The Best N64 Games to Play on Analogue 3D

It’s been 4 years since Nintendo brought the archetypal batch of Nintendo 64 games to its Nintendo Switch Online service, present redubbed Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics. For idiosyncratic who started his games media vocation covering N64 games, this modern instrumentality connected Nintendo’s legendary Virtual Console epoch was a precise invited addition. I ended up playing done a fewer of the games implicit the months that followed and was amazed however good immoderate of them aged (special shoutout to Rare’s Banjo games)!

It’s not each sunshine, of course. The games aren’t moving natively and whitethorn not consciousness arsenic snappy arsenic you retrieve them. Some aboriginal emulation challenges, similar Ocarina of Time’s fog rendering, were addressed beauteous quickly, adjacent if immoderate others inactive linger (F-Zero X is inactive not arsenic we retrieve it). And portion determination are galore all-time classics to beryllium recovered successful the emulated library, I would’ve honestly expected a bigger lineup by present with a fewer much first-party hits arsenic good arsenic immoderate third-party gems that person firmly entered the forgotten gems realm. Which means, Nintendo Classics is simply a convenient and cost-effective solution to relive the N64 age, but not a cleanable one.

Enter the Analogue 3D, a modern – but costly – instrumentality connected the Nintendo 64 hardware. See Seth’s reappraisal for more:

If you’re not acquainted with the company, it’s known for making highly susceptible high-end solutions to play classical games connected modern screens, specified arsenic the Analogue Duo (PC Engine/TurboGrafx), the Super NT (SNES), Mega NT ( Genesis/Mega Drive), the Analogue Pocket (all Game Boy systems – with adapters for Game Gear, NGPC, Lynx, and more), and now, the $270 Analogue 3D, susceptible of bringing some NTSC and PAL games to 4K screens, lag-free, and with further bells and whistles, similar CRT-style show options, overclocking, and VFR. It’s not a replacement for the Switch consoles’ quality to emulate Nintendo 64 connected the go, but for purists who person oregon are consenting to physique a sizable N64 cartridge postulation and privation the games to consciousness and look arsenic bully (or better) arsenic they remember, it’s surely the champion mode to play them connected modern screens.

My Analogue 3D successful achromatic (it besides comes successful achromatic for a much classical look.)

I preordered 1 time one, mostly due to the fact that I anticipated immoderate large N64 games that I inactive ain to ne'er travel to the Switch work – though I’ll concede that Nintendo has amazed maine before. For starters, I did not person the Japan-only Custom Robo and Custom Robo V2 connected my Switch Online bingo card. Perhaps there’s much wherever that came from?

People funny successful crippled preservation usually cognize their mode astir a classical gaming room and if you’re portion of the Analogue 3D club, you apt person immoderate N64 carts astatine location already. But arsenic idiosyncratic who reviewed Nintendo 64 games for a surviving immoderate 3 decades ago, I humbly contiguous this non-exhaustive database of idiosyncratic favorites that are worthy going backmost to and AREN’T yet – and successful immoderate cases ne'er volition beryllium – connected Nintendo’s service.

Let’s footwear it disconnected with 10 must-plays, successful alphabetical order. I've included IGN's Top 25 N64 games astatine the bottommost of this nonfiction -- but these picks and different picks successful this file are specifically games you can't get yet play connected Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

Beetle Adventure Racing

I wrote a full file astir this 1 arsenic well, but EA’s Battle Adventure Racing is much than conscionable a – present – obscure introduction successful the Need for Speed series. It’s a genuinely bully racer successful which the hunt for its imaginative shortcuts is arsenic entertaining arsenic the existent racing action. Given that the VW Beetle car licence comes with strings attached (VW isn’t making Beetles anymore and whitethorn not beryllium motivated to rubberstamp an emulated re-release), the Analogue 3D is surely the champion mode to play it today!

Beetle Adventure Racing for N64 (1999)

Read my column, Raising the BAR, for much connected the past of Beetle Adventure Racing -- and its canceled sequel.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Conker’s Bad Fur Day didn’t property arsenic good arsenic Rare’s champion platformers, Banjo Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, partially due to the fact that of its dated wit and references, but it’s inactive a large time. I really played the archetypal saccharine Conker’s crippled earlier it was retooled into the M-rated escapade we each cognize and emotion today, and historical value of that “design 180” aside, determination inactive isn’t thing arsenic outrageously comic arsenic the Great Mighty Poo brag battle. Even without the discourse of Conker’s roots. Perhaps replaying it volition yet purge the Ugas’ chant from my brain, too. Note besides that the Conker: Live and Reloaded remake is playable connected modern Xbox consoles via backwards compatibility.

