Summary

Like many beloved gaming systems, theNintendo 64has almost a legendary status today even though it brutally lost the console war with the PlayStation outselling the system by over three times. Despite the fact that the N64’s hardware left something to be desired, its games were amazing.

With the sheer number of all-great times on offer, you could argue the N64’s library is superior to the PS1,minus RPGs, of course. So many games on the system changed the industry completely and showed how specific genres are handled in 3D. Even when the PS2 released, the N64 was holding its own.

Certain games like Resident Evil 4 completely change the industry and tell developers this is how these types of titles are made. Super Mario 64 is in that league because so many early 3D platformers just didn’t get it. Bubsy 3D had tank controls for movement, and the first Croc wasn’t much better. Mario 64 had full 360-degree movement with a controllable camera.

Movement still holds up for the most part because of all this, and it doesn’t hurt that the level design is really good in most of these levels. It’s the type of game you may beat every year in a single day, just due to the awesome free-flow nature of the campaign. There are some dated elements, but overall, Mario 64 remains an incredible ride today and debatably the most important platformer of all time.

Before Halo proved that consoles have truly caught up to PCs for FPS games, GoldenEye 007 was the first big step in the console field. It’s still a lot offun with dual stick controls on Xbox, but it is a bit rigid on the original N64 hardware.

The levels are still phenomenal, though, and there’s plenty of replayability with multiple difficulties and a plethora of cheats to unlock. The multiplayer, an infamously last-minute addition, was a total blast, and if there’s one thing the N64 had over the PS1, it was multiplayer games.

So many people who have lived through this period in gaming will say that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best game of 1998. It was a total game-changer for action-adventure titles, but unlike Mario 64, it’s aged pretty badly, and you’re best off playing the 3DS remake. The game that still holds up today and has aged the best is a GOAT of 3D platformers, Banjo-Kazooie.

It’s frankly better than Super Mario 64 in a variety of ways. Level design is far more detailed, complex, and intricate. The boss fights are way better, the controls are better, and you move much faster, thanks to the Talon Trot ability. Banjo-Kazooie isan undisputed top-five 3D platformer.

1999

Hudson Soft

Nintendo

1999 was a bit of a cold year for the N64. There were some great games released, not as much as in other years, but the best one had to be Mario Party 2. It took Mario Party 1 and fixed the biggest complaint: the lack of enough minigames. Mario Party 1 was so much fun, with great boards and so many ways to mess with your friends, but you’d play the same minigames over and over due to the low 50 minigames amount.

Mario Party 2 has 65 minigames, which helps a ton. This time, you won’t be playing the same minigame nearly as often. The boards in MP2 were amazing as well, and with the palm-destroying minigames removed, you can see why this game ismany’s favorite in the series.

The launch of the PlayStation 2 on June 25, 2025, was a huge gaming moment, but Nintendo wasn’t scared because its final huge N64 exclusive released on that same date: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Unlike Ocarina, Majora’s Mask had a far darker tone, not even exclusive to the main plot but to the side quests as well.

It hada unique time mechanicthat affected the entire campaign and how you played, and this made the pacing incredible because you had to keep moving. The mask system was a ton of fun, too. Many people will say Majora’s Mask is just glorified DLC to Ocarina, but you could say the same thing for Super Mario Galaxy 2, and that doesn’t stop both games from being superior to their predecessors.

One of the greatest and most important GameCube games ever made was Animal Crossing. It changed the entire Social Sim genre, and to be frank, it still holds up as one of the best Social Sim experiences you can play today. It’s not like other series where the sequels are so much better; there’s no point in playing the original.

There’s still a ton of fun to be had in playing the classic game, and plenty of people probably don’t know that it was first released on the Nintendo 64. It was only in Japan, but this is where the game originated. In 2001, it was the best N64 game all year, beating the only real contender, Conker’s Bad Fur Day.

The last game released on the N64 was also the best N64 title all year, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. Besides a few bad installments, Tony Hawk has to be one of the greatest and most consistent gaming series. People who only really love Pro Skater 1 and 2 aren’t true fans, as the series peaked with Pro Skater 4 and the first Underground, and Pro Skater 3 is up there as well.

The levels are ungodly good, with Airport and Los Angeles being some of the best in the series. It doesn’t matter what platform you’re playing on; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 will be a great time, including on the Nintendo 64.