soren]

This podcast brought back some good memories, I had to dig up my crate of N64 stuff.
-Crappy third-party controller? Check (clear neon green to boot!)
-Wasted many hours on Shadows of the Empire, Diddy Kong Racing and WCW/NWO World Tour
-Still have a fairly good collection: Mario Kart, OoT, Majora's gold cartridge, Goldeneye and World is Not Enough. DK64.

Good time...good times.

[Sundoulos]

My first N64 was stolen in college when my roommates and I were away for a weekend.  When I saved up enough to buy a replacement, I ended up getting a 3rd party version of the RAM Expansion  Pack.  It didn't work very well with Perfect Dark; it froze up frequently, especially on the Chicago level. 

I remember highly anticipating the release of WWF Warzone in 1998, since I was more of a WWF fan and all of the wrestling games to that point had been WCW flavor. I didn't have an N64 yet, but my roommate did (I eventually just bought it off him) and we were both big WWF fans at that point, so we couldn't WAIT for Warzone.


The game didn't actually turn out that well, but we were blind to that.  We played the crap out of it.


I really wish one of these games would find a way to revive itself, either on the VC or as a WiiWare/eShop title with NEW licensing (really the ONLY way it could ever happen).

We rented Warzone once or twice.  While we preferred gameplay the WCW games, and had a LOT of fun with the character creator.   It was pretty extensive for the time, and given the news stories that were prevalent at the time, we made some funny wrestlers out of several prominent political figures.  No more needs to be said.   

Sigh...nothing is better than beating the crap out of your friends with a metal folding chair. 

[TJ Spyke]

I remember Warzone, didn't it have this weird storyline mode where you moved up like a pyramid or something? It was a alright game, though the WCW version are better.

It's unlikely Warzone will ever be on digital form legally. Besides THQ having to reach a deal with Throwback Entertainment (who bought the rights to the game in the Acclaim bankruptcy auction), WWE would also have to have them go in and change the "WWF" references and alter the scratch logo to avoid a lawsuit from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It just may not be cost effective.

Anyways, I loved the N64 WCW games, more than I did any of the wrestling games from the PS2/GCN/XBC/DC era (god, it was beyond frustrating trying to win a ladder match in WWE WrestleMania 21).

[oksoda]

The WCW games were SO much better. The only thing I remember liking about Warzone was the character creation. Though, didn't Warzone also try to have the intro movies and music for each wrestler? Even though that basically amounted to animated .gifs for the N64 version in contrast to the FMV of the PS1 version, I still remember that attention to detail winning a lot of points for the game.

Though, WCW/nWo Revenge did give us THIS incredible intro: http://youtu.be/OxcigoGshcA . Seriously, what kid wrestling fanatic didn't blow his or her load upon seeing this gem for the first time? **** all if it doesn't make me want to dig around my house right now and find the cartridge.