Today we’re back with a look at three more of our favorite Nintendo 64 games.

First, Nick Rumas presents his opinions on 1080° Snowboarding. After that, I frame my thoughts on Pokemon Snap. Finally, Gongonzabar weighs in with his impressions on the original Super Smash Bros.

Continue past the cut for more.

Previous Articles in this Feature

By: N.Rumas
Upon its release, 1080 Snowboarding was truly a breath of fresh air in the N64 line-up. The spiritual brethren of WaveRace 64, it proved to be a cool, stylish racer that appealed to the hardcore PS-crazed mainstream, all the while retaining that unmistakable Nintendo charm and polish.

To this day, 1080 is the only snowboarding game that can really hold my attention. SSX, Amped and all the others bore me in no time flat, but 1080 has something that keeps me coming back for more. To begin with, the core gameplay is an absolute blast. It’s simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, but perfecting one’s game requires mad amounts of practice and concentration. Beyond the way things play, though, it’s the title’s feeling, atmosphere and style that really set it apart from the competition.

My brother and I were raised on downhill sports, and what we both immediately loved about 1080 was how the entire experience, from the air in the lodge to the evening sun on the mountain, felt like actually being there. The key to this was that the game didn’t go to any cheesy, pretentious lengths to try and force atmosphere on us or rope in the trendy X-Games crowd; it simply was what it was, and that was cool. None of the characters were over-the-top like the annoying SSX lot, the music was generic but fitting, and it used its two licenses, Tommy Hilfiger and Lamar Snowboards, subtley and and tastefully. In short, 1080 Snowboarding was the game that showed the industry once and for all how to handle ‘extreme’ sports titles with class.

Unfortunately, the game’s GC sequel didn’t quite live up to the hype. If you want my opinion, it all started to go wrong with the decision to feature forgettable licensed music, but whatever. Let’s hope Nintendo can round up Giles Goddard and Colin Reed, two of the original’s masterminds, to bring us a Wii iteration of the franchise that gets everything right and takes us back to the mountain all over again. Until that time, we’ll have the original 1080 on Wii’s Virtual Console to keep us happy.

Then - 4/5
An exhilirating experience with awesome atmosphere. One of N64’s best games.
Now - 4/5
As with all N64 games, the graphics have aged, but it’s just as fun as it ever was.

By: Greg
Pokemon is one of those franchises where the quality of the game has no actual effect on sales; Nintendo will make money no matter what. This means that while the main games in the series are usually very good, many of the spin-offs are hit or miss. The Pokemon games on the Nintendo 64 were no exception. I thought that the Stadium titles were a “miss.” Who wants to play these basic turn-based battles ad nauseam?

Another one of these spin-offs was definitely a hit. Pokemon Snap was one of the best experiences that the N64 had to offer. Who would have thought that a photography game could bring anyone to the point of obsession? More importantly, who would have thought that about a Pokemon photography game?

However, Pokemon Snap not only did this, it ended up being one of the best experiences on the N64. In this HAL developed spin-off, you play as Pokemon photographer extraordinaire, Todd Snap. Professor Oak sends Todd to study the Pokemon in their native habitat on an island. Over the course of seven levels, you will explore the island and try to photograph all of the hidden Pokemon.

The gameplay closely resembles the popular rail shooter arcade games. You are riding in an autonomous vehicle that guides you through the level on tracks. However, there are multiple paths through each level and hidden areas to unlock. By completing certain goals, Professor Oak will give you new items like food or a gas ball. These items will let you find new Pokemon or get uncooperative ones to pose for you.

Your photographs receive a score based on five factors: special (if it is performing an action), size (not too small or out of focus), pose, technique (photography skill), and other pokemon (if other types are in the same frame). To unlock the additional items, you must reach certain scores. There is also a hidden representation of a Pokemon in each level. Getting a picture of all of these will unlock the seventh level, Rainbow Cloud, where you can photograph Mew.

By giving you these new items and by limiting you to sixty shots per level, this game gains massive replay value. Even without these, it is a blast to play through each level and try to get the best photographs that you can. The game is fairly short, only containing seven levels and sixty-three of the original Pokemon. However, the immense replay value will keep you coming back for more.

Pokemon Snap has immensely high production values. The graphics throughout are fairly good. They don’t look quite as nice anymore, but the art direction does give it an edge of the more realistic games. The music is excellent throughout, a great soundtrack for taking pictures to. The sound effects are also fairly good, even including voice acting for all of the Pokemon lifted from the anime series.

Pokemon Snap will always be remembered for trying several new ideas and succeeding admirably. Since then, several games have included photography as a bonus feature or as the main point of the game. This game still holds up very well today. Each new play through still feels like a breath of fresh air. The Wii is practically begging for a Snap sequel. Is anybody from HAL listening?

Then - 4/5
A breath of fresh air for gaming. Defied all expecations.
Now - 4/5
Still just as fun. Nothing quite like it has been done since.

By: Gongonzabar Farbin
When I think of the Nintendo 64 in all its glory, the first game that comes to mind is Super Smash Brothers. With the multitudes of other fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter coming out, Super Smash Brothers managed to revamp people’s thoughts of what a fighting game could be. Now, instead of all these crazy button combos, all the moves you needed to do can be executed in less than a second. The game really set out to redefine gravity as well. The first time you ever saw anybody fly off of the screen was a moment of sheer joy. This game set a new way to play fighting games that would change the way we play games years into the future.

What made the game even greater was the memorable cast of characters. You had a pick from all the classic characters of decades past to the new ones like Pikachu. Now you could pit Mario vs. Luigi or Samus vs. Link. And each one was unique; I mean, everybody had “their” character, I know I did. Each one of the main characters also had their own huge and extremely detailed level. Each different level gave the player a unique stage filled with different traps and different obstacles. The amount of graphical detail put into each one these levels really made them unique from one another. Going through each level was like taking a tour of the Nintendo universe.

Simply put, this game made multiplayer fun. The game mechanics were great when you were playing by yourself, but when you have three of your friends there at your side, the game transformed itself into a crazy smack-talk session of intense competition. At this level, the outcome of the game was really decided on mostly skill. Each one of the characters had a unique playstyle that was easy to pick up but difficult to master. Sure you could mash buttons and do reasonably well but to truly master the game would take time and effort. The amount of skill you could obtain turned Super Smash Brothers into a premier tournament game. No longer are you confined to being the best of your own group of friends. Local tournaments sought to find the best of the best. And the champions would always be toppled by someone better than them. The amazing competition this game bought to the board was truly revolutionary!

The very fact that you could go pick this game up and enjoy it as much as you did in 1999 makes it a classic game. The fact that a newcomer could pick this game up and have the same fun with it, regardless of graphics, makes this game timeless. The gameplay mechanics manage to greatly entertain while never feeling like they have aged any throughout the years. This is truly a game to represent the Nintendo 64.

Then - 5/5
This game was just a breath of fresh air for everybody in gaming. This game was both graphically and audibly excellent. With this, the game had revolutionary gameplay and the best cast of characters around.

Now - 5/5
This game is as playable as it was seven years ago. Though the graphics aren’t as great as its successor Super Smash Brothers Melee, you don’t need much to enjoy seeing your opponent fly off of the Great Fox.

Agree? Disagree? We want to know. Give us your thoughts on these three games below!