Looking at: Goldeneye and Perfect Dark

A Rare Treat

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Microsoft have recently teased that Rare Studios could be making a comeback in the new year. This is probably a good move for Microsoft, since the X1 has been selling like shit and they could use a win. What better way to do that then reviving a much beloved developer from our youth and having them take another crack at some of their old IP's? I'm skeptical, since reboots are always a gamble, but if the new Rare can muster some of the old Rare's magic, they might just have a chance.

Today I decided I was going to look back at my two favorite Rare games from their golden age, their N64 shooters. Rare created most of the best games on the N64, including the Banjo-Kazooie games (which I've unfortunately never played) Jet Force Gemini, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and of course Donkey Kong 64, but I've always loved their shooters the most.

Goldeneye 007

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Ignore Bond's elongated mouth.

Being born in the 90's meant that I grew up with Pierce Brosnan as my James Bond. Although his four movies are usually reviled as some of the worst, I still like them and how Brosnan portrayed Bond. He had this regal air of absolute cool, and never once wavered in the face of duty. Out of the four Brosnan movies, Goldeneye is probably best remembered, and that's not always because of the movie itself.

Goldeneye is the embodiment of what game development in the 90's was all about. reportedly, eight of the ten developers hadn't even worked on games before, and Rare's only previous experience was developing 2D side-scrollers for the SNES. Nintendo had landed the contract to make the tie-in game for Goldeneye and somehow the job went to Rare. Most of the game was just throwing things together to see if they worked, and when broken down it becomes apparent just how cobbled together the game really is.

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Sean Bean has never looked so good.

Levels have a tendency to be scatter-brained, with random useless rooms and doors thrown in at random. The AI is dumb as shit and has the aim of a stormtrooper, and there's significant slowdown when to much stuff is on screen. But Goldeneye is a game that only sort of works because of it's flaws. The random levels means there's more places to hide from enemies. The crappy AI means that the rudimentary stealth system does actually work. It's all scatterbrained, but there's an undeniable charm about the whole production, like a middle school play that's so funny because of how crappy it is.

Then there's the multiplayer. Goldeneye is probably solely responsible for the entire concept of a console FPS being successful. Years before COD was even an idea, Goldeneye was selling out based on it's multiplayer suit. People loved it, and for good reason. There were great, well designed maps, a slew of weapons, and enough modifiers to make sure that no two games were exactly alike. It's antiquated by today's standards, but most of modern multiplayer owes a lot to Goldeneye.

If nothing else, Goldeneye is a reminder that, when handled properly, you can make a great game out of a movie licence. It's still fairly enjoyable by today's standards, with multiple difficulty settings for each level and challenge modes too. Grab some friends, find a CRT TV, and get lost in the good ol' days.

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This never get's old. ever.

Perfect Dark

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Both words incredibly apt.

How fitting is it that "Perfect" is right there in the title of the game? Perfect Dark is just that, the perfect N64 game. Everything about it is great, and it stands out as one of the console's best games, impressive since this is the console that gave use Mario 64 and Zelda: Ocarina of Time among others.

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Image from the Xbox360 HD re-release. And my dreams.

From a gameplay standpoint, there's not a whole lot different between Perfect Dark and Goldeneye. Their both FPS games with rudimentary stealth, they both have expansive multiplayer suits, and they both prominently feature British people shooting guns. Where Perfect Dark set's itself apart is it's polish. This is a finely tuned game, refined to perfection and pushing the N64 to it's absolute limits.

Whereas Goldeneye was sort of cobbled together, Perfect Dark is a thoughtfully laid out and constructed game. The levels are seamless and have a flow to them that helps to push along the action. There's voice acting this time, and an actual story that moves you from level to level with actual purpose. Instead of just lowering your weapons off screen, each gun now has it's own unique reload animation, and most of them have multiple functions. Best of all it the ability to bring up an inventory menu, meaning you don't have to cycle through twenty items to get back to your assault rifle. It's so much better then Goldeneye in every way that playing Goldeneye after Perfect Dark proves difficult.

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Blocky as hell, but a blast to play.

Perfect Dark is a shining example of console games, an absolutely enjoyable and well made game that never ceased to impress. It may not have aged well but it still remains one of my favorite shooters, even today.

Rare Sighting

So that's my take on my two favorite Rare games. After the N64, Rare were bought by Microsoft and, like a trained bear, made to do some horrible things. Every year it seems less and less likely that Rare will ever make a comeback, and it begs the question: would it still be the same? Regardless, I hold out hope that one day we'll see games as good as Rare one made. Until then, I'll keep my N64 running, and my cartridges dust free.

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AGH! You get lost abomination!

Looking at: Donkey Kong 64

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True story: I stole my original copy of this game. Not from an actual store, but I borrowed it from a classmate and never gave it back. That kid was fucking crazy anyway, so I feel no remorse for my actions.

So Rare!

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Even the main menu is filled to the brim.

Donkey Kong 64 turns 15 today. Good lord, and I thought the tenth anniversary of MG3 and Half Life 2 made me feel old. DK64 was released at the tail end of the N64's life cycle, and represents what can happen when a developer pushes a piece of hardware to it's absolute limits.

