Given the early 3D graphical capabilities of the Nintendo 64, there were a lot of racing titles for the console. Many of the best Nintendo 64 games of all time happened to be racing games, with both cartoonish kart racers and more realistic fare. A lot of these titles took advantage of the console’s four-person local multiplayer capabilities, turning the genre into one accessible for casual players. We’re highlighting the best N64 racing games released for the console, each offering their own take on the genre.
As with many N64 games, many of the titles that we’re including here happen to be produced by Nintendo themselves. That said, there were strong third-party racing games too, each providing their own distinct thrills. What all these games have in common is that they’re best enjoyed with friends and celebrate high velocity gameplay.
These are the five best Nintendo 64 racing games ranked, each bringing their own high-speed fun.
5. Wave Race 64
Produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, “Wave Race” had started out as a top-down racing title for the Game Boy in 1992. When the series was revamped as an early title for the Nintendo 64 in 1996, it transitioned to a third-person perspective and went full 3D. While only allowing for up to two-person multiplayer, the water effects and physics are among the best for the console. The game features a variety of single-player modes too, including a stunt mode for players to try off their best tricks.
Water racing games can feel obtusely difficult to control, but “Wave Race 64” keeps the proceedings accessible and enjoyable. The action is fun and there are varying levels of difficulty across the tracks to help players phone their jet ski skills. The N64 saw many of Nintendo’s past titles get dramatically reinvented on the new hardware and “Wave Race” is a forgotten example of that for today’s audiences. A strong early title for N64, “Wave Race 64” proved that not every racing game needed tracks on terra firma to succeed.
4. Star Wars Episode I: Racer
One of the highlights in “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was its podrace serving as the centerpiece action sequence in the movie. This scene was expanded into its own tie-in video game with “Star Wars Episode I: Racer” released in 1999. The game offered a whole roster of playable characters, including Sebulba and Anakin Skywalker, each with their own podracers with variable attributes. While the Tatooine track from the movie is included, so are tracks on planets from all over the “Star Wars” universe, each with their own hazards and shortcuts.
Revisiting “Star Wars Episode I: Racer” after the excellent “Star Wars Galactic Racer,” it’s easy to see where the latter game got its high-speed sensibilities. The game is one of the fastest racing titles available on the Nintendo 64, really emphasizing precise handling just to stay intact. While that certainly adds to the challenge, it also fuels the fun and engagement, keeping players on their toes. One of the best “Star Wars” video games, “Episode I: Racer” has since been remastered for modern platforms and still holds up marvelously.
3. F-Zero X
“F-Zero” had started out as a launch title for the Super Nintendo in 1990, though the original game in the series was single-player only. This egregious mistake was fixed and then some with the 1998 sequel “F-Zero X,” which brought the racing franchise into 3D. The game allowed for up to four players in its multiplayer modes, while upping the speed and level of track design considerably. Compared to the four playable characters in the first game, “F-Zero X” gave players 30 characters to choose from, in a truly ambitious upgrade.
“F-Zero X” is a sci-fi video game from the ’90s that still holds up today, whether or not you’re a major racing aficionado. The title is arguably the most difficult first-party racing game released for the Nintendo 64, but that challenge is something fans have come to appreciate with the series. Furthermore, the game looks and feels great, really capturing the different cosmic vistas as players race at incredible speeds to come out on top. The entry where the series truly found itself, “F-Zero X” is well worth a look if you missed it the first time around.
2. Diddy Kong Racing
There are some who would argue that “Diddy Kong Racing” is better than “Mario Kart 64,” but we won’t go quite that far. The 1997 game, developed by Rare, has Diddy Kong and his friends try to save a scenic island community from the sinister Wizpig. This is done through a full campaign mode, with boss battles and challenge missions couched in between the usual races. In addition to karts, the game also lets players use hovercraft and airplanes on some of the tracks, adding to the gameplay variety.
“Diddy Kong Racing” is another standout party game for the N64, allowing up to four players to get in on the fun. While the track design isn’t quite as engaging as “Mario Kart 64,” it’s certainly not for lack of trying, and the 1997 game does bring additional features to the table. This is all powered by an effervescent score composed by David Wise, capturing everything from the yuletide Frosty Village to the sci-fi inspired Star City. A highlight before Nintendo lost Rare to Microsoft less than a decade later, “Diddy Kong Racing” is still an absolute joy to play.
1. Mario Kart 64
Among the classic Nintendo 64 games that still hold up today is “Mario Kart 64,” which launched several months after the console in 1996. The game was a significant upgrade over “Super Mario Kart” on the Super Nintendo, with more richly rendered tracks and racers, along with a revamp of its multiplayer modes. At the same time, the core gameplay experience was retained, including a devastating line of power-ups making their return, like red turtle shells and lightning bolts. The game was an early N64 title that took advantage of the console’s four-player capabilities for its versus and battle modes, upping the frenetic fun players could have.
Three decades later, “Mario Kart 64” is one of the best “Mario Kart” games in the series, even compared to its more technologically impressive successors. This comes from engaging track design, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and an accessible balance that keeps the experience fresh and enjoyable. Most of the tracks in the game are instant classics, from the cosmic Rainbow Road to the vehicle-packed challenge of Toad’s Turnpike. Showcasing what racing games on the Nintendo 64 were capable of, “Mario Kart 64” set a high bar for the genre on the console.
