At least Nintendo 64 (N64) video games have been listed as some of the best on the console by multiple publications. Advertised for its 64-bit processor and Silicon Graphics custom hardware, the console distinguished itself in the design of its three-handled, analog stick controller (which popularized the input method) and using cartridges instead of CD-ROM. The latter deterred piracy but also third-party developers, causing a much smaller library than its 32-bit competitor, the PlayStation. Despite this, introductory prose of editor-ran best-of-N64 lists present the greatest titles of Nintendo's 64-bit console, especially by first-party developers, as exceptional and high in quantity. This was noticeably true for role-playing video games (RPG), where titles like Ogre Battle 64 were on several lists despite the genre's tiny presence on the console.

The general quality is considered to hold up under modern criticism. Some N64 games are claimed to be the greatest video games of all-time, including Super Mario 64 (1996), GoldenEye 007 (1997), and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998). Some are honored as one of, if not the, all-console best in their respective genre, such as Mario Kart 64 (1996) for racing, Diddy Kong Racing (1997) for kart racing, GoldenEye 007 for FPS and licensed video games, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for video games based on comic books, 1080° Snowboarding (1998) for snowboarding video games, and WWF No Mercy (2000) for wrestling games.

While the PlayStation sold much more than the N64, ending Nintendo's decade-long market dominance, it was nonetheless labeled by Esquires 2019 piece one of the most monumentally influential video game consoles of all-time, and the best N64 games are regularly described as innovative and impactful in gaming. Pushing the limits of the medium, they laid the foundation for and fine-tuned the design, storytelling, and visuals of 3D video games and open worlds in general (Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Pilotwings 64) and its subsequent genres, such as 3D platformers (Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie), racing titles (Beetle Adventure Racing) and particularly jet ski racing (Wave Race 64) and kart racing (Diddy Kong Racing), first-person shooters (FPS, GoldenEye 007, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter), third-person shooters (Jet Force Gemini), farm simulation RPGs (Harvest Moon 64) and skateboarding video games (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater). New mechanics like context-sensitive controls and lock-on targeting (Z-targeting) were established in titles like Ocarina of Time. Wave Race 64 and 1080° Snowboarding also brought realism to presenting weather elements like water waves and moving through and on snow. The weird design philosophy of the late 1990s and the N64's new capabilities allowed for weird (some polarizing-ly so) gameplay styles and storylines, a direction defined by Blast Corps (1997) and later exemplified by Pokemon Snap (1999), Jet Force Gemini, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000),

British developer Rare, a Nintendo partner who owned a large minority stake in the corporation at the time, was the most prolific developer of AAA N64 games. Perfect Dark, a spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007, had an innovative weapons system, artificial intelligence, and multiplayer customization. Rare's N64 swansong, Conker's Bad Fur Day, was noted for its vulgar humor that made it stand out of a generally kid-friendly console library. featuring a cute titular character and art style similar to the Banjo-Kazooie series but with violence and swearing.Additionally, entries like GoldenEye 007 provided several gamers their first experiences with split-screen multiplayer, creating several fond memories. GameSpot attributes most of GoldenEye 007s fame to its "intense four-player rounds of action that were a pioneering force in multiplayer gaming". Other titles like Mario Kart 64 (1996) and the first-three Mario Party entries, while having single-player modes, were also most celebrated for their multiplayer.

The console brought several Nintendo franchises to 3D, such as the Mario Kart series. Pokémon Stadium (1999) entirely consisted of the battles in the Game Boy trilogy Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, but transferred to a 3D environment. F-Zero X (1998) is remembered as the N64's fastest and most intense racer, sacrificing graphical detail to become one of the earliest 60-frames-per-second 3D video games. Very few racing games released afterwards have matched this speed. Donkey Kong 64 (1999) would be the only fully 3D entry in the Donkey Kong franchise until Donkey Kong Bananza (2025). One of the most notable titles requiring an Expansion Pak, it was also one of the console's biggest and diverse games when it came to its collectibles, player characters and settings; Digital Trends 2024 list estimated a completion time of "roughly 30 hours". Some franchises were launched and became successful later on. Super Smash Bros. (1999) was the first entry in one of the hugest crossover gaming franchises that became an eSports staple. Paper Mario (2000), while following the non-complicated RPG core of Super Mario RPG (1996), originated a cut-out art style to RPGs and comedy only elsewhere in the Mario & Luigi series.

