N64 Time - Duke Nukem 64

[noobish hat]

Ok, so I've been playing some Mario 64. Jesus, does the camera take some getting used to. I think I'm getting used to it though, and enjoying the game. I've just been getting stars on the Bob-omb stage so far, which is a stage I'd played before. Riding koopa shells sure is enjoyable. Also, Mario just fell asleep and started mumbling 'ahh, spaghetti... ravioli...' hahahaaaaaaaa racism is FUN.

[Mayhem]

Nice work there on the N64 mags... I got all of them at the time as I had an N64 and it was the perfectly carry on from Superplay. Not sure if they've all been scanned a la Mort for a collection yet...

[noobish hat]

As far as I'm aware, nobody has scanned them yet. You can get dvds of all of Superplay on ebay and whatnot, but I prefer the real deal. Superplay will be my next project, so I'm looking to start collecting the mags now.

[egparadigm]

Excellent! I myself am doing an N64 binge right now. Completed Jet Force Gemini t'other day and now I'm onto Blast Dozer. Need to finish off Perfect Dark, but the Rare FPS games scare the **** out of me – the adrenaline rush and panicked, trembling fingers!

I've got my eye on Turok 2, Space Station Silicone Valley, DK64 and a few others next.

I actually really sympathise with your plan. I plan on 'living in retro' as soon as this generation ends, and I will only be able to play consoles when they are out of date. I just wish I really could go back to the late 90s and relive the N64 when it was current. Not sure I could cope with the time-based constraints, though!

[noobish hat]

Ah, I just read in the mag that Blast Dozer came out in Japan first, for some bizarre reason. Luckily, I have the Jap version, not the PAL version, so hahahaha! Space Station Silicon Valley is an early game isn't it? I just read a preview of it, and am looking forward to it. Don't tempt me with those later games though - Rare haven't even announced Donkey Kong 64 yet!

[Tetsuo]

Love that noobish hat Fantastic magazine of course, especially the earlier issues. I've been playing my N64 for the past year or so, working my way through various games. At the moment I'm playing Ganbare Nippon! Olympics 2000, and next will be Snowbow Kids.

Oh and noob, the trick with the camera on Mario 64 is to just not touch it. 95% of the time you shouldn't need to, the game's directed so well it usually automatically swings around to try and give the player the best view, with a handful of exceptions. Perhaps only Ocarina of Time managed to do this as well as SM64 did.

3rd-person cameras in most games these days just give you full control as opposed to directing the game, presumably because it's more work to implement the latter. So it might just be a case of having to get back into that pre-2000 mind-set and concentrate on controlling Mario instead

[noobish hat]

Yeah, the camera is great on the predetermined routes, like when you are scaling the mountain, along the 'obstacle course' type bits, but in the more open areas it becomes difficult. I think Ocarina improved the camera even further.

[Grapple Convoy]

Nice work there on the N64 mags... I got all of them at the time as I had an N64 and it was the perfectly carry on from Superplay. Not sure if they've all been scanned a la Mort for a collection yet...

I hope the issues will be scanned eventually. I assume that they haven't (seemingly) been scanned already as the magazine doesn't have the legendary status of Super Play. Not sure if the magazine feels that much like a direct continuity of SP, mind. It seemed more influenced by Amiga Power and other quirky non-console magazines of its ilk.

[noobish hat]

Oh man, I've only played two courses so far, but I could fall in love with this game. I don't even know why. Maybe I have the colours too bright on my tv.

[TheNewMonkey]

Good idea mate, N64 Mag is quality i used to look forward to buying it each month, still got my full collection & read through them all about 2 year ago, definately a good read.

Just wait untill you get onto Goldeneye, there used to be at least 10 new tricks/cheats/glitchs sent into the mag each month, i used to love trying them all out

[Miguel007]

Good idea mate, N64 Mag is quality i used to look forward to buying it each month, still got my full collection & read through them all about 2 year ago, definately a good read.

Just wait untill you get onto Goldeneye, there used to be at least 10 new tricks/cheats/glitchs sent into the mag each month, i used to love trying them all out

and the letters section was awesome, I remember playing Goldeneye multiplayer with 4 TV's and covering the screen with paper and turning off radar as described in the Mag, reading about how to unlock The Cradle and other levels in multiplayer, great times!

I'm The Best sections and The Challenges books to get more out of your games were inspired.

I still look forward to getting NGamer today, SuperPlay, N64, NGC, NGamer great mags.

[noobish hat]

Been playing Mario 64 exclusively so far. Got 30 odd stars, and enjoying it immensely. Spend my time at work looking forward to getting home and having a go on it, which hasn't happened in a long time; reminds me of being at school. Shadows of the Empire turned up today too, so I shall be staring that tonight I also got Banjo Kazooie to put in the stockpile for later.

[egparadigm]

I've been playing Turok, which from the directory was an issue 1 review. No love for Native Americans, Mr hat?

[noobish hat]

I'm bidding on a copy that ends in 2 days. I would have had it earlier but I missed the end of another auction I do already have Jap copies of Pilotwings and Wave Race which I will be playing soon, but I'm working stupid hours at work, so the first N64 month may end up taking an actual month...

[Wil]

Is N64 the mag that had an exclusive bagged review of Ocarina. Only to review once you'd paid for it that the score would be next month? I never bought it again after that. The most cheapest trick ever.

It was never billed as exclusive and I remember fighting against the review status on the cover. I (along with other jornos from Future and EMAP and other countries) went over to Germany for a few days to play a finished version in some 'living' museum with NOE. Everyone else played it a bit and took a disc with a few screenshots on it. I played until they had to prise me off the machine, made pages of notes and took over 300 screenshots. It pretty much was a review of the game but as we hadn't finished it and felt it wasn't right to actually score the game, we had a proper 'all the team' review with a score the next issue but I defy anyone to find a UK mag that had as much Ocarnia stuff as we did in that Xmas issue and couldn't work out just how great it was without a number at the end. There was no cheap trick about it and there's a boxout on the first spread that explains just why there isn't a score.

Sorry but I begrudge it being insinuated that we tried to fool readers for sales. The only time I've ever really disagreed with how stuff was done on N64 was with Turok 2. I was the designer on the mag but I bust a gut each month trying to make sure the content was great, too.

Apologies for the rant.