Top 10 Nintendo 64 Games

We haven't had a list thread in a while. I opted to go with N64 games because it seems to be the system that's closest to everyone's heart and, in general, represents the time when gaming affected us most. And there was just so many great games for the N64 that they deserve their due, so here goes.

10. F-Zero X
Building off of a very vague start with F-Zero for the SNES, F-Zero X blew our minds and took the N64 to the limit by pushing up to 30 racers on the screen at once and running at a constant 60 fps with no drop whatsoever. Great course design and a smart championship mode introduced elements to racing such as blowing up your rivals to stay on top. Plus, Death Race was just fun.


9. Hybrid Heaven
The N64 wasn't exactly rolling in the RPGs, so people tended to latch on to whatever they could get on the system. That makes it especially strange that Konami's Hybrid Heaven passed by unnoticed for so many people. With a cinematic sci-fi storyline, intense real-time battles and a complex leveling system, Hybrid Heaven was one of the games that was really pushing the RPG genre forward, before all the progressed was squashed by more popular JRPGs.


8. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
What can I say about Ocarina of Time that hasn't already been said? Nintendo EAD took 3D gaming to the next level and introduced a massive number of new mechanics that would quickly become that standards for how video games are made. The game also introduced a whole new Hyrule with countless memorable characters and a massive quest.


7. Mario Kart 64
Arguably still the best game in the series (and the genre), Mario Kart 64 very likely took away more years of my life than any other game on this list. With a fun single-player circuit mode (the last before they added tons of skill-removing items), the real star of the game was the multiplayer modes. Whether your pick was Versus or Battle mode, there was always something to do that would inevitably end in a screaming match with friends. Personally, I pretty much played nothing but 3-player Block Fort battle mode with my brothers for about 4 years straight.


6. Goldeneye 007
Another given. Goldeneye pretty much invented the console FPS and turned the genre from "Doom-Clone" to "First Person Shooter". One of the only N64 games that stills manages to really impress me with its refined gameplay and enormous attention to detail in every aspect. Another multiplayer dynasty. With a number of spiritual sequels (Perfect Dark, Timesplitters), Goldeneye stands as a triumph that has never been topped. Best FPS on any system.


5. Blast Corps
Pure gameplay, plain and simple. Very classic arcade in its design, Blast Corps provided just about the most fun you could get out of a cartridge. The task was simple, use whatever vehicles at your disposal to demolish all the buildings in the path of a very explody truck driving down the countryside. The simple premise lead to some truly genius level design to keep it exciting and challenging throughout the entire game. Also the most fun I've ever had revisiting stages to get 100%, collecting RDUs and demolishing the remaining buildings just for kicks. One of Rareware's most underrated classics.


4. Beetle Adventure Racing
VW Beetles had just made a comeback and EA was ready with a racing game that would become a cult classic among N64 owners. Beetle Adventure Racing provided a number of massive tracks (10 minute races were not uncommon) with all kinds of alternate routes and shortcuts. No futuristic twists or cute mascots, just multicolored Beetles racing through volcanoes and island theme parks with real dinosaurs.


3. Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64 made jet ski racing not just a sub-genre, but a leader in racing games. Genius track design and an incredible physics engine headlined this near-launch title for the N64. And, of course, M.Jeter. Best water effects in any game to date.


2. Super Mario 64
3D games exist because of Mario 64. There has never been a more beautiful and perfect transition to the third dimension. The gameplay was new, but the spirit of fun and challenged was exactly what Mario had always been. Any experience playing Mario 64 was remembered as one of insane joy (and occasionally screaming rage). Without it, video games would be far different and far worse off than they are today. Thanks, Shiggy.


1. Star Fox 64
Is anybody really surprised? I've always been very ranty about my love of the Star Fox series, through good and bad times. And, buddy, times don't get much better than this. Pretty much the inventor of the cinematic game, Star Fox 64 showed us worlds we hadn't dreamed possible, with memorable characters and incredible scenarios. Essentially every line of spoken dialogue in this game in an inside joke among Nintendo fans. The game is basically comprised of one showstopping moment after another that are as jaw-dropping today as they were in 1997.


