While the Nintendo 64 didn’t sell the most units during its hallowed run, it did see multiple genre-defining games that would end up shaping plenty of genres and the industry as we know it. It doesn’t boast the deepest library ever, yet the N64 arguably has the greatest hit rate of any console ever — but which are the best N64 games ever made?
50. BattleTanx: Global Assault
OK, so there’s a slim chance around 0.5% of you sat bolt upright over hearing this game’s name again. BattleTanx has kinda fallen into the ether in recent years…or…decades, but those who remember Global Assault will also remember a brilliantly video gamey vehicular combat video game.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where almost every woman on Earth has died and so factions battle for those that remain, Global Assault is a brilliantly chaotic multiplayer game where you can make stuff explode in the White House and Houses of Parliament, with a magician chucked in there as well. Why not.
With multiple tracks to drive around the 18 stages in, and tonnes of ways of destroying those stages too, this is a real forgotten gem.
49. Extreme-G
The 6th console generation for racing games was all about bringing players into the third dimension, and then promptly melting their faces off with ludicrous speed. Extreme-G was a very good early example of that for the N64.
The first part in a very forgotten, very fun quadrilogy of high-speed futuristic racers, Extreme-G was basically the N64’s answer to WipeOut but with bikes before the console got WipeOut 64 the following year. It’s probably aged a bit better, though.
With plenty of weapons and power-ups to choose from, a solid trance soundtrack, and the back-breaking difficulty curve you should always expect from a futuristic racer, Extreme-G still has plenty to offer if you want to blow your mates up.
48. Winback
Some games really don’t get the credit they deserve for being a stepping stone for technical advancement. While playing it these days is a tad too clunky to be what some would call “fun”, that shouldn’t take away from how ahead of its time Winback truly was.
A third-person shooter with cover-based combat that’d soon be emulated by the likes of Metal Gear Solid 2, Kill Switch, and even later Gears of War, Winback is a bit of a dynamo on N64, and not just because you’re part of a team called…SCAT.
Later released for PS2, there’s plenty of secret agent nonsense going on here in that charmingly serious way you’d see a lot in 1999, and while controlling it these days is like trying to ride a manatee around Silverstone, this is still a stepping stone worth chucking into your N64.
47. Quake 2
There’s something about Quake that translates well to console, despite the game so obviously being best suited to PC. The PS1 version of Quake 2 was something of a miracle, and the N64 version is no slouch either, but this does change things up in interesting ways.
For one, the levels have been remixed here with brand new levels, and the music too has been made to feel more foreboding and atmospheric. There’s even some nice enhanced visuals for those with the Expansion pak.
While the lack of aim assist is a bit of a dampener for a first-person shooter from this era, stopping the Strogg is the opposite of a slog in this classic FPS that also still has a lot of fun to offer in 4-player multiplayer.
46. Pokémon Snap
The Mankey fans out there, all 4 of you, will probably be a bit aghast to see Pokémon Snap a bit low here, but the reality is that this is an extremely straightforward game.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good game. For the time, Pokemon Snap was a super engaging pacifist on rail shooter that acted like a safari tour through the original 151, well, 63, and one of the most immersive experiences a young Pokemon fan could dream of.
While playing it in 2025 might make it feel a tad basic, photographing your favourite Pokemon in Snap and then checking your results to see you only managed to capture Psyduck’s arse is a memory that a lot of us will always hold dear.
45. Vigilante 8
Featuring a 1970s setting, truckers, and gulp, Australians, Vigilante 8 is very easy to dismiss as a Twisted Metal clone, but it’s really quite a different flavour of vehicular mayhem with highly destructible environments.
For one, this N64 version includes a unique story for an alien character, as well as surprisingly high resolution for those with an Expansion Pak. This isn’t just a lazy PS1 port, as it actually outdoes the original in a few interesting ways.
Whether you’re blasting your way across the United States in the campaign or blowing your mate up in a bus, Vigilante 8 is one fat-free game that can make an afternoon disappear in no time.
44. Pilotwings 64
Sometimes you just have to applaud a series like Pilotwings for knowing what it is, and basically just always doing that.
While that does mean that Pilotwings 64 is a bit of a straightforward experience and fairly light on the ground today, it’s still remarkable to look back on this as a launch showcase for the N64 itself.
