Mischief Makers definitely could of used some work in terms of sound. Still, it does sport some nice effects like transparencies (found in much of the foreground) and anti-alaising, along with mip-mapping and scaling rotation. Scrolling clouds and backgrounds are nice, but really, the game isn't nearly as pleasing visually as it is in the gameplay department. The 2D sprites fill the worlds that make up Marina's quest. It looks very similar to a 16-bit side-scroller in appearance (and plays like a good one). Graphically, the game isn't going to break any new grounds or amaze many people. It's all rather refreshing and can be fun as well as frustrating. In doing so, Marina must shake enemies into dizzy spells, break path-obstructing blocks, utilize weapons (such as a ball-spouting shotgun) and ride whatever happens to be in her path (i.e. The object of the game, basically, is to capture the star at the end of each level.

Actually, it took us quite some time to figure out the point behind the game, which really doesn't develop until you've completed the first few levels. The first level is very reminiscent of a 16-bit 2D side-scroller, as Marina walks through the level picking up enemies and shaking them into dizzy spells, talking to characters and progressing. Marina, your everyday robotic maid, must make her way through a number of unique (and very 2D) levels on her mission. While some stages focus on straightforward action, others present the player with puzzle elements that must be overcome in order to make it to each stages goal. Unlike many other action/platform titles, the game challenges players to use their heads to overcome the stages' various obstacles. Gameplay is where Mischief Makers really shines. To reach the emperor and rescue her creator, Marina must make her way through five different worlds with 12 stages each. As with most evil folk, the emperor isn't about to just hand over the aging scientist, and has amassed an army to stop Marina at all costs. Mischief Makers stars a robotic cleaning maid named Marina on a mission to rescue her kidnapped creator from the clutches of an evil emperor. While the game might not be graphically groundbreaking, it makes up for this shortcoming with solid level design (though odd at times) and loads of challenging gameplay. Now the quirky Japanese developer has brought its platform game expertise to the N64 Mischief Makers, the first 2D side-scrolling game to appear on Nintendo1' king of 3D game machines.

Mischief makers 64