The 35 best N64 games you need to checkout in 2023

The Nintendo 64, or N64, was a revolutionary gaming console released in 1996. It featured a 64-bit processor, four controller ports, and graphics far ahead of its time.

With its powerful hardware and innovative controller, the N64 delivered some of the most iconic and beloved games. From 3D platformers to fast-paced fighting games, there was something for everyone on the N64.

In this article, we will look at some of the best games the console has to offer, including both first-party titles and games from third-party developers. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the console or a newcomer looking to experience its greatness, these are the games you should be playing on the N64.

The 35 best N64 games you need to check out in 2023

#1. Super Smash Bros.

Companies have yet to achieve the level of success that Nintendo has with Super Smash Bros. Nintendo’s brawler works on multiple levels, allowing you to wallow in nostalgia. You can then settle the many arguments you would have had at school about the fighting abilities of your favorite Nintendo characters.

Whether balanced or not, the chaotic battles are a lot of fun and helped lay the groundwork for one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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#2. Paper Mario

It’s no surprise that this endearing Mario adventure has become so sought after on Nintendo’s 64-bit console. Paper Mario, developed by Intelligent Systems also lays the groundwork all other Paper Mario games.

It also features the same sharp humor and solidly crafted combat mechanics. The series’ flat 2D look also began here, demonstrating how good 2D-styled games could look on Nintendo’s 3D-focused console.

#3. Star Fox 64

Aside from the 3DS remake, it’s unfortunate that Nintendo’s magnificent sequel remains the best game. Star Fox 64, a clear love letter to Star Wars and similar space operas, introduces a handy new u-turn mechanic and many alternative routes, significantly increasing its longevity.

It’s the most exciting shooter on the system, even outgunning Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

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#4. GoldenEye 007

Rare’s ambitious movie license opened the eyes of N64 owners worldwide, demonstrating how good a first-person console shooter could be. While its frame rate lurches around like a drunken hippo, there’s no denying how satisfying the combat mechanics are or how exciting the level design is.

Rare’s decision to add additional tasks to complete on each difficulty level ensures a long lifespan, while the multiplayer is legendary and so expansive that we still play it today. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

#5. The Super Mario 64

On release, Nintendo’s launch game raised the bar for platformers and 3D games in general. Its recent inclusion in Super Mario 3D All-Stars only adds to its reputation as a genuinely exceptional platformer.

The beauty of Nintendo’s game isn’t just how well Mario’s core mechanics translated to 3D but also how much content there is in each carefully crafted world. One minute you’re racing a Koopa for a valuable star. Next, you’re looking for a lost penguin or eight red coins.

This constant variety keeps Nintendo’s game fresh and exciting, and it’s telling that few non-Nintendo platformers have ever surpassed it in the years since.

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#6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Few 3D adventure games have had the same impact as Ocarina Of Time. It may not have been the first 3D adventure game to hit the market, but Nintendo’s game got so much right the first time, highlighting the Japanese developer’s mastery of creating exciting, believable 3D worlds.

At its release, ocarina Of Time felt massive because its enormous game world and epic story spanned Hyrule Field, enchanted forests, quaint villages, and time. It still amazes me even today (ideally, the 3DS remaster). The combat remains exceptionally satisfying thanks to the inclusion of the innovative Z-targeting system. 

Ocarina of Time is still a game design masterclass. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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#7. Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Rare’s final N64 game has a lovely kitchen sink approach that sets it apart from anything else the studio released for the console. While some of the cruder jokes and movie references are certainly dated, it’s difficult not to be impressed by the sheer amount of creativity and variety that accompany the potty-mouthed squirrel as he tries to meet up with his girlfriend.

Conker’s bad fur day is brought to life by a fantastic voice cast and remains one of Nintendo’s best adventures. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

#8. Pilotwings 64

Nintendo’s sequel follows the same structure as the SNES original but uses 3D space in ways that the original Pilotwings could only dream of. Missions begin simple, but you’ll soon need to master every available craft (hang-glider, gyrocopter, and rocket belt) to win gold medals in every challenge.

