N64
Image: Nintendo Life / Zion Grassl

The Nintendo 64 tends to divide gamers. Launching as the gaming industry's bread and butter switched from sprites to polygons, it represents — from a certain perspective — the first time Nintendo really dropped the ball, ceding ground to Sony and its upstart PlayStation.

The N64 was at the vanguard of polygonal gaming in the nascent 3D era, though, and hosted several unimpeachable classics of the medium. It was while brandishing this console's three-pronged pad that we took our first steps into a three-dimensional Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule, and the unrivalled excitement of four-player split-screen Mario Kart or GoldenEye produced memories we'll never forget.

We've compiled this list of the best N64 games ever to help you relive those treasured memories, or maybe clue you in on 64-bit classics that deserve a spot in your retro collection. So, plug in your Rumble / Controller / Transfer / Expansion Paks and get ready for the best N64 games of all time...

The 50 Top N64 Games

50. Duke Nukem 64 (N64)

This 64-bit port of 3D Realms' Duke Nukem 3D was handled by Eurocom, who would later take the Duke out on the town in the third-person Duke Nukem: Zero Hour.

Adding a host of features and level elements acquired from the PC's Atomic Edition, plus Rumble Pak compatibility, splitscreen multiplayer, the N64 port also toned some of Duke's excesses - notably when it came to his potty mouth and references of an 'adult' nature.

The cuts didn't affect the meaty gunplay, though, and the multiplayer in particular gave the N64 faithful more ammo in the playground against those trendy PlayStation types.

49. Beetle Adventure Racing! (N64)

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.

48. Pokémon Stadium (N64)

Pokémon Stadium was a revolutionary step up for the monster-catching franchise, and that's not just due to the fact that we got to see all 151 critters in full-fledged 3D.

The inclusion of the GB Tower, as well as allowing players to experience Pokémon characters in fun new ways through minigames and the Pokémon Lab, felt remarkably fresh and offered a new perspective on our repository of 'mons.

Sure, the battling can get a bit repetitive and lengthy, but the awesome visuals, animations, and commentary can help keep this from becoming mundane. If you're playing this on NSO, you're of course limited to rental teams, but there's plenty to love here if you're an OG fan. And the Lickitung sushi minigame is ace.

47. Hydro Thunder (N64)

If you were rocking an Expansion Pak in your '64, four-player was an option in this Eurocom-developed port of Midway's arcade powerboat racer, so it doubled the multiplayer count compared to Wave Race 64.

Unfortunately for Hydro Thunder, the water simulation in Nintendo's Jet Ski racer had a dynamism and satisfying, realistic feel that this just couldn't match, even though it launched over three years later. Don't get us wrong: there's fun to be had in Hydro Thunder's OTT courses and floaty physics, even if it can't capture the arcade thrills of the 1998 original. We've got a soft spot for the blue cartridge it came on, too.

But when it comes to 64-bit water-based racers, Wave Race was in another league.

46. Jet Force Gemini (N64)

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 surprisingly 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.

45. Worms Armageddon (N64)

It took a while to arrive on the system, but courtesy of Infogrames Worms Armageddon delivered a hefty payload of classic turn-based destruction when it finally landed on N64 in 2000. It's an excellent multiplayer game on pretty much every platform, and the N64 was a great way to enjoy the series' exploding sheep, Holy hand grenades and general invertebrate carnage.

44. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (N64)

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 640x480 resolution visuals and the iconic Cerebral Bore, a gun that fired a brain-drilling bullet once you locked onto an enemy's melon.

In addition to its NSO iteration, Acclaim's game is available on Switch in remastered form courtesy of Nightdive Studios. Neither of these versions come on a kickass black cartridge, unfortunately.

43. WCW/nWo Revenge (N64)

From the makers of the excellent WWF No Mercy, this was the last WCW game AKI worked on before publisher THQ got its hands on the WWF licence.

