Jet Force Gemini

Description

Star Twins, known internationally as Jet Force Gemini, is a sci-fi action shooter by Rare.  The gameplay blends third-person run‑and‑gun shooting with light platforming, puzzle-solving, and exploration. The story follows Juno, Vela, and their dog Lupus as they fight to liberate the galaxy from the insectoid forces of Mizar. You can switch between the three protagonists, each with unique movement and weapon traits.

Stages traverse a wide range of environments, from forests and space stations to alien temples, and escalate in complexity as players rescue survivors, solve traversal puzzles, and uncover weapon upgrades. The game featured cooperative play, a competitive multiplayer mode, and a large arsenal of futuristic weapons. It was ambitious in its scope and technical development for the Nintendo 64.

The Japanese version shares the same core structure as its Western counterpart, offering solo or cooperative play across interplanetary stages filled with alien enemies, sprawling environments, and multi-character progression. While localisation is minimal (English UI and text are retained), Star Twins represents one of Rare’s few Japan-distributed titles under Nintendo, positioned alongside Perfect Dark and Banjo-Kazooie 2 as part of the late-cycle N64 push. The full English screen text also suggests a Hong Kong or Singapore parallel import batch, was consistent with late Nintendo support for Rare software in East/Southeast Asian regions.

The game was praised for visuals, soundtrack, and variety, though criticised for its demanding backtracking and difficulty. It later resurfaced as part of Rare Replay on Xbox One in 2015.