Nostalgia is a powerful motivator in gaming. Providing a sense of comfort and familiarity, developers often target this feeling through sequels and remakes, but in the last decade, we’ve seen a greater rise in spiritual successors and that’s been particularly prominent for early 3D platformers, Yooka-Laylee and A Hat In Time being prime examples. Attempting to recreate that N64 feel, we now have Macbat 64: Journey Of A Nice Chap from Diploducus Games, taking place across the Kiwibbean. It certainly feels like an N64 game, but completely fails to do this era justice in the execution.
You play as Macbat, a monocle-wearing bat living in Kiwiland, a region once ruled by the evil Melon King before his defeat two years prior by a singular kiwi bird (Ivy?). Residents have since seen peace but recently, water production has stopped at the “Watery Factory” and entry is sealed by six different keys. Tasked by your parrot friend to investigate, it comes down to Macbat to find them all and discover what happened. Utilising a storybook aesthetic to journey between levels, Macbat 64 has 10 levels in total and comes filled with self-referential humour that often breaks the fourth wall.
Across most levels, all you can do is move around, walk up to NPCs to talk with them, and jump. There’s no combat here and Macbat’s move-set is pretty limited. Your main task is finding the area’s key to complete it and most areas have a set of collectable items that contribute towards getting it, like coins for buying items or balloons to lift objects. Unfortunately, Macbat 64 executes this poorly and it simply isn’t fun. Gameplay is extremely basic and feels like a weak rehash of better games, made worse by poor camera implementation. Some levels change up gameplay to bring variety, including a 2D segment and go-karting, but they don’t feel cohesive and are equally dull.
Each level is also beatable within 5 minutes, meaning you could finish the story in just over an hour, though considering the extremely low price point, that’s more forgivable. Ultimately though, whilst the N64-era aesthetic will appeal to some, Macbat 64 just isn’t worth your time. Diploducus Games seem to be relying on little more than nostalgia as it’s selling point, but when it utterly fails to deliver on gameplay, we can’t recommend this to even the most die-hard platforming fans.
Comments 82
Never even heard of it before. Guess I'm not missing out.
No-one misses this aesthetic.
"Recreates the N64 era vibe"
"Camera is frustrating"
Can't have one without the other.
@Silly_G I mean, I miss it, a lot, and I bought this game day 1 and absolutely love it
@Yanina Yeah I feel like the reviewer missed the point of the game. It actually controls better than Mario 64
@Kalmaro You definitely are, if you like old school platformers you'll love it
Thank you Nintendolife for giving me the choice to delete trackers.
Meanwhile, on Steam, the game sits at a “very positive,” with over 140 positive reviews. Keep that in mind, dear readers, that while this game wasnt NL’s cup of tea, it could still be yours.
@LilMuku Oh? Looks like you've played it already. You like how it controls then?
Camera is Frustrating
What did you expect...
For $2 on Steam for an hour of gameplay, it's not that bad of a deal. Looks like a fun little romp through N64 fun.
I actually really enjoyed this one! I understand how it’s not for everyone though. Definitely plays more like a tech demo than a full game, but it was neat to play around with for an hour or so, especially for the price.
Mediocre!? 🤔 Funny to say, I'm still interested.
You get what you pay for I suppose. Not many great titles at that price point.
@Silly_G I often wonder if I'm the only person in the world who still loves the N64 aesthetic. Personally I am very fond of the chunky graphics of games like Goemon 64 and Bomberman 64, and I would like it if indie developers would work more often with this idiom instead of SNES/NES-style graphics
I can't be the only one that thinks the devs need a little bit of praise regardless because it uses actual 3d polygonal models and not the overdone and frankly would have impressed me in the early 1990s "pixel art" look.
Those screenshots look bad even by N64 standards. And I don't mean late N64, either; compare them to your average N64 game from 1997, and they still look bad.
Guess not, then.
@chipia I love low-poly (flat shaded) aesthetic in games such as Hotshot Racing, Lonely Mountains Downhill etc. Looks clean and nice. However, I kind of dislike the muddy, low-res textures in N64 games. Not my cup of tea, but I can see how some people might enjoy the look.
