Jet Force Gemini (Nintendo 64)

Jet Force Gemini (Nintendo 64)

While I had a PlayStation at the time, there can be no doubt that Rare and the Nintendo 64 made a great combination. Jet Force Gemini is one of Rare's games for the N64 and it's a good demonstration of what they could do. Jet Force Gemini, released in 1999, is a combination third-person shooter/action adventure game in which you play the role of a member of a galactic law enforcement team.

While this isn't a game in which the story is too terribly important, it involves saving a race (Tribals) that have been enslaved by a large insect named Mizar and his drones. At least that is the story in the 1-player game. In a 2-4 player match, you can compete in a typical deathmatch style game.

Featuring tons of enemies and lots of shooting, influences include everything from 80's arcade games to Aliens to Super Mario 64 and more. The control system is somewhat unique. While wandering around, this game plays like other action platformers of the time. However, when enemies appear you have the option for manual, precise aiming in which case your character becomes translucent and a crosshair appears for aiming. With 15 worlds to explore, each with various stages, there is plenty to do. Fortunately, you have unlimited ammo..you are going to need it.

Jet Force Gemini received generally good reviews and also seems to be a fan favorite (as are many Rare games). The criticism that exists is mostly directed towards the complicated control scheme. It was re-released as part of the Rare Replay compilation for the Xbox One otherwise you'll have to track down an original cartridge or play it via emulation. Fortunately, unlike some Rare games, this one is fairly common and a cartridge will only set you back $10 or so on eBay.