Image via Complex Original
Nintendo's future as a console competitor remains, if not uncertain, at least challenging as the current generation of home console are our-pacing the Wii U in terms of both sales and raw power.
Essentially PCs, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 boast more muscle under the hood than the nearly two year old Wii U. Nintendo's recently redesigned 3DS, removed the 3D capabilities and has seen a spike in sale with the overtly kid-centric 2DS. Nintendo holds a very special place for gamers and they ruled the early 2000s with the Wii. We are hoping for a return to form, but there is the always looming threat that Nintendo could wind up relegated to the software only game a la Sega.
But, that's probably never going to happen. Nintendo just needs big ideas that remind the world of what made them so innovative in the first place. Big ideas like these titles.
The N64 was a godsend for Nintendo. While it may not have had the aesthetic appeal of Sony's new disc based PS1, the N64 could out-perform Sony's 32-bit system with its top-laoding cartridge system.
This was also a time when Rare Ltd was still developing titles. Remember that?
Here is our list of the The N64 and the Best Video Games of Nintendo's Last Cartridge Home Console.
Honorable mentions got out to Mario Party, Mario Golf, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, F-Zero X, and Yoshi's Story.
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Jet Force Gemini
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 1999
Equally rewarding and infuriating, Jet Force Gemini was a welcome, but curious fit for the N64. A third person, 3D action shooter, the game was original and complex despite some of the drawbacks in level design and difficulty. Cartoony, but violent, the game was a welcome palette cleanser from the usual 3D action shooters at the time for the N64. Great title, and considered to be a to get your hands on.
All-Star Baseball 2001
Developer: Acclaim Entertainment
Year: 2000
Acclaim's reputation for producing worthwhile content on the N64 remains less than sterling. Sure, we've got Turok, but the less said about ECW Hardcore Revolution and Iggy's Reckin' Balls the better. Some baseball games come across as myopic and one dimensional, but when All-Star Baseball 2001 hit the N64, even non-baseball fans had to give it up for the title. Rounded out with heft and a level of detail, the game was pretty great for a baseball sim. One of the few times playing defense didn't feel like a chore.
Harvest Moon 64
Developer: Toy Box Studios
Year: 1999
A farming simulator that laid the ground work for the future successes of titles like Animal Crossing and, yes, Farmville. Aesthetically, the game stood apart from other titles in 1999 for the N64. With an isometric, top down view the game provided no puzzles or bosses, but rewarded players that patiently tended their farm and harvested their crops. A gorgeous game that's remembered fondly by those who played it.
Excitebike 64
Developer: Left Field Productions
Year: 2000
The original Excitbike debuted on the NES way back in 1981 and was a 2D sidescroller that managed to convey the aerial acrobatics of dirt bike racing in a modest 8 bits. The game still holds up. Excitebike 64, took all of the massive air and speed and turned into one of the best 3D racers for the N64. The game manages to just feel like you are killing it as you level out your bike mid-air to avoid eating shit. The game was modeled beautifully and the framerate gave the title a fluidity that set it apart from other racers on the N64.
Blast Corps
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 1997
Being charged with destroying buildings using an arsenal of demolition equipment doesn't sound like that much fun. That is until you factor in the nuclear armaments, robotic assistants, and some of the most uniquely innovative gameplay around at the time. Amazing and wildly underrated.
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Developer: Rare
Year: 2001
Rare had a near monopoly of AAA titles for the N64, Conker's Bad Fur Day being one of the most memorable. The title's legacy has more to do with being mired in controversy than anything else. Nintendo Power magazine refused to advertise the title since Nintendo considered itself a family friendly system. Playboy, on the other hand, had no problem running ads for the game. Toilet humor, references to hookers, a monster made out of shit, and a foul-mouthed alcoholic squirrel made the game a hit among the legions of teenagers that counted on their parent's ignorance to get a copy into their homes.
Pokemon Snap
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Year: 1999
Moving away from the format that had made the franchise so monstrously profitable was ballsy. The collecting/battling system was replaced by a photographer/researcher function. Basically you were a National Geographic photographer tasked with assisting Professor Oak by collecting photographs of wild Pokemon. The game wasn't the best Pokemon title, but it was a welcome change.
NHL '99
Developer: EA
Year: 1998
Sure, it may have been a port of the PlayStation NHL game of the same name, but when you consider the utter lack of a playable and enjoyable hockey title for the N64 it hardly seems like a deal breaker. The game managed to balance the top down hockey action that would satisfy NHL fans with the punchy arcade feel that made it attractive to the casual gamer. A well proportioned game that holds up today.
Diddy Kong Racing
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 1997
A kart racing game that utilized planes, cars, and hovercrafts, the single player campaign had a story, but we weren't that concerned with it. Competitive racing with the likes of Banjo and Conker (before his drinking problem) were the main draw in this welcome kart racer.
