StarCraft 64 #12 Battle over the fate of the galaxy

Introduction

A console adaptation of the classic real-time strategy game that pioneered the concept of dramatically different races in one game. Players choose to control one of three races — one human and two alien — in single-player or multiplayer. The human Terrans have the lightest in combat technology, including tanks and nukes. The Zerg are vicious slimy organic entities with teeth and carapaces, controlled by a hive mind. The Protoss are ruthless interdimensional robotic entities with powerful shields and energy weapons. Their Carriers and Reavers can unleash swarms of attack drones to complement their smaller numbers of juiced up units.

In the distant future, a small group of human exiles have been doomed to fight for their survival on the edge of the universe. Three powerful species, the Terrans, Protoss and Zerg, are locked in a fierce battle over the fate of the galaxy. The time for war has come. Manage resources, build armies, devise strategies and master the specialized technologies of each species as you enter a universe of unparalleled tactical excitement. Over 50 single-player missions, including new scenarios specially created for the N64.

If the player has the Expansion Pack for the N64, the entire Brood War expansion is also available. One player can play with up to 7 bots on a random map, or 2 players can team up in co-operative mode (with the N64 Expansion Pack) or go head to head with up to 6 other bots for total mayhem.

StarCraft 64 is a "port" of the game of StarCraft to the Nintendo 64, released a year and a half after StarCraft: Brood War. As a console game, it had a different control scheme. StarCraft 64 contains both the original game and the expansion set, including the bonus mission "Dark Origin." Playing the Brood War storyline required the Nintendo 64 4 MB Expansion Pack.

Game History

StarCraft 64 is a "port" of the game of StarCraft to the Nintendo 64, released a year and a half after StarCraft: Brood War. As a console game, it had a different control scheme. StarCraft 64 contains both the original game and the expansion set, including the bonus mission "Dark Origin." Playing the Brood War storyline required the Nintendo 64 4 MB Expansion Pack.

Interface

StarCraft 64 has several differences in interface from the PC version of StarCraft, such as command buttons that did not previously exist. For example, pressing one of the buttons on the controller brought up a menu with the two "build" buttons, a button for training units and a button for researching tech - selecting either "build" button from this would be equivalent to selecting the nearest worker unit (such as an SCV) not already building something, moving the screen to its former position, and clicking the appropriate "build" button. Selecting the tech button on the menu would perform a similar action, automatically selecting the nearest idle tech structure of a certain type to research something (one selected a researchable upgrade technology, such as terran Infantry Weapons or protoss Ground Armor, from the menu that appeared and the nearest appropriate structure would receive the order.)

Michael Morhaime holds a negative opinion of the game, describing it as "clearly a port," and not designed for the interface that the N64 provided. It was decided post-release that Blizzard would do no more console ports unless they thought the game was suited for consoles.

Mass Media Games described porting StarCraft to the Nintendo 64 as "a nearly absurd undertaking and the cartridges sold out in a matter of weeks."

Differences Between Versions

StarCraft 64 was designed as a port of StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War, both originally PC and Mac games, for the Nintendo 64. However, a number of differences exists between the versions:

1. Rather than having a single tutorial mission, StarCraft 64 has two, both different from their PC counterpart.
2. The unit selection cap is raised to 18 from 12.

Cheat codes are not available from the start, rather they are objects that need to be found in certain missions. Once the cheat code is found it will be usable from the pause menu. Using a cheat code on a mission that has not been already beaten will prevent the player from progressing.

If all missions are beaten and all cheat codes are found, a secret level exclusive to StarCraft 64 named "Resurrection IV" is unlocked, was part of the Stukov series of missions that included "Deception" and "Mercenaries II."

Worker units will automatically begin mining upon creation.

All voice acting has been removed for campaign missions, and some dialogue text has been shortened. Much of the swearing has been removed or censored.

Cinematics have been removed, aside from a shortened version of the first cinematic that plays upon starting up the game. In their place are slideshows of the PC cinematics.

Unit responses are more limited, with only one quote for repeatedly clicking on the unit. Unit responses are not mixed, unlike the PC version, and units can repeat the same quote multiple times.

All races are limited to two musical tracks, each race gaining one track from StarCraft and the track each race had gained in StarCraft: Brood War. These tracks have also been shortened. The briefing room background music has also been changed for all races to a soundtrack unique to StarCraft 64.

