Summary
- Nintendo 64 had exclusives like Turok, Chameleon Twist, and Quest 64 worth revisiting for re-release or remaster.
- Mario Artist Collection for the Nintendo 64DD was a unique creative tool set that never made it to other consoles.
- Buck Bumble, Body Harvest, and Rakugakids on N64 offer unique gameplay experiences deserving of modern ports.
Competition between home console manufacturers got intense during the mid to late 90s, as Sony’s brand-new PlayStation was giving Nintendo a rough time. As a result, the company released the legendary Nintendo 64 during this time. This great console could play some of the best, most impressive, and most revolutionary video games ever made, like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie and more.
Regardless of whether it could beat the PS1 in the console wars or not, the Nintendo 64 eventually became one of Nintendo’s most beloved systems. Most of its games were later ported to other hardware, via apps like the Virtual Console or Nintendo Switch Online. However, there’s a fair share of solid Nintendo 64 exclusives that are still stuck on the console, and deserve a true second chance.
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8 Turok: Rage Wars
The Only Old-School Turok Game Missing From Modern Platforms
Turok: Rage Wars
- Released
- November 23, 1999
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64
Turok is a series of first-person shooters in which players have to take down dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures with a vast arsenal of weapons. The main trilogy of games in the franchise (Dinosaur Hunter, Seeds of Evil, and Shadow of Oblivion) are synonymous with the Nintendo 64. They were so beloved that Nightdive Studios recently ported them to modern systems. However, there’s another game released between the second and third entries that is still stuck on the Nintendo 64: Turok: Rage Wars.
This title had a bigger focus on multiplayer, while still retaining the unique weapons that made the Turok IP so special. A re-release or a remaster with online functionality would work wonderfully. Rage Wars also features a simple but exciting single-player campaign, so Turok fans who are not interested in a multiplayer mode will appreciate that.
7 Chameleon Twist
One Of The Most Underrated 3D Platformers On The N64
Chameleon Twist
- Released
- December 6, 1997
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64
The undeniable impact and rise in popularity of games like Super Mario 64 inspired many other developers to make their own 3D platformers, with bizarre characters and unique gameplay twists. Japan System Supply was one of these studios. They released Chameleon Twist in 1997, a surreal 3D platformer starring a bunch of colorful chameleon characters.
Chameleon Twist is not as polished or technically impressive as other games in the genre released around that time. However, the ability to use the chameleon’s tongues for platforming resulted in fun and creative gameplay that made it very memorable. Not to mention, it featured great levels with solid design and charming music. A sequel, Chameleon Twist 2, was released a year later, but it got a poorer reception than its predecessor.
A few forgotten platforming mascots like Tomba and Croc have been getting revivals in the past few years. It would be great to see these wacky chameleons in a modern remaster.
6 Quest 64
The Most Important JRPG On The Console
Quest 64
When compared to its main competitor, the PlayStation, the Nintendo 64 lacked good JRPGs, with Paper Mario being one of the few exceptions. But this was not due to a lack of trying. Japanese developer Imagineer released a fun little RPG titled Quest 64 in 1998. Of course, it couldn't compete with the likes of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, but it is still a solid little adventure that has gained a sizable cult following.
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Quest 64 is the perfect introductory JRPG for players who want to get into this popular but intimidating genre. It has accessible mechanics, a simple but effective combat system, a beautiful world, and great character and monster designs. Since it never received any subsequent ports, JRPG fans around the world can only experience Quest 64 by booting up their old N64 systems. It's time for that to change.
5 Mario Artist Collection
The Long-Awaited Sequel To Mario Paint Was Relegated To The 64DD
- Platform: Nintendo 64DD
- Released: December 11, 1999
- Developers: Nintendo EAD, Software Creations
- Genre: Creative
The Nintendo 64DD was a disk drive peripheral for the console that, while ambitious for its time, never resonated with audiences. It was a commercial failure and was never released outside of Japan. Nevertheless, the 64DD was still responsible for some fantastic video games, like its flagship title, the Mario Artist series. This was not a single game, but a collection of four pieces of creative software that players could connect to each other: Paint Studio, Talent Studio, Polygon Studio, and Communication Kit.
