The Best N64 Games On Nintendo Switch Online

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 2, 2024 5 Views 25 Min Read
The Best N64 Games On Nintendo Switch Online



Key Takeaways

  • The N64 library on Nintendo Switch Online offers mesmerizing adventures that are still fun to play today.
  • While some N64 games may not have aged well, many still have the hallmarks of great games, like memorable boss fights and fantastic soundtracks.
  • Though single-player experiences make up quite a few of these games, some of the best titles are enjoyed with friends!

The Nintendo 64 was released in 1996 and quickly became a sensation due to its innovative 3D graphics and revolutionary gameplay. Popular series like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda were re-imagined with this new technology and allowed you to explore places like Hyrule in ways previously unimaginable.

The Best N64 Games - Split image of Banjo Kazooie, Super Mario 64, The Legend Of Zelda Majora's Mask, Star Fox 64

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The 15 Best N64 Games Of All Time, Ranked

The N64 is still one of Nintendo’s most beloved consoles, and these games are the reason why gamers will always adore it.

Unlike the NES and SNES, it took a while for Nintendo to put N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. It costs a little extra to access them, but the N64’s library is full of mesmerizing adventures that are still fun to play today.

There are a good number of N64 games on the Switch (a new one drops about once a month), and while many of them are good, others feel just as magical and exciting as they did when they first launched nearly three decades ago.

Updated October 28, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard: We are updating this list to include the newest N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online – Banjo-Tooie, Shadow Man, and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. Now, every title on the service is ranked to help you decide which one to spend your time with.

Four games on this list – Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Shadow Man, and Perfect Dark – require you to download a separate app to play them. You’ll need to have access to the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online: MATURE 17+ app to play either of these titles.

37

Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls

Iggy sits on a track with arrows around him.

Developer

Iguana Entertainment

Release Date (North America)

November 24, 1998

Genre

Racing, Platformer

Number of Players

1-4

Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls might not be the best N64 game on Nintendo Switch Online, but it’s certainly one of the weirdest titles on the service. Fusing elements from the racing and platforming genres, you must race other spherical characters to the top of a tower by using any means necessary.

It can be fun to play with friends for a bit, but it’s hard to think of a good reason why anyone would want to play Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls on their own. The gameplay feels monotonous after a few rounds, and winning a race really isn’t that satisfying.

36

Excitebike 64

A motorcyclist wears a green jersey while driving through the desert in Excitebike 64.

Excitebike 64 is still an interesting game to hop into, but like most extreme sports games, you might not enjoy it if you’re unfamiliar with the world of off-road motorcycling. It’s a blast to ride your bike over hills and through stadiums, but certain aspects of the game, like balancing your bike in the air, might feel tedious by modern standards.

There are seventeen tracks included with Excitebike 64, but one of its best features is the track editor, which allows you to create your own courses to challenge friends with. There aren’t many motocross games on the Nintendo Switch, but if you’re looking for one to play alone or with friends, Excitebike 64 is still a great choice.

35

Yoshi’s Story

A group of colorful Yoshi's and Poochy stand on the island in Yoshi's Story.

Developer

Nintendo EAD

Release Date (North America)

March 10th, 1998

Genre

Platformer

Number of Players

Single-Player

The first time you could play as Yoshi was in the excellent Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, but the dinosaur wouldn’t star in its own solo game until Yoshi’s Story shipped for the N64 in 1998. You will swallow enemies, throw eggs, and flutter jump to new heights like in Yoshi’s Island, but without Baby Mario to protect, you can focus on platforming without worrying about losing a child.

Yoshi’s Story is incredibly charming with a gorgeous aesthetic, but the actual gameplay and level design feel incredibly shallow compared to Yoshi’s Island. You can also only play one stage per world per run, which means it’ll require multiple playthroughs to see everything the game has to offer. It might not be the best Yoshi game, but there are some memorable boss fights and a fantastic soundtrack hiding behind the less-than-fantastic story.

34

Dr. Mario 64

Dr. Mario faces Wario in a match in Dr. Mario 64.

Developer

Nintendo R&D1

Release Date (North America)

April 9th, 2001

Genre

Puzzle

Number of Players

1-4

When Dr. Mario first arrived on the NES, it provided a fresh twist on the familiar formula of dropping blocks onto each other. With its color-based system, Dr. Mario was an excellent alternative to games like Tetris or Columns.

A collage showing three different puzzle games.

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These games remind us of a puzzle. Several, in fact.

It’s hard to innovate puzzle games for sequels, and while Dr. Mario 64 has some new features – like four-player multiplayer and a story mode – the core concepts are the same as the original. You could pick one or the other and have just as much fun destroying viruses with colorful pills.

33

Extreme-G

A bike soars down a checkered track in Extreme-G.

Developer

Probe Entertainment

Release Date (North America)

October 27, 1997

Genre

Racing

Number of Players

1-4

The N64 was home to plenty of wonderful 3D racing games, including the futuristic Extreme-G. Best described as Excitebike meets F-Zero, you’ll race through stunning environments at a breakneck speed that feels just as exciting today as it did back in 1997.

