Thoughts on the N64 Star Wars games?
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Thoughts on the N64 Star Wars games?
Thoughts on the N64 Star Wars games?
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I only had Episode 1 Racer back then. It was alright I guess.
IT'S A NEW LAP RECORD
Rogue Squadron is the best of the bunch, if you like these types of games then it's a must play.
Battle for Naboo is great, but not as good as RS.
Episode 1 Racer is good, but f-zero/wipeout are better
Shadows of the empire is just OK
>Rogue Squadron is the best of the bunch
Agreed. It’s well made and challenging. Some of the missions are better than either sequel. Also nice that they included EU content
>Battle for Naboo is great
Disagree, it’s pretty lackluster and forgettable. One of the first SW games I’d consider a big fail
>Episode 1 Racer
One of the top racing games on n64.
>Shadows of the empire is just OK
It can be very arcade-y and frustrating with the controls. A few levels are shit. But to me it’s more than just ok. It was a bfd when it came out: the piloting mechanics were great, and the battle of Hoth level was amazing compared to what existed before (Rebel Assault’s shitty rails shooter Hoth level). Echo Base, Ore Mantell, Gall Spaceport, and the Skyhook battle are all classics. It was the game we played the most besides SM64 when the console was new.
Squadron is the best of the bunch
Great game but better on PC
I miss the Rogue Squadron series.
>I miss the rogue squadron series
A big part of its appeal was Factor5, they really understood how to bring the piloting mechanics/feel to life without it being too complex like in the X-Wing pc games. Though RS3 feels like a letdown. Rogue Leader is still the best after almost 23 years.
It had a massive impact on Star Wars games. First prototype of the balance I mentioned above between the complexity of something like x-wing and the janky fmv rails stuff from Rebel Assault. First SW fps as well, I remember reading how they studied the controls and camera action in SotE for the later, critically successful fps’s like df2. Not sure I’d contend it had a huge impact on games overall, though, besides being a really good example of early 3D gaming.
Do you know about Rogue Squadron Wii? A remake of 30 levels from 1/2/3 all combined into one story. Made by Factor 5 with the genius devs that made the GC look a gen ahead of its time.
It was 100% finished and shelved because EA got the Star Wars license.
One day... One day it will leak.
>Rogue Squadron Wii
I know what I'm asking Santa for Christmas this year
>Made by Factor 5 with the genius devs that made the GC look a gen ahead of its time.
Lol cmon son, be real.
https://lostmediawiki.com/Star_Wars_Rogue_Leaders:_Rogue_Squadron_Wii_(lost_build_of_unreleased_Wii_compilation_of_arcade-style_action_games;_2009)
I've heard good things about Episode I Racer... That's about it
the N64 version is not good even though I loved it as a kid
30fps, low resolution and the shitty boost mechanic make it a sour experience compared to the PC version (which I bbought a year later or so)
I never looked back
>the N64 version is not good even though I loved it as a kid
>30fps, low resolution and the shitty boost mechanic make it a sour experience compared to the PC version (which I bbought a year later or so)
>I never looked back
I'm not going to debate that the PC version is better. The N64 game targeted 30fps, but there were times when it would be lower than that. The game also had 4MB RAM cartridge support and could display at a 480i resolution. I feel like the N64 game is still one of the better games on the console, and it was pushing the hardware pretty hard with different enemy AI types and lots of ships on screen. The piloting scenes in Shadow of the Empire, where what people seemed to like the most. So Rogue Squadron is an expanded version of those types of stages. Like the snow speeder stage. But I did like the run and gun adventure 3D sections of Shadow too. The 3D sections were a little rouge, but you did get the hang of them. Shadows of the Empire was also a early N64 launch window game. But it was still one of the most impressive looking N64 games released in 1996.
people only played battle of naboo cause of Episode 1 and even then you could use the naboo starfighter in rogue squadron anyway. Shadows and Rogue squadron are canon to the main story in my mind
>people only played Star Wars game because star wars
Brilliant observation anon
Some Star Wars are so good they reached a playerbase beyond the average Star Wars fan, like Dark Forces and the Jedi Knight series or Ep1 Racer.
Shadows of the Empire was an early release. If you had an N64 in 1996 what were you going to play when you got bored of Mario? Pilotwings? Sote was good for the time.
>Shadows of the Empire was an early release. If you had an N64 in 1996 what were you going to play when you got bored of Mario? Pilotwings? Sote was good for the time.
