Jet Force Gemini is an incredibly fun, addicting and deep space shooter adventure. Developed by Rare, the geniuses who brought us Golden-eye, Battle-toads, Snake Rattle and Roll, Donkey Kong Country, etc etc etc, this is a game that offers thrills from its opening moments and pulls its player into its world, immersing them in a 3rd person shooter experience like no other.
The story is told in non-speaking cutscenes as well as in-game through conversations with very witty space alien creatures (with clever and hilarious one-liners aplenty). It follows the adventures of three space adventurers--an armor-clad boy and girl, a flying dog, and a helicopter robot sidekick they meet along the way (who provides the cooperative blasting option for a second player). Each player has their own unique ability, the boy can walk on lava, the girl can swim underwater, and the dog can hover long distances in the air, giving a strong incentive to re-visit the various levels of the game as other characters and adding greatly to the game's depth. These characters, in addition to blasting their way across the galaxy to stop the evil schemes of Mizar, are given several fetch quests which seem like optional bonuses early on but later become mandatory. These include saving furry Ewok-like Tribals and gathering the pieces of a faster-than-light spaceship. Like many Rare games it is easy to get started in Jet Force Gemini but only the most thorough and dedicated will reach the game's conclusion. Thankfully, the game's incredible game-play, graphics and sound will make this more of a joy than a chore.
The game's graphics are incredible. Many of the gun's weapons feature a special effect taking advantage of the n64 hardware, ranging from spiraling colors to explosions taking up the whole screen. Splattering bug guts and often decapitated bug heads often accompany this mayhem, which would be disturbing if not for the evil non-human-like qualities of the game's antagonists, beautifully-animated bugs who stand on two legs, run around the levels taking shots at our hero, attack from cover, and beg for mercy when they are scared or twitch on the ground when they are wounded but not quite finished. Thanks to life-force doors which open only when all enemies are dispatched, the game incentivizes the player finishing off such wounded bug aliens execution-style in order to advance. Morbidly, collecting the bugs severed heads is monitored by the game, letting the player know how many have been added to the hero's collection.
The sound is similarly impressive, with the sound effects being spot-on and adding to the atmosphere and the suspense of knowing bugs are nearby but needing to seek them out, and the music could not be more perfect. If you enjoyed the music of Donkey Kong Country or Golden-Eye fret not; the music of Jet Force Gemini is just as good if not better.
And these great graphics and sound design choices serve to further enrich a core game-play design which scarcely needed help to begin with, a deep 3rd person shooter with tons of weapons to use ranging from blasters, grenades, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, shotguns, and the list goes on and on. Light but forgiving platforming elements round out a game experience that feels more like entering a new world than merely sitting at a screen playing a game for a few minutes.
As I said in my title, Jet Force Gemini is one of the greatest games of the n64 console generation. Those looking for more depth than Golden-Eye should follow the Jet Force Gemini team and give evil Mizar the what's for. Clearly a must-play and an eternal, instant-classic. Let's hope Rare gets off their fat butt and makes a sequel PRONTO.
PS due to the precise aiming controls, the use of an analog joystick is recommended. Jet Force Gemini is an incredibly fun, addicting and deep space shooter adventure. Developed by Rare, the geniuses who brought us Golden-eye, Battle-toads, Snake Rattle and Roll, Donkey Kong Country, etc etc etc, this is a game that offers thrills from its opening moments and pulls its player into its world, immersing them in a 3rd person shooter experience like no other.
The story is told in non-speaking cutscenes as well as in-game through conversations with very witty space alien creatures (with clever and hilarious one-liners aplenty). It follows the adventures of three space adventurers--an armor-clad boy and girl, a flying dog, and a helicopter robot sidekick they meet along the way (who provides the cooperative blasting option for a second player). Each player has their own unique ability, the boy can walk on lava, the girl can swim underwater, and the dog can hover long distances in the air, giving a strong incentive to re-visit the various levels of the game as other characters and adding greatly to the game's depth. These characters, in addition to blasting their way across the galaxy to stop the evil schemes of Mizar, are given several fetch quests which seem like optional bonuses early on but later become mandatory. These include saving furry Ewok-like Tribals and gathering the pieces of a faster-than-light spaceship. Like many Rare games it is easy to get started in Jet Force Gemini but only the most thorough and dedicated will reach the game's conclusion. Thankfully, the game's incredible game-play, graphics and sound will make this more of a joy than a chore.
The game's graphics are incredible. Many of the gun's weapons feature a special effect taking advantage of the n64 hardware, ranging from spiraling colors to explosions taking up the whole screen. Splattering bug guts and often decapitated bug heads often accompany this mayhem, which would be disturbing if not for the evil non-human-like qualities of the game's antagonists, beautifully-animated bugs who stand on two legs, run around the levels taking shots at our hero, attack from cover, and beg for mercy when they are scared or twitch on the ground when they are wounded but not quite finished. Thanks to life-force doors which open only when all enemies are dispatched, the game incentivizes the player finishing off such wounded bug aliens execution-style in order to advance. Morbidly, collecting the bugs severed heads is monitored by the game, letting the player know how many have been added to the hero's collection.
The sound is similarly impressive, with the sound effects being spot-on and adding to the atmosphere and the suspense of knowing bugs are nearby but needing to seek them out, and the music could not be more perfect. If you enjoyed the music of Donkey Kong Country or Golden-Eye fret not; the music of Jet Force Gemini is just as good if not better.
And these great graphics and sound design choices serve to further enrich a core game-play design which scarcely needed help to begin with, a deep 3rd person shooter with tons of weapons to use ranging from blasters, grenades, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, shotguns, and the list goes on and on. Light but forgiving platforming elements round out a game experience that feels more like entering a new world than merely sitting at a screen playing a game for a few minutes.
As I said in my title, Jet Force Gemini is one of the greatest games of the n64 console generation. Those looking for more depth than Golden-Eye should follow the Jet Force Gemini team and give evil Mizar the what's for. Clearly a must-play and an eternal, instant-classic. Let's hope Rare gets off their fat butt and makes a sequel PRONTO.
PS due to the precise aiming controls, the use of an analog joystick is recommended. |
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