Pilotwings 64
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| Pilotwings 64 | |
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| Developer(s) | Paradigm Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release date(s) |  June 23, 1996 September 25, 1996 March 1, 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Flight simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Media | 64Mb (8MB) Nintendo 64 cartridge |
| Input | Game controller |
Pilotwings 64 is a video game for the Nintendo 64, released in 1996, along with the launch of the console. It was one of two launch titles for the Nintendo 64, the other being Super Mario 64. It is a sequel to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Pilotwings, which was also a launch title for its respective game system.
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[edit] Gameplay
In Pilotwings 64, as with its predecessor, the player must complete a variety of missions using different airborne vehicles. Examples include destroying various ground targets within a limited time using a missile-equipped gyrocopter, navigating through large floating rings placed throughout a city using a rocket belt, taking a picture of a smokestack while riding a hang glider, and firing a chosen character out of a large cannon towards a target several hundred yards away. For each mission, points are awarded based on time, damage, fuel usage, accuracy, softness of landing, and similar criteria.
The game also places a large emphasis on exploration, with detailed, object-dense environments and a special mode whose only purpose is exploration, the Birdman mode. Many interesting quirks can be found in the landscapes of the game, including the Loch Ness Monster, representations of other Nintendo characters, and other such things.
[edit] Vehicles
[edit] Standard vehicles
- Gyrocopter
- The gyrocopter is a fully operational small helicopter-like vehicle, with the capability to fire missiles. Missions involving the Gyrocopter generally involve tests of missile firing accuracy, or flying proficiency, such as flying through rings. Instead of using circular landing pads like other vehicles in the game, the player must successfully land the plane on a runway. Points are awarded for the softness of impact of the landing, as well as its orientation. Points are deducted for landings that are not on the center line of the runway or that do not line up properly with the runway. The Gyrocopter runs on gasoline, and if the fuel gauge empties, the player will crash.
- Rocket Belt
- The rocket belt has the most precise controls of any vehicle in the game, and thus Rocket Belt challenges often involve precise maneuvering in tight spaces. The Rocket Belt can also hover, which can be used for precise positioning, but is very fuel-intensive. The Rocket Belt uses fuel just like the Gyrocopter, and the player will crash if there is no fuel left. The Rocket Belt uses circular landing pads, and points are deducted for landings that are too harsh or off-center.
- Hang glider
- Of the three main vehicles, the hang glider is the most difficult to operate. Because the speed of the hang glider is a constant trade-off with its height, careful planning must be used on the player's part to prevent crashes or premature landings. The hang glider can gain both height and speed by riding thermal currents. Hang glider missions often include riding these thermal currents, taking pictures, which can only be done from the hang glider, or flying for a set amount of time without crashing. Like the Rocket Belt, the hang glider uses circular landing pads, and points are deducted for landings that are too harsh or off-center, although the standards for hang glider landings are less harsh than those for Rocket Belt landings.
[edit] Bonus vehicles
- Cannon
- The cannon is the first unlocked bonus vehicle. The missions consist of accuracy in firing the player out of the cannon and at a target which is often several hundred meters away. Points are awarded for the accuracy of the shot. To add to the challenge, the target is sometimes obstructed by other objects, and wind is added in some missions. Each mission consists of four different targets, and the player has three chances to obtain the best score he or she can for each target.
- Skydiving
- Although skydiving is not a vehicle, it is an unlockable activity. Each mission consists of the player jumping out of an airplane, and then having to hold five formations with AI-controlled characters. There is a set amount of time to clear all five formations, and points are awarded for each successfully completed formation. Once the player breaks the cloud line, the other characters are gone and gameplay focuses on landing. The player must then open his or her parachute in order to land on a circular pad. Like in other missions, points are awarded on both the softness and accuracy of the landing.
- Jumble Hoppers
- Jumble Hoppers are special boots which allow the player to spring up to 100 meters into the air. Jumble Hopper missions consist of trying to reach a target area in a certain amount of time. Unlike other vehicles in the game, it is impossible to crash in Jumble Hopper missions.
- Birdman Suit
- This mode is unique in the fact that it has no missions, the player's only objective is to fly around and explore. The player can also chose the time of day/weather to explore in. A mission ends when the player decides to quit, or the player crashes, although a "Mission Complete" fanfare has been found in the game for the Birdman mode. To unlock one you must find a star in the level you want to be the Birdman in, Rocket Belt is easiest to find them because it is small as opposed to gyrocopter. Or you can get a perfect rating on each of the three missions for the level you want birdman in.
[edit] Locations
- Holiday Island A small oval-shaped island that features a castle in the center of the island, with a fair nearby. There is an easter egg activated when a character hovers with the jetpack in the cave from which the island's river flows, that turns day into night or vice versa. Some say that the island is modeled after Ie-shima (Ei Island) in Okinawa, Japan.
- Ever-Frost Island An ice-laden mountainous island chain sporting an industrial area, a large town with a lighthouse, and an oil well that is activated when the player ventures close to it. Whales can also be seen in the waters around the island.
- Crescent Island This crescent-shaped island is mostly covered with tropical rain forests and sandy beaches, with an airport on the lower east side. A large waterfall on the east side flows from a mountain, leads into a large cave that cuts under part of the island, and exits on the western side of a mountain range. The island has a large resort town, and a smaller village, which are on opposite sides of the island as each other. A smaller village of grass huts can be found on a cape, as well. It bears a very close resemblance to C-island from Startropics.
- Little States A miniature version of the lower 48 states of the United States, surrounded by water. The island has many real-life cities, such as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington D.C., and New York City, along with many of their associated famous buildings and monuments. Of interest is that at Mount Rushmore, instead of Washington's head on the far left, there is a carving of Mario. Upon being shot at by the gyrocopter's missiles or the cannon, it becomes a carving of Wario. In the North Carolina area there is a model of the Shearon Harris nuclear plant, however, there are two plants on it, rather than one. New York City features representations of many famous buildings, including the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
[edit] Characters
- Lark (a.k.a. Nester)
- Kiwi
- Hawk
- Ibis
- Goose
- Robin
[edit] Trivia
- The characters in Pilotwings 64 were designed by Nintendo, not developer Paradigm. "They just turned up one day and we immediately started to implement them in the game." said Paradigm's vice president Dave Gatchell in an interview with UK games magazine Edge.
- The analogue controls the game was famed for weren't actually a factor during the initial stages of its design. The developers assumed Nintendo would use a pad similar to that of the SNES, and they used just that for testing before the final N64 controller design was announced.
- Although his input was minimal, Shigeru Miyamoto would personally test the game during its development.
