QuakeMidway brings Id's classic 3D shooter home to Nintendo 64 in good form. |
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Publisher: Midway Developer: Midway Genre: First-Person Shooter Origin: U.S. Quake made its gaming debut for the PC two years ago. The dark 3D shooter was generally thought of as the "Doom killer"; sporting a polygon-pushing true 3D engine and options not found in Doom such as the ability to jump, look up-down and fight on multiple levels. But beyond everything else, Quake came to be known as one of, if not the very best multiplayer game ever created. Up to 16 (32 later) deathmatchers could battle it out over the Internet or local network, and new mission packs, hacks and upgrades were and still are a given. And now Nintendo 64 owners finally get a chance to do some Quakin' of their own, courtesy of Midway Home Entertainment and the same development team responsible for Doom 64. But is it too little far too late? Quake 2 has been available for the PC for nearly six months, Goldeneye has raised the standards of the first-person shooter for Nintendo 64 and the hype for Turok 2 is just beginning. The 64-bit update of Id's classic shooter has quite a bit to live up to. The Facts Quake (Nintendo 64)
Gameplay For that one person out there who has never played or heard of Quake before, the object of the game is to make it through alive, while killing as many enemy soldiers and mutations as humanly possible. Of course, there's a simplistic story mixed in for good measure, but you'll never notice it (or remember it) once the carnage begins -- which is immediately. Players must battle through 25 levels, acquiring keys to unlock doors to progress through the game. A massive army of soldiers, sorcerers and demons await at every turn. Quakers aren't exactly harmless though; weapons such as the nailgun, super nailgun, shotgun, missile launcher, grenade launcher, lightning gun and axe make up the wide arsenal of destruction available. Whereas Goldeneye requires brains and technique, Quake requires quick thinking and lots of bullets. There are no objectives here, except to kill everything in sight and make it to the next level. It's bloody good fun at a frantic pace -- and we do mean bloody. Body parts explode into pieces upon being hit by a rocket, decapitated heads roll to a dead stop, and satanic overtones are everywhere. The Nintendo 64 version retains all of the violent goodness in its pure form. The analog stick is put to good use, delivering precise control (comparable to the PC mouse) for navigating or, if Turok-style is your thing, for aiming. It should be noted though, that turns can't be performed as fast as a sensitive mouse setup, where a complete revolution can be performed in a split second. Still, Quake responds better and moves much quicker than both Turok and Goldeneye, as it should.
Graphics
Sound
Multiplayer On the other hand, the two-player deathmatches are playable and can be extremely fun, especially when explosions aren't interfering with smooth framerates. Quake generally moves much faster than other first-person shooters and usually whoever shoots first kills first.
Overall Despite its flaws, Nintendo 64 owners looking for the Quake experience can't go wrong with this game -- if for single-player mode alone. However, seasoned Quakers looking for the ultimate multiplayer game may want to rent before they buy.
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1. Kitten's Litter 2. Siren's Pic Page 3. Clan PMS 4. Lady Quake Marines 5. Dear Tease 6. Q-Barbie-Q{CNV} 7. Da Valkyries: The Women Of Quake 8. Clan Inquisition 9. Clan Negative Voltage 10. Mistress~Jade's Dark Side 11. Focus on Quake 12. Black Kali's Playground 13. Clan BigPaw 14. VasqueZ's Bunker 15. PMS-QBitch's Quake Site 16. Nimble Little Minks 17. Official Home of Clan Mister Mr 18. Tepes Quake Clan 19. Smile's Page of Choas 20. Skaven-Babe's Home page