Race specific briefing rooms have been removed, and all campaigns default to the terran briefing room

In the mission "Into the Darkness," an exchange in the briefing between Tassadar and Jim Raynor that was removed in the PC version has been added back in.

The mission "Desperate Alliance" retains an unused victory condition from the PC version, where if the player destroys the zerg hatchery, the Sons of Korhal dropships will break through and end the level in victory before the timer ends. The beginning dialogue with marines and vultures are also replaced with statements from the adjutant.

Interface

StarCraft 64 has several differences in interface from the PC version of StarCraft, such as command buttons that did not previously exist. For example, pressing one of the buttons on the controller brought up a menu with the two "build" buttons, a button for training units and a button for researching tech - selecting either "build" button from this would be equivalent to selecting the nearest worker unit (such as an SCV) not already building something, moving the screen to its former position, and clicking the appropriate "build" button. Selecting the tech button on the menu would perform a similar action, automatically selecting the nearest idle tech structure of a certain type to research something (one selected a researchable upgrade technology, such as terran Infantry Weapons or protoss Ground Armor, from the menu that appeared and the nearest appropriate structure would receive the order.)

Michael Morhaime holds a negative opinion of the game, describing it as "clearly a port," and not designed for the interface that the N64 provided. It was decided post-release that Blizzard would do no more console ports unless they thought the game was suited for consoles.

Mass Media Games described porting StarCraft to the Nintendo 64 as "a nearly absurd undertaking and the cartridges sold out in a matter of weeks."

Differences Between Versions

StarCraft 64 was designed as a port of StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War, both originally PC and Mac games, for the Nintendo 64. However, a number of differences exists between the versions:

• Rather than having a single tutorial mission, StarCraft 64 has two, both different from their PC counterpart.
• The unit selection cap is raised to 18 from 12.
• Cheat codes are not available from the start, rather they are objects that need to be found in certain missions. Once the cheat code is found it will be usable from the pause menu. Using a cheat code on a mission that has not been already beaten will prevent the player from progressing.
• If all missions are beaten and all cheat codes are found, a secret level exclusive to StarCraft 64 named "Resurrection IV" is unlocked, was part of the Stukov series of missions that included "Deception" and "Mercenaries II."
• Worker units will automatically begin mining upon creation.
• All voice acting has been removed for campaign missions, and some dialogue text has been shortened. Much of the swearing has been removed or censored.
• Cinematics have been removed, aside from a shortened version of the first cinematic that plays upon starting up the game. In their place are slideshows of the PC cinematics.
• Unit responses are more limited, with only one quote for repeatedly clicking on the unit. Unit responses are not mixed, unlike the PC version, and units can repeat the same quote multiple times.
• All races are limited to two musical tracks, each race gaining one track from StarCraft and the track each race had gained in StarCraft: Brood War. These tracks have also been shortened. The briefing room background music has also been changed for all races to a soundtrack unique to StarCraft 64.
• Race specific briefing rooms have been removed, and all campaigns default to the terran briefing room.
• In the mission "Into the Darkness," an exchange in the briefing between Tassadar and Jim Raynor that was removed in the PC version has been added back in.
• The mission "Desperate Alliance" retains an unused victory condition from the PC version, where if the player destroys the zerg hatchery, the Sons of Korhal dropships will break through and end the level in victory before the timer ends. The beginning dialogue with marines and vultures are also replaced with statements from the adjutant.
• Extra dialogue is added for the medics reaching the beacons in "To Chain the Beast."
• In the cinematic "UED Victory Report," the text states that the the United Earth Directorate flagship is the Tsunami rather than the Aleksander. However, in the cinematic still used for that section, the ship is still labeled Aleksander.

Resurrection IV

Resurrection IV is a two-player secret mission originally only available in the Nintendo 64 version of StarCraft.

To reach the mission, the player must beat all the levels of StarCraft 64, including Dark Origin, after finding all the cheats but not activating any of them. The specific cheats required are found at StarCraft 64 cheats.

Background

United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov was killed in the Raid on the Psi Disrupter led by Confederate Resistance Forces adviser Samir Duran, who had been temporarily attached to the UED Expeditionary Force to the Koprulu Sector. He was reported dead (allegedly dying bravely on Char) and his coffin was shown being launched in space.

The now infested Stukov allied with Confederate remnants and was visiting a science facility which held secret data files including information on how to resurrect terrans as infested terrans, how to maintain sanity in infested terrans and data on the Skullder Unit 001, when it was infiltrated by the Kimeran Pirates. The Pirates stole numerous secret data files. As the pirates raided the facility, they spotted a figure that looked similar to Alexei Stukov. On the way out of the facility, Stukov's cloaked wraiths trailed the pirates.

