StarCraft 64 Review @ Gaming Target

Written by Matt Swider on July 11, 2000

Review: Crafting on a console is more fun than it may seem.

Lastly, I shall touch on the controls. You will "RTS games are designed for the computer and only for the computer." This may seem very true when you consider the control of StarCraft an every other RTS game that appeared on a console. Everything seems slow moving and it will be hard to get used to the control concept, especially for PC users who are accustomed to using a mouse. Since the controls cannot be the same as the computer version, the game was developed with a new concept and method of moving things. The game uses the control stick to move the "mouse icon" and the A and B buttons take place of the two mouse buttons in the game. Nothing Different about that, right? Well, the C buttons make the difference. Instead of using the tray on the PC version by clicking what option you want, one of the C buttons is used to control everything there. You can also control the choice of what you want to building and upgrading with the control stick inside the tray. Although this doesn't seem like a difficult concept, it will be hard for both new users, who don't know what the hell they are doing, and PC players who have to adapt to the new controls.

Coming to the features of StarCraft 64, I should point out again, you must have the Expansion Pak to play the two-player battle, which adds a lot to the game. The multiplayer, which only supports two people, isn't exactly like playing against another player in the PC version of StarCraft. The difference is in each players have their own screen in the PC game, and the N64 using split screen. This can be a problem when you try to sneak an attack from around the corner or want to build in another location. The other players can spot and see everything you do, but its still fun to play this mode, and the game wouldn't be worth as much without it.

The Rumble Pak is also supported although; it doesn't do as much as one might hope. When you have a building destroyed, the blast shakes the Pak with decent force feedback, but it doesn't happen too many times through the game to really have the player take notice.

The fun factor stays in the game for great replay that will last you a while, with 57+ missions to whip out the computer and the two-player support where you can annihilate your friend. However, the missions do run out, and the multiplayer has it flaws, but the game is challenging enough to last you quite a while. All console players shouldn't be reluctant to pick this game, it will last you longer than many other games that appear on the N64.