Top 10 Favorite Nintendo 64 Games

I have played the NES and SNES before playing the Nintendo 64, but that was not only my first home console, but it was where I truly started to become a gamer.  The N64 was a BIG thing in my childhood, with all the great games it held.  So, I'm going to honor that, and do a Top 10 list on my most favorite Nintendo 64 games to date!

10: Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda series are one of my favorite games of all time, and Majora's Mask was no different.  It was an interesting game, since it was definitely different from any Zelda game.  It was similar to Ocarina of Time, but what separated it from that was the uniqueness of the different Masks you had to use, which would change your shape and form into other cool things, as well as cool powers!  The other unique part about it was that you had a time limit, and there was no time to goof off... usually.
Reason why it isn't as high as other games is simply because... well, I enjoyed other games more.  But, Majora's Mask deserves its spot in my Top 10 for just being unique!

9: Mario Party
A game that destroys friendships... sometimes.  I loved this game, but my goodness, sometimes it can be annoying.  I broke controllers just because on how insane it is.  I usually had the CPU's on the hardest setting, which was a huge challenge for me back then.
Not to mention when playing with friends and - most likely - my younger brother.  We got into fights because of this game - thought not as often as the next on my Top 10 list here (which I am about to get to in a sec)!
Some of my favorite stages are on this game, such as: Mushroom Mix Up, Skateboard Scamper, Key-pa-Way, Hot Rope Jump, Running of the Bulb, Crane Game (I loved the crane machines back when I was a kid), Bobsled Run, and Bumper Balls.
I don't get as angry on this game anymore, but it can happen.  Even so, I still love this game a lot, including Mario Party 2 and 3... but the first one will always reign on top for me.

8: Mario Kart 64
I like some racing games, but Mario Kart 64 was definitely the top of my list, for various reasons.
Each track was new and different.  The first ones were rather easy, but each cup got more difficult, especially the last one.  Arguably, even though Rainbow Road was tough, I thought that the Yoshi track was harder... ironically enough, since the main character I use is Yoshi.  I remember falling off the edge all the time, and running into things from it.
However, in time though, I did "master" them all, and was actually good.  But, more games come out, and I dulled out since then.
And playing against others was a lot of fun... but it did risk friendships being destroyed (like Mario Party).
The other cool part was the items used.  Lots and lots of items there to destroy your enemies... or yourself (stupid Green Koopa Shells).  I mostly got the short end of the stick from items, but it was still fun to use against the person in front of you.

7. Star Fox 64
The Star Fox series has been very kind to me.  I didn't play it much when I was a kid, but I do remember how much fun it was!  Just being on the Arwing and having those cool dog fights (fox fights... *insert animal here* fights...), whether in space or on a planet.
And the story line isn't just one line where you have to complete a mission and onward to the next one.  No, there were different paths you can take, depending on how fast you complete it, what certain requirements you met, or simply taking a different turn to a different area.  These different paths you took would allow you to use other vehicles like the Land Master, go to different planets, meet different characters, and such!
It's unique in what different choices you make, and encourages you to keep on trying harder than before to show Andross and his army just who's top dog in the Lylat System (or top Fox...).

6: Banjo and Tooie
Banjo and Kazooie was incredible!  The puzzles needed to solve to get a Puzzle Piece were challenging, and each stage was unique and fun to go through!  Especially once you get to the final boss - Grunty!  What a challenge!
However, I liked Banjo and Tooie more.  There was more to explore, more power ups to gain, each stage had a boss, more things to transform in to (my personal favorite was the GIANT T-REX!!!).  I especially loved the Fire and Ice stage.  It was basically two stages put into one, and it technically had two bosses - both who were DRAGONS!!!
I especially liked the part where I found a Giant Glowbo... and when I gave it to Humba Wumba near the Carnival Stage, Kazooie transformed into a little bird dragon!  She was able to breathe fire, and had the appearance of a dragon!  Honestly, that was well rewarding for me!
Grunty was tough to beat in the final fight (arguably harder even than her Banjo and Kazooie fight).  What a relief it was when I FINALLY did beat her!

