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[yllekz]

OP, you said the N64 controller was 'awkward to hold', now did you hold the controller like this?

This is how I always held the N64 controller. It's the only correct way to hold it as well. All of the "official" suggested ways to hold the controller are trash in comparison.

 

[spekkeh]

On the contrary, N64 was the last time Nintendo was unequivocally better than the competition. Well and the first two years of Wii U, but overall that's their worst system yet.

Mario64, Kart 64, Pilotwings, Starfox 64 and OoT, ALL OF RARE, and a tonne of multiplayer goodness--ISS, WCWNWO, GoldenEye, etc.

Yea it aged poorly, it was a step down from SNES, the loss of Square was felt and Project Reality was kind of a lie, but still. Goodness all around.

 

[theMrCravens]

it was a step down from SNES, the loss of Square was felt

The two big reasons I never got one.
When you think about seriously, the N64 library of good games was really small.

The NES and SNES were always on top during their gen.

 

[joms5]

I would agree with OP.

Although it had 3 of the best games of the genre at the time (Mario 64, OoT and Goldeneye) the system does not hold up. Plus that controller. Ugh. Easily one of the worst designs ever.

 

[blackseedboy]

I am one of the few, if not the only one, with a broken N64 at home.
And my PS1 is still working, lol

 

[Ryan_MSF]

Opinions are opinions but boy are you wrong

 

[belteshazzar]

What's the point of this thread? Anyway, I completely disagree with you. This is all subjective, and I think the N64 is one of Nintendo's finest with some of its best games.

 

[petran79]

Regarding N64 and third person view, wasnt there also a mod for Quake that did the same thing back then?

 

[Morfeo]

I'm reminded of a quote from Rockstar's Dan Houser from a GTA V interview:

Nice, thanks for this quote!

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Also most of Rare's games don't hold up. That includes Banjo.

 

[TheMagician]

This is how I always held the N64 controller. It's the only correct way to hold it as well. All of the "official" suggested ways to hold the controller are trash in comparison.

Not really. You hold the middle handle if using the analogue stick.

The Z button was a replacement for the L button.

Games used less buttons then so you didn't need to use the DPad.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

The Wii U, and it's not even close.

At. All.

N64 is a billion times more impactful, relevant, successful and just plain better than the Wii U.

 

[Firemind]

Also most of Rare's games don't hold up. That includes Banjo.

blast corps doe

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

I can't imagine someone being N64-only during those years. It was like a basketball team with 2-3 all time greats in their lineup but no depth.

I was in the second half of my teens when the N64 was in its heydey...not quite old enough to have enough steady income to afford two consoles. I was more than happy with what the N64 offered at the time.

 

[NCR Redslayer]

Also most of Rare's games don't hold up. That includes Banjo.

What does hold up though?

 

[reson8or]

I totally agree. The 64 is the only system I ever sold back, and almost immediately. I really disliked the system and felt it was a downgrade from the PlayStation. The N64 was toy like to me, and not in a good way.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

This is how I always held the N64 controller. It's the only correct way to hold it as well. All of the "official" suggested ways to hold the controller are trash in comparison.

That's actually not the correct way to hold the controller if you want to use the analog stick.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

What does hold up though?

Conker, Diddy Kong Racing.

 

[TheAggroCraig]

Also most of Rare's games don't hold up. That includes Banjo.

I'll give you Banjo Tooie, but Banjo Kazooie is amazing.

 

[JRW]

OP, you are crazy. That's all I have to say.

Mario 64 alone was mind blowing when it first came out and Banjo 1 & 2 are my all time favorite platformers.

 

[(mat)]

There are ZERO good RPGs on this machine unless you count Paper Mario, a couple of decent Mario 64 clones like Banjo that haven't stood the test of time

"There are ZERO good RPGs - except for this good RPG. So there's at least ONE good RPG." What a weird sentence.

I'm not even going to touch on glossing over Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie.

