15 N64 games that need to be on Nintendo Switch Online

The contempo Nintendo Direct presentation finally gave gamers the confirmation they'd been waiting for: Nintendo 64 games are coming to the Nintendo Switch Online Service.

Compounding the excitement, Nintendo even provided a glimpse at many of the system's large games that would be hitting the service, including Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fob 64 and even Banjo-Kazooie, which hasn't seen a re-release on a Nintendo console since…well, always.

Even with then many smashing games confirmed for the service, they're just a portion of the system's fantastic library. Just as we recently determined a list of Game Boy and Game Male child Colour games we would similar to come across released on Nintendo Switch Online, hither are xv other amazing Nintendo 64 games we want to see on the console in the futurity.

Banjo-Tooie

Gamers were floored to see that the original Banjo-Kazooie game, now owned by Microsoft, would exist seeing a Nintendo Switch Online release sometime in the future, marking its first-always re-release on a Nintendo console. The 2000 sequel, Banjo-Tooie, is typically held in fifty-fifty higher regard than the original.

It was bigger, darker, and more aggressive, building on its predecessor in well-nigh every believable style, but as any good sequel should. One can understand why Nintendo would opt to await a bit to denote a release for Tooie on the service, allowing gamers fourth dimension to enjoy the vivid original showtime earlier diving into the epic sequel.

Bomberman 64

Since its inception, Hudson Soft'southward Bomberman franchise was best known for addictive multiplayer with a secondary emphasis on action-adventure. The series' first fully 3D title, Bomberman 64, flipped things effectually, giving the primary focus to activity-adventure and platforming with multiplayer taking a back seat.

The event was a short merely sweet risk game that utilized Bomberman's skills in ways never before seen and cemented him as a hero from that point onward. The game proved popular enough to warrant two sequels, Bomberman Hero and Bomberman 64: The Second Assail, as well as endless adventure games for subsequently consoles.

Diddy Kong Racing

Rare's get-go foray into the racing genre made for a formidable Mario Kart clone. Actually, calling it a clone would be doing the game a tremendous disservice. Diddy Kong Racing took the kart-based gameplay of its inspiration and turned it up to 11. Not only did the game incorporate planes and hovercrafts into the mix, merely information technology also featured a fleshed-out risk manner, consummate with an engaging storyline, bosses and even a villain to defeat.

Couple that with a soundtrack past incomparable Donkey Kong State composer David Wise, and you take a racing game that, even today, stands alpine alongside the almost recent Mario Kart entries. And speaking of Donkey Kong…

Ass Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong's first and simply platforming adventure for the N64 was a tremendous hit when it was released in late 1999. The game was i of the most massive platformers of its day — for better or worse. Many felt that the game was a tad too big and that in that location was too much stuff to collect, just no one could deny that the traditional Donkey Kong charm, loveable characters, engaging gameplay and bopping soundtrack were all present and accounted for.

One could argue the game continued to refine the 3D platformer genre for years to come up. No doubt Nintendo recognizes the appeal as well; they released the game for the Wii U Virtual Panel in 2015, so a Nintendo Switch Online release probable isn't far behind.

GoldenEye 007

Games based on licensed properties tend to be hit and miss quality-wise, merely GoldenEye (often called GoldenEye 007), based on the James Bond film of the aforementioned name, was an exception in every sense. In fact, many would say information technology was the poster child for the starting time-person shooter genre before Halo hit the scene several years afterward.

No huge surprise; the game was adult by Rare, which was at the height of its game at the fourth dimension. GoldenEye pioneered many elements that accept since become FPS staples and showed what the genre on home consoles was truly capable of. Licensing rights make this game a catchy one to re-release, merely Nintendo has been known to work miracles, peculiarly where its most notable games are concerned.

Harvest Moon 64

The 3rd game in the long-running Harvest Moon farm simulator game franchise afterwards its initial Super Nintendo and Game Boy outings, Harvest Moon 64 helped solidify the franchise every bit the get-to farming simulator in the late 90s.

It continues series traditions of growing crops, raising livestock and starting a family unit, now in glorious 64 $.25. Even though the series has released many games since, Harvest Moon 64 still stands out for bringing the series into 3D for the start time. Publisher Natsume saw fit to re-release the game on the Wii U Virtual Panel in 2017, so it wouldn't be a surprise to meet information technology on Nintendo Switch Online at some bespeak in the future.

Mario Political party

Mario Party

Nintendo announced a handful of Mario spin-offs coming to Nintendo Switch Online, just one was noticeably absent: Mario Party. The penultimate party game'southward reputation precedes itself; it has over a dozen sequels to its name and has inspired countless party games since.

Okay, so an obvious question arises: why Mario Party two instead of the original? Well, it so happens that Nintendo has never re-released the original game, partly due to the controversy of players getting burns and blisters from rotating the N64'south uncomfortable analog stick for diverse mini-games. Nintendo has instead opted to re-release the sequel for its Virtual Console services, and it stands to reason it'll do the same for Nintendo Switch Online in the future.

