The Nintendo 64, despite being released over two decades ago, has a rich library of games that continue to be enjoyable in 2023. Being endlessly nostalgic as well as genuinely innovative, Nintendo 64 continues to hold appeal for avid gamers. These classics have stood the test of time and offer great gameplay, nostalgia, and a unique gaming experience. From innovative multiplayers to unique racing and shooting games, here are some of the most ground-breaking Nintendo 64 games that are still worth playing in 2023:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Hands on, the legends of zelda is one of the most popular 3D adventure games that gamers still appreciate in 2023. If you enjoy Boomerang, Hookshot, horse riding, puzzle dungeons, world exploration and more, this action-adventure game is your cup of tea. The storyline, featuring interesting and original characters and detailed plots is undoubtedly unrivaled by other games of its era. The game has received numerous accolades and perfect scores in multiple gaming magazines for its time travel mechanics, rich open world, advanced 3D graphical style, accessible combat system, and replayability, all revolutionary for its time.
2. Mario Kart 64
Join Mario on this popular 3D go-kart racing game and throw banana peels, turtle shells, and bombs on your enemies as you hurtle down dynamic tracks and treacherous courses in a nail-biting battle mode. Select different characters, each with their own unique traits and set of attributes, choose between intricately crafted tracks, and enjoy chaotic weaponry in one of the greatest video games of all time. If you are not afraid of a little challenge, single-player Grand Prix and Time Trial challenges will keep you on your toes for days on end. With its dynamic camera system, four-player split-screen, and 360-degree analog control, the game was a masterpiece of its era.
3. Star Fox 64
If you think you are an interplanetary warfare expert, be prepared to have your skills challenged. The Lylat system has been invaded! Embark on an intergalactic journey on this game and survive through fifteen missions of fast-paced flight combat action to the final objective: a show-down on the planet Venom! With multiple gameplay paths, a four-player battle mode, the smoothest 3D flight control yet seen on a console system, this game offers a true cinematic experience. What keeps us hooked is the planets are all unique, infusing the game with a sense of adventure, and the graphics are really immersive.
4. Banjo-Kazooie
Join the bear named Banjo and his loud-mouthed bird friend Kazooie as they race to through gloomy swamps, sweltering deserts, towering mountain ranges and spooky houses and collect both musical notes and jigsaw pieces, to save Tooty the Honey Bear from the clutches of Gruntilda the witch, who wishes to steal Tooty’s good looks. The game benefits from ahead-of-its-time visual graphics, a loveable cast of characters, a great art-style, and–perhaps the widest array of collectibles. Even though the game just celebrated its 25th anniversary, it is safe the developers really pushed the boundaries of 3D platforms.
5. Donkey Kong 64
Join Donkey Kong in this action-adventure game to help stop King K. Rool from destroying the Kong Isle. Choose from available Kongs, who must venture into open and vast levels, collect golden bananas and other collectibles, and purchase potions and weapons in this action-packed comedy and retrieve your monkey friends. Four Players can join in on super split screen action and save the Kong Isle. As the pioneer of the platform game genre, the game has received immense popularity back in the day, selling over 88 million units worldwide to date.
6. Castlevania
Select from among the game’s main protagonists – vampire hunter Reinhardt Schneider or magical girl Carrie Fernandez– in this action-adventure platforming video game to seek out Castlevania and put an end to its residents’ plans. Depending on your choice of character, the game’s quest will be slightly different. You can also buy power-ups from a “demon merchant” along the way in the levels and also acquire tertiary weapons or projectile weapons. Taking place in the mid-1800s, the game is one of the top third person action games on the N64 and has enjoyed a great repute.
7. Perfect Dark
Boasting a complex and engaging narrative with elements of conspiracy, espionage, and sci-fi, the engaging plot takes you, agent Joanna Dark, on a mission to uncover a vast conspiracy. The groundbreaking first-person shooter boasted impressive graphics, richly textured environments, detailed characters, and well-executed cutscenes. The game expanded upon the mechanics of GoldenEye 007, featuring a wide variety of weapons, gadgets, and missions, introduced the ability to dual-wield weapons, brought robust multiplayer mode to the gaming arena, as well as added alien weaponry for a unique twist. Perfect Dark is a classic title for the Nintendo 64 that pushed the boundaries of what the console could achieve.