Aside from being fast and furious on the track, you can also use special weapons to attack your opponents or send them to the back of the line with the powerful Wally-Warp. The only thing about Extreme-G that doesn’t really hold up is its trance-inspired soundtrack, which you can easily imagine if you close your eyes and think of the music from late 90s games and movies like The Matrix.

32

WinBack: Covert Operations

Jean-Luc Cougar shoots an enemy beside a fence in Winback: Covert Operations.

Though the N64 was perceived as a family-friendly console compared to the PlayStation 1, it still had plenty of action-based games to appeal to a large audience. Winback was developed by Omega Force – the team mostly known for the Dynasty Warriors series – and follows secret agent Jean-Luc Cougar as he infiltrates a terrorist organization to stop them from destroying the world.

It’s hard to revisit Winback these days, especially if you’re playing on a modern controller. While its cover system and laser-sight mechanics were revolutionary when it launched, they haven’t aged spectacularly, especially when you think about how much these concepts have evolved over time.

31

Shadow Man

A ton of games were considered great when they first arrived on the N64, but time hasn’t been kind to all of them. Shadow Man is an excellent example of this, as it attracted a decent audience when it launched in 1999, but quickly became a forgotten gem that’s harder to go back to as it gets older.

Inspired by the comics of the same name, you play as Michael LeRoi, the titular Shadow Man who must defend the living from the dead. If you don’t mind a campy story and mindlessly shooting at enemies, Shadow Man can still be a decent time with a bit of patience and nostalgia for the late 90s, but the remaster by Nightdive Studios is the best way to play it.

30

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

It was incredibly ambitious to put a first-person shooter on a console with a controller with only one analog stick. While titles like Turok: Dinosaur Hunter helped popularize the genre on home consoles, they are really hard to go back to with their headache-inducing draw distances and restrictive controls.

When it first launched, Turok was praised for its open and dense environments, the variety of weapons you can find, and the epic battles against terrifying dinosaurs. It’s worth diving back into for some nostalgia, but if you’ve never played it before, you’ll likely find yourself disoriented and confused within the first ten minutes.

29

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is a significant improvement over its predecessor with improved graphics and gameplay, but it’s still held back by the same caveats that make some N64 hard to revisit. There is still a decent campaign and an interesting multiplayer mode to engage with, but some patience will be required to truly enjoy yourself.

At the time, Seed of Evil was praised for its level design, tough enemies, and mindlessly enjoyable gameplay. However, with a short draw distance, you won’t be able to see far ahead of you, which can make navigation more confusing than fun. There is a great remaster of Seeds of Evil available on Switch, but you can now have a taste of the original through Nintendo Switch Online.

28

Pilotwings 64

The crew from Pilotwings stands together under a blue sky.

Developer

Nintendo EAD, Paradigm Simulation

Release Date (North America)

September 29th, 1996

Genre

Flight Simulation

Number of Players

Single-Player

Pilotwings 64 is a unique game that focuses on niche activities like skydiving and hang gliding. If you love flying in games, there is a surprising amount of fun to be had, but if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, this experience could be more frustrating than fun.

Pilotwings 64 was one of the two launch games for the N64, so if you wanted to play anything else on the console except for Super Mario 64, this was your only other option. It’s worth checking out if you want to test your aerial abilities, but it might be better to fly to another title for a more enjoyable adventure.

27

Blast Corps

A large yellow truck prepares to demolish a building in Blast Corps.

Blast Corps is the first game Rare developed for the N64, and though it’s not nearly as iconic as other titles, the game is still an excellent example of the company’s versatility and flexibility. Instead of controlling a loveable mascot, you’ll control numerous vehicles to destroy buildings and solve puzzles.

There are just under 60 levels in the game, each requiring you to think outside the box to progress further. With eight different vehicles to control, from the Ramdozer to the Cyclone Suit, there is plenty of variety in Blast Corps if you can overlook the less-than-fantastic visuals.

26

Pokemon Stadium

Charizard uses flamethrower during a battle in Pokemon Stadium.

While Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow dominated the handheld market, Nintendo made sure there were plenty of spin-off games available for home consoles as well. Pokemon Stadium resonated with many fans when it first launched because it was the first time you could witness Pokemon battling in 3D. To make it better, you could import the Pokemon from your party from the Game Boy cartridge to watch your own Pokemon duke it out.

Pokemon Stadium’s inclusion on Nintendo Switch Online is great, but one of its best features – uploading your own Pokemon to use – is unavailable. You can still complete the gym challenges and tournaments by renting Pokemon, and the mini-games alone make it worth booting up Pokemon Stadium whenever you have friends over.

25

Mario Party

An overhead view of Mario's Rainbow Castle from Mario Party.

Developer

Hudson Soft

Release Date (North America)

February 8th, 1999

Genre

Party

Number of Players

1-4

The original Mario Party is a bit bare bones when compared to its many sequels, but it introduced the core mechanics that would carry the series across every Nintendo platform following the N64. With only six playable characters and forty mini-games to play with or against your friends – including some that could leave a blister in the center of your hand – it won’t take long to see everything this game has to offer.

Collage image of various Mario Party Games showing Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and a sneaky Waluigi in the distance.

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Each Mario Party game brings hype and high expectations; yet, the long-running Nintendo series is a mix of great and downright bad entries.

The biggest problem with the Mario Party series is that it relies on multiplayer to reach its full potential. Sure, you can play against CPU opponents, but the game is at its best when personal relationships are at stake. Fortunately, you can now play the original Mario Party against friends online while communicating through apps like Discord.

24

Pokemon Stadium 2

A large group of Pokemon run onto the Stadium floor.

After Pokemon Gold and Silver launched and introduced 100 more creatures to the Pokedex, Nintendo quickly made a sequel to Pokemon Stadium to embrace and celebrate the second generation of the series. With 251 Pokemon available to choose from, the possibilities seemed endless, but Pokemon Stadium 2 is ultimately a re-skin of its predecessor with only a few new features.

Tournaments and the Gym Leader Castle return, and as fun as it is to watch your favorite Pokemon battle with more animations than the current generation, it does grow stale after a while. The mini-games are all new, and though not as memorable as the original line-up, they are still a blast to play with or against someone else.

23

Jet Force Gemini

Juno stands beside King Jeff inside a hut with a bonfire.

Jet Force Gemini is one of the last games Rare developed for the N64, and though it might not be as memorable as Banjo-Kazooie or Goldeneye, it’s still one of the more unique games on the console with a compelling single-player campaign.

Inspired by Starship Troopers, Stargate, and other 80s science-fiction films, Jet Force Gemini tasks you with saving the world from an insectoid invasion. There are multiple planets to explore and many deadly weapons you can use to protect them. The variety is impressive, and as fun as it can be, it still struggles to reach the same heights as other Rare titles like Donkey Kong 64.

22

Mario Tennis

Wario and Waluigi play duos against Princess Peach and Boo in Mario Tennis.

Mario had a lot of downtime during the N64 era. After Super Mario 64 launched alongside the console and became an instant classic, the plumber spent the rest of the 90s partying with his friends and picking up new hobbies like tennis.

A Mii takes a swing, Golfer stands on the course, Mario Runs

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Mario Tennis is a great sports game packed with fun modes and mini-games. The controls and mechanics are intuitive after a few matches, and it’s a blast to play either alone or with friends. Mario Tennis was also the debut for Waluigi, who has since become one of Nintendo’s most popular and interesting recurring characters.

21

Mario Party 3

Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Princess Peach devour a giant pizza in Mario Party 3.

Each Mario Party features the same core mechanics, but the presentation and execution of the maps and mini-games are what help define each entry. Mario Party 3 is certainly better than the first game in almost every aspect, but it fails to stand out nearly as much as Mario Party 2’s unique themes and character costumes.

There is still a ton of joy – and misery, depending on how lucky you are – to be found in Mario Party 3. Its single-player mode will task you with winning on every board in the game to earn “Star Stamps” from the Millennium Star, and most of the mini-games are just as fun as you would expect them to be. Mario Party 3 also has a unique Duel Mode that requires you to use partners like Boos and Thwomps to attack your opponent before they get you first.

20

1080 Snowboarding

Kensuke Kimachi and Hikari Hatami pose with their snowboards in 1080 Snowboarding.

It’s not often that Nintendo develops a sports game without characters from Super Mario, but 1080 Snowboarding is one of the few exceptions. Inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto’s love of skiing, the team decided to focus on snowboarding because it was more popular at the time and allowed you to perform stunts for points.

Despite its age, 1080 Snowboarding feels just as good to control today as it did when it first launched. The collision physics are still impressive, and the soundtrack makes you feel like you’re in a snowy adaptation of Point Break as you race down mountains with the wind in your hair.

19

F-Zero X

Captain Falcon, Samurai Goroh, and Pico staring at a road filled with F-Zero ships in F-Zero X.

Developer

Nintendo EAD

Release Date (North America)

October 27th, 1998

Genre

Racing

Number of Players

1-4

F-Zero might not be as popular or prominent as The Legend of Zelda or even Metroid, but it’s still regarded as one of Nintendo’s best properties for a reason. From the head-banging soundtracks to the death-defying speeds of the races, the series provides something completely different from other Nintendo racing games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing.

One of the most impressive aspects of F-Zero X is how well it ran on the N64. It might not look as polished as the original game for SNES, but its ability to run at a steady sixty frames per second with thirty vehicles racing against each other was certainly impressive.

18

Mario Golf

A group of Nintendo characters watch Mario swing his club in Mario Golf.

There are a lot of Mario sports games. From baseball to every competitive event at the Olympics, it seems like the plumber and his pals are willing to take a swing at almost anything. One of the gang’s more relaxing pastimes is golf, and Mario Golf for the N64 features modes for if you’re feeling competitive or just want to relax and master each course.

Developed by Camelot, Mario Golf features a variety of playable characters like Yoshi and Baby Mario, each with their own specialties. With ten different modes to explore – including Speed Golf, Ring Shot, Mini-Golf, and more – it’s impressive how much content is packed into this rewarding sports title.

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