What Nintendo 64 games are still worth playing in 2023?

[ragnarok_approaches123]

Title.

 

[keegokahgo]

All of them?

Worth is subjective

 

[FAST6191]

The N64 library aged like milk. Some things might have been tolerable at the time but today it is an affront to the senses.

To that end skip it and seek to find anything that got a nice port/remake on a later system for the underlying games might have had some merit -- Perfect Dark N64 version is a blurry slideshow, Perfect Dark XBLA version still has lessons to teach the games of today (oh no not split screen super customisable multiplayer with bots and a dozen maps... what cavemen we were). Same with most things Rare did, Rare Replay collection being the easiest option but not only one, though I am not sure I have a decent option for uncensored Conker's Bad Fur day right now.
I will also include things since decompiled and PC versions made -- play whatever decompiled version of Mario 64 you like really over the original. Indeed I would almost be inclined to wait and get anything that gets the decompilation treatment.

 

[KiiWii]

As Fast stated some have aged poorly graphically, but on a gameplay level there are still plenty of absolute bangers!

Anything by RARE is worth a play on the system, especially the often overlooked: Jet force Gemini & Blast Corps.

Majoras Mask is fantastic, Sin and Punishment is great for action, and F-Zero is still a classic.

I personally love Wave race it’s still all killer, no filler.

 

[WaveSmash]

When it comes to playing 3 of the most famous and well like games, Ocarina of Time, Majoras Mask, and Super Mario 64, the best place to play them is anywhere but the N64 lol. OOT has the SOH PC Port and it's a gift from the heavens. It's genuinely incredible and offers many enhancements. It's playable on PC, Switch, Xbox One / Series, Linux, Steam Deck, MacOS, and who knows where else it's going.

SM64 has a similar PC port with less features, but there's an incredible multiplayer mod and a good number of other things.

Majoras Mask 3D for the 3DS emulates pretty well on PC and the Restoration Mod fixes the issues people had with the 3DS port. When emulating on PC if you have a VR headset or 3D display (somehow), you can even play it in 3D. It has camera control, runs at a higher fps, has gyro control, and the graphics are overall nicer.

 

[oliveboy123]

if you have some friends over the original Mario Party's (1, 2 and 3) can be quite fun along with playing a modded version of Super Mario 64 that has multiplayer, that being said if you can get mods on your n64 games then I would suggest looking for some fun Super Mario 64 mods along with Mario Kart 64 mods as those can be quite fun as well. my personal favs when it comes to n64 rom hacks is Super Mario 64 multiplayer, Mario Kart 64 Randomizer (adds a TON of new tracks and some new characters along with new physics) and Mario vs Wario Ware (think an entirely new Mario Party game made out of the Super Mario 64 engine)

 

[ragnarok_approaches123]

I tried a few Nintendo 64 games on Retroarch for the Switch. Some of them run well and others don't.

Wave Race to my surprise felt quite smooth, so smooth I suspect the emulator is increasing the framerate. Last time I played it on actual hardware it was an unplayable piece of shit. For someone biased by nostalgia, it's good enough visually in 2023 when emulated. The gameplay is still great. I really hope this game gets successfully decompiled.

Conker's Bad Fur Day had frequent slowdowns even with a 1.75 GHz CPU overclock. The audio stutters suggest these slowdowns did not occur on actual hardware. This is one game best emulated on a PC.

I'm not willing to try the Zelda games because of the 20FPS framerate cap. I'll stick with the 3DS or Switch ports.

 

[M7L7NK7]

Conker's Bad Fur Day had frequent slowdowns even with a 1.75 GHz CPU overclock. The audio stutters suggest these slowdowns did not occur on actual hardware. This is one game best emulated on a PC.

Conker is fine. It's your settings.

 

[rcpd]

The N64 versions of the Cruis’n series still hold up very well, but they get kind of sluggish when crashes happen or there’s more than 3 vehicles on the screen. Plays flawlessly on a Pi 4 though, which makes me think the N64 core in Retroarch Switch just isn’t optimized well enough yet.

Diddy Kong Racing is still fun as heck and is very playable in Retroarch for Switch.

Rayman 2 is totally playable for Retroarch Switch and is still good fun.

Donkey Kong 64 is a blast. Definitely a damn good sequel to the SNES title and also playable on the Switch.

As mentioned, Wave Race 64 is still visually stunning and the gameplay is still fun. Plays very well on Retroarch for Switch. Highly recommend.

@KiiWii mentioned Jet Force Gemini and Blast Corps. Both play on Retroarch for Switch, but Blast Corps will slow down significantly if you do not overclock CPU/GPU/RAM. Both are still damn good fun to play.

Pilot Wings 64 is good for playing a few quick levels and doing some really stupid things while hang gliding that you just can’t do in real life. It’s great fun but can be frustrating in the later levels. Even more fun when you finally get the “bird man” ability. Plays decently on Retroarch for Switch.

If you’re a Tetris fan, absolutely do NOT skip Tetrisphere. It’s a very unique take on Tetris that demands a more methodical approach than conventional Tetris. Plays amazingly well for Retroarch Switch.

 

[duwen]

Sin & Punishment, Mischief Makers, Starfox 64, Pokémon Snap, Star Wars Rogue Squadron & Racer & Battle for Naboo, F-Zero X, Killer Instinct Gold and everything else by Rare that isn't an FPS.

 

[HandsomeJack]

Quake II

Has different levels from the PC version and engine differences.

 

[ragnarok_approaches123]

Conker is fine. It's your settings.

What settings do you have the game running on? I was using the default settings.

 

[M7L7NK7]

What settings do you have the game running on? I was using the default settings.

Lol why would you assume the game doesn't work if you didn't even change any settings?? Haven't played it for years, but it's probably FBemu on or off

 

[Ricken]

I find myself coming back to Ocarina of Time/Majoras Mask on a semi-regular basis, albeit, I'll always create a new randomizer if I wish to play them.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Both Bomberman 64s are great fun even today!

If you’re a Tetris fan, absolutely do NOT skip Tetrisphere. It’s a very unique take on Tetris that demands a more methodical approach than conventional Tetris. Plays amazingly well for Retroarch Switch.

Agreed. It's different, but it's a very good different! The music is also fantastic.

 

[FAST6191]

Both Bomberman 64s are great fun even today!

I do have to point out there are technically 4 Bomberman efforts on the N64 (the original, second attack, hero and the 2001 Japanese only Bomberman 64 -- the original Bomberman 64 is baku bomberman there).
It is also a divisive issue in bomberman fan circles as well, though I will say I had just as much fun with the one I played with my friends as we did with the megadrive version before it.
These days it is quite far down the list of best bombermans (The best PCE/TG16 version as there were a few releases is my gold standard, probably Saturn after that, Atomic Bomberman mentioned but might slide a place, supergameboy versions, XBLA, 2 on the DS and after that is all* up for grabs including N64 efforts.
If the N64 stuff is kicked to its own column like we might Megaman Battle Network vs Megaman Platformers vs Legends then very good series there too, though I might consider pointing people at the gamecube entries (and I will take the GC side vs PS2 in this one) to play first.

*obviously excluding the Xbox 360 act zero abomination.

 

[Xdqwerty]

paper mario

Post automatically merged: Jul 9, 2023

omg one of the people who created the hit rom hack newer super mario bros wii released in 2009 liked my reply