I think SotE was a launch game for most EU regions and the UK. But for the NA market, it was:
- Mario 64 (September 29th '96 launch game)
- Pilotwings 64 (September 29th '96 launch game)
- Wave Race 64 ( early November )
- KI Gold (Late November)
- Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey (late November)
- MK Trilogy (late November)
- Crusin' USA (Early December)
- Shadow of the Empire (same day as Crusin' USA)
The N-64 launch line-up for NA was pretty empty, with 2-3 games being released per month. Having a 3D Star Wars adventure game was a nice addition. The vehicular/ snow speeder stages were generally the sections of the game getting the most praise. With the 3D run and gun platformer sections being less well received. Outside of Die Hard Arcade, Shadow of the empire was one of the earliest 3D third-person run and gun platformers that I can think of for a home console. Tomb Raider was more of a 3rd person 3D adventure game. Shadows was a continuation of the Super Star Wars series for the SNES. Those games would mix mode 7-ish piloting sections with 2D action-adventure platforming sections. It is a shame that Shadows didn't have a direct follow up. Because I think Factor 5 could have made a better sequel. Rogue Squadron was great too.
Exactly. People forget what it was like before 3D games were the norm.
>Exactly. People forget what it was like before 3D games were the norm.
Shadows of the Empire is kind of weird, in that it really was one of the best looking home console games of 1996 on a technical level. I don't believe there was any equivalent to it on the PS1 or Sega Saturn. As far as just third person run and gun 3D adventure games, there really wasn't much like it. The game was an evolution of Super ESB and SRotJ in a way. It takes gameplay concepts present in those games and moves it into 3D, but focuses more on running and gunning. Nintendo even liked using the Hoth section as a tech demo, because it did look really good for an early N64 game. But the reviews from back in the day were always a bit mixed. Mostly positive. Most of the criticism was around the 3D run and gun sections. SotE was also a bundled holiday release in some regions. Episode 1 Racer was the another Star Wars bundle.
I liked the racer game
My friend owned episode 1 racer and I have the best memories with that. I owned shadows of the enpire and I just remembered running around the Hoth level not having fun. I preferred playing mission impossible for a game like that
Rogue Squadron was dope.
Pretty good. Don't think I ever played the Naboo game tho
SotE is just very nostalgic and still fairly fun to play through even with wome frustrating parts. Great OST and atmosphere that perfectly captures classic SW. I love this one.
Rogue Squadron was an impressive game that expanded on the Battle of hoth gameplay from SotE. Excellent.
Episode I Racer is a very great racing game, spent countless hours playing it.
Never played Naboo.
All in all, the 3 games I played were really good.
they're good games. we had the racer game, rogue squadron, and naboo. played racer and rogue squadron 1 the most.
i barely remember trying the naboo one, i think it was harder and/or not as interesting to me so i just didnt really play it beyond the first level.
never played shadows of the empire, but that game looks cool. it's one i want to play on emulation.
I recommend just playing the PC version for that one, the 64 one is a bit rough
SotE on PC?
I recommend the original N64 one because of thr sprite-based classic Lucasarts cutscenes, much better than the CGI movies on PC.
Gameplay-wise, didn't it have some glitches due to the game being originally developed for the N64 and, while Pc version has higher framerate, the devs didn't accomodate the game for that framerate. I remember Rogue Squadron on PC having a similar issue.
Racer on PC and DC also feel slower and is easier with a higher framerate.
I know, you will say "higher frerate is ALWAYS better!" But not really if the game was developed with a lower framerate in mind and new ports weren't optimized for it, which is the case here.
In Racer's case the best way to play the PC version is actually capping the framerate to 25 or 30fps.
I wish the re-release for Switch/PS4 actually fixed the issues that 60fps brings (iirc it only fixed the movement during the zero-g segments in the Oovo IV tracks).
You say that but the game reaches single digit frame rate and improvements through emulation speeds up the whole game
All in all, the game is pretty bad anyway, so play it how you want
>All in all, the game is pretty bad anyway,
And now you need to say what you think some good games are.
Well I recommend the Jedi knight games over shadows by a large margin
Everything is too dark on the N64 Episode 1 Racer
Found myself hitting walls on Malastare constantly because I couldn't see anything
Didn't have that problem on PC
Rogue Squadron is one pf the best games of the generation. Shadows I really loved at the time, it was pretty jank but 3D games were in their infancy so I think it’s forgiveable. I liked it so much that it got me into the whole Star Wars franchise. Episode 1 racer I also thought was great and 100%ed but maybe that was just being a young teen in the rush of there being new Star Wars movies. Never played battle for Naboo, always wanted to but could never get it working on an emulator
When I was a kid I got to play Shadows of the Empire while waiting in the lobby of an orthodontist. It was unlike anything I had ever played before. It blew my mind. It mad such an impact on me, that even though my family had a PS1, I saved up my allowance over the course of an entire year to buy a N64 and when I did, Shadows of the Empire was the first game I bought for it. I still have them both to this day.
To say that SOTE was simply "ok" does not properly convey how monumental of a game it was and just how massive of an impact it had on video games as a whole.
Yea me and my family were blown away by the hoth mission went it first came out
It's hard to imagine that the n64 used to have top of the line graphics at one point in time
> does not properly convey how monumental of a game it was and just how massive of an impact it had on video games as a whole.