Stukov tracked down his enemies, whom he called "Detestable Vermin", on a dark planet. He hired mercenaries to destroy them. One group of mercenaries had access to the Skullder Unit 004. Stukov's mercenaries destroyed the opposition, including a band of terrans led by the Kimeran Juggernaut.

Synopsis

Some time after the Brood War, Jim Raynor received a transmission from Artanis and arrived quickly.

Artanis told Raynor that Alexei Stukov has returned to finish his original plans, which are a great danger to terrans and protoss alike. Jim Raynor had already heard the rumors of Stukov's reappearance. Artanis stated that Stukov had been infested by zerg cerebrate Kaloth, who had recovered Stukov's body and regenerated Stukov's cells, bringing him back to life. Now he lorded over his own secret Zerg Brood. Raynor found this hard to take in, believing Stukov would never sell out to the zerg, but Artanis affirmed he could not be so naïve to believe he had a choice in the matter.

He wasn't being summoned to kill Stukov, but to save him. Artanis's scientists had developed a nanotech serum which could reverse the infestation process. The protoss had tracked Stukov to Braxis.

Raynor was asked if Zeratul would back them up, but Artanis said he would provide assistance in the form of the old protoss warrior, Taldarin. He had aided Raynor in some form in the past, though the two appeared to have not met one another.

On Braxis

On the surface of Braxis, Raynor asked Taldarin his story. Taldarin was so old he remembered Adun personally, which impressed Raynor. Taldarin was alive today because he was one of the first ever protoss dragoon, and his body was preserved in a stasis cell until the invention of the dragoon's life support systems.

Raynor's escort consisted of a pair of medics who carried the serum, a marine and two ghosts; Taldarin was accompanied by two other dragoons, a dark templar, and a dark archon.

The protoss detected Stukov northeast of the insertion point. While Stukov himself could not be seen, there were zerg defensive colonies, a huge cocoon, nydus canals and four unnamed cerebrates at that location.

New Recruits

After fighting through groups of terran opponents, Raynor and Taldarin encountered an unarmed terran. Raynor's marine nearly killed him, but the terran claimed he knew how to operate a siege tank and where to find one.

The heroes encountered a damaged terran base, including a "relay station" with an unknown purpose, surrounded by zerg and terrans loyal to Stukov. After defeating their foes, they commandeered a siege tank and an SCV. Taldarin located a small depowered protoss base, from which he acquired new forces (an observer, an archon and two zealots).

The New Swarm

As they pushed into the New Swarm's fortifications, Raynor and Taldarin encountered a terran base, surrounded by zerg, as well as an infested command center. A small number of terrans and zerg defended it, along with a large number of infested terrans. Taldarin noted that Stukov was not up to full strength, so his minions were weak, and his infested terrans were not yet at full power.

The Skullder Unit

Raynor and Taldarin encountered another rebelling terran base on a branch path, which included power generators. They rescued a siege tank and a soldier piloting a Skullder Unit 001 goliath. The soldier claimed that he tried to take on Stukov's forces by himself. He stated he knew the assault was impossible, but with Raynor as backup, he believed he could do it. Raynor, however, was somewhat skeptical, while Taldarin was amused by this display of human arrogance.

Heavy Defenses

Raynor and Taldarin encountered more rebels in goliaths, who told Raynor they used to work for Stukov, but that he had gone crazy. As they moved on, the party encountered a heavily fortified base of terran defenses. Taldarin suggested finding another way past the base.

Nearby, there was a small terran base on a raised area of land, including a stasis cell. If Raynor and Taldarin destroyed the cell, they found inside two dark templar, who pledged loyalty to Taldarin until the end of their days. There was also a teleporter behind the stasis cell, which lead to a beacon that could deactivate the detection of the terran defenses.

Unfortunately, directly behind the terran line was a plasma fence. Any soldier that crossed it ran the risk of being destroyed. Raynor's forces were able to cross the plasma fence and shut it down.

Unexpected Allies

The inner base was maze-like and filled with power generators and large numbers of terran troops. The heroes had little choice but to carefully assault this area. Past the maze were a derelict battlecruiser, terran troops, spider mines and zerg.

