Jet Force Gemini
Reviewed by Danielle L.
Rare's done it again! This time, they made a masterpiece about an evil
space king named Mizar who terrorizes the galaxy with his army of
insects and spends a lot of his free time terrorizing the adorable
little Ewok-type things named tribals. Well Juno and Vela, two
kick-butt space twins, aren't going to take it anymore! They set off
for adventure to bust up Mizar's army and set the tortured Tribals
free. They get help along the way with robots, their dog, and others.
Will Juno and Vela save the day, or get blown away by a horde of evil
alien ants? You decide!
Graphics: 10 out of 10
This game has silky-smooth animation. Even during the fiercest
shoot-outs, the frames don't skip a beat. Also, the polygons don't show
like they do in other N64 games. The lighting is also used very well to
achieve mood. You may go from a brightly lit battleship to a gloomy old
swamp. The effects for that are excellent. The characters are portrayed
in great detail, from the furry Tribals to the slimy insects. Also, when
you shoot your gun at an ant, you can actually see it hit your target and
the blood spatter. A nice, if gory, touch.
Music and Sound: 9 out of 10
The sound effects in this game rock! Each gun makes a different sound
when it hits something, and I love the little sound the Tribals make
when you talk to them. The beginning music is especially good. The
music does many things. It sets the mood (a spaceship might have a
really blood-pumping soundtrack, were as a jungle is a little more
mellow), gets you pumped for action, and sometimes gets stuck in your
head. It would have been cool if they added more voice clips, but lets not
quibble. This has great sound.
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
I admit, there were some times when I got my butt kicked because I was
wondering around half-dead. It does get a little irritating at times when
you can't get through a world without the ants blowing your head off fifty
times, but its not boringly easy either. I didn't like at some times when I
couldn't figure out where I was going in a world, I kept going in circles. It
was a little hard, but not too much so.
Game Play-Fun: 8 out of 10
What could be better than blasting holes in ants? (Please, don't report
me for animal abuse) I suppose fighting ants and rescuing Tribals is fun
for awhile, but I thought it would have been better if there were more
side-quests. I also didn't like some of the frustrating things, like dying
constantly and the maze-like worlds. Sometimes it was hard to figure out
what to do! The frustration killed a lot of the fun.
Frustration
OK, very frustrating at some points. You go through a world fifty times in
circles, die a hundred times, and you still realize that you have no idea
what to do next! Grr! I had the strategy guide parked next to me the whole
time I had it rented, and it was really irritating to have to do that. I like
games where I can play by myself, and I hate the ones that require me flipping
through a guide every five seconds. It was a little hard to figure out what to
do in this game (besides kill bugs, JOY!)
Replayability: 8 out of 10
After you beat it, what next? I suppose you could play it again, now that
you know what to do, or rescue all of the Tribals. But... what would be the
point? The game does have a multi-player mode that would kill some time.
But, after doing that for awhile, you may just put this game away for a couple
of months before you get the urge to smash some bugs again.
Game Value: 10 out of 10
Its hard to find this game for more than $20. Most websites I've seen
advertise it at $15 or $16. So, it is definitely worth it. You get a full
20 hours of play, probably more, a multi-player mode, and you'll probably
play it over again at least once. Its a pretty cool game for such a low price.
Overall: 8 out of 10
All in all, if you have $16 to spend on a game, this may as well be it. Its
a little frustrating at times, but its still pretty good. It has great graphics
and sound, awesome weapons, and a pretty nifty multi-player. So, if you
need a game for less than $20, why not buy Jet Force Gemini?