N64 Magazine Issue 2 | Nintendo Mags

Introduction

Two of the big games for the N64’s second wave of software got a review in the May issue. Rare’s Blast Corps arrived just in time for an import review, with Jonathan Davies trying to decipher the concept of this unique game, scoring it 88% with heavy praise for the soundtrack and its use of the n64s’s hardware. Wave Race 64 was the other game, with Zy taking apart all the tracks and scoring it 90% with heavy praise for the visuals and how it used the still young N64 hardware. The only other UK review this month was Fifa 64, with it not being a patch on ISS - only scoring 39% and suffering from muddy visuals as well as significant slow down.

This issue also brought big previews of several new games, Doom 64 was the star, with a look at the almost finished US game. Ganbare Goemon 5 (mystical ninja in the UK) and Starfox 64 were also previewed with Star Fox also nearly due a Japanese release. In the news this month they reported on the Tokyo Show, showcasing the latest games, although there wasn't much to show from the Nintendo side as they were keeping the biggest games to themselves. There was plenty of N64 gear this month, as the team rated all kinds of things from the Arcade Shark to AV cables for the console.

Game guides kicked off this issue in earnest, focusing on three of the four PAL launch games. Of special note was Zy’s guide to getting 70 stars as quickly as possible in Mario 64, which eventually became a fully detailed guide of the game over the next few issues. There was also the first part of a guide to the challenges in Shadows of the Empire as well as finding all the keys and chronoscepter pieces in Turok. Club 64 was full of letters praising the first issue of the mag, as well as the first “Im the best” feature , although it was only a small column for members scores as letters.

In the second of their back of the mag features, they looked at some of the major players in Nintendo’s history, and how the company came from humble beginnings to become the force they are in video games. There was an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto as they asked him questions about the reasons behind Nintendo’s hardware choices and his process for designing video game characters. As well as that they tried to establish what makes Nintendo games so special, with a look at five separate games and what they did right that other publishers weren’t.

Articles

Future Look

Doom 64
Goemon 5
Starfox 64

Coming Soon

Mace
Dark Rift
Mortal Kombat 4 & MK Mythologies
War Gods
Clayfighter 631/3
Street Fighter 3
Body Harvest
ED
Extreme G
Baku Bomberman
Hexen
Mother 3: Chimera's Forest

Reviews

Fifa 64
Author: Tim Weaver
Country: UK
Score: 39%
Doraemon
Author: Tim Weaver
Country: Jap
Score: 60%
Human Grand Prix
Author: Tim Weaver
Country: Us
Score: 71%
Blast Corps
Author: Jonathan Davies
Country: US
Score: 88%
Wave Race 64
Author: Zy Nicholson
Country: UK
Score: 90%

How To

Find all the keys in Turok
Secure all the Challenge Points in Shadows of the Empire
Get 70 Stars as fast as possible in Super Mario 64

Features

From Carts to Cards: Inside Nintendo's Game Heads

Staff

Jonathan Davies Editor
James Ashton Deputy Editor
Tim Weaver Games Editor
Wil Overton Art Editor
Zy Nicholson Writer