GoldenEye 007 Nintendo 64 Community, GoldenEye X, Nintendo 64 Games Discussion

[madmax386]

An interesting read, thought you guys may like to discuss

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/what-if-perfect-dark-had-come-out-on-the-gamecube/1100-6419791/

[SubDrag]

I'm not so sure. I think they would've changed Perfect Dark to something in between Perfect Dark and PD:Zero, possibly used a new engine. I guess it would've shifted more GameCubes though.

[Rey]

I think if PD were to be on GameCube then it would not be as memorable or popular as 64. GameCube had a small life span and did not have many games that made that system Worth buying. Most exceptions would be Super Smash bros Melee, Mario Sunshine, Twilight Princess and Resident evil Remake and Zero.
It was a perfect Choice for it to be on N64. I would not like the controlling either. My opinion don't jump me with comments now hahahha.
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[Sogun]

I wonder how old is the guy that wrote the article and what kind of experience in games he has, since most of his arguments can be easily refuted.

In my opinion, the Nintendo 64 at the end of its lifetime deserved games like Perfect Dark and Zelda Majora's Mask. Games that pushed the system to its limit, not only technically but also in gameplay (we all agree that PD and MM add layers of complexity to their predecessors). I would say Conker's is the third of these "ultimate N64 games", but it wasn't as well balanced as the other two. And Dinosaur Planet could have been another one.

I'm going to follow the article scheme and discuss it:

How Perfect Dark would have changed:
Development on Perfect Dark began after GoldenEye was launched in 1997 and finished after three years. Gamecube was launched more than a year before that, so basically they would have changed nothing about design and just upgraded the grapchis in that time.
How would I know that? Because that's exactly what Rare did with Dinosuar Planet, later released as Starfox Adventures on Gamecube. They started development on N64 and they had the game almost finished when they moved it Gamecube, then spend one year working on the graphics.
The only things I can see being improved in a gamecubed Perfect Dark are the amount of multiplayer levels, and maybe 4 players in Co-op and Counter-op (if framerate wasn't very bad).

I'm puzzled when someone says that "the game suffered from terrible slowdown even with the expansion pak", especially if it comes from someone that is belived to have some technical knowledge. More RAM just lets you add more stuff (textures, models, polygons, animations, IA...) but you can't use it to improve framerate. If you want to improve framerate cut down the amount of polygons on screen.

Two analog controls were already available on GoldenEye with two controls (yeah, it wasn't the most confortable way of playing). Control setting 1.2 let you aim with the analog and move with the C buttons, just like keyboard + mouse or two analogs nowadays.


How the GameCube would have changed:
Even if Perfect Dark would make for an atractive "mature" launch game, there were other games that filled that spot like Rogue Squadron II (an exclusive Star Wars game!!!), Eternal Darkness and even Wave Race Blue Storm. I'm talking about European territory so I don't know if some of these games were that close to day one in the US.

With that said, I have the impression that Gamecube sold really well the first two years, but it was the lack of third party support (and the unstoppable PS2) that made it bit the dust. So launch titles weren't the problem, but the games that came after those.


How first-person shooters would have changed:
Even if I haven't played to them, it seems the Time Splitter games were the spiritual succesors of Perfect Dark. They were even made by former GE and PD development team such as David Doak, Steve Ellis (the guy that brought multiplayer to GE) and Graeme Norgate (music composer for most of the N64 Rare games).

Perhaps since Time Splitters games weren't exclusive (although the first one was only released on PS2 and as a launch title) they didn't have much notoriety.

It's just that Halo and online multiplayer turned the tables, and online on Gamecube was like if it didn't exist.


How Rare would have changed:
Let's face it, the last games that Rare did weren't the masterpieces that they did only a few years earlier. They were very good games, good enough to ensure the spotlights, but they lacked something or felt repetitive.
Donkey Kong 64 was slow and tedious, Jet Force Gemini had control issues and the tribal quest, Banjo Tooie wasn't as good as the first one, no one remembers Mickey's Speedway USA, Conker was erratic and StarFox Adventures was dissapointing. The only game I would say it's a masterpiece is Perfect Dark, and a lot of people prefers GoldenEye (I also think there are some aspects were GE is superior).

Even before the 21th century some of Rare's employees left the company like Martin Hollis (director of GE) or the ones I already mentioned that did Time Splitters. So Rare was already changing, and that probably was related to the quality of the later games.
What became of Rare after Microsoft bought them perhaps was anticipated by Nintendo. Even the Stamper brothers left.


Nintendo + Rare on the N64 was probably the strongest combo of all time, releasing masterpiece after masterpiece every year, but that couldn't last forever.

[MRKane]

I've got to agree with you Sogun. One of the first things you're taught in project management is that everything has a lifespan, start, middle and an end. The "golden years" of Rares production were on the N64, but if it wasn't them that changed it was the consumer and even if the same quality of games were made again and again, because they don't impact the consumer as much they're not as "good" if you will.

I liked the article, it's a crazy little "what if" that dreams up a world where we're not caught in a sh*t brown desert of shooters, and great people haven't been rolled over by the industrial cookie cutter.
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[AL64inthedark]

Negative critics on Conker ? Can't believe that. That game is a masterpiece.
Sure I wouldn't say its gameplay was incredible, but it's a memorable and quite unique game. Best end ever from all the videogames I've ever finished, by far, no comparison possible.
Just thinking of it few days ago gave me goose bumps.