 

[clevbrowns94]

I think so. It had some amazing games at the very top like Banjo, Mario 64, both Zelda's, Goldeneye (actually most of Rare's output), but then there was a big drop-off imo. And I also think fifth generation graphics in general looked like crap and don't hold up today, whereas you can look at SNES games and even NES games that hold up well and look amazing for the time they were made. It was a transition to 3D that was rough as could be, and it took a generation until the PS2/Gamecube/Xbox era for things to actually look decent.

 

[rex]

On whether or not a game ages:

Let's take Goldeneye. First of all, wasn't it pretty obvious that it didn't have high res graphics, and it sometimes slowed down? Did we really need twenty years of hindsight to identify these things? Personally none of those elements bother me in the least, but it's something that seemed pretty apparent to me in spite of that.

Second, let's say that those elements have made the game 'age,' despite the fact the concept itself is nonsensical. Why should Goldeneye be dismissed on those counts, when it also has:

-outstanding mission variety and sandboxy levels
-a high degree of replayability thanks to its three difficulty levels and unlockable cheats
-great weapon selection and sound design
-precise hit detection on enemies
-amazing soundtrack
-great use of the rumble pak
-smart level design that can dictate the action to the player (through its guard placement and behavior) but that also allows for a high degree of player freedom

In other words, Goldeneye is just a flat out well designed game. A brilliant game actually. And it's great in ways that the passage of time does not change.

And that also applies to so many of the N64's greats. It was an era of innovation to be sure, but at the end of the day the games were just amazingly well designed, and that's why it remains Nintendo's best console.

 

[vkris]

And you sir, are entitled to your own (incorrect) opinion.

 

[Flachmatuch]

Nah. The PS1 had plenty of masterpieces. Its probably the greatest console of all time. It had quality and quantity.

Absolutely.

As far as generation defining games, the Wii and Wii U had absolutely nothing, and the Gamecube had RE4, which was ported to the PS2 with extra content less than a year later.

You may not like them, but Wii Sports etc were definitely "generation defining".

 

[RobFox64tm]

Eh, I don't agree.

First of all, It's not really fair to use the "their games didn't age well" argument because, if we are being completely honest, not many games from that era did. It was just the nature of the transition from 2D to 3D gaming. That being said, Nintendo handled the transition really well with most of their franchises. The games were fun and some of the most memorable they've ever made.

The hardware was limited by their choice of medium, but it still had a modest selection of games that made the most of what was there. Plus, the advent of analog as a practical means of control also changed the industry on a fundamental level. We really owe that to the N64.

Considering the Wii U generation especially, I just can't see where the OP is coming from.

 

[Shion]

Forget Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark etc.

This is why the N64 is special:

 

[Jamix012]

Nah. The PS1 had plenty of masterpieces. Its probably the greatest console of all time. It had quality and quantity.

Eh, I think it ranks about 25th/26th on my list of consoles and is my 4th favourite console of that generation, but each to their own.

The idea that Gamecube only had RE4 is laughable though and the fact that the Gamecube is by far more collectible that either the PS2 or Xbox shows that it had way more going for it then you let on.

 

[tkscz]

I'm still wondering how games like Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie/Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, both Zelda OoT and MM, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64 and others have "aged badly". What about them don't work anymore? The only thing I can think of is frame rate and graphics but other than that nothing about those have aged badly (camera angle for Mario 64).

 

[Principate]

Eh, I think it ranks about 25th/26th on my list of consoles and is my 4th favourite console of that generation, but each to their own.

The idea that Gamecube only had RE4 is laughable though and the fact that the Gamecube is by far more collectible that either the PS2 or Xbox shows that it had way more going for it then you let on.

TBF there was like 150 million PS2's shipped, it's not hard to get one of those and the xbox was land of the pc ports making it very obsolete in terms of exclusive sequels. Gamecubes are also used for the active esports scene on it which neither of the others have which is the main point in favour of it.

