This thread needs to be longer! Why isn't it longer!? Have people forgotten about how important this console was to the industry, what it gave us not just in hardware but in software!?
Analogue stick for true 3D gaming! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Rumble Pack for higher immersion! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
4 Player local co-op/multi-player! SHOULD STILL BE INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Full 3D Worlds on home consoles! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Home to some of the most influential 3D games of all time!
We were seeing special effects that we'd never or rarely seen before! Real time reflections, real time lighting, being able to target specific body parts in 3D with insane accuracy! Surround Sound! DOLBY BLOODY DIGITAL!!
Mario 64 changed the industry! No matter how many times people say it, it's impact is still felt today. It doesn't matter if the game has aged some what. You have to understand what it was like to come from purely (mostly) 2D games into a full 3D world and to have the new controls to go with it, plus the sound and gameplay. Anyone who has grown up in the later generations must not laugh at this as there has arguably never been a bigger shake to the industry since. 3D gaming and controlling it with an analogue stick was more than ground breaking.
Golden Eye 007! Once again, might not have aged well, but playing a 1st person shooter like this for the first time on consoles was something that had never been done before! Turok Dinosaur Hunter was incredible, but Golden Eye took levels, mission structure, music, controls and multi-player to a whole new level!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! There are reasons why people call this the best game ever made! It doesn't matter if it's not aged as well graphically etc. You have to realise that at the time, stepping into a 3D world like for the first time! Let me stress that again! FOR THE FIRST TIME!! There was nothing like it. It's not only because the game was in 3D, Nintendo managed to create new gameplay features that changed the industry! Z-Targeting was a vital component to this games success! Things like the rumble pack vibrating when you went over a hidden secret! Galloping a flipping horse across what felt like an endless field...nothing else like it.
Multi-player was king on this machine hands down and the PS1 couldn't touch it for that, no matter what similar games they released to counter the titles on this system!
Golden Eye 007!
Perfect Dark! This game was ahead of it's time.
1080 Snowboarding!! Seeing the boarders clothes flapping in the wind or the trail your snowboard left in the snow! Having to angle the board correctly so you don't crash!
Mario Party! Absolutely hilarious in multi-player! If you got blisters in your hands then you're a true Mario Party veteran!
F-Zero X 30 cars on the screen at once rocking out to awesome music at 60fps! Multi-player mayhem!
Star Fox 64 Dog fights! What more can I say
Wave Race 64 There had not been water effects before, like there was in this game! The race courses felt alive and dynamic, forcing you to adapt on the go as random waves moved your Jet ski around! Still to this day an absolute dream to play!
Man I could list a ton of other titles that this console had...bah! I will!
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Beetle Adventure Racing
Blast Corps!
Body Harvest
Conker's Bad Fur Day!
Diddy Kong Racing!
Donkey Kong 64
Doom 64
Excite Bike 64
Goemon 64
Hybrid Heaven
Jet Force Gemini! BEST SOUNDTRACK ON THE N64! PERIOD!
Mario Golf
Mario Tennis
Mischief Makers
Pilotwings 64!
Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium!
Quake 2
Rayman 2!
Shadow Man
Snowboard Kids!
Star Wars Rogue Squadron! THAT SURROUND SOUND! AMAZING!
Super Smash Bros!
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask!
The New Tetris! BEST TETRIS EVER!
Turok 2!
Yoshi's Story!
So, so many great games on this system! I agree that many have not held up graphically, but that doesn't matter. If you were around when this machine launched, it was an era of magic, excitement, fun and great great content supported by a machine that wanted you and others to play together.
The N64 is one of the most important consoles of all time and also one of the best consoles ever! period! Also my favourite gaming console.
I'm 35 years old, own pretty much every console that has ever come out, but the N64 and the era that it lived in has remained untouched in pure gaming magic since. Here's to the N64! Pure videogaming joy!