list of games that justify the N64

[leatherrebel5150]

I here alot of hate going on for the N64 on various forums. I don't really get why I love it personally. So for those who also enjoy the N64 lets give the doubters a reason to get into the N64.

Lets get a list of games that give someone a reason to pick up the system the only rule is that once a game is listed it can't be listed again so I don't want to see posts just repeating the same games over and over like Mario, 007, and Zelda.
If you want throw in why the game is a good play.

So to start off and to knock the obvious out early here goes(in no order):

1: Goldeneye
2: World is not enough
3. Mario 64
4: Zelda OOT
5: Zelda Majora's Mask
6: Starfox
7: Conker's -(Although gameplay itself not the greatest it leaves you wanting to see the next cut scene and continue through the game)
8: Bomberman 64: the second attack
9: Battletanx -(This game is just fun you have a tank and you blow up other tanks simple and fun)
10: Hot Wheels Turbo Racing-(a fun racer where you earn turbo by doing stunts like backflips and such)
11: Bettle Adventure Racing-(C'mon everyone loves this one)

(Edit Added from posts below)
Bust-A-Move 2
Gex 64: Enter the Gecko
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Namco Museum 64
Super Smash Bros.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Yoshi's Story
Cruisn' USA
Cruisin' World
Cruisin' Exotica
Star Wars Racer
Shadowgate 64
Mischief Makers
Quake II
Adventures of Goeman
Mystic Ninja
F-Zero X
Blast Corps
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Resident Evil 2
Robotron 64
Ridge Racer 64
Worms Armageddon
Jet Force Gemini
Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth
Clayfighter 63 1/3
Fighter's Destiny
Dark Rift
Mace: The Dark Age
WCW Vs. NWO World Tour
WCW/NWO Revenge
WWF: No Mercy
Wrestlemania 2000
San Francisco Rush
Bomberman 64
Dr. Mario 64
Wave Race
Paper Mario
Harvest Moon 64
The New Tetris
Mario Tennis
Pokemon stadium 1 (Mainly for the minigames)
Pokemon stadium 2 (Mainly for the minigames)
Mario Party 1
Mario Party 2
Mario Party 3
Castlevania Legacy of Darkness
Body Harvest
TopGear Overdrive
Ogre Battle 64
Nightmare Creatures
Mega Man 64
Snowboard kids
Snowboard kids 2
Killer Instinct Gold
Gauntlet legends

Import:
Sin and Punishment
Virtual Prowrestling
Virtual Prowrestling 2
Touken Road: Brave Spirits
Touken Road 2: The Next Generation
__________________

[Informationator]

Superman 64

[BetaWolf47]

The system itself wouldn't have been justifiable if it weren't for Rare. Between the top 10 games in the system, at least half of them were made by Rare.

Super Mario 64
Mario Kart 64
Goldeneye 007
Killer Instinct Gold
Star Fox 64
Banjo-Kazooie
Perfect Dark
Banjo-Tooie
Donkey Kong 64
Diddy Kong Racing

[leatherrebel5150]

^Already broke the rules...man no one reads directions anymore

[Rickstilwell1]

Good games you are missing that I like are

Bust-A-Move 2
Gex 64: Enter the Gecko
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Namco Museum 64
Super Smash Bros.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Yoshi's Story

[retroguy]

I always liked the Cruisin' series (USA, World, Exotica). I never played the arcade versions, so I can't compare, but they're just good, fun racers to me.

Star Wars Episode One Racer is great too.

Any racing game, really. I like that genre and the N64 had a ton of good ones.

[T2KFreeker]

Nobody love Shadowgate 64. A classic for the system and generally overlooked, sadly. Also, Treasure had two greats on the system in Mischief Makers and the import of Sin and Punishment. Great stuff. I also really enjoyed Quake II on the system. The Geoman/Mystical Ninja games are also a must. Lastly, F-Zero X was a great precursor to F-Zero GX for the cube. Very cool stuff. Oh, and I also forgot Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.

[8bitgamer]

Superman 64

It's just called Superman.

[cityside75]

Not mentioned already (want to stay within the rules!):

Blast Corps - A unique game where things blow up real good
Star Wars Rogue Squadron and Battle for Naboo - Factor 5 was second only to Rare among third parties
F-Zero X - Great speed and topsy-turvy tracks
Resident Evil 2 - Proved that FMV could be done right on the system

I'm sure there are many more...