I love 3D platformers. I also love the aesthetics of N64 games, so at the cheap price of $2, I just went ahead and picked it up. I haven't played it yet, as I'm busy with 3D Allstars, but I'm glad to hear that others seem to like it. I really hope we get more indie games with N64 like graphics.
Wow, every other review I've seen are pretty positive, with the main problem being the length.
To be fair, Ivy wasn't a kiwi, she was a phoenix. Spoiler alert.
@Silly_G I dunno, there is a certain charm to those early N64 and PS1 games, at least for the ones that got it right.
I bought this last week and rather enjoyed it. It’s only a couple of quid so it was never going to be the next Ocarina of Time but it was a fun diversion. I still enjoy the N64 aesthetic so the graphics were a spot-on recreation of something Rare would have made back then.
I never really found the camera to be a problem either, it’s no worse than Super Mario Galaxy which frequently locks the camera in less than idea places.
@chipia You're not the only one. Nintendo 64 graphics are where it's at and need to make a big comeback at some point. If memory serves, "no one missed" 2D graphics either for a time.
For £1.79 I got a good hour or so enjoyment out of it. Short and sweet. To me that is good value.
Thought the camera was fine (better than SM64 I experienced for the first time recently), controls were tight and the aesthetic nailed that era. Sure it is basic but it wasn't aiming to be anything other than that, the price point surely points toward that.
Think the review may have missed the point of it or they had unreasonable expectations.
@aznable nice of you to put a spoiler in the review comment section.
This score would be justified if it was more expensive; but for $2, it’s a mediocre, but decently fine $2 well spent.
@Silly_G speak for yourself! Something rather beautiful about those colours and lower definition in games to me
also keep in mind a guy born in 93 wrote this review, I get why that generation would not get this, if you were born in the eighties or earlier you may appreciate it a lot more.
Well I loved this game, I took a punt on it for 1.79 and I had a great time. Yeah took an hour but played with a smile on my face! It was easy and fun, I like the aesthetic and dare I say it, I preferred it to a short hike! Xxx will play again, hope other people will try it xxx
By reading the comments, it seems that to be a good game the only requirements are to have a graphic style that instills nostalgia in the player, and have a low price.
Who knew level design and polish were so overrated!
@quinnyboy58 this makes absolutely no sense, I am close to his age and was raised with a N64 as my first console, so of course our generation can feel nostalgia for that era. I'm not saying he does cause I don't know the details to his upbringing, but the generalization you made is just wrong.
@lyle_catcliffe to be fair, the game is like 11 years old. Spoiler alert.
I thought it was fun enough for $2. It'll probably be on sale for literal pennies at some point.
The level design and writing are pretty weak, and there is little to no challenge, but it's not a bad game for the price
That's a shame.
@LilMuku - You, you seem to be the outlier here, so I want to ask a question or two on the game.
What's the breadth of the content like within the game? A huge collectathon or is it like a bite sized mission style?
@Silly_G - Honestly, I don't mind this aesthetic and will gladly take more just to avoid pixel fatigue.
When I read "Melon King", I hope I wasn't the only one to think of, “I am not Toph! I am Melon Lord! Muahahahahahaha!”
@chipia Yes, you out of the millions of people of on the planet is the only one who loves the N64 aesthetic. The people who develop N64 inspired games clearly are not fans of it, and did it because of a dice roll.
The 3D games of that era all look horrible. Understandable, since they were pretty much the first of their kind, but horrible nonetheless.
But then again I am a sucker for pixel art and I totally understand that that's not everyone's cup of tea either.
@Kalmaro aye, better than Mario 64 in terms of controls for sure
@Paraka It's not huge, but at the end of the day it is a game that's less than £2
It's £1.79! It would have to be as bad as Dark Star by Mastertronic for me to consider myself being ripped off lol. (and even then, allowing for inflation, £1.99 in the 80's is approximately £5 pounds today! So it's still better value lol)
The price kind of lets you know right off the bat what you're in for. I played it and thought it was cute. Not really worth it unless you want a tiny nostalgia buzz. I liked it. I can get why other people would hate it though.
Makes sense why its only $2. On the brightside, it doesn't take much to build up $2 in gold points, getting it for free.
