So, you found your old N64 console in your basement and it still works! You want to try it out, but which games should you play? What are some of the best N64 games and have you played them all? Are you a new player who wants to try out N64, oldie, gaming console?
N64 console literally changed everything about gaming when it came out. Everyone wanted to have it because of the cool games and graphics that it offers, but also because of the al-mighty N64 joystick with its cool look. Until N64 games graphics were not a stronger side of any game, but N64 changed all that and from that moment on, game companies started to compete in terms of graphics and who can offer a better looking game to its players.
Without further ado, here is our list of some of the best N64 games that you may find out there!
Super Mario 64
Publisher: NitnendoOnce a Mario fan, always a Mario fan! Super Mario 64 is special Mario game for many reasons and it is an iconic game because we saw our bellowed Mario for the first time with the angel wings on his back! This was one of the first games with the so-called “open world” in a game. It has a lot of possible options and missions. When you finish a mission, you receive a star and the goal of the game is to collect as much stars as you can!
Pros
- 3D gaming looks
- Most Iconic game of N64 console by the opinion of many players
- A lot of options and cool features
Cons
- It CERO rated which means that all ages can play it. Lowest level of violence
- Some of the levels may be too hard and you can easily lose your nerves over it
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Publisher: NintendoOf all the Zelda games out there, this one is probably the most iconic of them all! The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time may easily be the best N64 game ever made! It is full of cool options like changing weapons, solving riddles and gathering coins in order to buy stuff from the store. You play as Link, the only boy in the village who does not have his own fairy and yet one morning, he was awaken by Navi, a fairy sent by the Ancient Tree. From that moment you start your quest of saving Princess Zelda.
Pros
- Great graphics in comparison with older versions of Zelda series
- Cool fighting system with navigation
- Navi works as a companion that gives you tip on how to do things
Cons
- Sometimes you have to think about solution to the problem which can drive you insane
- Same low level enemies repeat from time to time
- Some of the bosses may seem to hard
- Climbing system has some glitches
Donkey Kong
Publisher: NintendoWho hasn’t enjoyed some of the Donkey Kong game on one of those big consoles in a game centers in the 90’s hasn’t lived! Donkey Kong is for a reason on our list here! This game is follows the story after the Donkey Kong 3 with King K. Rool return! He is back and guess what, he wants to destroy Donkey Kong Island with his new weapon and it is up to you to stop him!
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- Lot of playable characters
- Great power-ups
- Good graphics
- It has both single and multiplayer mode
Cons
- You would need a previous version in order to run this one
- Game play is classic Donkey Kong style of the game
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Publisher: NintendoAfter Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is probably the most playable Zelda game in Zelda world.
Pros
- The game follows the original story, it is the 6th edition of Zelda games
- The plot is great and full of new characters
- Caves, swamp and mountains are yours to go through
Cons
- Almost same equipment and controls like in the previous Zelda games
- You will need expansion pack in order to run it
- As always with Zelda games, only single player mode
Perfect Dark
Publisher: Nintendo
Are you maybe more for something realistic like being a doctor, mechanic or even better an undercover agent? If your answer was the undercover agent, than Perfect Dark is the best N64 game for you! You start a game as Joanna Dark who gets assigned to dangerous missions. So pick your equipment and start playing!
Pros
- It’s a first person shooter game
- There are campaign and multiplayer modes
- It is not for children since it contains a lot of violance
Cons
- Same controlling system as Golden Eye 007
- There are only 9 missions
- Graphics is not its stronger side
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Publisher: NintendoTalking about the best, what can be better than a game from Lucas Art. Studios or to translate it into Sci-Fi, a Star Wars game! This one is special for so many reasons, it has a lot of cool features and the if you have watched the movies than you will surely recognize planets like Tatooine and other surroundings. This game is super fun to play so you should try no matter if you are a Star Wars fan or not.