 

[BajiBoxer]

I think I actually just threw it in the garbage instead of bothering trying to sell it once the Gamecube hit store shelves?

I hate you so much right now.

 

[DAREALGUMMY]

lol no.


The N64 was the king of multiplayer. Even people who did not play Nintendo systems would use it for MP games like Smash and sports games.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Fire Emblem looked like N64 games I'll give you that.

So you're saying you didn't play it.

 

[BajiBoxer]

I'm still wondering how games like Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie/Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, both Zelda OoT and MM, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64 and others have "aged badly". What about them don't work anymore? The only thing I can think of is frame rate and graphics but other than that nothing about those have aged badly (camera angle for Mario 64).

Yup. Also, the original Super Smash Bros is still played in college dorms to this day.

 

[Firemind]

So you're saying you didn't play it.

 

[Spukc]

Forget Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark etc.

This is why the N64 is special:

extreme G series where better than wipeout.
yes i said it

 

[Celine]

This is why the N64 is special:

You've forgot Star Wars Episode 1 Racer, the only good thing to came out from that movie.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Good. Now you can see how wrong you are.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Unpopular opinion time: while some people really liked the gamecube, I did not. I liked the N64 so much that every subsequent system has been a disappointment. The Wii U has come the closest to meeting my expectations from Nintendo in a long time, but it comes no where close to the N64. Every game I eagerly played on the GC proved underwhelming in comparison to the N64. Sunshine, Double Dash, Melee, Wind Waker, etc all disapointments in comparison to their predecessors. Luigi's mansion - too slow paced and short. Wave Race - underwhelming. Star Fox Adventures - awful. A few bright spots on the GC were SSX Tricky - a third party game, Metroid Prime and Pikmin. There were other decent games I didn't mention, but still nothing on the scale and awe of what the N64 produced. And while everyone knocks the N64 controller, I actually despised the GC controller for it's bizarre button/analog stick layout and clicky bumpers. The GC was the beginning of a long spiral down into mediocrity for Nintendo in my not so popular opinion.

 

[Firemind]

Good. Now you can see how wrong you are.

those hand textures doe

look like goldeneye hands

 

[Tain]

N64 has some great exclusives, but what major console doesn't? I don't know where I put it when compared to the Wii, but I'm pretty confident that those are the two worst Nintendo console libraries.

The N64 hardware is pretty fascinating, though.

 

[Toxi]

Unpopular opinion time: while some people really liked the gamecube, I did not. I liked the N64 so much that every subsequent system has been a disappointment. The Wii U has come the closest to meeting my expectations from Nintendo in a long time, but it comes no where close to the N64. Every game I eagerly played on the GC proved underwhelming in comparison to the N64. Sunshine, Double Dash, Melee, Wind Waker, etc all disapointments in comparison to their predecessors. Luigi's mansion - too slow paced and short. Wave Race - underwhelming. Star Fox Adventures - awful. A few bright spots on the GC were SSX Tricky - a third party game, Metroid Prime and Pikmin. There were other decent games I didn't mention, but still nothing on the scale and awe of what the N64 produced. And while everyone knocks the N64 controller, I actually despised the GC controller for it's bizarre button/analog stick layout and clicky bumpers. The GC was the beginning of a long spiral down into mediocrity for Nintendo in my not so popular opinion.

How the hell was Melee a disappointment compared to its predecessor? Melee was an improvement over Smash 64 in basically every way. Graphics, music, characters, stages, responsiveness, gameplay depth, items, multiplayer options, single player content, extras...

The only thing Melee did worse was making Kirby garbage.

 

[StayDead]

Also most of Rare's games don't hold up. That includes Banjo.

Im on a bus shaking my head right now.

 

[Celine]

Im on a bus shaking my head right now.

Banjo Kazooie still hold up.
Tooie is too bloated.

