Mischief Makers dropped some hints about what the N64 can do in 2-D, but Yoshi's Story pushes the boat out so far it' s run ashore on the other side. But once you've got past the initial sense of ' ahh, isn' t that sweet' it doesn' t take long before all that sugar rots your teeth and sets your stomach a-churning. Mischief Makers is true shining gem on the N64! It is on of the most unique platformers on the N64 and one of the most unique side-scrolling platformers in general. The total game length (rushing through the game and getting zero yellow gems) is about 1 hour.

Archive 64: Mischief Makers - Nintendo 64 (N64) Review Mischief MakersPlatform:Nintendo 64 (N64)Publisher:NintendoDeveloper:TreasureReleased:October 1997ROM Size:64 megabitsPlayers:OneGenre:2D Action/PlatformerSave:Cartridge (2 slots)Optional:NoneFinal Rating: 3.9 out of 5.0IntroductionWe now live in a time when 2D games are the exceptionand not the rule. I have to really think to remember the last 2D platformerI played before October 1997 and, furthermore, the last one I actuallypurchased. The last 2D game I played was a Rayman PlayStation demo thatI got in 1996.

The last full 2D game I actually purchased was Donkey KongCountry 2 (SNES) back in late 1995. With the onslaught of 3D games hittingthe next generation systems, there's nothing more refreshing than playinga good 2D action game.Enter Mischief Makers,Treasure's surprising entry into Nintendo 64 development.

(These guysdeveloped classics such as Castlevania IV, Contra III, and Axelay forthe Super NES.) Ever since a group of development guys left Konami toform their own company, I have not played any of Treasure's previous gamesbecause they were for Sega systems. Now I know what all the hype was about.Gameplay & ControlMischief Makers,fortunately, is not your usual action game. You take control of Marina,an Ultra-Intergalactic-Cybot-G, who is on a mission with Professor Theo.The two arrived on Planet Clancer to respond to an SOS signal. PlanetClancer is inhabited by a species known as 'Clancers.'

The funnything about the Clancer population is that they all look exactly the same,unlike, say, humans. But while Marina was out on a mission, Prof.

Theowas kidnapped by a group of Clancers. This doesn't mean all Clancers arebad, however. Now Marina must rescue her professor!Fortunately for you and Marina, she has an incrediblerepertoire of moves that depart from the norm. Rather than jumping onenemies, her main method is to attack using a 'grab, shake, and throw'technique. Here's asummary of her moves: the A button jumps, the B button grabs and throws,the C group is her rocket boost (Left C and Right C are dash and Top Chovers), and L or R is used to talk to people. These various buttons canbe used in conjunction with one another for advanced techniques.

For example,pressing Bottom C twice (or down twice on the Control Pad) will shakeyour enemy. She can also slide, roll, hover, dash, and jump various lengths.The gameplay in MischiefMakers is wonderful—thatis, once you get used to the control. The initial knock on the game isthat the control is too stiff. I'm not sure if this is more of a faultof the game or the N64's Control Pad, though.

But all it takes is somepractice to get used to. Anyway, throughout each level, Marina will grab,shake, and throw her way to the end. By shaking enemies (or friends),gems might fall out.

Red gems enable you to continue with a certain amountof energy, blue gems give you energy right on the spot, and green gemsgive you even more health. Finally, there is the elusive yellow gem oneach level. By collecting these, you'll get to see more of the ending.Additionally, you get a letter grade on each level depending on how fastyou complete it.What makes the gameplay so great, though, is thetremendous variety. One level has you finding kids and returning themto their parents. Another level might just be a race to the end.

Yet anotherlevel could extend vertically rather than horizontally. Another levelhas you participating in a festival. This sheer variety keeps the gamefrantic, fun, and exciting. The game also has impressive mid- and end-bosses.For example, one mid-boss is a frog and one end-boss is a tank chasingyou while you're riding a cat. And each boss requires an almost ingeniousway to beat it. Some other facets of the gameplay include a special 'Clanpot'to combine items to make a new item, a tricycle which must be ridden attimes, and even a completely different character, Teran, who must be usedon several stages.Of course, Mischief Makersis not without its flaws. First, the game has a very vibrant and noticeableJapanese flair to it.