Diddy Kong Racing

It’s precise unusual Nintendo added Rare’s overmuch worse Jet Force Gemini to Nintendo Switch Online earlier adding Diddy Kong Racing, but possibly the operation of Microsoft-owned crippled codification with Nintendo characters made it a overmuch trickier rubric to negociate a re-release declaration for. Or possibly it’s inactive coming. Regardless, Diddy Kong Racing merged the stylings of Mario Kart and Mario 64 into a racing crippled with aggregate conveyance types and an explorable overworld hub – decades earlier Mario Kart World. The Analogue 3D adjacent smoothes retired immoderate of DKR’s framerate issues acknowledgment to its quality to overclock. Given however agelong it takes Nintendo to marque a caller Mario Kart, I’m inactive hoping we’ll yet get a existent remake oregon a sequel – but lest you privation to hazard waiting until you attack Cranky Kong’s property you whitethorn privation to conscionable revisit the original.

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

Bonus Pick: Goemon's Great Adventure

Konami’s been issuing classical crippled collections near and right, which is wherefore we haven’t seen immoderate of its champion classics, similar the Castlevania GBA games, connected Nintendo's service. Goemon games whitethorn beryllium much apt additions, since Konami hasn’t revisited them successful a agelong time, but the information that the lone Mystical Ninja crippled playable connected modern hardware contiguous is the obscure arcade archetypal should archer you something. Though they’re not arsenic bully arsenic Goemon’s champion outings connected SNES, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon is simply a amazingly daring Ocarina of Time-style 3D enactment escapade – and it came retired earlier Nintendo’s mega hit. Plus, with overclocking, it’s really overmuch much playable than ever. Great Adventure, connected the different hand, is simply a instrumentality to the 2D side-scrolling co-op enactment that whitethorn not beryllium arsenic original, but aged overmuch better. Both are inactive amusive to play.

Goemon and Ebisumaru. (Credit: Konami JP 2005)

See my column, Life and Death of the Mystical Ninja for more.

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber

I wrote an full file astir this existent gem of strategy RPG and its predecessor, but astatine the hazard of repeating myself: Ogre Battle 64 inactive rocks. Unfortunately, it’s besides exceedingly uncommon and volition outgo much than a 100 bucks (without container oregon manual). If you don’t ain it yet, ever support a upwind oculus retired for a transcript astatine the adjacent vicinity store sale. See: Forgotten Gems: The Legendary Ogre Battle for more.

Rocket: Robot connected Wheels

You’ve astir apt ne'er heard of Rocket, but its developer’s pedigree has improved a 1000 fold since its debut backmost successful 1999. I’ve ever had a brushed athletics for developer Sucker Punch’s inaugural game, but those funny what the radical down Ghost of Yotei, Infamous, and Sly Cooper did earlier they were celebrated volition find a slower-paced, physics-based puzzle platformer featuring a long-forgotten unicycle robot mascot. Given that Sony owns Sucker Punch and steadfast Ubisoft apt fto the licence lapse, here’s astir apt your 1 accidental to play it again oregon for the archetypal time.

Space Station Silicon Valley

I’m convinced that DMA’s Space Station Silicon Valley volition yet articulation the Nintendo Classics lineup – aft all, some its publisher, Take Two, and the developer – known present arsenic Rockstar – are inactive live and well. But until then, this obscure level puzzle crippled is champion played connected archetypal N64 hardware oregon the Analogue 3D. Silicon Valley has you power betwixt a assortment of robotic animals to lick progressively analyzable puzzles. It’s odd, funny, and endlessly creative.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

Bonus Pick: Star Wars: Battle for Naboo

It’s astonishing this graphical showcase hasn’t returned to a Nintendo level fixed that you tin bargain the PC larboard for a fewer bucks connected Steam. Until it does, you could bash worse than play the Expansion Pak-enhanced shooter connected an Analogue 3D oregon archetypal hardware today. A method accomplishment for its time, Rogue Squadron is inactive a precise playable and amusive acquisition today. I was really amazed however bully it looks compared to beauteous overmuch each different N64 crippled erstwhile I plugged it into my Analogue 3D. The Analogue, of course, besides supports the precocious solution show mode that requires the 4MB Expansion Pak connected archetypal hardware. Bonus: effort Star Wars: Episode I Battle for Naboo. It whitethorn not person the payment of the much memorable battles from the archetypal trilogy, but it’s inactive a large time.

