Yesterday we brought you the first six games in our feature on the best Nintendo 64 games of all time – just in time for Nintendo’s 125th Anniversary (yep, that’s not a typo). Today, we bring you the top six… counting us down to number one!
6. Donkey Kong 64
Another Rare gem. Taking all the lessons they’d learned about 3D platforming from Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, Rare went back to the character that gave them their success on the SNES and brought him, at last, into the next generation. Donkey Kong 64 was massive. Tons of levels, five playable characters, a staggering amount of collectibles and ridiculously challenging bosses all came together to make this game a true, surprisingly underrated classic. You also needed the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak, the little upgrade module that gave your N64 a bit more RAM, to run the game which made convincing your parents to get it for you a bit of an uphill battle. – David Smith
5. Mario Kart 64
Though Chris may have brought up the merits of Diddy Kong Racing, there is no arguing with the game that has stood the test of time is the one and only Mario Kart 64. Bringing all the great elements of Mario Kart on the SNES – Rainbow Road and all – and revolutionizing it for the 64-bit era, Mario Kart remains one of the most played 64 games, and every Kart that has followed has been an evolution of what we all played with our friends back in the days of the 64. Such fun. Bananas for everyone! – Larry Heath
4. Banjo Kazooie
I often think about Banjo Kazooie at the most random times; it’s a gaming experience which has stuck with him me simply because of how endearing it is, and I’m not just talking about the gameplay. From the clever, mumbled sounds that made up for the lack of actual speech in that generation of gaming, to the ridiculously fun supporting characters who would always send you on fun, challenging quests, to the addictive search for the adorable Jinjos. While Super Mario 64 hogged much of the glory as far as adventure-platform games on the N64 went, it was this infinitely loved beginning to the Banjo Kazooie saga (that unfortunately and frustratingly only managed to spawn an enjoyable sequel and then fizzle out with a boring racer) that really solidified the consistency that was coming from RARE at the time. If you’re like me and you miss this game completely then this small piece of news may make your day: the composer of the game’s soundtrack has made all 150+ songs from the Banjo Kazooie soundtrack available for purchase (‘name your price) on his bandcamp HERE. – Chris Singh
Collectables are a taboo game mechanic in modern games, today. Assassin’s Creed makes me feel so lethargic when I see I need to collect 300 digital squares. It seems crazy to think that a game structured around this can be such a joy. I remember thinking that Kazooie was simply trying to be Super Mario 64, but it became so much more. I can hear the little jingle that whistles when you wear those cute gumboots in my dreams. There was a real sense of progression with Metroidvania aspects littered throughout the semi-open world areas. In every level you could transform into a different animal thanks to your friend, Mumbo. Flying around as an overweight bee wearing a backpack is not a feature in enough games. If you put this into a game I will give you a 10/10. I’m not corruptible at all. – Adam Gilding
3. Super Smash Bros
Super Smash Brothers brought together the widest variation of Nintendo characters ever seen and then pit them against each other in a battle to the death. It shone with Nintendo’s signature accessibility, there was no challenge in picking up the controller and picking your favourite brightly coloured character and quickly figuring out their skill set. It truly sucks you in with the depth and polish, every character feels and handles distinctively differently; Link heavy like a rock but powerful, Kirby light and floaty (and frequently actually a rock). It is a fighting game that can absorb you with its challenge which is reflected in it’s status as a genuine competitive E-sports title and vast longevity. It’s the only Nintendo 64 game I still play, and do so as a often as there are three other people keen to do so (Hammer off though). – Michael Lean
2. Goldeneye
There’s not much that can be said about this game’s multiplayer mode that hasn’t already been said, the fun that comes from it cannot be overstated. But let’s not forget the single player. This game still has one of the most engaging campaigns in a FPS released during that generation, it didn’t need the overacting or the depth that characterises today’s great FPS games; Goldeneye’s campaign got by on sweet, accurate simplicity. Staying true to the incredible film and setting up some of the most memorable shoot outs, this game revolutionised the way we looked at the FPS, and because of this, it’s a game you can play multiple times without ever getting bored. – Chris Singh
When you think of multiplayer shenanigans, this game is the go to cult classic. This was THE multiplayer first person shooter before first person shooters dominated the market. “STOP SCREEN CHEATING!” would be shouted as you see a chain of mines exploding in front of your eyes. Wacky weapons, brilliant level design, hidden secrets, unique gameplay modes, selectable characters. Not for one second did anyone hesitate to play even though we were playing a small TV, split into 4 squares. The single player gameplay wasn’t awful, either. It astounds me that a movie tie in game could be one of the biggest titles of a console generation. I would go as far as to say this is the best movie tie in game ever. That’s a big feat considering this 17 year old game is only 11mb. – Adam Gilding
While Bungie may have cemented first person shooters on the console it was Rare who broke down the walls and made it all possible. Goldeneye was revolutionary, it was the first console shooter to offer split screen multiplayer, introduced us to the scoped sniper rifle – now a shooter standard – and boasted advanced hit detection on enemies allowing users to shoot off enemy hats and helmets and disarm them. Throw in that with genius map design, a vast array of weaponry, reactionary AI and you have one of the greatest games of all time. – Michael Lean
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Well this was sure predictable wasn’t it? It’s not until you reflect on games like this do you truly realise just how groundbreaking the line-up for Nintendo 64 became, entering legendary status off the back of many innovative and memorable video games. At the very top of everything you can think of about the Nintendo 64 sits this ineffably beautiful game.
The soundtrack was enough on it’s own to enter Ocarina into history but it was of course the gameplay that really won people over. It’s the type of game that people get emotional over because playing through this was unlike anything that came before it; the Zelda series was already iconic and so our first adventure with Link/Zelda in 3D was groundbreaking.
It could have easily turned out to be a game that rested on the fact that it was another Zelda adventure but this time it was in 3D; the developers could have half-assed their way through and still sold millions and millions of copies based on the games unimpeachable history…instead everything from the level design to the soundtrack ensured that this game would completely justify it’s place in the history of gaming. – Chris Singh