This is obviously not a negative for import fans,but it could be a problem for those who do not like games deep in Japaneseculture. Second, the game is too short and easy.

The game does have fiveworlds with 10 levels in each (50+ levels in all), but half of the levelsare either boss levels or can be completed in several minutes. The additionof yellow gems and letter grades do help somewhat, but they don't provideas much replay value as the secrets in a Mario game. Third, MischiefMakers' control is just not as smooth as it should be. It can be frustrating for a beginning player to learn how to navigatethe numerous 'Clanballs' that are found early on in the game.Graphics & SoundGraphically, Mischief Makersis a mixed bag.

The game uses a combination of pre-rendered graphics andpolygons. Most of the levels contain either one style or the other, withpre-rendered 2D graphics obviously being the main attraction. While thepre-rendered graphics are pretty nice, there's not as much parallax scrolling,animation, or general action as one might expect from a 64-bit system.The 3D polygons, however, are pretty impressive for a 2D game.

Disappointingly,it should be noted that there is some minor slowdown.The aural elements of MischiefMakers are quite impressive, in my opinion. Because music on theN64 has been lackluster even compared to a lot of music on the SNES, Ithoroughly enjoyed the sound in Mischief Makers.First of all, as seems to be the case with a lot of N64 games, there isa lot of voice. Marina has -likecomments such as 'Let's go!' And 'Stoooop!'

And 'Shake,ShakeShake,Shake.' The professor has a great cry for help, too: 'Help me,Marinnnnaaaaa!'

And some of the opponents you'll face later on (Lunar,Tarus, and Merco) have full sentences of speech. Second, the music isalmost indescribable. Although some will get annoyed by it, I found itto be quite enjoyable, as it's definitely a departure from the usual technofare.ConclusionNevertheless, Mischief Makersis probably one of the best 2D games in the 32/64-bit generation. It'snot quite up to par with Miyamoto's old-school 2D games, but it's an extremelyfresh, rewarding, and enjoyable experience in this age of 3D games.

Ifyou're a fan of 2D gaming, this is a great way to pass time until arrives.Graphics:3.9Sound:3.8Control:3.1Gameplay:4.1Lastability3.4OVERALL:3.9. DOWNTHE ROADBefore anything else, Nintendo of America shouldbe commended for taking the chance and porting this game to the U.S. Unfortunately,it doesn't appear as if the gamble paid off, which is a crying shame.Mischief Makers may not be upto par with Miyamoto's titles or even some of Treasure's previous titles,but it's still a pretty darn good game. The game isn't quite as enjoyablebecause of the lack of secrets and the easy level of difficulty, whichdoesn't give the game all that much replay value. Mighty gunvolt burst dlc. The inclusion of theyellow gems might help, but I haven't had much desire to find them, especiallysince some of them are near impossible to get.

On the other hand, althoughMischief Makers was supposed tobe a stopgap before,many older and/or hardcore gamers will find that they enjoyed MischiefMakers much more. The game can be had for a ridiculously low pricein some places ($19.99 at Electronics Boutique), so you would be wiseto pick it up before it disappears forever.Review by: Scott McCallFirst Reviewed: October 23, 1997Appendix Added: May 19, 1998 CommentsYour web browser does not support IFRAME.