In case it wasn't obvious, I opted to use as many early/prototype screenshots as possible. Just because I thought it was fun.

Edit: A bunch of my pictures stopped working. Result: Most of my beta screens went away or became brutally obvious.

if/when i post my list, it will not be good because 1) i played PS1 so much more and 2) i have a grand total of about 8 games for N64.

I'm in the same boat as Kregs. I have played a lot of N64 games, but that wasn't until PS2 and Cube were halfway through their runs (like MY freshmen year of college).

My list is...

10. Star Fox 64
9. Star Fox 64
8. Star Fox 64
7. Star Fox 64
6. Star Fox 64
5. Star Fox 64
4. Star Fox 64
3. Star Fox 64
2. Star Fox 64
1. Star Fox 64

I love that gaem too much and it's the only 64 game i play today. All the other popular ones I like are either on my PS1 (such as Megaman 64/Legends) or they were remade/rereleased (Ocarina of Time) for cube and PC (Rouge Squadron).
My list where you can't have one game for each.

10. Smash Bros.
No explanation needed.

9. Mario Kart 64
While I like the Wii one a TON better than this, this revolutionized 4 player games, leading to the creation of Smash Bros.

8. Banjo + Kazzoie (However that is spelled).
The games I really played during the 64 era was Crash and Spyro (and of course the FFs). This game was exactly like Spyro.

7. Rouge Squadron.
I love Star Wars, this game was just epic. I already have this for my comp though so I haven't really played it on the 64.

6. Episode 1 Pod-Racer.
I don't knwo about you guys, but Podracing IS awesome. This game was great and still is great. Again have for PC.

5. Hydro Thunder
CHOSE YOUR TRACK: LOST ISLAND!
CHOSE YOUR BOAT: TIDALBLADE!!
3 2 1.... GO!!!!!
Awesome....

4. NFL Blitz 2000.
I don't like sports games. This isn't a real sports game.

3. Conker's Bad Fur Day.
While I never got a good chance to play the single player (which would make this my number 2 if I had), being able to attack people by peeing on them is a huge plus.

2. Ocarina of Time (Zelda)
This game has everything a Zelda and a good game needs Developers need to look back at this one more often for ideas.

1. Star Fox 64
Hold A to charge your laser. I remember renting a 64 with this game, the game broke. So I returned it for another copy of Star Fox 64 instead of something different. When I think of N64, I think of this and only this game. When my 64 controllers die (and those things fad QUICK), I'll get this on VC for sure. Too good. This game with Starcraft and the FFs make up my ultimate top ten list of games.


Btw, I never did and still don't like GoldenEye. I understand what it did for the system and the shooter genre, but I still don't like it enough to play it ever again.

Honorable Mentions



Paper Mario


Easily my favorite RPG on the system, although it’s possible I only played like three of them anyway. I loved the story and the art style, and the interaction that the player had during battles gave it a much more fun and interesting zeal as opposed to just picking attacks from a menu.



Wave Race 64


I’m a little surprised this didn’t make the list, but that’s mainly due to the fact that after renting it I never felt compelled to buy it. A classic to be sure, but compared to other racers on the N64 it came up a little short in the content department.



Super Smash Bros.


The game that started it all, and in a way paved the way for OUGA to exist as it does today. I had to give it a mention simply for that fact alone, plus at its time it had to be the most exciting and immense crossover ever seen in a video game.



T-800's Top Ten Nintendo 64 Games



10) Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire


This is still one of the coolest Star Wars titles ever made. I loved the idea of playing in a story that fit snugly in between the last two episodes of the saga. I also thought it was really cool how there were multiple gameplay styles found in this one game. One stage would have you be on foot, while another would have you in a space battle, while another still would have you riding a bike across the deserts of Tatooine. The other great thing about this game was that it managed to tell its own epic and compelling story while also making you feel like you were a part of the movie’s story as well.



