N64 Magazine Issue 30

Introduction

It was E3 time again, and the July issue had the lowdown on all the games, the biggest of which were Perfect Dark and Donkey Kong 64. It was going to be a big year for Rare, with Jet Force Gemini also nearly ready. There were plenty of other games on show, which showcased the N64’s greatest year, games such as Quake II and 40 Winks showed the technical prowess of the console, whilst there were new Playstation conversions of Command & Conquer and Resident Evil 2. The show also announced the first details about Nintendo’s next console - codenamed Dolphin, with the first confirmation about it using DVDs and technical detail about the processor it was going to use.  

Planet Game boy had a couple of excellent games to review this month with both Pokemon Pinball and Mario Bros DX, scoring 5/5. Pokemon pinball showcasing the Game Boys new Rumble Cart technology. Top Gear Rally (3) and arcade classic Dropzone (4) were the other reviews. As well as the usual tips and gallery sections, they reported back on some of the Game Boy oriented websites out there.

Star Wars Episode 1 Racer was the big review this issue, scoring 88%, putting it on a par with fellow racers like Wipeout and F-Zero. Martin praised the visuals, although commented that it wasn’t quite as smooth as some of the other racers. The only other UK review was Puzzle Platformer Charlie Blasts Territory, Mark scoring it a dismal 52%, with it not utilising the N64’s power effectively. Super bowling and Bottom of the Ninth were the import reviews this issue scoring 72 and 44% respectively.

The second part of Duke Nukem Zero hour was the big guide this issue, as well as tips for the first wave of players choice games. Oliver Bolton sent in 11 cool things to find in Ocarina of time within the Help Wanted section. Daniel Glenfield looked at new ways to play Goldeneye, showcasing new challenges for some of the more memorable levels. The Nintendo hotline also gave answers to some common questions about Ocarina of Time.

At the back of the mag the Jes spoke to some of the key players showcasing their games at E3. They found out more information on some of the games featured in previous issues such as Turok: Rage Wars and Hybrid Heaven. Jes also got his chance to report on his experience at E3.