Concept 4 Racing Wheel for N64 by InterAct

Anything had to be better than that worthless Rally Racing Wheel for GameBoyAdvance, but this Concept 4 Racing Wheel for Nintendo 64 is actually impressively well designed in every way! This thing has a rubberized wheel, metal trigger thingies, an optional foot pedal, adjustable sensitivity, reassignable buttons, rumble compatibility, a memory card slot, and a pivoting base.

As you can see, there are buttons on the wheel and they're just waiting to be pressed. Every button on the Nintendo 64 is represented here, so you'll be able to navigate menus and play any game you want. On the left, there are L and R buttons, which are in addition to the metal triggers which also function as L and R by default (you can reassign them to whatever you want by holding down the set button and pressing the buttons you want to swap). In order to move on the Y axis, you can use the analog slider to the right of the L and R buttons or the D-Pad. You can even map the Y axis slider to a foot pedal if you want. The only complaint I have when it comes to buttons is that the C buttons are not very easy to reach. Obviously, the Z button isn't either since it's in the middle of the controller, but it can be easily reassigned if the game requires it. Actually steering works great and the sensitivity can be changed by holding the Set button and pressing a direction on the D-Pad.

The Concept 4 Racing Wheel does have a fair bit of cables, but they're almost all optional. First of all, is the cable connecting the pedals which control the A and B buttons and are supposedly analog even though the N64 controller's A and B buttons are digital. The function of these can also be swapped, or, since there are A and B buttons also on the wheel itself, you can unplug the pedals and not use them at all. The underside of the pedal unit also has convenient grooves which lead out the front or back so you can secure the cable in either direction. Even the power adapter is only required for the wheel's rumble function (for compatible games) and rumble can be turned on and off by holding Set and then pressing Start.
Check out my video demonstration of the wheel here with Mario Kart 64, F-Zero X, Star Fox 64, and even Super Mario 64!
The wheel is designed to be usable on either a table or your lap and is comfortable in both positions. It can also pivot up and down to whatever angle you find to be most comfortable.
The final word: Personally, I still prefer to play racing games with a controller simply because that's what I'm most accustomed to, but if you want to play with a racing wheel, I definitely recommend the Concept 4 by InterAct. It's all around well designed, easily usable, and solidly constructed. I really couldn't ask for more.

While we're on the topic of racing games, have you tried the fantastic and sadly overlooked Excitebots?

Why Linearity in 3D Mario Isn't a Bad Thing

I've written before about linearity in gaming and how it isn't necessarily the bad thing that many believe it to be. The gist of that article was that when done right, both linear and nonlinear games can be fun and good games. Rather than one style being "good" and the other "bad", they're more like different subgenres which can be more or less fun based on one's own personal preference. I also wrote that I believe that much of the hate directed toward so-called linear games occurs when said games break the expectations of fans and diverge from the style of previous games in the series.

The situation with 3D Mario games is much the same way. Super Mario 64 brought Mario into the 3D world in the form of an adventure-platforming game. The platforming from Mario's 2D days carried over, but now there was also an emphasis on exploring large, open levels in search of stars. In many cases, each level's multiple stars could be found in any order and through a variety of paths by utilizing Mario's new repertoire acrobatic moves. In some cases, the star would only be available when it was selected upon entering the level, causing minor changes in the stage. 

Out of all the 3D Mario games, Super Mario 64 placed the biggest focus on adventure and exploration. Since then, each game in the series has shifted the focus little by little, back towards Mario's roots of linear platforming. Super Mario Sunshine retained Super Mario 64's wide open levels, but had more objectives that required level altering changes, which resulted in most cases in a set order within each level. It also expanded upon Super Mario 64's pre-level hints by showing a short video of the goal's location, thus reducing the amount of exploration required. The Super Mario Galaxy games took Mario even further in the direction of linearity by mostly having levels that were less open and explorable, but which had clear objectives and focused platforming. Finally, Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World are the culmination of these trends, retaining no semblance of the adventure genre and focusing entirely on 3D platforming.

Not bad, just different.

But this isn't a bad thing. Yes, it differs from what fans of Super Mario 64 expect from a 3D Mario game and leaves a void of first party adventure games, but that doesn't mean that the new style of 3D Mario is "bad". In fact, this more linear 3D interpretation of Mario's 2D roots brings with it some advantages over the adventure focused games in the series. The truth is that both kinds of 3D Mario games have their pros, cons, and differences that are neither good nor bad except within one's personal preferences.

One advantage of linear level design is that the objective is clear, though this is also a matter of personal preference. What is described as "exploring" by some players could be described as "wandering around" by others. With linear levels, you know exactly where you're going and can focus on platforming at a faster pace. Also, with less possible routes, the challenge and experience in each level can be better tailored to the designer's wishes, since they know exactly where the player will be at any given point. Since most levels have only one or two objectives, there can also be a wider variety and greater number of levels. That also means that you won't spend as much time retracing your steps by exploring each level multiple times like you would in more nonlinear Mario games. Of course, linear level design also means that you won't be able to be as creative with how you get to the goal.

Super Mario 64's nonlinear design meant going through the same areas
multiple times; even more so if you didn't know where you were going.
On the other hand, multiple routes were possible.

My aim in writing this is for you, the reader, to understand that while each style of 3D Mario has its minor advantages and disadvantages, the differences are, for the most part, neither good nor bad, but simply different. It's understandable why fans of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine would be upset by the change in formula, but "3D Mario" is not a unified series. Super Mario 64 is different from Super Mario Sunshine which is different from the Galaxy games which are different from the Super Mario 3D games, and none hold any obligation to follow the patterns set by the others. It's fine to prefer one kind of 3D Mario over another - it would be strange if you didn't - but know that personal preference does not determine a game's overall quality.

