Top 10 Best Nintendo 64 Games

The Nintendo 64 was home to some of the most unforgettable games of its era, bringing players into massive 3D worlds, introducing couch multiplayer that kept friendships strong (or ruined them), and setting the standard for many genres that followed.

Whether you spent hours perfecting your skills in platformers, battling it out with friends, or exploring vast adventures, there's no denying the impact this console had.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

   

   While my choice of games often depends on whether I'm playing by myself or with friends, there are only two games in my mind that I could even consider for the title of best game on the N64. Games like Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, and GoldenEye created some of the best memories I have of playing games with my friends and family throughout the years.

   However, I've always found that solo experiences are the games that really took my breath away, both as a child and now. The two games that really did this were Ocarina of Time and Mario 64. While the switch to 3D with Mario 64 did an excellent job of capturing the true essence of what Mario is and showcased what a true 3D game could really do, it was the pure spectacle of Ocarina that really blew me away.

   The way the game made the switch to 3D a non-issue for gameplay with its use of Z-targeting was so simple and yet genius at the same time. The shift to a more focused look at the storyline, while still keeping it bare-bones enough to have you focus on the adventure rather than the destination, was the perfect balance. There were moments that really hit you, and the music accentuated everything going on around you.

   The game felt like a true 3D adventure at the time, so grand that it felt overwhelming. There is a reason many consider this one of the best games of all time. Well.

2. Super Mario 64

   

   The N64 may not have the best graphics, I agree. But even if you weren't born in the 90s or weren't alive at that time, it instills a disdain for the current generation. You PlayStation enthusiasts don't understand this nostalgic feeling. Nintendo is a company not of graphics or the best console of the year but of nostalgia, and that's precisely where the essence of Mario Brothers lies.

   The only downside to Super Mario 64? No multiplayer. But that's okay because you and your friends can take turns throwing that dreaded penguin off the cliff.

   In my opinion, the N64 is a better console than the PlayStation 4. Not for its graphics, not for its games, not for how many characters you can defeat in Grand Theft Auto, but for nostalgia! Super Mario 64 has so much complexity, and the graphics of its time were phenomenal. And it still is.

   Take a break from politics, bills, the stress of this world, and political rallies, and just pull out your dusty N64. Bring back the past. Choose your favorite childhood games, whether it be Mario, Pokemon, Bond, Zelda, Donkey Kong, or even that frustrating Superman, flying through ridiculous rings! Just do it! It is wonderful and nostalgic!

3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

   

   In my opinion, Majora's Mask is better than Ocarina of Time. But Ocarina of Time, of course, steals the show. It has to be in the top three easily! The only reason why people say that Majora's Mask isn't that good is because they're comparing it too much to Ocarina of Time. In fact, everyone seems to compare everything to Ocarina of Time!

   Majora's Mask is, in my opinion, underrated. Plus, the side quests are better than Ocarina's. Don't even argue. But the true reason why is... it's so sad! I'll have you know that I played Majora's Mask, and I only cried for over 24 hours!

   While Ocarina of Time has more of the "epic quest" feel, Majora's Mask seems more dark and mysterious. I guess I just kinda prefer the second one.

   No other game has moved me like Majora's Mask did. It made me appreciate life even more than I already do, which kinda seems impossible. And don't forget the masks, man, THE MASKS! You can give Link manboobs with the Goron Mask!

4. Super Smash Bros.

   

   Super Smash Bros deserves a cartoon show. The characters could be a team like the Justice League, the X-Men, or the Avengers. Mario would be the leader, and Mega Man would be second in command.

   The show could be similar to series like Captain N: The Game Master and Video Power, and it could run for ten seasons. Mario and Luigi would be the cool guys, while Donkey Kong would be a character who loves to fight and goes over the top. Captain Falcon and Link would team up, Mega Man would use his powers, and his favorite band would be Styx. There could even be romance between Sonic and Amy.

   It would be a fun and cool show!

   An obvious yet brilliant idea: Super Smash Bros combines the major characters from the most popular Nintendo games into one ultimate fighting game. Now that's awesome!