Mischief Makers

Developer Treasure was famous for such hits as Dynamite Exciting and Gunstar Heroes throughout the 90s, and the same sort of influence is apparent in their first N64 title, Mischief Makers. When every other programmer was jumping headfirst onto the 3D bandwagon, Treasure stuck with the 2nd route for this action platformer. Unfortunately, this bold decision led to the game slipping under many gamers' radars.

Thankfully, though, history has vindicated Mischief Makers as an undeniable cult classic, and with frenetic grab-and-shake gameplay, unapologetically ridiculous story and characters, and insanely memorable bosses (every bit is par for the course for a Treasure game), it'due south no surprise as to why. Treasure has recently said to "stay tuned" regarding upcoming N64 releases for Nintendo Switch Online, and considering information technology only released three games on the system in its lifetime and one is already confirmed, it would seem the potential for a Mischief Makers re-release is college than ever.

Pilotwings 64

The Nintendo 64 launched in 1996 with two games: Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64. Being the simply other game released alongside the legendary Super Mario 64 alone is enough to make this game worth a look, but it's as well great in its own right. It brought the globe of flight simulation to life in full 3D on dwelling consoles, from hang gliding to roaring through the skies on a jet pack.

Nintendo'southward input as co-developer immune the game a certain amuse that gear up it autonomously from other flying simulators that would exist released later. Despite selling over a one thousand thousand copies, Pilotwings 64 has yet to encounter a rerelease since its N64 days, making now the perfect time for a comeback.

Pokémon Stadium

Whereas Pokémon Blood-red and Bluish for the Game Boy featured sickly, green, wonky 8-bit sprites of the original 151 Pokémon, Pokémon Stadium brought them to life in eye-popping (at the time, anyhow) 3D. Players could transfer their 'mons over to Stadium and duke it out in epic three-dimensional battles, the likes of which wouldn't be seen in the mainline games until Pokémon 10 and Y in 2013.

The game served every bit a must-have counterpart to the original Game Boy titles, and while after games admittedly had much meliorate execution of 3D Pokémon gameplay, the influence of Pokémon Stadium back in the late 90s tin't be understated.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

Bluntly, there are several N64 Star Wars games worthy of this list, but if we had to pick ane that best captured the Star Wars spirit, that honor goes to Shadows of the Empire.

Mixing 3rd-person shooting and vehicular combat, Shadows takes place betwixt the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Render of the Jedi and features nigh everything that makes Star Wars great: blowing up infinite stations, chasing bandits on landspeeders, hogtying AT-ATs on Hoth…really, the only thing keeping Shadows from existence the ultimate Star Wars game of its time was a distinct lack of lightsaber battles. Information technology was even given a cartridge re-release from Limited Run Games in 2019.

Super Smash Bros.

Perhaps the most surprising omission from the list of upcoming digital Nintendo 64 titles was the original Super Smash Bros. To say information technology was a much smaller game than its successors would be the understatement of the century; it featured a very modest 12 fighters and nine stages, but the aforementioned classic fighting gameplay the series would exist known for decades afterward.

Of course, we all know this was simply the groundwork for what was to come, merely the charm of the original game shouldn't be missed. Anyone who feels overwhelmed by the size of current Smash Bros. games might be more than comfortable with this more than intimate fighting affair. Why this archetype wasn't announced every bit an upcoming game for Nintendo Switch Online is a mystery, but information technology'due south safe to say information technology'due south a thing of when — rather than if — it hits the service.

1080° Snowboarding

Yes, believe information technology or not, there really were this many great sports games on the N64. Snowboarding was huge in the late 90s, and Nintendo wanted a piece of the action. Enter 1080° Snowboarding, a snowboarding game developed by the 'big Due north' itself. The game's graphics, gameplay variety and authentic simulation of snowboarding were widely praised at the time, and withal concur upward well today, plenty that Nintendo saw it worthy of a re-release on the Wii Virtual Console in 2008.

Wave Race 64

When it came to sports and racing games, the N64 had no equal, and Wave Race 64 was a prime instance. Released in 1996, the game featured relatively simple jet ski racing gameplay that anyone, novice or adept, could enjoy. With the advent of 3D gaming, moving ridge physics were a relatively new concept, and Moving ridge Race 64 nailed them on the commencement attempt.

You really felt like you were riding a jet ski across the water. Perchance the nigh memorable aspect of the game, however, is the poppy synth soundtrack past illustrious Nintendo composer Kazumi Totaka. Racing games don't tend to stand out in gamers' minds quite similar those of other genres, but Wave Race 64 is a much-beloved exception.

WCW/nWo Revenge

WCW:nWO Revenge

The Nintendo 64 was home to the biggest wrestling games of the era, and none were bigger than WCW/nWo Revenge. Released during a golden era in wrestling, it went on to become one of the top-selling third-party games for the system.

It featured a number of improvements over its predecessors, near notably an easy-to-learn grappling system that allowed for a wide swathe of moves to be performed. Not to mention, it featured some of the virtually well-known wrestlers of all time during their primes.