/vr/ - Retro Games

The 10 commandments of N64 Magazine

Planet 64:

Preview: Star Fox 64

Preview: The Legend of Zelda 64

Preview: Blast Corps

Nintendo 64 News Centre

Preview: Rev Limit

Preview: Multi Racing Championship

Preview: Top Gear Rally

Preview: FIFA 64

Preview: J-League Dynamite Soccer

Preview: Yoshi's Island 64

Preview: Creator

Preview: San Fransisco Rush

Preview: Go Go!! Troublemakers

Preview: Silicon Valley

Preview: Sonic Wings Assault

Preview: Wild Choppers

Preview: Blade And Barrel

Preview: Robotech: Crystal Dreams

Preview: Dark Rift

Preview: Dual Heroes

RPG News:

Preview: Mother 3

Preview: Crystal Stories

Preview: Mission: Impossible

Ultra Release List

N64 Arena (review section)

Review: Super Mario 64 (96/100, star game award)

>>9261372
britshart magazines had too much text

Review: Shadows of the Empire (78/100)

Review: Pilotwings 64 (89/100, star game award)

Review: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (91/100, star game award)

Import Arena:

Japanese import review: Mario Kart 64 (91/100, star game award)

American import review: Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey (70/100)

American import review: Killer Instinct Gold (62/100)

Japanese import review: J-League Perfect Striker (89/100, star game award)

American import review: Mortal Kombat Trilogy (34/100)

Japanese import review: The Glory of St Andrews (58/100)

American import review: Cruis'n USA (34/100)

Japanese import review: Mah Jong Master (69/100)

American import review: NBA Hangtime (52/100)

Japanese import review: Wonder Project J2 (55/100)

Japanese import review: Pro-Baseball King (68/100)

Tips Extra

The Nintendo Hotline

Club 64 (letters page)

Directory 64 (list of all reviewed games)

Lifting the Lid: Inside the Nintendo 64

>>9261375
>>9261379
>>9261382
Is it me or are these far higher in production quality than Nintendo Power?

>>9261413
Also, here's the cover VHS they reference so much in the issue:
https://archive.org/details/nintendo-64-magazine-n64-the-video-1997-future-publishing-vhsrip

>>9261394
>>9261395

Sick it's the original source of these Ocarina of Time beta screenshots

Interestingly, this issue contains reviews of every N64 game released anywhere in the world up to that point with three exceptions: Wave Race 64, FIFA 64 (both of which we're getting promises of reviews of in the next issue, so obviously skipped because they wanted to review the European versions) and curiously, Japanese launch title Saikyo Habu Shogi.
Maybe Wil didn't know how to play shogi?

>>9261735
He actually mentions the game here >>9261575
Odd about no review though.

>>9261375
>April 1997
25 years.. My heart..

>>9261429
What is "Crystal Stories" here?

I can't find info on it.

I am guessing it turned into Quest 64 since it's from IMAGINEER.

>>9261797
>Quest 64 was announced under the title “Crystal Stories” in June 1997. Screenshots of this early beta build feature a capeless, knight-like version of the final protagonist Brian. In August 1997, the game reached the second stage of development and was renamed “Holy Magic Century Eltale” (or simply “Eltale” in Japan). This version was meant to be released on a 96Mbit cartridge (the final game had 128Mbit of data) in December 1997.

>>9261429
>Wil Overton art
Hell yeah

>>9261379
>>9261442
Man I remember looking at these pages thinking the games looked as good as the renders.

>>9261632

>Not even a crossword puzzle

What a scam

I used to import this and 64 Magazine through a friend in the UK. Man, time flies...

>>9261410
>S-video
>For the best picture from you N64 choose this
>Scart
>Great for import N64 owners without S-video
I have questions.

Oi, are you postin' a magazine while th' Queen is DEAD? You're goin' to prison now you wanker!

>>9261382
>Wonder Project J2
Based /vr/ weeb knew his shit

>>9263372
Based Wil pretty much singlehandedly introduced Europe to nip entertainment.

>>9263253
Joke's on you, I'm not British. These mags were widely imported all over Europe.

>>9263729
No he didn't.

>>9261410
>the original intent of the expansion pak was for data from the 64DD to be loaded into it for instant access
Huh, did not know that. That's cool.

>>9263880
That's literally his art on that cover you turbo retard.

>>9261410
>The other two most popular gaming camps in Japan - the beat-'em-up and the racing game - could also do with some solid representation.

Well, at least one of these three genres would receive its representation. And then some.

