This week marks the 20th anniversary of Nintendo’s final cartridge based home console, the Nintendo 64, and the release of Super Mario 64 along with it. Since Nintendo’s venture into creating their traditional games into a 3D polygonal perspective, the rest of the industry had followed suit. The best and worst of designs, mechanics and artistic influences has shaped the way we play games today, and on this list, the TYF staff put the top games of the console to a vote to determine a definitive Top 10 Nintendo 64 games list, according to our writers. So, lets dive into some of our favorite memories with the weirdest controller of all time, and for many of our staff, their first Nintendo franchise games ever.
10. Donkey Kong 64 (1999)
Before Bowser, Donkey Kong had been known as Mario’s arch nemesis. In the classic arcade games, Donkey Kong would always have Princess Peach in his grasp and
Mario would have to save her. In the 1990’s, Nintendo and Rare turned Donkey Kong into a hero with the Donkey Kong Country series for Super Nintendo, but then in 1999, the two companies released Donkey Kong 64—a title that made DK’s jungle heroics into full 3D. Donkey Kong 64 had a lot of influence from Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, but was much more vivid, and had massive levels to explore. The levels were so textured and colorful that it was more fun to get lost in them rather than actually play. Donkey Kong had four buddies that we could play as: Diddy Kong, Lanky, Chunky, and Tiny. They all had different abilities which were needed to get through all of the levels. There are certain collectibles which can only be obtained by a certain Kong, but all shared the same goal of finding all of Donkey’s 201 Golden Bananas. This made the game even more interesting and unpredictable, leaving the player to figure out how to use these characters to achieve different medals, get weapons and special power ups.
Donkey Kong 64 will always be my favorite of the gorilla’s best adventures. He hasn’t had many games since, and has only been a supporting character in Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart series’. Plus, what game has a better introduction than the Donkey Kong Rap?? – Yasmin Kleinbart
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9. Pokemon Snap (1999)
Pokémon Snap, developed by HAL Laboratory and Pax Softnica, was released on March 21, 1999 for the Nintendo 64. For anyone who loved Pokémon or had a dream of one day being a famous photographer, this was the game you. I would rush home from school everyday to play this game endlessly. The story was simple and strangely addictive. You were Todd Snap, a young Pokémon photographer hired by Professor Oak, to take pictures of wild Pokémon on Pokémon Island for the Pokémon Report (Yikes, that was a lot of Pokémon in one sentence…). You hopped aboard the Zero-One vehicle and began to roll along on the railroad tracks and take as many pictures as you possibly could. As you progressed through each level you would encounter new types of Pokémon of all shapes and sizes. I can recall hours of painstakingly snapping the same Pokémon dozens of times, and finding strategies to capture new ones, and wanting to get the perfect shot before the Zero-One pulled into the goal gate to end the level. Although this was not a normal Pokémon game, it has still stood out to me as one of the most unique titles that the Nintendo 64 had to offer. – Tyler Carslen
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8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
It’s a well known fact that Majora’s Mask is the black sheep of the Legend of Zelda franchise. It’s often debated on whether it is better than the classic that is Ocarina of Time. The game, made from the same engine in less than a year, has always loomed in the shadow of, what many consider to be, the greatest game of all time. However, while Ocarina set a precedent for all Zelda games, and even 3D adventure games in general, Majora’s Mask is like an age old fable that becomes more compelling and poignant with every playthrough, and as its players get older. It breaks the form of the traditional “collect items, get sword, save princess” formula and instead puts our hero, Link, as a stranger in a land that is about to meet its certain doom, complete with an imp running amok and summoning the creepiest moon you’ll ever see, set to crash upon the earth in only 3 days time. Players really got a sense of how Bill Murray felt in Groundhog’s Day, and a fascinating idea of a hero’s need to save everyone they can, but at a certain price. Combine Majora’s atmosphere with it’s cast of characters that seems essentially pulled from the show Twin Peaks, and then the special melodic musical writings from Koji Kondo, and Majora’s Mask casts a certain hex on people unlike anything I’ve ever seen in video games. – Evan Griffin
7. Goldeneye 007 (1997)
Goldeneye 007 was my childhood. It was the ultimate go-to game between my siblings and I. My ultimate choice of character would be Oddjob since he was pretty much impossible to shoot when standing right in front of your face. I still remember almost every single game location, secret spots and guns they provided you (hint: the knives were useless unless you wanted to get caught or killed). Even though there was the mission mode, there was nothing funner than playing the multiplayer capture the flag and steering clear from your opponent by staring at the little grey box in the top right corner. Mind you, this is when I was about seven years old and knew nothing about the whole James Bond series. I was a late bloomer when it came to that, but either way, this game was gold and will always be something near and dear to my heart. – Ashley Buleyo
7. Pokemon Stadium (1999)
Like most kids in the late 90s, Pokemon was my life. The cards, the shows, the toys… but most of all, the games. I had my little Gameboy Color and “Pokemon Blue,” where I wasted hours upon hours catching them all… and yet, I craved even more. I wanted Pokemon on a big screen, with big visuals and big sounds – as if I was playing the show myself!
