The N64 Sci-Fi Platformer You Likely Never Played
The Nintendo 64 (and the PlayStation) marked the first tentative steps into the 3D platformer frontier. No longer limited to the X and Y axes, developers began to create games that were more advanced than those during the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis era. Plus, with the N64's trident-shaped controller and multitude of buttons, studios could experiment with new gameplay styles and mechanics, and did they ever.
Many studios implemented wild and wacky mechanics into their N64 platformers, and like many experiments, not every attempt panned out. Some games, such as Banjo-Kazooie, became platformer royalty, while others faded away. However, there is a difference between obscurity and quality. One forgotten N64 title is a shining example of a lost classic — a fun game that tried new mechanics that didn't catch on. This game is far from the rarest N64 game, and is by no means a title that springs to mind when people mention the console.
Keep reading if you want to discover the quirkiest N64 sci-fi platformer you probably never played but should have.
Space Station Silicon Valley
Space Station Silicon Valley is, without a doubt, one of the wildest, most confusing titles for a video game — and the gameplay follows suit. The game revolves around hijacking the bodies of various robotic animals, such as gatling-gun dogs, rocket mice, and camel tanks. Each level includes various missions and puzzles, and you must solve them with a variety of powers. If you can't reach a platform with a robotic dog's jump, find a higher elevation and float down via inflatable sheep. Space Station Silicon Valley is a thinking man's platformer with a smattering of comedy.
Unfortunately, Space Station Silicon Valley is far from perfect. Figuring out how to defeat enemies before you can pilot their bodies is trial and error. Combat is clunky, and that's assuming you have the right robot for the job. If you don't, you need to either lure it into a trap or fight it head-on. Make the wrong choice and it's back to the beginning. No lives, no checkpoints.
You might be wondering who developed Space Station Silicon Valley. The answer is the studio behind another sci-fi game you probably never heard of: DMA Design. Before the studio was rebranded as Rockstar North and achieved widespread fame with the Grand Theft Auto franchise, it developed quirky titles for the N64, including Space Station Silicon Valley.