The N64 gave us a lot of fun-filled adventures with loveable, memorable characters. It also gave us games with protagonists who’ve since been become long forgotten N64 heroes.It’s inevitable that some games will be remembered more so than others. For example, games that both sold well and earned critical acclaim are more likely to stand out in our collective memory.When it came to the N64 back in the late ’90s, a lot of third-party games had a tough time competing with Nintendo’s own line-up. Fast-forward to the present, and pretty much only Nintendo and Rare’s back catalogue of games have been re-released or remastered. As a result, a lot of other N64 games have simply been consigned to the past.We’ve come up with a list of N64 game heroes whom we feel didn’t get the attention they deserved. If you still play your N64 on a regular basis then why not try getting hold of these games and giving them a go? Adam Drake (Body Harvest)Sent back in time to single-handedly halt an alien invasion, Adam Drake is the reason that the human race still exists – not a small feat by any means.But sadly for Adam, the game in which he stars didn’t fare well commercially when it launched on the N64 in 1998 (despite getting some decent review scores).

It’s a shame because Body Harvest is the spiritual predecessor to the hugely successful Grand Theft Auto III (and was made by DMA Design, which later became Rockstar North).Body Harvest was originally meant to be an N64 launch title, but it went through an especially long period of development hell, thanks to a meddling Nintendo (the game’s original publisher). The gaming giant kept trying to turn the game into an RPG – likely influenced by the N64’s low popularity in Japan – before finally dropping support.With Nintendo out of the picture, the game was finally able to be completed after being picked up by Gremlin Graphics (Midway in North America). But the endless delays, not to mention the fact that Body Harvest’s graphics looked pretty dated even in 1998, meant that Adam’s chances of fame and glory were dashed from the beginning. Rocket (Rocket: Robot on Wheels)Despite starring in a game that at points even outclasses Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, poor Rocket never took off with gamers.This was Sucker Punch Productions’ first game (known nowadays for the Sly Cooper and Infamous series), and designer Don Munsil. And as much as we love Rocket, it’s fair to say that his actual character design just wasn’t as endearing or as interesting as most other 3D platforming heroes at the time. Goemon (Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon / Goemon’s Great Adventure)Konami’s kiseru-wielding hero made his first appearance in the West in The Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, but it was his first N64 adventure, that really turned heads.While the purpose of some of Goemon’s heroic quests are arguably not that important (Japan being transformed into a Westernised fine arts theatre isn’t quite on par with climate change or a nuclear apocalypse), you have to commend his unswerving sense of justice.

Or at least you would, had he not been completely forgotten.Ultimately, Goemon got lost in translation – the series’ inherently Japanese themes and humour made localisation difficult, although Goemon’s Great Adventure fares a lot better in that department. Both the N64 games sold reasonably well – and are excellent fun – but presumably didn’t attract the level of success Konami sought.A board game spin-off, Goemon: Mononoke Sugoroku, was released exclusively for the N64 in Japan, and the series has continued in its homeland (somewhat), but the chances of us seeing Goemon in the West again are looking slim. Marina (Mischief Makers)A robotic maid that grabs and shakes objects isn’t your typical template for a game protagonist (although it’s a worrying fit for a seedier medium in hindsight).Nevertheless, Mischief Makers’ Marina was a sure-fire hit with the small group of players who enjoyed Treasure’s side-scrolling cult classic.Marina’s incredibly limited popularity in gaming stems from the mixed and critical reviews that Mischief Makers received upon release. The game has a bit of a steep learning curve, and the game’s visual style, while impressive, clearly didn’t resonate with the mainstream of the N64’s audience. Davy, Jack, Fred and Linda (Chameleon Twist / Chameleon Twist 2)The cute cast of Chameleon Twist must be feeling pretty bitter in 2017, seeing Yooka the chameleon, of Yooka-Laylee fame, attracting big headlines in the gaming press. To make matters worse, it’s by some of the same team that made Banjo-Kazooie – a game that very much overshadowed Chameleon Twist back in the day.It’s a shame because the characters of Chameleon Twist are in fact a good fit for the N64.

In both Chameleon Twist games, you use the N64 controller’s analog joystick to extend and guide your chosen chameleon’s tongue, which you can use to collect items and navigate environments. Who’s your favourite N64 hero?Are there any forgotten heroes that we’veuh, forgotten? Tell us who, and why they deserve a mention, on.