Way back when, I played Pilotwings and didn't quite get off the ground with it, despite the game taking place everywhere other than the ground. The controls were imprecise, or perhaps precisely too precise, and my level of skill was so far off the charts that getting into the office in order to take the various pilot license tests was an achievement too far.
Enter, then, Pilotwings 64, a 3D sequel, again releasing alongside its host console, the Nintendo 64, hoping to introduce players to the skies with a colourful cast of characters whizzing about a tropical island in hang gliders, jetpacks and gyrocopters.
Will the introduction of an analogue stick lead to more success for me? There's only one way to find out.
Fun Times
If you're thinking that Pilotwings 64 is a friendly, welcoming title for players of all ages, then you'd be right. Your tasks are introduced with instructions, hints and even demonstration videos to give you as much information as possible before going into the test yourself, and nailing it on the first attempt, like I clearly did.
Alright, second attempt. The controls are simple, centering on the stick for movement and the A and B-buttons to usually speed up and slow down, so you won't be doing anything too complicated in that department, but will still need to be careful when, where and how often you use your inputs.
During your runs, you can even take photographs to view later. Which I didn't. Too busy taking screenshots.
Jetpacks and gyrocopters all handle differently, requiring you to get used to subtle changes in control methods, but they all seem to make sense and all these modes of transport feel both weighty and nimble, making flying them a breeze.
Frustrations
But that didn't stop me from getting bored early on, and I soon gave up on the game. I didn't see the point in performing endless tests of navigating rings and headbutting balloons in search of higher and higher scores based on my precision and timing.
I didn't care how good I was, I didn't want to improve, I didn't want to try with different characters because apart from Goose, they all look a bit daft. I just didn't want to invest any time into Pilotwings 64, no matter how much more accessible it was than Pilotwings ever was.
Final Word
I read that there is some variance in the mission objectives, and some unique challenges crop up in the form of human cannonballs and skydiving, but they don't interest me either.
Is it because I saw Pilotwings 64 as 'simple'? Did the graphics put me off? Did I subconsciously not want to actually test my skill and see myself fail at this childish-looking game? I don't know, but Pilotwings 64 isn't getting played again anytime soon.
If you like flying or are into simple little games with no story or substance, then sure, give it a shot - it is miles better than the SNES title, arguably showing the first signs of Nintendo's family-friendly style and design choice from many of the Wii titles, like Wii Sports.
Otherwise, I think it's safe to say Pilotwings 64 is skippable, which sounds like I must be missing something about it. Can I have missed something about it? What makes it an absolute must play title? Beats me.
Fun Facts
Although they had a history with military simulators, developers Paradigm Simulation knew from the beginning that Pilotwings 64 would be more arcadey in feel, but still started building the game with real physics in play.
Pilotwings 64, developed by Nintendo EAD, Nintendo IAD, Paradigm Simulation, first released in 1996.
Version played: Nintendo 64, 1997, via emulation.