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Mario Kart 64
Sure, the SNES had Super Mario Kart , but the N64 made four controller ports the standard, and zany multiplayer party games were never the same again.
Mischief Makers
This game is just all out weird. I don't know how we wound up with it in our house. It wasn't terribly popular or presented in a flashy way, but I'm glad we found it, because it was also an entertaining 2D game in a world that was outgrowing the style.
Bomberman 64
Again, this is another game that was really built on four people competing with each other. Unlike a lot of games, it didn't put on any other pretense than "the point of this game is to blow up your friends," since most games are just different spins on that concept.
Super Mario 64
This game and its vast freedom of exploration and collection has had an influence on pretty much every 3D platformer/adventure game that came after it. Ever main series Mario game after Super Mario 64 is comprised of few new ideas on this basic template.
Super Mario World 2 , this was probably how you became familiar with the still-reigning voice of Mario: Charles Martinet. Let's-a go!
Banjo-Kazooie
And lots of games that don't star Mario are new ideas thrown onto that template, too. My fiancée doesn't always play video games, but when she does, she plays Banjo-Kazooie .
Castlevania 64
Another game that was influenced by Mario 64 but deserves a mention. Castlevania 64 is the perfect combination of Mario 64 and Resident Evil 4 .
Pokémon Snap
This game is the sole reason that my Instagram feed is so great. And they said Pokémon wouldn’t supply me with any real-life skills! -Victoria
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 had all the single-player fun of Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie coupled with the multiplayer action of Goldeneye. It also had the "DK Rap," which you can't forget despite how badly you want to.
GoldenEye 007
The game that defined multiplayer competition for a generation. This is the first video game I was actually good at in a meaningful, competitive way, and I'm guessing a lot of gamers can say the same.
Mission Impossible
This game could've tried to just be GoldenEye (and it might've been a better game if it had), but instead, Mission Impossible tried to do the "Stealth" thing even a few months before Metal Gear Solid made the genre explosively popular.
Glover
Another platformer inspired by Mario 64 . Last one, I promise. If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path take on the N64 platforming formula, try Glover on for size. (Sorry. Had to.)
Pokémon Stadium
I’ll admit that I don’t remember anything about the game except the Drowzee mini-game, “Snore Wars.” There was a pendulum in the middle of four drowzees and you had to repel it with your psychic powers or it would make you sleep. Contrary to my behavior at every slumber party I’ve ever been invited to, when it came to this game I was the BEST at falling asleep last. -Victoria
Smash Bros. Can we get an actual, full console Pokémon game already, please!? -Dan
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask is considered by many to be the best Zelda game of all time. It took the foundation that Ocarina of Time had perfected from 2D Zelda games and gave the series a story that wasn't "Ganon has kidnapped Zelda/is going to destroy Hyrule."
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Hey, listen: I understand that you think Majora's Mask was better. Maybe it was, but it doesn't exist without Ocarina of Time . If you delete everything from Majora's Mask that you think makes it "better," you're left with Ocarina . It's the A New Hope to Majora's The Empire Strikes Back . Not as good? Probably, but the latter couldn't reach its greatness without the former.
Wave Race 64
I remember Wave Race: Blue Storm for the GameCube a lot better than this edition, but at the time, it was graphically impressive and different from the kind of racing game people were used to.
Jet Moto , which came out literally the day before on the PlayStation. The 90s console wars were tense.)
Diddy Kong Racing
The sad younger sibling of Mario Kart racing, Diddy Kong's racing game was overshadowed by its Mario-themed counterpart, but its variety of vehicles and modes made it another solid multiplayer kart option.
Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 was not altogether revolutionary, but its charm cannot be overstated. It's about time you showed up! Something's wrong with the G-diffuser. Do a barrel roll!
Super Smash Bros.
This game couldn't have happened without the N64's joystick. The intentional simplicity of its controls along with the depth involved in such varying characters and unusual freedom of movement for a fighting game together created one of Nintendo's greatest franchises, the game that would make the GameCube matter (Smash Bros. Melee ) and maybe the best party game of all time.
this commercial . Thanks for 18 great years, Nintendo 64.
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The Nintendo 64 is 18 years old in North America today—old enough to vote, buy cigarettes, and fight in wars that don’t involve the PlayStation. So, let’s revisit a time when you weren’t old enough for any of those things with our 18 favorite Nintendo 64 games.
I’m of the firm opinion that a lot of Nitnendo’s franchises had their finest hour on the Nintendo 64. The leap for most games from 2D to 3D brought with it genre-defining editions that would be rehashed endlessly in sequels, efforts from other companies, and on future consoles, but never since have there been so many new gameplay ideas packed into one generation.
It was also the first mainstream console to use a thumbstick (though the PlayStation later added two and set that standard), which was a complete game-changer and made the entire control scheme of Smash Bros. even possible in the first place. The Wii was codenamed Revolution, but the Nintendo 64 fit that name so much better.
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