Before you scroll to the comments to tell me that Jet Force Gemini “isn’t a cult classic,” you’re very wrong, and despite the third-person shooter being one of Rare’s best Nintendo 64 titles, it didn’t find the audience it was hoping to back when it released in 1999.
Thankfully, the stellar title, which sits near the top of my favourite N64 games list, is getting a new lease on life through Nintendo’s Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription tier. Nintendo says the N64 classic will hit the service in December but has not yet provided an exact release date.
Back when it was first released, Jet Force Gemini looked so good that it was difficult to believe it was an N64 game (I remember scouring the pages of Nintendo Power, examining the surprising detail in every screenshot). The shooter has players assuming the role of a galactic law enforcement group tasked with taking down an insect-like villain called Mizar and his army of ant-life foes. There’s even surprisingly great four-player multiplayer deathmatch mode and co-op.
That said, Jet Force Gemini is very difficult, at least in part because its controls are a little wonky (it might even be one of the N64’s hardest games). It also requires players to save every Tribal to complete the game, which can be a gruelling task.
Adventure calls in the galaxy of Jet Force Gemini, coming to #NintendoSwitch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members this December! #Nintendo64 pic.twitter.com/Nne8huwalW
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 22, 2023
For those that are unaware, Microsoft purchased Rare back in 2002, making this re-release of Jet Force Gemini yet another example of the tech giant’s partnership with Nintendo. As part of the two companies’ ongoing collaboration, the revered N64 first-person shooter GoldenEye 007 was recently released on both Switch Online and Xbox.
Jet Force Gemini last resurfaced as part of Rare Replay on the Xbox One in 2015. Switch Online costs 24.99/year and Switch Online + Expansion Pack is priced at $63.99.
Image credit: Rare
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