Nearyby, there lay a hidden encampment consisting of an archon and three firebats, including Sergeant Bud Morris, an old friend of Raynor's. Morris said he knew Raynor would come through for him. The archon said that he had been unworthy since his capture, and that he should have died in battle. Taldarin agreed, and said the archon could make amends.

The combined terran and protoss forces pushed through the heavy terran and zerg defenses, eventually making it to the nesting ground of infested Stukov.

The Final Battle

The final area consisted of the giant cocoon, the four unnamed Cerebrates, power generators, two nydus canals, an infested command center, and numerous defensive structures (mainly zerg).

As Raynor and Taldarin got close and destroyed the two bunkers near the cocoon, the cocoon exploded, releasing a pair of ultralisks, other minor zerg, as well as Infested Stukov himself, who shouted: "Now you will taste the vengeance of the New Swarm. Destroy them!"

During the battle, Raynor's medic reached Stukov and injected him with the serum, which reconstructed his cells. The process was very quick. Meanwhile, Raynor and Taldarin were defeating the zerg.

Stukov was not happy about being uninfested, even after the process was finished. He told Raynor he would never understand the clarity he had lost. However, he was willing to flee to the starport with Raynor and Taldarin, as the zerg were turning against him. A flood of zerg emerged from the nydus canals, chasing Raynor, Taldarin, and Stukov to the friendly dropship. The rest of Raynor and Taldarin's forces came under assault by the zerg.

Purification

The heroes fled to a nearby starport, and all remaining forces escaped aboard one of the dropships. An adjutant gave Artanis approval to begin purification, and Artanis prepared to purify Braxis.

Explosions rocked the entire planet, purifying the surface. The purification instantly melted all ice on the surface of the planet, throwing massive amounts of water into the atmosphere and killing all life on the surface. The water would settle back to the surface years later, creating massive mountain-sized mouth formations on the surface.

Stukov would later be handed over to Emil Narud and his Moebius Foundation to research the protoss cure. However, Narud was secretly the same Samir Duran who had killed him the first time, and Stukov was instead experimented on for the benefit of the secret Hybrid Breeding Program as the cure slowly failed.

The renegade terrans and zerg hadn't been there long.

Notes

To date, Resurrection IV, has never officially been made available for personal computers, although an unofficial version (created and released by Zero and Drake Clawfang of StarCraft Legacy) can be downloaded for StarCraft: Brood War, both as a two-player mission and as a single-player mission. In addition, it was remade for StarCraft II as part of the StarCraft: Mass Recall mod. When asked to comment on Resurrection IV years after it was released, Andy Chambers described Infested Stukov as the result of an experiment for the zerg in terms of infesting humans as leaders.

IGN Review

Of course it is not as good as the PC original, but it is good for the N64, believe it or not

By Aaron Boulding

Posted: 9 Jun 2000 5:00 pm

Updated: 23 Nov 2018 9:19 am

Our poor preview of StarCraft 64 wasn't meant to carry such a burden for so long. But it is now June of the year 2000 and the definitive real time strategy game for the PC is finally, after at least half a dozen announced release dates, here to be touched, loved and played with. This game is in a unique position as it makes its way to everyone's favorite Nintendo console. Fans of the PC original hold this game in such high regard that it is almost sacred. So what's the best way to evaluate such a title when it comes home, exclusively we might add, to the console market? The dilemma comes from the fact that the multiplayer network game was the heart and soul of StarCraft and that is automatically taken away on the N64. If we were talking Dreamcast or PS2 here, with both of those systems on the brink of a new world of online console gaming, we could be more excited. But the truth is, all of the action in SC64 will take place right in front of you, in your television, with your one gaming buddy sitting right beside you.

While the paring down of the multiplayer game limits the appeal of StarCraft 64 dramatically --like having Helen Keller on your team in charades-- Mass Media has done an admirable job of working within the N64's capabilities to bring SC to the N64 in recognizable shape. However, this is still one Nintendo published title that is far below the standard the Big N has set for its games.

The Background

SC64 combines the storylines and elements from both StarCraft and the Brood War expansion set for the PC. Three races, Zerg, Terran and Protoss, are locked in an intergalactic battle that rages across a variety of planets and conditions. The multiple, intertwined, twisting stories are as deep as any game you will find on the N64. While the stories of courage, deception and destruction are similar across all three races, the battles that you will be involved in will put you in close contact with all three races and their very specific differences.

