[00:00]
Welcome to the Cartridge Archive, the show dedicated to chronicling the complete Nintendo 64 library, one cartridge at a time.
I’m Jamie.
And I’m Adam.
Each episode, we pull another game from the shelf and explore its impact on Nintendo 64 history.
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From beloved classics and hidden gems to forgotten curiosities and infamous disasters, no cartridge is left behind.
Along the way, we’ll examine each game’s story, its development, legacy, collector value, and the impact it left on the Nintendo 64 library as a whole.
Then we’ll put it through the rigorous and totally patented 64-point inspection to determine whether it has what it takes to become certified 64.
So prestigious.
[01:00]
So yes, welcome, welcome.
This is our little kickoff episode to kind of introduce ourselves and introduce the show, kind of give an idea as to what it is that you’re listening to and hopefully will be listening to as the episodes go on.
Once again, my name is Jamie.
I am an aspiring game developer and an enthusiast for all things Nintendo 64.
I’m a collector attempting to collect all of the domestic U.S. Nintendo 64 cartridges at the moment.
[01:30]
And this podcast is an avenue for me to really dive in and take a look at the games that I’m amassing and collecting, both with nostalgia looking back at games played in the past, but then also getting an appreciation for games that I might have missed over the years.
And in order to do this and put together this podcast, I had to convince slash sucker in Adam to join me here to make all this happen.
Adam with a background in podcasting.
Adam, please say hello and introduce yourself.
[02:00]
It is I, the sucker.
Hello.
I have been roped into this, but I have been very willing to be a part of this.
So as Jamie said, my background has some podcasting in it.
It was something that I’ve always been interested in and radio and broadcasting in general.
And so several years ago, I ran a small podcasting network and was the host of a couple and I guess executive producer of another couple of shows years ago.
And so it’s been something that I have considered getting back into and this seemed like a really great idea when it was proposed to me.
[02:30]
So I’m here.
And I really appreciate that you’re here for it, too.
So thank you.
Yeah.
So this podcast has a structure to it and it’s going to be basically centered around one game per episode.
Now, that may change over time.
We may do an episode or two here or there where we do a top five or a top ten or pit two titles against one another or group like type games together.
This is far from set in stone.
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We honestly welcome any impact or suggestions that the listeners might have as well as this thing grows.
But the idea is that we’re going to be looking and taking deep dives into individual titles and we’ll be doing a background on each of these games.
And Adam will be doing research and providing us with a history lesson to kind of learn you up on the history and interesting tidbits and trivia about each of these games and their development and their reception over time.
[03:30]
And then we’re going to look at things like reading the back of the box, see how the game was marketed, talk about our own experiences with it.
In some episodes, we’re going to have guests joining us as well.
Some of them that are qualified to speak to different games for various different reasons.
So we’re excited to have additional voices other than just ours here talking about these games.
And the main thing that we’re looking forward to doing with each of these episodes is what we call the 64 point inspection.
We touched on it earlier, but we have some details on that that we’d like to share with you here in the kickoff episode, just so you can be a bit more familiar and learn what to expect.
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Yeah, so the 64 point inspection is a carefully crafted evaluation designed to judge every Nintendo 64 game through a series of 10 tests.
For each test, we’ll present evidence, make our cases, and put it to a vote.
If the game passes the test, it earns 10 points.
If it fails, it earns none.
And if opinions are split, then the points are split.
Any game that earns 64 or more points passes the inspection and receives our coveted Certified 64 Seal of Approval.
[04:30]
So with that out of the way, let’s explore the categories.
All right, yeah.
So like Adam said, there’s 10 categories.
And let’s just read through them now and give you a sneak peek as to what to expect moving forward.
I’m pretty pleased with the way that these have all shaken out.
And I think they do a nice job of kind of evaluating a game without it just being a standard video game score.
It’s a review that analyzes the game in today’s lens, looking back at it as a collector.
[05:00]
So test number one, the memory pack test.
I’m sure there was something.
Ah, yes.
Now I remember.
Is this game still remembered today?
Or has it faded into obscurity?
Would the average gamer recognize it today?
This category is going to change quite a bit based off of the game that we’re looking at.
But and it’s going to be subjective to a degree.
So we’re going to have to try and look at it from our own thoughts as to where it sits in the memory banks.
[05:30]
But then also what we think the perceived recognition the game has now.
Yeah, there’s a lot of games out there that when greatest of all time lists or worst of all time lists sometimes as well are mentioned, they come up automatically.
So there are definitely games that people remember vividly, but there are ones that maybe we have forgotten about and maybe they’re worth exploring again.
Test number two is going to be the rumble pack test.
This is the rumble pack.