Wave Race 64
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 2007
A racing game is only as good as the tracks you're racing on. Some of the strongest level design of racers could be found in Wave Race 64. Flawless water effects, tight, responsive controls, and 3D models merged to make Wave Race 64 one of Nintendo's most successful racers. Yamaha-licensed jet-skis added an extra layer of immersion as players learned how to submerge and race to victory.
Banjo-Kazooie
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 1998
The first entry in the Banjo series, Banjo and Kazooie took everything that was great about Mario 64 and exorcised everything familiar (stale) about the Mushroom Kingdom. The two titles aren't related, but the similarities are too numerous to avoid the comparison. Richly textured, colorfully psychedelic levels designed to be navigated by a bear with a bird on his back. If the developers at Rare have any leftover, pre-2000 mescaline, get at us.
Pokemon Stadium
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Year: 2000
Aside from using a television adapter for your Super Gameboy, Stadium was the first time players were able to battle their Pokemon on the big(er) screen. A 3D title that may have lacked the RPG elements future Pokemon titles would capture, the most memorable feature of the game, however, was the ability to upload your Game Boy Pokemon to use in Pokemon Stadium.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Developer: Acclaim Entertainment
Year: 1997
A critical and commercial success that established the groundwork for future shooters on the console, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was also one of the better comic book video games we've ever gotten. Turok would go on to spawn six sequels, but the initial title is what gamers remember most fondly. The use of fog in the distance of levels was a clever way to camouflage enemies as well as cover for graphical shortcomings in the environmental renderings. Hyper violent and you get to battle dinosaurs with sci-fi tech.
Paper Mario
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Year: 2001
It should be noted that we loved, loved, loved Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES and Paper Mario managed to recapture some of the missed RPG flavor on the N64. The story unfolds in the fashion of a storybook making for a striking and instantly memorable visual aesthetic with the familiar cast rendered akin to cardboard cutouts. Easily one of Mario's high points in his now pushing 35-year career.
Banjo-Tooie
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 2000
Rare took everything amazing about the first title and improved upon it for a superior sequel. New spells to transform Banjo and Kazooie and more brilliantly colored, marvelously designed levels to explore.
1080 Snowboarding
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 1998
Opting for a more invested sense of realism than, say, an SSX, 1080 was immensely gratifying thanks to its perfectly respsonsive controls, lush particle effects, a frame rate that helped capture the momentum of true snowboarding, and endlessly playable levels all made 1080 the only snowboarding game for the N64 worth owning.
International Superstar Soccer '98
Developer: Konami Computer
Year: 1998
While the game was devoid of an official license from any sort of governing soccer body, that doesn’t mean the title was butter smooth in its playability. Sure you didn't have the brand recognition of a FIFA title, but you immediately forgot the overpaid superstars once the game impressed upon you.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Developer: Factor 5/LucasArts
Year: 1998
If one were to ignore the fact that this was Star Wars game and focused solely on the title as a space flight/air combat title, Rogue Squadron would still be an amazing title. Lucky for us it was a Star Wars game and that just added one more layer of depth and nuance to an already gorgeous title. Utilizing the N64's Expansion Pak, the game could run at a 640 × 480 display resolution, instead of the standard 320 × 240 resolution. Canon specific vehicles and LucasArts sound effects all made this game a commercial hit which spawned two sequels. Aside from the controls being a little sluggish by today's standards, the game holds up.
Madden NFL 99
Developer: EA
Year: 1998
Don't know if you remember Madden 64 for the N64, but if you don't, good on you. The game was a clusterfuck of biblical proportions. Essentially a broken game, Madden 64 tarnished the football experience for the N64. Thankfully, Madden 99 came along in 1998 and restored our faith in football on Nintendo's console. Gorgeous and endlessly functional, the game contained all of the NFL details that the Madden series has become known for. Madden NFL 99 was football on the N64.
Resident Evil 2
Developer: Capcom
Year: 1998
While we are well familiar with the Resident Evil mythology, Resident Evil 2 was easily one of the best entries in the franchise. Being ported from the PlayStation to the N64 actually made the game look better on the 512-megabit cartridge. Thanks to the N64's joystick, the game actually felt better while controlling either Leon Kennedy, or Claire Redfield. Zombies and one of the best N64 experiences to be had with this gem.
Starfox 64
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 2007
The N64 reboot of the amazing SNES Star Fox, Star Fox 64 was the only Star Fox title released for the N64, and the first to be rendered in 3D. The game surpassed its SNES counterpart largely thanks to deft voice acting and the supported Rumble Pak. Some have pointed out that the game suffers from the occasional dip of repetitive levels, but when the levels are designed so well it seems a minor infraction. A classic N64 title that has recently gotten a re-release on the 3DS.