The basic gist is flying and/or falling through rings as accurately as possible, whether that’s abseiling or with a jetpack . It never gets to be much more than that, but in terms of physics and scale, Pilotwings 64 was quite the technical accomplishment for gaming at large and does deserve its flowers.
43. Body Harvest
Just like Winback, here’s another N64 game that maybe doesn’t receive its due for being way ahead of the curve. It’s not a perfect game, and is slightly rough going today, but the DNA of the modern open world game is all over Body Harvest.
Basically a time travelling sandbox game where you play as a genetically engineered soldier, Body Harvest even has some suuuper light RPG elements, where you’re able to wander into buildings, examine stuff, and even chat to NPCs.
But what you’re really here for is the ability to hop in cars, helicopters and combine harvesters to blow up giant aliens. It’s all pretty ambitious stuff, so it shouldn’t be a shock to learn that DMA Design would later go on to make the industry-changing Tanktics. No, sorry, GTA 3. GTA 3.
42. Snowboard Kids
While not the best snowboarding game on the N64, we’ll get to that one in about hmmm 12 minutes?, Snowboard Kids is still a nice slice of arcadey snowboarding for a weekend.
Often referred to as “Mario Kart but snow”, Snowboard Kids sees you racing to the finish line against other boarders with you able to use item pickups to ruin their lives, as is tradition. But Snowboard Kids does let you have two items at once, as opposed to just one.
With pretty eclectic levels, a slammer of a soundtrack, and quite a lot of variety in modes, Snowboard Kids is pretty fun stuff from the guys who also made…Fullmetal Alchemist games? Talk about a tone change.
41. Doom 64
The one-time awkward relative in the Doom franchise, Doom 64 has slowly become more appreciated for just how different it was trying to be as the years have gone by.
Feeling quite unlike any other Doom game, Doom 64 sees you skulking around dimly lit corridors while music that makes you feel like a goblin is eating on your skull quietly hums the entire time.
It’s a chilling, unsettling game with some amazing lighting effects of the time, and while you can play it in crystal clear HD on most modern platforms, there’s something about the murkiness of the N64 original that really adds to its unique vibe. Check it out if you never have.
40. Excitebike 64
There used to be a thing called the “perfect rental game”. Those don’t really exist anymore cos it looks like the war on physical games is in the endgame, but Excitebike 64 was basically the dictionary definition of one.
A 3D follow up to the NES classic, Excitebike 64 was a pretty jaw-dropping leap when generational leaps were still a thing, as nobody could’ve imagined NES games could look as good as this two generations on.
Excitebike 64 has a rather nice weight to every sharp turn and tight controls, as well as an awesome track editor for you to torment your friends with over a weekend. It’d be pretty exciting for Nintendo to revisit this series for the Switch 2, but I’m not holding my breath.
39. Killer Instinct Gold
One of the better arcade conversions out there, Killer Instinct Gold is pretty close to the original version of Killer Instinct 2 — but that wasn’t enough to help it be quite as essential a purchase as its SNES predecessor.
It’s a shame, as Rare’s often overlooked fighter is one of the smoother experiences on the N64, and a generally great continuation of KI’s mega long combos and brutal learning curve that really suck you in.
But, as I’ve said here before, KI is still a tonne of fun if you just want to mash buttons as a dinosaur, as God quite possibly intended, across a nice variety of modes. Oh, and Robin Beanland’s soundtrack? Sheeeeesh.
38. Rocket: Robot on Wheels
A pretty simple platformer on the surface, Rocket: Robot on Wheels actually has a lot of stuff going on under its hood. Or, uh, spokes.
Boasting some wild physics for the time, even more so than your Marios and your Crashes, Rocket allows players to pick objects up and move them around to solve clever puzzles and even help out in combat.
Developed by Sucker Punch of Sly Cooper fame, Rocket: Robot on Wheels is a super ambitious platformer with multiple vehicles and loads of different mechanics that predate the genre-hoppers that became pretty common in the next gen. Give it a spin if you haven’t yet.
37. WCW/nWo Revenge
The best WCW game of all time, which isn’t quite as impressive as it maybe sounds, WCW/nWo Revenge released near WCW’s peak and was quite the step up from World Tour from the year prior.
