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I think the N64 is Nintendo's worst machine and era

D

DeuceGamer

Member
Teknoman said:
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.
Click to expand...

Agree on Star Soldier. It's going to shoot up in price in the coming months as it seems harder to find recently. Especially boxed copies.

A couple other games that I would add to that.

Body Harvest
Rocket Robot
Flying Dragon
Space Station Silicon. Valley
Doom 64

I'm also probably missing some.

Edit: Harvest Moon 64

Edit 2: Conker (how did we forget this)
 
WhiteWaterM00se

WhiteWaterM00se

Member
N64 was one of the most important systems of all time! It ushered in 3d gaming. Everything had been 2d to that point. Even many of Playstation 1 games were 2d prior to that.
 
SenkiDala

SenkiDala

Member
Yarbskoo said:
I mean sure, now you can play pretty much all of those games on newer systems, but at the time N64 had:

Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Tooie
Blast Corps
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Donkey Kong 64
Goldeneye
Majora's Mask
Ocarina of Time
Paper Mario
Perfect Dark
Super Mario 64
Wave Race 64

And those were games you could play only on Nintendo 64. As far as exclusives go, I'd say that's a much better offering than the Wii U's. Sure, the controller looked weird, but it was hardly uncomfortable. I'd say it's more comfortable than the Dreamcast controller at the very least.

Also, your opinions about Banjo and DK 64 are bad.
Click to expand...

About DK64... I'm one of the biggest fan of the Donkey Kong Country saga, 1&2 are 2 of my favorite games ever and I play them every year, they are almost perfect in my eyes. I remember seeing at a friend home, DK64 (which I wanted to buy, of course, since I had a N64) and feeling one of my biggest gamer dissapointment in my life... It was just... Well the graphics were horrible, the art direction was awful... God the SNES games were looking 1000 times better than that, even at the time of it releases.

As I said Mario 64 is my favorite game ever, the perfect exemple of how to bring a 2D game in 3D, a master piece, but to me DK64 was a failure on every points, I hate this game. :(
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Yeah I got body harvest awhile ago, but havent really had time to mess with it. Looks cool for what it is though. Interesting premise too.

Oh yeah! Jet Force Gemini. It was the 3rd person Halo before Halo heh. The sci fi + tribal music, the comic relief normal grunt enemies, neon colored alien blood.
 
B

Benzychenz

Member
Spyder_Monkey said:
The Wii was tiny, compact, had excellent controllers, Gamecube support, three Mario platformers, two Zelda games, two Metroid games, two Kirby games, Donkey Kong Country Returns, the better Mario Kart, the better Smash Bros, one of the best RPGs ever, and the ability to play a backlog of Nintendo games including the best of the N64's library and yet people are saying the N64 is better?
Click to expand...

Yeah there's this weird irrational hate for the Wii amongst gaming circles, never understood it as it was an amazing system.
 
T

themagicalkitsune

Member
Zedox said:
hoPFKfS.gif


Nah bruh, you ain't sorry.

2 Games that made console shooters relevant (Goldeneye, Perfect Dark)
3 of the top platformers of all time (Mario 64, OOT, Banjo)
2 of the best kart racers of all time (Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing)
1 of the most popular fighting games of all time (Smash)

Those are just the highlights that I can think of off the top of my head.

For those downplaying these games...uhm, look at this generation of games and really think how much impact it has had on gaming compared to these while at the same time having the mediocre games in between. N64 was an awesome system. Fuck what you heard. There's games in between like Conker, Wave Race, F-Zero, etc...


This is blasphemy.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't say OOT is a platformer lol. But yeah OOT (and MM) really defined that era for me. There was a time when I obsessed over collecting all gems (hidden and not-so-hidden) on the system. I don't think I got far enough but I will never regret it.
 
S

Sephiros

Neo Member
I agree with most of what the OP laid out. But strangely that's exactly what makes the N64 so special in my heart.

Having "few" titles to play meant that I could put so much time into each of those games as a kid. And man... The games that I played were mind blowing at the time for me. Mario 64, Star Fox 64, F-Zero, GoldenEye, Poke Snap (borrowed from my cousin) and 2 excellent Zelda games. I remember exploring each corner of the map, each stage and feeling rewarded by becoming progressively better.

