Nintendo has been an influential force during the console wars that continue to rage on today. Nintendo’s latest console efforts may not have the same hardware power as Sony and Microsoft’s offerings, but Nintendo has been able to make its mark in other ways and they’re still one of the most important names in the video game industry.
Two of Nintendo’s most popular consoles are the Super Nintendo and its follow-up, the Nintendo 64. Both consoles featured some of Nintendo’s more memorable video games, but there are actually a number of N64 titles that originally started in development for the Super Nintendo.
10 Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 is a beloved title on the N64 and it features such a simple formula that other games have attempted to emulate. Star Fox 64 followed the success of the Super Nintendo original, which heavily pushed the console’s hardware capabilities.
A Star Fox 2 was fully completed for the Super Nintendo, but with the release of the Nintendo 64 growing closer, Shigeru Miyamoto thought it would be more effective to redevelop the sequel for the new console. While not an identical game, Star Fox 64 uses the SNES’ Star Fox 2 for its framework.
9 Killer Instinct Gold
Rare’s fighting franchise, Killer Instinct, disappeared from the spotlight for a while, but it’s since been rebooted in a big way. The title originated in arcades before being ported over to the Super Nintendo as one of its most mature fighters. Killer Instinct’s success led to Rare developing a port of the sequel for the Super Nintendo.
However, the release of the Nintendo 64 was approaching and it was decided to be more prudent to shift priorities and aim to make the game a launch title. The Super Nintendo’s Killer Instinct 2 became Killer Instinct Gold in the process.
8 Mortal Kombat Trilogy
The Mortal Kombat fighting franchise is not only still going strong, but it’s arguably at its most popular and ambitious. Mortal Kombat 3 was a pivotal entry in the series and several updated versions were released. The Super Nintendo saw the first of these, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, with the second, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, also initially seeing development on the console. Hardware limitations made shifting development over to the Nintendo 64 a more logical decision, but even that version had to make concessions, like a condensed fighter roster.
7 Off Road Challenge
The Nintendo 64 has a number of memorable racing games, but there are plenty that blend into the background and don’t bring anything interesting to the genre. Off Road Challenge is one of the more regrettable early racing games for the console and the title’s poor reception slowed down the Off Road series. Super Off Road was the first entry in the series and it was released on many consoles, the Super Nintendo included. There’s early evidence to suggest that Off Road Challenge initially started as a sequel or expansion to the SNES game, before moving over to the N64.
6 Pilotwings 64
The Nintendo 64’s launch featured sequels to many of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, albeit on the impressive and new 3D hardware. Flight simulators have always been a tricky genre to find an audience, but the Super Nintendo’s Pilotwings adds Nintendo’s playful aesthetic to the format to create something special. The update, Pilotwings 64, was one of the N64’s launch titles, but at one point development went back even further with the sequel following suit on the Super Nintendo. Once Nintendo knew the power of their new console, it just made more sense to showcase the sequel on that.
5 Banjo-Kazooie
Rare was one of the most influential developers for both the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64, with the former's Banjo-Kazooie being one of the most celebrated platformers on the console. Banjo-Kazooie actually started as a Super Nintendo RPG titled Project Dream. The game had a fairy tale aesthetic and involved pirates as enemies, but Rare's interests slowly changed and the title shifted into a platformer with a bear for the main character. Rare continued to refine the project and it would ultimately turn into Banjo-Kazooie for the Nintendo 64.
4 Donkey Kong 64
The Super Nintendo has many great games, but it’s titles like Rare’s Donkey Kong Country trilogy that really highlight what the console could accomplish. Rare’s Donkey Kong Country trilogy was such a triumph that it’s not surprising to hear that Rare was beginning development on a fourth Donkey Kong Country entry for the console. The game would have apparently added a swan to the mix of characters, too. The game didn’t get too far along before development radically shifted to the much more ambitious Donkey Kong 64, but it’s likely trace elements from the SNES game still carried over.
3 Goldeneye 007
It’s practically impossible to talk about Nintendo 64 games without touching on Goldeneye 007. Video game adaptations of feature films are typically a lost cause, but Goldeneye 007 isn’t just a pleasant surprise, but it’s still considered to be one of the best shooters and multiplayer games of all time. The N64 game is iconic, which makes it so strange to learn that the title started as a sidescroller for the Super Nintendo. The game would have been radically different and likely entirely removed the multiplayer aspect.
2 Resident Evil 2
To be fair, it’s the original version of Resident Evil that started development on the Super Nintendo and while it’s not available on the Nintendo 64, its sequel is. The SNES take on Resident Evil was still frightening, but it was more in tune with old point-and-click adventure games. Moving development off of a 16-bit console allowed Resident Evil to properly evolve as a horror franchise. The N64’s version of Resident Evil 2 is viewed as one of the most ambitious video game ports ever made and it’s truly shocking that they could make it work with so little compromise.
1 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Kirby 64 marked Kirby’s solo debut on the Nintendo 64 and while it’s not the franchise’s peak, it’s a satisfying game that pushes the lovable character into 3D. Kirby has remained an important figure on Nintendo consoles, but Kirby 64 was initially developed for the N64’s Disk Drive peripheral. The failure of the 64DD led to development switching over to the N64 proper. However, Kirby 64’s development started in 1997, before Kirby’s Dream Land 3 was even released for the Super Nintendo. Due to this crossover, it’s likely the title might have briefly been considered for the SNES.