Developer: Paradigm/EAD Publisher: Nintendo Release: 09/29/96 Genre: Simulation
Pilotwings alongside F-Zero was the perfect showcase of what Mode 7 could do for the SNES. With its pseudo 3d terrain it allowed for an experience not seen before on consoles and both innovative and fun. And much like its 16-bit predecessor Pilotwings 64 aims to do the same for the Nintendo 64. To be completely honest it largely succeeds too. The Nintendo 64 launch lineup was laughably small but I’ll be damned if the quality was not exceptional thanks to titles like this.
Pilotwings 64 like its predecessor is a flight simulator in which you complete a variety of missions using different vehicles to earn licenses. This time around you control a team of pilots who each specialize in different categories. Lark for instance is a bad choice for hang gliding as he is a lightweight who is easily thrown off by the wind. Ibis and Goose are well rounded and a good choice for everything, including almost all of the minigames you can unlock. Conversely Hawk completely sucks and I question why he is in the game. That is not to say you cannot succeed using them in different events but your life will be much harder doing so.
The general setup is largely the same as before. Players take part in three events (hang gliding, rocket belt, gyrocopter) to earn points toward licenses in different classes. Each event has a number of tests with points awarded based on different criteria. You receive bronze, silver, and gold licenses based on performance which unlock higher license tiers. To entice you to become better earning silver or higher in all events in each class unlocks cool bonus games like skydiving and the birdman suit. As you progress the tests become more complex as new mechanics are introduced. Despite this the controls remain simple and intuitive which is one of the game’s strengths. But despite this simplicity there is plenty of depth if you seek it.
The events might be the same but the design is entirely brand new. Free of the constraints of sprite scaling Pilotwings 64 takes full advantage of its 3d environment to create elaborate courses not possible before. You could hang glide before. But now you can actually fly over the mountains or through canyons that were once flat plains. The rocket belt has seen a similar upgrade as you navigate through cityscapes and such. The gyrocopter/light plane was my most hated part of the original. Now it might be my favorite. There is something epic about dive bombing through open fields or flying to the top of a mountain and seeing the entire island laid out before you. What was previously a simple simulation is now a reality and the game revels in it.
The learning curve in Pilotwings 64 is exceptional. The first tests for each event are pretty simple to acclimate you to the mechanics. But each successive license begins to ask more of you. Now instead of using the rocket belt to simply fly through rings you must land on floating platforms in the sky with each further away. Or use your momentum to knock a ball into a goal. My personal favorite is a later gyrocopter mission. Here you must tag Mecha Hawk five times within a time limit. This is the closest to a boss battle and is incredibly fun. Although the objectives become harder the intuitive controls make going back to earn a few more points addicting. The expertise you build up in each license prepares you for the next. Most games fail to strike such a perfect balance yet Nintendo and Paradigm nail it so easily.
Like Super Mario 64 Pilotwings 64 is a flex of the Nintendo 64’s muscles. The environments are massive and full of minute details. Each island is bustling with activity, be it a pool party, a carnival, or an industrial factory at work. What is even more impressive is that you can fly off course and examine these areas up close. Even though this is not the United States there are many landmarks from around the USA included as bonuses for astute observers. There is so much going on the temptation to explore is addicting and the game not only allows it but lets you take photos too. Anti-aliasing means there are no jagged edges or pixelated textures and the textures are sharp. And the game does this all on an 8-megabyte cartridge. I still cannot believe they packed all this splendor in such a tiny package.
One weak area of the presentation is the framerate. The giant environments cause the game to chug at times and it can be distracting. However because of the game’s slow pace it is not a detriment. The character models are also laughably simple but that is also on purpose. The music is relaxing and enjoyable but not the game’s strong suit.
In Closing
Pilotwings 64 fulfills the promise of the original and brings the game in to the 3rd dimension in style. The controls are simple to use but hard to master, the mechanics are nuanced yet fun, and the learning curve is near perfect. It even tosses in fun minigames that could easily have been full events in themselves. Aside from the occasionally low framerate the game is exceptional and has withstood the test of time. Even now there are few games like Pilotwings 64 and it is still unique and fun today.
