Let's All Play - Jet Force Gemini

Like a bolt from the blue, it's a let's all play thread just for you!

We kick off our first forum playalong in a long, long time with a look back at one of Rare's vaunted N64 line-up in Jet Force Gemini.



It's a third person shoot-em-up with a focus on challenge and blasting away hordes of drones. It's also renowned for being pretty tough, so no expectations to see this one through! I've heard takes that the controls can be a bit frustrating, but I guess we'll see what our consensus is once we get our teeth sunk into it.

I've yet to fire it up, but figured we're overdue getting this thread up. Anyone taken their first steps into outer space blasting some bots?

I had an hour or so on this at the weekend while I cooked up a nice pasta bake. It's really fun in its presentation, sort of matching that Thunderbirds vibe that Starfox was good at. It had a nice juicy cutscene at the start which is laughable now but I'm sure would have had me salivating at the time.

I played the first level, only dying by jumping down a hole and dying at the bottom. The controls are weird in this day and age, sure, but I'm playing on a Switch N64 controller and it all makes sense on that. For the most part, it's just running and gunning with a lock-on. There are snipers who need to be picked off by going into manual aim, or some bigger enemies who require a little strafing behind cover.

I got to the second level and grabbed a machine gun. It's still pretty playable, but I'm not chomping at the bit for more.

Yeah, I had an hour or two with it last night. Definitely agree with the Star Fox vibes - the opening cutscene was kinda endearing with its somewhat janky animations, but I'd imagine it would have been pretty neat in the 90s. There's one scene at the start of the second stage where they really focus on a reflection of one of the characters in a puddle - felt like Rare showing off their reflection tech, which I'd imagine would have been dead cool.

As for the game, it's starting to click for me but the controls really are cumbersome, especially playing on a Switch Pro Controller. Sounds like it's an easier time on the N64 pad. I changed to Normal controls from Expert controls in the option and it's been a bit easier to manage, but it's still bloody fiddly aiming and shooting manually. I heard the Xbox version has proper twin stick aiming, which sounds like a dream.

I don't know if I'm missing something, but is there an objectives menu anywhere? I got to the end of the second stage before finding out I'd missed shooting about half a dozen switches hidden around the level to unlock jail cells to rescue the little furry freaks.

I've left off having unlocked the second character and looks like there's a bit of a branching path as to what stage I choose to go for next, which is neat. The start of Juno's third stage gave me big Metroid vibes as he landed on a pretty atmospheric alien planet. The shooting and guns are also giving me Ratchet and Clank vibes, although sadly not as fun to control or as inventive with the weapons - so far, at least.

I'll stick with it, but it's definitely flawed thus far.

I tapped out after 5 minutes thinking it's one for the N64 pad. Might give it another try with the alternative controls. One thing's for sure, they should have added Snowboard Kids instead.

I'm going to play a bit later on today so I'll post some thoughts then.

Treesmurf wrote:

One thing's for sure, they should have added Snowboard Kids instead.

Did I ever mention on here that I played that for the first time when I was at Glesgames? I could see why so many like it but I have some bad news, it has not aged well in the controls department.

Treesmurf wrote:

I tapped out after 5 minutes thinking it's one for the N64 pad.

This is pretty much everything for me. Unless the controls have actually been reworked, N64 games need that abomination.

I've actually ended up sinking a few hours into this. The controls are starting to click for more, although manual aiming against flying hordes of enemies typically devolves into me spraying the machine gun and praying.

Some of the levels have been pretty fun - there was a subsection of the bog planet where you have to attack an enemy castle, so lots of narrower corridors with enemies shooting from up on the ramparts. It even had a boss fight at the end to cap it off. The first mission as the second character was pretty neat as well - a spaceship with narrower corridors interspersed with some tense fights up in the rafters.

I do think the game needs some sort of invincibility buffer after getting hit. I've had a couple of moments of rounding a corner only to get my health bar halved by a barrage of fire from a dozen enemies or even worse, dying in like 4 hits from massive grenade launcher enemies. The other problem is that this game really does remind me of Ratchet and Clank and that feeling is only deepening as I progress, and now I just want to play Ratchet instead.

