The Best N64 Games That Still Matter Today

[racketboy]

We actually put this together before asking around in the forum, but I'd love to hear your thoughts
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/nintendo ... today.html

I'm sure we will have some differing thoughts on what should make the cut and what shouldn't, but that's what forums are all about

(Thanks to andymol21 for putting most of this list together)

[nickfil]

loved it.

I know that goldeneye doesn't hold up to call of duty today, but i think it should be on the list. The n64 was kinda around a time where gaming was kinda bad. People were doing 3d for the sake of it, and to be honest, it didn't look good. Its hard to find games that still play well for the n64. I know i popped in turok 2 the other day and it was god awful. So hard to control. However, i still had a great time playing goldeneye. For its shear historic value it should've been on there.

Plus arn't people still playing it? Isn't there some kinda mod for the rom that lets you use the multiplayer over the net?

Sure- nostalgia alone won't carry that game, but i think that the shear value of the gameplay is still worth it. Games have gotten more polished over time, but at its core every FPS game is goldeneye. IMHO

though- perhaps that is all nostalgia. meh.

********

I didn't know about Conker’s Bad Fur Day. I'll have to see if i can find it. Animal games were never really on my radar until a buddy of mine was playing ratchet and clank about a year ago and it looked fun as hell. Since then i've resisted the immedate urge to just dismiss anthropomorphic games.

[fox099]

I disagree with not putting Mario Kart 64 on the list. It was in the honorable mention, however the original is one of the most widely played game on college campuses, as well as the original party game for the N64. The DS version may have souped it up a bit, but nothing beats playing three other friends all at the same time from your living room. The same holds true for super smash bros, however I feel as though later incarnations are significantly better.

[nickfil]

I disagree with not putting Mario Kart 64 on the list. It was in the honorable mention, however the original is one of the most widely played game on college campuses, as well as the original party game for the N64. The DS version may have souped it up a bit, but nothing beats playing three other friends all at the same time from your living room. The same holds true for super smash bros, however I feel as though later incarnations are significantly better.

agreed. Ever since mario kart 64 all they do is spit and polish. They haven't changed the gameplay that much since. The only reason nintendo has even changed since snes is the leap to 3-d.

[racketboy]

I disagree with not putting Mario Kart 64 on the list. It was in the honorable mention, however the original is one of the most widely played game on college campuses, as well as the original party game for the N64. The DS version may have souped it up a bit, but nothing beats playing three other friends all at the same time from your living room. The same holds true for super smash bros, however I feel as though later incarnations are significantly better.

agreed. Ever since mario kart 64 all they do is spit and polish. They haven't changed the gameplay that much since. The only reason nintendo has even changed since snes is the leap to 3-d.

But if you were only going to have one version, which would you get?
I'm sure there are some that would stay true to the 64 version, but its one of those matters of preference.
Sometimes a little spit and polish is enough to make the difference After all, you can only improve so much on a really good thing.

What about the Smash Bros issue? I know we've had this discussion before, but were we too rough on it?

[Zer]

I disagree with not putting Mario Kart 64 on the list. It was in the honorable mention, however the original is one of the most widely played game on college campuses, as well as the original party game for the N64. The DS version may have souped it up a bit, but nothing beats playing three other friends all at the same time from your living room. The same holds true for super smash bros, however I feel as though later incarnations are significantly better.

agreed. Ever since mario kart 64 all they do is spit and polish. They haven't changed the gameplay that much since. The only reason nintendo has even changed since snes is the leap to 3-d.

But if you were only going to have one version, which would you get?
I'm sure there are some that would stay true to the 64 version, but its one of those matters of preference.
Sometimes a little spit and polish is enough to make the difference After all, you can only improve so much on a really good thing.

What about the Smash Bros issue? I know we've had this discussion before, but were we too rough on it?

Yeah, there's some games where even though it's just the same thing slightly updated, it's still good. Look at Bomberman; besides the Saturn version it's been mainly new modes and better graphics. Or Pokemon, it's the same game with new Pokemon and some new features each time. Mario Kart hasn't changed much but I'd still take the newer versions over MK64.

[fox099]

I personally find that the controls of MK64 were divine, mostly because it was most peoples first introduction to the analog stick, and that is something that MK DS lacks. Add that to the atmosphere of actually playing it with the people around you and it is the best one made.

To add to RacketBoy's comment about making a Smash Bros article, I fully agree. Although there have only been three games, they have had a huge impact on the gaming community, from hardcore gamers to people who are just looking to have some fun.

[racketboy]

agreed. Ever since mario kart 64 all they do is spit and polish. They haven't changed the gameplay that much since. The only reason nintendo has even changed since snes is the leap to 3-d.

But if you were only going to have one version, which would you get?
I'm sure there are some that would stay true to the 64 version, but its one of those matters of preference.
Sometimes a little spit and polish is enough to make the difference After all, you can only improve so much on a really good thing.

What about the Smash Bros issue? I know we've had this discussion before, but were we too rough on it?

Yeah, there's some games where even though it's just the same thing slightly updated, it's still good. Look at Bomberman; besides the Saturn version it's been mainly new modes and better graphics. Or Pokemon, it's the same game with new Pokemon and some new features each time. Mario Kart hasn't changed much but I'd still take the newer versions over MK64.

Yup -- that's pretty much the way I look at it.
Saturn Bomberman is one of those rare instances. The number of players hasn't been topped yet, and I think the pure 2D graphics respond better than the 3D counterparts. (or maybe its my imagination)

[Ack]

I'll be honest, I don't consider some of those games that relevant to today, mostly in the honorable mentions category. For instance, I really didn't care for Wave Race 64, and Star Wars Episode 1 Racer just came off as dull to me.

Also, I do wish Mario Kart 64 had made the cut, namely for a feature you didn't mention: Battle Mode. I used to go to all-night parties where all we played were Mario Kart 64's Battle Mode. Some of the most fun I've ever had at parties, to be honest. It was a feature that I don't think ever got enough attention, and to this day I still say Mario Kart 64 was one of the two best in the series, if not the best(I can't in good faith say that something was better than the original...I love them both).

And while I'm saddened by the total lack of any fighting games at all on the list, I realize it's because the fighting games on the N64 really weren't that great. Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Killer Instinct Gold, Clayfighter 63 1/3, Mace: The Dark Age...yeah...sure, they're fun, but I wouldn't really consider them groundbreaking, or really even that memorable.

[PharmaceuticalCowboy]

I would vote to move Paper Mario up to the regular list and add Star Wars: Rogue Squadron to the honorable mentions, as the game shows off the hardware capabilities of the system in a way that most games do not. Oh, and I heard somewhere that the N64 version of SW: Ep.1 Racer was better than the Dreamcast one, but I've only played the 64 one.