Yet another non-review, but this was something I had planned to do for a long time. Not going to lie, I almost forgot about it, but September marks the 25th anniversary of the iconic Nintendo 64's U.S. launch.
I figured I would have to do a similar write to the one I did for the PlayStation at the end of 2019. I know the Super Nintendo celebrated its 30th birthday last month without a similar article, but that wasn't an oversight on my part. I'm a huge fan of the SNES, but I think it (and the other 4th gen consoles) are all still held up on a pedestal by modern and retro gamers alike. The 5th gen consoles, however, have developed a certain reputation over time for being dated and unplayable. I don't believe that to be the case and I wanted to show my appreciation for these consoles, so hence the writeups on the PlayStation and N64. The N64 also has a special place in my heart. I've mentioned before that this was the first thing I ever bought with my own money. I did any chore I could, saving and saving until it was finally launch day. I remember coming home from school, seeing my parents had set it up for me during the day, and being as excited as I had ever been. I remember being absolutely blown away by Super Mario 64, I wasn't even remotely upset that it was the only game available. It was the first and only time I was ever popular in school, it would be months before any of my classmates could get their hands on one. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had similar experiences. But I digress.
But when the N64 finally hit stateside in late September of 1996, it was an instant success. Even with just two games at launch, it was the talk of the gaming industry. While it may not have been able to keep that momentum, it was certainly a cultural phenomena. It's just my opinion, but I have always felt this was the generation where owning multiple consoles started becoming a thing. I know many, many families that had a strict "one console" rule and that kind of started going by the wayside here. As to the reason why, we will get to the biggest one, but I think a lot of it had to do with a rise in relevance gaming as a hobby. It still wasn't quite socially accepted yet, but it was getting there.
I think it also had to do with the Nintendo 64 being largely known as a multiplayer gaming machine. I almost never touched my PlayStation if I had multiple friends over, but it got to the point where I was playing it almost exclusively while alone. The 4th gen consoles certainly had there differences, but the PS1, Saturn and N64 were so drastically different from each other that it actually made sense to own more than one. A lot of that had to do with the vast differences in game libraries. Again, its not like you didn't have to make a choice during the 4th generation. But Mario vs. Sonic was a much closer comparison than, say, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vs. Final Fantasy VII. The 5th gen consoles really became known for specializing in certain genres, even if that was more perception than reality. One make various arguments as to what carried the PlayStation, but there's no such debate with the N64. It lived and died with its first party games.
It was much, much harder to recommend hidden N64 gems than it was for the PlayStation. Part of that comes from the library of games being much smaller; the PlayStation had more than 1000 games while the N64 only saw about 400 released in North America. When you account for sports titles, which are largely the same from year to year, there just aren't as many unique games to choose from as there were with its competitor. The lows of the N64 were very low, but the highs were very, very high and there wasn't much in between. The list of must play games for the N64 is going to look familiar for anyone that's been gaming for a long time and I've even reviewed a few of them. I've already given my thoughts on why you should play Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, WCW vs. NWO World Tour and Goldeneye: 007. Off Hand, I would also list Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo Kazooie, and both Zelda titles, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. The system offered surprisingly strong ports of Resident Evil 2 and Mega Man Legends (called Mega Man 64)as well as some good sports titles in the All Star Baseball series and International Superstar Soccer 64. All of the other THQ wrestling games (WCW vs. NWO Revenge, WWF No Mercy and Wrestlemania 2000) are also worth playthroughs, even if you aren't a wrestling fan. As for hidden gems, I also think you should check out:
The Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - I already reviewed this game, so go check that out if you want to hear why I think this is an absolute must play. A great, quirky 3D platformer that exudes personality.
Lode Runner 3D - Another game I've already covered and probably one of the biggest surprises I've encountered since I started GOTBP. It's not for everyone, but I found it to be an interesting and enjoyable puzzle game.