For me, this game was priced perfectly. They aimed to deliver a digestible dose of N64 aesthetic nostalgia (which is a huge rarity even in today's nostalgia-heavy market) for the price of a cup of coffee, and they hit that goal perfectly.
I admit, first impressions are pretty shonky once you realise how tiny and simplistic every stage is. But about halfway through, it hit me: would I really want to play through a full-fat 20-hour copy of Banjo Kazooie in this style? I mean, I'd play actual BK again, but maybe the best possible way to pay tribute to the N64 style is indeed to give players something that they can finish within an afternoon, be reminded of the classics and remember how good those real games were.
@Silly_G they should of at least tried to modernise it abit
Kinda like how hotshot racing looks alot like virtua racing but more modern
This game was fun. It’s not bad. It’s an indie dev bringing back the nostalgia of true gaming days (N64/PS1). This reviewer doesn’t understand gaming. Not everyone likes 80+ hour open world games.
@chipia No way, I love it as well. Has a ton of charm.
Having started it the other day, I can see where NL is coming from. But I would also agree with many others in the comments that there is a charm and esthetic to the game (probably driven largely by nostalgia, however). This is probably why I would give it a 4 or a 5. I also don't like short games, generally, so bear that in mind as well.
Harsh review. This is perfectly entertaining for its brief run time, and controls competently enough. It won't rock anyone's world, but it certainly isn't "bad".
I’ll definitely grab this - a two hour playthrough is perfect, and I love a little N64 nostalgia
@chipia Hmmm, i quite like the way the worlds look in n64 era games, however the characters themselves I don't find very pleasing. Would love platformers with n64 style landscapes tho
After spending the last 2 years trying to develop a 2d platformer I have nothing but the upmost respect for any "one person team" developer to get something out on the switch and reviewed by a main stream gaming media site.
@LilMuku - Oh I am not expecting a blowout, just gauging what to expect.
It seems that it doesn't want to be Banjo-Kazooie but a shorter and more superficial game inspired by its looks. Nothing wrong with it.
I recommend people that like N64 games getting a Series X/S and Rare Replay.
I had fun with it as a cute innocent distraction.
Also, for some reason Grant Kirkhope is in the game, randomly providing the voice of a monkey.
After having replayed Super Mario 64 recently (not on the 3D All-Stars game), I found that I was fighting the camera more than I was Bowser's forces. That really made me rethink the nostalgic value that I had for that game.
I used to rank it as #1 in my personal pantheon of the greatest games of all time, but now, I have to say Skyrim is. That's not to say that SM64 is a bad game, but I think people tend to overlook its flaws that seriously hamper the gameplay experience.
Sounds like a fun little game, especially for $2. You can not expect a triple A game for that price.
@Paraka Short, mission-based. Levels usually have like 2 collectible things you need to complete it (like coins and balloons), a few simple puzzles to solve, and a little bit of platforming. There’s a secret collectible hidden in a few levels that gives you something for collecting them all. And a few bonus levels.
It’s mostly pretty cute and simple and I enjoyed it a lot, though some of the last areas are creepy and there’s no real explanation in-game as to why? That part’s not really important, and I’m probably the only person bothered by it, but...
@Silly_G Speak for yourself, you uncultured brute.
64 comments, brilliant! Oh...sorry.
@StardusterEX Nah, I was creeped out by those first two bonus areas too. I actually recommended my sister get the game for my nephew and niece as it seems like a great introductory platformer game, but then... the music and atmosphere is gonna freak them out.
The very last level though seems a great tribute to Metroid and makes me wonder what could have been if there was a N64 Metroid game. A little cameo halfway through makes it clear that was what the devs were going for (as well as the final sequence) and I loved that.
@BenAV But the thing is, I got Celeste for 5 Bucks back in June. Just read the NL review of Celeste (they rated it 10/10) to find out how that's a great deal!
@LatsaSpege I'm talking about a game's full price, not factoring in sales.
For two bucks, it's quite charming. I liked it.
