Some fresh games for my n64
May 19, 2010 12:13 PM Subscribe
What Nintendo 64 games are worth seeking out on eBay?
I'm graduating from college soon and looking forward to coming home at night and busting out my old N64 system. I have a few (mostly Mario) games, but I am definitely missing some important milestones in N64 history - Zelda and GoldenEye for example. I'd like to seek out a few choice games to add to my collection - what are the best games for N64 that I don't have?
(I currently have: Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, MarioKart 64, Mario Party 2, Super Smash Bros, Tony Hawk's pro skater 2, and this sweet tetris type puzzle game called Wetrix. I like to play pretty much any type of game, though!)
I'm graduating from college soon and looking forward to coming home at night and busting out my old N64 system. I have a few (mostly Mario) games, but I am definitely missing some important milestones in N64 history - Zelda and GoldenEye for example. I'd like to seek out a few choice games to add to my collection - what are the best games for N64 that I don't have?
(I currently have: Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, MarioKart 64, Mario Party 2, Super Smash Bros, Tony Hawk's pro skater 2, and this sweet tetris type puzzle game called Wetrix. I like to play pretty much any type of game, though!)
Beetle Adventure Racing was great... the GoldenEye of racing.
posted by Theloupgarou at 12:21 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by Theloupgarou at 12:21 PM on May 19, 2010
Best answer: Blast Corps is a fantastic game. In fact, I might go play it right now, thanks!
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:23 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:23 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The N64 was a great system for 3D platformers. I don't know if it was Mario's influence or what, but you've got some great stuff to look forward to. I've broken these up roughly by genre. Note: Anything by Rareware at this time is pretty much a must-have. The N64 is still one of my favorite systems and it's largely because of the amazing stuff Rare put out.
Platformer:
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Donkey Kong 64
Rocket Robot on Wheels
Glover
Goemon's Great Adventure (2 1/2D!)
Mischief Makers (Also 2 1/2D!)
Adventure:
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Jet Force Gemini
Puzzle:
Tetrisphere
Pokemon Puzzle League (It's just Tetris Attack, but there's an interesting mode where the game's playing field is wrapped around a column that's unique to it)
The Rest:
Pokemon Snap (Surprisingly not terrible! It's short, but my sister and I would play for hours (and of course, get into fights) trying to beat each other's scores. )
I'll post more if I can think of them.
posted by bookwo3107 at 12:26 PM on May 19, 2010
Platformer:
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Donkey Kong 64
Rocket Robot on Wheels
Glover
Goemon's Great Adventure (2 1/2D!)
Mischief Makers (Also 2 1/2D!)
Adventure:
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Jet Force Gemini
Puzzle:
Tetrisphere
Pokemon Puzzle League (It's just Tetris Attack, but there's an interesting mode where the game's playing field is wrapped around a column that's unique to it)
The Rest:
Pokemon Snap (Surprisingly not terrible! It's short, but my sister and I would play for hours (and of course, get into fights) trying to beat each other's scores. )
I'll post more if I can think of them.
posted by bookwo3107 at 12:26 PM on May 19, 2010
Underrated faves: Silicon Valley and Micro Machines (8 player multiplayer!). Also, make sure you get Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Rayman 2.
posted by turkeyphant at 12:27 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by turkeyphant at 12:27 PM on May 19, 2010
Zelda: Majora's Mask. So good, and overlooked for a Zelda game.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 12:33 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 12:33 PM on May 19, 2010
Super Smash Brothers! The remakes for Game Cube and Wii can't hold a candle to the pace and game-feel of the original. I wasted many a weekend playing in college, when the newer versions were readily available.
posted by Mayor West at 12:33 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Mayor West at 12:33 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: perfect dark
ogre battle 64
jet force gemini
blast corps
paper mario
beetle adventure racing (no, seriously)
1080 snowboarding
tony hawk's pro skater 1 (the n64 is the best version of this title - again : no, seriously)
wipeout 64
the world is not enough
body harvest
wave race 64
i still have my n64 and break it out every once in a while. those are the titles that make me pull it out, that make me glad i still have it.
metacritic still lists n64 titles, too, so you can do some research before you decide what you're going with.
caveat : perfect dark is significantly better on xbla, so if you have the opportunity to play it there, do that. having said THAT, perfect dark is a "must play" title.