I never dived so deep, and looking back, we didn't have internet at home, so all info we could get was from magazines. One could argue that it's all about nostalgia glasses, but I can't help but smile when I remember that time.

Oh, and that purple N64 rocked! ;)
 
MisterHero

MisterHero

Super Member
Spyder_Monkey said:
The Wii was tiny, compact, had excellent controllers, Gamecube support, three Mario platformers, two Zelda games, two Metroid games, Donkey Kong Country Returns, one of the best RPGs ever, and the ability to play a backlog of Nintendo games including the best of the N64's library and yet people are saying the N64 is better?
Click to expand...
Wii definitely sold a shit ton of 1st party games, but I prefer Nintendo's activity on the N64.

Mario 64
Mario Kart 64
Pilotwings 64
Waverace 64
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Starfox 64
GoldenEye
Banjo-Kazooie
Starfox 64
Smash Bros.
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Snap
etc.
 
O

Onemic

Member
It's better than the gamecube only because of some of the landmark games released on it. Overall though, it was a lackluster console with by far one of the worst controllers ever made. Most awkward thing ever. And yes, I know how to hold it; its design is still terrible and incredibly limiting.(i.e. use the analog and you lost access to the directional and L trigger buttons, use the directional buttons and you lose access to the analog stick and Z button)
 
T

Thud

Member
To me the N64 will always represent a change in perception. I only have fond memories of those times.

I know I would put all of the post gamecube consoles (including handhelds) below it.
 
A

Adam_Vania

Banned
gotta agree with OP. after loving the SNES i just couldn't buy into N64, i couldn't buy into a system with zero 2d games. at least Playstation had SOTN.

Mario's great but at the time i had 60fps Tomb Raider on my PC and it was way more impressive. dat T-Rex fight...

it's too bad i never played OOT at the time. i always hear how it's the greatest game of all time but whenever i try to play to see what i missed, it's just an ugly, awkward mess.
 
T

TheYanger

Member
To elucidate why the controller was bad/is uncomfortable to people that don't understand:

Instead of the layout we now have with dual analogs, Nintendos 3 pronged design with a perfectly vertical middle pontoon meant that you were USUALLY holding the controller with an 'ok' right hand position, and a completely vertical left hand position. This is unlike any other modern controller. It's not natural. I don't know that I'd go fully into calling it 'uncomfortable' but...it's certainly not good. It was overly complicated for the sake of appearing unique, if Sony and every third party shit manufacturer could figure out that you could just use two sides like normal and get the same number of functions, why couldn't nintendo?

Hold your hands naturally in front of you about the distance you would hold a controller in your lap. Your hands curve inward, because your controller isn't a foot and a half wide, it's natural for your hands to do that, the N64 controller forces you to bend your wrist to accurately use the analog stick. All of this for a 'feature' (being able to use the middle and left pontoons) that was never used whatsoever, and completely solved by sony like a year later just by having two analog sticks.
 
I

Isurus

Member
Deadpool_X said:
I actually agree with you, but I'd go so far as to say that generation for ALL parties was the worst. The PSX/N64/Saturn generation pushed me toward PC gaming for almost everything. I played the big titles, the Zeldas, Marios, Final Fantasys, the Metal Gears, but most everything else was on PC for me. That was when EQ, the Sims, and Half-Life was out, though, so I was good.

Fortunately, the PS2/GCN/DC/Xbox brought me back to console gaming.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. I skipped the generation entirely and played exclusively on PC. Came back the following generation for PS2 and Xbox though and have been primarily a console gamer since.
 
D

DontBeThatGuy

Member
in terms of what holds up on a performance and graphical level, it's pretty much trash, but I loved it at the time, and there's still a handful of games I can always go back to.
 
S

SoundPulse

Banned
The system was certainly carried by Rare, but there are still some great games on the system. I'll agree on the controller, though. Not as terrible as others make it out to be, in my opinion, but all the same.

I wouldn't even call Banjo a Super Mario 64 clone, to be perfectly honest. Inspired by, certainly, but it emphasizes the exploration and adventure whereas Mario focuses on tight platforming challenges. Other than both being 3D platformers where you collect things, they don't really play all that similarly. It's also held up remarkably well. If you want one that hasn't,
Donkey Kong 64
.
 
