'Shake, shake!'
One of the more innovative and underrated games on the N64 'Mischief Makers' offers a unique combination of 2D scrolling with pre-rendered 3D backgrounds and tons of mischief. The console's first platforming it definitely made an impact with me. I picked it up for it's colourful zaniness and colourful zaniness was exactly what I got.
You play a robot named Marina off to save her creator during a civil war who has to grab and shake a lot of things in order to progress through the levels. It was insanely attractive as it never took itself too seriously but got it's point across effectively.
Jumping around, teleporting and even riding missiles, it is high octane stuff but it also has a decent storyline running through it. It is almost part RPG as you get to talk to characters who have been caught up in the war and I found this unusual for a platformer of it's time. It was this element that made me found it endearing along with the infectious personality of Marina herself and the puffed up enemies.
Shaking is a big part of the game. You shake pots for energy, you shake enemies to make them cry, you shake almost anything you can find in the hope that it can be turned to your advantage. The graphics are a joy as you run your way through the levels in a kaleidoscope of colours that fits with the overall game's peppiness. The inventiveness of the game mechanics is what endures with me and I would love an updated version to become available for the new generation of game consoles.