Featuring much tighter controls, an even better range of moves that got pretty granular, nicer graphics, and the ability to play as Kanyon of “who better than” fame, Revenge is a brilliant time capsule that still offers plenty of fun graps today.
36. Mischief Makers
It really is a shame that so many publishers completely overlooked 2D, or even 2.5D games as soon as 3D started coming to the fore in the 5th gen, because games like Mischief Makers have aged a lot better than a tonne of them.
Developed by just 12 people, Mischief Makers is a pretty unique platformer in which protag Marina can grab and shake pretty much everything in the world around her, and it gives me a dopamine hit each time.
Mischief Makers is a bright, charming game that rewards experimentation, and is pretty briskly paced so you can get through it in a weekend. Make some time to check out the DoubleShake demo if you haven’t, that will definitely come out soon!
35. Jet Force Gemini
We’re on quite the streak of slightly underappreciated bangers here, with Jet Force Gemini not quite getting the love and recognition it deserves in more recent times.
For its time, Jet Force Gemini had a lot of cinematic edges to it, with you assuming control of the eponymous force as they rather brutally kill a bunch of bugs across the galaxy. Seriously, you can turn these bugs into mincemeat. Pincemeat, cos pincers?
Anyway, with a whole bunch going on at once in single-player, multiplayer or co-op, an epic score, and quite a lot of variety despite fundamentally being about squashing bugs and saving Tribals, Jet Force Gemini is a real gem on the N64.
34. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
The N64 was pretty thin on the ground when it came to RPGs — pretty bad timing considering it was maybe the greatest ever generation for them.
If The N64 had more RPGs like Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, who knows what heights it could’ve reached.
While sounding a little bit like a forgotten line from Toast of London, Person of Lordly Caliber is a superb tactical RPG that builds upon March of the Black Queen to introduce some 3D to the series. Across multiple chapters, you’ll take Magnus and his Blue Knights deep into a revolution, with serious stakes involved as you grow closer to the characters, each of whom boast some serious customisation options.
This is a super deep, intense tactics RPG that might not be for everyone, but there’s lots here for those who are willing to get lost in it.
33. Blast Corps
One of Rare’s most forgotten gems, Blast Corps is a puzzle game for people who aren’t fans of puzzles. It tasks players with clearing a path for an out-of-control nuclear missile carrier using a range of vehicles, including bulldozers, trucks, mech suits, and more.
Players can freely switch between these vehicles, and the fun of the game comes from demolishing buildings and other obstacles at breakneck speed. Admittedly, Blast Corps’ controls present a steep learning curve, but the title’s gloriously rendered 3D carnage rewards those who stick with it.
There probably aren’t a lot of people clamouring for Rare to make a new Blast Corps, but we would be over the moon if they did.
32. Harvest Moon 64
Ah. Farm life. Milking cows. Making friends. Defending your world from an alien invasion in a mech–wait a minute, that’s not quite right.
Farming games are tenapenny now, but they wouldn’t exist without Harvest Moon. Its N64 installment takes a lot of what made its SNES predecessor, while also making it so you can only do a specific amount of work in a single day.
If you’re a big fan of modern cozy games, you will find a lot of that DNA here, with loads of crops to plant, people to meet, wives to wive, and well, a different slice of life to live. It’s a brilliantly lo-fi bit of escapism for those who can jive with it. Don’t ask me to explain what’s going on with this IP these days.
31. Space Station Silicon Valley
While it’s easy to fixate on the better-known N64 classics, anyone who overlooks lesser-known gems like Space Station Silicon Valley is really missing out. A wildly inventive platformer, Space Station Silicon Valley casts players as a sentient microchip capable of possessing animals to do its bidding. Like we said: this game is wild.
It’s also an absolute blast to play. Space Station Silicon Valley’s core mechanics are easy to grasp and fun to execute, and its puzzles are challenging without ever being too hard. Best of all, the game packs a sly sense of humor courtesy of British developer DMA Design – something that helps distract from the few shortcomings (looking at you, camera system) the game has.
It’s a brilliant slice of weirdness.
30. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
A surprisingly not very critically beloved game, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon is a follow-up to the classic Legend of Mystical Ninja on SNES, though this time in fully formed 3D.
It’s kinda hard to figure out why so many reviewers struggled to jive with this one. For an earlyish 3D action adventure game that predates Ocarina of Time, this is a fairly smooth experience, minus the almost customary camera bug bears that yeah, didn’t age that great.
From the brilliant humor to the sheer variety of things you can do to even the amount of characters you can play as, this is one of the N64’s most ambitious, surreal and brilliant games. Check out its slightly less essential sequel when you get the chance.
29. Star Wars Episode 1 Racer
Of the many million Episode 1 tie-in games, most of them were actually kinda…decent? But Episode 1 Racer was arguably the best of the bunch.
One of the highlights of the movie, podracing getting its own game was an easy win for LucasArts, who created one of the better racers on the N64 in the process.
As well as having a wild sense of speed, Episode 1 Racer also has some great push/pull mechanics, with you able to go faster but at the cost of damaging your podracer. You can fix it, but that will slow you down. Chuck in that authentic Star Wars feel, a tough as nails but rewarding learning curve, and my guy Fud Sang, and you have Star Wars royalty right here.
28. Mario Party 3
The game so good that it um doesn’t burn the skin off your hands, Mario Party 2 was in, a lot of ways, what the first game should have been. But the third one is the best of the bunch, and remains the best game in the series for a lot of people. Not hard to see why.
The mini-games are more fun, varied, and, most importantly, easy to pick up and enjoy for even inexperienced gamers here. It also has pretty solid balance, but this is Mario Party at the end of the day. Expect nonsense.
With some of the best boards in the whole series, a great pool of items, and an absolute bopper of a soundtrack, Mario Party 3 can still be an incredible way to jeopardise all your relationships for an afternoon.
27. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Everything Turok: Dinosaur Hunter did well, its 1998 sequel Turok 2: Seeds of Evil does better. This first-person shooter’s graphics and level design are both head-and-shoulders above what the original game had to offer, plus it includes the multiplayer support sorely lacking from its predecessor.
The game also offers several significant under-the-hood improvements (such as smarter enemy AI) that make the gameplay a worthwhile challenge.
With the rise of boomer shooters and renaissance for franchises like DOOM, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil makes it easy to see why these games never go out of fashion.
What do you mean the y’re bringing it back as a third-person co-op shooter?
26. Mario Tennis
It’s always fun to put Mario in random professions, isn’t it? While we wait for him to finally take up a career as a chartered accountant, it’s worth replaying Mario Tennis on N64.
This is basically the tennis you know and love except some silly sausage has turned the silly dial up a little bit. And I don’t mean Waluigi, who actually debuted here and the world became better for it.
With basically saiyan abilities, plenty of different modes to play, and that all important easy to pick up but tricky to master gameplay that Mario spin-offs always seem to do so well, Mario Tennis is a real ace on the Nintendo 64 that serves up a lot of fun. Andre Agassi.
25. 1080° Snowboarding
Before everyone had the SSX series and then uh lost it, Nintendo had 1080° Snowboarding. A sports game beloved by critics and gamers alike, it garnered praise for its incredible visuals, realistic physics and very cool flips.
1080° Snowboarding also features a plethora of different modes, as well as unlockable player characters and boards with their own unique qualities. There’s plenty to do here.
These extras kept 1080° Snowboarding from getting stale, as did the game’s well-implemented two-person multiplayer. We don’t get enough snowboarding games these days, but 1080 remains some arcadey fun even today.
24. Mario Golf
You usually couldn’t pay me, or likely a lot of people, to try and enjoy golf. But there’s something about Mario Golf on N64 and other games like Everybody’s Golf on PS1, also from Camelot, that just hit different.
An overall pretty straight translation of golf, especially compared to the kinda messy Super Rush, Mario Golf is a whimsical sports game that feels like you’re hanging out with Mario and his weird human friends on a weekend getaway.
Easy to pick up and play with even a mini golf mode for people have zero time, Mario Golf is fantastic multiplayer fun even in 2025.
23. Donkey Kong 64
One of the more retrospectively polarising N64 games, a modern lens can easily see Donkey Kong as putting too much of the “collect” in collectathon. Collectafun. Collectathun Davis.