List

+YearGameGenreDeveloperPublisher 1996 International Superstar Soccer 64 Sports KCEO Konami Killer Instinct GoldFightingRareNintendo Mario Kart 64 Kart-racing Nintendo EAD Nintendo Pilotwings 64 Flight simulation Nintendo EAD, Nintendo R&D3, Paradigm Simulation Nintendo Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Third-person shooter LucasArts Nintendo Super Mario 64 Platform Nintendo EAD Nintendo Wave Race 64 Racing Nintendo EAD Nintendo 1997 Blast Corps Action Rare Nintendo Bomberman 64 Action-adventure Hudson Soft Nintendo Diddy Kong Racing Kart-racingRare Duke Nukem 64 First-person shooter Eurocom GT Interactive Doom 64 First-person shooter Midway Studios San Diego Midway Games GoldenEye 007 First-person shooter Rare Nintendo Mischief Makers Side-scrolling platform Treasure Nintendo Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Platform action-adventure KCEO Konami Star Fox 64 Rail shooter Nintendo EAD Nintendo Turok: Dinosaur Hunter First-person shooter Iguana Entertainment Nintendo 64 Yoshi's Story Platform Nintendo EAD Nintendo 1998 1080° Snowboarding Snowboarding Nintendo EAD Nintendo Banjo-Kazooie Platform Rare Nintendo Fighters Destiny Fighting Geki Ocean F-Zero X Racing Nintendo EAD Nintendo Glover Puzzle-platformer Interactive Studios Hasbro Interactive International Superstar Soccer 98 Sports KCEO Konami The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Action-adventure Nintendo EAD Nintendo Madden NFL 99 Sports EA Tiburon EA Sports Mario Party Party Hudson Soft Nintendo NFL Blitz SportsMidway Games NHL 99 Sports MBL Research EA Sports Space Station Silicon Valley Platform DMA Design Take-Two Interactive Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Action game Factor 5 LucasArts Turok 2: Seeds of Evil First-person shooter Iguana Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment WCW/nWo Revenge Professional wrestling Asmik Ace, AKI Corporation THQ Wetrix Puzzle Zed Two Ocean Software Wipeout 64 Racing Psygnosis Midway Games 1999 Bangai-O Multidirectional shooter Treasure Entertainment Software Publishing Beetle Adventure Racing Racing Paradigm Entertainment Electronic Arts Donkey Kong 64 Platform Rare Nintendo Harvest Moon 64 Farm simulation Victor Interactive Software Natsume Inc. International Superstar Soccer 2000 Sports KCEO Konami Jet Force Gemini Third-person shooterRare Mario Golf Sports Camelot Software Planning Nintendo Mario Party 2 Party Hudson Soft Nintendo Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber Real-time tactical role-playing Quest Corporation Nintendo Pokémon Snap Photography HAL Laboratory Nintendo Pokémon Stadium Strategy Nintendo EAD Nintendo Rayman 2: The Great Escape Platform Ubi Pictures Ubi Soft Resident Evil 2 Survival horror Angel Soft Capcom Rocket: Robot on Wheels Platform Sucker Punch Productions Ubi Soft Star Wars Episode I: Racer RacingLucasArts Super Smash Bros. Crossover HAL Laboratory Nintendo WWF WrestleMania 2000 Professional wrestling AKI Corporation THQ 2000 All-Star Baseball 2001 Sports High Voltage Software Acclaim Entertainment Banjo-Tooie PlatformRareNintendo Excitebike 64 Racing Left Field Productions Nintendo Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Platform HAL Laboratory Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Action-adventure Nintendo EAD Nintendo Mario Party 3 Party Hudson Soft Nintendo Mario Tennis Sport Camelot Software Planning Nintendo Mickey's Speedway USA Kart racing Rare Nintendo Paper Mario Role-playing Intelligent Systems Nintendo Perfect Dark First-person shooterRare Pokemon Puzzle League Puzzle NST, Intelligent Systems Nintendo Pokémon Stadium 2 Strategy Nintendo EAD Nintendo Ridge Racer 64 Racing Nintendo Software Technology Nintendo Sin and Punishment Rail shooter Treasure, Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo StarCraft 64 Real-time strategy Mass Media Nintendo Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Skateboarding Edge of Reality Activision WWF No Mercy Professional wrestling Asmik Ace. AKI Corporation THQ 2001 Conker's Bad Fur Day Platform comedy Rare Nintendo Dr. Mario 64Tile-matchingNintendo R&D1Nintendo Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Skateboarding Edge of Reality Activision

Publications For instances of at least four citations, reference numbers in the notes section show which of the following publications list the game.

APC – 2000 Business Insider – 2016 Buzzfeed – 2022 Collider – 2019 Complex – 2014 The Daily Dot – 2016 Den of Geek – 2021 Destructoid – 2025 Digital Spy – 2017 Digital Trends – 2024 Esquire – 2019 For the Win – 2022 GameDaily – 2008 GameRevolution – 2013 GameSpot – 2022 HobbyConsolas – 2014 IGN – 2000, 2024 news.com.au – 2022 NGamer – 2012 NME – 2017 Paste – 2025 PCMag – 2021 Racketboy – 2008 Red Bull – 2018 Retro Gamer – 2006, 2014, 2026 Shacknews – 2021 Shortlist – 2023 Splice Today – 2017 Sports Illustrated – 2024 TechRadar – 2021 Thrillist – 2016 Time Extension – 2023 Video Games Chronicle – 2021

Notes

References

External links "Best Games on Nintendo 64" from Metacritic Highest user-rated Nintendo 64 games on GameFAQs Highest-rated Nintendo 64 games by "Moby Score" on MobyGames