Those 10 picks should beryllium capable to get your started.

Super Smash Bros.

Yes, I know. It’s insane the archetypal Smash Bros. has not been released connected Nintendo 64 Classics. Whatever the reasons, it inactive feels large and is simply a fantastic reminder arsenic to however adjacent the biggest hits started small. It’s the weakest crippled successful the bid with its constricted roster of conscionable 12 characters, but the genius of the bid is already connected afloat show here.

WWF No Mercy

Bonus Picks: WWF Wrestlemania 2000, WCW/NWO: Revenge, WCW vs. NWO: World Tour

I’m not a wrestling guy, but adjacent I could archer that developer Aki’s tally of Nintendo 64 wrestlers was thing special. WWF No Mercy was ever our interior apical prime astatine IGN64 (we played it for galore late, precocious hours), but immoderate of the 4 Aki-made games are inactive worthy playing. And fixed the complications with quality and league licenses, the chances of them ever coming to Nintendo’s work are precise slim.

And present are a fewer much games worthy checking out, based either connected gameplay prime oregon humanities significance, arsenic noted:

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangai-O

Inferior to the Dreamcast version, but inactive a large illustration of what made Treasure’s games specified uncommon delights, Bangai-O has you steer a tiny flying mech done a maze filled with enemies and relentlessly blast the opposition. Only released successful Japan successful constricted numbers, it’s truthful ridiculously costly to bargain for N64, it would beryllium truly bully to get a integer rerelease.

BattleTanx and BattleTanx: Global Assault

Nintendo 64 was the multiplayer console of the ‘90s – but immoderate of america kept playing four-player split-screen years afterwards, too. Stemming from failed console-maker 3DO, the 2 BattleTanx games were lesser known, but managed to service up specified addictive vessel PVP gameplay, we ended up playing it astir arsenic overmuch arsenic GoldenEye. Sadly, 3DO went nether earlier they managed to propulsion disconnected a chapeau trick. Prism Entertainment snapped up the licence and maintains the trademarks for BattleTanx, but hasn’t done thing with them. Might arsenic good drawback the carts for inexpensive astatine a store sale.

Body Harvest

Body Harvest is not a large crippled – and didn’t property well. But it’s an experimentation truthful up of its time, it deserves to beryllium played again. From the makers of Grand Theft Auto comes a afloat polygonal alien penetration enactment escapade that lets you bid immoderate conveyance you see. If you’re intrigued, delight spot my file for more: Body Harvest: The Game Nintendo Walked Away From.

Body Harvest's artifact container of commandable vehicles.

Bomberman X4

Nintendo 64 is location to 4 Bomberman games. The first, Bomberman 64, known arsenic Baku Bomberman successful Japan, is notable mostly for bringing Bomberman into polygonal 3D. It’s not arsenic snappy arsenic its 2D predecessors, but it’s inactive amusive to revisit. It was followed by the single-player Bomberman Hero. The deficiency of multiplayer inactive pisses maine off, but immoderate radical seemed to bask it. It was followed by Bomberman 64: Second Attack. This underrated sequel to the inaugural 64 outing ffeatures much multiplayer options, including two-player co-op and a four-player splitscreen mode. Not each of them hit, but it’s inactive a prime crippled to revisit.

Now, things get confusing. There’s also: Bomberman 64.

No, you’re not seeing double. This Racjin-developed crippled takes everything backmost to 2D. Which overmuch amended results. Only released successful Japan, it’s a shame the existent Bomberman 64 from the makers of Snowbo Kids is much obscure than the inferior earlier title.

Castlevania: Legacy Of Darkness

Konami tried truly hard – and struggled – to bring each its classical 2D bid into the 3rd dimension. It gave up connected Contra 64 outright and canceled the project, portion Goemon fared somewhat amended and saw 2 N64 releases, covered above. But you person to laud Konami for not giving up. Legacy of Darkness is fundamentally a redo of Castlevania [64]. Its foggy, blurry visuals won’t dazzle you, but it’s a flawed and forgotten gem worthy remembering. I inactive emotion that oversized “Home Depot Skeleton” battle.

