What does one think of when you picture the deep blue sky and endless
oceans? How about the starry night skies and towering mountains? There
has always been a sensitive side for me in the exciting realm of
exploration, and the sense of adventure you get from it. Alright maybe
I am getting too ahead of myself here, but when you think of such, you
wonder how you are going to get around seeing it all. Since I am
unfortunately no pilot, and know none myself, the closest to the real
thing I could grab was right there in my old Nintendo 64. Many recall
the plumber being the real deal when the system made its debut, but one
game slipped under some noses and it goes by the clever name of
Pilotwings 64. A game full of exploration, challenge, and uniqueness,
the game encompasses something a lot of games are missing in today’s
day in age…mellowness.
Strap on a jet-pack or grab a spare hang-glider, as you prepare to sit
down and take on the intriguing simulation-based missions. Each
scenario will give you a certain task to do, be it moving a gigantic
one hundred foot wide balloon across the ocean, or landing on all
twenty moving air targets without fail. Carefulness and time management
are all essential as you progress, because after each mission you are
graded on your performance. Time completed, accuracy in landing on
certain targets, tasks completed, landing precision and landing impact,
will all add up to total your score. Based on your score you will be
able to take home a gold, silver, or bronze medal, and advance to the
next class. Being as flight inefficient as I am, it definitely takes a
lot of skill to get perfect in some of the later missions. That said,
there is plenty of challenge here and it is as smooth as the sailing
itself.
Vehicles are the name of the game and you have quite a selection to
choose from. The Gyrocopter will be your vehicle of choice for
targeting missions, as it is equipped with a missile launcher and a
landing tracker system. Though it is essential to take out all the
targets and land as quickly as possible, it is a lot of fun to just go
around blowing stuff up. I also like how some of the environments were
alterable, Mount Rushmore is something that comes to mind here -- don’t
worry you will see why later on. The Rocket Pack is the smoothest to
control and has missions that revolve around going through rings or
landing on air targets. Though it is the easiest to control, learning
to correlate your technique with the camera for that 100% landing score
will be difficult. Lastly, you have the hang-glider which is definitely
a pain in the ass to control, because of the sluggish turns and a width
that makes it incredibly easy to wreck. Though it is frustrating at
first, the vehicles are very fun to play around with, and the learning
curve is steady throughout.
Another thing that pulled me into the game was just the light-hearted
nature and silliness of the game. It truly is something you do not see
in a lot of simulation based games out there, which usually are devoid
of any emotion. The characters are all goofy from the young Lark to the
scrawny Goose, and each has their own tones and personalities. I found
it hilarious when I accidentally (or purposely) drove my character into
a lake or mountainside, only to hear a high-pitched squeal, followed by
a crash or splat. However, each character does more than just give you
some Sunday evening laughs; they also provide a weight class that goes
hand in hand with the vehicles. Some missions may require a thin person
to get through tight crevices to reach the end, or perhaps a large and
accelerative one to get through all those rings in time. The diversity
of the characters and learning to know when to use each one, is
essential, and is half the fun.
There are some rough edges beneath that glossy finish, and that is the
repetition of mission styles in later levels. For instance, the ring
and target destruction missions show up several times in the game, and
with little variety thrown into them. Elements such as wind current and
building-orient obstacles will be in the way to slow you down, but with
timing they are not really an outstanding obstruction. There also seems
to be some problems now and then with the grading system towards
landing precision and accuracy. At times I half-assed a landing and
scored a 100/100, while other times I nearly broke the controller in
concentration and landed a 90/100. As your skill increases that
understanding of the system will improve, but a little more control
over certain mechanics, such as the camera, would have been nice. Now,
speaking of cameras, that thought brings me back to that all too
familiar element I talked about earlier…
Mellow.
It is more than something you would only hear and feel on a drunken
night out to a bar lounge with friends. Surprisingly it can be found
right at home, and Pilotwings 64 does a great job with surrounding you
in that environment; that being the extremely entertaining “Birdman”
mode, which is accessible only a little ways into the game. Being an
explorative sight-seer myself, I found this portion of the game to be
as satisfying as the missions themselves. Taking on an easy to control
set of wings, you can glide your character through levels similar to
grade based ones. However, you are armed with just a camera and your
simple objective is to just glide around, exploring hidden sections of
the area, and just have a good time. Bringing it all together is the
dated but colorful visuals, the day and night feature, and the relaxing
soundtrack. After a twelve hour day at work, I could not think of a
game I would want to play more, which only makes it sound more
intriguing doesn’t it?
A great atmosphere is always vital to a game that encompasses the
elements of nature and exploration. Though standard by today’s views, I
still find the game as amazing looking as it was back in 1996. The look
of the ever changing skies going from night, to day, to sunsets looks
amazing, as does the detail of the cities and landmarks. The perception
of levels from a distance is very clear and the wind effects are done
well, in a sense of letting you know it is there but not obstructing
your view. Character models are a little out of texture and blocky, but
it is forgivable thanks to the hilarious expressions each of them give.
Only thing that could have really been perfected was the explosions.
Watching what looks like paper shredding after landing a missile atop a
mountainside is kind of unimpressive. I can only think what a nuclear
blast would look like under these circumstances.
However, above and beyond the veil lies a portion of the game that
proceeds to give me the most satisfaction, the sound. Pilotwings 64
sports one of the most calm and jazzy soundtracks I have ever heard. It
was, in fact, hearing a remix of one of the songs in this game that
made me excited to give this game a go. Dan Hess did a fantastic job,
giving the game that unique relaxing setting, so few simulations have.
From the upbeat techno like sound of the day time levels, to the
jazz-trance flavor of the starry night, it by all means pulls you in.
So, much so that it will help to let you ignore some minor game-play
quibbles talked about earlier. Heck, just turn down the lights and turn
up the sound, and chill into that calming fade.
Though there is no multi-player to speak of, there is plenty to keep
you coming back. Secret modes, a stable difficulty, fun missions, and a
tremendously addictive musical score all bring the world of Pilotwings
64 together. It is a shame that many passed this one over from the hype
of other early Nintendo titles. Another thing some people may miss is
that this is, in fact, a sequel of the one from the Super Nintendo.
Giving this one a shot will, no doubt, make sure you do not miss this
one again. Even if you are not a fan of Simulation games, Nintendo has
done something with this genre that makes it unlike anything I have
played before.
