WinBack for the Nintendo 64 is one of the more storied games for the console. Set for release late last year, it was put back into development at the behest of Nintendo. Nintendo saw potential in WinBack and suggested a few improvements in order to make a more solid game. The game showed up in a much more polished form at May’s E3 show, and finally saw store shelves on October 21, 1999.

WinBack is a third person adventure much in the vein of Metal Gear Solid. It places a heavy emphasis on stealth and less on brute force. The WinBack story begins with the seizure of a secret military base from which the GULF weapons satellite is controlled. The Defense Department receives a claim of responsibility from an organization called the Crying Lions, demanding freedom for their homeland of Zarozcia. The Crying Lions have destroyed the only other base from which GULF can be controlled. There are three hours until GULF can be powered up and fired again. The orders have come through, the S.C.A.T. team has been mobilized and must take back the base. You are Jean-Luc Cougar, member of the S.C.A.T. insertion team.

The long development period of WinBack has not allowed the game to maximize in the visual department. While not poor, it does have remnants of a first generation title, like less-than-optimal textures and a little too much fog, although it does add some atmosphere. The graphics are not on the same level of the other titles that have come out for the N64 recently. I’m pleased to report, however, that the modeling and overall visual environment do not suffer due to these drawbacks. The character modeling and textures are much better than that of the general environment, lending a great deal of personality to the characters .The game’s great atmosphere could have been even better if the other graphical problems were remedied. 

In the sound department, WinBack excels. The game has few voice samples, but the actual sounds of the game are spot on and thankfully so. Sound plays an important role in the game. Intelligent enemies pick up on the use of liberal amounts of gunfire and come running to the aid of their comrades. The player can also use sound to his or her advantage.  Listening to footsteps and being aware of the environment can turn an enemy ambush into a strike for the good guys.  

Music is implemented in a interesting way. Through out the game, key moments in gameplay and plot are accompanied by music. The rest of the time, it is relatively silent. If the action gets heavy, then the music kicks in. When you get hurt, the music starts and begins at a high tempo, increasing with each additional damage point, continuing until you are safe. Sounds simple, but it is implemented in a pulse-raising way. The composition of the tunes is pretty good too, depending on your taste for techno-electronica music.

The gameplay in WinBack focuses heavily upon using stealth and assault tactics. And the first thing you must learn is to protect your self by using cover. The "A" button functions as the cover button. Move near and object, press A and Jean-Luc will put his back against the wall and face the screen. This allows you to see what is behind Jean-Luc, and you can use the "C" buttons to move the camera left and right to get a better view of the situation. Then, when an enemy is spotted, the bottom C is used to get a lock-on similar in fashion to Zelda. Once the lock mode is activated, the lock can be shifted between enemies using the C buttons. The R button is used to aim freely or with a lock, much like GoldenEye. If you are still in a position of cover provided by the "A" button, you can press R to move into an attack position. Depending on your proximity to target and placement, your character will attack differently. Jean -Luc will sometimes jump out like a Charlie’s Angel and fire, or he’ll dive roll out into action and begin firing. The whole process of learning how to make Jean-Luc move, attack and evade with some proclivity, takes time. However, once you have gone through the game’s excellent tutorial, all the basics will be at hand. Total expertise comes after a few levels.

The plot of WinBack is meshed nicely into the actual gameplay without intruding. Along the way you will meet up with your dispersed S.C.A.T. team, and the actual goings on are advanced through engine generated cutscenes. All of which can be thankfully skipped, something many other developers should learn to do.  The level design isn’t too flashy, and the "secure and move" style of gameplay seems to fit the game quite well, with moments of intensity and some neat puzzle solving as well.

WinBack also includes a variety of multiplayer modes. There is a standard death match and team battle mode. The Cube hunt mode is basically a scavenger hunt: shoot 7 multicolored cubes in a stage, all the while trying to avoid your competitors doing the same thing while shooting at you. Quick draw is similar, except this time you have a set order in which to shoot the cubes. Then there is the Point match. In point match, the player who does the most damage to other players wins. Like the single player game, damage is area specific - i.e. head shots are much more dangerous than one to the hip. The multiplayer modes are a mixed bag. Team play and deathmatch are great, and due to WinBack’s interface, are significantly different than a 1st person free for all. Cover, and cover fire are much more important, although there are bouts of “Police Squad” style fire fights.

WinBack was late in coming but, as the saying goes, better late than never. Had Koei not produced a good game, the delay would have been a complete waste. As it stands, the delays were worth it. WinBack is a wholly enjoyable single player experience. The way the story unfolds throughout the game is both interesting and unobtrusive. A variety of high pressure moments and lulls make WinBack a game worth having. Check it out.