As Nintendo marks their 125th Anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the consoles that turned the company from a trading card manufacturer into an icon in the world of video games. Following our look back at the Gamecube, we’re counting down our top twelve favourite Nintendo 64 games of all time. And believe us… this was a very hard list to put together, as most of us grew up with this console – which brought an end to Nintendo’s cartridge console era (not counting handheld of course)! We start you off with the first six…
12. Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire
The universe was so different yet so immersive to my childish mind (I still haven’t grown up from this stage). A part of me sat down to this wanting to simply be a Jedi and force push people off cliffs, but this aspiration faded the moment you find a jetpack. A freakin’ jetpack! As far as adventure and excitement goes, there’s not much more satisfying than strapping a metal box to your back, hovering above sands of the Gall Spaceport shooting stormtroopers. Then there’s the multiple vehicles you pilot; your trusty spaceship The Outrider, airspeeder, swoop bike. For the size of this game it is insane how varying the gameplay is. It’s tough to see such ambition in games these days, especially with a licensed title such as Star Wars. – Adam Gilding
11. WWF No Mercy
You didn’t even have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this. It was easily one of the best multiplayer games at that time, taking the incredibly run of wrestling games from THQ and hitting us with something that was sadly never recreated again in any subsequent wrestling game. WCW VS NWO World Tour showed us just how well this new approach to the wrestling game worked, then WWF Wreslemania 2000 really took that a step further; WWF No Mercy followed and blew people away with it’s unprecedented level of customisation, really playing into the whole trend of fantasy wrestling and letting players create their own comprehensive wrestling programs, as well as play through narratives full of humour, betrayal, and loyalty – just like any good WWE episode. – Chris Singh
10. Diddy Kong Racing
I never quite understood why Diddy Kong Racing never really resulted in any sequels yet Super Mario Kart did. While SMK is undeniable, it’s Diddy Kong Racing which really blended adventure and racing so unbelievably well that it stands as one of my favourite games of all time. Racers of that generation were very bland and too generic; Diddy Kong Racing took the engagement of an adventure rpg and blended it full speed with a very varied, animated, and blissfully fun racing mechanic. Racing Wizpig was as frustrating and strangely addictive as any Mario platformer, while the game gave a nod to some seriously underrated Nintendo characters, one of whom would go on to star in his own N64 masterpiece: Banjo Kazooie. – Chris Singh
9. Super Mario 64
This was the game that changed the way we saw – and played – Mario. The 3D world was expansive, completely changing the way we saw our favourite Italian plumber, as he made the jump from 2D to 3D. I’d also like to pay special mention to one of the console’s most underrated games Paper Mario which defied convention again (and unfortunately didn’t make this list), delivering a Mario RPG that blurred the line between 2D and 3D. It’s games like that that really make you realise what a special time the Nintendo 64 was – there really has never been a technological jump quite like what there was between the SNES and the N64. It’s a period that forever changed the way we play games. – Larry Heath
8. Jet Force Gemini
One of the first 3rd Person Shooters on a console that really worked, and another title from the heart of Rare’s N64 Renaissance. You could play as one of three characters, each with different weapons and abilities, through a number of beautifully designed sci-fi worlds filled with interesting enemies and tough-as-nails bosses. It was also notable for being one of the few games on N64 to feature a considerable amount of gore. Vibrantly-coloured blood spouted from downed enemies, while still maintaining a cartoony vibe. – David Smith
7. Lylat Wars (US Title: Super Fox 64)
One of the first games many early adopters picked up after Super Mario 64, Lylat Wars (rebranded from it’s actual title Star Fox 64 in European territories to avoid confusion with a German company called StarVox) was a true marvel on release. An on rails shooter/roller-coaster ride filled with cutting edge graphics, memorable bosses and endlessly quotable dialogue – indeed, my friends and I still trade Lylat Wars quotes to this day. And just when you thought you had a handle on what the game had to offer, it would switch to a wide-open combat section that you could freely fly about in, or it would drop you into another vehicle like the Landmaster Tank or the Blue Marine submarine and completely change your perspective. A classic. – David Smith
Find out what made the top six HERE.
