NintendoAge

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-10-11T06:47:07 -05.00

Oof, bad luck dude!

I remember having some trouble on the final level, figuring out exactly how to whip that electrode thing with the charged energy. But somehow I got it to work and I never needed to worry about any other issues, just breezed through the rest of the stage in beat the final boss.

I do remember enjoying the final part though, where you need to run through the temple as it's collapsing, that was really fun!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-10-10T17:36:13 -05.00

Hey there, it's been a while since I last posted something here ^^'

I just wanted to add something to this collection of experiences we've made with the game so far. As I've already said, the fatal and frustrating save state glitch in the last level made me put away the game for quite a while. A few months ago, I actually tried to beat it, but this time using an Action Replay (the European equivalent of the GameShark). It was a hassle to get some codes to work, but I found one which made Indy invincible (though I only got it working in low-res mode). The sound was really messed up at times (since the MusyX system seems to malfunction even more without an expansion pak). I'm not too sure because it's been a while ago, but I think the game crashed while using the Action Replay. When I restarted the console, the game wouldn't let me load any levels from my save file! I was baffled. It seems that it corrupted my save file very badly. However, the number of artifacts which I collected on every level would still show up correctly. Just the levels didn't load and the game would freeze (even when using the game with no Action Replay inserted at all!).
So what I want to say is... be warned if you use an Action Replay (or GameShark) on this game! It may corrupt your save file!
The other save files seemed to be okay from what I tested back then. I don't know for sure whether the save file slot which I used the cheat device on is destroyed forever, but I don't want to risk rendering my game cartridge useless by doing further tests now...
Maybe I will try using the in-game cheats to get to play the hidden level at one of the uncorrupted files at least. I wish I could see the ending cutscene of the game on my own console but I guess it will take a while until I recover from my "trauma" xD

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-20T06:52:00 -05.00

Ok, all done! Overall, wasn't nearly as buggy and broken as I had feared based on its reputation. As others mentioned previously, perhaps another couple months in the oven (or just a larger team working on it) could have polished down the rough edges. Of course, now I'm done with the game, I am also in a position to pass on my experience to newcomers, so hopefully this thread can serve as a guide to future adventurers also!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-18T00:12:23 -05.00

Uh oh... Indiana Jones in a mine cart, something tells me this level's gonna be tricky! And just look at this map, and FIVE levers to change the track route... Geez, I think I'm gonna be here a while figuring this one out, lol! Just finished the boat and pyramid levels, awesome stuff, probably the best levels yet. Really glad I've finally had the chance to play this game, it really is a good one, so happy!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-10T09:08:51 -05.00

Wow, that seems like a bad one! Thanks very much for sharing this with me, as I don't remember reading about that glitch before! I will definitely do my best to try and avoid this happening to me also, if I can.

Anyway, as I said before, I have gotten back in the case with Indy today! I completed the jeep level, which was a fun little change of pace compared to the other levels. The jeep doesn't control very well, but I found it fun to drive, so I liked that level quite a lot. Now I'm in the temple in Mexico, seems good so far, but I didn't have much more time left to get far into it today. Probably play some more tomorrow!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-10T08:53:25 -05.00

Originally posted by: OptOut

Welcome to NA Kogoro, good to have you on board!

I've been getting a little distracted playing some other games recently, but last night I decided I am going to make Indy my sole focus until I beat it from now on. I would actually really appreciate if you could describe the situation you encountered on the last level, so I know what to expect. Honestly I am not to worried about things like spoilers in movies and games too much, so please feel free to spoil away so I can prepare!

I was quite surprised, the last few levels I beat I didn't experience any crashes at all! But, yeah it does feel like it can happen at any time, so I absolutely make sure to save EVERY time I pick up an item or solve a puzzle, so I'm never too far from where I left off. Actually, because I have made myself so aware of the potential problems of the game, I feel as though I have been getting a real enjoyable experience so far with it. Probably if I picked it up without having knowledge of the problems in advance, I would have been quite upset by the experience.

So hopefully this thread can continue to help others find the joy and genuine art and solid design that has gone into this game, and help overlook the flaws!

Thank you for welcoming me!
Yeah, I also really like the art style of the game - it's pretty unique if you ask me! By the way, i found an interesting interview online which also reveals some of the techniques used to get Indy running on the N64 (click here). It's quite impressing and also explains why the game crashes so often. It's also the reason for the game being one of the few N64 titles that couldn't be emulated for a long time.
There is also a website which lists many possible glitches - I have encountered a few of them, but not all. Nonetheless, it's super interesting to read!

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Okay, so I will try to explain the glitch to you: At the end of the "Aetherium" level, there is a huge circular room in which the final boss fight happens. This boss room is also very tall. Before you get to fight the boss at the ground level, you are in fact on a higher ground to collect some gems which you will need later. To get to the low ground without falling from a great height, there are shafts of aether which will allow you to "swim" to the ground. I fought the boss, but I died during the fight (which is pretty likely because the bad performance is also making things worse). When I reloaded my save, the shafts of aether had disappeared, which meant that I was no longer able to get to the ground level without dying instantly. This made the game unbeatable at this point. I had to restart the level, but then again, after saving the aether kept disappearing. Turning the console on and off didn't fix the issue. Apparently, this glitch also occured to other people as I read a description of it online. Maybe there's a chance that the glitch doesn't occur - if it does, the only method to avoid it is to beat the boss in one go without dying.