Mario Kart 64
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 1997
A crushingly addictive multiplayer mode is easily the biggest draw for this 3D kart racer starring Nintendo's cast of Mario players. Keeping in line with the deliberately cartoony character design of Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64 was an intentional 3D homage to the classic SNES title. The game was a must-own for any N64.
WWF Wrestlemania 2000
Developer: AKI Corporation
Year: 1999
It's very easy to fuck up a wrestling game. There have been no shortages of god-awful wrestling titles: Backstage Assault and WCW Nitro being two of the worst offenders. WWF Wrestlemania 2000 earned praise thanks in large part to its massive roster of licensed wrestlers and its character customization feature. Released at the zenith of The Rock's wrestling career, WWF Wrestlemania 2000 went on to sell over a million copies in just under two months.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Developer: Edge of Reality
Year: 2000
Aside from introducing the world at large to the grating aspects of Ska music, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater for the PlayStation was a truly remarkable title. When N64 owners heard that they would finally be let behind the velvet rope, it made the N64 vs PS1 argument focus less on software. And you know what? The game actually looked better on the N64. The pixelated hard edges of the PS1 were softened and the framerate for the N64 kept the whole thing humming along beautifully.
Super Smash Bros.
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Year: 1999
Finally answering the nagging 'what if' question of who would win in a fight between Link and Mario, Super Smash Bros. was an immensely fun fighter that came out of nowhere. Utilizing some of the more luminous members of the Nintendo roster: Mario, Luigi, Fox, Link, Samus, Pikachu, and many more, the game stood out as a fighter thanks to its relatively simple control scheme. Instead of memorizing lengthy combos, players used the same combo patterns for each character. Hours dissapeared when you utilized the four player local multiplayer.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 2000
The biggest problem with Majora's Mask was that it wasn't Ocarina of Time. Sad, but ultimately true. The second 3D outing for Link and company on the N64 was the sixth installment in the franchise, but somehow felt lacking when compared to Ocarina. The game is still damn near perfect, but perhaps it was simply outshone by Ocarina. Majora's Mask takes place in an alternate timeline in the Zelda canon. In this timeline Link defeats Ganon and is sent back in time to when he was a child. The required expansion pack for the game wasn't so much a deterrent as an inconvenience we were happy to endure.
Perfect Dark
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 2000
Using the same engine that made Goldeneye 007 the console defining title that it was, Rare recommended using the 4MB Expansion Pak to get even more out of this Goldeneye follow up. Perfect Dark pays homage to its predecessor by rewarding players with puzzles worthy of platformers and builds on the richness and depth established by Rare with 007. Future weapons, a story that establishes a new universe, surprisingly well-done voice acting, and cutscenes on par with the PlayStation 1 all contributed to Perfect Dark being the torchbearer it was.
Super Mario 64
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 1996
A marvel of level and camera design, Super Mario 64 is still held up as one of the pillars of 3D platforming in terms of scope and execution. Taking Nintendo's most ubiquitous property, Shigeru Miyamoto took Mario and all the rest and created one of the most enduring and well-received Mario titles of all time. The refined approach to character control and puzzle solving made this title a commercial and critical smash. Cartoony, but still retaining level of attraction that was crucial for luring in an adult audience. The game still holds up all these years later.
GoldenEye 007
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Year: 1997
Trying not to dabble to heavily in hyperbole, but we can all agree that this game was what defined shooters in the contemporary sense of the word. Sure, we have Doom and Wolfenstein that paved the way but, Goldeneye installed a high-speed tram that modernized the shooter in ways we are still seeing referenced. The four-person co-op, the perfect story, sound direction, killer realism, and the control scheme still used as the basis for all modern shooters gave birth to the first 'cool' game for the console.
Other games were pretty or 'Mario', but Goldeneye gave you the chance empty double RPG-90s in three of your best friends' faces.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Year: 1998
Obviously The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time would grace the number one spot. Arguably, the greatest Zelda title ever, A Link to the Past is a strong contender for number one, but Ocarina defined the N64. Period. Boasting over 40 hours of playable content, Ocarina gave us Z- Targeting, Epona, a massive 3D world, time travel mechanics, and a brilliantly emotional plot easily made this the greatest N64 title. Navi may have been annoying, but you know as well as I, that when she left you at the Temple of Time you were overcome with all of the feels.
Level design that was remarkable for the time (Water Temple) and the very real and tangible feeling that the world you inhabited had no end to it. If you and Epona could just head further out over the horizon, there were more adventures waiting for the both of you. A flawless and universally adored title that still warmd the port of our console once every few years.