5. Banjo-Kazooie

   

   Top of the top. This game may not be as complex as other games of its genre, namely Banjo-Tooie or Donkey Kong 64, but that is what makes it so great. It isn't tedious at any moment and it is fun to play time and time again. Unlike Tooie or Donkey Kong, I don't ever get bored in this collecting game. It also isn't as repetitive as Super Mario 64, and it doesn't require months of time like OoT.

   Basically, Super Mario 64, but on drugs. This game doesn't have all of the things in your wildest dreams, but it sure comes close. My absolute favorite game of all time, and the only thing that could beat it out would be an even better BK. Banjo-Tooie is good, but this is better. Can't wait for Banjo-Fourie, but too bad, because it looks like I'll have to because Rare can't take a hint.

6. GoldenEye 007

   

   The best first-person shooter ever. A magnificent musical score, challenging and fun missions, neat graphics, and an unforgettable use of stock sound effects from movies and TV (the enemy grunts are pure gold). Oh, and the multiplayer mode is insanely fun. Remember, Oddjob is banned, especially on "slappers only."

   While other games might have really standout single-player, you have to hand it to GoldenEye for being able to gather four friends on any given Saturday afternoon to duke it out on the N64.

   The game that changed it all. Also, the first FPS that used two analogs (quite impressive considering that the controller only had one analog).

7. Mario Kart 64

   

   Wow. This is the most awesome game ever! Should be 1st! Yeah, I love Mario! It's like the best ever! The tracks are pretty cool, and I like the Special Cup the best as it is so much more complex compared to the other tracks.

   Countless hours of racing with friends back in the day, loads of memories! Trying to get lightning to make your friend small before the jump and trying to boost through the hole on the beach were very competitive and never get old, even in 2013.

   Mario Kart 64 is the best Mario Kart ever, not Double Dash, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, or Mario Kart 8!

   Mario Kart 64 is as perfect as Super Mario Kart, the canceled Mario Kart Virtual Cup, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. This should be at least in the top 4.

8. Conker's Bad Fur Day

   

   Conker's Bad Fur Day has got to be the greatest game I have ever played. It has the most hilarious moments in all of gaming history and has a bittersweet ending. Sure, it has its problems like the difficulty of some levels, but it just makes the game all the better. The music is just beautiful. I find myself humming that overworld theme, Windy, over and over again. It is just the best game on the N64 and beats all the more modern games out of the water.

   Conker's Bad Fur Day is very interesting. It's a video game that no one would dare to make or even think about making. It is obviously one of the most unique N64 games of all time, or one of the most unique video games of all time, for that matter. Crude humor, bloody violence, great visuals, awesome gameplay, and a distinctive storyline. Conker's Bad Fur Day is truly one of a kind.

9. Paper Mario

   

   My favorite game of all time. It has such a large replay value and a story that will keep you hooked. The different partners and their abilities make for some unique puzzles, and on top of that, this game has a killer soundtrack. A truly five-star game!

   This might be the greatest RPG game of all time. It has great replay value and can be played over in many different ways.

   Oh man, this should be in the top 3. The Mario RPGs are so much fun. I wish they had this in my town when I was in high school, just to show all those Zelda fanboys what's a masterpiece.

10. Star Fox 64

    

    The original Star Fox pushed the limits on gaming. This game did that and more. Number 11? This is one of Nintendo's finest.

    This is one of my favorite games of all time!

    Easily the best game of all time and not repetitive like the Mario and Zelda franchises.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    WWF Attitude

    
12. ?

    Madden NFL 2002

The Contenders

13. Donkey Kong 64

    

    My favorite game of all time. Amazing music, great graphics, a huge world to explore, five awesome characters, and good controls. Every inch of this game is a sight to behold, and every banana collected feels like a true achievement in this immersive adventure.

    Favorite fudging game ever! I love the game and how its goodness lasts a long time. My cousins and I bonded so much over our shared file when we were young trying to get every golden banana. It's the kind of game where you can finish the game and fight the final boss battle and whatnot, but wait! There's still more stuff to do! It's also got huge levels and interesting characters. Mother of mercy.

