N64 Collection, discussion, and recommendation thread

[MandoBardanJusik]

Formerly the Lesser known N64 games worth collecting? thread, decided to rebrand this thread to try and get more, well discussion and thoughts going

The Classic, The Legend, my first game system. The third(or technically fourth if you include the VB) Nintendo console holds a lot of memories for me, and I still love my original Jungle Green transparent console(That my sisters have currently abducted). I don't need to go into a ton of detail, since most of you already know a bit about this. This thread is a place to discuss games, and memories, gives suggestions and advice on games you would suggest. This is a general N64 thread, if you really want to you even talk about Wii/Wii-u VC versions as well.

So I still have my original, and without referring to my actual collection(which my sisters have) off the top of my head I have: Mario Party 2-3, Mario Kart, Banjo-tooie(though I can't seem to find it

) Jet Force Gemini, Pokemon Snap, Charlie Blast, Podracer, Rouge Squadron, Battle for Naboo, Yoshi's Story, Star Fox 64(my GOAT), one of the Hot Wheels games, Blast Corps, Super Mario 64... and a few other I can't remember. That's my long time collection, now for my new one. also Wii-u VC games: SSB64, F-zero X, DK64, PM64 and S&P. and my most recent additions for my new collection




So ya, go ahead and feel free to dicuss your favorite games, long forgotten classics, or just memories


original opening post:
I'm talking more about nowadays, some of these titles could have been big around release, but for the most part outside of Nintendo and Rare games very few are talked about. I'm picking up a spare N64 soon(my sisters have most of my collection and my original console). I'm wondering if you guys can give me some suggestions including third party, and more obscure first party too(I've never really heard anything about Excitebike 64). I love a good variety, and I'm curious about the various fighting games available as well since very few ever talk about any outside of Smash, so what others are worth getting, I've heard of the names of Flying Dragons and Fighters Destiny.

So go ahead, don't be afraid to mention any favorites or interesting entries. Oh and I already picked up copies of Beetle adventure racing, Perfect Dark, Shadows of the Empire, Beast Wars Transmetals, and Castlevania(and I've had Glover and Mischief Makers for a while now). So go ahead and give me some suggestions. If we don't have one I could turn this into a collection and suggestion thread

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Sw pod racing is a good one I spent a lot of time playing. It's got plenty of cheats and secrets including characters that can only be added through cheats

 

[finalark]

Well, there's Aidyn Chronicles. It's not good by any stretch of the word, but it is kinda rare and interesting.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I loved Glover, I still don't see what the hell Gamegrumps had a problem with it

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

wouldn't call podracing obscure at all, and Glover's an old time fav

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Buck Bumble?

 

[Chandeelure]

Iggy's Reckin' Balls was fun for me at the time.

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Really, there aren't any desirable N64 hidden gems on cartridge left that are worth the prices you're likely going to pay for them. The secondary market prices for pretty much everything before the PS2 gen that has any kind of a cult following have ballooned to ridiculous proportions in the past few years, as many more well-heeled older adult collectors with tons of money to burn have entered the scene, and certain games have naturally become more scarce over time.

For the most part, this doesn't apply if you're looking to collect Japanese N64 games, which tend to be much cheaper, aside from a few particularly sought after games like Sin & Punishment. At least S&P has been on VC for ages now, and KI Gold/Blast Corps/JFG/Conker finally got rereleases through Rare Replay last year. I'd also say that Perfect Dark was obsoleted by the 360 version (also on RR), which has MUCH better graphics and performance.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Really, there aren't any desirable N64 hidden gems on cartridge left that are worth the prices you're likely going to pay for them. The secondary market prices for pretty much everything before the PS2 gen that has any kind of a cult following have ballooned to ridiculous proportions in the past few years, as many more well-heeled older adult collectors with tons of money to burn have entered the scene, and certain games have naturally become more scarce over time.

For the most part, this doesn't apply if you're looking to collect Japanese N64 games, which tend to be much cheaper, aside from a few particularly sought after games like Sin & Punishment. At least S&P has been on VC for ages now, and KI Gold/Blast Corps/JFG/Conker finally got rereleases through Rare Replay last year. I'd also say that Perfect Dark was obsoleted by the 360 version (also on RR), which has MUCH better graphics and performance.