WCW/nWo Revenge was light years ahead of Acclaim's efforts in the genre elsewhere at the time, and some would argue that it remains one of the best, if not the best, wrestling game of all time.

42. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (N64)

Edge of Reality's port of Neversoft's first Tony Hawk game arrived around six months after the PlayStation version and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (or Tony Hawk's Skateboarding as it was known in Europe) stands up very well gameplay-wise on Nintendo 64, although the reduced storage space on a cartridge versus Sony's discs means texture quality and, more importantly, audio both take a hit.

It's still a fine way to play the first game, though with the excellent remaster on Switch that bundles in its sequel, Nintendo gamers have a better option these days.

41. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (N64)

How do you update Mortal Kombat 3 for a second time? Well, you add in the locations and fighters from the first two games and call it a day. That's a rather crude way of putting it, because Mortal Kombat Trilogy is actually rather good, though it's true that the N64 version did come with a few caveats like missing characters and inferior audio quality.

Even so, what you've got here is a solid celebration of the early 2D era of Mortal Kombat, and a good way to transition over to the 3D realm.

40. Star Wars Episode I: Racer (N64)

Based on the best bit of The Phantom Menace (apart from the Darth Maul bits and all the soundtrack), Star Wars Episode 1: Racer tapped into the same vein of high-octane antigrav racing as WipeOut and F-Zero X.

While not quite as smooth or accomplished, it utterly captured the energy of the movie sequence and threw in a deep upgrade and trading system and a dual-handed, two-pad control scheme more closely mirroring the onscreen pod controls, which really let you relive the thrill of boosting past Sebulba, Ben Quadinaros, and... erm, the rest.

The Game Boy Color got a limited top-down version, but the N64 iteration is one of the best games ever to bear the Star Wars brand. Watto’s banter and post-race rendition of the Cantina theme are also excellent. Happily, a Switch port of the game is now available with some HD spit polish and a lovely smooth frame. Utinni!

39. Quake II (N64)

Quake II excels at providing a fast-paced first-person shooter experience on N64, and one which feels quite different from system stalwarts GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark.

The single-player is a gruelling task, if only because of the enemies’ resilience to almost all kinds of weaponry, not to mention that hitting them is a bit difficult when you move so fast that your shots don’t line up with your crosshair. That’s not to say that it isn’t fun, but it nevertheless requires some patience. These issues are also present in the multiplayer mode, but given that each player is at the same disadvantage, it isn’t as big an issue. Moreover, the multiplayer feels surprisingly nippy for an N64 game and usually maintains a playable frame rate even with four players.

It may not be as memorable or as deep in terms of gameplay as its Rare competition on the system, but Quake II is nevertheless entertaining, and especially worth experiencing if you miss the glory days of the arena multiplayer shooter. Playable on Switch via the remaster, too.

38. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (N64)

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 a fantastic example of the genre, a real all-timer. It also features possibly the finest post-colon subtitle in gaming.

37. Pilotwings 64 (N64)

Pilotwings 64 was a brilliant launch title for the system which showcased its features and provided players with a lovely flight sim adventure — something worthy of playing alongside the mighty Super Mario 64.

It proved to be a diverting companion piece for early adopters which built on the Super NES original with gameplay equal parts tense and relaxing. Cracking game.

36. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, HAL Laboratory managed to keep the core structure many knew and loved about the Kirby series while glossing it up with a shiny coat of polygonal paint for the new console generation.

Kirby's 64-bit foray into the third dimension (well, kinda — it's 2.5D, or on-rails 3D, if you prefer) stands out as one of the more unique entries in the series, feeling somewhat fresh in comparison to the many, many 2D Kirby platformers and still pleasurable to play to this day.

35. Mischief Makers (N64)

A side-scrolling platformer on a system with very few of those to its name, and one from the makers of Gunstar Heroes, no less! Treasure's Mischief Makers is a brilliant little 2.5D platformer that has gained a cult following over the years, but made little impact at the time.