While you can complete the main game quickly, the need to constantly improve your score, combined with the sheer relaxation provided by the Birdman bonus mode, will ensure that you’ll always return for another go.

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#9. Perfect Dark

Losing the James Bond license to Activision benefited Rare by allowing the developer to be far more ambitious with its GoldenEye sequel. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

While Perfect Dark has an overly cheesy sci-fi plot and pushes the console so hard that you can almost hear it creak at times, the core gunplay is every bit as good as you’d expect from the creators of the N64’s best first-person shooter.

#10. F-Zero X

The N64 has plenty of arcade racers, but only some can compete with Nintendo’s blisteringly fast sequel. The reduced polygons allow F-Zero X to run at a deliciously high frame rate, allowing you to focus solely on tearing around the exceptionally designed tracks.

The challenging AI ensures that the pounding of your heart from each close race is as loud as the thunderously pulsating soundtrack. It is one of the best N64 games you should play in 2023.

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#11. Doom 64

Despite receiving high marks upon release, Midway’s game was never discussed in the same hushed tones as Goldeneye, Turok 2, and Perfect Dark due to its simple mechanics and lack of multiplayer.

Its simplicity works in its favor today, as its polished mechanics, satisfying gunplay, and reasonably high frame rate haven’t aged as badly as some of its more notable peers. The fast-paced gunplay complements the game’s excellent map design and a truly eerie soundtrack by Aubrey Hodges, who worked similar dark magic on the PlayStation game two years ago..

#12. International Superstar Soccer ’98

Sports games on the N64 can only compete with Konami’s excellent football game. While the goalkeepers can sometimes feel cheap, Konami’s game still plays as well today as it was first released. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

While it has many excellent game modes, including a grueling World League with 48 international teams, its excellent multiplayer elevates this to one of the best N64 sports games to play with friends.

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#13. Banjo-Kazooie

When Banjo the bear taps your TV screen and begins a musical battle with Mumbo Jumbo, it’s clear that Rare’s platformer will be unique. While later Rare platformers would drown in collectibles, Banjo and his backpack-based partner, Kazooie, collect Jiggies, Jingos, and musical notes as they try to save Banjo’s sister from the evil witch Gruntilda.

Each level makes excellent use of the many new abilities the pair can acquire while also demonstrating Rare’s mastery of world-building on the console. It’s a fantastic platformer that occasionally outperforms Super Mario 64.

#14. Mario Kart 64

Few four-player games on the N64 were as enjoyable as this one. While some have criticized its wider racetracks, the challenging opponent AI and inventive track design more than compensate. Time trials were just as enjoyable here as they were on the SNES, and the ability to race against three other friends added a competitive element that few other kart games of the era could match.

The N64 had no shortage of great racing games; from Beetle Adventure Racing to Ridge Racer 64, Nintendo’s game outruns most of them. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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#15. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

Goemon games have a shaky track record in the west, so we’re glad Konami made an effort with this one. Yes, it has clumsy controls and a shaky camera, but it’s also full of zany charm, proudly wearing its Japanese goofiness. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

Few N64 games let you transform into a mermaid, switch between multiple characters on the fly, and use a camera to discover hidden ghosts or trash villages as a giant rollerskating robot. Still, Konami’s game does all of this and more. The 1998 sequel is equally insane but much more challenging to locate.

#16. Excitebike

The racer from Left Field Productions is a far cry from the arcade fun of the NES original (which, coincidentally, is included as an unlockable extra). It’s a challenging game with a frustratingly high difficulty level, but that adds to the satisfaction when you finally master its almost sim-like controls.

The learning curve is steep, but the rewards are plentiful thanks to a slew of extras, including a comprehensive track editor, a challenging stunt course, a 3D remake of the original game, and even an odd soccer mode.

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#17. Mario Party 2

Mario’s second board game is still the best on the system, thanks to some stunning visuals, more exciting game boards, and various enjoyable modes beyond the core board game traversal. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

On the other hand, the many minigames always sell a Mario Party game, and there are very few duds among the 60-odd featured in Mario Party 2. Even the 21 games from the original N64 have been updated and are far more enjoyable to play.

