After a while on hiatus, the articles about the 10 outstanding games of the main consoles in the history of video games are back, and now it's the turn of the Nintendo 64. Nintendo's 64-bit console brought good innovations in its control along with excellent first party titles, titles that are still acclaimed today. Shall we recall some of these games? Before that, let's go to some important points:
[alert] IMPORTANT POINTS [/ alert]
- Only one game per franchise was cited.
- The games are not necessarily the best or the best selling, but those that are most remembered and that are the face of the console.
- Not all games are exclusive.
- The list is in alphabetical order.
[notice] THE 10 MOST MARKERS [/ notice]
Banjo-Kazooie
Release date: June 29, 1998
Developer: Rare
The Nintendo 64 was the scene of great 3D platform titles. One of them is Banjo-Kazooie, which stands out for its good controls, pleasant characters, colorful graphics, wonderful music, challenging stages and a good dose of humor. You play as Banjo, a bear with a bird called Kazooie that hides in a backpack being used when needed. Kazooie helps by extending Banjo's skills, such as flapping his wings for a double jump or pecking enemies. Banjo brightened the days of many young people with his charisma. He received a sequel on the N64 entitled Banjo-Tooie. Today IP belongs to Microsoft, and we hope that a new game in the franchise will look like grace.
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Release date: March 5, 2001
Developers: Rare and Ultimate Play the Game
Rare will make several appearances on this list. Conker’s Bad Fur Day is undoubtedly a unique title. Originally aimed at a family audience, Rare decided to change Conker to an adult rating to differentiate him from his previous games like Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie. The game introduces us to a squirrel that drinks to excess as the main character, a quadriplegic weasel as one of the villains in a series filled with violence, black humor and bad words. It was too bold a move for the time, but again Rare nailed it. The level designs were very good, the platform and the action were exciting and the storyline was so exaggerated that it made players come back to play more and more. Conker is now also an IP from Microsoft and is another one on the list where fans dream of a continuation.
Donkey Kong 64
Release date: November 22, 1999
Developer: Rare
Donkey Kong 64 is the only 3D game in the DK series. Nintendo's eagerness to show the power of its console in processing three-dimensional games has provided that. Donkey Kong 64 was revolutionary in terms of size and scope for a platform game, being one of the longest games on the console. The game takes place on the DK Islands where King K. Rool kidnaps five members of the Kong clan. Donkey Kong had to run around the island, completing levels, defeating villains and solving puzzles to save each of his relatives and defeat the big alligator and his minions. DK 64 also features a competitive deathmatch with up to four players. It was a complete game with a lot of content, which provided hours and hours of gameplay for the players of the time.
GoldenEye 007
Release date: August 25, 1997
Developers: Nintendo, Rare and Ultimate Play the Game
First-person shooter games were very popular among PCs, but console gamers were unaware of them before GoldenEye 007. The game was released almost two years after the film of the same name hit theaters, but that did not detract from the success that game had. Players took on the role of the iconic James Bond while he prevented criminals from using the GoldenEye satellite to attack the city of London. It was one of the first games of its kind to feature open 3D environments in which players could explore on their own and complete objectives in any order they desired. If the fun campaign mode was not enough, the game had a multiplayer mode that could be played by up to 4 people locally in split screen on 20 maps. Several game modes have kept it up to date, like The Man with the Golden Pistol, You Only Live Twice or One-shot kill and License To Kill. GoldenEye 007 was guaranteed fun no matter how you play.
Mario Kart 64
FromRelease date: December 14, 1996
Developer: Nintendo
Being one of the first games on the console, Nintendo has taken a step forward in Mario Kart 64, whether in graphics, sound or gameplay. It is a very fun game that could be played by anyone. While Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo laid the foundation for the franchise, Mario Kart 64 enhanced the concept with fully polygonal 3D tracks, new battle modes and support for up to four simultaneous players. For solo players, even when you finish winning all the GP Cups at three speeds plus the mirror tracks, you still had a lot of challenges in Time Attack. The replay factor was immense, with the game generating good discussions about who was the best kart game of the generation: Mario Kart 64 or Crash Team Racing. The series is still alive today, being one of Nintendo's best-selling franchises.