Back in the late '90s, anything that wasn't 3D was largely dismissed by the mainstream as old hat. Do yourself a favour and track this one down if it passed you by. Also, NSO when?

34. Goemon's Great Adventure (N64)

This sequel took the character and colour of the original and threw in a bonus co-op mode for another wonderfully entertaining platform adventure with an off-the-wall Japanese flavour.

There's an argument to be had over which is best, and we tend to lean towards the original, but Goemon's Great Adventure is a fine game, too.

33. Harvest Moon 64 (N64)

As with most entries in this farm sim series, let its gentle cycle of farm work and soil-based simulation seep into you and Harvest Moon 64 has the potential to suck hours and days from your life.

It's hardly a technical tour-de-force, but tending livestock, sewing seeds, harvesting your crops and striking up a relationship doesn't require massive hardware horsepower, and the series' 64-bit entry is as engrossing as any.

32. Blast Corps (N64)

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 a Rare gem and one of the most fun games on the N64.

31. Mario Party (N64)

The game that got the Party started. Mario Party kicked things off raucously and without it, we wouldn't be able to keep holding the most almighty of Nintendo parties at NL Towers.

Feuds that have lasted a lifetime may have spawned thanks to this game back in 1998. Conspiracy theories that Nintendo created this game solely to force the purchase of additional controllers after Aunt Susan and Uncle Stan destroyed your analogue sticks are spurious.

Mario Party's slate of minigames truly shines, with Bumper Ball, Face Lift, and Mushroom Mix-Up helping to cement a legacy that endures to this day.

30. Donkey Kong 64 (N64)

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 collectible doohickeys, it's a game which turns everything up to 11 and there's something admirable about its unapologetic everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach.

With five playable Kongs (you know them well), huge worlds, and an abundance of minigames (including emulated versions of the original arcade Donkey Kong and Ultimate Play the Game's Jetpac), DK64 was one hell of a value proposition back in 1999 and we think it probably deserves re-evaluation after decades of bashing. C'mon Cranky, take it to the fridge.

29. Rayman 2: The Great Escape (N64)

A very strong 3D platformer from a time when you couldn't move for them, Rayman 2: The Great Escape saw Ubisoft's gangly protagonist make the jump from 2D in a colourful adventure that delivers practically everything you could want from the genre.

It's not quite on the level of Rare or Nintendo's efforts, perhaps, but it's still a fine, fine game up there with the very best.

28. Pokémon Snap (N64)

Sitting in a vehicle moving along a set path as you take photographs might not seem like much fun, but Pokémon Snap quickly proves to be a highly enjoyable, if short-lived, experience.

The quest to find a few more Pokémon or score better to open up new stages or get a useful item keeps you engaged for the game's brief duration and the variety of creatures and their actions keeps things interesting when replaying stages. There are only 63 Pokémon to find, and it can be cleared very quickly, but there's plenty of opportunity for new and improved (or funnier) photos with each playthrough.

The Switch sequel may have far eclipsed this one, but Pokémon Snap's inhabitants will surely bring a smile to your face.

27. Doom 64 (N64)

Thankfully re-released on Switch and other consoles, DOOM 64 offered a unique take on the series' brand of shooting quite unlike previous iterations. It's different, yes, but different doesn't mean 'bad', and it's achieved something of a cult status over the years.

The Switch port means it's easier (and cheaper) to play these days, but real fans know that you need an N64 controller in your hands to get the true DOOM 64 experience. Yep.

26. Sin and Punishment (N64)

Gamers in the West wouldn't be able to get their hands on Treasure's hectic N64 on-rails shooter (not easily, that is — there was always the option to import) until it came to the Wii Virtual Console.

On original release it quickly became a cult classic thanks to its developer's heritage and its Japan-only status, and while it's probably not worth importing a Japanese console to enjoy this game alone (we did, but we're a bit obsessive) — and its sequel Sin and Punishment: Star Successor for Wii arguably improves on this foundation in every way — this is still a very fine shooter from a very fine developer.