Fighter's Destiny - One of my 10 most underrated games of all time, may even be at the top of that list. It's a different take on a 1 on 1 3D fighter, with a scoring system similar to competition karate or point sparring. I wouldn't call it 'realistic,' but the game focuses more on mixing up strikes and chaining combos than performing special moves. There are lots of fun and unique modes and it feels like there's always something to unlock. It also had a really cool multiplayer component, where you could ante up techniques in versus mode to learn even more skills. It's a shame no one really bought the game.
Harvest Moon 64 - This had no business being as good as it is. Harvest Moon (now called Story of Seasons) was something of a precursor to Stardew Valley, a farming simulator that also has social interaction components. When you think about it, it doesn't sound fun planting crops, feeding animals and trying to get one of the many eligible bachelorettes in town to date you. But there's something so addictive and fun about all of it. You will truly start to feel immersed in the goings on of the town and you will always be on the look for hidden scenes and other secrets. That is, if you don't spend all night at the tavern drinking.
Blast Corps - One of the most unique games I've ever played, Blast Corps sees you faced with an out of control truck carrying a nuclear warhead. If this truck were to crash, it would mean certain doom for all of us. So how do you stop it? You destroy everything in its path. You control a variety of vehicles, from a bulldozer to a motorcycle with missiles to a series of giant mech robots, to destroy buildings and other obstructions. Some levels are all about destruction, while others will force you to switch between vehicles and solve puzzles to clear a path. I always found this game to be incredibly difficult, but once you clear each level you can re-enter and explore freely without worrying about the carrier. That means you can destroy stuff to your hearts content while also looking for the game's many, many secrets.
Space Station Silicon Valley - I actually plan on reviewing this game soon, so I don't want to say to much. I will say that it's a puzzle game, set on a space station, populated by robotic animals. You control a microchip called EVO, who can take control of those animals and make use of their abilities to turn all of the station's power on in hopes of escaping. The game has it's own quirky, unique humor and personality that is unlike anything else I've ever played before. It's...interesting, in all the best ways.
I also want to take some time to call out all of the other unique and interesting hardware experiments the Nintendo 64 bought us. The first and most obvious was the four controller ports, it was the first mainline console to have that and I always felt it was a major selling point, especially for families. Memory cards weren't a new thing, but having them plug in to the back of a controller certainly was. Not all games utilized the controller pack, but it was still a necessity for most N64 owners. Star Fox 64 saw the release of the rumble pack, which would make the controller vibrate based on certain in game actions. This is now standard functionality for just about every controller on the market and it all started with the N64. The execution was a bit poor, if your game required you to use the controller pack to save you had to choose between that and using the rumble pack, but it was revolutionary. I'm pretty sure the N64 is the only home console I've ever seen get a memory upgrade, which was required to play certain games. I really wish I picked one of these up back in the day. Some games even came with their own unique peripherals. Pokemon stadium came with what I can only call a giant cartrige slot for game boy games that you could use to interact with Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. You could use it to play them on your TV or import your Pokemon into Stadium, which was awesome. As with any innovative company, not all of Nintendo's ideas worked out. The 64DD, a disk drive that would plug into the bottom of the console, was never even released in the U.S. There were other unsuccessful peripherals as well, but that doesn't change the fact that the N64 made some truly impactful changes to the gaming landscape.
In the end, the N64 couldn't keep up with the juggernaut that was the PlayStation, at least when it came to sales figures. It was difficult to develop for and the cartridge format made the games too expensive for casual gamers. But it also gave us some of the most iconic video games of all time, as well as a whole slew of innovations that are now standard throughout the entire gaming industry. Some might argue that much of the positive memories we have of the console are clouded by nostalgia. I can't say it's not nostalgic, but I can't say that's necessarily all it is. The first party games for the N64 are truly amazing, even all these years later. The hidden gems are some of the most unique and interesting games out there. It may not objectively be the greatest console of all time, but the N64 is certainly among the most unique and memorable.
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