Z

Zedox

Member
themagicalkitsune said:
Wouldn't say OOT is a platformer lol. But yeah OOT (and MM) really defined that era for me. There was a time when I obsessed over collecting all gems (hidden and not-so-hidden) on the system. I don't think I got far enough but I will never regret it.
Click to expand...

Yea, I guess Zelda is more action adventure.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Either way, looking back at it is totally different than living it. Just because a game didn't age well doesn't mean that the games were rubbish. And seriously, we're talking about graphics looking washed...like wtf? That's what I'm talking about about living in the era and looking back at it. Mario 64 literally changed the game for EVERYONE and it was the craziest looking game anyone has ever seen when it first came out. It was "real" 3D. I have vivid memories of seeing and talking about that game at school for the first time.
 
D

DMTripper

Member
No! Goldeneye, Mario kart and command and conquer were great games! Zelda and Mario 64 are also classics. The 4 controllers was awesome.

Sorry OP but no no no!
 
Jubenhimer

Jubenhimer

Member
The N64 may not have aged particularly well as a platform, but it's hard to deny the bold innovations it brought to console and 3D gaming. So while you may consider it Nintendo's worst system, I say it still left a positive impact on the industry. If anything, the Wii U is Nintendo's worst system and era. Not only did it leave no impact on gaming, but conceptually, it's just a mess. It is the modern day Sega Saturn, chock full of useless technology, broken promises, and way too complex and expensive for it's own good. At least the N64 had actual thought put into it's design, even if Nintendo did make boneheaded dedisions like sticking with Cartridges.
 
C

Corronchilejano

Member
Mario 64 changed the way we played 3D platformers forever. It raised the bar so high it opened the generation and closed it without ever even being contested.

Goldeneye changed the way we played third person shooters and redefined what we expected from a console multiplayer game.

Zelda OoT was the best adventure game ever made at its time.

Sure, the games have aged like shit (well, I still really like Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Paper Mario, StarFox 64 and F-Zero X), but the generation was amazing.
 
J

jett

D-Member
Well, it was the "growing pains" generation. It's the 3D equivalent of the Atari era. So much from both generations is completely unplayable/garbage today.

But yes, I agree. There is literally only a handful of N64 games I'd bother to play today.
 
K

Kazooie

Banned
Benzychenz said:
It doesn't even have a jump button lol, it's action-adventure.
Click to expand...
No it doesn't, but link does jump in the game and there are literally huge portions of the game devoted to using the hover boots and hookshot to navigate floating platforms and sliding platforms. Call it what you want, I would lean towards action adventure as well but it has many core elements of a platformer.
 
N

nephilimdj

Member
Easily the best local multiplayer system Nintendo has made, from Wayne Gretzky 3D hockey to Mario Kart

System has 50 odd worth buying games
 
T

TheYanger

Member
To illustrate what I was saying:
TAc6irK.png


The 'straight on' style works great for things like the wiimote or move controller where you're not tethered to your other hand, but a two handed controller should curve with your natural resting position when you're reaching 'accross' your body (to the controller at the center).

EDIT: God damn my hand looks fat as fuck at that angle.
 
B

Betty

Banned
Compared to the Gamecube, Wii and Wii U, N64 had a better library for it's time.

I know for sure I played it way more than any of those by gigantic margins.

Experiencing multiplayer with 2-4 people in Mario Kart or Goldeneye was unparalleled.

N64 >>>>>>> the rest

I'm sure the games might not hold up today, but for it's time, unbeatable.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
You're probably right, definitely in terms of system specs, but I have a special sense of nostalgia for the thing despite owning one for only a year to play Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time (I was big on the PlayStation at the time). Those two games were simply incredible, though. I have a ton of fond memories playing Goldeneye and Mario Kart at friend's houses, too.

I had zero interest in the Gamecube, though. The only Nintendo console since the SNES I never bothered to check out.
 
G

G0523

Member
Thankfully, with the Wii/U and the Xbox 360/One, we're able to play some of those N64 games like we thought we remembered them instead of the foggy, blurry messes they were. So it's not all bad.
 
Jubenhimer

Jubenhimer

Member
oreomunsta said:
Sorry, but the machine that gave us Mario 64, OoT, MM, Banjo, GoldenEye, Paper Mario, and many others is far from Ninty's worst.

