Let me preface this review with a few brief statements.  First, if you already own the PC version of Starcraft and are reading this review to find out if you should purchase the N64 version, read no further.  If you own the PC version, you do NOT need to buy this one.  The few exclusive levels are not worth the cost.  It's also important for me to note that although I do not live in a cave or other secluded backwoods area, I never played Starcraft on the PC when it was released a couple of years back.  I'm not much of a PC gamer, and not really into real-time strategy games either.  After all, the console ports of PC games like Command & Conquer have not been impressive thus far.  Nintendo and Blizzard announced a console-exclusive deal to bring Starcraft to the N64 in 1998, and the game did not arrive until the middle of 2000, so that added to my skepticism about playing Starcraft on a console of any type (and personally the N64 would have been the last console I would have expected to see this game.)  Despite this, I gave the game a rental just to see what all of the fuss was about.  After an hour, I returned the rental, bought the game, and played the PC version for comparison purposes. 

For those who, like me, never played Starcraft on the PC, here is an overview of the game.  It’s a real-time strategy game, meaning that you must build buildings and units, move your forces around, and gather supplies, all in real-time, and your computer or human foes do the same.  It takes a little getting used to, but luckily Starcraft's controls manage to be surprisingly intuitive and the learning curve is just right for a beginner.  There are three races which battle with each other for varying reasons.  The Terrans are humans and are the basic race of the game.  They rely on technological upgrades to build increasingly powerful vehicles and infantry, and can wield nuclear weapons.  Their buildings also have the ability to hover to new locations, making them very adaptable during battle.  The first alien race, the Zerg, are a basic, organic race similar to the aliens in the movie Aliens.  They build organic structures, and must coat the ground they build on with an organic sludge that also serves as a defense.  Finally, the Protoss are similar to the aliens from Predator.  They build up strong psychic powers over the course of the game, and rely on powerful single units.  Each race has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each has two campaigns in the N64 version, which come from the original PC game and its add-on, Brood Wars. 

Starcraft 64 is one of those games that impresses with its massive list of options and incredible playability, not with its use of hardware for graphics or sound.  The Nintendo 64 version is absolutely packed with value for the money.  It has the original three scenarios from Starcraft, plus the additional three from the Brood Wars expansion, along with some extra exclusive levels and a ton of scenarios for multi-player options.  There are over fifty missions in the one player game and some of the missions take an hour or more to complete.  Add in a great story, along with a lot of variation in the missions, and the one player mode is fantastic, especially for this type of game.  Usually I quickly grow bored with real-time strategy games due to monotony, but Starcraft keeps you on your toes.  Every mission is different and a lot of thought went into making each one memorable and challenging.  The various strengths and weaknesses of the three races make each campaign fresh and entirely different.  There are also scenarios that can be played out, pitting the player against a variety of foes on a different set of levels.  These scenarios are very varied, pitting the player against between one and three computer enemies, or doing team battles.  It's a little less enthralling than the campaigns, but good for a quick battle.  

Beyond the incredible one-player experience, Starcraft 64 makes a good attempt at providing a multi-player aspect as well.  A hardcore PC gamer might scoff, but the two-player versus split-screen mode is not really as bad as it sounds.  Yes, the screen is cramped on a smaller television, and a lot of the surprise aspect is gone, but it's still a lot of fun, just not nearly as good as online play.  It's also hampered with slowdown if the game drags on too long.  The multi-player levels are well designed, which adds a lot to the experience.  Also available is a cooperative mode where two players battle against the computer, which actually works very well, although again slowdown can bog down play at times. 

One of the most important aspects in this type of game is the control.  Clearly the N64 pad is no substitute for a mouse and the cursor speed can be a hindrance, but for someone who has not played the PC version, it’s more than adequate.  A few simplifications Blizzard made to the controls go a long way.  Instead of having to find individual structures to build units or do research, pressing the Z button and R button brings up a master list which allows you to choose anything you want to do.  Some exceptions exist (for instance, to build a nuke you still have to find the correct silo and choose the build nuke command), but this master list makes commanding even a massive force much easier.  Basic units that gather supplies do so immediately upon being built, which also simplifies things a bit.  Combination button presses also allow you to set different groups to command, and the troop actions are controlled by the six buttons on the controller face.  It’s somewhat hard to explain, but it all adds up to a remarkably playable experience.  No, it’s not as good as the PC controls, but I doubt that a better control scheme could have been devised for the N64 controller.  

As previously stated, this game is not one that pushes the graphics envelope on the N64, nor will its sound quality overwhelm your ears. Starcraft 64 is not going to win any awards for its graphics, and it looks poor compared to the PC version (and even that was no graphics showcase.)  The individual units look nice and are animated well enough but the whole game has a somewhat grainy look to it, and the overall graphics are rather simple.  The artwork throughout, as well as the building and unit design, is all very well done.  It's not eye-candy and not nearly as sharp as the PC version, but it looks better than any other console real-time strategy game.  The music in the game is also well done.  It's moody and sounds especially nice for an N64 game.  Most of the great sound clips that the various troops say during battle have unfortunately been cut to do memory limitations, but the ones that remain are nice and clear.  The FMV intro from the PC has been slashed down to an extremely grainy twenty-second intro, which should not have even been attempted.  Also, the mission briefings are text and not speech as in the PC version, again due to memory limitations. 

One final warning is that I did experience repeated crashing on two different levels during gameplay, where I had to restart the N64.  I believe this was due to having far too many units on the screen and being built, and it's understandable due to hardware limitations, but it's an awful thing to have happen during gameplay.  The slowdown can also get quite bad when there are too many units moving at once or fighting each other, which hurts the game's score.  

So, what does this boil down to?  The PC version has online play, far superior speech and sound effects, sharper graphics, an easier control interface, and little or no slowdown (depending, of course, on your PC).  If you have a PC, then by all means, buy Starcraft immediately.  The PC version is better, hands-down.  However, I think its best to look at Starcraft 64 on its own merits as a console game.  It is by far the best real-time strategy game available on any console system.  The three races make it almost like having three completely different games.  Campaign missions are a blast to play due to outstanding variety and an excellent storyline to keep things moving.  The value for the money is fantastic due to the incredibly long one-player game and the numerous multi-player modes.  The graphics are average but great artwork makes the game easy enough to look at, and the sound is high quality for an N64 title.  Nintendo made a wise decision to secure an exclusive console version of this game.  Blizzard has produced an excellent port of an incredible PC game, giving the N64 a title geared at more mature players.  The learning curve is perfect for beginners, especially console players who have not had much experience with a genre just beginning to make inroads on today's systems.  I highly recommend this game to more mature N64 owners, although a rental is probably a good idea for anyone who has never played this type of game.  I found it to be an addicting experience, and one of the longer and more rewarding games I have played in a long time.