That’s why I lost my mind when Pokemon Stadium came out. There it was! I could finally have a fully colored Charizard on my tv screen, not loafing about like Ash’s did on the cartoon, but blasting stupid Vileplooms in the face with a flamethrower at my command! The thrill of getting together with a friend and each of you assembling a team to duke it out on the big screen was sensational. Then, to make things even more personal, you could import your own roster from a Pokemon Red or Pokemon Blue cartridge, so you could truly see your homegrown team in 64-bit glory.
The “story” mode might have been lacking, but the minigames more than made up for it. I remember myself and three friends getting together just to spend hours digging for water as sandshrews, tossing ekans rings at digletts, and of course, gorging on as much sushi as possible in the greatest game to ever involve lickitung ever.
It was nothing but pure Pokemon revelry at a time when Pokemon was in its prime, and it remains to be the very best like no one ever was. – Alexander Suffolk
6. StarFox 64 (1997)
StarFox 64 was truly something special. It might have been about animals in spaceships, but it actually told a deeper story about a man (or fox, I guess) living up to his father’s name and developing camaraderie with brothers in arms. Some might consider the on-rails flying and shooting to be primitive and restrictive by today’s standards, but it allowed Nintendo to make a game with tight controls and that you’d develop mastery through repetition. Charging up your shots and timing your maneuvers would become second nature, and it was a delight to then rule the skies as a sci-fi animal Red Baron.
StarFox 64 also had that kind of rare quality of being chock full of memorable moments. The “do a barrel roll” shout, the encounters with the rival Wolf gang, the Meteo Crusher and it’s pink rings of death – all of them are still seared into my mind to this day. Not to mention there were the branching paths and secret endings, which meant that even after I beat the game, I was craving to jump right back in it and play it all over again.
That arcade-style progression and action combined with the plot and variables of a more advanced game lead to Star Fox 64 being one of the most satisfying games to sit down and get through on a lazy afternoon, time and time again. And really, that kind of fun is what the N64 console was all about. – Alexander Suffolk
4. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (1998)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is arguably the best (or most well-known) LOZgame in the series’ history. It stands the test of time as the first Zelda game to transition from the pixel days to explore 3D graphics for a next Nintendo generation console. Gone were the 2D side-scrolling adventures, Nintendo created Link’s biggest adventure yet–and I loved every minute of it!
Link starts the game as a small child without any experience as a warrior (or a fairy companion). He soon defeats his first dungeon and gets pulled into a mission by Princess Zelda which Link will traverse through the many areas of the Kingdom of Hyrule, several dungeons and time itself to solve a mystery surrounding the missing seven Sages, the only powers able to stop Ganondorf from ruling the kingdom. It’s an expansive world of adventures and songs to learn on the new ocarina. For a new system at the time like the Nintendo 64, Ocarina of Time offered plenty of content and stages to create a worthwhile adventure for gamers.
Ocarina of Time was a new and updated adventure for gamers to get hooked on the N64. It’s one of the first adventure video games I completed from start-to-finish and I felt accomplished finally defeating Ganon at the end. From pulling the Master Sword to playing iconic songs on the Ocarina of Time, this Zelda game is fan favourite and true treasure from the N64 years.
We’ll start off with the fact that Rainbow Road is both amazing and nauseating, yes this is true. Mario Kart 64 as a whole built off of the split screen fun found in Super Mario Kart, but at the dawn of 3D video games, this Mario Kart stands out among the rest for having creative and fun level designs and seamless use of 2½D character sprites with 3D environments. There are plenty of games that people play out of nostalgia, certainly, but few have the lasting power of quality that Mario Kart 64 has. People in college today, who maybe never even had Nintendo 64 consoles, adore this game. This is one of Nintendo’s titles that has flawlessly united people of all walks of life, and it’s amazing to see, even with new high definition racing games, that this one still always comes out on top. – Evan Griffin
2. Super Mario 64 (1996)
My parents got me an N64 for Christmas when I was 5-years-old and with it came Super Mario 64. Everything about Mario 64 has that atmosphere of fun: the colorful graphics, the rendering and design of Peach’s Castle and the levels, the characters (good and evil), the music and probably most importantly, the way the game has you play. It’s a game that wants you to explore every aspect of each level and reward you for it. So even once I completed the standard story level, I wanted to play the levels again to make sure I didn’t miss anything. That’s a game that sticks with you. – Jon Winkler
1. Super Smash Bros. (1999)
There are few games in existence that can tear friends and families apart while also forcing you to make some unlikely alliances. Arguably Nintendo’s best multiplayer game and really one of the few reasons to continue buying Nintendo’s next generation consoles, Super Smash Bros. combines all of your favorite Nintendo characters and pits them against each other in a massive free-for-all. With each character, you get unique abilities and a variety of map choices that will fill your nostalgia quota. The beauty of this game is that even a newbie, with their button-mashing skills, could take down an experienced player if they’re not too careful. Navigating through the environmental hazards, dozens of spawning items and at least 3 other players trying to send you flying off-screen, this game turns into a frustrating orchestra of chaos. Every new incarnation of the game continues to be as infuriating as it is fulfilling. Just try not to play with people you really like or are related to. Maybe one of these days I’ll reconnect with my sister and forgive her for “accidentally” hitting me with the Donkey Kong hammer. – Jon Espino
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