Calling all Nintendo 64 games enthusiasts! Today’s your turn to geek out with us as we ponder the vast library of Nintendo 64 titles. If you’re into retro gaming in general, you’ll appreciate today’s list. Nintendo’s knack for churning out gaming hits one after another is astounding. We’re always grateful for the games that Nintendo releases, as their big-budget games always deliver worthwhile experiences.
Which Nintendo 64 Games Are the Best of All Time?
We’ve taken the time to dust off our Nintendo 64 and it’s collection of spectacular games. Now we’ll get our thoughts on them and rank the top 10. Remember, this is from personal experience, so what we find enjoyable might not be the same for you. However, what we will say is there’s plenty of common ground on the list. Of course, our lists aren’t complete until there’s a surprise or two.
Well, we’re not wasting time today since it’s a relatively extensive list to go through. With 10 spots to fill up, we’ll determine which Nintendo 64 games make the cut. We’re essentially rating the games on their originality of premise and gameplay enjoyment. Any game that falls within the realms of mediocrity will not find a place on today’s list. Alright, enough jibber-jabber, let’s jump right in!
10. WCW/nWo Revenge – One of the Best Wrestling Games Ever Grabs A Spot on Our Nintendo 64 List
Kicking things off with a wallop, we’ve got WCW/nWo Revenege, a wrestling game on the Nintendo 64 with style. We grew up with professional wrestling as a pastime alongside gaming, so WCW/nWo Revenge fits right at home. The roster of wrestlers at the peak of their popularity with realistic (at the time) depictions was a magical feeling. Each wrestler’s moves feel genuinely fun to pull off.
WCW/nWo Revenge features a high-intensity feel of watching the weekly WCW episode on television. The wrestler’s grand entrances, their signature taunts, and the finishing moves, in particular, all are highlight worthy. WCW/nWo Revenge is also famous for allowing players to grasp its in-depth grappling system fully. The game’s accessibility is a welcome addition to the already fun game.
The aerial moves in WCW/nWo Revenge are our personal favorite. The highflyer wrestlers like Rey Mysterio Jr. and how they can bounce around the ring is a delight to watch. The game’s a certified hit with us, and judging by sales, loads of people tend to agree with our sentiment. If you like Nintendo 64 titles like WCW/nWo Revenge, you’ll love our top picks for the best PS5 boxing games.
9. Mario Golf – Never Underestimate Nintendo’s Might of Making Magic With Sports
Continuing the trend of sports games on our list of fantastic Nintendo 64 titles, our next pick is Mario Golf. What’s interesting here is that the basic premise seems simple, but the execution is flawless, resulting in a masterpiece. Mario Golf handily exceeds the player’s expectations to deliver a highly entertaining sports game. Players can select any of their favorite characters from the Mario roster.
They’re not just generic skins, too, as each character has a voice that players can hear after every shot. Mario Golf is essentially the precursor to many future sports games that become part of its lineup on future platforms. A perfect example is how Nintendo introduced sports accessories; check out if you need them for the Switch. Anyway, Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64 is a pretty solid game.
It’s not only easy to jump in and play right away, but there are variables that impact the field’s behavior. External factors play a role in the performance and a degree of depth to the gameplay of Mario Golf. The Nintendo 64, once again, proves that Nintendo’s innovative ability to merge any genre with its first-party I.Ps is unmatched. If you’re a sports buff, Mario Golf is definitely worth your time.
8. Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue – Disney Flavor Game Gels Extremely Well On the Nintendo 64
Moving onto the next entry on our list of fun Nintendo 64 games, we’re entering the magical land of Disney. We’re big fans of Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue for a bunch of reasons. The first one? Why, we get to play as the titular space ranger toy Buzz Lightyear himself! Donning his awesome gear that allows him to shoot enemy toys, jump and bounce, and spin around in silly animations.
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue, while following the plot of the second Toy Story movie, deviates enough to have its own spin on the tale. The goal is still to find Woodie, who’s been toy-napped by a collector. However, the path to finding Buzz’s friend differs quite a bit. Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue brilliantly exemplifies how fun gameplay can create a captivating experience.
Each level in the game not only looks distinct and memorable, but the sound design is also marvelous. Also, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue is a Nintendo 64 game with loads of side-missions. Players can complete them to unlock additional rewards and Pizza Planet tokens; they’re necessary to progress. If you like these types of titles, you’ll love our ranking of Disney games on the Switch.