Cracking box art, too.

25. Mario Golf (N64)

Camelot brought Mario and his golfing pals onto the 3D fairways in this excellent entry in his catalogue of sports games. This game also linked up with the superlative Mario Golf for Game Boy Color. They're very different games, and the handheld version is probably even better thanks to its brilliant RPG elements, but together they make an unbeatable pair.

When we're disappointed that later games like Mario Golf: Super Rush don't match the quality of older entries, it's Mario Golf that we're remembering with a faraway wistful look in our eyes.

24. WWF No Mercy (N64)

Much like every sport in video game form, the history of wrestling games is littered with plenty of lows, a mass of middling efforts, and a handful of highs; WWF No Mercy is very much in the latter category. In fact, with depth and heft that's often missing from wrestling games two decades on, it's a legitimate contender for the greatest wrestling game ever made.

For a system with a paucity of one-on-one combat titles, AKI's game is an extravagantly large feather in the console's cap.

23. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (N64)

You'd be forgiven for thinking of Tony Hawk as a predominantly PlayStation franchise, especially in the early days, but Birdman turned up on practically every console of the day and got a bunch of N64 ports which stand up very well alongside their disc-based counterparts.

Edge of Reality's version may have come a year after the PlayStation game, but it holds its own in almost every department (besides audio, thanks to the restrictions of the cartridge format). We're very partial to the Game Boy Advance version, too, but Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 served skate-loving Nintendo gamers the full-fat experience on home console back in the day.

22. Pokémon Stadium 2 (N64)

The original Pokémon Stadium was fine, but Pokémon Stadium 2 expanded the concept of a 3D companion cartridge to play alongside the mainline Game Boy games.

It included Pokémon from both the Johto and Kanto regions and offered some juicy extras if you owned the Game Boy entries (we pity whoever had a Pokémon Stadium game without owning Blue, Red, Yellow, Gold, or Silver!).

Only in the soundtrack department did it arguably not live up to its predecessor, but otherwise this felt like the 'proper' execution of the concept.

21. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64)

A blend of genres with an emphasis on platforming, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon makes you pine for the days when Konami still made video games.

A surreal Japanese platforming adventure that combines a cast of colourful characters with oddball and endearing humour, it's a minor classic that's still worth playing today — a real gem in the console's catalogue

20. Mario Tennis (N64)

The first in the Mario Tennis series (second, if you count Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy) was one half of a winning doubles team in the Mushroom Kingdom sports department from Camelot — the studio also released the brilliant Mario Golf for N64, as well as Game Boy Color versions of each game that linked up with their home console cousins via the Transfer Pak.

Mario's played a lot of tennis over the years, but this remains one of his finest on-court displays.

19. Wave Race 64 (N64)

Whatever you do, don't go back and play Wave Race 64.

Its incredible water physics, tight controls, chunky visuals, and titanic brilliance will immediately have you degenerate into a forum-lingering whinger and you won't be able to stop yourself complaining about the absence of this series (and F-Zero, and 1080° Snowboarding) from Nintendo consoles since the GameCube, and how Nintendo hates its fans and doesn't want their money, and how the success of the Switch means there's space for these 'lesser-known' franchises to make a return, and how we can't have nice things, and...

18. Mario Party 3 (N64)

The third and final fiesta thrown by Mario on the Nintendo 64, the Mario Party formula was well-established by this point.

Hudson Soft saw no reason to change it in any way or kick it up a gear beyond a new influx of minigames, but that doesn't stop Mario Party 3 from being a quintessential entry in the series: a riot with multiple friends, and a soul-crushing grind for a lonely single player... but why would anyone play Mario Party on their own? Well, for the brand-new story mode of course!

We all know the real reason this places as high as it does. No, it's not the fact you can hold three items, but rather that Daisy and Waluigi make their polished party debut. As the final Mario game to be released on the N64 (except in Australia), it was a darn good send-off.