#18. Pokemon Snap

The N64 saw several Pokemon-based spin-offs, with this being one of the most endearing. While there are only a few Pokemon to capture, the desire to improve your best photo constantly is strong. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

As a result, you’ll find yourself repeatedly returning to the same spots to coax Pikachu into the perfect pose or capture that missing behavior shot that eluded you the first time you visited. The game’s on-rails nature limits exploration, but this gets offset by the sheer thrill of being surrounded by seemingly living and breathing Pokémon.

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#19. Wave Race 64

Nintendo EAD’s dynamic water-based racer is one of the system’s most satisfying experiences. Like many similar games of the time, it has a limited number of available tracks but excels due to how well-designed they are. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

The dynamic water physics, which remains some of the best of the era and continues to impress today, truly distinguishes Wave Race 64 from its peers. 

#20. Fighters’ Destiny

Regarding one-on-one fighters, Nintendo’s console had a tough time, but it got this magnificent brawler from Opus Corp. Although the combatants are incredibly generic, they all have unique fighting styles that take time to master.

What distinguishes Fighters Destiny from other brawlers of the era is its ingenious points system, which scores you on everything from ring outs to throws and knockdowns, creating a lovely back and forth to each bout. Although a sequel exists, the original provides a more authentic fighting experience.

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#21. Diddy Kong Racing

Rare’s racer proved a more than worthy alternative to Mario’s slick-karting shenanigans. Rather than simply sticking to karting, Rare’s racer expanded the game’s colorful characters’ abilities to race across water, the skies, and hard asphalt.

Although the core racing and track design aren’t as intense as in Mario Kart 64, the adventurous single-player mode and difficult opponents make it far more enjoyable when you can’t round up a few friends. It is one of the best N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

#22. Sin & Punishment

Treasure’s final N64 release is a technical feat that tests the console’s capabilities while also bristling with creativity. In typical Treasure fashion, Sin & Punishment defies conventions by requiring you to move with the D-pad or C buttons rather than the analog stick.

Treasure’s game is challenging to master but extremely rewarding when it finally clicks. The plot is nothing to write home about, but it serves as a brilliant backdrop for all of the carnage and explosive excitement on-screen. Only Starfox 64 outperforms it in terms of pure arcade fun.

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#23. 10800 Snowboarding

Snowboarding games were big business in the 1990s, and the N64 had plenty of them. 1080o made the biggest impression on us because it was so challenging to play – partly due to the aggressive AI of your rival racers and partly due to how difficult it was to rotate that analog stick on your poor thumb.

While playing Nintendo EAD’s game, being ready to feel every twist and rotation, and setting high scores in its trick modes became almost as addictive as time trials in Mario Kart. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

#24. Pokemon Puzzle League

The N64 didn’t get a traditional Pokemon RPG, but it did get this insanely good puzzle gem. Nintendo Software Technology combined the popularity of the Pokemon anime with the tried-and-true mechanics of Panel De Pon to create puzzle gold.

It has a brand-new 3D option that uses a rotational cylinder and challenging difficulty levels, ensure plenty here to keep traditional puzzle fans happy, too.

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#25. Blast Corps

If you’re one of those jaded gamers who believe that escort missions are incredibly tedious and unfair, try Rare’s wondrously destructive effort. Blast Corps is one big escort mission that allows you to run wild in eight demolition vehicles ranging from bulldozers to mecha-sized robots. All you have to do is trash everything threatening to get in the way of your nuke-loaded carrier.

While the concept is simple, Blast Corps’ cleverly designed levels ensure that there’s always a reason to return to them and try to beat your high score. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

#26. StarCraft 64

This N64 port of Blizzard’s first game was a surprisingly good version of an RTS title that wasn’t a natural or easy fit for consoles at the time. Mass Media Inc. did an excellent job with the port, including a split-screen multiplayer mode (if you had an Expansion Pak, that is).

