The N64 Appreciation Thread

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

I thought it would be fun to start an N64 appreciation thread here on VGS. We had one on NA and I always enjoyed checking in from time to time on that thread. 

Feel free to post anything N64 related. Stories, pick-ups, random thoughts and pics, prices and rarity of certain titles, etc. 

The N64 is my favorite console to play and to collect. I was born in January 1992 and inherited an NES, GameBoy and Sega Genesis from my uncle. I began my lifelong videogame journey by starting with some of the all time greats. Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic, etc. When I was 6/7, my parents bought me my very own console, an N64. We set it up in my kitchen (later in the basement) and I instantly fell in love with the classics. Ocarina of Time, Goldeneye, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Super Mario 64, Super Smash Brothers, etc. Friday nights would be rental night. We had a local rental store in my hometown called One Video Place. There was a Blockbuster in the next town over. I remember always looking forward to renting a movie and an N64 game to play with my friends. [To be continued].

Fast forward many years later and I started to collect again. I went right back to the N64 and it has been a BLAST to collect for. Sure, there is a ton of filler, but the top of the N64 library can go against anything. Some of the greatest games of all time were made on this system. I love the box art style of many games, the colorful consoles and displays. The N64 is the GOAT.

PERSONAL TOP 10 FAVORITE N64 GAMES:

1. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
3. Super Smash Bros
4. Super Mario 64
5. Mario Kart 64
6. Goldeneye 007
7. Banjo Kazooie
8. Perfect Dark
9. Mario Party
10. Chameleon Twist

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by WalterWhiteJr.

[OptOut | 8,889]

Oh man I SO wish I had one of those N64 signs, actually ANY N64 sign would be great I have the perfect place for one in my game room waiting...

Anyone know where I can get some kind of N64 sign? 

[a3quit4s | 4,108]

I dunno I played Zelda on NES and Link to the Past on SNES, but walking out onto Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time really blew my mind about what was possible with video games. N64 certainly hasn't aged well but at the time the 3d was mind blowing. Playing Goldeneye till all hours of the night on 4 player multiplayer and even games that shouldn't have been awesome were - something like Beetle Adventure Racing comes to mind. Smash Bros was amazing and fun as hell. People shit on N64 but it was really a great system. 

I completed the NTSC loose set and am missing two of the funtastic consoles, but have the Pikachu and I don't regret it at all. 

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

I love the Nintendo 64. I have all NTSC carts and variants CIB except for the box and manual for Stunt Racer and Sculptor's Cut. Yea there is a lot of trash in the library but there is also so much goodness. There's at least 30 great games for the system, and probably 60 if you want to say good instead of great.

Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time are games I play over and over. I've probably 120 starred SM64 at least 10 times in my life if not more. Mario Kart and the Mario Party games were also amazing. But what I really loved were the wrestling games. WCW/NWO World Tour, Revenge, and then WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy. I bonded with my dad so much with these games. It was a time in my life I'll always cherish. Definitely a top tier console for me.

[croagunk | 798]

I just got a Nintendo 64 for the first time this year. I absolutely love Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2.

[Jeevan | 8,915]

I am nearing completion of a full ntsc cart only set.  Need 2 more and I am done!  Also, looks like I might be getting an ultra hdmi soonish.  The brothers on shmups board have put a Serial Number next to my name on the list!  I look forward to receiving it hopefully this year!  I know they have had a lot of issues due to shipping with covid and apparently a tornado hit near/on their house.  

Anyway, N64 for life baby!!!!!!!!

[Jeevan | 8,915]

2 hours ago, a3quit4s said:

Playing Goldeneye till all hours of the night on 4 player multiplayer

We used to play a lot of Starfox 64 multiplayer as well!  Those were 2 very great couch games to play.  Loved mario kart and party as well!

[Jeevan | 8,915]

On another note....... Paper Mario is quickly becoming one of my favorite games on the N64!  I never played as a kid, and I am doing a playthrough now for the beat them all thread here.  Anyone who chimes in should definitely go over and see if you can knock one out that isn't beaten if you truly are an N64 fan

Edit:  Also, doesn't the 1.5 million dollar sell just prove that N64 is the best system   

[fcgamer | 4,732]

N64, haha. I know a lot of folks that called it Nstinksdifour lol.

