The Nintendo 64 certainly had its faults, but the successor to the SNES still made some big waves in gaming. During the console's run from 1996 to 2002, countless influential titles and exclusives made their way to the platform.
The following list will detail five games that were way ahead of their time, and five that feel generic when popping the cartridge back in. The games of the latter category are not necessarily bad — on the contrary, most of them were celebrated upon release — but certain facets of their design are either too par for the course or predictable by the medium's modern standards.
10 Way Ahead Of Its Time: GoldenEye 007
The N64 had several first-person shooters that the competition simply could not replicate on a technical level. Chief among them was GoldenEye oo7. Not only did it have an expansive campaign featuring well over fifteen fleshed-out missions, but its multiplayer was the star of numerous sleepless nights. The genre was the domain of PC gaming in the '90s, but GoldenEye proved consoles could compete long before Halo made a similar statement.
9 Generic: Earthworm Jim 3D
Earthworm Jim 3D represents a plethora of other franchises that just couldn't make the transition into the 3D space. It had a notoriously long development time and the effort did not pay off, as most critics considered the gameplay clunky and the graphics messy. An industry shift always has its casualties, as certain franchises either resist embracing new trends or execute them poorly.
8 Ahead Of Its Time: Wave Race 64
What makes Wave Race 64 so special is the effect physics has on gameplay. Battling and understanding the movement of the waves is key to shaving off milliseconds from a lap time, an addictive loop that kept players constantly replaying the various tracks. Most find the idea of a Jet Ski racing game being one of the best of a console silly, but that's just because they have not tried Wave Race 64 for themselves.
7 Generic: Beetle Adventure Racing
Despite the silly title making it feel like a playable commercial, Beetle Adventure Racing is an exceptional racing game. Unfortunately, it does not do anything special to make it valuable in today's gaming landscape. One is better off playing any number of other racing games on the market, all of which have more vehicle variety.
6 Ahead Of Its Time: Super Smash Brothers
Not only is Super Smash Brothers' gameplay exceptional, but it also proved the success and potential of crossovers in video games. Such events was few and far between back then, save for arcade fighters.
Nowadays, characters pop into other franchises all the time. Brawlers with similar gameplay are still a rarity these days, making the Super Smash Brothers series one of a kind.
5 Generic: Turok 3
Sometimes pure fire has a hard time staying lit throughout proceeding sequels. The first two Turok titles are classics still fun today through their recent remasters. Turok 3, on the other hand, is better left in the past. The bigger scope leads to more technical issues, and its release at the end of the N64's life came at a time when players were more than ready for the next generation.
4 Ahead Of Its Time: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Plenty of other Nintendo exclusives at the time were leading the way in 3D platforming game design, but The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time showed how to craft a more intricate action-adventure game in an open world complete with side activities and optional upgrades. Games of the genre today are still taking cues from this 1998 classic when crafting their worlds and dungeons.
3 Generic: Donkey Kong 64
As fun as Donkey Kong 64 is, it is also prime example of why 3D platformers started declining in popularity in the next generation. The levels are great and the controls are as smooth as any other grade-A platformer, but the experience is bogged down by numerous collectibles, many of which force the player to backtrack through levels. This was noticeable even back in the 1999. Today, players have countless other platformers at their fingertips to enjoy.
2 Ahead Of Its Time: Super Mario 64
The Nintendo 64 launched with one of its finest titles. The smoothness of its 3D platforming and large, open levels were awe-inspiring back in 1996. Most other platformers would take years to catch up as they struggled with awkward cameras and clunky movement. Even though it was the only mainline Super Mario game to hit the console, it was enough to forever change the medium.
1 Generic: Castlevania 64
So many Nintendo 64 exclusives set the standard for 3D gaming, but a couple of them dropped the ball. The Castlevania series in particular never truly felt at home in the 3D space, and this bad luck started with Castlevania 64. It was an average linear action/adventure platformer at the time of its release, and age has only more clearly shown the cracks in its poor jumping mechanics and wonky camera. Most agree that the finer Castlevania game of the generation is Symphony of the Night.