The Wii is the worst, in terms of the quality of gaming that came from it. MKWii sucked, WarioWare suffered, Skyward Sword was a slog, Brawl is the worst Smash, and the only big redeeming games were the Galaxy games.
Click to expand...
How did WarioWare "Suffer" exactly? That game was practically MADE for the Wii remote. There's a lot more quality games on the Wii than just the Galaxy titles.
 
M

masud

Banned
I couldnt disagree more. Every system Nintendo has put out since the N64 has been worse. Best local multiplayer system ever and its not even close.
 
NOLA_Gaffer

NOLA_Gaffer

Banned
If you put a gun to my head and told me to pick a "worst machine and era" I feel like I'd have to pick the Gamecube. It was certainly the least interesting.

The NES/Famicom was Nintendo's first console. Nintendo's franchises started here and it's a truly legendary platform.

The SNES/Super Famicom refined a lot of the franchises that started on the Famicom and many of the later titles did a lot of stuff that frankly possible on the Famicom hardware (Starfox, Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Kart)

The Nintendo 64 was Nintendo's first foray into polygons. Again, like the Super Famicom, this hardware allowed gameplay and design that simply wasn't possible on the Super Famicom and Famicom before it, for quite obvious reasons.

The Gamecube was a fine piece of hardware but it just felt like an evolution of the Nintendo 64. Nintendo 64 games with better graphics, basically. There aren't very many games that really stand out in my mind as truly game-changing (heh) pieces of software.

The Wii brought motion control to the masses and like the N64 and SNES we starting seeing software that you simply couldn't replicate with a standard gamepad, and finally the Wii U improved on that yet again with a solid touch screen interface and great asynchronous gameplay.
 
D

Drago

Member
I was going to agree with you, but thinking about it some more I'd probably put it ahead of the WiiU. I like both systems a lot regardless so it doesn't even really matter which is worse lol.
 
InfiniteCombo

InfiniteCombo

Banned
Deadpool_X said:
I actually agree with you, but I'd go so far as to say that generation for ALL parties was the worst. The PSX/N64/Saturn generation pushed me toward PC gaming for almost everything. I played the big titles, the Zeldas, Marios, Final Fantasys, the Metal Gears, but most everything else was on PC for me. That was when EQ, the Sims, and Half-Life was out, though, so I was good.

Fortunately, the PS2/GCN/DC/Xbox brought me back to console gaming.
Click to expand...

Ehh, I slightly disagree. The Saturn had a wealth of amazing 2D fighters, and Sega's trademark 3D fighting series Virtua Fighter had some entries; the PS1 had an amazing lineup of games from all genres.

But I do agree on N64 being ass though, at least from my personal experience.

I recently saw (and played) Mario Kart 64 in multiplayer mode. I couldn't tell what the hell was going on in the screen, the visuals were that awful. Terrible looking game. My friends then played multiplayer Goldeneye and that, too, looked like ass. And a single analog stick for an FPS was a big "what the hell!?" moment for me.
 
S

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
The Nintendo 64 was an amazing generation. It is most responsible for my continued affinity to the Nintendo brand.

Wave Race 64. Star Fox 64. Ocarina of Time. F-Zero X. 1080 Snowboarding. Super Mario 64. Majora's Mask. Excitebike 64. Tetrisphere. Perfect Dark. Killer Instinct Gold. Goldeneye 007. Pokemon Puzzle League. Nintendo had the Midas touch.
 
D

Donnie

Member
Teknoman said:
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.
Click to expand...

Plus-

PilotWings 64
Banjo-kazooie
Conkers bad fur day
Excitebike 64
Blast Corps
WWF No Mercy (for Wrestling games this and WM 2000 were amazing).
Harvest Moon

Didn't have the broadest of lineups but some absolutely amazing games in their, some of the best I've ever played on one system.

To say there wasn't much to choose from outside of Mario and Zelda boggles my mind to be honest.
 
D

DarkConfidant

Member
I recently repurchased a bunch of old Nintendo consoles and first party games, (including a Super Famicom, Wii, NES).

I excluded the N64,however, and simply bought around 4 of its games on Wii VC.

It just seems like a console not worth playing. The few milestone games didn't age that well, anyways, as is the case with most old 3D games. I especially can't stand how blurry everything looks.
 
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