5: Donkey Kong 64

When I first got the game, I couldn't play it because I didn't have the... er, Expansion Pack to play the game (don't know why).  Once I got it though, I was able to play it, and wow, did I love it or what?
Not only DK, but you were able to play as the other Kongs (once saved).  My personal favorite was Lanky, who I kinda was like (personality wise).
I mean, he plays the Trombone (favorite brass instrument), walks on his hands (up steep hills too), can inflate his belly and FLY (for a limited amount of time), he's goofy, and... yeah, I just love the monkey!
The stages were pretty awesome, and some of the boss fights were incredible (my favorite was when you had to fight the giant Dragon Bug again)!
And I can not deny the awesome power ups you get.  Each Kong had a special ability to use, a special barrel, their own instrument, ranged weapon, etc...
The mini games were tough to beat, especially when you had to get the coins, but I loved the challenge it presented...
Collecting EVERYTHING (and I mean EVERY Golden Banana... count them, that's 200) was a pain somewhat, but I wanted to be perfect about it.  Honestly, it was worth it (kinda)!  My childhood was perfect with this game on the N64, and I loved it all the way (almost).

4: Pokemon Stadium
The first and second Pokemon Stadium games were awesome to play!  You were able to play with ALMOST every Pokemon on each system (Mewtwo, Lugia, and Ho-Oh were not available, unless from your GB Pokemon Games).
However, if I had to chose between the two, I would pick the 1st one over the 2nd one.  The first one was where I was able to include my Pokemon from Blue and (later on) Yellow.  It was awesome to use my own team when I took on the Prime Cup!  I even used my Charmander (which there is a story behind that, which I will cover someday).
The 3D graphics were awesome, and the battles were phenomenal!  I would naturally be sold on that, since I am a Pokemon nerd, but it was more than that.  I felt like I was in an actual battle - an actual match.
The Gym Leader road was pretty intense too (especially surfing Raichu from Lt. Surge).  When I faced off against my Rival again (this time on this version), it was intense (arguably more intense than when I faced him on Blue)!
I enjoyed the Mini Games too, but not nearly as much as the battles!
To make things better, the opportunity to play my Pokemon GB games on the TV was truly something I have been wanting too!
So... yeah, I love Pokemon Stadium... YEAH!

3: Super Smash Bros.
If there was any game I spent HOURS on... it was this one!  I am not BIG on fighting games (aside from DBZ), but this one had a special place in my heart.  Maybe it's because I love Nintendo, but when this game first came out, I was excited.
I played a lot, enough to consider myself "good".  When I played it enough, I dared tried playing the 1 Player mode with one life... on the hardest difficulty.  Was it hard?  You bet it was!  Did I succeed?  Yes..... eventually!
But the part I liked about it most was the multi-player.  Unlike Mario Kart and Mario Party, I did not exactly get angry and furious about it, simply because... well, I was actually pretty good at the game.
Even if I did lose, I had fun with it, and I would play it again... and again, and again!
My favorite character to use was not Link or Pikachu... but Yoshi!  I love that green dinosaur!  I don't know why, but I just enjoyed using him more than any other character (until we got to Brawl).
If there was any game I could go back on, it would be this one.

2: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
I love adventure!  I love a good story.  I like swords.  I love to explore.  Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was just that for me on the Nintendo 64.
The story was pretty epic, and awesome!  Learning about your destiny to save Hyrule, you embark on a quest to save Hyrule from evil.  After discovering Ganondorf's plot, you go out to try and stop him by working with Zelda to collect the remaining stones.  Unfortunately, we do not do so... er, right away.  But we do get the Master Sword (and that's better than saving the world, right?)!
The amount of time I put into this to do just about everything was immense.  From fishing to riding on Epona to just exploring every nick and cranny of every speck of Hyrule... and obtaining the Biggoron's Sword!!!
A game I couldn't have asked more of from any game, this game (as well as others) gave me hope on a bigger gaming world from the likes of Zelda and others (and it holds true to this day).
I was excited when this game was released on the 3DS... and to be honest, I like it more on the 3DS.  Sure, the N64 had it on a big TV, which I loved.  But I love handheld consoles more, and I like to experience my gameplay on the go.  Living that out at different places like you explore on OoT... certainly enjoyable indeed!  However, it isn't my number 1 favorite... speaking of...

