For the N64’s first sci-fi scrolling shooter, this is a bit of an odd one, as it isn’t a specific game, but rather a creation kit for making you own sci-fi shoot-’em’-up game. The software itself is quite complicated and isn’t easy to use, even with a translated manual and Google Lens – although I don’t think it’s the game’s fault.

There is a whole host of editing features, you can modify textures, modify models, modify the level layouts with effects and enemies and even design your own music. There are a bunch if icons and I imagine you can do a fair amount with it once you got used to how it worked.

The best I could do was do was some kind of takeaway food (the model is already in the game) shooting above water that moves around in waves. I did try to do a bit more, but I somehow accidentally reset all the custom data.

Dezaemon 3D does come with a couple of built in games, presumably made using the creation software of the game as examples of what you can do. This is a vertical scrolling shooter and near the start you come across a boss and an immense amount of bullets, but the detail is quite impressive.

The second game changes viewpoint depending on what stage you’re on, with a top down view on stage one and a side view on stage 2.

This is rather fascinating software, and it seems like it could do a lot.

Fun

So, as Solid Gear ably demonstrates, Dezamon is perfectly capable of producing a commercial-standard shooter. Of course, games design isn’t easy, and the average user might struggle to produce anything half as good, especially if they don’t understand the instructions, but given an English translation (stranger things have happened), and a lot of spare time, we’d just buy it for the music editor.

Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine #19. Review Score: 82%

Remake or remaster?

I don’t really know enough about games creation software to see how this sits now of if there’s anything similar availble.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to get Dezamon 3D