17. Resident Evil 2 (N64)

Resident Evil 2 is, in a sense, where the modern series as we know it began. The first game was terrifying, but the production values of the original version — with its cheesy FMV sequences and questionable dialogue — put it in the realm of the straight-to-video horror genre. That would get retconned with REmake, but Resident Evil 2 upped the ante considerably in every way and established the look and feel that the series embraced from then on.

The Nintendo 64 version of the PlayStation classic is a technically incredible port in its own right, with the GameCube version being sharper, but arguably less interesting. There's also the critically acclaimed REmake 2 available on Switch via the cloud if you're looking to sample a brilliantly reimagined version of this iconic game.

16. Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While the racers themselves might not have been truly 3D (rather they were detailed Donkey Kong Country-style sprites created from 3D character renders), Mario Kart 64's huge, undulating circuits still showed off the benefits of 64-bit hardware. It added inclines, items, obstacles, and a four-player multiplayer mode to the winning formula Nintendo cooked up on Super NES. This is also the game which gave us Toad's Turnpike.

Each iteration of the Mario Kart series adds a little something new, but following on from the flat circuits of Super Mario Kart, there's arguably been nothing quite like this first jump to 3D-except-for-the-racers. Like any Mario Kart game, add three friends and you'll have an epic time in no time.

15. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (N64)

Factor 5's first foray into the cockpit of a Rebel fighter, Rogue Squadron gave N64 owners some real fodder to use in playground arguments about which consoles had the best games. With the Expansion Pak plugged in, this was a real looker for the time, and the console's spindly analogue stick suited its arcade-y flight mechanics perfectly. With plenty of audio dialogue and all the customary Star Wars sound effects, this was a cracking game which still holds up well today.

Its GameCube sequel prettified the visuals (and still looks gorgeous all these years later), but the base mechanics in the N64 original still feel fantastic, so if you're looking for a galactic dose of quality flyboy action, Rogue (Squadron) One is standing by.

14. Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)

Another iconic entry in the N64 catalogue from Rare, Conker's Bad Fur Day stood out proudly from the pack of cutesy platformers as a fouled-mouthed, blood-filled, scatological comedy. We're still a little blindsided that a Nintendo second-party dev put out a game full of swears, to be honest — even the Xbox remake bleeped most of them out.

Conker was a technological triumph for the ageing 64-bit system when it launched in 2001, and while the movie parodies are very much of their time and the humour won't hit the spot with everyone, the drunken squirrel still knows how to have a good time.

13. Banjo-Tooie (N64)

Following the James Cameron school of thought for sequels, Banjo-Tooie takes a 'more is more' approach, with larger worlds, a host of minigames, an expanded moveset (including new first-person sections), Mumbo Jumbo as a playable character, bosses, and a multiplayer mode, plus the ability to separate the dynamic duo at certain times.

Although it arguably flirts with the sort of excesses that made Donkey Kong 64 feel grindy at times, it's a big, chewy sequel, and one that holds up very well all these years later — perhaps thanks to a couple of decades' worth of training in the huge and interconnected open worlds of other games.

Banjo-Tooie is filled to the brim with the series' trademark brand of cheeky fairytale wonder and fans will find a whole lot to love.

12. Mario Party 2 (N64)

There ain't no party like a Mario Party, although he sure has thrown an awful lot of them.

Of the three Hudson-developed minigame bonanzas that came out on N64, Mario Party 2 is arguably the fan favourite. This is where Battle, Item, and Duel minigames got their start, and you could spend all the time in the world practising them before you start, so you can ensure you're prepped for party play.

Obviously, you'll still need three friends to get the most out of this, but the first sequel built on the foundation of the original and steered the series on a steady course which now extends well into double figures. Even decades on, it stands as one of the best party games ever, and it's available on Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.

Just watch those Joy-Con analogue sticks — they're fragile at the best of times!