Mario Artist was the spiritual successor to the SNES game Mario Paint. It allowed players to draw, color, create 3D models, develop minigames and upload everything to the internet via the now defunct dial-up service Randnet. Mario Artist was not just a game, but a tool for gamers to create whatever they could imagine on their N64. That’s why it was never ported to any other console: it was meant to be software that would attract potential 64DD buyers. And nowadays, there are many free apps that can do the exact same things.
4 Buck Bumble
A Weird Game Perfect For Star Fox Fans
Buck Bumble
- Released
- November 18, 1998
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The Nintendo 64 was home to countless bizarre video games that could not be played on any other system. Buck Bumble was one of the most notorious examples. The fact that it has been forgotten by many is quite shocking, considering that it was developed by Argonaut Software (the studio behind the original Star Fox and Croc: Legend of the Gobbos) and published by Ubisoft.
Buck Bumble is a third-person shooter/shoot 'em up with clear Star Fox DNA. Players control the titular bee, which can fly around beautiful 3D environments and take down enemies with some surprisingly precise controls and weapons like lasers, rocket launchers, and more. However, much to the player's surprise, the most memorable aspect of Buck Bumble is its weirdly charming theme song. Ubisoft must still own the IP to this hidden gem, so the European gaming giant could re-release it on modern consoles at some point in the near future.
3 Body Harvest
The Nintendo 64’s Equivalent To Grand Theft Auto
Body Harvest
- Released
- October 20, 1998
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64
It’s mind-blowing to think that Rockstar’s massive Grand Theft Auto franchise would likely not exist if it wasn’t for an ambitious video game exclusive to the Nintendo 64, known as Body Harvest. This game was released back when the studio was named DMA Design, not long after the launch of the first 2D GTA game.
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This thrilling third-person shooter is all about hunting hidden aliens. But since it has a big focus on vehicles and a nonlinear open world that was very impressive for its time, most people consider Body Harvest to be the precursor of the 3D GTA entries, which the studio would later develop in the early 2000s. However, despite its undeniable importance to the history of gaming, it can still only be played on a Nintendo 64.
2 Rakugakids
One Of The Most Distinctive Fighting Games Ever Made
Rakugakids
- Released
- July 23, 1998
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64
Unlike RPGs, fighting games did a little bit better on the Nintendo 64 (mainly due to Rare’s Killer Instinct games). Konami’s Rakugakids is one of the most prominent examples. Sadly, American gamers missed out on this unique title, as it was only released in Japan and Europe. This is one of the main reasons it should be ported to modern systems, so more people get to experience this brilliant experience.
Rakugakids features a fascinating and endlessly charming art style (similar to Parappa The Rapper), with characters that are intentionally designed to look like a child’s doodles. As a result, no other fighting game has a roster that looks like this. On top of that, Rakugakids’ combat system has some fun, engaging and accessible mechanics that are reminiscent of Street Fighter’s iconic gameplay, so it's very easy to pick up.
1 Mischief Makers
A Wonderful 2D Platformer, In An Era Obsessed With 3D Graphics
Mischief Makers
- Released
- June 27, 1997
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, Enix, Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
The Nintendo 64 was all about 3D graphics, which were brand-new and technically impressive back then. However, a wonderful side-scrolling adventure titled Mischief Makers got lost in a sea of 3D collect-a-thon platformers like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Fortunately, it did gain a cult following a few years later, especially with the rise of the internet during the 2000s.
Developed by Treasure (the studio behind Gunstar Heroes and Alien Soldier), Mischief Makers is a charming 2D platformer. The game features a unique “shaking” mechanic, a lovable protagonist named Marina, catchy background music and some of the most colorful and detailed sprites on the console. Unfortunately, this hidden gem is still only available on the Nintendo 64, even though fans have been asking for a port or a remaster for more than two decades.
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