Actually, I managed to make a pretty solid haul even if I'm reaching the end of my list
Well say hello to my collection Part2a(Part1 is my long time collection that my sisters have most of, I'll see if I can get a pick), all but 6 of these I picked up today for a mere $70! the other 6 I picked up for about $65~(with 35 of that being for beast wars)



Also not pictured is the 3 first party controllers I picked up used for $75 total, all in excellent shape with only a minor wiggle on the joystick. Got 4 more games I ordered from gamestop that I will picture when I get them in, got Banjo-Kazooie, Tooie, Rocket Robot on Wheels and Flying Dragon.

Waiting on picking up a spare N64 until they get a color I want in, hopefully in two weeks time, and I have but 5 games or so left to complete my collection: both Goemons, Castlevania2, bomberman 64... maybe Mario Party 1 and Clayfighter

 

[ScarletRed012]

Personally Vigilante 64 was a damn fun game for me as a kid. Most people would probably disagree but I liked it.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Battletanx was a game on the N64 I had a lot of fun with

Multiplayer anyway

Edit: It also has the DUMBEST story ever

"In 2001, a virus has killed 99.99% of the females on Earth. Various countries fight over each other's quarantine zones, and end up engaging in nuclear war, destroying much of civilization. The few remaining females (called Queenlords) are held by gangs who have taken over small pieces of the world. The main character, Griffin Spade, had his fiancee Madison taken away from Queens, New York by the U.S. Government. Griffin ends up separated from his fiancee, and New York City is destroyed. He claims a tank for his own and sets out to cross the United States and find her, battling gangs as he reaches his goal. After surviving the ruins of New York City, Griffin heads westward gaining recruits in the countryside, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco."

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Personally Vigilante 64 was a damn fun game for me as a kid. Most people would probably disagree but I liked it.

It was pretty much a consolation prize for kids who wanted to see what all the fuss about Twisted Metal was for, but didn't own a Playstation.

Even though it was a pretty lacking game in retrospect, I have some nostalgia for Battlezone: Rise of the Black Dogs. It was the first game I played that could remotely be considered part of the strategy genre, and seemed really advanced and complex to me at the time.

 

[ScarletRed012]

It was pretty much a consolation prize for kids who wanted to see what all the fuss about Twisted Metal was for, but didn't own a Playstation.

I did play Twisted Metal when I was younger as well, though.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Fun fact, IGN's review actually called the Vigilante series the games that made me forget the name twisted Metal

Also currently got maybe 5 or so games I'm after, Goemon 1+2, Castlevania 2(can't remember the subtitle), Bomberman 64, Clayfighters... maybe the original Mario Party. Any thoughts on those?

 

[Quarium]

Vigilante is pretty dang enjoyable, although I think the sequel "Vigilante 8: 2nd offense" is only on playstation.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Fun fact, IGN's review actually called the Vigilante series the games that made me forget the name twisted Metal

Also currently got maybe 5 or so games I'm after, Goemon 1+2, Castlevania 2(can't remember the subtitle), Bomberman 64, Clayfighters... maybe the original Mario Party. Any thoughts on those?

Bomberman 64 isn't exactly a lesser know title.

It was one of the most popular party games in it's day

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Vigilante is pretty dang enjoyable, although I think the sequel "Vigilante 8: 2nd offense" is only on playstation.

incorrect

2nd column 4th row

Also I kinda want to make this a more encompassing N64 collecting thread, I just didn't want to get swamped right away. Also there's a difference between well known now and well known back in the day, I got my N64 in 2000, and had very few friends with one, and I simply played what they had , not talk about what they didn't

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Congrats on joining the Hybrid Heaven cart owner's club. It's definitely not a great game, but there's really nothing else like it on any platform (turn-based alien wrestling simulator/RPG), and I've almost never seen anyone mention it despite it being made by Konami.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Congrats on joining the Hybrid Heaven cart owner's club. It's definitely not a great game, but there's really nothing else like it on any platform (turn-based alien wrestling simulator/RPG), and I've almost never seen anyone mention it despite it being made by Konami.

I got recommended it. I also picked up Deadly Arts, which from what I read has a high learning curve, but is in fact unique in it's fighting system by trying to do a more realistic, less simplified combat system that closer mimics actual fighting.

Also picked up Flying Dragon and Rocket robot on wheels, any thoughts on those?(ordered them through gamestop along both Banjos, but I don't need input on those since I love both)

Heck, it's a rare, though well known game, any thoughts on the original Mario Party?(I own both sequels but not the originals)

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Rocket: ROW is notable for being the first game from Sucker Punch, who would go on to create the much more well known Sly Cooper & Infamous games for Sony. Not a whole lot to say about it other than it's a typical N64 3D platformer, but definitely better than something like Earthworm Jim 3D.