1: Super Mario 64
Now, this was my first N64 game, and boy, was it the greatest for me!
I remember playing Mario all the time, from the NES games to Super Mario World on the SNES.  However, when I played Super Mario 64 on the N64, was I impressed!  Not only that, but the stages were INCREDIBLE!  Each stage was unique, and the music was terrific.  I even enjoyed the water levels, and I tend to hate them!
I also loved the power ups.  Being able to walk through things?  Fun.  Turning into metal?  I felt invincible (kinda).  That, and walking in water like nothing was fun too!  Being able to fly though?  Always something I dreamed of doing, and this game let me live that out!  Not to mention being able to ride on the Koopa Shell!  Man, I enjoyed every chance of doing that!
I enjoyed some of the boss fights (mainly Bowser), and Sliding down the slides!  The Penguin Race was a toughie (that Penguin is a cheater, let that be known by all!), but I still beat it.
And to top it all off, once you collected all of the Stars, a surprise awaited you up on top of the Castle (I won't spoil it for those who have yet to reach that far).
Overall, it was a game that I enjoyed as a kid, and still do even now!  It's a game I know I can go back on and enjoy!  It helped define my childhood, and it was where I started my life as a gamer.

So that's my Top 10 Favorite Nintendo 64 Games!  So... yeah, have a good day/evening! :)

Fire Emblem - Character Review: Lucina (FE: Awakening)

Basic Character Description:
Lucina is the actual identity of "Marth" in Fire Emblem: Awakening.  She is the daughter of Chrom, one of the main protagonist of the series.  She is also from the future, who goes back in time to ensure that Grima's resurrection doesn't occur, and that Chrom (and the other units I guess... grr) survives... cause, you know... he dies in her time...  She is a serious (for the most part) and kind princess, who thirsts for a better world than the one she grew up in.

My Thoughts (Character):
Lucina is a pretty cool character, and is one of my favorite Fire Emblem characters in the series, mainly because she somewhat resembles Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Z... in fact, it is one of the MAIN reasons why I like her so much!  They are similar in several areas.  I'll give a brief description on the two, and compare them:

-Future Trunks-
Future Trunks comes from a future where his world is almost destroyed, and he goes back in time to try to ensure that won't occur for a different timeline (the present timeline that we know of in Z).  His father is a prince, and a warrior, and Future Trunks knows how to use a sword.  He is a nice and polite man, who's goal is to save his family, friends, and the innocent from falling into chaos by the Androids (and later, Cell).  He succeeds in aiding a timeline where the world isn't destroyed (at least by the Androids and Cell).

-Lucina-
Lucina comes from a timeline where her world is on the brink of destruction by the resurrected Grima and the Risen.  She (along with a few other units whom are children to varies FE Units) travels back into time to try and ensure that her father, Chrom, isn't killed and to ensure that the world she travels back to won't end up like hers.  Her father is a prince, and a capable warrior and swordsman, and Lucina is a capable swordswoman herself.  She is a kind princess, who strives to prevent the death of her father and mother (as well as countless other innocent lives), and to prevent Grima's resurrection/destruction of the world.  She succeeds in aiding and preventing the timeline she went to from total destruction.

Sounds similar?  They both come from a time where their world is destroyed.  Both want to save the future.  Both have fathers that are princes and are warriors (which in turn, makes them royalty).  Both are capable fighters and good with a sword. Both have somewhat similar personalities and mindsets.  And both succeed in helping preventing a timeline from falling into chaos and destruction similar to their own timeline.  In addition, Lucina's English voice actor, Laura Bailey, also voiced Kid Trunks from Dragon Ball Z.  That's pretty darn awesome, if you ask me!  So in most cases, both are very much alike, and I absolutely think that's pretty awesome, and I love it!

