Pilotwings 64
Nintendo 64 * Nintendo

Review by Michael Vafeas
9.8

Remember when the Super NES was first introduced? Pilotwings sat on the shelf alongside Sim City and F-Zero, and we thought that the scaling and rotation in Pilotwings was amazing... Well, Pilotwings is back again, this time as a launch title for the Nintendo 64. Like its predecessor, Pilotwings 64 showcases the power of the system as well as provides hours of entertainment for players and spectators alike.

For those of you who are as of yet unacquainted with this less-than-popular game, I'll give you a little background. Pilotwings 64 is a cross between a flight sim and an action game with dozens of little extras such as bonus levels and environmental details that are just interesting to watch. You must use three aircrafts (hangglider, rocketbelt, and gyrocopter) to complete specific tasks which are explained to you before you begin. These tasks may involve flying through rings, popping balloons, staying aloft with the hangglider for a certain amount of time, or even using the missiles, which are now at your disposal in the gyrocopter, to destroy a huge mech who walks along the countryside throwing boulders at you. After you have landed (a skill this game will have you master), you will receive a score between 0 and 100 for your efforts and may be promoted to the next level, where you will face a more difficult set of tasks. Allow me to remind you at this point that this is a game made by Nintendo, and as such is not as straightforward and simple as I have just mentioned. Upon your successful completion of certain levels, you are awarded with bonus levels in which you may skydive or shoot your character out of a cannon at a target, among other things. There is also a star hidden in each level, and if you are able to find the star, you will be turned into birdman, at which point you can simply fly over the various landscapes and appreciate the scenery.

...And what scenery it is. The graphics in this game, as anticipated, are nothing short of breathtaking. I assure you that there is pop-up, but it occurs so far in the distance that you have to deliberately look for it in order to notice it at all. The level of detail in the environments here is incredible. Everything looks so solid and detailed that I often find myself just flying around a house or church just to prove to myself that yes, this has a back, and a front, and sides, and look...there are little steps leading up to the door...amazing. The graphical effects modes on the Nintendo 64 are working overtime as is noticeable when you fly close to the little villages and see that the houses do not become a mess of pixels and polygons. In fact, the closer you get to the houses and other objects in the game, the more detail you can see in them, which I was a bit surprised by. You can fly into the winter village right up to one of the chalets and notice the intricate wooden patterns on the walls. The four different islands on which you must complete your tasks all have their unique characteristics and details, and it is easy to forget about your mission altogether and decide to go sight-seeing, which is entirely your choice.

The music and sound effects in this game are excellent. You can fly right up to a waterfall and hear the water crashing with startling realism. Wind whistles in your ear while the music flows along. If you've already played Pilotwings, you might remember the corny (but catchy) lounge songs in the background. Now you're given brand new lounge songs in all their 64-bit glory, which some will find annoying, but most will find amusing and relaxing. Although the music could have been a bit more varied, it is exceptional considering it's a cartridge.

Now to the heart of the game: the game play. The amount of control you have is amazing, the analog pad works beautifully with this game. The game is set up so that it becomes gradually more difficult, which is not to say that you're completing the same tasks over again with a different background. Each mission has its own difficulties and strategies, and finding them is just a matter of practice and instinct. It is quite difficult to believe that so much variation was extracted from a concept which is actually quite simple, but such is the beauty of games that receive the golden touch of Miyamoto, and this is no exception. Exploration yields rewards as well; look at the land carefully and you might be able to find a cave which you must explore in order to find the hidden star.

In conclusion, I must say that this game is not for everyone. I wouldn't recommend this game to a person who only likes, say, sports games. I would recommend this game to people who like action and a hint of adventure in a lush environment filled with little surprises. This game is much more than a flight sim, and the graphics alone are the smoothest and most realistic to be found outside a SGI machine. More importantly, the game is entertaining and relaxing, and it's definitely something you would want to play once you finish Super Mario 64.


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