Macbat 64: Journey of a Nice Chap

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1

.

Review:

Macbat 64 is a 3D Platformer released on PC in 2017 and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2020. As the title implies, Macbat 64 is a throwback to the 3D Platformers of the Nintendo 64 era, specifically Banjo-Kazooie, and it is clearly aimed at nestling right in the comfy nostalgia zone. They even got Banjo-Kazooie composer Grant Kirkhope to voice a monkey! Which… is kinda’ odd and random, but I suppose I’m not complaining.

In keeping with the game’s nostalgic theme, the presentation here is decidedly old-school, which is to say that the game features low-poly 3D visuals with low-quality, blurry textures. It does sufficiently put one in mind of the Nintendo 64 era of videogames, but even so, it feels like something is missing – there’s a lack of polish present here that’s well beyond what we saw in the Nintendo 64 games that Macbat evokes. These visuals are joined by a whimsical, repetitive, and largely forgettable soundtrack that manages to evoke the same style as seen in games like Banjo-Kazooie without being anywhere near as catchy.

For the gameplay, Macbat is a pretty simple Platformer with very light Puzzle elements. There aren’t really many enemies to contend with, and while there are collectables to find and… er, collect… doing so feels more than anything like busywork rather than the developer’s way to get you to fully explore the level. These levels are extremely simple and abstract in a way that generally fails to capture the imagination, and you’ll speed through each of them in a matter of minutes. In fact, you can easily complete the game, including all extra content, within an hour or so. Also, this game’s camera is pretty terrible… yes, even by Nintendo 64 standards.

Despite this, the game does have its charms. The cute references to games like Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, the Metroid series, and at one point Back to the Future are all mildly amusing, and the game manages to have enough variety to keep players from losing interest. Unfortunately though, as much as this game likes to reference Banjo-Kazooie, it simply doesn’t have Banjo’s depth, its skillful level design, and its imaginative creativity. This game feels much like what it is – a fan tribute piece.

Is that worth the low $2 price tag? Well, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I felt like my time was wasted playing Macbat 64. Even though the game only lasts an hour or so, I found it to be a mildly entertaining hour. I’ll warn you that if you’re craving a 3D Platformer like Banjo-Kazooie, you’ll likely be disappointed – if that’s what you want, buy Yooka-Laylee, or just go on the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo 64 app and just replay Banjo-Kazooie. However, if you’re looking to spend a few bucks for a cute little reminiscence of a bygone era, Macbat 64 may be worth that few bucks.

tl;dr – Macbat 64 is a 3D Platformer designed to evoke nostalgia over classic Nintendo 64 games like Banjo-Kazooie. This game only lasts an hour or so, and it never comes close to the level of polish and quality seen in the games it references, but it is at least amusing enough to be worth the $2 price tag.

Grade: C

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Andy Miller, Exlene, Homer Simpin, Johannes, Talissa, Eli Goodman, Francis Obst, Gabriel Coronado-Medina, Ilya Zverev, Kristoffer Wulff, and Seth Christenfeld. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}