[06:00]
The coolest cinematic gaming experience there is.
Does this game really take advantage of what made the Nintendo 64 unique?
Four player multiplayer, analog controls, accessories, and other signature Nintendo 64 features.
So this will be things like the rumble pack, the controller pack, being able to save directly on the cart because that was something disc based games couldn’t do.
So there’s a few things that the Nintendo 64 did particularly well, and we want to explore if those were things that were accounted for in a particular game.
[06:30]
Yeah, I mean, for a game to be particularly representative of the Nintendo 64 means that it needs to be equally quirky and unique and of the time that the Nintendo 64 was.
So this will be a way for certain games to kind of hang their hat on that same peg.
Test number three, the expansion pack test.
That is one powerful piece of machinery.
Does this game deserve an expansion, sequel, remake, or modern successor?
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Was there enough here to justify a future beyond the original cartridge?
Quite a few games here are going to get points right off the bat because of default.
You know, we can look back and say, well, this game got three sequels.
This game never got a sequel.
So some of these are going to be foregone conclusions, and the history lesson is going to cover quite a bit of that.
But also whether it deserves the expansion, whether it got the remake.
These are all going to be interesting ways to dissect and look at the game after the fact.
And we’re kind of in a – this is really a perfect time for this.
[07:30]
We’re really in sort of a Nintendo 64 sort of renaissance, a revival right this moment.
There are so many games that are either announced or have recently been released that are remakes or remasters or reimaginings or just straight up re-releases of original Nintendo 64 games.
And maybe it’s just we’re right at that 30-year mark, but there is a lot going on right now in the enthusiast space with updated hardware and all kinds of stuff like that.
This is really a perfect time to be looking at these games in a slightly different way.
[08:00]
Test number four is going to be the barrel roll test.
Do a barrel roll.
Impressive, Star Fox.
How impressive was this game for its time?
Did it push the boundaries of technology, gameplay, graphics, scale, or innovation?
With this, especially again with the Nintendo 64 specifically, really was that era where true 3D gameplay started to become a thing.
And so having bigger distances and bigger worlds and, as we mentioned before, the analog control, there were like things that were slightly different that really we take for granted now.
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But there are things that at the time were really groundbreaking type features.
And so this gives us an opportunity to take a look back at how this pushed the industry forward.
Yeah, I think the key part to this category is how impressive was it for its time?
And that’s going to be the lens that we have to look at this through.
[09:00]
Test number five, the joystick gymnastics test.
Yeah!
How well does this game play today?
Are the controls and cameras still enjoyable or are they working against the player?
You already touched on this with all of the new hardware that’s coming out and the fact that it’s cool to play original Nintendo 64 games in the original capacity as much as possible now.
Looking at a game with modern sensibilities but with retro hardware and retro deployment, some games are going to age well and score appropriately here and others are going to crash and burn.
[09:30]
And I think this is going to be one of those deciding factor categories in this test.
I 100% agree.
There’s definitely games that are so high on my all-time list either in terms of play time or how much I love them and have past fond memories of that if I pick them up nowadays, I go, I don’t even know how I played this.
The controller was so vastly different.
[10:00]
And we’ve sort of industry-wide now have kind of a standard idea of what a controller is like.
But at the time, we had not landed on that.
And so there are a lot of times now when you see this stuff and I can’t even imagine how I was able to play those games.
And it’ll be interesting to revisit some of that.
Test number six, the bump to the bass test.
How good is the game’s audio?
Does it have memorable music, iconic sound effects, or the kind of soundtrack that sticks with you long after you put the controller down?
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There’s a lot of, especially in this era, now there’s a big push around CD quality music.
There’s a push around sometimes licensed music from bands and musicians.
But in this era, there were a lot of development teams where there was a composer on staff or there was someone who was making music specifically for that game.
And so we want to take a moment to recognize the contributions of those folks to the titles that they helped create.
[11:00]
Yeah, not only the music, but the sound design in general.
Some games really have some standout decisions that were made, both good and not so good.
But the Nintendo 64 had its limitations when it came to its audio capabilities.
And the games that really took advantage of it really owned this category.
And there are some standouts here that I’m looking forward to dive in on.
Test number seven, the Smash Invite Test.
Will this battler live up to expectations?
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Does this game have characters, worlds, music, or ideas worthy of a place in Super Smash Brothers?
This is a bit of an odd category for those not initiated, but Super Smash Brothers is largely considered the kingmaker when it comes to the Nintendo 64 and beyond.
Sorry, the Nintendo library as a whole and beyond.
As far as if you are included in Smash Brothers, you are relevant.
And this category attempts to kind of quantify to what degree could your game or this game be included in Smash Brothers, whether it’s a full on playable character or if it’s a tiny cameo or if there’s a scene setting music track element that could get a nod or a reference in the game.
