Thirty years ago the Nintendo 64 was released, and it made a huge mark on gaming. For many it was the first console where they played a game in 3D, and the first time they used an analogue stick. It had a trigger which would become a staple in future controllers, and even brought haptic feedback to the masses with the rumble pack. Nintendo’s 64 bit console was a huge step forward in so many ways, even with its weird controller.
For me the Nintendo 64 was where my love of gaming truly blossomed. It was the first console I knew the release date of, and dreamed of owning with all my heart once it came out. I entered competitions in magazines and TV shows, hoping that there was a chance I’d get to own one through sheer luck. This never happened, but memories of tuning into Live and Kicking just in case still live on thirty years later. Eventually my excitement was rewarded, and on Christmas day a Nintendo 64 was wrapped under the tree.
As it was such a huge part of my childhood, I spent many years making sure to play all the Nintendo 64 games I possibly could. The very first purchase on my eBay account was Pilotwings 64, because the moment I had a new way to purchase retro titles I used it to bolster my cartridge collection. Even now there are dozens of N64 games I’d happily play on a rainy Sunday, and thanks to Nintendo Switch Online that’s easy enough to do.
I was so excited when Nintendo 64 games were added to Switch Online, and now many years later the catalogue includes the vast majority of the best titles available on the classic console. To celebrate thirty years, I decided to go back and play some of my favourites. If you’re looking to do the same then don’t you worry, here’s a list of the ten that most deserve your time and (mostly) still hold up today.
Before we get started though, I must mention a couple of games I ignored for this list. One of them is Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars, because although it’s fantastic the recently released Star Fox remake is even better and well worth experiencing. For similar reasons I also didn’t include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Obviously this is still an exceptional game I’d recommend in a heartbeat, but with a remake coming this year I’d rather wait and not play the same game twice. But that’s enough about the game that didn’t make the list, here’s the top ten.
10) Yoshi’s Story
To start off a celebration of an early 3D console, let’s talk about a 2D platformer. Yoshi’s Story is a different take on this genre, focusing more on collecting melons and exploring stages than tricky platforming. Its storybook setting and style is still striking today, and the song that plays between stages has been living rent free in my head for decades. If Yoshi and the Mysterious Book has left you wanting more of Mario’s favourite dinosaur, then this is a great place to start.
9) Goldeneye 007
This is a list of games that mostly still hold up today, and the reason for the word mostly is Goldeneye. This hugely influential FPS isn’t good by modern standards, but anyone playing games in the nineties will have plenty of nostalgia for this one. Featuring the best Bond of all time, settings from the movie, and a multiplayer mode I sank an entire childhood in, Goldeneye will always hold a place in my heart – even if playing it today is a rather jarring experience.
8) Sin and Punishment
If we can’t have Star Fox on the list, we might as well have its weird Japan exclusive counterpart. Sin and Punishment asks the question “What if Fox McCloud didn’t fly an Arwing?”, and answers it with a fantastic rail shooter in its own right. Easily the least well known game on this list, Sin and Punishment provides fast paced action and much improved controls on the Switch. Running, rolling and shooting aliens is now even more fun than it was in the noughties, so don’t sleep on this gem of an import.
7) Donkey Kong 64
Even if you don’t want to play Donkey Kong 64, you should at least load it up just to hear the DK Rap. The most recent addition to the Switch Online Nintendo 64 catalogue is one of my favourites, featuring so many collectibles and so many Kongs. With five playable characters to switch between and a whole load of iconic worlds to explore, Donkey Kong 64 is a Rare classic that I spent years trying to one hundred percent complete. Before Donkey Kong Bananza there was Donkey Kong 64, and it had a whole lot more mini games if nothing else.
6) Paper Mario
While the original PlayStation was wowing the masses with Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX, we were starved for RPGs in Nintendo Town. That is until Paper Mario came along, and showed off the plumber in a new light. Now flatter than ever, Mario is here with timing based combat and a whole load of unfamiliar friends. The only reason this isn’t higher on the list is because its GameCube sequel The Thousand Year Door is better in every way, but the original is still fantastic in its own right.
5) F-Zero X
If speed is what you’re looking for in a video game, then boy do I have the one for you. F-Zero X is the fastest racer you’ll find on the Nintendo 64, and perhaps the most fun. Boosting across Mute City and Big Blue still feels unlike anything else, and getting to see Captain Falcon in his natural habitat is always a treat. There’s no telling when we’ll get a new F-Zero game, so you might as well just keep playing the best game in the series instead.
4) Pokémon Snap
I’m always going to talk about Pokémon Snap any chance I can get, because it’s a fantastic and unique game. Photography games don’t come along every day, and this one brought the world of Pokémon to life like never before. I have so many wonderful memories of luring Pikachu to surfboards with apples and knocking Mankeys about with Pester Balls. The score attack nature of Pokémon Snap means I’ll always go back to it too, so having it available on my Switch whenever I fancy taking some pics is perfect.
3) Banjo Kazooie
If you somehow haven’t played the best Rare game of all time, then today is the day you have to fix that. The greatest duo in gaming set the standard for all 3D collectathon platformers going forward, and even so many years later I still find myself replaying it. It also has possibly the best soundtrack in gaming bar none, which is a hell of a statement. The Nintendo 64 was home to so many great 3D platformers, and what better way to celebrate its birthday than by playing them. The sequel is just as good and available on Switch Online too, so play that once you’re done.
2) The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Although I didn’t want to include Ocarina of Time on this list, I had to include its creepy sibling. There isn’t a weirder Zelda game than Majora’s Mask, from its structure to its horrific characters. There are also horror games less scary than Majora’s Mask, and poor little Lyle had a lot of nightmares after playing it.
After I recovered from the tears and soiled bedding though, the greatest dungeons across all of Zelda were waiting for me. Majora’s Mask isn’t a game that holds your hand after the first couple of hours, but that means you’re encouraged to explore the bizarre location that is Clock Town and mess about with time travel to uncover secrets. It’s not my favourite Zelda game for a few reasons, but it’s undeniably one of the most interesting that’s still worth playing today.
1) Super Mario 64
There is no other game I’d recommend more to celebrate the anniversary of the Nintendo 64 than Super Mario 64. This was the first game that I and millions of others played with that three pronged controller, and it revolutionised a genre and the medium as a whole. Mario 64 is so much more than just the plumber in an extra dimension, it’s a template for 3d platformers and collectibles full stop.
From the first moment you boot up the game and see Mario’s massive face, the joy just doesn’t stop. The magic of jumping inside paintings and discovering new worlds was breathtaking then and it’s breathtaking now, and the moveset of Mario still feels crisp and clever by modern standards. Super Mario 64 is the crown jewel in the dazzling headpiece of this wonderful console, and it’ll always remain a special experience for me and many other old timers.
