Nostalgia Gaming: The 6 Best Games For Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 was as much of a ’90s childhood staple as Gogurt, Toonami, and Nerf blasters. From weekends with friends dodging shells in Mario Kart to traversing the deep world of the Ocarina of Time, the N64 helped raise an entire generation and expose millions upon millions to thrilling worlds far beyond our own.

We’ve decided to look back at the 23-year-old console that brought us all so much joy and analyze which of its amazing titles brought us the most joy. Because choosing the best Nintendo 64 games is like choosing a favorite child, this list is presented in no particular order.

As always, sound off in the comments to remind us what we missed.

1. Mario Kart 64

There are two types of N64 owners: Mario Kart loyalists and Diddy Kong Racing fanatics. Like many of history’s greatest schisms, friends and families have been torn apart by these stark differences in opinion.

Okay, maybe it isn’t that extreme, but generally you loved one or the other and looked down at your rival’s racing preference. For this writer, Mario Kart wasn’t merely a game, it was a lifestyle. The best games you play along friends are those that mix a bit of silliness with an intense edge. Nintendo’s collection of cheeky characters mixed with turtle-shell missiles and winding maps made this an instant classic.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Credit: Moby Games

2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

The game that ruined skateboarding, officially. Those wild 720s, those gnarly double back flips, those combo scores. This is like what skateboarding would be if it was done by superheroes. Originally a port from the Playstation, the N64 edition brought a soundtrack that remains burned in the brains of young millennials everywhere.

What made Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater iconic was the addictiveness of its levels and its clever reward system. You had to absolutely nail impossible tricks to unlock new features. The game was also bolstered by big name personalities like Tony Hawk himself, Mike Muscala, and others. The original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater would go on to create a legion of games and copycats, but nothing has ever been quite like the original.

3. Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 was such a good game that I once watched my friend play it for eight hours straight. I don’t think I touched the controller once. I watched, and occasionally coached, as we traversed a starburst-bright world in an attempt to save Princess Peach from a dastardly Bowser. Super Mario 64 used brilliant, high-jumping mechanics and a playful sense of world-building to provide constant fun.

But, that doesn’t mean Super Mario 64 was easy or frivolous. The game drove completionists crazy in their pursuit to capture every star, traverse every level, and get that sweet smooch from Princess Peach.