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[Neff]

Some of these 'reasons' against are fucking bizarre.

They could do one, but they'd have to call in some favours to have a lineup as good/iconic as the NES/SNES minis.

I think a Game Boy Mini is more likely next year.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

I want the Final Fantasy Beta

If they added StarFox 2, they might as well add in another unreleased game for N64 Mini.

*I was also hoping the SNES Classic contained some unreleased SNES games like Star Ocean and Tales of Phantasia

 

[Maintenance]

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[Lightning Lord]

Even if Nintendo could get the rights, many of those titles recently appeared in Rare Replay, a collection released in 2015 for the Xbox One. Several of the N64's remaining iconic games were transplanted to the company's handheld consoles, like the 2004 port of Super Mario 64 for the DS or the graphically updated Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 2011 for the 3DS, so you've likely recently revisited the best games the N64 had to offer.

Not sure why them receiving ports/remakes would be a reason to not make an N64 Classic. If this was the case then VC would have prevented the NES and SNES Classics from existing since most of those games were ported to it.

 

[Terrell]

Engadget isn't the first outlet to say that they don't believe an N64 Classic will ever exist, but I think those people are grossly underestimating the appeal of the N64 (much of that appeal being the local co-op play a lot of N64 games had).

I think, if anything, the N64's appeal is grossly over-estimated. Unless you live in North America, N64 has pretty much zero nostalgic appeal, since it was so poorly received in Europe and Japan. And even North Americans don't remember it with the same universal fondness as the NES or SNES, so their ability to sell them greatly diminishes. GameCube has a similar problem. Selling minis past the SNES era is extremely dicey. And this is without mentioning that the main reasons people would want to reminisce about the N64 wouldn't be there.

 

[mindatlarge]

With the Game Boy turning 30 in 2019, I'd put more money on them releasing a Game Boy / Game Boy Advance Classic late next year during the holidays over a N64 Classic. Though I do think we will see a N64 Classic down the road in a couple of years.

 

[andymcc]

I think, if anything, the N64's appeal is grossly over-estimated. Unless you live in North America, N64 has pretty much zero nostalgic appeal, since it was so poorly received in Europe and Japan. And even North Americans don't remember it with the same universal fondness as the NES or SNES, so their ability to sell them greatly diminishes. GameCube has a similar problem. Selling minis past the SNES era is extremely dicey. And this is without mentioning that the main reasons people would want to reminisce about the N64 wouldn't be there.

Gameboy classic is WAY more likely.

 

[Walter Matthau]

They'll do Gameboy and N64 over the next two years. These things are flying off the shelves. Doesn't matter if it's missing Goldeneye and some other Rare games, people are going to be spamming F5 trying to preorder. As for the controllers, they'll sell extras at $15 a piece and people will line up to buy those as well.

 

[ToonLink]

I would buy it. N64 was my first proper console, so I have a lot of nostalgia for it. Considering how few of these things Nintendo actually makes, they'd have no problem selling out. The N64 is iconic to a lot of 90s kids.

 

[groansey]

I'd only consider the N64 mini if they upped the framerate to 60fps on everything. No excuse for blurry textures, low-poly 3D to run like ass even if it's in the name of nostalgia. I'd also accept an 8bitdo pro style controller rather than replicating the actual N64 one. But I doubt I'd use it like the SNES one. So meh.

I don't think the N64 mini will happen.

 

[bill0527]

How did they forget this gem? One of my all time favorite launch titles of any system.

 

[Pancake Mix]

How did they forget this gem? One of my all time favorite launch titles of any system.

They're downplaying the N64's non-Rare library, and again, Diddy Kong Racing and DK64 are likely, since DK64 having Jetpac (owned by Microsoft) was not an issue for VC, I bet a deal could be worked out for both.

So that's two of Rare's huge N64 titles and there's quite a bit else. The N64 had a tonne of great games and seems like an obvious choice for a microconsole also.

And for the 60 FPS or bust types here on GAF, there's F-Zero X. The N64 library is incredibly solid and shouldn't be downplayed.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

How did they forget this gem? One of my all time favorite launch titles of any system.

because it's a poorly written and researched article.

 

[Hilarion]

GBA and N64 are also the last consoles before file size gets so large that the storage needed makes the system pricy.

One Gamecube game would be a bigger file than a 25 game N64 Mini's games put together.

I suppose eventually a DS Mini would be possible, but that's hardly retro at this point. Certainly has a strong library.

 

[Aaron Strife]

They're downplaying the N64's non-Rare library, and again, Diddy Kong Racing and DK64 are likely, since DK64 having Jetpac (owned by Microsoft) was not an issue for VC, I bet a deal could be worked out for both.

So that's two of Rare's huge N64 titles and there's quite a bit else. The N64 had a tonne of great games and seems like an obvious choice for a microconsole also.

And for the 60 FPS or bust types here on GAF, there's F-Zero X. The N64 library is incredibly solid and shouldn't be downplayed.

Yeah, acting like the N64 library without Rare wouldn't be worth it is dumb, there's still plenty to choose from (Mario, two Zeldas, Smash, Mario Kart, Star Fox, F-Zero, Kirby, etc) and they could clearly haggle for some of the Rare games too (we already know DK64 is a possibility). Hell even Goldeneye they would only have to go through Activision as Nintendo owns the code.

If they could get Goldeneye and one of the Star Wars games I don't think many people would complain about the lineup.

 

[Hilarion]

No Rare Games except DK 64, no Star Wars games, no licensed 3rd party games except from companies that cooperate with Nintendo from companies who have licenses:

Super Mario 64
Mario Kart 64
Pilotwings 64
Wave Race 64
Mario Party 2
Mario Golf
Star Fox 64
Yoshi's Story
DK 64
Kirby 64
Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Snap
Super Smash Bros
1080 Snowboarding
Excitebike 64
Castlevania 64 (sub one of the Goemon games, possibly, but Castlevania is more of a name)
Bomberman Hero
Ogre Battle 64
Harvest Moon 64
Rayman 2

And, for the first time physical in the West, Sin and Punishment.

You can sub Mario Golf for Mario Tennis if you think that's more likely.

21 games, including one unreleased in the West, like SNES Mini.

Are every game on this list fantastic? Absolutely not. Castlevania 64 and Excitebike 64 are nothing to write home about. It'd still be a totally serviceable console collection, though.

 

[Celine]

I want the Final Fantasy Beta

If they added StarFox 2, they might as well add in another unreleased game for N64 Mini.

*I was also hoping the SNES Classic contained some unreleased SNES games like Star Ocean and Tales of Phantasia

There is no Final Fantasy Beta.
At best Nintendo could add Ocarina of Time Master Quest as a bonus since it was completed (and is available emulated on Gamecube as a Wind Waker bonus).

 

[Celine]

No Rare Games except DK 64, no Star Wars games, no licensed 3rd party games except from companies that cooperate with Nintendo from companies who have licenses:

No Zelda, no Paper Mario !?

Choosing only from the games available on Virtual Console I'd say we are likely to get (if they decide for 20-21 games):

1080° Snowboarding,
F-Zero X,
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards,
Mario Golf ,
Mario Kart 64,
Mario Party 2,
Mario Tennis,
Paper Mario,
Pokémon Puzzle League,
Pokémon Snap,
Sin & Punishment,
Star Fox 64,
Super Mario 64,
Super Smash Bros.,
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask,
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,
Wave Race 64,
Yoshi's Story,
Excitebike 64,
Donkey Kong 64

Bonus: Ocarina of Time Master Quest

These 3 third-party games could be included if some Nintendo game is discarded:
Harvest Moon 64,
Bomberman 64,
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber