Yes, I know the SNES mini hasn’t been launched yet but let’s be honest – an N64 mini seems likely to happen at some point in the future so it’s worth discussing and speculating about.
I think the first thing to note is that Nintendo has always placed a higher monetary value on N64 games than SNES ones. It’s reasonable to expect therefore that an N64 mini will carry fewer titles than the SNES mini in the same way the SNES mini carried fewer titles than the NES mini. For the sake of speculation (and to prevent this simply becoming a "lets list all of the best 30-50 games on the N64) let’s say 15 so that some great games necessarily must be left out.
The second thing to note is that it must allow up to 4 controllers. The N64 was synonymous with 4-player games. They’d better manufacture a lot of extra controllers!
My guesses on game selection
The Obvious Selections
1. Mario 64
Obviously. It’s the most important game on the console and, even if it has a terrible headache inducing camera, some occasionally slippery controls and the odd bit of poor level design later on it’s still a great game.
Japanese rumble enhanced re-release version?
2. Zelda Ocarina of Time
I’m not it’s biggest fan – it’s not in my top 5 favourite Zelda games – but it is a huge and important game that’s still highly regarded.
3. Mario Kart 64
Again I’m not the biggest fan of Mario Kart 64 and it’s not my favourite Mario Kart by a long shot but it’s absolutely essential for the N64 mini.
The Early ‘Arcade-style’ hits
4. Wave Race 64
The N64 was a powerhouse and that power combined with the limited memory on the cartridges meant it often fared best supplying short but visually very impressive arcade style experiences. Wave Race 64 was the earliest. I think it’s still a great game that I’d happily play through again. Especially if it’s not the “built in Cinerama-scope” boxed version that we got in the UK.
Another game that had a less well known Japanese rumble enhanced re-release.
5. Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars
Great game, best in the series by far. Absolutely perfect for a device like the N64 mini.
The later ‘Arcade-style’ hits
6. F-Zero X
I think I prefer it over GX (I know I’m not alone in thinking that). Especially with the original controller! Even if you don’t rate it over GX it’s still a phenomenal game and like Mario Kart 64 and Star Fox 64 it has a good 4-player mode.
7. 1080 degrees Snowboarding
A great follow up to Wave Race that manages to be even more of an arcade game (albeit one that had some more realistic feeling mechanics). It’s not quite as essential as Wave Race 64 because it’s not as closely associated with the console but it would still be very welcome.
Decent games in ongoing franchises that Nintendo owns outright and are therefore easy to include
8. Kirby 64
2d platformers weren’t many in number on the N64. I’ve never personally played Kirby 64 but it’s something that a lot of people would expect on an N64 compilation.
9. Yoshi’s Story
Another 2d platformer. I actually really liked Yoshi’s Story – I think it was misunderstood at the time and seen as a disappointment because it’s not in the same class as Yoshi’s Island (but very little is).
10. Paper Mario
Not as good as TTYD (which might be one of the best RPGs ever made) but Paper Mario is still a lot of fun.
11. Donkey Kong 64
I am not a fan but it’s there – Nintendo owns it though, some people love it and it’s a prime example of the excesses of Rare on the N64. Jetpac is really great too!
12. Smash Bros
It lacks a lot of the bells and whistles added with Melee but in some ways I think that works to its advantage as a game.
Now at this point there are 3 slots remaining. I’d certainly expect all of the above to be included but how it goes beyond that I’m not sure. There are a few things that need to be considered…
Goldeneye
For many people Goldeneye was the game on the N64. Including it would require navigating a remarkable number of licensing hurdles but it would be worth it. If it can’t be done then the console loses a lot of its potential audience and, ontop of that, you have to find another FPS to fill the gap and accurately reflect the composition of the N64 library (which had a lot of good FPSs).
Turok or Turok 2 (for its multiplayer mode) would be the obvious choices but (aside from not being great games in hindsight) it would raise the age rating of the whole machine for very little gain.
So that’s slot 13 one way or another.
