The Nintendo 64 saw Nintendo lead the console market’s charge into 3D gameplay with titles like “Super Mario 64” and “Banjo-Kazooie.” Unfortunately, as with any gaming platform, the N64 has plenty of games that have yet to receive a modern re-release. Whether because of licensing issues or difficulties replicating the games’ architecture, there are a multitude of reasons why even some of the most beloved N64 games remain without a remaster. In some cases, it’s a matter of titles being hit N64 games that no one remembers today.
Whatever the reason behind the lack of an official re-release, we’re looking at Nintendo 64 games that are only legally playable if you still have a working cartridge and console. Yes, emulators of these titles are available, but we’re sticking to N64 games playable by legal means for the purposes of this article. From major franchises to one-and-done titles, a lot of N64 games remain relegated to that original ’90s platform. Here are five Nintendo 64 games that are unplayable today, unless you have the original hardware still working.
Mischief Makers
Just because the Nintendo 64 signaled 3D gaming becoming more widely adopted didn’t mean that all the games for it featured 3D movement. The 1997 platformer “Mischief Makers” was played from a side-scrolling perspective, while boasting pre-rendered 3D models and backgrounds. The game’s protagonist is a robot named Marina who sets out to rescue her creator from a line of formidable foes in a vibrant sci-fi world. Marina’s principle means of combat is grabbing and shaking enemies and incoming projectiles into submission before throwing them.
“Mischief Makers” was a reminder that side-scrollers still held tremendous creative potential as the industry was pushing towards more 3D experiences. While somewhat overlooked by contemporary audiences, the game has since become something of a cult classic for its unique presentation and gameplay. Adding the game’s underground legacy is the fact that it never received a direct follow-up, nor has it been re-released for other platforms, including and especially modern ones. “Mischief Makers” is still worth playing and deserves to find a wider audience through Nintendo Switch Online’s digital N64 library.
Diddy Kong Racing
One of the best retro racing games of all time is “Diddy Kong Racing,” which was developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. The game features a full-on story mode, with Diddy Kong and his friends trying to liberate an island from the evil Wizpig. In addition to a quirky roster of racers, the game boasts 20 tracks, a selection of three vehicles, and a variety of gameplay modes. However, despite boasting a fan-favorite Nintendo character as its titular protagonist, the game remains unavailable on Nintendo Switch Online’s library of N64 titles.
A big part of “Diddy Kong Racing” lacking an official rerelease is that Rare has been a subsidiary of Microsoft for over 20 years. That said, there was a remake of the game for the Nintendo DS in 2007 under the title “Diddy Kong Racing DS.” This version added new tracks and modes, including a track editor, with new playable characters to replace Banjo and Conker since, Nintendo lost Rare to Microsoft in the intervening years. Regardless, both the original version of the game and its DS remake are only playable if you have the original hardware, making one of the N64’s best racing games unavailable.
Space Station Silicon Valley
Another N64 sci-fi platformer that you likely never played is 1998’s “Space Station Silicon Valley,” one of the strangest titles on the console. The game’s protagonist is a sentient microchip named Evo, who can possess the body of robotic animals that it attaches itself to. Navigating a space station’s distinct biomes populated by robotic facsimiles of environmental appropriate animals, Evo moves to stop the Evil Brain controlling the installation. This single-player title blends 3D platforming and puzzle-solving, all with a wickedly dark sense of humor.
Another cult classic on the Nintendo 64, “Space Station Silicon Valley” definitely was an offbeat title on the console. The humor isn’t admittedly everyone’s cup of tea, and the game’s premise feels like something that could only be done in the ’90s. Perhaps this is why the game has never been re-released on modern platforms, and when ported to the PlayStation, it was generically retitled “Evo’s Space Adventures.” While there may not be a lot of people clamoring for “Space Station Silicon Valley” to get a modern remaster, we’d personally love to see it.
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
The 1999 “Castlevania” marked the series’ first major foray into 3D gameplay, introducing 19th century vampire hunters Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez. While providing some interesting ideas for the franchise and moderately enjoyable in its own right, the game had some visible flaws. In less than a year, Konami released an expanded version of the game, “Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness,” which also included a standalone prologue to the previous release’s story. Set eight years before the events of the preceding title, the game has lycanthrope Cornell try to rescue his sister and prevent the resurrection of Dracula.
“Legacy of Darkness” does feel like a noticeable improvement from the first N64 “Castlevania” title, improving the camera work and redesigning the levels to make them a bit more tenable. But even as Konami remasters its classic “Castlevania” games for modern platforms, both Nintendo 64 entries in the franchise remain relegated to that console. While we’re hoping that both versions see the light of day again in some capacity, “Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness” is the bigger omission if we had to choose one.
The World Is Not Enough
Believe it or not, “GoldenEye 007” wasn’t the only James Bond video game released for the Nintendo 64. The Bond movie “The World Is Not Enough” received an N64 tie-in in 2000, which was distinct from the PlayStation version that came out a month later. The game is another first-person shooter that actually is much more faithful in its retelling of its cinematic source material than “GoldenEye 007” had been. This means the game also includes a requisite multiplayer mode with, frankly, more game modes than Bond’s last outing on the N64.
“The World Is Not Enough” is an underrated James Bond game, especially when compared directly to “GoldenEye 007.” The technical presentation isn’t quite as good, even using the Nintendo 64’s Expansion Pak, though it does boast in-game dialog and more cinematic cutscenes between levels. However, like most older Bond games that aren’t “GoldenEye 007,” the 2000 title has yet to receive an official re-release on modern platforms. We’d love to see some sort of remastered collection of Bond games see the light of day someday, and “The World Is Not Enough” should definitely be included.