[T2KFreeker]

Not mentioned already (want to stay within the rules!):

Blast Corps - A unique game where things blow up real good
Star Wars Rogue Squadron and Battle for Naboo - Factor 5 was second only to Rare among third parties
F-Zero X - Great speed and topsy-turvy tracks
Resident Evil 2 - Proved that FMV could be done right on the system

I'm sure there are many more...

I brought up F-Zero X, thank you very much! LOL

[Informationator]

It's just called Superman.
Achievement unlocked!

Double Troll

Seriously though, Worms Armageddon people.

[FoxNtd]

Also, Treasure had two greats on the system in Mischief Makers and the import of Sin and Punishment.

There was a third. Bangai-O. :popcorn:

[Atarileaf]

For me, N64 begins and ends with Robotron 64. I don't think its been mentioned but I LOVE Ridge Racer 64

[Atarileaf]

Seriously though, Worms Armageddon people.

I'm a huge Worms fan but I haven't found a console version yet that I like. Dreamcast versions are pretty good but the N64/PS1 versions are horrible IMO.

[backguard]

Any fans of Body Harvest? A friend of mine swore by it but I never tried it.

[Rickstilwell1]

Any fans of Body Harvest? A friend of mine swore by it but I never tried it.

I thought it basically looked like an ugly version of Jet Force Gemini as I had played Jet Force Gemini first.

So there's another one

Jet Force Gemini.

I never beat it but the little I did play of it I thought it was fun.

I also liked it when I tried out

Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth (great shooter)

Clayfighter 63 1/3
Fighter's Destiny
Dark Rift
Mace: The Dark Age

These particular fighting games aren't so smooth or the best on the system but they are passible. To me nothing compares with the fun of Super Smash Bros. when it comes to N64 figthters.

[The 1 2 P]

A list justifying having an N64 just wouldnt't be complete without mentioning Yukes awesome 4 player wrestling titles:

WCW Vs. NWO World Tour
WCW/NWO Revenge
WWF: No Mercy
Wrestlemania 2000

And if you are an import addict(which I assure you is much better than being a crack addict) like me then you also need to add:

Virtual Prowrestling
Virtual Prowrestling 2
Touken Road: Brave Spirits
Touken Road 2: The Next Generation

[leatherrebel5150]

So far that's 44 US games and 5 imports. Id say that is a pretty decent amount to get someone to at least consider pickeing up an N64.

[frogofdeath]

Pretty sure I am staying within the rules:

San Francisco Rush
Bomberman 64 (will still defend this game's multiplayer)
Dr. Mario 64 (great four player)
Wave Race (bonus for the import, rumble version)

[Rickstilwell1]

Oh I forgot

Paper Mario
Harvest Moon 64
The New Tetris

[Baloo]

http://images.swap.com/images/vg/49/1005049.jpg

HANDS-DOWN Best version of Tetris and BEST game for N64. For me anyway.

Also, what the fuck, no one mentioned Mario Tennis? That game is second place for me, so much fun with 4 players!

And where are Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2? The Mini-Games in those are great!

AND none of the Mario Parties mentioned? Geez guys!

[Aussie2B]

There have already been lots of topics that serve this purpose. This one's the sort of "official" one:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1493

[old man]

Body Harvest is great. Put it on the list. Also Castlevania Legacy of Darkness was a fun game.

[retroman]

also dont forget TopGear Overdrive, not a bad racing game

[Emuaust]

Paper Mario is the only game that wont make you blind from bluriness, thus the only game worth owning for the system. Its also a fun game too!

[Leo_A]

I only count about 10 games that I see listed that I'd personally consider justifying owning a Nintendo 64. Some pretty weak examples have been listed that I don't think the average person would think nearly as highly of as the person that listed it (Excluding SuperMan 64, which I'm sure was just a joke).

For myself, I got a Nintendo 64 along with Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, and Monaco Grand Prix a year after Ocarina was released. Ocarina of Time alone justified my purchase and even if I never played another game on it that I enjoyed, I couldn't of regretted it.