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Where would where would where would the title that we’re looking at fit in the pantheon of Smash Brothers characters and and inclusions?
Good vocab word with this, too.
There’s a lot of, you know, most of the stuff for Nintendo.
It is first party Nintendo properties, but we do have some some third party characters that have been looped into Smash.
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And because that is a precedent that’s been set, it could happen again.
You know, and so it’s one of those things that if they were to look at it again, if this game had had a sequel or anything like that, is this character cool?
Is there something notable about them that maybe they could be included in this in some way?
And there are many who are, but there are many who it’s worth talking about how cool it would be if they were involved.
So it’s kind of the that that sort of, you know, if Superman and Batman got into a fight or whatever, what would happen differently, which is what Smash is overall.
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But looking at some characters that maybe haven’t been considered yet.
Test number eight is the one hundred and one percent test.
Oh, they are running up the score.
Is this game worth fully completing?
Are there extra challenges, collectibles and secrets that are worth the effort?
So with this, there’s a lot of times that there are games where there’s a great deal of effort that gets put in.
And sometimes the payoff is not worth it.
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And this is in a pre trophy, pre achievement type world where there isn’t.
Something that you can post on your profile to tell people that you did it.
So this was really for the love of of the game and for the commitment and just wanting to do it.
And so definitely there were times when the reward was certainly more worth it.
Yeah. And also back in the day, I say that phrase too often when I’m talking about Nintendo 64.
I’m just realizing how old I am.
But I would say back in the day when playing these games at the price that these cartridges were at, it was not really feasible to collect them all and play everything.
[14:00]
So when you got a game, you were stuck with it.
Maybe that was your summer title or you asked for that game for Christmas or Easter or whatever you might celebrate where someone gives you a game.
Your birthday. There’s a good one.
You often had to invest in a game and that was your title that you were stuck with for a while.
Sure, you could trade them in or you could swap with a friend temporarily or whatever it might be.
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But in many cases, you really had little choice but to milk as much out of these games as you could.
And that led to different design sensibilities and different choices that were made when these games were being released.
And giving you a reason to have to get everything was a key part in the replayability or the desire to keep playing.
And how different games accomplish that is what we’re hoping to analyze and overanalyze in this case.
Speaking of investment, what’s the next category?
[15:00]
Ooh, segue. Love it.
Test number nine, Wario’s Wallet.
Oh my god!
I will say right now this category has the best sound effect of all the sound effects that you made for these.
So I appreciate that.
Definitely a personal favorite, I believe, of us both.
So yes, is this game worth the price of admission today?
If you’re spending modern collector money, are you getting your money’s worth?
This is where we’re going to look at it from a perspective of someone like myself who’s attempting to collect all of the Nintendo 64 games.
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Or maybe you’re specifically collecting a certain genre or a certain type of game or evaluating which ones are really the must-haves and which ones can be skipped.
We’re going to look at that.
We’re going to look at what the loose price is and what the complete price is.
And by complete, I just mean box and manual.
I’m not talking about mint-graded, you know, 10 out of 10 quality museum pieces here.
But, you know, how much are you going to be spending to get a clean eBay or thrift store cart find to add it to your collection?
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And then we also look at whether or not this game has been made available in other capacities on future services with different ports,
like the Switch Expansion Pack online program that they have going at the moment,
if there’s maybe an alternative way to play the game that may have an impact on the purchase decision as far as picking it up used.
And we will be focusing largely on legal measures for that, because obviously there is the high C’s out there.
But like he’s mentioning there, we are looking at something that someone intends to play, not, again, a museum piece.
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But there are some games, like in the last couple of years, Glover, for instance, was re-released on PC.
And so there may be places where there’s a modernized place to play it.
But if you’ve got a Nintendo 64 and you want to have the original experience as it was,
what are you looking at in terms of investment is what we’re going to explore in this category.
And that brings us to the final test, test number 10, the Nostalgia Goggles Test.
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Does this game genuinely hold up today or is its reputation being carried by nostalgia?
So there are a lot of these games, as we’ve sort of hinted at throughout these categories,
where you hear them and they are immediately, oh man, I remember that game and how much I loved it.
But as we talked about in like the 101% test, sometimes you love that game almost from a Stockholm syndrome standpoint,
[17:30]
where the game was $85 and you’re a kid and it’s the only game you had to play.
And so you played it because it was what was there.
And so there are times when maybe you have a fondness for a game that other people don’t have because you spent more time with it.
And maybe you’re right and it was good or maybe it was just because it was what you had and you ended up making yourself like it.