posted by radiosilents at 12:39 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
ogre battle 64
jet force gemini
blast corps
paper mario
beetle adventure racing (no, seriously)
1080 snowboarding
tony hawk's pro skater 1 (the n64 is the best version of this title - again : no, seriously)
wipeout 64
the world is not enough
body harvest
wave race 64
i still have my n64 and break it out every once in a while. those are the titles that make me pull it out, that make me glad i still have it.
metacritic still lists n64 titles, too, so you can do some research before you decide what you're going with.
caveat : perfect dark is significantly better on xbla, so if you have the opportunity to play it there, do that. having said THAT, perfect dark is a "must play" title.
posted by radiosilents at 12:39 PM on May 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Must get Ocarina of Time. Also Donkey Kong 64 is an incredibly deep game, almost hard to keep track of after a while, if you enjoy that kind of thing. I enjoyed Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire, although in fairness, I know a lot of people who hated it. Shadow Man is another long, immersive, though sometimes frustrating game.
I cannot recommend Castlevania64, one of the greater disappointments of my early gaming life, sadly.
posted by umberto at 12:41 PM on May 19, 2010
I cannot recommend Castlevania64, one of the greater disappointments of my early gaming life, sadly.
posted by umberto at 12:41 PM on May 19, 2010
I agree with absolutely everything on bookwo3107's list with the possible exception of Donkey Kong 64 (which was gorgeous from a technical and artistic perspective, but the easiest of the Rare platformers by far).
In addition, check out (and here I'm looking at the Wikipedia list of N64 games and picking out my favorites):
Body Harvest
F-Zero X
Forsaken 64
Harvest Moon 64 (maybe the best game in the Harvest Moon series)
Mario Golf (whose cartoonish surface conceals a fairly hardcore physics engine for the time)
Mario Tennis 64
The New Tetris
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (but this may be rare and expensive)
Shadow Man
Star Fox 64
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
posted by Prospero at 12:41 PM on May 19, 2010
In addition, check out (and here I'm looking at the Wikipedia list of N64 games and picking out my favorites):
Body Harvest
F-Zero X
Forsaken 64
Harvest Moon 64 (maybe the best game in the Harvest Moon series)
Mario Golf (whose cartoonish surface conceals a fairly hardcore physics engine for the time)
Mario Tennis 64
The New Tetris
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (but this may be rare and expensive)
Shadow Man
Star Fox 64
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
posted by Prospero at 12:41 PM on May 19, 2010
Seconding Blast Corps. The most underappreciated and unbelievably awesome N64 game ever. So overdue for a remake!
posted by ulotrichous at 12:46 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by ulotrichous at 12:46 PM on May 19, 2010
Space Station Silicon Valley is a wonderful game.
posted by cloeburner at 1:00 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by cloeburner at 1:00 PM on May 19, 2010
Have to second Conker's Bad Fur Day. Lost of lot of college to that game.
posted by General Malaise at 1:06 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by General Malaise at 1:06 PM on May 19, 2010
For Multiplayer WCW Vs NWO: World Tour was great. The sigle player part of the game got boring quick but 4 persion Battle Royale's are tons of fun. The system for using moves is far easier to use than on most fighting games of the time which makes it easy for beginners to figure out.
The sequel WCW vs NWO Revenge has much better graphics and more characters, but I didn't find it as fun.
posted by Crashback at 1:10 PM on May 19, 2010
The sequel WCW vs NWO Revenge has much better graphics and more characters, but I didn't find it as fun.
posted by Crashback at 1:10 PM on May 19, 2010
I'm in with Blast Corps and Goldeneye. Couldn't recommend any games higher.
posted by caflores22 at 1:25 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by caflores22 at 1:25 PM on May 19, 2010
Mario Golf (don't like golf? Don't let that stop you. One of my favorite miniature-golf engines ever, fwiw), Tetrisphere, the Snowboard Kids games.
Not worth getting, though I'm a huge fan of the franchise: Bomberman 64. Until Act Zero came along, I thought it was the worst installment ever. I don't think Diddy Kong Racing is very good either--I loved it at the time, but it hasn't aged nearly as well as Mario Kart 64.
posted by box at 1:45 PM on May 19, 2010
Not worth getting, though I'm a huge fan of the franchise: Bomberman 64. Until Act Zero came along, I thought it was the worst installment ever. I don't think Diddy Kong Racing is very good either--I loved it at the time, but it hasn't aged nearly as well as Mario Kart 64.
posted by box at 1:45 PM on May 19, 2010
Best answer: Don't listen to any naysayers Diddy Kong Racing has aged even better than Mario Kart 64
Pick up Harvest Moon if you are looking for a quirky addictive light sim type game. It's really really good.