Probably hard to recommend as an adult, but Tonic Trouble is another overlooked N64 3D platformer that I enjoyed as a kid. It was made by the Rayman 2 team and feels pretty similar, perhaps made for a slightly younger audience than Rayman. There is a PC version, though it's probably hard to run on modern systems.

About Mario Party 1, you should be warned that several of the minigames force you to rotate the analog stick at ridiculous, thumb-burning speeds. Because of this, back in the day Mario Party was notorious for being the number one cause of wrecked N64 controllers. Frantically spinning the stick isn't required to win any of the board games, but you'll need to clear the offending challenges to complete the Mini-Game Island quest mode. Thankfully, this was a one-off mistake on Hudson's part and all similar events in later Mario Parties use plain old button mashing instead.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Rocket: ROW is notable for being the first game from Sucker Punch, who would go on to create the much more well known Sly Cooper & Infamous games for Sony. Not a whole lot to say about it other than it's a typical N64 3D platformer, but definitely better than something like Earthworm Jim 3D.

Probably hard to recommend as an adult, but Tonic Trouble is another overlooked N64 3D platformer that I enjoyed as a kid. It was made by the Rayman 2 team and feels pretty similar, perhaps made for a slightly younger audience than Rayman. There is a PC version, though it's probably hard to run on modern systems.

About Mario Party 1, you should be warned that several of the minigames force you to rotate the analog stick at ridiculous, thumb-burning speeds. Because of this, back in the day Mario Party was notorious for being the number one cause of wrecked N64 controllers. Frantically spinning the stick isn't required to win any of the board games, but you'll need to clear the offending challenges to complete the Mini-Game Island quest mode. Thankfully, this was a one-off mistake on Hudson's part and all similar events in later Mario Parties use plain old button mashing instead.

Eh, I just play for fun anyways with my sisters, and I'll tell em to slack off. anyways 3 was their fave

 

[Grizzmeister]

The fact that everybody has upgraded to HDTV's nowadays really hurts the N64. Yeah, I still play some N64 era games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 64 but I mostly do so on my Wii. That's because the Wii can output in progressive scan (480p) if you have it hooked up to an HDTV with component cables. Also, since GameCube controllers are much easier to come by, the Wii again is the better platform since N64 controllers with tight sticks are crazy expensive. The early Wii's are backwards compatible with GameCube software thus they support the GC controller as well for many Virtual Console games like Smash and MK64. So to make a long story short - the N64 is essentially obsolete but the Wii, thanks to the Virtual Console service, is a good alternative.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

The fact that everybody has upgraded to HDTV's nowadays really hurts the N64. Yeah, I still play some N64 era games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 64 but I mostly do so on my Wii. That's because the Wii can output in progressive scan (480p) if you have it hooked up to an HDTV with component cables. Also, since GameCube controllers are much easier to come by, the Wii again is the better platform since N64 controllers with tight sticks are crazy expensive. The early Wii's are backwards compatible with GameCube software thus they support the GC controller as well for many Virtual Console games like Smash and MK64. So to make a long story short - the N64 is essentially obsolete but the Wii, thanks to the Virtual Console service, is a good alternative.

Not really, a solid projecter works great with the N64 and over 95% of the N64 library is not available on the wii VC and is unlikely to be on the wii-u VC either. That's a good part of this thread. Also I had no trouble getting 4 used N64 controllers with only a little wiggle.

For that matter third party wise only companies we have a chance of getting on wii-u VC is Konami/Hudsonsoft, and S-E, that's about it. Mind you I plan to support both, but it'll be a while and who knows the extent.

Also you kinda missed the whole point of the thread

 

[Grizzmeister]

I believe now is a bad time to collect N64 games because many people are turning to emulation via Project 64 and Mupen64 to get their retro gaming fix.

I've also noticed that many prominent collectors have started selling off parts of their collections. Guess they realize that keeping too much stuff around that they don't actually play kinda makes them a hoarder.

Lastly, while the Wii may not have the entire N64 library available via the Virtual Console service, it does have the console's best games. Titles like Super Smash Bros., Ocarina of Time, F-Zero X and Paper Mario are all their on the Wii Shop Channel and for much less than buying the grossly overpriced cartridges.


BTW, I've got a really nice collection of N64 games but I'm considering selling them.

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

I believe now is a bad time to collect N64 games because many people are turning to emulation via Project 64 and Mupen64 to get their retro gaming fix.

I've also noticed that many prominent collectors have started selling off parts of their collections. Guess they realize that keeping too much stuff around that they don't actually play kinda makes them a hoarder.

