The Nintendo 64 was released in 1996 in Japan and 1997 in Europe. It was in direct competition with Sony’s PlayStation, and at the time was the fastest and most powerful games console on the market.
Despite the power and speed advantage Nintendo’s machine was never able to catch up with the PlayStation and was even outsold by Sega Saturn in its home country of Japan. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the cartridge-based games were far more expensive than the PlayStation’s CDs.
Not adopting the CD format also meant that the limited cartridge couldn’t handle CGI heavy games like Final Fantasy VII. However, the console was still home to some of the greatest games ever developed like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, and more.
Not getting the game same exposure with gamers as the PS1 meant that many gamers didn’t get to experience some of the N64 best the first time around. Here are ten games from the system that should get the remake treatment today.
10 Wave Race 64
A sequel to the Game Boy title Wave Race, Wave Race 64 was released in 1996 on the Nintendo 64. It was one of the best games on the system to really show what the N64 was capable of in comparison to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
Wave Race: Blue Storm was a sequel that released on the GameCube in 2001 but the series has remained dormant since. The series is long overdue a reboot and a Nintendo Switch remake would be the perfect starting point given how stunning many of Nintendo’s first-party titles look.
9 F-Zero X
F-Zero X was released exclusively on the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and even though it may not have been the most attractive game on the system it was certainly the fastest. The game was capable of 60 frames per second with no hint of slowdown when up to 30 vehicles were racing on screen at once.
This kind of speed and smooth gameplay in a racing title is impressive in 2019, in 1998 it was unprecedented. An F-Zero X remake would be the perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch especially as there’s a lack of great racers on the system outside of Mario Kart.
8 1080° Snowboarding
1080° Snowboarding was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997. The snowboard racing title is still considered by fans to be one of the best games in the genre with a near-perfect control system. The game received a sequel on the GameCube called 1080° Avalanchewhich didn’t quite receive the critical acclaim of the original.
1080° Snowboarding has a physics engine that is still impressive to this day, as are the game’s snow effects and atmospheric visuals. A game of this kind would lend itself well to big screens in multiplayer mode or in handheld mode due to its ability to provide fun in short bursts making it a great fit for the Nintendo Switch.
7 Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and was developed by Rare. It is a 3D third-person shooter that combined elements of old-school 80s arcade shoot-em-ups and Super Mario 64. In addition to the shooting, Jet Force Gemini also featured multiplayer racing and platforming.
A modern remake of the game would make a great fit for the Nintendo Switch. The machine has been a great home to local co-op games and Jet Force Gemini is tailor-made for this kind of gameplay. In addition, the colorful art style would prove to be another standout title for the system.
6 Body Harvest
Body Harvest was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. It was an open-world game developed by DMA Design who would eventually become Rockstar the same team behind Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. The player is placed in the shoes of a time-traveling soldier tasked with stopping an invasion from Starship TroopersÂ-like alien bugs harvesting humans.
It featured a non-linear 3D open-world three years before GTA III was released on the PlayStation 2. Being on an older system the open design did suffer a lot of issues with slow down and texture pop-in. However, the gameplay was a lot of fun and would work well today’s systems with the Switch proving itself to be more than capable of handling massive open-world games.
5 Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 and was developed by Iguana Entertainment. Turok and its sequel Turok 2: Seeds of Evil were remastered and released digitally on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.
Unfortunately, even with its improvements, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the game hasn’t aged well. It would be amazing to see a from the ground up remake using similar or the same technology as seen in Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Primal would be a perfect fit for a remade Turok game.
4 Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark is a sci-fi FPS and was released by developers Rare on the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Running on an improved version of the same engine the game was considered an unofficial follow up to Rare’s James Bond title Goldeneye 007. Just like its predecessor, the game encourages the use of stealth over running in all guns blazing.
At the time, Perfect Dark was one of the most advanced games ever seen on a home console but its framerate still suffered under the weight of the game’s ambition. The game still has a large fan base that would like to series restored to former glory after its disappointing prequel Perfect Dark: Zero on the Xbox 360. Since Rare is now owned by Microsoft a remake would only be possible on the Xbox but a remake using a similar gameplay engine to a game like Deus Ex: Human Revolution would be a dream come true.
3 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. It received two sequels on the Nintendo GameCube and spiritual successor on the Nintendo 64 called Episode I: Battle for Naboo. All games were developed by Factor 5 for LucasArts. Next to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic the Rogue Squadron games are still held up as the best Star Wars games made.
The recent Star Wars: Battlefront games by EA feature similar space-based Rogue One levels but perhaps the best of these were released on the PSVR as part of a free update on the system. The Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission DLC is one of the most perfect Star Wars experiences ever developed, one can only hope that EA Dice will take another shot with the Rogue Squadron license.
2 Goldeneye 007
Goldeneye 007 was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 and developed by Rare. It is still considered to be one of the biggest releases of the generation. Along with Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation Goldeneye 007 was the first modern game to make stealth a priority over the run and gun mechanics usually found in shooters.
There hasn’t been a James Bond videogame since that has had anywhere near the same impact. Even as good as its spiritual successor Perfect Dark was there was nothing quite like playing as James Bond. A remake or at least a new James Bond game that understands the franchise with the way the original did is long overdue.
1 WWF No Mercy
WWF No Mercy was released nearly twenty years ago on the Nintendo 64. It developed by AKI using one of the best and most influential grappling systems ever seen in a wrestling game. The game’s wrestling sim engine began with AKI’s PlayStation title WCW vs. The World but perfected on the N64 with its WCW and WWF titles.
After the buggy disappointment that is WWE 2K20, the developers need to go back to the drawing board and take a look at what should work in a wrestling game. Maybe a ground-up remake featuring the exact same gameplay mechanics as No Mercy - which is arguably the best wrestling game ever made - using today's roster is the perfect solution.