Aside from the whole FE - DBZ talk, as a character, she is pretty straightforward.  Serious (in most cases), kind, and a capable leader.  Sounds somewhat generic (for some), but I do like that kind of quality in some character.  That, and she is also one of the main protagonists in the story, so you hear/see more from her outside of Support Conversations and battle than most of the other characters.

My Thoughts (Unit)
As a unit, she is just as capable of a fighter as her father is.  In fact, she could potentially hold her own better than Chrom himself.  Most (if not all) children units are blessed to become superior than their parents, if work is put into them.  Lucina is no different.  When you recruit her, she starts off lower leveled than most of your units (that you use more often).  She'll start off as a Level 10 Lord, wielding the Parallel Falchion (exclusive to her only) and a Rapier.  Her Skill set will always be Dull Strike+ and Charm.  She will always inherit Aether from her father, which is beneficial when you first get her to help her level up.  She can also inherit the last skill on her mother's skill set (I had Sumia pair up with Chrom, so I got Lucina skills like Galeforce). Her growth rates will almost be identical to Chroms (focusing on strength, skill, speed), but her growth rates will also be affected based on whom her mother is.

She can promote to a Great Lord class, which will net her the Rightful King skill (increases Skill activation by 10%), which is handy for skills like Aether, Pavis, and Aegis.  The Great Lord class will also allow her to wield lances, which helps her with ranged attacks and the such!

She can always reclass into either a Cavalier (thus promoting to either a Paladin or a Great Knight), or an Archer (promotes to either a Sniper or a Bow Knight).  The important Skills for these classes (in my opinion) are the Aegis (Halves bow/tome/dragonstone damage. Trigger = Skill%), Luna (Halves defenses. Trigger = Skill%), and Bowbreaker (Increases Hit/Avoid by 50 when enemy is equipped with a bow.).  Hit +20 and Dual Guard+ are useful as well.  She will also net other classes from her mother, based on who her mother is.  Sumia was the mother for most of my playthroughs, and I liked what I got from her more, to be honest.  The most useful skills that Lucina gets from Sumia is Galeforce (Can make another action/move if you defeat an enemy unit.  Can only be used once per turn.), Pavise (Halves sword/axe/lance/beaststone/blight damage.  Trigger = Skill%), and Renewal (Restores 30% HP at the start of each turn.).  From the other mother units, Astra, Pass, Lethality, Swordfaire, Dual Support+, etc. are great Skills to have.  But the ones I mentioned from Sumia alone are the ones I prefer, personally.

The class I mostly prefer for Lucina would be the Great Lord class (once you get all the skills you want).  I personally think she does better as a Great Lord than her father.

Overall Character Rating: 10/10

Fire Emblem: Awakening - Video Game Review (Nintendo 3DS)

I got the new Fire Emblem game a little over a week ago (02/05/13).  I've been talking about it quite often since just hearing about its making alone (on Facebook), a lot more after it was announced to come to America (once again, on Facebook).  I've beat the game, and played all of the DLC content (so far), and it has a real positive outlook on me (not just because I am a Fire Emblem fan, but much more).  I've been talking a lot about it, but I have yet to explain the pro's and con's of this game.  So... uh, here we go!
 

Fire Emblem: Awakening is the 13th Fire Emblem game to date.  Unlike the past two games (Shadow Dragon and Mystery of the Emblem (Japan only)), this is not a remake, but a new game entirely.  Unlike most of the games, you get to create your own "avatar" (my unit), and get to play him/her in the game.  The choices for the unit is not as impressive as other different games, but it is still fun to work with.  There's 3 builds for each gender, each build has 5 faces to choose from, as well as 5 hair styles, 19 (or 20) different hair colors, and 3 different voice actors to choose from.  Afterwards, you give the unit a name, then a birthday, and what stat will benefit them, but they will also have a lacking stat to choose from.  The stat you choose for the assist/lack part will affect what their base stats will be, as well as their growth rates (growth rates affect how often stats will go up upon leveling up), and their maximum stats.  You won't be able to change your units class (cavalier, knight, myrmidon, archer, etc.), but the opportunity to do so will be presented as you continue the game (I will explain that later as I explain the game).  You start off as a tactician, a balanced unit who can use swords, as well as magic tomes.  After creating your "avatar", the game will begin.