Pros
- Great storyline
- Graphics are amazing considering it is N64
- There are a lot side quests that can be fun to do
Cons
- There are no light sabers
- There are no options of changing or personalizing your character
- Losing all of your AMO can be a drag
Pokémon Stadium
Publisher: NintendoJust imagine what 3D looks meant to Pokemon fans around the world when this game was announced! Pokemon Stadium probably has the best graphics of all the N64 games. So if you wanted to be very best and catch them all, but in a retro N64 style like they did in 90’s, than Pokemon Stadium is a game for you! There are too many cool things about this game for you not to try it out…
Pros
- Game supports up to 4 players
- Wide choice of Pokemons for battle
- Amazing graphics and even better game play
- 3 modes of game play: Gym Leader Castle, Free Battle and stadium
Cons
- Does not follow the usual catching and training Pokemon story
- Controlling options are the same as before, choose preferable move and Pokemon does it
Pokémon Snap
Publisher: Nintendo
When it comes to weird Pokemon games, the winner is probably Pokemon Snap! We recommend this game only if you are a big fan of Pokemon series because it can help you learn something new about your favorite Pokemons. The game itself is visually cool, but there are not a lot of options. Basically, professor Oak sends you to take pictures of Pokemons for his Pokedex creation. This game is mostly relaxing and there are no hard levels with which you may have trouble.
Pros
- Good graphics
- First person camera
Cons
- You just take pictures of Pokemon
- Limited options and boring story
- Does not follow the usual catching and training storyline
F-Zero X
Publisher: Nintendo
F-Zero X is Sci Fi futuristic type of racing game! This one is probably the easiest and at the same loads of fun type of game. So if you are more for some racing than F-Zero X would be your version of NFS type of gaming on N64 console.
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- A lot of new pilots to choose
- Several different modes
Cons
- Classic racing game
- Poor graphics
- Not a lot of options
1080° Snowboarding
Publisher: NintendoNow this game earned a lot of fame during the N64 era! This game is everything but ordinary. It has a lot of cool features and almost all of the snowboarding moves that you could think of. It also has some hidden modes through which you can unlock some cool features. Your goal is to beat your competition in many different types of snowboarding races and you can do that only by being the fastest and a player with the most points earned.
Pros
- There are lot of options
- Not so easy to play
- There are a lot of hidden options that can be fun to discover
Cons
- Graphics are not bad, but there are better
- The game may appear dull because you just ride a snowboard
Resident Evil 2
Publisher: Nintendo
This game is not for those are easily scared! Resident Evil is one of the scariest games that were created in the 90’s and this part earned a lot of fame! It was published as both PS and N64 version of the game. It is a type of horror game where you need to do only one thing and that is to survive!
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- There are a lot of puzzles
- Real-time generated mode
- Graphics are great
Cons
- There is not much to say here, except that this game is not for everyone. Consider the genre, if you like scary things than ok, but you do not, you may find this game repulsive.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Publisher: Nintendo
Star Wars: Rouge Squadron was one of those games that became one of the coolest things to play in the 90’s! Imagine having a flight simulation game back than with Star Wars as its main theme. Every Star Wars fan wanted this type of game, a game where you can drive one of starships with which Luke Skywalker blew the Death Star! If you like first franchise of Star Wars, than you should definitely try out this one and it can easily become best N64 game for you!
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- Good flight simulation
- Great missions
Cons
- Graphics may seem poor to you since it is N64 game
- It’s not about Jedi community
- No light saber wielding
Pokémon Stadium 2
Publisher: NintendoIf you were a fan of Pokemon Stadium 1, than this one will blow your mind! Pokemon Stadium has even better graphics and it has a lot of cool new options for you to try out! You can now pick things from the inventory, like potions etc. and you can also choose which moves can your Pokemon use in the battles. All in all, it’s the same game as the first part, but with enhanced graphics!
Pros
- Graphics are so good that you may mistake this game for one of those from the later consoles
- New features
- Better gaming experience
Cons
- The game is almost the same as the first part
- There is no catching and training Pokemon
WWF No Mercy
Publisher: Nintendo
Here is a real treat! WWF No Mercy is one of those really interesting games that N64 offered. The story goes that you are a profession WWF wrestler who starts his career and the goal of the game is to beat some of the most famous WWF wrestlers from early 2000’s. There are many cool moves for you to try out and almost everything is based on the real moves that were used by WWF wrestlers.
Pros
- Graphics is insanely good when you think about the fact that it is N64 game
- A lot of moves and specialties
- Good storyline
Cons
- There may be some glitches in the game
- There are many modes of fighting but they are practically the same
Star Wars: Episode I Racer
Publisher: Nintendo
So by the time this game got out, the first part of the second trilogy of the Star Wars came out. Do you remember that part of the movie when Anakin is driving his racer in order to earn freedom for himself and the money for the spare parts that Padme needed in order to leave Tatooine? Well, you can try having the same race in this game! There are many players that play this game even today and the success of it was so big that many consider this one as the best N64 game ever made!
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- There are many upgrades like traction, turning and acceleration
- Graphics are done pretty smooth
- No glitches
Cons
- There is no light saber wielding
- It’s a racing type of game and you would not like it only if you don’t like that type of gaming
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Publisher(s):Acclaim Entertainment, Night Dive Studios (Remaster)Turok is a first-person shooter game with elements of dinosaurs and cool environment. Throughout the game, your goal is to beat your enemy known as Campaigner. Turok series is one the widely popular games even today and this one is no exception. So if you are a fan of Turok gaming, you should not miss the chance to try this one out!
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- Lot of options
- Graphics are smoothly done
Cons
- Controls may seem confusing at start
- There are some glitches in the game from time to time
Excitebike 64
Publisher: Nintendo
If you are a petrolhead or a fan of dirt bike racing, than Excitebike 64 is a game made just for you. This game has a lot of cool modes of playing and by choosing your driver… you choose the specification of your dirt bike. It can be loads of fun and the graphics are done pretty good for N64 game. There are not a lot of games with this theme on N64 so this can be a good choice if you want to try out something interesting.
Pros
- Good simulation
- Good graphics
- Various types of racing
- Various racing stats for each driver
Cons
- There is no original storyline, you just race
- You don’t have a lot of options when it comes to choosing something unique
- It’s a typical racing game
Doom 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Doom is really interesting game that you may find for N64, it is based on the previous games from the Doom edition and the story goes that you figure out that the files under the codename “Doom” are not complete and the demons are back! Your task is to slay them all and to beat all of the bosses. It’s super fun and it was widely popular when it came out.
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- First person shooting perspective
- A lot of new demons and bosses to kill
Cons
- There are games with better graphics
- It was released on many other platforms so there is a high chance that you have already tried this one
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Publisher: Nintendo
Yet another Mortal Kombat game for you! If you like arcade games and prefer Mortal Kombat over Tekken, than Mortal Kombat Trilogy is your best choice when it comes to N64 console. There are many modes like 2 on 2, multiplayer mode and single mode. You can pick your fighter and the goal of the game is to beat all of your rivals in order to become the best fighter in the game. Some of the most iconic characters come from this game. Which one is your favorite? Are you a Sub-Zero or Scorpion team?
Pros
- The game follows the original story
- Iconic and widely popular
- A lot of cool fatalities and moves
Cons
- Graphics are not the best out there
- Almost same as every Mortal Kombat game
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Publisher: Nintendo
This was one of the favorite games of every skater out there. It’s from the most famous skater in the world, Tony Hawk and now you can use all of his moves in the game. This game was widely popular among teenagers in the early 00’s. It has a lot of cool moves for you to try out and the gaming is really fun and exciting. By playing, you become a better skater and you learn loads of cool new trick during gameplay.
Pros
- Graphics are amazing
- There are cool unique moves and combos to try
- Cool missions and modes
Cons
- If you are a skater or like this kind of game, than this game does not have any cons
Conclusion
The N64 console is one of the most popular consoles in the entire world and there is a wide group of players who still enjoy playing a lot of the games that came out as part of N64 console edition. So, no matter what your preference as the gamer are, we think that you will like almost each and every game for this list. No matter what you want to be in a game, a fighter, a Pokemon trainer or master, Star Wars soldier who fights for the greater good in the galaxy, A soldier fight weird monsters or dinosaur or a dirt bike driver or a skater, you will find everything that you need here and we promise you, you won’t regret picking any of these games! Pick your poison and start playing some of the best N64 games out there!