That’s true, as the collectibles here can make even the worst hoarders break out in a sweat, but everything surrounding those bananas is still a pretty fantastic time.
Featuring loads of playable characters with their own unique abilities, some really fun mini-games, and even a bit of multiplayer, Donkey Kong 64 is a fantastic 3D translation for everyone’s favourite source of childhood rage.
See, and I didn’t even have to mention the rapping.
22. Wave Race 64
There are several racing titles up for consideration when it comes to the best N64 games, yet few of them are as sadly overlooked as Wave Race 64.
This jet ski sports game isn’t easy to master, but those willing to devote time to conquering its realistic water-based physics benefit from an uncommonly deep racing experience in return.
Wave Race 64 also happens to be one of the prettiest games on the N64, which certainly makes all those hours of practice a heck of a lot less painful. The rolling waves and sparkling shores of each of the game’s eight courses are very pleasing on the eye – so much so that it’s a shame Nintendo didn’t include more of them.
21. Banjo-Tooie
Don’t let the sequel to one of the best platformers ever made being this “low” on this list make you think we’re disrespecting it. No, thing is: we’re now deep in all-timer territory.
Banjo-Tooie is just a smidge lower than its revolutionary predecessor because it doesn’t quite capture the exact same magic, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still magic. Pass an N64 controller to a thirtysomething dude and drop them in Jolly Rogers Lagoon and there’s a big chance you could make them cry.
Boasting big beautiful worlds, plenty to find in those worlds, and that same irreverent humour that only Rare could conjure up, some light framerate bugbears don’t stop this platforming classic from having its cake and eating it too.
20. Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 on the N64 is never not going to impress me. How ten people at Angel Studios managed to convert Resident Evil 2, which was spread across two PS1 CDs, onto the N64’s 64 MB Game Pak while also maintaining FMVs and adding new content is pure alchemy.
And hey, the game itself is still great and properly unnerving, despite some noticeable compression here and there. Claire and Leon’s very bad night out in Raccoon City retains that horror today, even with the remake pretty widely available.
Come for the incredible technical achievement, stay for the chance to play one of the greatest games of all time with a randomiser years before they became a common mod.
19. Sin and Punishment
Nintendo didn’t release Sin and Punishment outside Japan during the N64’s lifespan, so most gamers in the West didn’t get to play Treasure’s rail shooter until it hit the Wii Virtual Console. The game proved more than worth the wait, though, thanks to its lightning-quick, arcade-inspired gameplay and sleek graphics.
Sin and Punishment’s novel control scheme (originally designed to capitalise on the N64’s (in)famous controller layout) has aged surprisingly well, too. Indeed, the only real criticism leveled against the game is its relatively short length, even accounting for the additional bosses included with harder difficulty settings.
But then, isn’t that just an excuse to play it through all over again? It’s not a sin, after all.
18. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
While typically always pictured as a series that got its break on PS1, the N64 versions of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater trilogy still offer the same kind of captivating, often infuriating experience that shaped millions of childhoods.
You know the score by now: drop in against the time limit, do a jump, rack up your…score. Early Tony Hawk’s games are absolutely timeless in how effective their basic gameplay loop is, and finding those tapes and regularly faceplanting simply won’t get old.
Yes, this isn’t the best way to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 these days, but you land in Hangar once again while Guerrilla Radio blares out and just try not to smile.
17. Rayman 2: The Great Escape
When discussing the best turn of the millennium platformers, Rayman 2 is often forgotten about compared to your Banjos and Marios, but it really, really shouldn’t be.
Putting you in the science and god-defying floaty shoes of Rayman, The Great Escape offered the kind of technical leap from its predecessor that used to sell consoles, with some absolutely amazing graphics and animations.
Rayman 2 also doesn’t relent with the variety across its 45 different levels, with tonnes of new powers to unlock, secrets to uncover, and some excellent boss battles to take part in. Add in some pretty fluid controls when developers were really starting to get this whole 3D thing, and you’ve got bona fide platformer royalty that deserves more flowers.
