Console of the Month (August 2023) - Nintendo 64

[Note]

Thank you for getting the thread back on track! I forgot to mention to Mario Tennis in my original post, but this game ended up being a staple multiplayer choice for my sister, neighbors, and I. I believe we originally rented this game and enjoyed it so much we ended up asking for it for Christmas later on.

I actually never had a chance to play Killer Instinct Gold, that's one I'd like to track down and check out. Did you find the control scheme okay? Just curious, as I didn't play too many other fighters on the N64 other than MK Trilogy.

I was also looking into first person shooters that have co-op campaign available for the N64, and Hexen seems to fit that bill, so I may look into that title on the system as well.

[alienjesus]

Dropping in on this one to say that I also really love the N64. I think it's not that popular on racketboy - and neither for that matter is the 5th console generation in general. For me though, it's one of my absolute favourites, still full of character and innovation, before certain things became more standardised in gaming.

The N64 was the first console I got as a kid that marked my transition from my games console being one of many toys I played with, to something where I actively engaged with the hobby and what games were coming out. I went with the N64 because I was super into Pokémon, and I really wanted to play Pokémon Stadium. Ironically, I never ended up owning either Stadium or it's sequel until much later.

I got my N64 not that long before the Gamecube came out. I got the Pikachu model with the light up cheeks and the pokeball power switch. I only ended up owning 5 games during the N64's actual lifetime before I moved on to the Gamecube, but I played those 5 games a ton. I started with Yoshi's Story and Pokémon Snap, before eventually picking up Ocarina of Time after playing a friends copy and loving it. Later on I picked up DK64 mainly for the expansion pak included because I wanted Majora's Mask (another game I didn't get til much later) and finally Super Smash Bros. The latter 3 of these games got an absolute ton of playtime from me.

I got the N64 at a time in my life where I didn't really have any disposable income, so the handful of games I picked up were often discounted or from a 2nd hand market stall. I did play some I borrowed from a friend (Mario Party 2 and 3, Paper Mario and both Pokemon Stadium games were the big ones).

By this late point in the consoles life, N64 games were pretty hard to find in my hometown too - the Dreamcast was out, as was the PS2, and PS1 games were the only 5th gen stuff you could still find. We didn't have any dedicated game shops in my hometown so I could only check department stores and catalogues. I remember desperately searching for Pokemon Stadium 2 the year it came out to spend my birthday money on, but no luck. Was very jealous of my friend who got that game along with Mario Party 3 and Paper Mario for christmas that year.

Nowadays I have basically all the big name games for the system, including all the games I borrowed and rented as a kid. It's not a huge library but there's still some smaller more interesting titles I'd like to own, like Space Station Silicon Valley, Hybrid Heaven or Winback.

[ZRofel]

I got my N64 not that long before the Gamecube came out. I got the Pikachu model with the light up cheeks and the pokeball power switch.

I will say, despite being kind of ambivalent on the N64, I do love this version of the console. It may actually be my favorite design of any console ever. It's just so elaborate and silly. The blue color makes it look like a children's toy, and the way the cheeks light up feels very over-the-top. Playing Doom 64 on the Pokemon N64 feels delightfully bizarre

[Syndicate]

...so I'm super late to this one, probably b/c I've never been a fan of the N64 (the Funtastic consoles do look really cool though) . Mainly b/c I thought most of the games were a blurry foggy mess, but also b/c I was deep into the Saturn and PS at the time. The controller was novel though, if not a bit wonky. That being said there were a few games I did enjoy, the Zelda titles are the first that come to mind and like most everyone I have to admit that Goldeneye was a lot of fun (single and multiplayer). A couple of years ago I was gifted a N64 by a friend. Initially I wasn't going to take it, but remembered my oldest son had expressed an interest in the N64 (thanks Youtube) so I took it. He also included Mario 64, Goldeneye, KI Gold, and extra controller. Between the day to day, the N64 kind of sat packed away until I figure out how to get the best picture out of it on a modern tv. Oddly enough earlier this year I decided to give the N64 another chance have started picking games up for it as I come across solid stuff. I missed out on a Paper Mario, but have been able to snag Mischief Makers and Wave Race 64. I'm certainly open to suggestions, if there's some games anyone thinks I should check out.