I'd also like to note, now that Mario has returned to his platforming roots and Rare isn't developing N64 games any more, it sure would be nice if another franchise picked up the adventure-genre slack. Make it happen, Nintendo!

5 N64 Games You Might Not Have Played but Should

I hate to make assumptions and say you haven't played these games, but I find it to be the case that people often haven't. There were quite a few good games for N64 so a few were bound to get lost in the mix. These are just some of the ones that I played that I don't hear getting talked about very much. If you've already played them all, good for you, you win the prize.

5. Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness

The ghosts sometimes dress for the stage.

This was one of the few games I owned and played for Playstation but it was also out for Nintendo 64. I hardly remember it, but I know that I spent a good deal of time on it and that there always seemed to be another level to unlock that required me to go back and find more stuff in previous levels. That might sound like a pain, but that was the sort of thing I liked and it offered a good deal of replay value. The levels basically consisted of classic Pac-Man style mazes with dots and ghosts, where you had to get a certain number of dots to get to the next area; and also segments with block-pushing puzzles and other obstacles. The things you needed to go back for were additional stars awarded for collecting all the dots, finding all the fruit, getting a high enough score, and finishing under a certain time. These levels weren't short either, and I remember spending a considerable amount of time exploring each one in search of fruit and dots.

4. Space Station Silicon Valley
This game is probably one of the most unique games you'll ever play. Your character is a microchip and your setting is a space station filled with robot animals. Your goal varies by stage, but involves skill and puzzle solving as you take control of the robot animals and use their varied abilities to access new areas and deactivate (kill) the other animals so you can take control of them when you need them. 

You are the little black thing floating between the sheep and dog.

There is a wide variety of animals to control, including farting rats, hyenas that attack with contagious laughter, and a polar bear on treads which drops poo-shaped mines and launches cannon balls from its nose. It's always fun when you manage to fell one of these mighty beasts and use it for yourself, but there are also times when you must abandon the lumbering tanks for an agile mouse to get into a small space or a defenseless sheep so you can glide across chasms. It gets fairly challenging too; in fact, I guarantee that you can't beat it because there's a glitch that prevents it. Unfortunately, as great as this game is, there is a game-breaking glitch that prevents you from playing the final level. Still, the game is definitely worth playing.


3. Sin and Punishment

Don't you wish Star Fox 64 had a sequel for N64? Well, it pretty much does in the form of Sin and Punishment. This game was only released in Japan but is now available on Wii Virtual Console and it's well worth checking out (along with its sequel, also for Wii). It plays a lot like Star Fox, except you move your character independently from the aiming reticle, so you have to pay attention to both not getting hit and to where you're shooting. There's a lot to shoot too, so building combos and destroying groups of enemies in one shot in pursuit of a high score is an added layer of depth. Also, you'll need to keep a lookout for larger incoming projectiles which you can bat back at enemies with your sword. It's epic, frantic, and quite difficult, but it's very fun. Even though it's a Japanese game, the cutscenes are voice acted in English with Japanese subtitles. Of course, the story doesn't make any freaking sense, but at least it feels epic. Admittedly, the graphics are pretty crappy, but once you're playing it you'll hardly notice. Fans of Star Fox or arcade-style shooters definitely should check this one out.

2. Blast Corps

This is another unique game and it's by Rare in their prime, so that ought to tell you something. The gist of this game is that there's a truck stuck going on a designated path with a nuke on it and if it hits anything, it explodes. Of course, the only logical thing to do in a scenario like this is to destroy all the buildings and obstacles in the way, so that's exactly what you do. You do this by using a variety of vehicles which range from bulldozers to flying robots and destroy all the buildings that would get in the truck's way. The buildings can be destroyed in chunks too so it's pretty satisfying to watch them fall apart in pieces. That in itself is fun, but for completionists, each level also has little lights to find and turn on, an award for destroying every building (proving the plot was just a half-formed excuse for destruction), an award for finding all the survivors, and sometimes hidden satellite dishes that unlock new levels and challenges. Exploring the levels for every little thing was probably my favorite part, especially since that included destroying every little thing as well. If you do well enough, you can even continue your destruction on the moon.

1. Rocket: Robot on Wheels

On a console with lots of great adventure games like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Donkey Kong 64, it's hard to play them all. But Rocket: Robot on Wheels holds its own with the best of them. Like other games from its genre, Rocket has you collecting various objects in order to open up the next area so that you can find more of those objects. The main hub is located in an amusement park and each level is similarly unique, not just recycling the usual fire level, water level, forest level formula. It's filled with clever ideas that require exploration, puzzle solving, and platforming and it's fun throughout. In particular, I recall a part where you build and ride a roller coaster and another part where you have to dip yourself in paint in a certain order to disguise yourself. 

Where Banjo-Kazooie had you transforming into different creatures and objects, Rocket gets his different abilities by plugging into a variety of vehicles. Also of note, is Rocket's tractor beam, which lets you pick up objects and have them float along with you. It can also act as a grappling beam which you can use to swing from tether points like in Metroid. What's neat, though, is that the objects you pick up behave with believable physics and tumble realistically when dropped or thrown. It isn't so amazing now, but for an N64 game, that was really cool. If, like me, adventure games were your favorite thing to play on N64, you'll definitely want to play this one. Why, oh why, are there hardly any good adventure games any more? :( 


What did I miss? Let me know in the comments! I know Bomberman: Second Attack was one I always wanted to play but couldn't find, so perhaps that also belongs on this list as well.