Lastly, while the Wii may not have the entire N64 library available via the Virtual Console service, it does have the console's best games. Titles like Super Smash Bros., Ocarina of Time, F-Zero X and Paper Mario are all their on the Wii Shop Channel and for much less than buying the grossly overpriced cartridges.


BTW, I've got a really nice collection of N64 games but I'm considering selling them.

Well this also a place to discuss the games. which does include emulation. However there's a number of games that don't emulate well, and there's nothing better than inviting a bunch of friends over to play. Currently I got Goemon's Great adventure(and the first game) on my to get list, because the co-op is awesome, and it really does not emulate well

 

[Bebe Mignon]

The N64 is probably my favorite console ever.

The games I own are:

Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Tooie
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Goldeneye 007
Mario Kart 64
Mario Party 1-3
Mario Tennis
Perfect Dark
Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium 1&2
Star Fox 64
Super Mario 64
Super Smash Bros. 64
Zelda: Majora's Mask
Zelda: Ocarina of Time

And that doesn't include previously owned and rental games such as Jet Force Gemini, Vigilante 8, Rampage World Tour, etc.

Perfect Dark is the ULTIMATE multiplayer game. EVER! Probably my second favorite game behind Xenoblade Chronicles. It's a damn shame that it basically got ruined by the sequel...

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Grizzmeister, what's the Japanese cartridge on the bottom right?

 

[Grizzmeister]

Grizzmeister, what's the Japanese cartridge on the bottom right?

Last Legion UX. It's a Mecha fighting game along the lines of Sega's Virtual On.

 

[aldelaro5]

Before the WiiU VC version released, I would have said that the cart version of Paper Mario actually is a better version because the Wii VC is SO BAD for lags!

Just pausing has like.....at least 3 seconds of lags, it's really annoying considering you ahve to switch your badges a lot......

The WiiU vc however, not only fixed every lags, but it has features that would cost more or not be possible on the cart version. You don't need a rumble pak, the WiiU pad has it and it has off screen play. I think the only real downside of the WiiU version is it feels very different for holding the contorller.

But tbh, I would only think it's worthy to get pm64 if you jsut either love the series or jsut care about retro console for a value point, I would take the WiiU version any day and play on a crt.

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Last Legion UX. It's a Mecha fighting game along the lines of Sega's Virtual On.

Whoa, never knew the N64 had a Virtual On clone, made by Hudson no less. Even if the graphics are pretty lame, it looks better than all the other VO clones I've seen from the 32-bit era (i.e. Technosoft's Reverthion).

 

[MandoBardanJusik]

Yeah aldelaro5 PM64 is one of my all time faves, played a friends copy growing up, but I'm completely satisfied with the VC version.
Well my collecting is done for now(unless I happen upon the few rare games I haven't found(as in uncommon, not the developer)). Here's my collection part 2 in it's entirety which oddly enough wound up a round 40. Managed to find a handful of rares and order others(paid a premium on the goemons, but they are hard to find), got really lucky on the Indiana Jones

Wound up with an Ice Blue N64 with ram expansion, and 4 controllers all in excellent shape, and thankfully only a handful of these games did I pay more than 15 bucks on(around 5-ish).

Say anybody got any thoughts on any of these games? I've tried a good chunk, and have really played a few, but it's always fun to get peoples thoughts and memories on games they enjoyed

 

[TryrushDeppy]

Always glad to see an N64 collection with the two localized Goemon games. The opening to Starring Goemon has a special place in my heart, as it was the first time I ever heard a song with Japanese lyrics, and the series was pretty much my introduction to Japanese culture in general. (Sadly, Konami would later completely remove the opening of Goemon's Great Adventure for the US version.) They both have their flaws, but the US was very lucky to get them in place of the PS1 Goemons, which all range from boring to awful. They're definitely my favorite non-Nintendo platformers on the N64.

The epic nature of the Impact robot fights scared me as a kid and they're still impressive today. They're another huge leg up the N64 Goemons have over their inferior PS1 counterparts. By the way, Starring Goemon is one of the few N64 games (maybe the only one?) that unofficially supports the Rumble Pak. It's not advertised anywhere on the packaging, manual or in-game, but you'll find that it responds during these battles.

Although I think returning to a 2D plane was a good idea for the second N64 game, and resulted in a much more focused and challenging experience, the biggest problem with Great Adventure is that you never want to use any characters other than Goemon when you don't absolutely have to. He's the only one with a double jump, and the entire game seems to have been designed for it. At least in Starring Goemon everyone felt equally useful, even with Ebisu's slightly higher jump.