Happy Friday, everyone. I have a lot of import games in my collection. I have imports for Famicom, Super Famicom, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and the MSX. However, there is one console that I have not talked about. There are some games on Nintendo’s N64 that did not come out in North America, yet there’s only one in my collection. That game is Sin and Punishment.
Developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo, Sin and Punishment was released for the N64 in 2000. If you’re not familiar with Treasure, they’re considered to be the Michael Bay of video games. They created many action-packed, explosion-filled games for many popular consoles. Notable examples are Gunstar Heroes for Sega Genesis, Mischief Makers for N64, and Ikaruga for the Dreamcast, the latter of which got a worldwide release on GameCube. Sin and Punishment was actually planned for a North American release, but was cancelled due to declining sales of the N64 and the GameCube’s release the following year. Fans would eventually see a western release in 2009 for the Wii Virtual Console, as well as a sequel on the Wii. What’s interesting about Sin and Punishment is that it is now considered to be one of the best games on the N64 by pretty much every N64 fan. Import games on various consoles tend to go overlooked when talking about best games on a certain system, so for a Japan-only game like Sin and Punishment to go into special consideration is quite noteworthy. Is it worthy of such praise?
The game is a rail-shooter. First, the graphics are actually pretty good for the N64. The visuals fit the post-apocalyptic theme of the game well, and there’s actually mouth animation, a rare occurrence for an N64 game. Treasure actually sacrificed a high polygon count in favor of smooth gameplay, but they managed to make the graphics very stylish nonetheless. The music is also pretty good, with each song fitting the theme of its respective level. Also, there’s voice acting, another rare occurrence for an N64 game. It’s also in English with Japanese subtitles, even in the cartridge version that I’m playing, which is weird considering this game was only released in Japan.
Onto the gameplay. The story is that genetically altered creatures have escaped a laboratory and are attacking Japan. Saki, a young sniper, is tasked with stopping them before they turn Japan into a wasteland.
The game is a rail shooter where you have to shoot aliens and corrupt cops. If you’ve ever played Star Fox 64, the gameplay is fairly similar. You move the reticule up and down to aim, and B shoots. You can also jump, move from side to side, and quickly jump from side to side to avoid projectiles and obstacles. For your targeting reticule, you have two different modes: manual aim, and lock-on. Lock-on, indicated by a purple reticule, allows you to lock onto enemies and shoot them with 100% accuracy. I find this to be better than manual aim, as if you move the control stick around and keep locking onto enemy after enemy, you have a better chance of killing every Ruffian on screen. Also, Saki can deflect projectiles such as missiles by swinging his sword at them if they’re right in front of him, which could kill an enemy with proper aim.
While traversing through Tokyo, you will have to fight cops, as well as gunships. Like an arcade game, Saki only has a minute and a half to reach the end of each stage, but every time he destroys a gunship or a huge Ruffian, his counter is reset. However, if the counter reaches 0, Saki will slowly lose health until the counter is somehow reset.
You also have to shoot obstacles that are in your way. If Saki is shot, punched, sliced, or runs into an obstacle, he takes damage. There are health points that can be obtained throughout the stage (although they’re not very common), but if Saki dies, it’s back to the checkpoint where he left off. You are given 12 continues per game, but each time you continue your points are reset. Bummer.
There are about three sections per level, and as alluded to before there’s a boss fight at the end of each one. Each boss fight has their own strategy, involving either shooting them in a certain area or using your sword against them at the correct time. If there’s one way to describe the boss fights, it’s over the top. You have a giant unicorn dog robot that looks like Suicune from Pokemon, a floating psychic who throws dead cops at you, and a hyperactive cat that throws giant waves of water at you and sounds like Chibiusa from Sailor Moon. I know Treasure isn’t exactly subtle with the craziness of their boss fights, but this is something else.
So that’s Sin and Punishment. As said before, I can understand why Nintendo chose not to release it here initially, but it’s nevertheless a shame they did not. It has stylish graphics, an awesome soundtrack, intense action, and gloriously over-the-top gameplay. While the game is pretty short, it makes up for it in challenge. The only translation you would need is for the menu, but otherwise it’s perfectly English-friendly. If you’re a fan of rail shooters or an N64 enthusiast, you must grab Sin and Punishment. Just don’t forget to change the back of the cartridge.
Rating: 10/10
Thanks for reading my articles. I’ll be back with more reviews in the fall, so see you then!