Hungry Goriya Used Acquire: N64 (aka The Fun Machine)

This is the fourth post in a series called “Hungry Goriya Used Acquire” that serves to highlight the contents of a large game collection I procured from an old high school friend of mine, Joe.  Read here for the backstory.

The Nintendo 64 is a console I have fond childhood memories of but never personally owned growing up.  My best friend and I used to play hours of Mario Kart 64 with friends in her parents’ basement, trying our luck in the reverse mode her brother had unlocked.  Apart from this game and Super Mario 64, I wasn’t very familiar with much of the game library when I started collecting and was left scratching my head a lot at swaps and the like wondering which games would be the most worthwhile to track down to play.  After going to the obvious ones (Zelda, Smash Bros., etc.) and getting some great recommendations from Mr. Panda, I set my sights on some great games.  Joe’s collection yielded quite a few good ones along with a particularly rare game, so without further ado, here’s what we got!

Firstly, we ended up with a boxed N64.  Though the box boasted the inclusion of the atomic purple controller, it was nowhere to be found after we finished organizing the entire game lot.  Though there was no sign of the purple one, the grey controller was present and in really good shape with a snappy analog stick.  The N64 console itself is in good working condition and came with all its cords.  I would say that the box itself was in very good condition even though it has a crushed corner (you can see it in the top left corner in the photo below.)   Because I’m not usually eyeing up boxed consoles at game swaps, I had never really looked at an N64 box with much care before.  In taking some time to read everything, I was tickled to see the subheading, “The Fun Machine” below that iconic N64 logo.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call it that!  Maybe I should start the trend.

In addition to the first console we also got a second special edition one: Jungle Green with its controller.  This one came with an expansion pak, but unfortunately Donkey Kong 64 was not included in the game lot.  I’ve heard mixed things about that particular game with many people calling it one huge collecting-fest, but those kinds of games are fun sometimes as a break from the story-driven RPGs I adore so much.  I’m sure there’s some challenge to Donkey Kong 64 as evidenced by the challenge level of games previous to and that followed this game, so I’ll have to see if I can track it down for a good price.  The only negative thing about this part of the lot is that the analog stick on the green controller is a little loosey goosey, but I’m sure it’s still useable.  Either way, it’s our first unique/special N64 and we are quite happy to have it.

Along with the consoles, we got two memory cards (a massive 32x and a memory card plus) as well as a transfer pak.  I didn’t manage to get those photographed and they’re in a bottom of a bin somewhere, so you’ll just have to use your imagination!

For games, we got some that were loose, some with just their manuals, and some that were complete in box.  I’ll start here with the loose ones.  There were definitely a few great ones in the bunch along with some that were a bit unexciting like the snowmobiling game.  Contrary to popular belief, just because I’m Canadian doesn’t mean I like snowmobiling in real life or in video games!  My boyfriend was very excited to see Doom 64 and Starfox 64, and we conveniently got two copies of each of those.  Joe seems to be a huge fan of Tetris and there’s at least one Tetris game per console platform it would seem, so as expected there were two Tetris games here.  Some other classics included Bomberman Hero, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and the two Zelda games from this console generation: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.  Quake II was also a nice addition to our collection since we already had the first game, and it was also great to see a game manual for Mario Kart 64!  That was one I didn’t have already and is now in my loose manual bin.

The boxed games were generally in great shape, but I will start with the one in the worst condition first.  GoldenEye 007 was the player’s choice version with a torn manual cover and some weird spotting on the label itself.  It almost looked like it might be a chemical stain of sorts, but despite the aesthetic issues the game is working.  This was a game I never tried playing with friends, and I really disliked the single player mode.  I’ve heard such great things about how much fun it is when you play with someone else, so I think I need to ask my better half to give it a spin with me.

Next, we got a boxed copy of Super Mario 64.  This was also a player’s choice edition and a nice touch for our collection since we currently have a loose and a sealed copy of the game.  I’ve never wanted to bust open the sealed copy to see all its innards, so it’s nice to see one already opened with its manual and other inserts.  This is a game I’ve started at least twice in my life and never finished, and it’s a shame.  It’s so good!  I just get frustrated and end up quitting.  In my most recent playthrough attempt, I got frustrated with the level with the giant mountain and gave up.  I think my problem is that I always go for every single star in each stage, so I get bored pretty quickly.  I’ve thought about starting it again, but the thought of having to beat the damn penguin slide level makes my blood boil.  It might be a while before I can bear to pick it up again.

We also got a near-perfect condition copy of Perfect Dark.  The game cartridge looks like it has never even made its way into an N64 before, and the box is completely devoid of nicks, tears or scratches.  I’m tempted to get a box protector for it to keep it in its pristine condition.  It’s going to sound silly, but seeing the box for this game was nice because I finally got to see this lady’s whole face and both eyeballs at once.  I never realized that one half of her face was on the cartridge and that the other was on the manual.  What an interesting choice for the art for this game!  Having all parts of the game makes it feel truly complete since you literally get the “whole picture”.

Much to my excitement, there was one boxed RPG in the mix: Paper Mario.  This game was also generally in very good condition but did not come with its manual.  Because I buy up manuals all the time whenever I see them for a good price, I had an extra one for this game lying around to make it complete in box.  What fun!  I think I also have the strategy guide for this game hanging around somewhere.  It’s definitely a game I’m interested in playing some day, after I finish up Super Mario RPG on the SNES.

Last but certainly not least is the rarest game in the bunch, Bomberman 64: The Second Attack.  Word on the internet is that this game comes close to being one of the rarest for the N64, so I was very pleased to find it among everything in such excellent condition with its manual.  Between finding this game and Ogre Battle 64 lately, I’m quite sure most of the fun to play rare games are now a part of my game collection.  Thanks again to Mr. Panda for recommending this game to me what feels like ages ago.  I’ve been keeping my eyes open for it until now.

I’m quite happy with what we’ve found in this portion of Joe’s game collection.  Though we already had some of the games we got here, we’ve been able to upgrade some of those to complete games, or at least have gotten a cartridge with a better label in some cases.  As always, adding boxed consoles to the collection is a nice touch, and there are plenty more to follow in future posts on the topic of this major collection acquisition.

As usual, thanks for reading!

-GG