They're name holds little weight nowadays, but there was a time that Rare software was the absolute kings of gaming. Everything they released was pure gold, and they're responsible for some of the best and most innovated games of their time. Classics like the genre redefining Goldeneye 64 and it's followup Perfect Dark, or the interesting and uniquely adult Conker's Bad Fur Day. These are all great, but Rare's best work was their series of platformers, the Banjo Kazooie Games and a followup to the SNES classic Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong 64.

It's unfortunate they've completely dissappeared, nothing more then a faded memory of a golden age long gone. Rare's legacy goes on, even if the company doesn't, and their games will be remembered for a long time as timeless classics.

So They're Finally Here...

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Clockwise: Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Donkey Kong, Chunky Kong, and Diddy Kong.

DK64 opens with an absolute bang. The original Donkey Kong Country started with an elderly gorilla player a victrola, violently interrupted by Donkey Kong chiming in with a cool jungle beat. DK64 opens with an instantly recognizable hardcore 90's rap that introduces the major players, their abilities, and their combat effectiveness. It's almost a tutorial to a certain degree, and it remains a catchy tune even today. I'm just going to post the video in it's entirety below, but don't blame me if it get's stuck in your head.

Even the main menu is an indication of the game. It's huge, and filled with options. This wasn't a simple upgrade from 2D platformer to 3D, this was a new game for a new age, and it wanted to make sure you knew that. 

DK64 is massive in every respect. It's one of only three N64 games to require the expansion pak. It pushes the N64 to it's absolute limits, with absolutely astounding things for the time. The lighting was top notch, casting dynamic shadows as you moved, and it's physics was ahead of the curve for the time. Character animations are great, and it's all the more surprising since there are five main characters, each with completely separate move sets. 

The world is probably the biggest part. Like many early 3D platformers, DK64 features an overworld that connects the self-contained levels. People that thought Mario 64's game world was big were blown away by DK64's scope. The overworld is massive and has a tonne of hidden secrets to find and plenty to explore. The levels are equally big, and one DK64 is easily the size of two or three Mario 64 levels. There's a lot of life in the levels two, with things happening all over the place and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. 

OHHHH...BANANA

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You'll need to visit Cranky's lab regularly for upgrades.

Like every Donkey Kong game, Bananas are the goal here. Once again the evil Lizard King K. Rool has stolen all of DK's bananas and it's up to you to get them back. Where DK64 deviates from every other Donkey Kong game is it's cast. This time around you have access to five different Kongs, each with different abilities. There's Donkey, of course, he's the most well rounded of the crew. There's Diddy, fast and agile and able to charge enemies and use a jetpack. Lanky Kong, who can strike from a distance using his extending arms and can walk up sloped surfaces. Chunky Kong who can dish out massive amounts of damage, lift heavy boulders, and grow to humongous sizes. And Tiny Kong who can float in the air, walk up walls, and shrink to fit in small places.

All of the characters get time to shine, and you'll need to learn to play as each Kong to get the best experience. Every level contains areas specific for each Kong, and switching between them is easy thanks to the barrels placed around. It can get frustrating finding yourself in an area with the wrong Kong, and there's quite a bit of back tracking, but exploration is encouraged, and the levels are well designed enough that this isn't a huge hassle.

What is a hassle is the game's upgrade system, that requires you to unlock upgrades for the Kongs individually. Often you won't be able to use a Kong's best abilities until you've hunted down enough of their specific coins to buy the upgrades. Even after acquiring the upgrades you'll still have to hunt down the specific item that the Kong requires to use the upgrade. It's probably the most frustrating part of the game, and can really grate on your nerves after a while.

Lovely Bunch of Coconuts

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Each of the characters has a special ability, like Diddy's jetpack.

The other major problem with DK64 is that it's perhaps too open. There's vary little in the way of direction, and you're often left wondering where to go. There's no real plot to DK64, rather just one long, drawn out fetch quest. It's a fun fetch quest, with plenty to see and do, but it all boils down to finding the banana and retrieving it. Mario 64's stars at least gave you a hint as to where to go and what to do, but the best DK64 offers is cryptic advise that rarely helps that much.

There's other issues with DK64, mostly just due to age. It's a game not really meant for the N64, with a confusing array of controls that can get easily muddled. Graphically it hasn't aged well, although it retains a certain charm to those who lived through the days of blocky 3D. The lack of proper structure is probably the worst thing about it, and it's fun enough that you can look past that.

There's also a mulitplayer suit included, which has some really fun games. It's fairly standard death match or survival stuff, and you get access to all the characters from the campaign as well as their various abilities. It's fun, and a reminder why Rare games were once the kings of slumber parties and casual get-togethers.

All in all, DK64 is a great relic of older platformers, and definitely a contender for best N64 game. It may not have the long lasting legacy of titles like Mario 64, or Goldeneye, but it's a really fun game with plenty to do. It was ahead of it's time, and remains a great game, even fifteen years later.