<- This picture shows how the aether shaft is missing

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-09T22:11:36 -05.00

Originally posted by: KogoroMX

When I discovered this thread a few days ago and saw that it was actually pretty new, I registered for this forum to share my experiences!
A while ago, I bought a NTSC N64 (I only had a PAL model before), so that I could play "Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine". I did eventually get to the last level, which is why I have collected some experience with the game.
However, one of the most fatal glitches I have encountered so far can be found at the very end of the game. It was the main reason for me not being able to beat the game. I got pretty frustrated as I had to start the level all over again for a few times. The glitch occured to me again and again, so I haven't beaten the game until this very day.
Maybe it helps to describe the glitch to you, but I think it's better to wait until you reach the last level, as I don't want to spoil you in any way.

That being said, I also think the save system of the game is pretty frustrating at times (actually, it has something to do with the glitch I mentioned). Depending on when you save, some achievements are not really saved. In the PC version, you can start from exactly where you left. In the N64 version, I feel like it's a bad idea to turn off the game during a level. Often I had to redo some parts because the save states on the N64 are not as detailed as in the PC version.

Like the others said, some glitches cannot really be avoided. Often enough, my game crashed randomly, leaving a colourful pixel stripe across my TV screen. It doesn't really surprise me that the game is that unstable. In fact, it was a pretty ambitious project and the frame drops indicate that the N64 is brought to its limits here. In the final level, the frame rate is so low that I died because I couldn't properly control Indy anymore (I guess it was like 5 FPS).

Welcome to NA Kogoro, good to have you on board!

I've been getting a little distracted playing some other games recently, but last night I decided I am going to make Indy my sole focus until I beat it from now on. I would actually really appreciate if you could describe the situation you encountered on the last level, so I know what to expect. Honestly I am not to worried about things like spoilers in movies and games too much, so please feel free to spoil away so I can prepare!

I was quite surprised, the last few levels I beat I didn't experience any crashes at all! But, yeah it does feel like it can happen at any time, so I absolutely make sure to save EVERY time I pick up an item or solve a puzzle, so I'm never too far from where I left off. Actually, because I have made myself so aware of the potential problems of the game, I feel as though I have been getting a real enjoyable experience so far with it. Probably if I picked it up without having knowledge of the problems in advance, I would have been quite upset by the experience.

So hopefully this thread can continue to help others find the joy and genuine art and solid design that has gone into this game, and help overlook the flaws!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-05-09T07:41:47 -05.00

When I discovered this thread a few days ago and saw that it was actually pretty new, I registered for this forum to share my experiences!
A while ago, I bought a NTSC N64 (I only had a PAL model before), so that I could play "Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine". I did eventually get to the last level, which is why I have collected some experience with the game.
However, one of the most fatal glitches I have encountered so far can be found at the very end of the game. It was the main reason for me not being able to beat the game. I got pretty frustrated as I had to start the level all over again for a few times. The glitch occured to me again and again, so I haven't beaten the game until this very day.
Maybe it helps to describe the glitch to you, but I think it's better to wait until you reach the last level, as I don't want to spoil you in any way.

That being said, I also think the save system of the game is pretty frustrating at times (actually, it has something to do with the glitch I mentioned). Depending on when you save, some achievements are not really saved. In the PC version, you can start from exactly where you left. In the N64 version, I feel like it's a bad idea to turn off the game during a level. Often I had to redo some parts because the save states on the N64 are not as detailed as in the PC version.

Like the others said, some glitches cannot really be avoided. Often enough, my game crashed randomly, leaving a colourful pixel stripe across my TV screen. It doesn't really surprise me that the game is that unstable. In fact, it was a pretty ambitious project and the frame drops indicate that the N64 is brought to its limits here. In the final level, the frame rate is so low that I died because I couldn't properly control Indy anymore (I guess it was like 5 FPS).

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-04-30T00:00:15 -05.00

Played a little more at the weekend, a couple of lava levels! Now, normally I'm not a huge fan of lava levels in games, but actually these levels were pretty cool. I still think the best thing about this game is the atmosphere and the adventurous feel exploring these ancient ruins, and I really do get the feeling of being Indiana Jones! The weakest part of the game is probably the platforming, and that really starts to show through in the lava levels. The maneuverability before and during your jumps is really awkward, and you never quite know where you're going to end up or whether Indy will actually grab the ledge you're aiming for. I don't want to criticize the game too harshly for this, as it is not the overriding focus of the game and if you die you can just try again, but there IS quite a lot of platforming in the game so it is a obvious flaw. The combat is also pretty weak, but this is even less of a focus, so it matters less.

Anyway, I'm on to level 8 I think now? It's called Jeep, so I'm guessing I will be driving a Jeep. Sounds fun!

Indiana Jones N64 glitch survival guide!

OptOut — 2019-04-16T10:22:00 -05.00

Sure thing! My progress is going to be slow, but hopefully steady, I'll probably only have the chance to finish a couple of levels per week. Just finished the 4th level today, with the ice monster boss. The puzzles are getting more interesting and involved now, but also a little more cryptic... Had to look up how to grow the plant on this level, as well as how to beat the boss!

Just on what I've played so far, I'd already say that this is probably the best action adventure game on the N64 (apart from the two Zelda games). That's not a particularly crowded field, of course, but I'm very excited to keep going, just wish I had more time! There's an island looking level now, can't wait to get started.

Btw, the amazing voice samples heard in the game come directly from the unparalleled voice compression technology developed by Factor 5, who also developed this game. Their technology is also seen in other games with a lot of speech on N64, including Pokémon stadium, Resident Evil 2 and their own Star Wars games Rogue Squadron and Battle for Naboo. I'd argue that next to Nintendo themselves, and Rareware if course, Factor 5 understood how to get the most out of the N64 better than anyone else.