Paper Mario is the only game that wont make you blind from bluriness, thus the only game worth owning for the system. Its also a fun game too!

I dismissed this back in the day since I wanted a platformer and not a RPG. Bought it on a whim a few years ago on the Virtual Console and fell in love and went out and got every other Mario RPG there was...

It looks so good through component cables on my Wii hooked up to my Trinitron that I forget I'm playing a Nintendo 64 game. Very polished game that has aged far better from an aesthetic view than virtually any other game in the library.

[bacteria]

The N64 may be dated but still is very relevant as has many quality games still very enjoyable, which is a reason the N64 is such a popular system to make into a handheld. Games like Super Mario 64, Pokemon Puzzle League, Waverace, Zelda and a stack of other titles will keep the N64 popular for as long as people can get the consoles and games still working.

[Collector_Gaming]

Paper Mario is the only game that wont make you blind from bluriness, thus the only game worth owning for the system. Its also a fun game too!

see people always complained of this "Bluriness" that the N64 supposedly had that was annoying.

I honestly never even noticed it on mine. and i am partially blind in one eye which renders me more sensitive to stuff like this cause the other eye compensates for the lack of vision from the latter eye. Never once did i stop playing a game and go "you know this is making my eyes hurt maybe i should stop"

[leatherrebel5150]

There have already been lots of topics that serve this purpose. This one's the sort of "official" one:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1493

This thread is more of the best games for the console I was looking for more along the lines of games that would be fun to have with the console not necissarily the "top x" games.

[Leo_A]

see people always complained of this "Bluriness" that the N64 supposedly had that was annoying.

I honestly never even noticed it on mine. and i am partially blind in one eye which renders me more sensitive to stuff like this cause the other eye compensates for the lack of vision from the latter eye. Never once did i stop playing a game and go "you know this is making my eyes hurt maybe i should stop"

I'm legally blind in my left eye and never noticed that I was more sensitive to anything. I just don't see in 3D and the vision from my left eye basically serves as extended peripheral vision on that side since I depend on my right eye. But I never felt like it made me more sensitive to something like blurry videogame graphics.

Buy a Virtual Console Nintendo 64 game and compare to the original console. The blurring effect is eliminated on that emulator and the effect becomes much more obvious when you return to the original hardware (Not that it ever bothered me, but it is there).

[kupomogli]

Ogre Battle 64, Nightmare Creatures, Mega Man 64.

I own all three as well as others mentioned, I've never owned an N64. Since I usually didn't ever play it, I'd borrow my best friends. I also own Nightmare Creatures, Mega Man Legends, and Resident Evil 2 on the PSX(GC too for RE2,) giving me less of a reason to eventually purchase the system, even now. Great system with too few good releases. Probably the best system to play with friends though.

[Malon_Forever]

Snowboards is probably one of the most fun "racers" I've ever played. Both are classics. Rocket the Robot on Wheels and Space Station Silicon Valley are must play 1 player games for the N64.

[The 1 2 P]

I've heard Killer Instinct Gold was a pretty good entry but I've never played it to vouch for it's validity.

[FoxNtd]

I think there were two Custom Robo games on N64. I saw a bit of gameplay footage of the sequel (V2 it was called? Not sure.) Maybe someone here has played them and can suggest if they were good. The battles reminded me of Sega's Virtual On games.

[substantial_snake]

I didn't see Perfect Dark on your list so add that one too.

I have never owned an N-64 but I did have a blast playing that game with friends of mine, the multiplayer was just awesome.

[Aussie2B]

I think there were two Custom Robo games on N64. I saw a bit of gameplay footage of the sequel (V2 it was called? Not sure.) Maybe someone here has played them and can suggest if they were good. The battles reminded me of Sega's Virtual On games.

Yeah, you're right on the two games and the sequel being V2. I own the first and have beaten it. It's really good stuff. Haven't played the sequel (yet, still need to land a cheap copy), but I know it's mostly just more of the same so it should be good too.

[Sunnyvale]

I liked the N64 port of Gauntlet.

[leatherrebel5150]

I only count about 10 games that I see listed that I'd personally consider justifying owning a Nintendo 64. Some pretty weak examples have been listed that I don't think the average person would think nearly as highly of as the person that listed it (Excluding SuperMan 64, which I'm sure was just a joke)..

