Nintendo 64

Now, in the twilight years of the Nintendo 64, we can only hope that the upcoming GameCube will not travel down the same racing-and-platformer-heavy path its predecessor has. However, in a strange turn of events, the Nintendo 64 has been graced with a supremely excellent RPG only a few mere months before it receives its last rites.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief

While I haven't been starving for RPGs, I agree with all of Brad's major points. Paper Mario is a very good RPG that plays towards Nintendo's primary strength—creating charming game experiences with its evergreen characters. Intelligent Systems succeeds in designing and implementing a witty game that is nearly impossible to dislike. The game is filled with charming characters, bumbling enemies, and the sort of odd-ball situations that only Mario would get himself into.

Game Description: Paper Mario has a 2D look in a 3D game world—an aesthetic designed to make players feel as if they've entered an animated pop-up book. A stationary camera helps reinforce this storybook illusion. The game's title is taken from the paper-thin characters inhabiting the Mushroom Kingdom. For example, when Mario is sleeping, he flips and flutters through the air like a leaf falling from a tree. Paper Mario is the sequel to the classic Super NES role-playing game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Like the original, it contains a mix of turn-based battles and intricate puzzles, as well as timed attacks. Players time their attacks by moving the D-pad and pressing the A button at exactly the right moment to inflict maximum damage. This seasons Paper Mario with a little action/adventure flavor. Classic characters, such as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and Toad, are joined by the likes of Goombario and Kammy Koopa.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Like it or not, names like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin are now part of the nation's lexicon, and it's hard to go a night without seeing some sort of WWF-related event on television. This sort of rampant popularity has spilled over into the videogame industry, which thanks to astute developers like Yukes and Aki, allows couch potatoes to pull on tights and get down and dirty with the WWF superstars. One of the more anticipated wrestling titles was THQ's WWF No Mercy, the follow up to the wildly popular WWF Wrestlemania 2000. Though not quite revolutionary, WWF No Mercy definitely delivers what wrestling fans have been begging for since the last release: more wrestling goodness.

There are a few significant design choices in both structure and content which make Bad Fur Day stand out from its brethren, however, as I as I just mentioned, platform games are a dime a dozen. The real selling point behind Bad Fur Day aren't the twists on gameplay, but rather the radical approach Rare's taken with regard to content and humor . While Nintendo has traditionally been known for being a bastion of decency and family values (remember the "tame" version of Mortal Kombat on the Super NES?), it appears that they have reached a stage where they are ready to take risks.

Despite having an identical rating, Dale and I arrived at the same destination rather differently. Dale notes in his review of WWF No Mercy that there are moderately remarkable improvements over its predecessors, but doesn't seem think these updates are anything ground-breaking. I disagree with that, but not entirely.

Game Description: This game has been licensed by the World Wrestling Foundation (WWF) to bring all of the wrestlers, matches, and moves of the real thing to your Nintendo 64. Battle with the likes of the Rock and Triple H, or create your own wrestler. The Ladder Match has been added to other game modes, such as King of the Ring and Royal Rumble. Battle up the runway, and pull weapons, like the Singapore Cane, out of the crowd. Earn points to unlock wrestlers and costumes in the SmackDown Mall.

When it comes to humor, I think I was more shocked than Brad by how pathetic it all was. Ever since E3 2000, I was sure that Nintendo and Rare had a winner here. A game that would finally help get videogames out of under the stigma of being just for kids. I also bought into the overwhelmingly positive feedback the game was receiving from critics and saw that as a good sign of things to come.