This uniqueness to each species was what drew PC gamers to StarCraft in droves in 1998. It is not simply a matter of this species can use ray gun X and that species can use ray gun Y, it is that you will see the consistency of each race's culture in their specific weapons, buildings and style of combat. That is the Terrans are recognized for their inherently human ability to adapt to whatever conditions may present themselves. Therefore you see that the majority of Terran structures can be moved to safer locations if things get too hot; they have the greatest number of specialized ground soldiers and their technology is nicely balanced between defensive and offensive strategies. The Zerg tend to rely on sheer numbers and collective savagery rather than complicated technology and targeted attacks. The Protoss have some of the most expensive units in the war, but their deep faith affords them a sturdiness that can keep them in battles much longer than you would expect, launching precision attacks.

Gameplay

The balance of the three races is the what sets StarCraft apart from other RTS games on the PC or console for that matter. This is evident even in the single player game. Success invariably depends on how well you use the units rather than how many you can create or how powerful they are. On the other hand, researching and upgrading both ground and air troops and vehicles is critical to victory as is finding the right compliment of units to take into battle. And we cannot forget about resource management either. When Mr. X told us in JFK that the "organizing principal for any society is for war," he was giving us a tip on how to ensure victory in StarCraft. The beauty of StarCraft is that there is not just one thing you can focus on and be successful. In a nutshell, you have to supply your military with plenty of money and natural resources, keep your army as technologically advanced as possible, defend your infrastructure, and incapacitate your opponents. And all of this has to be done within the cultural framework of whatever race you're playing. Simple.

In the single player game you will be presented with six missions paths. You are getting the 10 missions per race from the original StarCraft plus the missions for each race from the Brood War Expansion Pak. By our count that should be 57 missions including the one secret mission from Brood War. There are also some nice tutorial scenarios to get the rookies up to speed. By the time you finish this game, you will have the entire story of the StarCraft universe down. Furthermore, should you become bored of the missions at any point, there are a variety of standalone battle scenarios, against 1, 2, 3, or 4 computer opponents available for you. You can even set up your own custom battle scenario where you get to choose from one of 27 maps and up to four opponents.

The types of missions vary from simple escorting to King of the Hill to a plain and simple "Wipe them out...all of them." Needless to say, you will appreciate and enjoy some missions more than others, but there is a sort of method to the madness. Many of the early missions for a particular race won't have you organizing your society for war at all. you will simply have a ragtag group of troops --sometimes there will be somebody important with you, sometimes you will pick them up on the way-- and all you have to do is get from point A to point B. The problem is between A and B there's a truckload of enemies hell bent on stopping you. These types of missions are more or less to teach you how to maneuver your guys during the heat of battle when there are all kinds of noises, explosions and screams of pain going on. you will appreciate this training by the time you're ready to wage all out war.

Multiplayer

The single player game is certainly a satisfactory experience for those who haven't dabbled in the StarCraft universe on PC first. However the two player games require some explaining. You can go head to head against a friend, but --and this is the ultimate weakness of StarCraft 64-- you will both have intimate knowledge of each other's activities thanks to the split screen. IGN64 has never commanded a real war, but we've always though that the secrecy and unpredictability of what your opponent is going to do was one of the unwritten rules. In StarCraft for the N64, you don't have to prepare yourself for anything, because eventually you will be able to catch a glimpse of your opponents base and troops and you will know exactly what you need to prepare for. While this doesn't relieve you of the responsibility to actually build and prepare in a timely manner, you won't get the same sense of anxiety you get when you have no idea what the other side is doing. When you battle the computer, you cannot see what it is doing until you go and check it out for yourself and you're on edge the whole time because of this.

Since the split screen does eliminate the secrecy element, you will be left with a different sort of challenge when playing your friend. It becomes a game of who's better. Just because you see he's got eight tanks ready to roll, you still have to find a way to counter his move or even his non-move. In single player games, both the Protoss and Terrans have ways of checking out enemy bases, but they each require some time, resources and risk. With the free intelligence in SC64's two player game, your battles will totally be broken down into matters of skill and courage since the element of surprise is not a factor.

The co-operative multiplayer game however is a different story. You and a buddy still have to use a split screen, but you're both in control of your army. The obvious problem is that you can both end up trying to make the same unit do the same thing, so communication between the two of you is important. It is best to divide up duties somehow so that your paths won't cross and to make sure you have plenty of resources so that you can each put into motion whatever twisted little plans you come up with. The best part about the co-op game is that while one player takes an army to battle against the enemies, the other player can be restocking troops, vehicles and supplies so that you can sustain your attack.

