N64 Magazine Issue 17 | Nintendo Mags

Introduction

Issue 17 gained an extra 16 pages, and they were more than welcome as they allowed the space for plenty of coverage from E3. Top of the list this month was full coverage of Banjo Kazooie, with a look at all the levels prior to its imminent release. Rare pretty much stole the show, as we got to see their next big games Perfect Dark (playfully titled Goldeneye 2 on the bag the magazine came in) and Jet Force Gemini. There was also a full A-Z of all the games from E3 - ensuring that all of the 80 odd games got some space to shine. As well as that, Tim got the chance to play Turok 2, giving it hype that it could rival the greatness of Goldeneye. They also had more information on Space Circus, with a showcase of some of the early levels. Games like Wipeout, F-Zero X and Shadowman were also previewed. This month, Ocarina of Time finally got a proper release date - now due in the US by the end of November, with a single page in RPG news and the promise of a bigger feature next month.

Of course E3 dominated the news this month, with Tim's report further emphasising that there were so many great games in development. Capcom also announced that they would be publishing a Tetris game on the N64 - not a Mega man, resident evil or Street fighter game that many had hoped, but it was at least a step in the right direction. There was also the news that Nintendo were dipping their toe into films again, with product placement into a new British comedy - Virtual Sexuality.

Reviews this month were a fairly low standard with Bust A Move 2 scoring 80%, with the main complaints that it was a shoddy PAL conversion and really didn’t push the N64 hard at all. Other UK games reviewed were GT 64 (not to be confused with Gran Turismo) at 67%, fighter Dual Heroes (50%) and Aero Gauge which scored a pitiful 10%. On the brightside, Kobe Bryant's NBA courtside was reviewed from Japan, scoring 90%.

There were a fantastic 4 guides this month, mainly covering last month's releases, with Forsaken, World Cup ‘98, WCW vs NWO and Quake getting tipped. There was also a competition to win an N64 with 3 games, or simply 6 N64 games for those who already had a console. The back of the mag feature looked at video game related jobs, and potential careers for those interested.

Articles

Future Look

Jet Force Gemini
Turok 2
Space Circus

Coming Soon

Wipeout 64
World Grand Prix
Extreme G 2
Earthworm Jim 3D
Shadowman
Buck Bumble
Glover
WWF Warzone
Star Soldier: Vanashing Earth
Winback
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Pocket Monsters Stadium

Special Investigation

Banjo - Kazooie
Perfect Dark

Reviews

Aero Guage
Author: Martin Kitts
Country: UK
Score: 10%
Dual Heroes
Author: Martin Kitts
Country: UK
Score: 50%
Bomberman Hero
Author: Tim Weaver
Country: Jap
Score: 66%
GT 64
Author: Tim Weaver
Country: UK
Score: 67%
Power Pro Baseball 5
Author: Martin Kitts
Country: Jap
Score: 78%
Bust-a-Move 2
Author: James Ashton
Country: UK
Score: 80%
Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside
Author: Martin Kitts
Country: USA
Score: 90%

How To

Escape Forsaken the hard way!
Win yourself an N64 with three games, or six games of your choice
Grapple your way to victory in WCW vs NWO
Win the trophy in World Cup '98
Discover every last secret in Quake

Features

A to Z of E3
Game for Life: Finding your ideal video games career

Staff

James Ashton Editor
Tim Weaver Deputy Editor
Wil Overton Art Editor
Paul Jarrold Art Assistant
Jes Bickham Writer
Andrea Ball Production Editor
James Price Writer
Martin Kitts Writer