Cruis’n USA and Cruis’n World

Take a heavy breath. I don’t emotion these games. Actually, I don’t adjacent like these games. I tolerated Cruis’n USA successful the arcades, but lone erstwhile determination weren’t amended racers astir to play – which was rare, due to the fact that contemporaries similar Daytona USA were ever near. The N64 mentation isn’t a large conversion, but I cognize galore older arcade fans are nostalgic for some Cruis’n games. For immoderate reason.

Donkey Kong 64

While I’m making you angry, I person precise mixed feelings astir DK 64 arsenic well. The 2 Banjo games are decidedly superior successful each way, which is nary uncertainty wherefore some were prioritized for merchandise connected Switch. But for each the postulation bloat, Donkey Kong 64 inactive has immoderate memorable moments -- and euphony -- that marque it worthy revisiting. Plus, that yellowish cartridge looks mighty bully successful either the achromatic oregon the achromatic Analogue 3D. Overclocking helps with its erratic framerate, but the driblet successful prime from Banjo-Kazooie is palpable erstwhile you play them backmost to back. I know, I know, galore of you emotion it.

Doubutsu nary Mori (Animal Crossing)

Animal Crossing connected GameCube was really a larboard of Doubutsu nary Mori, a Nintendo 64 “communication game” that predates it by a afloat year. You’ll person to beryllium capable to work Japanese kana to afloat bask it – but besides enactment that you’ll mostly beryllium playing the aforesaid crippled that aboriginal came to GameCube arsenic Animal Crossing and Doubutsu nary Mori+.

San Francisco Rush and Rush 2049

The archetypal arcade conversion was amazingly competent, but the Nintendo 64 mentation of its sequel, Rush 2049, manages the uncommon feat of being amended than the arcade original. The cardinal to its occurrence was the quality to power the vehicles portion airborne, which made each the quality for this version’s conflict and stunt modes. “Rush… It’s DANGEROUS.”

Gauntlet Legends

Atari was intent connected reinventing each 1 of its arcade classics successful 3D for the caller millennium, and Gauntlet Legends turned retired to beryllium 1 of the fewer that made it and near an impression. Ironically, its blocky polygonal graphics didn’t property arsenic good arsenic the OG’s top-down sprites, but I retrieve having a large clip playing four-player successful some the arcades and astatine location connected N64.

Hybrid Heaven

It’s not arsenic bully arsenic you retrieve it to be, but it remains a truly unsocial effort astatine marrying Metal Gear-style enactment with classical roleplaying gameplay. Ultimately, the satellite you research is conscionable not absorbing capable to support astir player’s attention, but it’s historically absorbing arsenic the lone sci-fi enactment RPG from Konami’s Osaka squad and due to the fact that it featured a widescreen mode mode backmost successful 1999. Hybrid Heaven supported the carnal Expansion Pak for higher solution output connected N64 hardware, which the Analogue 3D supports virtually arsenic well.

Mickey’s Speedway USA

I’m nary instrumentality of Mickey’s Speedway USA – to me, it’s the crippled wherever Rare’s sizeable plan chops fell unfortunate to having to colour successful the lines of a high-profile license. But it’s improbable we’ll ever spot this Disney instrumentality connected Mario Kart (with mode excessively wide tracks) re-released, truthful drawback it up if you brushwood it successful the wild.

Micro Machines 64 Turbo

Here’s a bully racing game, for a change. Unfairly overlooked, Micro Machines 64 Turbo is simply a top-down multiplayer racer that offers up super-fun 4 subordinate enactment with 32 antithetic conveyance types – cars, tanks, boats, helicopters – crossed 48 antithetic tracks. It adjacent features an eight-player mode via what it calls “pad share” (yes, it’s arsenic awkward arsenic it sounds, but you person to admit the full committedness to make the eventual enactment game).

Mischief Makers

Mischief Makers bucked the inclination of making each crippled 3D connected N64 and it’s inactive bully for immoderate accelerated and fluid enactment from storied developer Treasure. It’s not arsenic bully arsenic Treasure’s ain Gunstar Heroes for Genesis, but hey, not galore games fto you play arsenic a brawling robot maid, truthful there’s that.

Mission: Impossible

Not a large game. Mission: Impossible was a hugely ambitious crippled improvement task that didn’t rather marque it to the desired decorativeness line. It was pared down and became considerably little ambitious to get it retired the door, but immoderate of the large ideas are inactive to beryllium recovered successful what could’ve been a Hitman crippled earlier determination were Hitman games.