>>9261810
I will never stop loving the phrase "Holy Magic Century"

>>9264014
That's what the game was called here, yo. Good title that, whoever decided it should be called "Quest 64" in burgerland was drunk.

Thanks for always dumping anon

>>9261572
>>9261564
This golf game absolutely butchered Mortal Kombat

>>9264063
Well deserved.

>>9264023

I could see people thinking that "Holy Magic Century" would be too fancy for American kids I guess. But "Quest 64" is NOT a good replacement, obviously. They should have just called it Eltale, or maybe something generic like Apprentice's Quest.

>>9261594

People are so optimistic!

>>9263902
I misinterpreted your statement as "Wil's review of Wonder Project J2 introduced Europe to Japanese media".

>>9261656
Nintendo Power was started and ran by a woman.

Thank you for posting this! Please do the next issue!!

>>9264859
There was little reason not to be, the launch titles were extremely strong and the SNES had very good third party support.

>>9262493
Scart cables can carry a composite signal. Doesn't mean there rgb.

>>9264883
Yeah, will do in a day or two.

I really liked the writing style in N64 / NGC, a lot more honest than the shilling that went on in Official Nintendo Magazine. Also please tell me I'm not the only person that remembers Enjiki

>>9265435
>Also please tell me I'm not the only person that remembers Enjiki

Of course you're not
>>9254926

>>9261372
Whenever I look up n64 games on youtube theres always this one autistic guy who brings mention to seeing the game in question for the first time in this magazine and then bringing up how some of the games they feature never made it to England

>>9265506
Yes, it was a soulful magazine that kept import gamers informed.

>>9261372
British mags up to that era were so much better than american mags it's not funny.
>>9261462
>too much information in this consumer information magazine
lmao

>>9265435
>a lot more honest than the shilling that went on in Official Nintendo Magazine
Oh yeah. Hell, they even straight out say they think the PSX version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy is better than the N64 one, which is NOT what most other magazines were saying, even multiplatform ones.

>>9261442
>>9261478
>>9261493
>>9261508
That's one pretty damn fucking amazing launch title lineup.

>>9265435
>a lot more honest than the shilling that went on in Official Nintendo Magazine

This was always what hooked me as a teen. N64/NGC had a strict no bullshit policy. They were willing to be skeptical about some of Nintendo's weirder decisions even if it was coated in a layer of curious optimism. I vaguely remember them criticizing the GCN launch lineup specifically with its lack of an actual Mario game.

I do think Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine got far too high scores in retrospect but I chalk that up to new entry excitement.

>>9267089

They were honest about Star Fox Adventures too despite being quite friendly with Rare over the years

One thing I have noticed going back is that they were partially responsible for the Miyamoto 'auteur' reputation and general deification of the man. Going through credits it's evident that he took on more of a supervisor/producer role past the N64 and a lot of peoples' brilliant decisions were misattributed to him. I get why though, Nintendo were a lot more enigmatic back then and Miyamoto was absolutely the 'face' of the company.

>>9267089
>>9267104

the NGC staff's reaction to the microsoft buyout was really interesting to read when I went through some scans a couple years ago. you could tell they were heartbroken even though SFA was an average, albeit pretty game. they got a ton of angry mail too

>>9266143
who wants to read pages of boring text written by snobby britsharts

>>9267116
Everyone but you, apparently; bong vidya magazines have had global distribution since the mid '80s. You've served your purpose, mutt. You may now kill yourself.

For some reason it was called X64 magazine in France. Got a couple of them.

>>9267089
I forgot what they gave them, but Wind Waker is probably my favorite Zelda game and absolutely deserves whatever high score it got. The only real criticism I have of it is that when you're exploring a new sector of the sea and find a new island, the chances of it just being a mostly empty rock with nothing to do is pretty high.

Mario Sunshine I never found more than average though.

Somehow, the actual best official nintendo magazine was latin america's Club Nintendo.
RIP Gus. He was a real one.

>>9268476
>Wind Waker
>absolutely deserves whatever high score it got

>>9261656
It's just you. These look like offbrand shit

>>9270761
Too wordy for you, spacka mutt? Looks that way:
>>9267116
>>9261462
Oh no. You're a fuckwit.

>>9270738
>HOW DARE SOMEONE HAVE AN OPINION CONTRARY TO MINE!
You're going to die alone, schizo.

I love going through these old mags and seeing the points in time when upcoming consoles were only known by their codenames (Ultra 64, Dolphin, Revolution)

>>9270897

it's crazy that the Dolphin was already a 'thing' only 3 years into the N64's life cycle. Then again technology was advancing rapidly back then