Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire
OTHER PAGES
CHEATS, CODES, HINTS AND STRATEGY
LINKS (soon)
Eventually, this section
will have game reviews (written by Brian), game information, cheat codes, links etc. Right
now, this page is in it's "very" early stages so check back regularly.
Superb graphics and other novelty features such as the paint shop where you can completely customise the look of your car add interest to this car racing game. The real reason this is still one of my favourite games is how hard the cars are to drive but how rewarding once you get the knack. The way the cars, particularly the faster ones (which you must progress up to) react to driver input is amazing. You can do completely controllable rally flicks around bends in perfect power slides if you get it right. If you get it wrong your car gets beat up, you slow down and the opposition gets past you...brilliant.
On the down side as with many N64 driving games, the number of
tracks is very stingy, i.e. five plus five mirror tracks and one bonus track. This game
really rewards subtle skill unlike say Extreme G which is fast and furious and little
else.
MY OPINION "An N64 classic!"
Brian McCorry - "Juggernaut" (the 36
year old teenager!)
Four or five months ago I played Grand Turismo on a friend's
Playstation...I was impressed. I went out and bought the N64 game, GT Championship
Edition...I was depressed. Luckily, I returned it and picked up F-1 World Grand Prix and
$20.00AUS cashback. This game blows me away. The depth of the game is awesome. The
graphics are amazing as is the playability. It's not easy, you really have to drive.
There is plenty of variation in five different game modes. When you are ready you contest the championship...all seventeen tracks and twenty one other cars. You have practise days where you can adjust everything from fuel load, downforce, gear ratios, tyres and more. Then, when you think you've got everything together you go to the qualifying day. There's even telemetry readouts that show you the effects of your adjustments.
The racing is fast and furious. You don't spend much time without dueling with another car which makes it really exciting. I love the verbal instructions you hear as you race, i.e. Schumacher is right behind you, Frentzen is only two seconds ahead, You have broken your front suspension
If you have ever watched Formula 1 on TV you can appreciate how realistic everything in this game is. It's a blast to race through the streets of Monaco (extremely difficult) or through the forests of the German Grand Prix. This is a game that fully uses the power of the N64. If you want to nit-pick you can sometimes see fluctuations in frame rates, but it's a small price to pay for the visual, tactual and oral qualities the game provides.
MY OPINION "A must if you want to race on the N64"
Brian McCorry - "Juggernaut" (the 36
year old teenager!)
TUROK: DINOSAUR HUNTER - REVIEW
When
I first bought my N64 Console the first game I bought was Mario 64. Mario 64 is a great
game that really showed off the N64's abilities i.e. 3-D gameplay. I must admit, though
challenging and stimulating, it is designed for young players. Turok provides much the
same challenges but in a much more grown up environment. I must admit to not having played
many shoot-'em-up type games and soon realised I had been missing out.
For many months I was totally absorbed in this game and even
though it has numerous save points you really need to spend decent amounts of time to
really get into the game and make progress (luckily I was on Long Service Leave and had
heaps of extra time!)
I really appreciated that there is so much more to the game than blasting everything in sight (I find I quickly tire of frenetic games like Lylat Wars where you just seem to be shooting all the time.) This does happen at times in the game but in between there are plenty of problem solving situations and skill stages i.e. jumping from pillar to pillar.
I used to turn off all the lights, turn up the volume and let the sights and sounds of the game set up a real atmosphere of tension. Many a time I would literally jump out of my seat, especially in the creepy tunnel sections.
The game progresses nicely, building up difficulty levels and the amount of destruction you can deliver as you discover more and more advanced weapons. Other features of the game such as course maps, weapons inventory etc. soon become second nature and allow you to adapt to the various elements of the game.
I must confess I initially found the game very frustrating as I would lose lives and run out of ammunition all the time. Luckily my wife Lynn, found a whole load of Cheat Codes for Turok. I didn't use them all (honestly :-) but did use infinite lives and infinite ammunition. This made the game more enjoyable as I didn't have to start over again every fifteen minutes.
Anyway, it has been many months now since I have played Turok. As usual I have bought other games such as Snowboarding 1080 and F-1 World Grand Prix but I will go back to it, as I am half way through the final level (which is really, really difficult) and want to have the satisfaction of completing the entire game. The whole object of the game is to find keys on each level which in turn allow you to progress to higher levels. You get a real sense of satisfaction seeing your inventory of keys build up and you can't wait to meet the challenges you will find in the next level. All in all, if you have plenty of time to play it, this game provides plenty of thrills and challenges. I have read reviews of the upcoming Turok 2 and will be one of the first in line to buy it when it's released in Australia. I actually bought Turok second hand for $25.00AUS but it would have been great value for money even at the new, retail price and has given me something besides racing type games to look forward to.
MY OPINION "The best way to be a super hero in your own
lounge room and makes you a legend in your own mind!"
Brian McCorry - "Juggernaut" (the 36
year old teenager!)
If you have found this page through a search engine click below to open up the frames that will let you navigate the other pages in this section as well as the whole site. (Note, a new browser window will open up) No Rulz
Top Gear Rally
"An N64
Classic"
F-1 World Grand Prix
"A must if you
want to race on the N64"
Turok
"The best way
to be a super hero in your own lounge room and makes you a legend in your own mind"