Perfect Dark
Release date: June 30, 2000
Developer: Rare
Perfect Dark is another title produced by Rare that many fans consider superior even to GoldenEye 007. For most people, Perfect Dark's single-player mode is not the main attraction. Like GoldenEye, it allows for deadly four-player multiplayer combat with various modes, weapons, maps and interesting options. The controls may seem strange from the point of view of a modern shooter and the graphics have not aged well either, but for the time it was the supreme of games, and let's face it it also has many virtues. Perfect Dark was a more mature multiplayer experience on the N64, but it also had a solid campaign. There are rumors that we will see this franchise back soon ...
Star Fox 64
Release date: April 27, 1997
Developer: Nintendo
Star Fox 64 took players to the skies following the SNES 'Star Fox. Players control Fox McCloud and his Arwing as his team tries to thwart the evil scientist Andross. The levels were semi-free, although most of the game players navigate through what is called "Runner Mode", which essentially kept your aircraft on a specific path, although you still controlled the Arwing's ability to climb, descend, turn to the left and right during this journey. Many of the levels had at least two different ways to complete them, with alternative paths opening up if the player fulfilled certain objectives, which gave a very interesting replay factor. Nintendo also included a multiplayer mode that pits you and up to three other friends against each other in deathmatch matches.Star Fox 64 was quite successful on the Nintendo 64 and is one of those games that are the face of the console, it just wasn't more than the next on the list ...
Super Mario 64
Release date: June 23, 1996
Developer: Nintendo
Super Mario 64 was a launch game for the N64 and not only immersed Mario in a 3D landscape for the first time, but also established the Nintendo 64 as a powerful console for displaying three-dimensional graphics. Players control Mario as he collects the 120 Gold Stars spread across Princess Peach's huge castle. Like previous games in the franchise, it featured a series of power-ups, exclusive villains and several iconic battles against Bowser in various environments. The game also introduced several new skills for Mario, such as the ability to jump backwards, triple jump and wall-to-wall jump. In addition to the revolutionary level design and which serves as a reference to this day, the gameplay was very good and stimulated the player to explore the whole scenario. This style not only set the Mario franchise, but also set the standard for future 3D platform games. Pure and simple, Super Mario 64 presents the best of 3D platforms and remains one of the greatest titles of all time.
Super Smash Bros.
Release date: January 21, 1999
Developers: HAL Laboratory and Sora Ltd.
Several of Nintendo's most famous franchises have lent their image in this incredibly fun and exaggerated fighting game. We could choose between 12 characters (Mario, Link, Kirby, Yoshi, Samus, among others) who fought in scenarios of iconic Nintendo franchises. The game offered an infinite amount of replay and entertainment, while remaining incredibly easy to play. Unlike many fighting games of his day, Super Smash Bros. it didn't force players to memorize complex combos. Instead, the jogsadores needed to learn a handful of simple combinations to perform combos and special attacks with any character. Because of this, the game was highly successful on the N64 and helped spawn a series of sequences on all Nintendo consoles since then, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch, which was a huge sales success.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Release date: November 21, 1998
Developer: Nintendo
Perhaps the greatest Nintendo 64 game. Following the footsteps of Super Mario 64 in the transition from 2D to 3D, Nintendo sought new airs for the Zelda franchise with Ocarina of Time. Set in the mythical land of Hyrule, players control the iconic Link as he sets out to rescue Princess Zelda and thwart Ganondorf's evil plans. Although the plot seems familiar, the game was different in almost everything. The title introduced a number of features that have become standard for 3D games in the future. Announced by many as one of the best - if not the best - game in The Legend of Zelda franchise of all time, Ocarina of Time has put players on an epic journey never before seen in three dimensions. Ocarina of Time featured incredible dungeon design, a cast of unforgettable characters and a story-filled story that stands the test of time.
[warning] HONORABLE MENTIONS [/ warning]
Diddy Kong Racing
F-Zero X
Paper Mario
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
So that's it, guys. I hope you enjoyed the games on the list and ask for understanding if you are missing a title you like. Don't forget to build your own lists in the comments field and give your feedback. See you soon, big hug!