Banjo Kazooie is also amazing.
posted by lakerk at 2:02 PM on May 19, 2010
Pick up Harvest Moon if you are looking for a quirky addictive light sim type game. It's really really good.
Banjo Kazooie is also amazing.
posted by lakerk at 2:02 PM on May 19, 2010
Seconding F-Zero X, and thirding Star Fox 64.
posted by sigmagalator at 2:30 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by sigmagalator at 2:30 PM on May 19, 2010
Best answer: (Best Multiplayer Games)
Conker’s Bad Fur Day (best adult single and multiplayer game made for 64)
Bomberman (didn't play the single player but multiplayer rocked)
Gauntlet Legends (same as arcade version, very addictive)
Battletanks (didn't play single player, but multiplayer rocked)
Golden Eye / Perfect Dark (best shooters for the 64, conker's bad fur day probably comes in third)
Wayne Gretzsgy's 3D Hockey (not a big fan of sports games, but is a must have. Arcade stile sports game, and when you take a slapshot from the hash marks, the goalie is driven into the net and it flips over...)
and of course as already mentioned Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Tony Hawk...
Sorry for repeating some of the titles again...
posted by MechEng at 2:41 PM on May 19, 2010
Conker’s Bad Fur Day (best adult single and multiplayer game made for 64)
Bomberman (didn't play the single player but multiplayer rocked)
Gauntlet Legends (same as arcade version, very addictive)
Battletanks (didn't play single player, but multiplayer rocked)
Golden Eye / Perfect Dark (best shooters for the 64, conker's bad fur day probably comes in third)
Wayne Gretzsgy's 3D Hockey (not a big fan of sports games, but is a must have. Arcade stile sports game, and when you take a slapshot from the hash marks, the goalie is driven into the net and it flips over...)
and of course as already mentioned Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Tony Hawk...
Sorry for repeating some of the titles again...
posted by MechEng at 2:41 PM on May 19, 2010
Going to use metacritic and gamefaqs to refresh my memory, since I don't have ready access to my collection:
Names not mentioned yet:
Excitebike 64 -- you'll want the RAM pack for better visuals. Lots of extras -- the actual NES game in emulation, an 3d version of the same, a hill climb mode, and a nice random desert waypoint race.
Operation WinBack -- a metal gear clone with 4 player multiplayer combat. There's a PS2 version I haven't played that you might try instead.
Nthing:
Ogre Battle 64.
F-Zero X -- awesome, smooth, and has a random track generator once you beat it all.
Blast Corps
Body Harvest
star fox 64 -- get a rumble pack
wave race
Conker's bad fur day
But honestly, the games that hold up best over time are the 4 player ones that you'll need friends over for.
posted by pwnguin at 2:41 PM on May 19, 2010
Names not mentioned yet:
Excitebike 64 -- you'll want the RAM pack for better visuals. Lots of extras -- the actual NES game in emulation, an 3d version of the same, a hill climb mode, and a nice random desert waypoint race.
Operation WinBack -- a metal gear clone with 4 player multiplayer combat. There's a PS2 version I haven't played that you might try instead.
Nthing:
Ogre Battle 64.
F-Zero X -- awesome, smooth, and has a random track generator once you beat it all.
Blast Corps
Body Harvest
star fox 64 -- get a rumble pack
wave race
Conker's bad fur day
But honestly, the games that hold up best over time are the 4 player ones that you'll need friends over for.
posted by pwnguin at 2:41 PM on May 19, 2010
Best answer: Star Fox 64 is fantastically fun. The story and acting are deliciously cheesy if you're an adult and enthralling if you're a child. It's also full of secrets to discover/
F Zero X is maybe the high point of the series. It controls really well, and the difficulty is challenging but not outright murderous like the later games.
The N64 port of Gauntlet Legends is spectacular. It's kind of repetitive some times, but what really makes it stand out is multiplayer, which is just co-op. If you have housemates, buy Gauntlet Legends and a memory pack for each of them, and have a regular night where you play for a couple of hours and drink beer. I mean, it's okay as a single-player game, but co-op is where it shines. Gleams, even.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:48 PM on May 19, 2010
F Zero X is maybe the high point of the series. It controls really well, and the difficulty is challenging but not outright murderous like the later games.