Characters have their own personality and background history.  However, to learn more about it, you have to work up on the Support Conversations (similar to past Fire Emblem games).  I personally like Lon'que (he hasgynophobia, which is revealed in Support Conversations), Cordelia (Tiamo in Japanese, which I personally like better), etc.  I personally like one more, but revealing that name will be a spoiler, which I cannot do.  And there are a few returning characters from Shadow Dragon (Tiki, the Divine Dragon Child.  Yep, she's all grown up now).

The music is pretty darn good.  It's orchestrated, and some of the battle themes and such are great (my personal favorites are Nemesis/Mastermind and Sorrow).  It brings out the game and its intensity.
 

The graphics are pretty darn good too, despite of it being a hand held console.  The 3D models and annimation are pretty good (just wish that some of the critical animations would be just as good), and even the voice acting for some of the characters are not too bad (better than in the past, that's for sure).  Even the short video clips are good too!  Good animation and such!

They also returned some functions from previous Fire Emblem titles.  They brought back the explorable map function, which is before you start the next chapter, you can go around places you went to before and shop for items (or in some cases, merchants who bring additional goodies, or "risen" who you can fight to stock up on experience and leveling up units before tackling the next chapter).  Also when your unit(s) reach a certain level in their class, they gain a skill that they can use.  They can gain more skills to use as they change class, level up, etc.  They can benefit with the Second Seal to reach to different classes and gain the skills from them (I'll explain more about that later).  You can only have 5 skills equipped at a time, but you can always change them around before you go into battle.  In addition, they have the Support Function back, but only this time, there is no limit to how many times you can support.  Originally, for most Fire Emblem games, you could only support up to 5 times.  However, this time around, there is no limit.  You can reach an A rank with as many units as the characters have to support with (the avatar/my unit can support with ANYONE).  In addition, they brought back a function from the 4th Fire Emblem game - Geneology of the Holy War (Japan only) - Mawwage (Marriage).  A male and female unit can reach a S rank support with eachother to initiate a marriage with each other (the avatar/my unit can marry any opposite gender).  This is very beneficial, as this initiates sidequests to recruit their children from another time.  The children unit's stats are based on their father and mother's stats before going into the sidequest, so it is always suggested to train your father and mother unit before going into the sidequest. The child unit also gains a skill from the father and mother, so have the one skill you want them to have equipped beforehand.  Also, they can have stat caps that exceed their parent units, so chances are they will surpass them in time (if trained properly).

In addition to some old additions, they added two new ones: The Duel Mode and Pair Up Systems.  Duel Mode is when two units are side by side, they aid each other in battle.  Depending on their Support Rank (or if they even have one), it affects how often the Support Unit will attack after you attacked, or how often the support unit will shield any damage you would take completely.  The higher one's support rank is, the better chances for the Support Unit to attack or defend goes up.  The Pair Up System does almost what they Duel Mode System Does, but with an addition to two units combining and helping eachother.  It's like the Rescue Option, but much, much better!  Unlike the rescue option, which cuts your units Speed (affects how many times you can attack) and Skill (your hit percentage), the Pair Up system increases some of the Lead Unit's stats (depending on the Support Unit's class and their stats).

Now like previous Fire Emblem titles, a unit can promote to a promoted class (only by the use of a Master Seal), but they get two options instead of one (similar to Sacred Stones).  For example: A Myrmidon can promote to either a deadly Assassin, or a master Swordmaster.  A Mage to either a master of magic - a Sage, or a horse riding Dark Knight.  An Archer to a Sniper, or a horse riding Bow Knight.  And so forth.  However, some base class units don't get this option (a Tactitian can only promote to a Grandmaster, a Lord only to a Great Lord, etc.).  And there are some that can't promote, but their maximum level will be 30 instead of 20 (Manakate (dragon kin), villager, Lodestar, Dancer, etc.).