11. Diddy Kong Racing (N64)

Diddy Kong Racing did for Mario Kart 64 pretty much what Banjo-Kazooie would soon do for Super Mario 64; namely, take the template put down by Nintendo and expand on it with colour and creativity to produce far more than a mere homage.

DKR expanded the single-player into an adventure and the addition of planes and hovercraft required much larger, more complex circuits to race around. The game also provided the console debuts of Banjo and Conker. What more do you want, jam on it?

10. F-Zero X (N64)

Forum wars continue to wage over whether F-Zero X or its successor on GameCube is the superior white-knuckle futuristic racer. Both are essential, of course. The 64-bit entry is metal: pure, simple, guitar-screeching, all-out metal. EAD stripped back extraneous detail to achieve the smoothest, most blistering and nail-bitingly precise racing experience.

At this speed, on these dizzying tracks, even the tiniest prod on the spindly analogue stick matters, and the original N64 pad offers peak precision for micro-adjustments which make the difference between gracefully sweeping through a corner with nary a pixel to spare… or catching said corner and ricocheting between barriers to an explosive, humiliating retirement.

How much more metal could this get? None. None more metal. Flaming skulls and chromed motorcycles would actually reduce the metal content of this game.

9. Super Smash Bros. (N64)

Bearing in mind how carefully Nintendo began managing its characters and their image after the misfire of the (first) Super Mario Bros. movie in the early '90s, it's remarkable that the original Super Smash Bros. and its inter-franchise scrapping got off the drawing board at HAL Laboratory. Fortunately, Masahiro Sakurai's crossover brawler was permitted to exist.

At the time, the idea of a 'platform' fighting game without health bars was pretty revolutionary. Instead, as you beat up your opponent, they'd become more vulnerable to knockback from your attacks, with the aim being to knock them out of the arena entirely. Catering for up to four players with a simple control scheme (especially compared to other fighting games) and the addition of weapons and power-ups to spice things up, this first Smash was a rock-solid foundation for a series that would become one of the world's biggest fighting franchises.

The number of combatants and complexity of the N64 original may pale in comparison with later rosters, which plucked from the annals of video gaming history, but we still look back fondly on the very first time we had the opportunity to open a can of whoop-ass on Pikachu.

8. Perfect Dark (N64)

An incredible follow-up to GoldenEye which threw in every idea the developers at Rare could muster (plus a kitchen sink or two), Perfect Dark really stretched the Nintendo 64 hardware and was arguably the most ambitious game on the console.

James Bond was never going to be an easy act to follow, but Joanna Dark's noir-ish sci-fi was as good a spiritual sequel as you could hope to have — close to perfect, in fact — and nearly two-and-a-half decades on, it still stands as a remarkable achievement.

7. Paper Mario (N64)

Over two decades later, Paper Mario might not look as sharp as it once did, but it holds up very well where it matters and jostles with The Thousand-Year Door for the title of 'Best Paper Mario Game'.

The N64 original does very well to ease Mario fans into a new style of adventure while providing a depth for RPG gamers that you might not expect from the paper-thin premise. With a great supporting cast and buckets of trademark Nintendo charm, the OG is up there with the best. Play it on Switch if you missed out.

6. Star Fox 64 (N64)

Known as Lylat Wars in Europe, Star Fox 64 originally came in a whopping great box containing a Rumble Pak and was many a gamer's introduction to force feedback on console. It paired beautifully with the cinematic battles and derring-do of Fox McCloud and his team's cinematic dogfighting in this on-rails shooter.

It's still an excellent game all these years later, with thrilling action, delicate and precise controls, stirring music, humour, spectacle, and edge-of-your-seat excitement. Sure, it's got a surplus of Slippy Toad, but you can't have everything.

Whether you're enjoying it on original hardware or playing via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, a quick blast through this and it's clear to see why so many people think the Star Fox series peaked with its first sequel. It's not just the nostalgia talking — it really holds up beautifully decades later.

5. Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Rareware put out several platformers on Nintendo 64, each with their own pros and cons, but the Twycross team arguably never topped the debut of the bear and bird. There's something in the precise platforming and fairytale formula of Banjo-Kazooie that resulted in the quintessential 3D collectathon.

It's big, but not sprawling; sweet, but not sickly; challenging, but never unfair (okay, a couple of those Rusty Bucket Bay jiggys walk a fine line). From the roaming grublins to Mumbo Jumbo's hilarious transformations, its colourful characters and varied worlds are shot through with humour, adorable animation, tight controls, and an 'oom-pah' musical box soundtrack that nails the spirit of a cheeky storybook adventure perfectly.

Mario 64 might have the edge when it comes to prestige, invention, and influence — that's the one you vote for with your head — but Banjo steals hearts. An absolutely brilliant game.

4. GoldenEye 007 (N64)

The best movie tie-in ever made? Not only was Rare's game (which after decades finally broke out of its Nintendo 64-shaped cell onto Switch and Xbox) hugely influential on the console FPS genre, but it also gave N64 owners a proper 'adult' experience to sink their teeth into.

At a time when PlayStation was too cool for school, GoldenEye 007 provided some real ammo in the console wars, and its four-player deathmatches — remarkably, a last-minute addition before the game went gold — led to some of the best multiplayer memories we have, for any system. You Only Live Twice>Bunker>Power Weapons? How about Licence to Kill>Facility>Pistols?

We're easy, but whatever you do, make sure you've got 'Sight ON Auto-Aim OFF'. And no Odd Job.

3. Super Mario 64 (N64)

The 3D platformer that defined what that label meant, it's remarkable just how much Shigeru Miyamoto and his team got right with its first foray.

It feels effortless, as if these mechanics were somehow self-evident or arrived at through natural evolution. Nintendo absolutely nailed the formula from the very beginning – so much so that the basic 3D template hasn't really changed much, even today. We still control Mario much as we first did with that wonderfully odd-looking N64 controller.

Super Mario 64 is available on Switch if you nabbed a time-limited copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars or as part of a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, and blather on endlessly about its genre-birthing mechanics, how it set the stage for 3D gaming as we know it, and the infinity of tiny details that make this a joy to fire up all these years later.

But you know all that. Do yourself a favour and blast through a couple of dozen stars next time you're pondering what to play. It still feels almost as good as it did the very first time.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

Known colloquially around these parts as Majora's Marmite, the three-day cycle added a constant pressure that turned off many players. However, that cycle is also key to the unique way Majora's Mask focuses on its cast of uncanny characters and soaks the adventure in melancholy and madness.

In fact, 'adventure' isn't quite the right word for this Zelda game. It's more of a Lynchian dreamscape in cartridge form, which isn't for everyone. The excellent 3DS remake is the best way to play these days thanks to some welcome additions for managing your limited time, although the original is conveniently available to play via Nintendo Switch Online.

Wherever you play, the clockwork land of Termina offers something truly unique in the Zelda series.

Oh, and we don't really call it Majora's Marmite.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Ocarina of Time brought The Legend of Zelda into the third dimension as successfully as the plumber made the same leap in Super Mario 64. Yet where Nintendo could throw any playground-style idea into Mario's 64-bit debut, Ocarina had to tell a story and evoke a consistent mood throughout.

Going back these days, the frame rate and cumbersome menus may surprise you, and Hyrule Field feels decidedly smaller (more like a field, in fact) compared to the vast kingdom of Hyrule presented in Breath of the Wild, but the pure magic of the game still shines through any ageing systems.

This set the template for not only every subsequent Zelda title, but also the majority of action-adventure games from the past two-and-a-half decades; no wonder it's so revered.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on 3DS is the more streamlined version, but there are things that Grezzo's excellent remake couldn't quite recapture. Whether it's the Rumble Pak compatibility or the 64-bit mist hanging over Lake Hylia in the early hours, the N64 original still has that special something.