That's a shame. I picked it up after it was featured in an article on NL highlighting it's cheap launch price (less than £2!) about a week ago as I wanted to support the developers pricing model. Gotta say for the price I paid I was very pleased, it was an admittedly short though utterly charming little game with plenty of humorous dialogue throughout and was made by a team of less than 5 people all for less than the price of a pint! Pick it up if anything to support this very forward thinking pricing model- would be nice if it were to catch on! Lol😜
For a $2 game, this does deserve a little more than a 3 out of 10. The text is a little inconsistent in places, but other than minor grammatical errors, the game does a fair job of evoking in microcosm the fond memories of Nintendo 64 era 3D platforming. For a game priced for less than what you spend for a coffee in the morning, you get a little more than what you pay for with this one. This game is a fair 6 out of 10 for what it is. Here's hoping "643D" becomes a new graphics trend as players grow increasingly more nostalgic for nineties greatness.
@StardusterEX - That's what I was looking for, thank you.
Not too big a fan of mission based platformers, but I spent way more on way worse (Tiny Hand Adventure... Yeugh). I will give it a looksie.
Someone who was too young to enjoy the N64 era should NOT be reviewing this. That is busch league journalism. I stopped playing Mario 3d all stars 1 night to pick this up for $2 and had an awesome time playing it. Well worth it for anyone who grew up with a 64. If you did you should get it. And that's the bottomline cause stone cold said so!
It's not terrible, in fact its one of the best games you could get for 2 bucks, but the gameplay and concept feel like they could be so much more
@Mario_maniac That would explain it then. I’ve never actually played a Metroid game start to finish, so all I saw was creepy scenery, lol. That other creepy level gives me LSD Dream Emulator vibes. Dunno if that’s what they were actually going for or not...
Something I only found out just now and should perhaps impact the review (as I didn't see it mentioned) — in addition to the bonus levels after the main campaign, you can also unlock Kiwi 64. I've only dabbled a bit in it so far but honestly the price for this game is very generous given the content we get.
This comment section is so damn toxic. Yikes.
How unfortunate. I played this game and I had a really good time with it. I think a 3/10 is way too harsh.
Game was fine and controls better than Mario 64. I think the reviewer missed the point of this game. Also, complaining about game length on a $2 game, really?
Just purchased.... its very fun and worth more than the 3 stars.... missed the point on this big time reviewer
@quinnyboy58 your comment makes no sense at all lol. I was born in 92, got my first system when I was 5 (a NES), snes when I was 7, and the n64 when I was 9. So yeah saying someone from 93 can't appreciate it is baseless.
I've gotta disagree with you on this one. Macbat was a lot of fun!
@Sisilly_G man, I made an account JUST to tell you how dumb your comment is. Imagine people would say this sorta thing about any other art form. “No one cares about theatre anymore, we got cinema” “no one cares about reading books anymore, we got audiobook” “no one cares about vinyl, we got WAV/AIFF/FLAC” “No one cares about painting, we got photography”. Not any different with video games, and those old methods don’t just have value for nostalgia-sake. They have unique valid artistic qualities outside that as well. Grow up bro 😅🤦♀️
@TheBloodlessOne : There's a lot that's "dumb" about your list of comparisons given that most of them do not invalidate the other, except perhaps for digital audio, as the overwhelming majority of audio is mastered digitally nowadays, and even reprints of records mastered during the analogue area are digitally remastered and then converted to analogue for vinyl distribution, which effectively diminishes the whole point of even having a vinyl copy when the (lossless) digital version would be objective superior, so in that particular case, yes, I would argue that (modern) vinyls are merely a worthless novelty as they yield little to no qualitative benefit.
I have little doubt that developers during the Nintendo 64 era would have yearned to create games with more realistic visuals, but what was produced then was a product of their time as consumer technology/electronics needed to catch up so that artistic visions could be better realised. Note that only a tiny minority of games have deliberately opted for such an aesthetic since the PS2/GameCube era (and the low asking price of such games reflect their demand).
And if you couldn't tell, dear genius, my initial comment was hyperbolic for comic effect. There will obviously be a minority out there that harbour nostalgia for this aesthetic and/or style of gameplay, and I harbour similar sentiments for GB/GBC games, but the "art style" of most games from that era was borne of limitation, and not out of deliberately wanting to produce such an aesthetic that - as most critics would argue - has aged poorly.
Tap here to load 82 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...