[RCBH928]

I am kind of convinced that N64 was the biggest console release/transformation. You had to be there to realise the excitement. There was just so many jaw drop excitement factors:

1- Move from 2D to 3D on a cartridge!!

2-Four port console !

3- Alien like controller with analogue stick

4-No Loading!!!

5-Mario in 3D jumping into wall paintings to enter levels was something magical...

6-A bunch of exciting franchise games that really made you excited like Goldeneye 007 , Jetski game with real life sea water effect, Mario Kart, "feel good" Family friendly 3D platformers, and of course the make your own wrestler wrestling games that hit the all time popularity of pro-wrestling.

This console really captures the vibes of the times it was released in.

[Raging Justice]

Since my last post went in a bit of a negative direction, I will say that the Resident Evil 2 port on the N64 was pretty damn impressive. I played the hell out of that game on the PS 1, so my memories of it mostly revolved around the PS 1. However, when I actually saw the game running on the N64 I was amazed out what they got out of that cartridge.

RE would eventually go on to blow us all away on another Nintendo console, with RE 4 on the Gamecube.

Also, Bangaio is a cool and addictive little game I would discover on Dreamcast only to later discover that the game first came out on the N64. Although, I've heard that the N64 version is slightly different.

[Raging Justice]

I am kind of convinced that N64 was the biggest console release/transformation. You had to be there to realise the excitement. There was just so many jaw drop excitement factors:

1- Move from 2D to 3D on a cartridge!!

2-Four port console !

3- Alien like controller with analogue stick

4-No Loading!!!

5-Mario in 3D jumping into wall paintings to enter levels was something magical...

6-A bunch of exciting franchise games that really made you excited like Goldeneye 007 , Jetski game with real life sea water effect, Mario Kart, "feel good" Family friendly 3D platformers, and of course the make your own wrestler wrestling games that hit the all time popularity of pro-wrestling.

This console really captures the vibes of the times it was released in.

I feel like Mario 64 and Tomb Raider are two of those early games that showed the power of 3D gaming. They both came out in the same year, with Tomb Raider being just a month behind Mario. Of the two, I was a bit more smitten by Tomb Raider. A lot of people were blown away by Mario 64 though. Ultimately, those two games kind of ushered in a new generation. I had seen Mario 64 playing in some gaming stores, and it looked cool to me. However, like many games I would fall in love with throughout my gaming life, I got to try Tomb Raider at a friend's house. I think they were having a small little party. Memories start getting a bit hazy at my age, but I remember I was so captivated by it I spent most of my time at that party playing it. I remember one or two people came in and were just chilling out watching me play it too

I loved Tomb Raider for the sense of wonder it instilled in me as I explored these mysterious, isolated locations. Liking you were going to corners of the world no one was meant to see and discovering crazy things like non-extinct dinosaurs.

I played Mario 64 some years later and remember being annoyed by the camera and not being super impressed by it. Ultimately though, both games represent important moments in history. I believe Resident Evil also came out that year. 1996 is when 3D gaming really came into its own in a big way.

[Ack]

I recall seeing a demo of the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 in a Toys 'R Us in 1996. I stood in line to try it because so many folks were excited to see how far the tech had come. My mom was actually upset because the guy behind me in line was wearing a White Zombie T-shirt, and she thought he wouldn't be safe!

While I'm not a fan of platformers, that demo was an amazing sight at the time, and it definitely got me interested in the console. I have since beaten Mario 64, and while it's not a favorite, I do think of it fondly for being how the console was unveiled to me.

...and I also sometimes listen to White Zombie. Funny how that works.