I’ll be honest: I didn’t play a massive amount of the N64 version of Command & Conquer, I’ve played the game before on other platforms, and I’m not a huge fan of it personally. That said, Command & Conquer is a much loved real time strategy game. The N64 version, in terms of how the game plays and the levels you’ll encounter, is pretty much the same as the PC version, yet at the same time, this is still another strange case where the N64 version is a bit odd.

This is mainly due to the “Full 3D” (according to the box) nature of the graphics. This means that, instead of the lovely sprite work of the original, you get lower quality polygon models (although soldiers are still sprites). The odd thing is that the game doesn’t utilise this in any way – there’s no different viewpoints or angles, it’s just the same perspective as all the other versions. It feels like it’s just been made 3D just for the sake of it.

The N64 version also loses the FMV sequences (which you’d expect), although it does keep an impressive amount of voice acting for the briefings.

Controls also make this worse than playing on a PC – although at least the analogue stick makes it better than the PlayStation version. Selecting units is much, much slower, and selecting the wrong things is much more common. Some levels have been made easier to account for this.

The N64 version does include the full game, plus an add-on pack and a few bonus missions, so there’s plenty here, and it’s still a mostly functional way to play the game if you don’t have anything else to play it on.

Fine

And never are the problematic controls more aptly demonstrated than when you’re in the middle of a battle. Because you have to ‘drag and select’ your men, and because a lot of the time different sections of your men are fighting different enemies, it’s almost impossible to select just, say, three soldiers and send them somewhere else.

Tim Weaver, N64 Magazine #32. Review Score: 75%

Remake or remaster?

Command & Conquer Remastered is a great version of the original C&C game.

Official ways to get the game.

The N64 version isn’t available officially, but the remastered PC version is available on Steam and whatever EA are calling their store this week.