Like with Duke Nukem, Hexen and DOOM, this is another port of a FPS that released on PC a few years prior. The N64 version of Quake (which I’m calling Quake 64 to make things easier) was mostly the same, but had altered (and missing) maps, making it a slight variation of the original – luckily the 2021 remaster of Quake includes the N64 maps as an additional option (just make sure to turn off the horrible CRT filter).

Quake is like DOOM but with a bit more 3D, featuring platforming. It follows the structure of having to hunt down keys to progress levels white are a bit maze like and are often disorientating due to everywhere looking the game. It was no doubt impressive back in the day, but the genre evolved a lot between when this originally came out on PC and when it came out on N64.

Apart from slight level changes, the other big difference with Quake 64 is the music. The original had a wonderful soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails (which is a genuine game soundtrack, not just some music they made) while this has its own soundtrack which sounds a bit like DOOM 64, being mostly background creepy ambient noise.

Quake is a fine game by itself, but there’s not really any reason to play it over the original.

Fine

If Midway hadn’t delayed Quake in order to add a two-player mode (which should have been a four-player mode, of course), we’d have struggled to recommend Quake 64. It’s a basic port, little more. It no way improves upon the original which, two years from its first release, is a bit of a joke.

James Price, N64 Magazine #15. Review Score: 79%

Remake or Remaster?

The remaster of Quake included an additional download for the N64 version – although if you’re not on PC, you’re stuck with a horrible filter.

Official Ways to get the game

You can get Quake from Gog and Steam.