The co-operative mode is different from the multiplayer team mode where you still have two players on a split screen but you each get your own army and base. You simply choose the number of enemies you want to go against and whether or not how everyone's going to be allied.

Control

Mass Media should be commended for the excellent job the company did in converting mouse and keyboard controls to the analog stick and umpteen button controls on the N64 controller. While you are limited in several ways, you can still hot-key groups to one button for easy access and there are the equivalent of right mouse click functions. By limitations we mean that you cannot have 10 groups or buildings hot-keyed. You can map four groups, one to each C-button, so that you can get to them quickly.

However, there are certain changes in control that would've made the PC game downright unfair. By squeezing Z trigger and R at the same time, you bring up a master control menu. In this menu you can access every building and upgrade function in the game without having to select the building or worrying about where to find what. When you call up this menu you can go under "Ground Upgrades" where you will find the every upgrade available for ground troops and vehicle. Of course you can only select the upgrades that your buildings and add-ons will allow, but this is a tremendous timesaver in the heat of battle. Furthermore, if you have multiple unit producing buildings like a barracks for example, using the master control menu will allow you to order up as many troops as your buildings can support. If you have three barracks you can order up fifteen troops since the master menu will simply switch to the next barracks in line once the queue in the first one is filled up. This system of managing is easy only if you have plenty of money and Vespene gas available to pay for everything you want and if you have enough supplies to support the additional troops and vehicles.

Also there are several shortcuts Mass Media has taken to allow gamers to pickup and play right away. When you build gathering units, probes, drones or SCVs, they will automatically begin to gather resources without a command from you. This would've been one hell of a gift to have on the PC version.

Despite the limitations, the control scheme is extremely useful and even makes for a somewhat new StarCraft experience. One complaint though, cannot be helped. Using the control stick for such detailed moves as picking one soldier out of a group of 12 can really try your patience.

Graphics

Alas, this is the second area where SC64 falls painfully short of its PC heritage. The sprites, the ground troops in particular, are super blurry and may be hard to recognize for newcomers. IGN has some veteran StarCraft players and even we had a tough time distinguishing red marines from red firebats. Recognizing troops at a glance is critical in this game and this shortcoming can affect your enjoyment of the game.

Even though the game is not in 3D there's considerable slowdown as you go through the motions. Considering that StarCraft is a game that is meant to have all kinds of things moving about simultaneously, stuttering animations can really get in your way. It is not so bad that you will actually miss events going on in the game, but it is annoying to have a constant sluggish feeling while playing.

The slow animation of the game, the overall blurry look and the extremely rough FMV sequences will only frustrate fans of the PC game. StarCraft wasn't loved for its graphics to begin with, but on the N64, the look and feel is such a step down that it would not be fair if we didn't warn fans of the PC games considering this version. We know there's going to be a sacrifice in graphics going from PC to N64, but when you're starting off with one of the uglier PC games around from two years ago, we'd hope it'd be a little less noticeable.

Sound

As underwhelming as the graphics are, we were surprised at how good some of the sound came out. The N64 is not known for its sound processing abilities and StarCraft's personality lives through the grunts, screams, acknowledgements and battle sounds of its soldiers, creatures and vehicles.

Every time you select something, be it a building or unit, you get a response out of it. The Zerg mainly growl, ooze and bubble, but the Protoss and Terrans yack it up all day long. The difference is that in the PC game each unit had a set of 4-5 responses when you selected them, in SC64 you get two. In our books that certainly better than none, and the flavor of the game still come through.

Similarly the music is limited. The ambient background tunes in the PC game did a nice job of getting you in the mood of the game. In SC64 you would better like the music because you're going to hear it over and over again.

One thing that we miss hearing is the voice acting on the briefings and missions. Everyone talks in StarCraft and taking words out of their mouths and replacing it with text just is not the same. The charm of the accents of the different Terrans is completely lost now that you have to read all of their lines.

Verdict

I'm one of those that holds StarCraft near and dear to my heart so I was apprehensive about the N64 version as soon as it was announced. There was no way they'd fit all of that game into an N64 version and have it play the same. Well they didn't and it doesn't. However, this doesn't mean that SC64 is a total loss. It easily surpasses Command & Conquer as the best strategy game on the N64 and the upcoming OgreBattle 64 will do better in the RPG category than strategy category in the N64 library.