Star Wars Episode I: Racer
I had nearly forgotten about this game if not for a recent re-release of the PC version a couple of months ago.
Keep how you feel about Episode 1 to yourself: this game is not only a great racing game, it’s also a great Star Wars game! Taking advantage of the N64’s RAM pack to expand graphics memory, Episode 1 Racer is a gorgeous game on a platform that otherwise looked blocky and choppy at times. Yes, it can still be a bit of a strain on the eyes, but the nearly 700mph arcade-style racing action makes it feel right.
Admittedly the Dreamcast version looks even better, but this was one of the few N64 titles I actually owned back in the day. That’s because I found it in a bargain bin somewhere and took a chance on the game. If I recall correctly, it was priced at $7 or $8!
And it was well worth the money spent! I played this game for hours as a teenager, trying to master each track. Admittedly, as I do with most racing and fighting games, I don’t replay these to completion: just enough to get the feel for the game and beat one of the competitions. (They get progressively harder… crazy hard actually.)
As for replay value, there’s a lot here. There is a slew of podracers (many of which were barely seen in the movie) that you can play with, each with different style pods. A large assortment of tracks, vehicle upgrades, and some cool cutscenes along with voice acting make the game feel complete and polished.
If you’re a Star Wars and/or arcade racing fan, I highly recommend giving this a go. It’s a fun game that still hasn’t lost its appeal nearly 20 years following its release.
GoldenEye 007
This was the game to have back when I was in high school! Between this and Perfect Dark, it was the sole reason to buy an N64 when PlayStation was starting to dominate the landscape. (And the Sega Genesis already trolled Nintendo as a “kiddie” system.)
There was a lot to question when this game came out. Rare is making a first-person shooter published by Nintendo? And with a movie license? (Back when licensed games were dumpster fires!)
This game really broke down some barriers and introduced all of us to why the N64 had four controller ports built in! Many nights were spent on the missions or packed in a room with friends playing four player split-screen games.
Whoever got the golden gun first, look out!
The boards are all memorable. The unlockable items were as well. This was just so great of a game that it’s definitely one of my favorites of all time.
Notes for my emulation enthusiasts
This ran better on my PC than a second-gen Fire Stick, so beware. N64 games tend to choke on certain hardware. I actually played this through with some lag (major lag in certain spots with explosions or large open areas) but then ended up starting it over on the PC.
I just can’t put this game down!