Forgotten N64 Games Published By Nintendo

The Nintendo 64 is one of the most iconic video game consoles of the '90s and completely redefined the medium and its potential. The console is home to some of Nintendo's best games of all time, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and the very first installment of the record-breaking Super Smash Bros. series.

However, there are many games that Nintendo either published or developed for the console that haven't had the same longevity as others. Whether they were little-remembered takes on established series or completely new franchises that never took off, these Nintendo 64 games sadly aren't among the most popular nor the most memorable out of the console's vast library.

Updated April 4, 2024 by Blaise Santi: As the Nintendo Switch enters its seventh year of support, there are more options on the console's library than ever before. If games made specifically for the Nintendo Switch aren't what players are interested in, Nintendo Switch Online members can also take advantage of playing retro classics on the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64. In fact, there are plenty of memorable titles available for fans to check out on the subscription service, from the console's most recognizable video games to some more obscure Nintendo gems, like these oft-forgotten fragments of Nintendo's late-90s output.

Samus appearing in Super Smash Bros Ultimate; Mario in a victory pose in Super Mario 64; Sheik posing in Ocarina of Time

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9 Excitebike 64

The NES Classic Has A Whole New Look

Excitebike 64

Platform(s): Nintendo 64
Released: April 30, 2000
Developer(s): Left Field Productions
Genre(s): Sports

Excitebike is one of the most iconic video games on the Nintendo Entertainment System, but it never received a sequel until the Nintendo 64 in 2000. The bike-riding extravaganza is in 3D this time, though the game also came with the original NES title as an extra mode, as well as a remake of all its courses in the game's new 3D engine.

While it's a fine sequel to the original NES title, it sadly was overshadowed by more unique sports titles on the console, such as Wave Race 64. Given that it was also released four years after the original launch of the Nintendo 64 and only one year before the debut of the Nintendo GameCube, the game didn't have much of a shelf life to support its legacy.

8 Dr. Mario 64

A Sick Port Of A Mario Puzzle Game

Platform: Nintendo 64
Released: 04/09/2001
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Genre: Puzzle

The Dr. Mario franchise is the premier puzzle series based around the Mario IP. In the original game, released on NES and Game Boy, a medically licensed Mario assists players as they complete Tetris-like puzzles with multicolored pills in order to get rid of nasty viruses. In 2001, Dr. Mario 64 took the franchise to the Nintendo 64's final year of support.

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Sadly, what this version of Dr. Mario lacked any real innovation for the franchise. The game is still a 2D falling block puzzle game, taking no advantage of the 3D capabilities of the Nintendo 64. What it does consist of is a four-person multiplayer mode, though with the GameCube releasing the same year as Dr. Mario 64, groups of gamers likely gravitated towards that instead.

7 Pokemon Puzzle League

The Anime Characters Make Their Video Game Debuts

Pokémon Puzzle League

Platform(s): Nintendo 64 , Nintendo Switch , Wii
Released: September 25, 2000
Developer(s): Nintendo
Genre(s): Puzzle , Action , Strategy

There were plenty of memorable Pokemon titles for the Nintendo 64, from Pokemon Snap, to Pokemon Stadium. One little-remembered entry in the franchise's N64 library was Pokemon Puzzle League, one of the few Pokemon video games that feature Ash Ketchum and other characters from the Pokemon anime series.

The puzzles in this game are still reminiscent of Dr. Mario 64 or Panel de Pon, though with Pokemon-themed backgrounds. It does, however, take advantage of the 3D movement by featuring a separate gameplay mode with a cylindrical field. But when it comes to N64 games Pokemon fans gravitate towards, there's really nothing too special about this one.

6 Ridge Racer 64

An Arcade Classic Re-Imagined In 3D

Platform: Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS
Released: 02/14/2000
Developer: Nintendo Software Technology
Genre: Racing

The very first Ridge Racer game didn't originate on a Nintendo console, originally released in arcades in 1993 and seeing a console port on PlayStation the following year. Its first installment on a Nintendo console was Ridge Racer 64, which debuted in North America in 2000. Sadly, the high-octane car racing game didn't catch on with audiences.

