What did the N64 do better than the PS1 and Saturn?

[ExedExes]

Pokemon Stadium 1 & 2.

Those games came out when I was feeding my first & second generation Pokemon addictions. The Transfer Pak allowed you to upload your stuff to the game, play the actual cartridge on the TV screen, get the daily gift that you'd normally get in the 2nd generation games by linking your GBC IR ports, and organize your collection a whole lot easier. Plus those damn mini games! Too much fun.

[DinnerX]

I'm curious, though: how many people here didn't have the N64 when it was current yet still think it is tops for that generation? I think nostalgia/familiarity might be shaping the defensive responses some. I had a PS1 (only) back then and prefer it, but I got into the SAT/N64 around the same time (about a decade after their respective launch) and think that the Saturn is much, much stronger.

I didn't have one, but I did play one a few of times when the system was current and thought it was great. The degree of freedom in Super Mario 64 was quite impressive to me at the time, even though it seems like nothing now. Finally got a N64 a few years back. It is my favorite of the generation, but I only have a Saturn to compare it to. (Not that I dislike the Saturn. It's a great console in its own arcade-y way.)

The big draw for me, like many others, is the multiplayer titles. The N64 has some 4 player games that go over extremely well at gatherings even with people who aren't "gamers." Even if a series has titles on another console, it seems like the N64 version is the best for easy to pick up multiplayer. Examples of this are Mario Kart 64, F-Zero X, and Bust-a-Move '99.

The N64 has a really good selection of games for single player if one is a fan of certain genres. I am a big fan of non-simulation style racing games and the N64 has quite a few great arcade, cart, and futuristic racers. I also love 3D platformers and the genre has an impressive presence on the N64. The free-roaming collect-a-thon style of 3D platformer has all but died in the years after the N64, and since I actually enjoy the style, the N64 gets quite a bit of use simply because there aren't many games of that type on other consoles.

I must say though, the fog, the low res textures, the incredibly bad texture filtering, and the poor "smoothing" of polygon edges really keep the console from shining as bright as it could, especially now. Would have been nice if the official controllers were sturdier too...

[aaron]

Eh, cross-platform was far from outright nonexistent. I could name a lot of games that were on both Playstation and Saturn for example. Sure you can argue that those ports were better on one console or the other, but well... that was the case on the Dreamcast/Gamecube/Ps2/Xbox as well.

All of the 6th gen systems had their share of worthy exclusives that gave them an identity if you ask me.

it's weird how there are a lot of "cross-platform" games that completely ignored one system for one reason or another. like how there are a lot of games released for PS2 and Xbox that didn't get the gamecube port.

this has been an interesting read. i don't really care for the N64 that much, but there are a handful of titles for it that i really do love. i don't see myself collecting for it, though. too much garbage (which is easily available on the systems i'd rather collect for).

[AppleQueso]

Eh, cross-platform was far from outright nonexistent. I could name a lot of games that were on both Playstation and Saturn for example. Sure you can argue that those ports were better on one console or the other, but well... that was the case on the Dreamcast/Gamecube/Ps2/Xbox as well.

All of the 6th gen systems had their share of worthy exclusives that gave them an identity if you ask me.

it's weird how there are a lot of "cross-platform" games that completely ignored one system for one reason or another. like how there are a lot of games released for PS2 and Xbox that didn't get the gamecube port.

For some reason Gamecube got left out of multiplats a lot. I even remember games that had online multiplayer on Ps2 and Xbox ditching it in the Gamecube version, despite the Gamecube being perfectly capable of online play.

[o.pwuaioc]

it's weird how there are a lot of "cross-platform" games that completely ignored one system for one reason or another. like how there are a lot of games released for PS2 and Xbox that didn't get the gamecube port.

You can blame the GameCube's minidisc format for that.

this has been an interesting read. i don't really care for the N64 that much, but there are a handful of titles for it that i really do love. i don't see myself collecting for it, though. too much garbage (which is easily available on the systems i'd rather collect for).

What would you consider garbage?

[aaron]

it's weird how there are a lot of "cross-platform" games that completely ignored one system for one reason or another. like how there are a lot of games released for PS2 and Xbox that didn't get the gamecube port.

You can blame the GameCube's minidisc format for that.

N64's cart format, too. i think the gamecube's main drawback for publishers was that it didn't have as large a user base and developed that "kids/family only" stigma that nintendo still suffers from.

this has been an interesting read. i don't really care for the N64 that much, but there are a handful of titles for it that i really do love. i don't see myself collecting for it, though. too much garbage (which is easily available on the systems i'd rather collect for).

What would you consider garbage?

Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. comes to mind immediately for some reason. there are lots of shovelware garbage titles for the N64 that are available on other systems, is all i'm saying. i just think that, for me, the library doesn't have a good "good game v. bad game" ratio.

[AppleQueso]

it's weird how there are a lot of "cross-platform" games that completely ignored one system for one reason or another. like how there are a lot of games released for PS2 and Xbox that didn't get the gamecube port.

You can blame the GameCube's minidisc format for that.

N64's cart format, too. i think the gamecube's main drawback for publishers was that it didn't have as large a user base and developed that "kids/family only" stigma that nintendo still suffers from.

I believe there's an interview with the Silent Hill 2 developer where he pretty much says exactly that as being the reason SH2 got an Xbox port but no Gamecube port.

[o.pwuaioc]

Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. comes to mind immediately for some reason. there are lots of shovelware garbage titles for the N64 that are available on other systems, is all i'm saying. i just think that, for me, the library doesn't have a good "good game v. bad game" ratio.

It seems to have a normal ratio to me, but I don't collect shovelware on any system, so I've never done a complete count. It does have a much higher ratio of sports to non-sports, though, so I can see why that statement would be made. But the PS1 and NES have a metric ton of crappy non-sports games, though, so, who knows.

[aaron]

Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. comes to mind immediately for some reason. there are lots of shovelware garbage titles for the N64 that are available on other systems, is all i'm saying. i just think that, for me, the library doesn't have a good "good game v. bad game" ratio.

It seems to have a normal ratio to me, but I don't collect shovelware on any system, so I've never done a complete count. It does have a much higher ratio of sports to non-sports, though, so I can see why that statement would be made. But the PS1 and NES have a metric ton of crappy non-sports games, though, so, who knows.

right, i guess what i mean is that the system has a normal amount of shovelware like any other system from the era, but the "good games" that people list are for the most part not games that i'm particularly interested in. so i'm not really arguing against the N64 across the board, just trying to explain why i'm not really into it. it's a fine little system that i've had fun with, but i don't see myself owning one because i'd rather just emulate the handful of titles i want to play (like, seriously maybe only 10).

[8bit]

What the N64 did better at the time....

1) Ran off developers with high cost, low storage carts.
2) Appealed to kids instead of teens and adults.
3) Had more expensive games. Some games were $69.99+ new at the time!
4) Gave the middle finger to RPGs after the SNES had been an RPG powerhouse.

On a more positive note...
1) Had the best platformers (mario 64, banjo, rayman, etc)
2) 4 Player games (smash bros, goldeneye, mario kart, etc)
3) Had analog controls from the start.
4) Was my favorite platform at the time!