Rare
They made many, many games on the N64. Some were great (Diddy Kong Racing and Goldeneye), some were very good but flawed (Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini) and some were awful and highly over-rated (Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Tooie). Since they’re owned by Microsoft the odds of seeing them all is low. Buy Rare Replay.
Aside from Goldeneye I think a lot of people would like to see Banjo Kazooie or Diddy Kong Racing (which would be less interesting in the context of the collection described above but perhaps more achievable since Microsoft can’t re-release it themselves).
Potentially that’s slot 14.
Pokemon
It hit during the N64 era and there were a few Pokemon games on the N64. The 2 Pokemon stadium games (3 in Japan) are the standout but they’re only really half a game without a GameBoy cartridge.
The two that would make the most sense would be Pokemon Snap and Pokemon Puzzle League. Maybe it’d make more sense to include them both and not Diddy Kong Racing?
The Star Fox 2 style bonus
Just give us the 64DD expansion pack for F-Zero X already please Nintendo.
There are a few games that could be honourable mentions – Excitebike 64 was a fantastic later era arcade style game that more people should play. Had it been released in 1997 people would look back on it as one of the highlights of the system but because it wasn’t I don’t think it belongs in a list of “the 15 most iconic N64 games).
I think Majoras Mask is a better game than Ocarina of Time but I don’t think you need both and if you’re only putting one on there you definitely go with Ocarina.
Mischief Makers was a better game than Yoshi’s Story but is it really right to put 3 of the N64s 4 2d platformers on an N64 mini?
Legend of the Mystical Ninja could definitely fit in on the list.
…
It’s not as good a collection of games as the SNES mini (because the console wasn’t home to as many great games) but it’s still very worthwhile and – looking at the list I’ve put together – to a casual “pick up and play this game I remember from my youth for 10-15 minutes every now and then” audience it might actually be a better proposition.
Even though they are all great games, there is no way they are going to put 4 racing games on it (5 or 6 if you add Diddy Kong Racing and Excitebike 64). Also, I have played all of the games you mentioned which is why I am less excited for a potential N64 Mini, so hopefully there would be some good surprises that I just don't know or can't remember. Any obvious choices I wouldn't really care for. I would love to retry Mischief Makers, though. I remember really enjoying it, but that's all I really remember, so it would be fun to play it again.
That's a very interesting list. I agree on goldeneye : it would be dearly missed by many and I'm sure I'd spend as much time on it as on all the other games united.
I'd add a very early game, that many didn't like, when it actually presented a great challenge and varied gameplay : Pilotwings 64.
Mario Party would also be interresting for multiplayer (though idk which one is the best on the system)
Also a couple of third parties couldn't hurt. Our favoutites (yes, I used to be a collective at the time) were :
I fully expect this to have no more than 15 game if it gets made.
I can see them adding...
1- Mario 64.
2- Mario Kart.
3- A Mario Party. Probably 2.
4- A Mario sports game, preferably golf. Proably starfox instead.
5- Ocarina of Time.
6- Paper Mario.
7- F-Zero.
8- Dr Mario or Puzzle League. But probably DK 64 because they don't care about puzzles.
9- Smash Bros 64.
10- Wave race 64 or that snowboarding game. Because sports.
11- Kirby 64.
12- Pokemon Snap. Maybe Yoshi's Story instead, because Pokemon Company.
The third party corner:
13- Resident Evil 2.
14- Bomberman 64.
15- Castlevania 64.
Probably won't happen, for one that controller is pretty bad, two the game graphics don't hold up in the same way the simplicity of the NES or the bit style mastery of the SNES, and three , many games needed to fill out a juicy roster would have licensing issues (007 being the big one). I think we'd see a Super Gameboy with added SG2 color games before a 64. Of course I'd buy it!