In addition to the Brood War expansion, StarCraft 64 gave Nintendo gamers a glimpse of a PC classic on television. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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#27. Rocket: Robot on Wheels

A peaceful platformer in which a robot named Rocket must save Whoopie World (a soon-to-be-opened theme park) from the wrath of a destructive raccoon named Jojo. Rocket: Robot on Wheels isn’t going to win any awards for narrative brilliance or originality, but it’s a pleasant experience, and if you’re looking for a 3D platformer from the era, you could do a lot worse than this one from Sucker Punch Productions and Ubisoft.

#28. ISS 98

Konami’s Major A studio took the solid foundation of ISS 64 and added some great things, like the option to see the game from top to bottom and the referee showing up on the pitch. That might sound like a small, almost unimportant detail, but back in 1998, the fact that the ref was shown onscreen blew our minds.

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#29. Star Wars Episode I: Racer

Even though it wasn’t as fast as F-Zero X, this was still a perfect racing game with a progression system and pod upgrades that you could buy. Based on the best parts of The Phantom Menace (except for the parts with Darth Maul and the whole soundtrack), it had a special two-pad mode like GoldenEye that let you control the pods onscreen with more precision.

You can now play it on Switch as well.

#30. ISS 64

ISS 64 was a great version of the most popular team sport in the world. It was beautiful, easy to understand, and had a lot of fun commentaries. Not really “good” commentary, but still entertaining.

Today’s FIFA games may have control of the ball, but back in the 1990s, it was Konami who had the ball. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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#31. Beetle Adventure Racing!

Most people who played Beetle Adventure Racing! Back in the day, it probably didn’t have high hopes for it, but since it was by Paradigm Entertainment, which worked with Nintendo on Pilotwings 64 and made the great F-1 World Grand Prix games for the system, it’s fun, a well-made little racer that’s worth playing again.

#32. Snowboard Kids

Snowboard Kids, made by Racdym and published by Atlus, is the best multiplayer racer on the system. It’s like Mario Kart, but instead of karts, you ride snowboards. It took the familiar formula and added silly characters, more tension, and funny situations.

 For example, when everyone tries to get to the ski lift and the subsequent “lap,” funny pileups usually happen at the end of a run. It’s a real gem with great stick controls and music, and it gets extra respect for not changing “Kids” to “Kidz.”

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#33. Jet Force Gemini

Jet Force Gemini was an underrated game in the Rareware library. It had a cute look and chunky, gungy third-person shooting, and you had to go from world to world to beat the insectoid overlord Mizar. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

The adventure of Juno, Vela and their loyal dog Lupus could be better, but JFG is a surprisingly deep and satisfying game worth checking out if you’re a fan of Rare looking for gems you missed around the turn of the century.

#34. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, HAL Laboratory kept the core structure of the Kirby series that many people knew and liked but gave it a shiny coat of polygonal paint for the new generation of consoles.

Kirby’s 64-bit foray into the third dimension (well, kind of—2.5D, it’s or “on-rails” 3D, if you prefer) is one of the more unique games in the series. It feels different from the many 2D Kirby platformers and is still fun to play today.

#35. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil was a technical showcase for the system. It took the top-rated first game and made it even better in every way. The Expansion Pak-powered 640×480 resolution graphics and the famous Cerebral Bore gun, which fired a bullet that drilled into an enemy’s head when you locked on to it, are two of the game’s best features.

Night Dive Studios has remastered Acclaim’s game and put it on Switch. However, the Switch version doesn’t come with an excellent black cartridge. It is one of the top N64 games you need to check out in 2023.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Nintendo 64 is a console that divides gamers. The console, which debuted in 1996 (or 1997 in PAL regions) as the gaming industry’s bread-and-butter transitioned from sprites to polygons, represents — from a particular perspective — the first time Nintendo indeed failed.

Tired of the platform holder’s licensing terms, many developers defected to Sony’s PlayStation, drawn by better deals and lower-cost disc-based media. Meanwhile, Nintendo doubled down on an esoteric piece of hardware with confusing, kiddy-colored controllers that were out of step with the maturing gaming audience.

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References

• https://retrododo.com
• https://www.denofgeek.com
• https://www.gamesradar.com

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