I have recently get hold of many games to Nintendo 64. Now, I am a complete stranger to the platform. So mentioning a bunch of classics to check out would be really appreciable. But only the stuff you definitely can't live without playing.

Just don't suggest Ocarina of Time. I am already aware of that one.

I have only played two games of N64: Goldeneye 007 (great shooter, really brilliant compared to all the other shooters from 1997) and Super Mario 64 (I guess it was fun).

Little Di?

I'm experimenting.

My whole world turned upside down today. I tried out this game. Now I can somehow comprehend (though hardly) a Nintendo/Rare game character having a hangover, vomiting and even saying "Fuck".

But when somebody in a console game utters a phrase like "context sensitive" I understand that something must be really wrong with the universe if such a game is allowed to exist.

Seriously, I am having great time with this one! Having tried out about 10 games already I was so sick of this 3D N logo that beginning of Conkers immidietly told me that I am in for something completely different. This game really proves that generalizing is a bad thing.

Congratulations Rare, I don't hate you anymore.

That's pretty much all there is. Guess you have Perfect Dark too... Starfox 64 maybe?

Avoiding the obvious joke about me...

*cracks fingers*

The top game for the system which you can't live without is Goldeneye 007. Get that first. It's on the tops of every N64 fan's list. It's probably the definition of must have for the N64. Next try Super Mario 64, if not for historical sake, just to say you have it.

Perfect Dark isn't bad...but its not Goldeneye.

How about...the second Zelda. Majora's Mask. It's a good game. Most people don;t like its because it's not Ocarina, but it's still wonderful and the time travel makes it fun.

Next I would say Banjo-Kazooie and the sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Both of them are good games from Rare. You shouldn't expect the type of humor form Conker...but there's always something fun in innocence.

Do yourself a favor and buy Paper Mario too. It sounds really gay, but its a terrific game with great characters and atmosphere.

Star Fox 64 is short, but its fun. And it has multiple endings, which is cool.

Super Smash Bros. is a good game if your a fan of the sequel(s). Not as well polished, but good. But try to get some friends together...it's really what the games about.

Rogue Squadron is fun as hell, but its one of the toughest games on the system. If you're looking for challenge, go there.

Don't buy Mario Kart unless you have people to play it with. Four player is really what makes that game. Diddy Kong racing is kind of fun, but its tough as balls at some parts. Also nice for co-op gaming.

F-Zero X and Star Wars Pod Racer are both good one player racers. And even more so, both of them are still really hard.

Donkey Kong 64 I was never a fan of. Its pretty much another Mario, so you're on your own with that one.

If you need a condensed version, look no further than our own MG top games for N64.

Thanks Matt. I will check out each of those. I don't have to buy anything because I already have all of these games (and more) actually. I bought them from a friend of mine together with a console for 150 bucks. He's not into these games anymore.

Having troubles with GoldenEye. Is it really that good? The graphics simply couldn't survive as long as that of Conkers or Banjo-X's beacuse of their cartoonishness . The controls are awful. However you can expect from a console FPS. Any type of redeeming feature seemed to avoid me so far. So I don't think I will miss much if I pass on this one. Still, please, correct me if I'm wrong 'cause I didn't play it much.

Because, I'm still having a GREAT time with Conker's Bad Fur Day! Actually it wasn't it's attitude that really soaked me into the game. Postal2 had a lot of that but it didn't make it a good game. The reason I love Conkers' is its creativity. As if guys at Rare had to always keep themselves within the boundaries of the genre and audience they were working for and when they finally got to make an adult game all hell broke loose. No idea is too outrageous. Nothing is forbidden. Pure raw energy of inspiration. Although admittedly most of the jokes are lame and voiceacting is terrible at best.

Be aware that, of all things, time is not kind to console fps. It can be quite a shock to play Goldeneye nowadays.

I wouldn't call it a shock. Just a wonder why everybody loves this game so much? Except beautiful (presumably) at time graphics and loads of guns nothing particularly stands out.

Maybe it's just that a lifetime PC FPS player can hardly be impressed with anything console market has to offer in that genre. My Halo experience is also a proof to that.

I can see a couple problem's with why you might not like it:

1.) Most people who love it, love it for nostalgia's sake. My generation (teens and the 20's crowd) loves it because if you had an N64 back then that's all you played with your friends.
2.) It WAS revolutionary, but now it's sort of lost it's splendor. Just remember that before Goldeneye, there was no such thing as a console-only FPS.