The N64 port of Gauntlet Legends is spectacular. It's kind of repetitive some times, but what really makes it stand out is multiplayer, which is just co-op. If you have housemates, buy Gauntlet Legends and a memory pack for each of them, and have a regular night where you play for a couple of hours and drink beer. I mean, it's okay as a single-player game, but co-op is where it shines. Gleams, even.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:48 PM on May 19, 2010
Another vote for Shadow Man.
Donkey Kong 64 is great as far as I know - never made it to the end because I couldn't get one of the Nintendo coins. Would it help you if I dug it out and gave it another try - just to make sure this is a good recommendation?
posted by Lesser Shrew at 4:05 PM on May 19, 2010
Donkey Kong 64 is great as far as I know - never made it to the end because I couldn't get one of the Nintendo coins. Would it help you if I dug it out and gave it another try - just to make sure this is a good recommendation?
posted by Lesser Shrew at 4:05 PM on May 19, 2010
Thirding Beetle Adventure Racing. So many shortcuts and surprises on the tracks it never gets old.
posted by daninnj at 4:10 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by daninnj at 4:10 PM on May 19, 2010
personally, i hate WinBack. like "bought it, played 60 minutes of it, returned it" hated it. YMMV.
posted by radiosilents at 6:25 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by radiosilents at 6:25 PM on May 19, 2010
I'd say Pilot Wings 64 if only for the Birdman mode. If you jump through enough hoops, you can strap on some bird wings and glide above an island to smooth, smooth jazz.
That said, I echo many of the others above: Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie.
I especially enjoyed Mystical Ninja: The Legend of Goemon. If you like cheesy jokes, solid game play, and the dorkiest plot ever created (theater shogun invade Japan to turn the world into a big, Japanese-style theater revue!), then you'll really like this game.
PLAAAASMA!
posted by ElectricBlue at 6:26 PM on May 19, 2010
That said, I echo many of the others above: Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, Banjo-Kazooie.
I especially enjoyed Mystical Ninja: The Legend of Goemon. If you like cheesy jokes, solid game play, and the dorkiest plot ever created (theater shogun invade Japan to turn the world into a big, Japanese-style theater revue!), then you'll really like this game.
PLAAAASMA!
posted by ElectricBlue at 6:26 PM on May 19, 2010
F1 World Grand Prix. I've spent an embarrassing amount of my life playing it and no other driving/racing game I've played has quite the same Zen quality as this one. I will buy an N64 some time just to play this again.
posted by biscotti at 6:53 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by biscotti at 6:53 PM on May 19, 2010
Snowboard Kids (1 and 2!) has already been mentioned, thank goodness, but I do not feel it has been emphasized strongly enough.
posted by jinjo at 8:35 PM on May 19, 2010
posted by jinjo at 8:35 PM on May 19, 2010
In my enthusiasm, I recommended the wrong Goemon game. You are looking for Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.
The point of awesomeness still stands.
posted by ElectricBlue at 9:24 PM on May 19, 2010
The point of awesomeness still stands.
posted by ElectricBlue at 9:24 PM on May 19, 2010
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Banjo-Kazooie
Donkey Kong 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Pokemon Snap
Jet Force Gemini
posted by t-rex at 12:59 AM on May 20, 2010
Majora's Mask
Banjo-Kazooie
Donkey Kong 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Pokemon Snap
Jet Force Gemini
posted by t-rex at 12:59 AM on May 20, 2010
Has seriously nobody recommended Rogue Squadron yet? That game was second only to Perfect Dark on my avoiding-writing-my-thesis N64 playlist (and F-Zero X was not far behind). Best Star Wars game I ever played.
You need the expansion pack for it to be good, though (and the same for PD).
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 5:44 AM on May 20, 2010
You need the expansion pack for it to be good, though (and the same for PD).
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 5:44 AM on May 20, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'd consider:
Extreme G (One of the best early ultra-fast-paced racers)
Perfect Dark (Another great shooter in the vein of Goldeneye)
Worms Armageddon (One of the most mun multiplayer games going, on any console)
posted by 256 at 12:20 PM on May 19, 2010