Many factors contributed to the failure of Ridge Racer 64's legacy. Aside from being brand-new to Nintendo's console, the game was also released a year before the debut of the GameCube, meaning many Nintendo 64 players likely moved on quickly from the outdated console. It also never saw a release in Japan, a vital market for the gaming industry.

5 The New Tetris

Tetris Goes On A World Tour

Platform: Nintendo 64
Released: 08/02/1999
Developer: H2O Entertainment, Blue Planet Software
Genre: Puzzle

There were several iterations of Tetris on the Nintendo 64 throughout its lifespan, including the top-down Tetrisphere and the more traditional Tetris 64. However, in 1999 there was another one published by Nintendo: The New Tetris, which was a huge step forward for the Nintendo 64 technically, although it is often forgotten about today.

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Although the gameplay is reminiscent of typical Tetris games, the game is set in real-time renders of famous locations, from Saint Basil's Cathedral to an Egyptian tomb. Out of all the interpretations of the historic video game franchise, The New Tetris simply remains too unremarkable and forgettable for it to have a lasting legacy in the series.

4 Mischief Makers

One Of The Few 2D Sidescrollers On N64

Mischief Makers

Platform(s): Nintendo 64
Released: June 27, 1997
Developer: Treasure, Treasure Co., Ltd.
Genre(s): Platformer

Mischief Makers was a rare video game for the Nintendo 64, as it was a 2D-sidescroller that one would more commonly find on SNES or Sega Genesis. Released in 1997, it was actually the first standard 2D-sidescroller to find a home on the console, centered on a robotic maid attempting to rescue her creator from grave danger.

Although reviewers at the time commended the level design and graphics, the game and its characters have been left in 1997, despite clamoring for a re-release on Nintendo's Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online services. Perhaps if Mischief Makers had caught on more as a franchise, it would have had numerous sequels to this day, but it sadly hasn't happened.

3 Sin and Punishment

A Japan Exclusive Pushed The Console's Limits

Platform: Nintendo 64
Released: 11/21/2000
Developer: Treasure, Nintendo R&D1
Genre: Rail shooter

From the same developers as Mischief Makers, Sin and Punishment was a rail shooter designed for the Nintendo 64 which sadly never saw a release outside of Japan. However, it has some of the best graphics of the console's entire library and was released to critical acclaim. Unfortunately, its popularity hasn't grown much outside of Japan thanks to its botched Western release.

Nintendo has shown support to the franchise in recent years, making protagonist Saki Amamiya an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. and even a Mii costume. In 2009, the series received a Nintendo Wii sequel, which was carried over to the Wii U E-shop. However, it hasn't seen the same rise in popularity that Nintendo franchises like Xenoblade or Kid Icarus have.

2 Blast Corps

Before Rare Had Perfected The Platformer

Platform: Nintendo 64
Released: 03/21/1997
Developer: Rare
Genre: Action, Puzzle

Although very few video game fans remember Blast Corps, it was an important moment in the history of the Nintendo 64. Particularly, Blast Corps was one of the first games developed for the console by Rare: the former second-party developer who previously created Donkey Kong Country for the SNES, and later N64 classics like Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007.

N64 Box Art collage with Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Pokemon Snap, And F-Zero X

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In the game, players control vehicle robots who destroy buildings to clear space for a nuclear missile, though its gameplay wasn't nearly as appealing to N64 fans as Rare's later work on the console. Sadly, Blast Corps was victim to the company's limited resources and being an early release on the console in 1997, only a year after its launch.

1 Bomberman Hero

The Iconic Hero Flips A Major Switch

Platform: Nintendo 64
Released: 04/30/1998
Developer: A.I.
Genre: Platforming

Bomberman is one of the most iconic retro video game franchises of all time, notable for its top-down perspective and competitive gameplay. The Nintendo 64 saw two releases from the series: the more typical Bomberman 64, and the bold reinvention Bomberman Hero, the latter of which was released in 1998 and attempted to turn the franchise into a 3D platformer.

Sadly, the reception wasn't kind to the reinterpretation of the franchise, with many criticizing its graphics, lack of multiplayer, and abandonment of the typical Bomberman formula. The failure of Bomberman Hero to reinvent the series perhaps explains why the franchise has remained stagnant in recent years, given that it's hard to do something bold with old formulas.