So I certainly have games like that, I’m sure for me, that no one remembers that I really enjoyed because it was all I had.
[18:00]
But some of these games are genuinely good.
And so we want to take a look at them through a number of these categories,
go back and play them and experience them to some extent and find out if the game really is as good as we remember it or maybe better.
Yeah, that’s the benefit of hindsight, right?
We’re able to go back and we’re able to look at it.
This category is the closest thing to a standard video game review, right?
And then a re-review later on in retrospect to see how it holds up.
[18:30]
What was the buzz with this game?
Well, was it justified?
You know, this is what we’ll be able to look at here.
And, you know, we’re open to your input and thoughts on this and all of these categories as well.
We’re not going to be any sort of authority on this by any shape or any stretch of the imagination.
But, you know, we’d love to hear from you after we go through these tests and we see what these games score.
I’d love to get your feedback, your thoughts.
Did we hit it right on the head or were we wrong or are we misinformed and we’re not looking at a game through the right lens?
[19:00]
I would love to hear what the listenership thinks as these episodes come out.
So hopefully we get enough of a following and enough of a community going where we’ll be able to have that discourse.
And I’m excited to do that.
And in some cases, because we have a discord that we’re going to have, you know, a thread for each game running actively.
In some cases, we may be able to reveal what the game is prior to the episode coming out.
So we may even be able to get that feedback from you before we take it to the test.
And so we’d certainly love to have that interaction.
[19:30]
And we’ll get you the details on that as we continue through the series.
Absolutely. So another thing I want to touch on in this kickoff episode is that this podcast is going to be sponsored, for lack of a better word, by a video game project called Lobo Destroyo.
And Lobo Destroyo is actually our own Nintendo 64 inspired 3D platforming adventure game that we are currently working on.
It’s in active development and was originally a Kickstarter game.
[20:00]
So if you’re enjoying the show and you’d like to follow along on our game development journey, we’d love to have you.
You can learn more about Lobo Destroyo and join the discord that Adam mentioned and find all the links to our socials at lobodestroyo.com.
That’s L-O-B-O-D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-O.com.
You can learn all about the game and that’s all going to be in the show notes.
So this sponsorship is really just a shameless way for me to mention that game project and hopefully have some crossover as far as our audience goes.
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But also to look at the game in question each episode from a Lobo learnings capacity.
And this is where we will, as an amateur independent game developer, attempt to look at a game and see what can we learn from it, good, bad or indifferent, for the development of our own title.
You know, where did this game, what did it do well?
What can we learn from it decades later?
What ideas are worth borrowing?
[21:00]
What mistakes should we avoid?
What made the game work and how might some of those principles apply to a game, Lobo Destroyo or otherwise?
So I’m excited to really dig in and kind of give a little bit of insight from a game developer perspective,
especially someone who’s attempting to make a game so many years later after these games were originally minted.
So I think this will be an interesting way of spinning the categories a little bit and taking a look at it from a different lens.
So I’m looking forward to doing that while also shamelessly plugging my own endeavors at the same time.
[21:30]
And plug away.
I’m happy to be able to assist in this whole endeavor.
And as someone who is a lover of games of all types from an almost academic standpoint, I like them for what they are.
I like them for what they’re not.
And I do truly believe that they are one of the highest forms of art.
I like hearing the insights from someone who thinks of them sometimes in a different way than I do.
So I personally think that Lobo Learnings is honestly a genuinely fascinating part of what we’re doing here.
[22:00]
So I can’t wait to hear a lot of these insights.
Yeah.
So, I mean, that’s the show.
That’s what we’re going to be building towards.
And we’ve got a couple of episodes ready to come out right away.
And we will be releasing more over time.
We’ve got a plan as to how we want to roll these out.
But there is some flexibility there.
So if there’s certain games that you want to hear about, which ones you want fast-tracked up the list, let us know.
[22:30]
We would love to hear from you, find out where the interest is, and, yeah, just start cranking through these games one by one.
So, yeah, with that, that’s it from us.
We look forward to you joining us on future episodes.
Thank you again, Adam, for joining me on this endeavor.
Happy to be here.
We’ll see you guys in the next one.
And, yeah, let’s go get it.
The Cartridge Archive was created by Jamie Guy and is produced and hosted by Jamie Guy and Adam Jones.
Our music is by the Mysterious Breakmaster Cylinder.
Visit thecartridgearchive.com for more information or join our Discord.
[23:00]
You can find links to both of those at tap2ad.me slash tcapod.
That’s tap, the number 2ad.me slash tcapod.
You’ll find that and all of our other links in the show notes.
More episodes of The Cartridge Archive are available wherever you get your podcasts.
And, as always, thanks for listening.
[23:30]
So prestigious.