Nintendo had an impressive track record with three home consoles. The NES, Game Boy, and SNES were all total knockouts. In fact, the N64 was where Pokemon Snap first debuted. But a changing market made their fourth big console, the N64, not as hot. Many of their big third-party supporting developers, like Squaresoft, went to Sony and the PlayStation brand.

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This is all to say the N64 struggled to stay competitive with the PlayStation even though they had some all-time classics like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Were the last games on the console duds in the system’s final days or beautiful swan songs?

10 Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu Basic-ban 2001

Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu Basic-ban 2001 gameplay screenshot

Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu Basic-ban 2001 released on the N64 on March 29, 2001, in Japan only. It might be difficult for non-Japanese gamers to believe, but this is one of Konami’s best selling franchises of all time.

It’s gone through a few names over the years since it started as Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu '94 on the SNES. Overall, however, the series has offered virtually the same experience. That is to say that it is a cute, more kid friendly baseball video game.

9 Hamster Monogatari 64

Hamster Monogatari 64 gameplay screenshot

Hamster Monogatari 64 released on the N64 on April 6, 2001, in Japan only. This is also a cute game as one would expect a hamster raising simulator to be. The game came a year after the original run of the Hamtaro children's book, as well.

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The anime styling is heavy with this one for better or worse. For those that have played virtual pet simulators before, the game would feel familiar except the fact that it is all in Japanese without a translation to speak of.

8 Derby Stallion 64

Derby Stallion 64 box art and cartridge

Derby Stallion 64 released on the N64 on August 10, 2001, and is ANOTHER Japan-only release. This series first hit the scene in 1991 on the NES. That marks 2021 as its 30th anniversary and not a single game from it ever released in North America.

Surprisingly for people outside of Japan, the series is still going to this day with the latest entry releasing on Switch last year. Despite the heavy Nintendo documentation in this entry, this is not an exclusive franchise to Nintendo.

7 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 cartridge

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 released on the N64 on August 21, 2001, in North America and a couple of months later in October for Europe. This is the only game on this list that has a dual release for locations for an N64 game. Everything else is exclusive to a region completely.

It should also be noted that this is the seventh release for the game following the PS1, PC, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, and Mac computer versions. It was not the last though as that honor would go to iOS in 2010 and the re-release of 1+2.

6 Madden NFL 2002

Madden NFL 2002 box art

Madden NFL 2002 released on the N64 on September 12, 2001, in North America only. This was the fifth release of the game after the PS1, PS2, PC, and Game Boy Color versions. There’s not much to say about this game in the long-running football franchise.

It’s weird that this released so much later on the N64 but, by all accounts, all versions were reviewed fairly well. Perhaps the initial release for the console got pushed, but fans will never know.

5 The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction

The Powerpuff Girls Chemical X-Traction box art

The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction released on the N64 on October 14, 2001, in North America only. This is kind of like Super Smash Bros. as it is a giant arena type fighting game. Actually, a better analogy would be Capcom’s Power Stone since this is a 3D game.

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Whatever game one compares it to, this game does not stand up to either of those examples. Unfortunately, this is a cheaply made cash grab aimed at diehard fans of the cartoon.

4 Razor Freestyle Scooter

Razor Freestyle Scooter box art

Razor Freestyle Scooter released on the N64 on November 27, 2001, in North America only. This was the fifth release of the game after the PS1, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance versions. Interestingly this was a Blockbuster exclusive -- something that happened now and again for Nintendo games starting with the SNES.

The cover is pretty funny because the kid on the box looks like he is about to die. Coincidentally, that is also how reviewers must have felt while playing this game. Not every skateboarding-adjacent game is Tony Hawk levels of fun.

3 NFL Blitz: Special Edition

NFL Blitz Special Edition box art

NFL Blitz: Special Edition released on the N64 on November 28, 2001, in North America only. This was another Blockbuster exclusive like Razor Freestyle Scooter was. It is a better game though as it is just NFL Blitz 2001, but with an updated roster and a special new box for collectors.

Speaking of which, if one still has a sealed copy of it laying around, this game fetches about $135. However, selling a complete in-box copy still gets a great price at $94.

2 Bomberman 64

Bomberman 64 box art and cartridge

Bomberman 64 released on the N64 on December 20, 2001, in Japan only. This one is very confusing because this game is not the same as the 1997 release of the same name. That was Bomberman 64 in North America. In Japan, it was known as Baku Bomberman.

The easiest way to tell these two apart is the cutesy box art this title adopted. Plus, it is all 2D which is odd for the last Japanese N64 game -- a 3D console.

1 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 box art

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 released on the N64 on August 20, 2002, in North America only. This was almost the final release of the game after a long list of other ports that started on PS1 in 2001. But it also released for Mac computers in 2003.

Like the second game which also made this list, Nintendo was always seemingly the last console to catch a ride. It’s an odd game to have as the system’s final title, but at least it’s a well-regarded game.

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