Some reasons why other people like it:

1.) First huge 3-D shooter on a console-only
2.) Before Half-Life did it
3.) Non-linear gameplay (which Half-life still didn't do)
4.) Objectives that didn't involve killing (and you could fail them)
5.) Introduction of stealth in FPS's.
6.) It was a licensed game that didn't suck.
7.) Lots of weird quirky details.


Combine this with the reasons I listed above and you could get a decent idea of why people liked it back then. The problem is that most of these things have become commonplace in the industry now, so GE loses some of its edge.

Before Half-Life did what? 3D environments? Ever heard of Quake? And just what was non-linear about Goldeneye man? The game was even broken up in missions :S

Because of Quake (or even Doom or countless other FPS, really...), Goldeneye really just felt too slow. I never cared much for the controls either. And that Vaseline-on-the-lens anti-aliasing...ze goggles do nossing!

That didn't stop me from enjoying some deathmatch with friends. It just took me a while to get used to most of the time. Halo may not be the greatest FPS known to man, but it's got the most intuitive control scheme as far as gamepads in FPS go, and going back to Goldeneye or Perfect Dark is like going into battle after a fifth of Everclear afterwards.

I really can't stand Nintendo 64 (I loved NES and SNES and I couldn't believe how N64 kicked all those RPGs to Playstation and started making colorful kiddie games instead), but Goldeneye is pretty much the only game for this console I kind of liked. I don't think it was so innovative, and Zovni is right saying it hasn't aged well, but it was fun, and it had a very nice atmosphere. Needless to say: if you have N64 and don't have Goldeneye, you are nuts.

Before Half-Life did what? 3D environments? Ever heard of Quake? And just what was non-linear about Goldeneye man? The game was even broken up in missions :S

Sorry, I meant to say before Half-Life was the "huge revolutionary FPS", there was Goldeneye.

Ogre Battle 64 is pretty good, though also a rare cartridge apparently. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is an alright game, and definitely better that the first Nintendo 64 Castlevania game. Mario Party (series), Perfect Dark, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart Double Dash, Mario Tennis, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Gauntlet 64 and Starfox 64 are all great games if you have 3 other people to play them with or 2... or 1... Paper Mario, on N64 is the first game in that series (though it "feels" like a pseudo-sequel to Mario RPG on SNES), a comical and decent game. If you've been waiting for Duke Nukem Forever, there are a few original Duke Nukem games on the system.

I've always wanted to play AeroFighters Assault and Blast Corps and Kirby 64 but haven't.

And I'm told Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine might be a good game, but I couldn't get into it when I tried it on PC. To be fair though, my video card at the time choked on smoke effects and the whole first level was full of them.

Feel free to look through the game browser to try to narrow things down to genres you enjoy.

Those are some good games. If you can get your hand on Ogre Battle I'd say you are one lucky bastard. Blast Corps is a fun puzzle game mixed with action. And I nearly forgot about Mario Party.

But WildKard is right. There are a lot of games on the system only good with friends. Try and get some friends into the system, with four controllers there really are a lot of amazing party games available on it.

I wouldn't say only good with friends... I just happen to have my best experiences from games played with friends. Part of that is the fact that Nintendo systems from the N64 onwards come with 4 controller ports. It seems to excite developers into using them.

You could try out these ones. Mario Kart 64, F-Zero X and Diddy Kong Racing. Even though I'm suggesting F-Zero X as a game to play, nothing can beat the original F-Zero. Don't try Super Mario 64 if you only have an emulator. Using the keyboard on the computer as a substitute for the analog N-64 controller is not recommended.

I liked Beetle Adventure Racing as something that hasn't been mentioned before.

Bit of a late response from me here. I absolutely LOVE 2-player Mario Kart 64 and F-Zero on this console. So much fun.

But here's my vote for a really good, interesting 1-player game: Hybrid Heaven. An action/adventure/fighting game from Konami, with a unique turn-based combat system.

two games i'll suggest:

1) paper mario. this game is seriously fun. i hate to make the comparison but it really is similar to super mario rpg and it's the ONLY great rpg on the n64.

2) super smash bros. wow this is a really fun fighting game, especially when played w/ a friend.

i think most of the other bases have been covered. but those two are not to be missed games on a console that only had a handful of decent titles.