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Though not arsenic bully arsenic the Dreamcast version, Rayman 2: The Great Escape is an fantabulous platformer that shows the limbless leader could bent with Mario and Banjo (unlike Ubi’s precise akin 3D platformer effort that year, Tonic Trouble). Rayman’s 2D outings person aged better, but The Great Escape is inactive worthy your time.

Snowboard Kids 1 and 2

Nintendo 64’s 4 controller ports and aboriginal occurrence with Mario Kart 64 multiplayer inspired immoderate developers to experimentation with “Mario Kart, but with…” games. With Snowboard Kids, Osaka-based Racjin recovered the winning formula. Never arsenic bully arsenic Mario Kart – oregon 1080, for that substance – some Snowbo Kids games conjure up blessed memories of playing against friends.

Star Fox Adventures

Originally conceived arsenic an archetypal task called Dinosaur Planet, Nintendo had Rare adhd Star Fox characters and formation sequences to crook it into the lone non-shooter spin-off successful the franchise. Parts of it are overmuch amended than you remember. Like a Legend of Zelda with foxes. But different parts – similar the writing, pacing, oregon Rare’s obsession with nonsense McGuffin collectoritis – are eyerollingly bad. “Yesssss, you recovered a BafomDad!”

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

I cognize determination are plentifulness of N64 fans who would enactment this successful their apical 10 based connected the spot of its fantabulous Hoth level. Visually, it was mode up of its time. But unfortunately, astir of the crippled is marred by sluggish and unbalanced first-person shooter sections and a repetitive, highly compressed mono soundtrack. It’s an absorbing nonaccomplishment that has its fans.

Top Gear and Friends

I wrote astir the archetypal Top Gear connected SNES successful a erstwhile installment of this column, but N64 is simply a location to a slew of Top Gear titles, each rather antithetic from each other. There’s Top Gear Rally, Top Gear Rally 2, Top Gear Overdrive, and Top Gear Hyperbike. The archetypal 1 is inactive arguably the champion successful the clump – Boss Game Studios, however you’re missed! Top Gear Rally and the Boss-developed thoroughfare racing successor World Drive Championship showed what was graphically imaginable connected Nintendo 64, portion the Saffire-developed Top Gear Rally 2 added instrumentality nonaccomplishment to the premix for a much authentic endurance racing experience. Top Gear Overdrive, finally, is an obscure effort astatine challenging Beetle Adventure Racing – and it’s rather competent. It’s from the radical down Baldur’s Gate 2, Snowblind. That aforesaid squad besides made Top Gear Hyperbike – but it’s not successful the aforesaid league arsenic Excitebike 64.

Tetrisphere, The New Tetris, Tetris 64, and Magical Tetris Challenge

Nintendo 64 was location to galore prime puzzle games, immoderate of which person already been released connected Nintendo Switch. But there’s a quadrilogy of Tetris games that ne'er got determination that’s inactive worthy playing. The visually-exciting but besides confusing Tetrisphere and the much accepted The New Tetris are mostly notable for their kicking soundtrack (the aforesaid composer scored both), portion the Japan-only Tetris 64 mixed things up importantly with caller artifact sizes and antithetic modes (and a bio sensor you tin clamp to your ear). Capcom’s Magical Tetris Challenge combines 2 analyzable licenses – Disney and Tetris – and frankincense volition ne'er beryllium seen again extracurricular its constricted console tally (and the arcade archetypal it’s based on).

How’s that for a database to support you busy? There’s plentifulness more, of course, from the oddball liquid puzzler Wetrix, to WipEout 64, platformers Chameleon Twist and Glover, rally racer MRC, and immoderate prime sports games similar NFL Blitz, ISS ‘98, and NBA Courtside. Bored with GoldenEye? Eurocom’s The World is Not Enough isn’t bad. Plus, there’s Worms Armageddon, Spider-Man, Vigilante 8, and immoderate amusive and goofy ports of StarCraft 64, Command & Conquer, Quake, Quake II, Rainbow Six, and Duke Nukem to support you busy. And yes, I cognize astir Quest 64 and the Army Men games – much powerfulness to you if you bask them – but they’re not connected my Christmas List.

Do you person immoderate favourite Nintendo 64 games that I didn’t mention? Share your recommendations with others – and fto maine cognize if you’ve gotten your hands connected an Analogue 3D and what your archetypal impressions are.

Peer Schneider heads up Game Help & Tools crossed IGN, Maxroll, Map Genie, Eurogamer, RockPaperShotgun, and VG247 and has played each azygous crippled named successful this article. Likely earlier you were calved (no offense).