Duke Nukem: Zero Hour (N64)
I was a big fan of Duke Nukem ever since the old PC game (the side-scrolling one). I loved Duke Nukem 64 for its multi player mode alone, so when I heard a sequel was coming only for Nintendo 64, I was really happy. I rented a 64 and the game and I was not one bit disappointed. Okay, maybe a bit. the story involves aliens traveling back in time and altering earth's history. Duke must find a way to go back in time and set things right.
Graphics 9.5 out of 10
Obviously, the graphics are much better then the previous game. The single player game is in third-person perspective. The camera always stays behind Duke. There are multiple cinema scenes which all look good. Best of all, the enemies and items are no longer 2-d sprites: they are now 3-d and looking good. The frame rate stays smooth almost all the time. There is lots of blood and gore. In fact, you can shoot the heads of the aliens! In the multi player player mode, you see the world in first-person perspective. You and everybody else are polygonal Dukes, enemies or even Babes, although most characters must be unlocked by beating levels in the single player game.
Music and Sound 10 out of 10
Let me sum it up: Duke Nukem talks A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN BEFORE!!!!! He has lots of new things to say, and his says them often. Some of his sayings, however, are not only the same then ones from the original game, they sound like they were copied and pasted in the game. But enough about duke. The aliens make grunts and roars (the zombies moan "Bbbrraaiinnssss")that are a little scary at first, but you get used to it. The babes even speak, and although I never made it this far, I heard that in the Old West, the babes talk like folk from the west. Very cool. The music rocks with guitars and drums, not to mention the awesome theme song. A few levels don't have music, usually the mysterious ones.
Game Challenge 10 out of 10
I am fortunate to have a subscription to Nintendo Power, so I had a walkthrough to help me. Without it, good luck!! The game features objectives that you must accomplish, such as finding certain items (there is no Red key/Red door). My fastest time of beating the first level is 11 minutes, which should give you an idea about the size of the levels. Also if you die, you return to the beginning of the level, no matter where you are. This is frustrating.
Game Play-Fun 8.5 out of 10
The multi player mode disappointed me: NO DUKE BOTS. Sad. But even with one friend, you'll have a blast. The single player mode is intense, but as mentioned above, dying can make you want to stop playing. You can earn cheats in a way that is similar to Goldeneye: beat a level while accomplishing a certain goal. Ex: beat level 2 and rescue all the babes to earn Big Head mode. You must save cheats, just like levels, with the controller pak.
Frustration
For, hopefully, the last time, dying means restarting the LONG level from the beginning. Yuck. But other than that, I have no objections. Every seems perfect. No, wait, I forgot: like Turok 2, there is a cinema scene that must be viewed before starting a new game. At least it is fairly amusing.
Replayability 8 out of 10
The multi player mode is top notch, but the levels are too long. With about 21 levels, however, you could be playing for awhile. I love this game.
Game Value 9 out of 10
Let me sum this up to: You really, REALLY, need a Controller Pak for this game. If you don't have one, I wouldn't reccomend buying it, but rather renting it.
Weapons 9.7 out of 10
The weapons are the best. Most have special counterparts in the different time lines. Some guns, when you get two of 'em, can be held one in each hand. You still have the good old M-80 Pistol and, my favorite, the Claw-12 Shotgun. Other guns include the Gamma Cannon, which bounces of walls, and the BMF Thunderstrike, which is like the Plasma Cannon from Duke Nukem 64. Just one problem: there is no shrinker/expander!
Mature rating
I forgot to mention one thing: the theme. There is gore, foul language and even a building of live rated x girls. (There are no girls besides the ones that are revealing, unless you count the multiple poster of girls in g-strings.
Overall 9.5 out of 10
