| Pilotwings 64 |
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| | Developer(s) | Paradigm Entertainment | | Publisher(s) | Nintendo | | Designer(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto, Genyo Takeda | | Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 | | Release date |  June 23, 1996
 September 29, 1996
 March 1, 1997 | | Genre(s) | Flight simulator | | Mode(s) | Single player | | Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults) | | Media | 64Mb (8MB) Nintendo 64 cartridge | | Input methods | 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.
GameplayIn 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 a creature based on the Loch Ness Monster, representations of other Nintendo characters, and other such things. Its soundtrack was also praised, particularly the Slow Jazz piece played during night missions, or during flight as the "Birdman."
Vehicles
Standard vehicles
Bonus vehicles
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.
- 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 contiguous 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. The World Trade Center is also featured in the New York City portion of this map.
CharactersPilotwings 64 has six different comic-looking characters with equally silly voices to match. They fall into weight classes by pairs; the smallest pilots being the lightest and the biggest being the heaviest. They also handle differently according to the vehicle they use, some handling one kind of vehicle better than another (ex. a light character excels at controlling the hang glider). All of the characters are named after birds, even though the Kiwi is a flightless bird. Each of them is given a short description in the game's instruction manual. In addition, their height, weight and age are given in the Japanese version of the game, but not in the U.S. version. Lark (a.k.a. Nester) He's small, but courageous. He moves fast, but is affected by wind because of his small size. Kiwi Kiwi's not afraid to get her hands dirty. However, she's small, like Lark, and easily affected by wind. Goose Goose is one cool pilot. A self-proclaimed expert, there's not a vehicle he says he can't handle. Ibis Small and calm, Ibis sometimes makes mistakes because she gets too confident. Hawk Hawk looks tough, but he's a pussycat. He's not very fast, because of his size, but he's not affected by wind, either. Robin (a.k.a. "Hooter" in the Japanese release) One of the prettiest pilots around, nothing bothers Robin. Like Hawk, wind does not affect her.
DevelopmentThe first pilot of the six, Lark, was thought by many game players to have a striking resemblance to the former mascot and comic strip star of Nintendo Power magazine, Nester. Some say this cameo appearance was the work of Paradigm Simulations, but as mentioned in the above point of trivia, the characters were actually designed by Nintendo itself. The September 1996 issue of Nintendo Power magazine covered PW64, and on the page describing characters, the short intro for Lark actually states that there's no mistaking it's Nester himself. A year later after the game's release, in September 1997, the landmark 100th issue of Nintendo Power would again state that the two characters were in fact one and the same.
ReceptionPilotwings 64 was rated the 117th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list in February 2006.
References- ^ Nintendo Power: "His handle is Lark, but everyone in class knows this guy is Nester." Nintendo Power. Nintendo of America. September 1996, page 25.
- ^ Nintendo Power: "NP's very own comic strip character, Nester, entertained readers since our very first issue. After December 1993, he went AWOL (however, he's been spotted masquerading as "Lark" in PilotWings 64) (...) " Nintendo Power. Nintendo of America. September 1997, page 10.
- ^ "NP Top 200", Nintendo Power 200: 58-66, February 2006 .
External links- Pilotwings 64 at GameFAQs
- GameRankings reviews
- Pilotwings 64 at MobyGames
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