Before this Review gets underway, I’d like to let you know that this is a real game. It’s an oldie, but a game nonetheless. It is for the N64 and was created in 1997 by Nintendo, Treasure, and Enix. It has an ESRB Rating of E. Scores will be graded on a scale of 1-10 (10 obviously being the highest/best). Well, that’s about it. On with the Review!
Plot: 5
I’m sorry to say that I have to start out the Review with a negative score. There is nothing wrong with the plot itself, it’s just that it never changes. I mean, the professor gets kidnapped (see characters) and Marina (again, see characters) has to go and rescue him. You’d think that after she’d finished rescuing him, there’d be some unexpected plot twist, but there isn’t. He just gets himself captured again, and again, and again.
Control: 8
It’s easy to control! You’ve got your basic jump button (the A button), your grab/throw B button, your basic moving button (the D-pad), your communicating buttons (R and L), the button to skip through dialogue scenes (Z button), and your jetpack buttons, which can be either the D-pad or the C-buttons. The D-pad lets you move faster. I deducted points because they could’ve just made the C-buttons the same speed as the D-pad and left the D-pad for your basic control.
Characters: 8
The best term to describe this part of the Review would be “short, but sweet”. I say this because there aren’t many main characters, but of what little there are, they all appealed to me, except maybe Taurus… Anyway, here’s a brief bio on all of the main, main characters.
Marina: The Ultra-Intergalactic-Cybot-G. Or, the main character. Yes, everything an anime heroine needs. Thin body, metallic outer, huge thighs, and a powerful punch. Yup, that about describes Marina.
Prof. Theo: Marina’s creator, and a huge annoyance. He’s the one always getting kidnapped and making Marina bust her HUGE rear end trying to save him. It’s a shame that someone three times as large as Marina can’t defend himself.
Teran: He’s the semi-main character. He’s got the form of a Clancer (inhabitants of planet Clancer) but he’s really BLOCKMAN, the mighty warrior. When he’s got enough strength, he transforms into a huge beast made up of (surprise) blocks. Teran and Marina are the only two people you can control in Mischief Makers.
King Aster: You don’t see him very often, but trust me, he is a main character. The Clancers are searching for him and his daughter constantly, and they’re getting nowhere fast. He plans on returning when all of the chaos is over, but…
Celes: Or, Ondine. She’s King Aster’s daughter, but she doesn’t know it. Teran is Celes’ bodyguard, but acts as though he is her brother.
Prof. Leo: Prof. Theo’s brother. He’s the one responsible for all of the kidnappings of Prof. Theo. He continues to kidnap him to bring “justice” to the world (on his terms, anyway). Prof. Leo needs Prof. Theo’s genius to help him along the way. He is also the commander of THE Beasector, a group of three super powerful warriors.
Lunar: The first warrior of THE Beasector group. He relies on his burning desire for justice, and his guns, to put a stop to Marina. His special weapon is the “Cerberus a”.
Taurus: The second warrior of THE Beasector group. Marina often calls Taurus a gorilla, but he continues to deny it (but he beats on his chest). Unlike Lunar and Merco, Taurus uses his brute strength to fight Marina. His special weapon is the “Sasquatch b”.
Merco: The third, and final, member of THE Beasector group. With his bird-like exterior and golden spear, he’s one tough opponent. Merco considers himself a good-looking woman attracter, but he’s really a wannabe. His special weapon is the “Phoenix r”.
Graphics: 8
There’s that number again. Anyway, I have been in love with anime for a looooooooong time, and this is no exception (since the graphics are anime-based). Although the graphics are kinda fuzzy, I gave Nintendo leeway because this game was made so long ago.
Sound: 9
The music is great! It gives me a sorta bouncy feeling. And the character voices are awesome! It’s a shame that the only real words Marina can say are “Stop!” and “Aah, that’s better!”. I took away a point because sometimes I can’t hear what the characters are saying.
Gameplay: 9
It’s basically a 2D sidescroller, but I’m not quite sure how to classify the genre. It’s either a platformer, or an action/adventure. Since I’m not certain, I’ll just call it a platformer/action/adventure. There are lots of useful things to be found in Mischief Makers, such as life-restoring gems, gems that give you free continues, gems that help you access the full ending, bombs, shurikens, missile launchers, and plenty more. Hard to believe this game’s rated E.
Difficulty: 5
Ouch! That hurt! Well, it’s only slightly difficult the first time through, but when you play it over again, you can beat it in an hour. No, seriously, I’ve done it before. Hearing that, you can only guess what kind of score replay value is going to get…
Replay Value: 4
Told ya. The only real reason for playing the game over again is for collecting the golden gems. You see, without enough of them, you can’t see the full ending. Otherwise, that’s it.
Fun Factor!: 10
Okay, even though it’s not hard, going around and throwing just about everything that comes into eye contact is really fun. Plus, there are a few choice levels that I particularly like to play over and over again. It’s a good way to let off some steam after you’ve failed that test that you were so hoping that you would get an A+ on. Die, innocent citizens!!!
Overall: 7
Well, it was hard to give a fair score for this one, simply because I love this game, regardless of what it lacks! But for all of you hardcore gamers out there, I’m not quite sure… If you like a totally serious game that gets in-depth with the plot and has a definite storyline, this game isn’t for you. But, if you’re a gamer who likes cute, little lighthearted sidescrollers (and a good laugh), you should get this game right away (if you can ever find it)!
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