The list is not meant to be a list of the greatest games or anything like that there is already been plenty of threads about that this was meant to be where people listed their personal ideas of games worth playing. While you may only see 10 on the list you see worth playing, most of the games listed given some time are worth playing to many people. I have played most of the ones listed and would say they are worth giving a shot.

When you say you don't think that the average person would think nearly as high of the game as the person who listed it, who are you talking about? These ARE the average people listing these games.

Are some not the greatest games? Yes. Are any of the ones listed as bad as Action 52? No. They are just some average games. If some people see them as fun chances are the average person would find some fun in them.

[Malon_Forever]

I've heard Killer Instinct Gold was a pretty good entry but I've never played it to vouch for it's validity.

Very fun. I've had many laughs with this game. You can pull off killer combos without knowing the fighting system really.


I liked the N64 port of Gauntlet.

Red Warrior is about to die!

[Gameguy]

The list is not meant to be a list of the greatest games or anything like that there is already been plenty of threads about that this was meant to be where people listed their personal ideas of games worth playing.
I thought the topic was to list games worth buying the system for, not just good enough to play if you already owned one. I actually thought he was being generous with counting 10 titles.


They are just some average games.
This pretty much covers my experience with the system, I found everything to just be average. I've had fun with Beetle Adventure Racing but if you already own another fun racing game on another system there's really no need to own it. The other fun games like Goldeneye all seem to be multiplayer, which I don't do.

Nobody seemed to mention Wonder Project J2, I've never played it as it wasn't released here but it's the only game that looks interesting to me. That's one positive thing I'll say about the system.

[Aussie2B]

Nobody seemed to mention Wonder Project J2, I've never played it as it wasn't released here but it's the only game that looks interesting to me. That's one positive thing I'll say about the system.

I was too lazy to make a list and make sure I wasn't listing anything that had already been mentioned, but I adore Wonder Project J2. It's my favorite N64 game. I've been trying to collect everything related to it (and the first one):

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1820860&postcount=64

It's well worth importing, and with the FAQs available for it (including one by yours truly), it's playable by anyone. In lieu of that, there's also a fan patch available, so no one has an excuse to not give it a try.

[jonebone]

Well I think all of the good ones are mentioned, but +1 to Blast Corps. That's a console exclusive that you won't find anywhere else, and is basically the N64 version of Wrecking Crew. You blow up all kinds of stuff, and who wouldn't like that.

And if you are a hardcore gamer, trying to get all of the platinum medals makes Ninja Gaiden look like a cakewalk.

[Leo_A]

The list is not meant to be a list of the greatest games or anything like that there is already been plenty of threads about that this was meant to be where people listed their personal ideas of games worth playing. While you may only see 10 on the list you see worth playing, most of the games listed given some time are worth playing to many people. I have played most of the ones listed and would say they are worth giving a shot.

That's not what you said in the topic title and in the first post. You asked for a list of games that justify owning a Nintendo 64 in the topic title, and in your first post, you asked for "lets get a list of games that give someone a reason to pick up the system".

I thought you were looking for the cream of the crop (Ocarina of Time, for instance), not just any old game that someone might consider worth playing.

I'll stand by what I said, there are perhaps 10, at the most, exceptional AAA games listed so far that the average person might feel justifies getting the system for just in order to play one of those games.

I see plenty of other interesting games worth owning, but something like the N64 port of San Francisco Rush or Battletanx is hardly a reason for someone to go out and pick up a system for. They're good games, but they're also far from A+ material for the average gamer, I'm quite sure in saying. They're good games that you buy because you already own the system, they're not exceptional games that would cause the average person to go out and buy a system for just in order to play without feeling some disappointment. They don't justify owning a Nintendo 64 for the average person.



I only count about 10 games that I see listed that I'd personally consider justifying owning a Nintendo 64.When you say you don't think that the average person would think nearly as high of the game as the person who listed it, who are you talking about? These ARE the average people listing these games.

Lets just say I feel pretty safe in saying that a game like Battletank wasn't a system seller. Not to mention that I was clearly stating it was my opinion.