14. Diddy Kong Racing

    

    Far superior to Mario Kart. The adventure mode was such a great twist on the usual single-player racing mechanic. Only problem was, it was hard as nails!

    Seriously, how is this number 16? This is way better than Mario Kart or any of those other racing games!

    This game needs to be higher on the list.

15. Mario Party 2

    

16. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

    

    Okay, of course, Mario 64, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, and Zelda are going to be up in the top five. No question. But Kirby 64 at 15? This is such an amazing platformer and one of the greatest Kirby and N64 games of all time. This is one of the very few games that I actually stayed up all night playing because I simply could not stop something so awesome. Therefore, I believe that my 4th favorite N64 game should at least be in the top ten.

    Not my favorite Kirby game, but a masterpiece nonetheless. Oh, Kirby, how overlooked you are. I mean, as much as I love OOT, M64, and MK64, this one beats them all. Anyway, bring on the OOT fanboys.

17. Pokémon Stadium

    

    If you didn't have certain Pokémon with certain attacks, the game would punish you for playing with your favorites. But watching them move and not just showing their backs in battle was the best thing ever as a kid.

    Main game: alright, I guess. Mini-games: Hell yeah! Now we're talking! Best multiplayer experience on the N64!

    The mini-games in this game are incredible! The Sandshrew Dig game is the greatest! Rattata Run is great too. Such an epic game!

18. Pokémon Stadium 2

    

    Nobody will agree with me when I say this, but this is my favorite video game of all time. Great mini-games, big-time challenge, and a helpful school. Free battle is where I spent my whole childhood and imagination.

    Both Pokemon Stadium games are amazing.

19. Perfect Dark

    

    Easily better than GoldenEye and easily the best shooter on the N64. This game was very revolutionary at the time and still holds up pretty well today. You have extremely smart AI in the multiplayer mode, amazing weapons that had more than one way of shooting, lots of fantastic maps, and a silly storyline that was very interesting and fun. Lots and lots of customization.

    Not only is this essentially the successor to GoldenEye, but it was also 100 times better. The only downside to this game is the frame rate drops when there is a lot happening at once in the same room. Luckily, the Xbox 360 version fixes this problem.

20. Banjo-Tooie

    

    I actually played this game before playing Banjo-Kazooie, and this game was what got me into the series. This was my childhood. This game is what made me.

    The storyline, the action, the puzzles, the adventure, it made the game so complete for me! At least in the top three for me.

    Should be top 10, no, wait, top 5! This game is fantastic, to say the least. Its mechanics and gameplay surpass its predecessor, its adventure is greater than OOT's, and it's a better platformer than Mario 64. Not to mention how awesome the multiplayer is.

21. WWF No Mercy

    

    Best wrestling game of all time. Skipped so much school and pulled my first all-nighter playing this. As a kid, reenacting what I saw in the Attitude Era was the coolest thing in the world. Remake, please!

    You don't have to like wrestling to like this game. One of the best multiplayer games, especially the Royal Rumbles.

22. Mario Party 3

    

23. F-Zero X

    

    So fast and so much fun! This game was perfect in its simplicity. Nintendo made the right decision to omit weapons and complex track design. Instead, this game focused on having a super slick frame rate and clear (but basic) graphics. One of only a few racing games where every vehicle handled completely differently. This game rewarded practice. Mastering sliding around corners, boosting, and jumps was absolutely key to success.

    The only F-Zero I actually like. I love this one as much as Mario Kart.

24. Pokémon Snap

    

    Everyone has different opinions, but in my opinion, this is one of the best N64 games ever made. In fact, I bought my N64 to play this game! Sure, I love TLOZ: OOT, GoldenEye, or Mario 64, but what I like about this game is that it's very unique, and Todd Snap, who has not been recognized a lot in the animation series, is the main character. It's a very innovative game.

    It is my 5th favorite Pokemon game:

    1. Gold/Silver

    2. Emerald

    3. Red/Blue

    4. Black/White

    5. This game

25. Yoshi's Story

    

26. Mario Party

    

    One of the best Nintendo 64 games ever! This game is such a classic and what I call back in my generation!

27. Pokémon Puzzle League