7. Blast Corps – Mindless Entertaining Fun of Causing Destruction All Around is Highly Addictive
Another fantastic entry on our list of top Nintendo 64 games is Blast Corps. The name might not seem as impressive, but trust us. The gameplay of Blast Corps is tons of fun and will leave you wanting more. The premise of the game is as absurd as it gets; okay, you ready? So, the game tasks players to clear a path for a nuclear missile carrier using vehicles to destroy all obstacles.
To ensure nothing comes in the way of the missile carrier, players get a variety of demolition vehicles. The goal is to obliterate anything and everything in the way of the carrier. Players can use light buggies to drop them from high above to send them crashing into structures. The tricycles can shoot missiles of their own to blow up small clearings and infrastructure.
The real fun in Blast Corps is when players get access to mechs; yep, this Nintendo 64 game has mechs. So if you’re wanting any more incentive to try this game, this is it. Anyway, Blast Corps also has trucks to ram and drift into buildings and bulldozers to demolish any resistance. The levels get progressively more challenging going so far as a mission to land on the moon. You’ll be laughing your head off with Blast Corps, just like our funniest PC games.
6. Castlevania – The Timeless Classic Still Remains Enjoyable as Ever on the Nintendo 64
Capping things off for the first half of our list of exciting Nintendo 64 games, we’re going with Castlevania. The very first game in the franchise is timeless and has a never-ending allure to it. The side-scrolling retro action was par for the course during Castlevania’s heyday. Yet, the game still managed to stand out among a sea of similar gameplay-style titles. A feat that’s not easy to accomplish, for sure.
Castlevania has that memorable gothic aesthetic that sticks with you long after playing the game. The protagonist, Simon Belmont, is immediately a compelling figure as he dares to take on the prince of Darkness, Dracula. Braving the perils, Simon must enter Dracula’s castle and face the undead horrors awaiting him. The non-linear structure of Castlevania is one of its defining features.
Heck, the vania half of the term Metroidvania is thanks to Castlevania. Players can backtrack to previous areas, pick up items, upgrades, and powers, and reach new places. The Nintendo 64 game is notorious for its challenging gameplay, but Castlevania is synonymous with the sub-genre as the best Vampire games go. Oh, and did we mention Simon uses a whip called vampire killer? Neat huh?
5. Resident Evil 2 – The Premier Survival Horror Game Still Holds Up Magnificently
Coming up next on our list of thrilling Nintendo 64 games is Resident Evil 2. The survival horror series is Capcom’s biggest hit that audiences gravitated toward. It’s regarded as one of the most influential and the best in the survival horror genre. If you’re wondering why that’s the case, we’ll tell you. Resident Evil 2 offers intense gameplay that’s drenched in a scary atmosphere with zombies everywhere.
Players can’t push through and clear a horde of zombies on every level. Instead, Resident Evil 2 tasks players to conserve ammunition and avoid confrontation. It’s during this feeling of constant surprises that the game throws terrifying enemy variants like the lickers or the ever-menacing Tyrant. Resident Evil 2 is one of those Nintendo 64 games that reward players for exploring every nook and cranny.
Resident Evil 2 never fails to impress, no matter how many times we return to it. The incorporation of multiple endings and different routes are excellent incentives for replaying the game. Players step into the shoes of dual protagonists Leon Kenedy and Claire Redfield; both are iconic and have a solid fanbase behind them. If you’re into scary titles like Resident Evil 2 on the Nintendo 64, check out our top cinematic horror games.
4. Perfect Dark – The Definitive Stealth Game Pushes The Envelope In More Ways Than One
Oh boy, this next one’s a doozy. So, Perfect Dark, a perfectly normal stealth game on the Nintendo 64, steals the number 4 spot. Only the thing is, the game’s not just a stealth title. Perfect Dark is a sci-fi epic with aliens and all, plus a really compelling lead protagonist, Joanna Dark. The game starts off with a simple extraction mission that gets more complex as players progress through the story.
Perfect Dark embraces its premise and takes players on a wild ride from the DataByne corporation office to the White House and all the way to an alien home planet. The locales are diverse and feel unique. Oh, and did we mention the absolutely gorgeous character design of Joanna Dark? Yeah, she was a crush of ours growing up. Anyway, the game has a first-person perspective for an immersive feel.