Edited July 19, 2021 by fcgamer

[Jeevan | 8,915]

Just now, fcgamer said:

N64, haha.

[spacepup | 2,405]

I'd never really say it is in my "top-tier" of favorite video game consoles.  BUT, having said that, I'll always have super fond memories of the N64, for so many reasons.  At the time, I was blown away by the transition from 2D to 3D, and I think some games like Super Mario 64 just did that really well.  I remember being super impressed with the scale of the Mario 64 game and how many different levels there were, and just exploring around everywhere.  I had very similar positive experiences playing Ocarina of Time, and enjoyed that game quite a bit!

I also remember having a lot of Multiplayer fun, playing Goldeneye and Perfect Dark with my brothers for hours and hours.  Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, and the Mario Party games as well.

 I have pretty good memories of playing some other games too, like Gauntlet Legends, Goemon, Jet Force Gemini, Starfox, and many others.

Nintendo 64 seems to be almost a love or hate kind of system, with people here really loving it, and others being very very critical of it.

For me, it was a fun and important part of my gaming past, and I enjoyed my time with it quite a bit.  There are still a few games I've yet to beat, such as Paper Mario (referenced above), which is on my backlog list and I hope to get to at some point this year.

[Californication | 1,477]

I think it is pretty incredible that Starfox 64 was so good developers haven't been able make sequel that surpasses it.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Californication

[spacepup | 2,405]

Starfox 64 was pretty fun, yea, I can't deny.  And while there aren't many to choose from, I can't think of a Starfox game I'd rather play.  It is the best one IMO.  It sure "seems" like a really cool sequel could have been made by now, but idk, for some reason, it just doesn't feel like it has been done - so for that, I agree with you.

Another random thought --- I used to think N64 missed out on having a Metroid entry, but looking back now, I'm REALLY glad they actually waited and we got Metroid Prime for Gamecube.  I think that as a result, they were able to make a much better, in-depth game, that excelled, whereas an entry on N64 would have likely been nowhere near as immersive. 

[MegaMan52 | 2,452]

Been enjoying my Japanese copies of Super Mario 64 (Rumble Pak version), Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., and Kirby 64.

Didn't play Kirby 64 a whole lot 20 or so years ago (only briefly), but really wanted it and remember seeing screenshots and info about it on Nintendo's website. I played it again via Project 64 in 2009, and wanted it even more. I don't know why I didn't buy it in the last decade; guess I was too focused on some of my other collections (NES, Game Boy original/Color/Advance, GameCube and, to a lesser extent, PS1). But it was pretty cool finding a Japanese copy at my local game store last month, complete with box, manual, and inserts. As for the other games, it's interesting being able to play Super Mario 64 with Rumble support and hearing different music in the Balloon Burst and Musical Mushroom Mini-Games in Mario Party. I also like the more realistic punching and kicking sound effects in the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros.

I also have a Japanese copy of Mario Tennis, but unfortunately it isn't working right now. Hopefully it just needs cleaning. I remember Mario Tennis being one of the games I rented the most. I still have a Mario Tennis Wal-Mart flyer that I've had since 2000:

Edit: The N64 era was when I pretty much became obsessed with collecting Nintendo items (though I had a PS1, and played Dreamcast at Blockbuster video), and got a bunch of stuff (some of which I received for free from Nintendo) that I still have in addition to the Mario Tennis Flyer:

Then, of course, there was the Internet. I printed several pages from Nintendo's sites (especially Donkey Kong 64 and Paper Mario), and played quite a few Flash Games as well (I actually got to play one of the DK64 Flash Games again last year):

Update: I cleaned my Japanese copy of Mario Tennis and can confirm that it works:

Mario and Luigi: "Mario Tennis 64!"

Edited July 22, 2021 by MegaMan52

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

21 minutes ago, spacepup said:

I'd never really say it is in my "top-tier" of favorite video game consoles.  BUT, having said that, I'll always have super fond memories of the N64, for so many reasons.  At the time, I was blown away by the transition from 2D to 3D, and I think some games like Super Mario 64 just did that really well.  I remember being super impressed with the scale of the Mario 64 game and how many different levels there were, and just exploring around everywhere.  I had very similar positive experiences playing Ocarina of Time, and enjoyed that game quite a bit!