[leatherrebel5150]

I see plenty of other interesting games worth owning, but something like the N64 port of San Francisco Rush or Battletanx is hardly a reason for someone to go out and pick up a system for. They're good games, but they're also far from A+ material for the average gamer, I'm quite sure in saying. They're good games that you buy because you already own the system, they're not exceptional games that would cause the average person to go out and buy a system for just in order to play without feeling some disappointment. They don't justify owning a Nintendo 64 for the average person.



Lets just say I feel pretty safe in saying that a game like Battletank wasn't a system seller. Not to mention that I was clearly stating it was my opinion.

Alright, I see what your saying, maybe I should have made the thread more of like " games worth picking up" kind of thing.

[Rob2600]

For what it's worth, here's my Top 50 and Bottom 25 Nintendo 64 games list:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114086



Buy a Virtual Console Nintendo 64 game and compare to the original console. The blurring effect is eliminated on that emulator and the effect becomes much more obvious when you return to the original hardware.

The N64's bilinear texture filtering is still enabled on the Virtual Console's emulator, but the Wii upscales the games to 480p, instead of 240i (most games) or 480i (hi-res games). So N64 games look sharper on the Virtual Console because in most cases it's quadrupling the original resolution.

[Malon_Forever]

Only games I remember beong very blurry are Banjo Tooie and Conker.

[Rob2600]

Only games I remember beong very blurry are Banjo Tooie and Conker.

Interesting...those are two of the best-looking games on the N64!

[Aussie2B]

I'll stand by what I said, there are perhaps 10, at the most, exceptional AAA games listed so far that the average person might feel justifies getting the system for just in order to play one of those games.

I see plenty of other interesting games worth owning, but something like the N64 port of San Francisco Rush or Battletanx is hardly a reason for someone to go out and pick up a system for. They're good games, but they're also far from A+ material for the average gamer, I'm quite sure in saying. They're good games that you buy because you already own the system, they're not exceptional games that would cause the average person to go out and buy a system for just in order to play without feeling some disappointment. They don't justify owning a Nintendo 64 for the average person.

First off, this isn't 1997 anymore. Even a handful of decent games can make the system worth owning because the system can easily be found for 10, 15 bucks and the games for $3 a piece. You can spend less money and have more fun with that than buying some random brand new game.

Second, so, what, we need to shoot for the lowest common denominator now? I think we're better than that. Who cares what the "average" person thinks. The average person is a dumbass. The average person will turn his nose up to a game just because he's never heard of it, or has never heard of the publisher, or thinks the graphics aren't good enough, or thinks it's too hard, or because it's not an action shooty-slashy game, etc. etc. I'd rather hear from mature gamers with a wide breadth of gaming knowledge and experience.

Ocarina of Time isn't the end all, be all. There are many, many other N64 games I'd rather play, and just because they don't have the same level of mainstream appeal doesn't make them any worse. The last we need is our members making recommendations based on guesses about what other people would like the most. I appreciate honesty, even if someone has unconventional opinions. Even if you don't think much of it, I can guarantee that there's at least one person out there who honestly feels that Battletanx is the best N64 game.

[Koa Zo]

I find more enjoyment in Battletanx Global Assault than I do in Zelda OoT.

I persevered through Ocarina, just to say I collected everything. But really Ocarina of Time (as well as all subsequent Zelda games) is a pretty boring game which caters to the lowest common denominator.

[Leo_A]

First off, this isn't 1997 anymore. Even a handful of decent games can make the system worth owning because the system can easily be found for 10, 15 bucks and the games for $3 a piece. You can spend less money and have more fun with that than buying some random brand new game.

Second, so, what, we need to shoot for the lowest common denominator now? I think we're better than that. Who cares what the "average" person thinks. The average person is a dumbass. The average person will turn his nose up to a game just because he's never heard of it, or has never heard of the publisher, or thinks the graphics aren't good enough, or thinks it's too hard, or because it's not an action shooty-slashy game, etc. etc. I'd rather hear from mature gamers with a wide breadth of gaming knowledge and experience.

Ocarina of Time isn't the end all, be all. There are many, many other N64 games I'd rather play, and just because they don't have the same level of mainstream appeal doesn't make them any worse. The last we need is our members making recommendations based on guesses about what other people would like the most. I appreciate honesty, even if someone has unconventional opinions. Even if you don't think much of it, I can guarantee that there's at least one person out there who honestly feels that Battletanx is the best N64 game.

