Every year brings forward massive innovations and bewildering technological advancements in the video game industry. The current generation of gaming has pushed the medium into an unprecedented level of immersion and it’s never been easier to argue the merits of video games as an art form. There’s no end in sight as first-party developers continue to top themselves, but there’s still a heavy amount of nostalgia for the older gaming generations and how they hold up to modern standards.
The Nintendo Switch allows audiences to get a taste of the past through their Nintendo Switch Online service. The advent of Nintendo 64 titles being added to the service has been a gamechanger for Nintendo Switch Online, but there’s a fairly narrow selection of games available. The Nintendo 64 produced some cult classics that have slipped through the cracks and deserve representation on the Nintendo Switch Online.
10 Space Station Silicon Valley Is A Zoo Of An Adventure
Space Station Silicon Valley is more than two decades old and there's still nothing else out there that's quite like it. The player controls a renegade microchip that can't accomplish much when left to its own devices, but can commandeer the many animals that inhabit the game's rich world. The adventure and platforming gameplay continues to expand in fulfilling ways with the dozens of unique animals that can be controlled. It's one of the most original games on the Nintendo 64 and its '90s aesthetic is only more charming now.
9 Mischief Makers Shakes Away The Lazy Competition
A lot of the Nintendo 64's audience was so impressed with its 3D capabilities that there are some excellent 2D titles that were unfairly ignored because they looked "old-fashioned." Mischief Makers is a challenging adventure-puzzle hybrid that features a gorgeous pixel presentation. Treasure is known for developing fun and addictive titles and there's just so much to discover and master in the game. It's a game that's easy to play but difficult to master and it even feels more in line with modern gaming interests than the crowd from the '90s who were worried about going backward.
8 Bomberman Hero Is The Perfect Blend Of Explosive Platforming Action And Adventure
Bomberman is one of the video game industry’s most evergreen multi-platform mascots and still a titan of the puzzle genre. Bomberman games were par for the course on the Super Nintendo, but there’s a trio of N64 titles that pushed the franchise in challenging new directions.
Bomberman 64 and its sequel Second Attack are impressive packages. However, Bomberman Hero takes some cues from Super Mario and other platformers to create deeper gameplay that still feels faithful to Bomberman’s roots. The addition of jet, copter, and snowboard levels is also so much fun.
7 Legend Of The Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Gives Super Mario 64 A Run For Its Money
Konami's Legend of the Mystical Ninja series is thoroughly strange, and it's surprising how long these games have lasted across multiple consoles and through different gaming generations. There are some critically-praised Mystical Ninja games for the Super Nintendo that evaded mainstream audiences and the same is true for N64 releases Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and its more traditional sidescrolling sequel, Goemon's Great Adventure. Mystical Ninja feels like a game that shouldn't have been localized, so all of its quirky touches and Japanese influences only add more character to the sublime adventure game.
6 Body Harvest Is An Intricate Mix of Genres With Heavy Stakes
Body Harvest faced a very troubled production on the Nintendo 64. The mature action-adventure shooter was initially supposed to be a launch title, but eventually lost Nintendo as a publisher and didn't hit the N64 until towards the end of its lifespan. Delayed games can be a mixed bag, but Body Harvest is a breath of fresh air. The title tells a complicated alien invasion narrative where the player needs to travel through time to prevent the extraterrestrials’ next harvest of organic materials. The diverse areas and the amount of freedom that Body Harvest provides the player was a big deal in the 1990s, but still stands out now.
5 Harvest Moon 64 Is A Robust Farming Sim With Lots Of Bells And Whistles
It’s absolutely remarkable to see how niche simulation titles have become one of the most popular genres of gaming. There are some wild concepts for the current crop of sim games, but the Harvest Moon series has been a Nintendo staple for years. The Game Boy and Super Nintendo’s Harvest Moon entries were groundbreaking at the time and the Nintendo 64 properly builds upon this magic with Harvest Moon 64.
The sim game adds considerably more to the equation, but in a way that encourages repeated playthroughs rather than irritates the gamer. The success of recent sims like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley speak to the success that Harvest Moon 64 would receive.
4 Blast Corps Indulges In Gleeful Destruction That’s So Much Fun To Control
Blast Corps is one of Rare’s earliest and most unique Nintendo 64 contributions. The single-player action-puzzle hybrid marks Rare’s foray into the destruction genre. Players control a litany of different vehicles that need to clear out areas and each one is a delight. There’s nuance to Blast Corps’ gameplay, but it makes the player feel like they’re a kid again in the best possible way. Blast Corps was one of the most celebrated inclusions in 2015's Rare Replay retrospective compilation, so it'd be nice if Nintendo Switch users could also experience this iconic, yet overlooked, early Nintendo 64 game.
3 Ogre Battle 64 Is A Dream Come True For Hardcore Fans Of The Tactical RPG Genre
RPGs were few and far between on the Nintendo 64 and fans of the genre had considerably more options on both the original PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. This means that every N64 RPG stood out and there is a small percentage that cater towards seasoned gamers. Quest 64 and Paper Mario aren't deep experiences, but it's very easy to invest hundreds of hours in Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber. The real-time tactical RPG continues Nintendo's popular Tactics Ogre series, which struggled to connect in North America. It's still one of the deepest games on the console.
2 Snowboard Kids Is Pure Joy That’s Presented In An Adorable Package
Atlus has built a prestigious reputation for themselves through detailed RPG franchises, but Snowboard Kids (as well as its sequel) is a comprehensive gaming experience that masquerades as a cute sports title. Nintendo 64 owners who are fans of the sports genre surely checked out 1080° Snowboarding. Atlus' Snowboard Kids games look quite childish, but they're incredibly enjoyable and packed with extra features that will continually bring back gamers for more. Overall, both Snowboard Kids games go above and beyond their expectations and modern audiences should get to experience them.
1 Jet Force Gemini Is One Of The N64’s Most Creative And Enjoyable Shooters
Some of the best releases to come out during Nintendo’s golden years on the SNES and N64 were developed by Rare. Rare’s Nintendo 64 contributions like Banjo-Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, GoldenEye 007, and Perfect Dark are totemic titles, but the quirky Jet Force Gemini doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. Rare’s sci-fi third-person shooter stars a team of three galactic police officers, one of which is a dog, as they exterminate a deadly insectile extraterrestrial race. Jet Force Gemini feels like an effortless mix of GoldenEye with Star Fox Adventures. There’s such personality to the game, as well as polished cooperative play and multiplayer modes.