With the Master Seal, there's another seal called the "Second Seal".  This is what will be used to change your units class to a different one.  Once your unit is level 10 up to level 9 promoted, they can use it to change their class to a base class (this will revert them back to level 1, but with their stats almost completely unaffected (it will change depending on the class change, but the stats will remain good).  In addition, if they are level 10 promoted or higher, in addition to their base class options, they can also change to a promoted class.  However, most of the units will be limited to what class they can change to.  For example, Chrom (the main lord and main character of the game) can only change from a Lord to either an Archer or a Cavalier.  Once level 10 or higher Great Lord (promoted), his options will be - Paladin, Great Knight, Sniper, Bow Knight, Lord, Cavalier, or Archer).  However, the skills you can gain from this alone makes this all the better.  Now, your Avatar/My Unit and his/her child (Morgan) are an exception to all of this.  They can change to just about any regular class (males and females have certain classes specified to them).  They can't change to some classes though (Special Classes), no matter their gender (Villager, Dancer, Taguel, Manakete, Lodestar, Overlord, and Lord).  Morgan can be a Taguel or Manakete, but in order for that to be possible, your unit must be married to one.  The Second Seal gives you the opportunity to gain several skills for your unit to use in battle, as well as a variety of strategies to work on.

There's the addition of DLC involved as well.  Two have been released so far, and more will come as time goes by.  You have to pay for them ($2.50 for the first and second, and probably for most of them as well).  The first DLC allows you to be able to recruit Marth, the second one Roy.  In time, more will come out and you will be able to recruit more past units (as well as other goodies).  In addition, there's the Spotpass function, which allows you to recruit and fight more past Fire Emblem characters (Lyn, Eliwood, Hector, Ephraim, Eirika, Seth, etc.).  In addition, you will gain challenges for when you play against friends or such, as well as items and maps to unlock other characters that you could not get originally in the Awakening timeline.  However, aside from the units you recruit from the maps portion of the Spotpass system, the other past Fire Emblem characters (and DLC recruited characters) are not able to support.  Also, as you complete chapters, challenges, and other Spotpass/DLC content, you gain Renown, which allows you to gain items after a certain amount of Renown is obtained.  You can also record your Avatar's data onto the Spotpass system so that other people could recruit them and use them in their game.

And finally, unlike every Fire Emblem game made, after completion of the final chapter, and the credits end and jazz, you don't save the file to an "Epilogue", but instead, it leaves you off on the final chapter.  This means that you can still train your units, play the DLC that you get later, and play online with units you take your time on to train.

Now, I'll try explaining the pros and cons of the game:

Pros: The storyline is unique, and depending on who you are, it could be touching (it did to me); The support system; The marriage system; The skill system; A good amount of characters with an interesting background (given you support with plenty units); Creating your own unit; Good music; Gives you the opportunity to train your units and equip them to the best as the game gets tougher; Difficulty is managable.  Lunatic is a challenge, but not impossible (just gotta be a good strategist); The overview world map; Graphics.  The 3D models look great, and the animations do too, despite it being a handheld console; Duel Mode/Pair Up Systems; Changing Classes; Choosing a promoted class; DLC; and Spotpass.

Cons: Somewhat limited on customiztion on the Avatar unit; and the lack of feet on the character 3D models.

To be honest, the cons list is small, and for good reason too.  The game is VERY good (FANTASTIC).  If you are a Fire Emblem fan, this game is a must.  It is AMAZING!  If you are not one, I still suggest it.  If you are into Turn Based RPG games, this one is a must.  If you aren't, but haven't tried it yet... I suggest getting this game, or any other past Fire Emblem games.  Fire Emblem: Awakening has definitely put some of the BEST qualities from past games into this game, and put GREAT additions to the game.  Top that with a great storyline, and other great qualities (music, graphics, etc.), and you have a game that has reached my heart (and numerous other Fire Emblem fans) as my (and their) #1 favorite Fire Emblem game, and my personal FAVORITE game of all time!  Fire Emblem: Awakening has my rating of 10+/10.  I might sound a bit overboard on how much I like it, but this game has truly hit the spot in what I like about video games.