16. WWF No Mercy
WWF No Mercy combines the excellent mechanics of its predecessor, WWF Wrestlemania 2000, with updated gameplay modes to create one of the greatest wrestling games of all time. Not only is the story-driven mode more satisfying this time around, but the create-a-wrestler customisation options are more robust, too, and honestly still some of the best in class.
The game improves on WWF Wrestlemania 2000’s four-way multiplayer experience, as well as basically every other wrestling game before it. Players can now choose from a stable of over 60 wrestlers and matches aren’t confined to the main arena area, either.
Upgrades like this more than compensate for WWF No Mercy’s now blocky but charming graphics, and explain why the game still enjoys a strong following more than two decades after it first hit shelves. Get this one through unofficial means and get absolutely lost in the modding scene of one of the most complete wrestling games ever.
15. Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Conker’s Bad Fur Day was among the most controversial title titles on the N64, and while it may seem relatively twee these days, it does remain a brilliant send-up of pop culture in the new millennium.
Ostensibly another of the console’s many kid-friendly platformers, this 2001 outing is actually aimed squarely at grown-up gamers thanks to its graphic violence, foul language, and generally raunchy vibe. But while this risqué content is what initially grabbed players’ attention, it was Conker’s Bad Fur Day’s finely tuned gameplay that kept them on the hook.
Combining ingenious linear level design with ultra-responsive controls, Conker’s Bad Fur Day delivers a single-player experience so good, its only flaw is that it’s over too soon. Your mileage will vary on the quality of the game’s multiplayer by comparison, but really you should be won over by the first line of the poop song.
14. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron isn’t just one of the best-ever N64 games – it’s one of the best Star Wars games of all time, too. Eschewing the pseudo-realism of LucasArts’ earlier Star Wars: X-Wing series, Rogue Squadron is an arcade-style flight game that perfectly captures the blockbuster intensity of the saga’s pitched space battles. Seriously, this was transportative back in the day.
This doesn’t mean LucasArts and co-developer Factor 5 have totally dumbed things down, though. While not quite Ace Combat, Rogue Squadron’s flying mechanics are impressively deep, allowing players to pitch, roll and bank in all five of the game’s starships.
The visuals are as well polished as the gameplay, too, and it’s one of the better selling points for the Expansion Pak. Also check out Battle For Naboo afterwards, the often forgotten spiritual successor.
13. Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2 is the ideal game for players who prefer making electric mice and pigeons batter each other. You don’t spend any time exploring a virtual world or interacting with NPCs in Pokémon Stadium 2. Instead, your sole goal is winning tournament trophies by defeating your rivals’ Pokémon in beautifully rendered 3D contests. Going from watching basically shapes do battle on your Game Boy to this was pretty profound.
Like its predecessor, Pokémon Stadium 2 also allows players to import Pokémon from their Game Boy – a novel feature, even now. However, unlike that game, Pokémon Stadium 2 also comes stocked with all 251 Pokémon available at the time.
And given the whole, you know, “I must seize them in totality” thing, that’s enough to give Pokémon Stadium 2 the edge over the original game. Maybe start saving up for a boxed version of this, though — it costs almost as much to buy in dollars as there are Pokemon. Or scalpers, annoyingly.
12. Super Smash Bros.
A game that is still weird to think about getting made, Super Smash Bros. is the first entry in Nintendo’s hit crossover fighting game franchise, and paved the way for video game royalty as we know it. A line-up of iconic Nintendo characters and associated battle arenas? Check. Simplified controls? Check. Ring out-focused victory conditions? Check.
The result is a hyper-accessible (not to mention hyper-addictive) 2.5D brawler that’s still a blast to play today with up to three friends, though it is a little lightweight in its roster and overall amount of content.
While later entries in the series would beef up Super Smash Bros.’ admittedly undercooked single-player mode, the game’s underlying mechanics remain virtually unchanged today for good reason, apart from when Nintendo added tripping for a practical joke, I guess?
11. Paper Mario
Paper Mario is the perfect entry point to the JRPG genre for the uninitiated. Fusing platformer and RPG mechanics together, it offers a winning blend of both that also happens to illustrate the remarkable malleability of the Mario franchise. You’ll solve puzzles, gain partners, and face down bad guys in turn-based battles throughout the game’s charming version of Mushroom Kingdom.