 

[brokentrain]

most people are arguing between the n64 and gamecube, but honestly looking at a list of games across their systems, it sure looks like the original wii is the worst system, neat gimmicks, massive sales, mario galaxy/xenoblade aside, (i know thats a lot of reasons it wasnt bad)
But it came out the weakest system of its gen, there really arent a lot of games that look like they'll stand the test of time on there, it has basically the worst version of smash bros, and how many times have you wished that all current games had motion controls instead? so my vote goes to the wii, whereas the n64 is probably second or third "worst"

 

[Halfrican2K]

I still dont see how people find the controller uncomfortable. 2 ways to hold, and both felt fairly natural.

That being said, compared to the rest of the systems, it probably doesnt have that many great titles. There are some really good games, just not that many.

EXP pack was required for Majora's Mask.

N64 really brought in some greats regardless of its overall library though:

Mario 64
Paper Mario
Smash Bros
F-Zero X
Turok 1 and 2 (havent played 3 yet)
Star Soldier (people are sleeping on this shooter)
Goldeneye
Mario Kart 64
Wave Race 64
Sin and Punishment
Ogre Battle 64
Goemons great adventure
Mystical Ninja 64
Pokemon Stadium series (paired with the transfer pack was nice)
Perfect Dark
Starfox 64
Killer Instinct Gold
Bomberman 64
Bomberman Hero

And more im forgetting.

That list...

 

[Nocturnowl]

I feel like pretty much every Nintendo console from 64 onwards is a mix up of highs and lows where preference will come down to what games you liked the most more than anything else.
N64 era takes a hit from aging (mainly in reference to titles not running so smoothly, I love ya Ocarina but...yeah) more than the rest but it still has a solid batch of titles.

I did used to swear by the 64 but that's mainly my nostalgia talking, don't know where'd place it in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Synth]

Banjo Kazooie still hold up.
Tooie is too bloated.

Kazooie definitely holds up. The XBLA port is the first time I ever played it, and it immediately leapfrogged most 3D platformers for me. Haven't played Tooie yet though.

I would agree that the vast overwhelming majority of Rare's older stuff doesn't hold up at all though. It's pretty much just Banjo Kazooie and Blast Corps. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are fine for their single player campaigns, but multiplayer is awful by today's standards.

 

[The Albatross]

Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time formed the basis for how all third-person games control in 3D.

But were those reflective of the console or the games? The things I mentioned were trademarks of the console (media, controller, etc), not the games that appeared on it.

For instance, after GTAIII, hundreds of games have followed the open world, mission-driven, "choose what to do next" gameplay. GTAIII was a huge hit for PS2 and was a PS2 exclusive for quite a while, but I wouldn't say that the open world, mission-driven gameplay of GTAIII is a hallmark of the PS2. Of course, it's tougher when talking about Nintendo software because Nintendo software has such an attachment to Nintendo hardware.

 

[MagnesD3]

On whether or not a game ages:

Let's take Goldeneye. First of all, wasn't it pretty obvious that it didn't have high res graphics, and it sometimes slowed down? Did we really need twenty years of hindsight to identify these things? Personally none of those elements bother me in the least, but it's something that seemed pretty apparent to me in spite of that.

Second, let's say that those elements have made the game 'age,' despite the fact the concept itself is nonsensical. Why should Goldeneye be dismissed on those counts, when it also has:

-outstanding mission variety and sandboxy levels
-a high degree of replayability thanks to its three difficulty levels and unlockable cheats
-great weapon selection and sound design
-precise hit detection on enemies
-amazing soundtrack
-great use of the rumble pak
-smart level design that can dictate the action to the player (through its guard placement and behavior) but that also allows for a high degree of player freedom

In other words, Goldeneye is just a flat out well designed game. A brilliant game actually. And it's great in ways that the passage of time does not change.

And that also applies to so many of the N64's greats. It was an era of innovation to be sure, but at the end of the day the games were just amazingly well designed, and that's why it remains Nintendo's best console.

Amen brotha