This would be the list most likely:
1. Mario 64
2. Mario Kart 64
3. Smash Bros
4. Zelda OOT
5. Zelda Majora's Mask
6. Kirby Crystal Shards
7. Bomberman 64
8. Mega Man 64
9. Dr. Mario 64
10. Paper Mario
11. Wave Race 64 (either this or FZero X)
12. Mario Party 2
13. 1080 Snowboarding
14. Diddy Kong Racing
15. Donkey Kong 64
16. Harvest Moon 64
17. Star Fox 64
18. Pokemon Snap!
19. Pokemon Stadium
20. Pilot Wings 64
*I think there would be only 15 games
**Don't see Resident Evil 2 being here because it'd change the rating for the whole system package
***Castlevanias 64s were god awful, but Simon's Quest was on the NES Classic
****Yoshi's Story feels pretty broken, don't see that on there
*****We didn't see Super Star Wars so we won't see SW here
If they did make one it would probably contain Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Smash Bros., Kirby 64, F-Zero X, Donkey Kong 64 (basically the only "Rare" representation they can easily include), StarFox 64, Paper Mario, a Mario Party (probably 2), and probably a Mario sports game (Tennis probably more likely), Yoshi's Story.
Mischief Makers was a third-party game though (Treasure). Though Treasure also made Sin & Punishment, another possible inclusion (although wasn't that a T game, compared to most of the likely games being E). Another likely third-party game is one of the few that has been released on VC, Ogre Battle 64 (though I think that is also a T).
Yes, there was a Dr. Mario 64. It was one of the last games made, possibly a NA exclusive? (though I've heard the Dr. Mario mode on the Japanese GameCube "Nintendo Puzzle Collection" was a port of that game)
Possibly Pokemon Puzzle League, maybe. The other Pokemon spinoffs can probably be ruled out since they kind of lose a purpose without Game Boy support (Stadium), picture sharing (Snap) or microphone (Hey You, Pikachu! This would be another thing they're not going to include for technical difficulty. I've heard Pikachu's voice rec was tuned towards recognizing child voices than adults?)
Japan would probably get the original Animal Crossing since that's another major franchise covered.
However, one other thing that could be stopping it is the controller. It's a more advanced device than the NES and SNES, with analog. Possibly more tricky to recreate and more expensive, especially if they wanted enough around for four-player support. Wasn't the N64 Control Stick's design considered rough on the thumbs (and I'm thinking besides Mario Party 1 blisters, of which Nintendo's response was like "you're not holding the controller the right way, but if you're going to keep doing that, you should wear gloves".)
@FriedSquid
i will agree. the only game this system should be allowed to have on it is doom 64
the_shpydar wrote:
As @ogo79 said, the SNS-RZ-USA is a prime giveaway that it's not a legit retail cart.
And yes, he is (usually) always right, and he is (almost) the sexiest gamer out there (not counting me) ;)
After the reveal of Star Fox 2, I'm just waiting for the Wii classic now and THAT cancelled Rogue squadron game. Everything else pales in insignificance now!
All aboard the hype train 🚂
@Meowpheel Right, it would have to be Activision as well since I belive they have the Bond game license now.
If Nintendo did make one you can almost bet none of the games that are on the Rare replay will be on it like Killer Instinct Gold, Perfect Dark, Banjo, and Jet Force Gemini as MS won't want to give people a reason no to buy their products.
I would want the WWF games but I wouldn't see that happening due to licensing and naming issues.
Other then those games I can't see me buying a N64 Classic if they made one. I have more then enough versions of Ocarina of Time and I wasn't big on Mario 64 and other then that I can't think of many other games I enjoyed on the N64.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
After the reveal of Star Fox 2, I'm just waiting for the Wii classic now and THAT cancelled Rogue squadron game. Everything else pales in insignificance now!
All aboard the hype train 🚂
I doubt that will ever happen as the difference between that as Star Fox 2 is that Nintendo owns the rights to Star Fox where as Disney owns the rights to Star Wars. Disney is also making it clear that everything before they owned Starwars besides episodes 1-6 never existed.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
@ogo79 Knowing your opinion on the N64, don't you think representative games on that would be Superman 64 as well as Quest 64 (of course without memory card support, since I don't think Nintendo bothered with that on VC)?
I remember playing Gex 3 (before I quit after losing saves to my third-party memory card) and while it wasn't exactly Mario 64, the random voices got annoying rather fast (not sure if it was different on the PS1 version, since of course that was CD and was supposed to have more voice with all the space. Or was he still annoying, just saying different things while he was being annoying?)
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