Sure, hardcore RPG gamers will no doubt scoff at Paper Mario’s relatively low difficulty level, a side effect of its accessibility-oriented design because you know, kids love Mario, and note every RPG should be Shin Megami Tensei. But for everyone else, the game’s striking 2D-meets-3D graphics, colorful characters, and varied quests will prove suitably enchanting.
It’s no wonder Paper Mario spawned a broadly beloved (if a slightly spotty) franchise. Good luck affording this one, though — it’s definitely more expensive than a few reams of paper.
10. Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing has a lot more going for it than a lot of people give it credit for.
Unlike Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing includes additional objectives for players to accomplish apart from simply beating each track. The game also includes a story-driven “Adventure Mode” – something else that was pretty unheard of for a kart racer, and copied straight away by Crash Team Racing.
The distance fog and pop-in are both less pronounced here than on other early N64 releases, and without the frame rate or polygon count taking a noticeable hit, either.
However, most important of all, the circuits in Diddy Kong Racing are genuinely excellent, arguably even better designed than those in Mario Kart 64?
9. Banjo-Kazooie
Yet another Rare outing, Banjo-Kazooie is one of the finest platformers of its generation.
A lot of this is down to Banjo-Kazooie’s phenomenal level design, which encourages exploration via its joint protagonists’ ever-expanding arsenal of abilities. As a result, there’s a tonne for players to see and do in the game’s nine 3D worlds, including solving puzzles, bopping enemies, and unearthing secret codes.
It doesn’t hurt that these worlds all look terrific, as well. Rare devised new technology to make richer, more texture graphics possible without sacrificing the draw distance or frame rate. The developer didn’t skimp on the game’s animations either and you’ll be more than happy killing several hours with Banjo-Kazooie’s crazy cast of characters.
While it’s a shame that Banzo Kazooie: Fast and Furiousy didn’t do too well, we’d still of course love a sequel. It’s been way too long.
8. GoldenEye 007
No list of the best N64 games of all time worth its salt would omit GoldenEye 007. Rare’s 1997 first-person shooter is something of a miracle – not just a high-quality licensed game, but one that changed the industry forever. Without GoldenEye, the console shooter as we know it wouldn’t exist, plain and simple.
Of course, we’ll be the first to admit that the game hasn’t aged quite as well as its perennially middle-aged superspy protagonist, James Bond. GoldenEye’s graphics are often crude even compared to other titles on the console, and the less said about its controls, the better.
Even so, the game’s multiplayer deathmatches remain a true delight even now (unless someone chooses Oddjob, that is, in which case they’re a cheater and loser and can suck a big egg).
But it isn’t Rare’s best N64 FPS.
7. Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark takes everything great about its spiritual predecessor, GoldenEye 007, and dials it up to 11. The non-linear levels are more varied, the enemy AI more challenging, and the multiplayer mode more customisable. So, whether you’re playing alone or with up to three friends, Perfect Dark isn’t a game you’ll grow tired of quickly.
This first-person shooter also pushes the console’s hardware further than any other entry on this list of the best N64 games of all time. The detailed graphics and audio are both markedly better than GoldenEye’s, and it even features 45 minutes of fully-voiced cutscenes.
Yes, even with the near-mandatory Expansion Pak plugged in, the N64 struggles to keep up at times, but this is a near perfect slice of FPS gaming that’s still the series peak.
6. Mario Kart 64
“How can you talk about the Nintendo 64 and not include Mario Kart 64…?” pretty much all of you lamented in our previous video with stricter rules.
And yeah, fair enough. Mario Kart 64 made the Nintendo 64 for a lot of people, a multiplayer phenomenon every inch the formative experience for millions and a sad reminder of the depravity of mankind.
What I basically mean by that is that Mario Kart 64, whether that’s down to the power-ups, track selection, racers, or bopping soundtrack, changed a lot of childhoods and laid the groundwork for 3D kart racing for others to follow. Sure, it’s a bit plain looking today, but it’s impossible to not get utterly sucked in by around the second corner of Choco Mountain.
But it isn’t our favourite racer on the Nintendo 64.
