© Nintendo LifeIn celebration of this mighty 64-bit console’s 25th anniversary, we’re republishing this reader-ranked list of the top 50 Nintendo 64 games ever. As with all our Top 50 library lists, this ranking is is based on User Ratings in the Nintendo Life games database and is subject to fluctuation, even after publication!
So, if you haven’t rated your favourite N64 games, feel free to exert your influence and potentially switch up the order of the games below…
The Nintendo 64 is a console which tends to divide gamers. Launching back in 1996 (or 1997 in PAL regions) as the gaming industry’s bread-and-butter switched from sprites to polygons, the console represents — from a certain perspective — the first time Nintendo really dropped the ball. Tired of the platform holder’s licencing terms, many developers jumped ship to Sony’s PlayStation, attracted by fairer deals and cheaper disc-based media. In the meantime, Nintendo doubled down on an esoteric piece of hardware with confusing, kiddy-coloured controllers that were arguably out of step with gaming’s maturing audience.
On the other hand, for many gamers the N64 evokes some of our very warmest, strongest gaming memories. It was while brandishing this console’s three-pronged pad that many of us took our first steps into a three-dimensional Mushroom Kingdom or Hyrule, and the unrivalled excitement of 4-player split-screen Mario Kart or GoldenEye sticks in our mind like few other multiplayer experiences.
Thanks to the User Ratings submitted by readers, we present to you the top 50 N64 games ever. There’s no doubt that we’ve got a fine selection of 64-bit lovelies below, but remember, this list is not set in stone. The ranking will continue to evolve automatically according to user scores submitted to the Nintendo Life game database, so don’t worry if you missed out on ‘voting’ — you can still do so by simply scrolling down and rating them now!
And should the fancy take you, you can do the same for each of Nintendo’s consoles with our top 50 best games lists, including NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBC, GBA, Nintendo DS, 3DS, GameCube, Wii, Wii U and more.
So, plug in your Rumble / Controller / Transfer / Expansion Paks and get ready for the best N64 games of all time…
Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
Known as Jikkyō J-League 1999 Perfect Striker 2 in Japan, this was (predictably) the most polished of the three ISS outings on N64, although it’s also the least played thanks to its relatively late release (it launched nearly two years after ISS 98 and in the latter part of the console cycle). As a swansong to the series which sang on 64-bit hardware, ISS 2000 is a fitting send-off.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Rare
Blast Corps involves clearing a path for a slow-moving truck carrying a malfunctioning nuclear missile to a safe detonation zone – a zone which is blocked by buildings and other structures ripe for destruction. As with many 64-bit titles, its early polygonal visuals are arguably looking a little dogged these days, but don’t let its looks put you off. This incredibly silly concept makes for one of most fun games on the N64.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Rare
An underrated entry in the Rareware library, Jet Force Gemini coupled cute design with chunky, gungy third-person blasting in a world-hopping quest to defeat insectoid overlord Mizar. Juno, Vela and trusty good boy Lupus’ adventure is not without flaws, but JFG is a surprising deep and satisfying one that’s worth investigating if you’re a Rare fan looking for gems that passed you by around the turn of the millennium.
Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Paradigm Entertainment
Most people who played Beetle Adventure Racing! back in the day probably went in with low expectations, but coming from Paradigm Entertainment — a studio that worked with Nintendo on Pilotwings 64 and also made the excellent F-1 World Grand Prix games on the system — it’s a fun, beautifully constructed little racer that’s well worth revisiting.
Publisher: Acclaim / Developer: Iguana
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil was a technical showcase for the system which took the baton from the immensely popular first game and upped the ante in every possible way. Highlights include the Expansion Pak-powered 640×480 resolution visuals and the iconic Cerebral Bore, a gun that fired a brain-drilling bullet once you locked on to an enemy’s melon. Acclaim’s game is now available on Switch in remastered form courtesy of Night Dive Studios, although that version doesn’t come on a kickass black cartridge.
Publisher: LucasArts / Developer: LucasArts
Though this couldn’t rival F-Zero X in pure performance terms, it was still a very impressive racer which had a progression system with purchasable pod enhancements. Based on the best bit of The Phantom Menace (apart from the Darth Maul bits and all the soundtrack), it had a special two-pad mode similar to GoldenEye which enabled some twin-stick precision that more-closely mirrored the controls of the onscreen pods. Watto’s banter and post-race rendition of the Cantina theme is also excellent. It’s now available on Switch, too.
Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
Konami’s Major A studio took the solid foundation of ISS 64 and built upon it with some wonderful additions including an optional top-to-bottom view and the appearance of the referee on the pitch. That might sound like a tiny and almost insignificant detail, but having the ref onscreen blew our minds back in 1998. A beautiful game, indeed.
Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
A brilliant rendition of the most popular team sport in the world, ISS 64 had depth, beauty, accessibility and gloriously entertaining commentary to boot. Not ‘good’ commentary, per se, but entertaining nonetheless. The FIFA games might be maintaining possession these days, but back in the ’90s it was Konami who was really on the ball.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Quest
The N64 was notoriously underserved in a handful of genres — RPGs and fighters among them — but Ogre Battle 64 was a stellar strategy game. Following on from the series’ previous appearance on SNES, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s an fantastic example of the genre. It also features possibly the finest post-colon subtitle in gaming.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Rare
There are some who blame the collapse of the collectathon 3D platforming craze on Donkey Kong 64, and while it’s hard to argue that Rare perhaps went a little too far with the huge number of inconsequential collectable doohickeys, it’s a game which turns everything up to eleven and there’s something admirable about its unapologetic ‘more is more’ approach. With five playable Kongs (you know them well), huge worlds and an abundance of mini-games (including emulated versions of the original arcade Donkey Kong and Rare’s Jetpac), DK64 was one hell of a value proposition back in 1999 and we think it probably deserves re-evaluation after 20 years of bashing. C’mon Cranky, take it to the fridge.