I like SotE but this seems awfully hyperbolic unless you can elaborate
I think Rouge Squadron is the best of the group. This is the one I played the most, and this was a good mix between an arcad-y shooter and a sim. Episode One Racer, it is s game that I enjoyed back then, and it is a really interesting racer for the N64 that does do a good job trying to simulate a pod racer from the movie. But I haven't replayed it in a long time. I never actually played Battle for Naboo. Shadows is cool early N64 release. But it has some early 3D jankiness.
Above average, pod racer sends it into high tier. Nothing as good as dark forces or kotor. Id say they are right under the super Star wars games on SNES.
Rogue Squadron almost filtered me as 12 year old. Was my only Christmas present and I fricking sucked at the game. Took me a couple days to figure out that I needed to shoot ahead of the enemies instead of shooting right at them. After my moronic self figured that revelation out I had the time of my life.
Why Did Lucasfilm Overlook the Saturn as a potential platform for another console version of Shadows of the Empire, and the mid-1990s Arcade version? Yet, there were a couple of SW games on the Dreamcast.
Dead on arrival.
SotE was a practice run for the increase in Star Wars media that was coming with the theatrical re-releases of the OT and then the PT on the horizon. They coordinated all the typical tie in merch (book, comic, game, OST, toys, cards) but no film. They probably considered it enough to have a PC version and one console version.
Theres a playable beta of Saturn Star wars floating around somewhere. You drive a speeder bike around a pretty big level and kill storm trooper and I think turrets. Its on like a swampy, grassy area and then you get to the empire base. I’m not making this up but I only played it years ago for like 10 minutes.
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Looks like it could have been a fun game
Shadows of the Empire: It gets hated because some parts haven't aged as well but it was the first time we did many things in the star wars universe in 3D. Sure other games did it better at a later time but here you had it in 1996. A little bit of everything, space battles, FPS, third person platforming, missions, jetpacks, etc. I'll always love it.
Battle for Naboo: This game came out a bit too late in the N64s life and after the Ep1 hype had died down. But it's basically a sequel to Rogue Squadron set in the prequel era. Yeah that gave less diversity when compared to 3 movies worth of content but it was still a more refined Rogue Squadron.
Rogue Squadron: Even if I prefer the SOTE and Battle for Naboo over it, it's still a great game and completely understand why people would choose this one as the best N64 SWs game.
Episode 1 Racer: Not a fan of racing games and yet I loved this one, goes to show how good it is. It might be last on the list but I think its a great star wars game, just had tough competition.
The homer version of Episode 1 Racer is better than arcade because you can crash and become unalived, but is there any reason to play the N64 version instead of PC?
Dreamcast version is better than PC
even with current mods?
i love shadows of the empire. playing that hoth snowspeeder levelwas the coolest shit when this was new
Battle of Hoth and Skyhook are still kino in current year.
The asteroid level is also fun
Anyone beat Shadows in jedi difficulty? Getting all the hidden emblems?
I beat SotE a few weeks ago on my N64 and I loved the game, despite the janky controls (specially the jumping), some annoying enemy placement and Boba Fett & The Gladiator being hard as shit, the game is really fun, the blaster takes some time to get used to it but its fun to blast through stormtroopers and other enemies (i also liked playing it in first person view), the snowspeeder and the outrider levels are really fun too, the swoopbike is alright (though good luck getting all the challenge points) and as much as I heard the Sewer level being terrible, I had fun with it.
Best run of Star Wars games ever in my opinion. These are all solid gold classics, even the prequel trash.
This was an unbelievably comfy era. I had every single one of these and Nintendo was wise to work out a deal with lucasarts to get these exclusive on their system.
Star Wars vidya was one area where Sony could not compete.
I have so much nostalgia for these if I condensed it all into a grain of rice the Big Bang would happen all over again.
Honestly I do wish the n64 got dark forces, loved that game on ps1.
Would have been a perfect fit for the console (N64 controller was better for FPS back then) but I get why they didn’t put resources into it.
Nintendo wanted perspective correct 3D goodness to show off their system and a port wouldn’t be the way to do that.
The N64 couldn't have handled Dark Forces as is. Even on PSX it was laggy as hell (so was Duke Nukem Total Metldown).
They're software rendered that bet all on the CPU, which doesn't translate well to the N64.
They would have had to switch engine or at least rendering methods, not saying it's impossible because that's precisely what Duke Nukem 64 and Duke Nukem Zero Hour did (they're Build engine but with a new custom 3D renderer) but it's a lot of effort for a porting process.
I was thinking lucasarts would give it the Doom 64 treatment in this theoretical scenario.
And to add to that, by 1997 they had full 3D acceleration on DF2:JK so if they did a port it wouldn’t be too wild to assume they would wrap it in their updated engine.
maybe they will handle it to Eurocom since they did some really good ports of other games (cruis'n world, duke64, mortal kombat 4, etc..), maybe they'll use Duke64's engine to port Dark Forces into it.
Loved Episode 1 Racer, which I still have a copy of, and Shadows of the Empire.
Rogue Squadron I wasn't a fan of and Battle for Naboo I never played.
Might pull the trigger on buying Shadows of the Empire from a retro store now.