5. F-Zero X
F-Zero X is all the proof you could ever need that graphics will never trump gameplay. The game isn’t quite the prettiest racing title on the N64 – its futuristic vehicles and tracks look like the developers had to pay by the polygon, and that draw distance can be nuts – yet it’s easily one of the most entertaining.
What’s more, F-Zero X’s specific visuals serve a purpose, keeping the game’s 30-competitor strong, blisteringly fast races ticking along at 60 frames per second. Sure, the precision controls take some getting used to, however, once you’ve cleared that hurdle, F-Zero X’s wealth of varied vehicles and circuits will keep you busy for a long, long time.
It’s wild how few entries in the series we’ve had since this one on the Nintendo 64 so, so long ago. Let’s fix that. Please?
4. Star Fox 64
Many rail shooters offer little in the way of replay value, but Star Fox 64 isn’t most rail shooters. This 1997 update of the SNES original overcomes the limitations of the genre by introducing branching pathways into the mix, and it made the game feel 10x bigger as a kid.
On any given mission, players can guide Fox McCloud or one of his anthropomorphised space mercenary allies along different routes – provided they meet certain conditions, that is.
Playing through each of Star Fox 64’s paths is especially enjoyable thanks to its top-notch presentation. The environments are detailed and diverse, while the quantity and clarity of the voice acting clips are unbelievable for a cartridge-based game. Some of them will be burned into my brain forever.
Star Fox 64 also supports multiplayer, allowing you to test your mettle against three of your friends across a trio of modes. It was so good that Nintendo basically did another nine remakes, each one a little less good than the last, until they basically gave up on the IP entirely.
10th remake for the Switch 2, who says no?
3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Here’s the elevator pitch for Majora’s Mask: Ocarina of Time, but make it a bit more goth. Cos nothing says Dream Theater like a giant moon coming to ruin your day.
A truly dark Zelda adventure that somehow released less than two years after Ocarina, Majora took a lot of those building blocks and started getting a little weird with them in brilliant ways.
There’s a gloominess to Majora’s Mask that you don’t get in many Zelda games, an overbearing sense of doom that just isn’t very chill. It’s that urgency that makes it feel like something wholly unique, even today up against the similarly themed Tears of the Kingdom.
As for the gameplay, masks offer a really nice change of pace here, with 24 different ones to collect, and the 72-hour time limit means every wasted second in a dungeon ramps up the stress factor.
A game that basically invented anxiety for children, Majora’s Mask may not be as revolutionary as Ocarina of Time, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a masterpiece.
2. Super Mario 64
One of the greatest launch titles of all time, actually, you know what, the greatest launch game of all time, Super Mario 64 is also easily one of the most influential games ever made, too.
The impact of this 3D platformer’s innovations (including its player-controlled camera system, analog control scheme, and open world level design) can still be felt across games of all genres today. Heck, even the GTA series is indebted to Super Mario 64. That means Mario is also tangentially to blame for 25 To Life, but not all of god’s subjects can glisten etc
Yeah, certain aspects of the game feel a tad dated today. Blurry textures mar Super Mario 64’s vibrant virtual sandbox and the actual implementation of the title’s camera system, which was top of the line for the time, is a tad clunky today. That said, these shortcomings are easy to overlook thanks to the sense of wonder coursing through the Nintendo mascot’s first 3D outing even now, more than 25 years on.
And also the fact that no new Mario games let you yeet small penguins. Checkmate.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
What more needs to be said here? No collection of words in any order can say anything new or profound about ultimately the most influential, ground-breaking 3D game of all time. People like this one quite a bit.
Ocarina of Time represents the Legend of Zelda franchise’s first foray into 3D gameplay, and Nintendo more than stuck the landing.
Everything that fans loved about the action-adventure game’s 2D predecessors – namely, dungeon crawling, puzzle solving, and exploration – are present and accounted for here, along with innovations such as target-locking and context-sensitive controls.
The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time also continued the series’ tradition of offering tremendous value for money. Its huge environments and abundance of main and side quests are enough to keep most players going for weeks or even months.
Yes, the performance absolutely chugs at some points, but for the wild swings that were taken here and for basically shaping third-person 3D games for, well, ever, Ocarina of Time simply has to be the best N64 game of all time.
READ NEXT: 50 Best SNES Games of All Time
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