So, I played a little over an hour earlier tonight and I feel I'd get on with the games controls way more if I could change the invert Y axis aim. I quite like everything else about it especially the music which isn't surprising though when it's composed by one of the Rare greats in Graeme Norgate.

The_Jaster wrote:

Treesmurf wrote:

One thing's for sure, they should have added Snowboard Kids instead.

Did I ever mention on here that I played that for the first time when I was at Glesgames? I could see why so many like it but I have some bad news, it has not aged well in the controls department.

*fingers in ears* la la la, not listening...

You're probably right though, does seem to be the trend with N64 games.

Aye, I was talking a bit about that with Jay & Buska last night before recording Hyrule field report, it's mainly because it's early 3d so there's a lot of experimental controls going about.

Nintendo are mainly the ones that make it sing the most by usually keeping button layouts simple with a bit of focus on the analog sticks 3d movements, though the weird thing for me with JFG is it came 2 years after Goldeneye & that had way more controller layouts to pick from. Also after playing the Turok remasters by Nightdive I'd love see them do more n64 games because they do a cracking job of updating the controls which allows for the original design of the games to shine a bit more brighter.

I've played a few more stages of this as the second character - the levels have been better as a whole, but I'm starting to get more and more frustrated as the enemies ramp up in difficulty. There's a new enemy type with a riot shield and I think you're meant to precisely aim at the gaps in the shield to take out the enemy, but the aiming is so wonky that it feels practically impossible to do that. I've ended up just firing the machine gun and praying or using one of the precious bits of explosive ammo to take them out, but it's not exactly fulfilling to do so.

Anyone else still playing?

I have now downloaded RARE Replay, but still not got around to playing JFG.

I'll be keen to hear how it plays on Xbox with the different controls and all, so looking forward to your takes.

Agreed - I'm still on the second stage of the forest planet, and trying to aim at all the flying drone doodads is a bit of a nightmare. I'd also argue the camera sits too close/low by default. Will continue though - I've seen little bits of Rare humour coming through, and am keen to persevere - it's definitely technically accomplished for an N64 game, it's just the controls that haven't aged well.

JayMoyles wrote:

I was actually thinking of starting up a Let's All Play for Golden Sun seeing as the JFG thread has died on its arse. I've never played it and I'd be keen to see how it holds up.

Sorry Jay
It might not have helped it started around the holiday season, where I've got a lot of big games to get through and not loads of time - I do still want to get back into Jet Force Gemini, but I haven't played it again since the above post.

I'm going to triple post on this, having jumped back to try it again as my official "N64 game I'm trying to play". Is the N64 actually the worst culprit in "games that are impossible to play if you don't have the manual"? I finally spammed my way through the forest stage, then the girl one got kidnapped, then the wise lad said "don't forget there's a treasure chest up there", then I jumped up to the treasure chest using C up to jump; then I stood in front of the treasure chest, then I couldn't work out what button opened it; then I went back to Paper Mario.

Jimbob wrote:

Is the N64 actually the worst culprit in "games that are impossible to play if you don't have the manual"?

Growing up on N64 and with it being my most played console ever, nine times out of then the controls make total intuitive sense to me. I’m sure I could pick up and play 90% of that console’s library straight away, without fuss. I can understand how many of the games that are second nature to me are probably impenetrable to others though. It’s a wild N64 world when C-Left does grabs in Snowboard Kids, L blocks grapples in WCW/NWO Revenge and C-Down runs in ISS ’98. I mean, how would you know that without years of play? Only with an instruction manual, that’s how.

I definitely find Jet Force Gemini to be the hardest to control of any of the well-regarded, ‘quality’ N64 games though. That’s why I quickly dropped off it soon after beginning it on Switch Online, but I’m not ruling out going back to it at some point.

I think N64 games’ controls feel nonsensical when played on other controllers, but I do usually find them intuitive when I have an actual N64 pad in my hand.