So there we are: the top 50 Nintendo 64 games of all time, as ranked by you lovely people. What a system, eh? Feel free to let us know your absolute 64-bit favourites, and the ones bubbling under, in the comments.

Nintendo 64 FAQ

Before we wrap things up, let's answer some common questions readers have about the N64.

When was the Nintendo 64 console released?

The N64 release date varied between territories, so your personal N64 launch date depends on your region.

Europeans had to wait nine months for the N64 to arrive, while US gamers only had a three-month wait following the Japan launch.

Here's when the N64 released in the three major gaming regions:

  • Japan: June 23rd, 1996
  • US: September 29th, 1996
  • UK/Europe: March 1st, 1997

How many N64 games are there?

According to Wikipedia’s list of N64 games, a total of 388 Nintendo 64 games were released during the console’s entire lifespan. Compared to some consoles, that's quite a small library!

There’s some variation in the number of releases between regions — Japan in particular got many games which never got an overseas release — but you'll find all N64 games listed by region on that page.

What were the best four-player N64 games?

The N64 featured four controller ports on the front and many games offered splitscreen multiplayer, which was a huge boon for young gamers at the time.

Here's our pick of the best four-player N64 games from the article above. If you'd like more details, scroll up to find them - we’ve included the rankings to help you find them.

  • #49 - Snowboard Kids
  • #41 - Ouake 2
  • #32 - Mario Party
  • #20 - Mario Tennis
  • #18 - Mario Kart 64
  • #17 - Mario Party 3
  • #12 - Mario Party 2
  • #11 - Diddy Kong Racing
  • #10 - F-Zero X
  • #9 - Smash Bros.
  • #8 - Perfect Dark
  • #4 - GoldenEye 007

What N64 games are playable on Switch?

Anything in the list above that says "Available On: NSO + Expansion Pack" in the banner is playable on Switch.

However, if you don't fancy scrolling back up, we've compiled a ranked list for you. There are 37 in total, so check it out to see what N64 games you can play with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

Why does my N64 game run slow? What's the difference between PAL and NTSC?

While it's not an issue in modern digital TVs, the UK and much of Europe had a different signal standard (PAL) than in Japan and the US (NTSC).

  • NTSC offered 525 scan lines (lines of pixels, essentially) and a 60Hz refresh rate (60 frames per second).
  • PAL offered more lines (625) but with a 50Hz frequency.

However, with most console software being produced in Japan or the US at the time, developers tended to use NTSC as the standard and convert the software for PAL regions, which wasn't an easy process.

Many developers, including Nintendo, chose to deliver unoptimised PAL versions during the 8-/16-/64-bit era. These could include black borders top and bottom (taking up the extra pixels and producing a 'letterbox' effect), and they would often run approximately 20% slower than originally intended.

If you're interested in seeing how this affects games, check out this video comparison of Wave Race 64 across the two versions.

Why did Nintendo lose to Sony in the N64 generation?

There are many factors. Tired of the platform holder's draconian licensing terms, many developers and publishers 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.

It should be noted that while the N64 might have been disappointing from a sales perspective compared to its predecessors, 32.93 million consoles sold is far from a failure! However, with the GameCube going on to sell just 21.74 million units in the following generation, the diminishing returns were becoming clear, which led to Nintendo distancing itself from competing systems and trying something very different with the DS and Wii.

How can I add a game to this article?

What's that? You're absolutely disgusted that Glover didn't make it into the top 50? What about 1080° Snowboarding or Excitebike 64? Why isn't this a Top 64?!?

If there's a game bubbling under the top 50 that you'd like to rate, feel free to find it using the search tool below and give it a score out of 10.

Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.

Still hungry for more? Check out our Hardware Classics feature on the Nintendo 64 for an overview of the console's history, and let us know about your personal 64-bit treasures below.