You read way too much into what I said.

I'm a Nintendo 64 fan, have the 80 or so games that really interest me, and I love the system. I think it deserves a place in every person's videogame collection and I wasn't being negative in the slightest towards it. I think there are dozens of good to excellent games available for it.

I merely don't think many of the games listed would justify owning the system for most people. I love Monaco Grand Prix and Pilotwings 64, for instance, and think both are among my favorite N64 games. But I didn't list either because for the average individual (Including elite Digital Press users ;)), neither is in that top tier of titles that games like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 occupy for this platform. They don't justfiy picking up the system for the average individual, they're just nice, solid, polished games.

I was under the mistaken impression that this thread was for listing the cream of the crop, and that A+ titles like Super Mario 64 that the majority of people would agree about are what we were after with this topic. Not the nice, solid games in the B- to A range like Command & Conquer that aren't going to wow the socks off most individuals.


Alright, I see what your saying, maybe I should have made the thread more of like " games worth picking up" kind of thing.

Likewise, I see what you were after now and I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

[j_factor]

The N64's bilinear texture filtering is still enabled on the Virtual Console's emulator, but the Wii upscales the games to 480p, instead of 240i (most games) or 480i (hi-res games). So N64 games look sharper on the Virtual Console because in most cases it's quadrupling the original resolution.

But it does more than just upscale it.

[Emuaust]

Referring to those who say they don't see the bluriness, the N64 is the only console I have ever got a headache/eyeache from playing and it happens everytime I try it. IMO the the 64 is the console that benefits the most out of emulation.

To me though, out of the 100 or so titles I have the only games I could ever see myself coming back to are:

Paper Mario
Mario Kart 64
Doom64
Mario Golf (maybe, the GCN version is much nicer)
Yoshi Story

Pretty much everything else has seen improved ports on other platforms, be that of a remake or a simple port to the VC and then a lot of other titles like Goldeneye and Perfect Dark have aged pretty poorly/

[Aussie2B]

I was under the mistaken impression that this thread was for listing the cream of the crop, and that A+ titles like Super Mario 64 are what we were after with this topic. Not the nice, solid games in the B- to A range like Command & Conquer that aren't going to wow the socks off most individuals.

My point is just that no game is objectively an A+ title, not even Ocarina of Time or Super Mario 64, even if they do have mainstream appeal. To someone out there, Battletanx or Command & Conquer are A+ N64 titles, and they are entitled to those opinions and would be perfectly in the right to recommend them in this topic. Just because someone has the backing of the mainstream doesn't make their opinions any more valid than someone who doesn't.

[Leo_A]

And I'm sure there was at least one kid that had SuperMan 64 and thought it was great. That doesn't mean it's appropriate for that person to list it here. When you're making a list of games that are good candidates to give someone else a reason to pick the system up (The way I originally intepreted the topic), you sort of have to keep it in mind that the average person is supposed to have a decent chance of thinking nearly as highly of the game as you do when they actually pick it up and play it. Otherwise the list isn't fulfilling its purpose.

I know that isn't likely to be the case for Pilotwings 64 just from reviews back in the day and discussions at various forums over the years about the game. I know that I'm one of the few that would view it as a reason to pick the system up, with most dumping it in the B range or dismissing it entirely as a tech demonstration that is all but worthless now that it isn't technically impressive.

Thus, I didn't post it since what we're posting is supposed to be something of use to the average Digital Press reader that looks at this list. It doesn't do any good to mention Monaco Grand Prix, no matter how much I love it, if I know most people aren't going to think nearly as highly of it as I do. It just isn't going to be a reason to buy a system for most people, if we want to be honest about it and not quibble about philosophy.

While I can't speak for how everyone feels about their suggestions in this thread, I think a lot of Pilotwing's and Monaco Grand Prix's got listed that aren't likely to be thought of nearly as highly by the average Digital Press user that goes out and buys a Nintendo 64 just for that specific game that they saw recommended as justifying the purchase in this thread.


But it does more than just upscale it.

They're rendered at 480p, which is definitely much more than just mere upscaling.