I also remember having a lot of Multiplayer fun, playing Goldeneye and Perfect Dark with my brothers for hours and hours.  Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, and the Mario Party games as well.

 I have pretty good memories of playing some other games too, like Gauntlet Legends, Goemon, Jet Force Gemini, Starfox, and many others.

Nintendo 64 seems to be almost a love or hate kind of system, with people here really loving it, and others being very very critical of it.

For me, it was a fun and important part of my gaming past, and I enjoyed my time with it quite a bit.  There are still a few games I've yet to beat, such as Paper Mario (referenced above), which is on my backlog list and I hope to get to at some point this year.

Yeah good point. It’s pretty interesting that there are such polarizing opinions on it. I’d venture to say that it has developed quite a cult following among retro collectors these days. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,551]

57 minutes ago, Californication said:

I think it is pretty incredible that Starfox 64 was so good developers haven't been able make sequel that surpasses it.

Incredibly maddening...

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

I just moved and haven't taken official pictures or got everything set up yet but here's my current setup for my N64 games.... I do have a fake Sculptor's Cut and Stunt Racer box just for the aesthetic but everything else is 100% authentic. 

[Californication | 1,477]

Hot Take: I'd rather own an N64 than a GC. It's not even close.

[Jeevan | 8,915]

9 minutes ago, Californication said:

Hot Take: I'd rather own an N64 than a GC. It's not even close.

I'd rather own both, and I do......Rogue Squadrons for both are amazing!  N64 version is great and the 2 gamecube ones are awesome too.  I Just played the Star Wars Battle for Naboo last year and it was great as well  

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

Yeah it's pretty good.

That's about where my thoughts on N64 end, hahaha. It's certainly a pretty solid console, although it's definitely not one of my favorites. It had some amazing, genre-defining titles that still hold up such as Ocarina of Time and Mario 64, although beyond those mega-hit games everyone knows, I don't personally find myself being drawn towards the system for much else. Also the controller is quite terrible, but it's something I can forgive them for since it was early in the days of 3D gaming and they were still trying to get things figured out. Plus it's not like it's absolutely unusable, you can use it just fine, it just wasn't designed particularly well. Plus obviously I don't have any personal nostalgia for it which also plays a factor.

On the other hand, I will say in terms of collectibility, which I don't think is a word but I've just made it a word, N64 is one of my absolute favorites. All the different variants of the console itself and the controllers, the variants in the games, the relatively small library making a complete collection more achievable than some other systems, the prototypes, the Not For Resales (My personal favorite N64 niche), the N64 is incredibly, incredibly, incredibly fun to collect for.

I'll own an N64 kiosk man, one of these days... That would be the perfect way to cap off my N64 NFR collection.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

2 hours ago, spacepup said:

Nintendo 64 seems to be almost a love or hate kind of system, with people here really loving it, and others being very very critical of it.

Yeah, I've noticed that too, it does seem polarizing. I guess I'm the exception to that rule though since I think it's pretty darn good, but not absolutely spectacular, so my opinion on it falls somewhere in between.

[Jeevan | 8,915]

4 minutes ago, ZeldaFreak said:

Also the controller is quite terrible,

Why does everyone hate on the controller?  I mean, ya its odd, but you know what is waaaaaaaay worse?  wii motes and fuggin joycons!

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

Just now, Jeevan said:

Why does everyone hate on the controller?  I mean, ya its odd, but you know what is waaaaaaaay worse?  wii motes and fuggin joycons!

Because I don't have three arms and the controller appears to have been designed with that in mind. It is the one and only controller where I have ever, at any point in time, been legitimately confused about how I'm supposed to hold it, other than maybe the very first few times I ever actually picked up a controller in my life. That's why, to put it simply.

[ZeldaFan042 | 1,181]

5 hours ago, WalterWhiteJr. said:

We set it up in my kitchen (later in the basement)

You relocated your kitchen to the basement just to have your N64 set up? That's dedication

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

You could argue I'm perhaps a bit spoiled by more modern game controllers with what I'm about to say, which could be true since I was born in '01, but I also like having access to all of the controls for any given system or game at once, and not having to alter my grip of the controller to access certain parts of it. That's another thing I don't like about it.