Perfect Dark doesn’t follow a linear structure in its objectives. Players can go about them in any order, and the game encourages non-lethal and subtlety tactics. This plays into the strength of Joanna Dark’s character profile. She doesn’t attract unwanted attention. However, when the situation calls for it, she can go all guns blazing. This level of freedom makes Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64 one of the best stealth games ever.
3. Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil – Hunting Dinosaur Enemies Has Never Felt So Satisfying
Sometimes, you don’t need finesse or tactics to enjoy a game, which is what Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil proves. The Nintendo 64 shooting game is all about decimating aliens and prehistoric creatures. Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil has an incredibly innovative level design and a degree of freedom to explore levels. The hub connects to 6 portals, each with a distinct visual, theme, and objectives.
Players step into the shoes of Turok as he shoots away his enemies with a plethora of weapons. There’s the classic bow and arrow combo, but players can also use modern firearms like shotguns. However, to really deliver a mighty blow, we highly recommend the Cerebral Bore. As the name implies, the weapon drills a hole in the thick skulls of Turok’s enemies. It’s a gory visual and very intense.
Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil is one of the most fun and enjoyable games on the Nintendo 64. The movement and traversal and the first-person shooting combat scenarios, plus the abilities and non-linear structure of the game, propel it to our list’s number 3 spot. Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil reminds us of the best open-world survival and crafting games like Ark: Survival Evolved.
2. Conker’s Bad Fur Day – The Cute Furball With A Sailor’s Mouth is Our Runner-up Pick for the Best Nintendo 64 Game
For the runner-up slot on our list of spectacular Nintendo 64 games, we have Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Instead of a family-friendly, cutesy, and traditional Nintendo game, it’s one of the loud, mature (immature?), and downright adult Nintendo games. Conker’s Bad Fur Day just goes to show Nintendo caters to every age demographic of its player base. This game is a riot, that’s for sure.
Players step into the fuzzball squirrel with the mouth of a sailor. The game’s 4th wall-breaking humor will have you chuckling depending on how well you can take its jokes. Also, the gameplay is absolutely stupendous. Conker’s Bad Fur Day hits all the right notes and gives players satisfying platforming and hilarious context-specific over-the-top absurdity.
Conker’s Bad Fur Day enables players to have a slew of options every other moment as the game constantly throws surprises. Players will find Conker can have guns one minute; then he’ll become a samurai the next. The majority of the time, Conker’s weapon of choice is a frying pan that he wacks away his enemies with. The point is that Conker’s Bad Fur Day is one of the most entertaining Nintendo 64 games ever.
1. Mortal Kombat 4 – The 3D Fighting Game Eliminates the Competition of the Best Nintendo 64 Titles
Make way, it’s the best Nintendo 64 game of all time, and what’s this? Not a Zelda game? Yep, we’re committing a cardinal sin here in the eyes of the Nintendo fan base. To that, we say tough luck because our top pick is Mortal Kombat 4. This 4th mainline game is the beginning of Mortal Kombat’s 3D era and is perfect. Players see a new threat in the form of Shinnok, but also Quan Chi is playable for the first time!
Mortal Kombat 4 is peak Nintendo 64 fun when it comes to fighting games. Players get to learn new combo moves with balanced gameplay for each character. Speaking of characters, lots of fan favorites return, but also some new faces.
The fatalities are more brutal than ever and give a uniqueness to every fighter on the roster of Mortal Kombat 4. Quan Chi’s own fatality, in particular, is our favorite. We love Mortal Kombat 4, and it’s easily our top pick.
Final Thoughts On the Best Nintendo 64 Games of All Time
Well, that’s the list; done and over with, thankfully! Here’s hoping you all agree with most of our choices. The lack of Legend Of Zelda games is a conscious decision on our part to put the spotlight on other underrated Nintendo 64 gems. You may come at us with the fandom rage, but we’re sticking to our guns. Seeing as it’s our list, we have the final say in what goes on it and what doesn’t.
Anyway, please share your opinions, critique, and, yes, even rants in the comments below. Your feedback is always helpful for us to gauge reader interest. Who knows, if there’s enough demand, we might do a follow-up list and include your favorites this time around. For more retro gaming goodness, here’s a list of our top SNES games to tide you over. Well, until next time, happy gaming!