9) F-Zero X


This is the F-Zero title that got me into F-Zero. I adored the lightning fast speed of the races and the fact that there were something like 30 cars in every race without the game slowing down once. It made every race feel epic and the inherit challenge of the game, due to the speed and clever track designs, combined together to make a racer that was an absolute blast. I also have to give special props to the setting and music of the series as well. Aside from Captain Falcon, the F-Zero series has a collection of characters and tunes that truly make it stick out from lots of other racers and add to the overall charm of the series.



8) Perfect Dark


The spiritual successor to Goldeneye never did quite take off as spectacularly, but that still doesn’t mean it wasn’t one of the best games the N64 ever had. Addictive multiplayer (now with bots!) and the inclusion of a co-op mode, which was a very new concept for a FPS at the time, were big reasons why I fondly look back at this game. I also got a kick out of the storyline, but that was a given when you include an alien named Elvis.



7) WWF No Mercy


This is just the best wrestling game I’ve ever played. Every installment from Aki, whether it was a WCW or WWF game, was always a rockin' experience. This was the best of their efforts, with robust gameplay options, create-a-wrestler, and a branching story mode that kept me occupied for a very long time. I haven’t even mentioned how addictive the multiplayer mode was. There were just so many wrestlers to play with and the game just refused to get old or boring. I’ve never enjoyed a wrestling game as much before or since No Mercy.



6) Banjo-Kazooie


This is Super Mario 64 plus the refinement that a year or two of getting to know the N64 afforded Rare. While it never quite hit the overall classic status of its inspiration, it certainly was no slouch in terms of carving out its own fanbase and earning its rightful place as one of the top N64 games ever. My biggest regret is that the stop ‘n swap feature never got implemented like the way the end of the game hinted it would be, but this was truly a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.



5) Mario Kart 64


Mario Kart 64 is the perfect example of a game taking everything that worked about its predecessor and making it work way better than before. A a series favorite and home of the best racing action you could find on the system, Mario Kart 64 is a classic that has yet to ever really be toppled, even from competition in its own series. The track selection is one of the best I've ever seen and the gameplay itself was golden. Others have tried to do it better, but come up short, while others try to innovate and wind up being too gimmicky. In other words, it's a game that's often imitated but never duplicated.



4) Goldeneye


Hands down the best multiplayer game on the N64 and the best movie-based video game to ever exist. After playing through the fantastic single player mode which elegantly transformed scenes from the movie into epic levels, you were left with one of the most addictive, time-consuming, and all out fun multiplayer experiences of your life. I’m not sure how well it’s really held up over the years, but there’s absolutely no denying how much fun and how much time I put into this game back in the N64’s heyday.



3) The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask


It’s only fitting that the direct sequel to the best Zelda game ever should get a spot right beside it on this list. Using a time-based gameplay gimmick that made the player progress through the game by replaying the same three days over and over was a minor stroke of genius. The varying masks and their effects were also another welcome gameplay element that really made this follow-up stick out from its predecessor and yet still maintain the incredibly high-level of quality the series is known for.



2) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


Personally I’ve never been more emotionally connected to a game, nor more immersed in one than the first time Link stepped onto Hyrule Field. The vast land of Hyrule was laid out before me and I was absolutely in awe of what I saw. This is to say nothing of the now classic gameplay and touching story of a boy who had to fulfill a destiny that would change the people and land around him. Outside of a very, very select number of games this is one of the most amazing and cherished titles I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.



1) Super Mario 64


What is there to be said about this game that hasn’t been said already? There’s something downright magical about this game that goes beyond the fact that it was the first game to really make 3D gaming work. I don’t know if it’s just the combination of the Mario universe or the gameplay or the graphics and sounds, but something just clicks when I play this game. Ever since playing it for 45 minutes at Wal-Mart in Jackson I’ve been absolutely in love with this game. While the genre itself has gone onto improve tremendously since then, even now this pivotal title in gaming still manages to hold up quite nicely. Let’s-a go!

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