What Nintendo 64 games are coming to Switch Online next? We have some thoughts
With the upcoming release of Pokemon Snap, Nintendo will have let loose all of the games that they revealed when they announced the Expansion Pack. So, the team at Vooks got to talking and came up with a list of games that we would love to see added to the service and just to make it easier, the list is in alphabetical order.
We’ve also given them a score out of 10, on just how likely they could be to come. Just because we’ve listed them as wants, doesn’t mean we’ll be likely enough to get them.
1080 Snowboarding
You can’t think of games from the Nintendo 64 without 1080 Snowboarding, it was the first game from Nintendo that attempted to be realistic with its physics and approach. It was also one of the first 3d sports games to be made, which was also something new and while other games have done similar since, this was the first game to offer up different stats for the rider and the board.
Chance of happening: 10/10
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond may not be considered one of the best Batman games around, it was however released before the Arkham series, but it is one of the few games to feature this version of Batman. Part side-scrolling beat ‘em up and part metroidvania, it made decent use of the licence and for a difference, let you pick different suits to head into the levels with, which would in turn change up the gameplay.
Chance of happening: 0/10
Bomberman 64
Bomberman has become a bit of a mythical character in videogames lately, yes there have been a few games, but they are few and far between. Bomberman 64 took the tried and true formula, but added a third dimension. Players were given a single player mode and a multiplayer option, with some changes to the core parts of the game, like being able to pump the bombs, in order to increase their effectiveness.
Chance of happening: 9/10
Command and Conquer
While a popular series, apart from some early console ports, the series has never really left the PC, which makes Command and Conquer for the Nintendo 64 a rarity. The game offers the same tactical action from the PC release, choosing which country is next on your list, then base building, unit training and all the other associated RTS tasks. It may not offer the same actor filled cutscenes as later games, but there is still a really fun game to be found here.
Chance of happening: 4/10
Conkers Bad Fur Day
It is Conkers Bad Fur Day; do we need to explain anymore? Oh, we do, well this is one of the last games from Rare, before they were bought out by Microsoft and it is one of the games that Nintendo didn’t publish. You took on the role of Conker, a squirrel who just wanted to get home after a night out at the pub, but from Terminator haystacks to singing poop, everything was determined to get in your way, including the Panther King.
Chance of happening: 4/10
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing is an odd duck, as on the Nintendo 64 you either were a Mario Kart 64 fan or a Diddy Kong Racing fan, and it is easy to see why this one got so much attention. The game offered up multiple ways of racing, karts, hovercraft and planes and depending on which vehicle you were in, the racing was vastly different. With explorable worlds that led to the games tracks, plus a progression system that required you to actually try to win races, there game has a lot going on.
Chance of happening: 3/10
Donkey Kong 64
Their finally here, performing for you and if you know the words you can join in to. What a way to open a game and there was, at the time, no game with as much game to offer as Donkey Kong 64. With 5 playable characters, each with their own unique collectables, weapons and moves, plus all those bananas… so, so many bananas. It also has the distinction of having older games available to play within, if you can find them.
Chance of happening: 10/10
Harvest Moon 64
If you have played any recent Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, Rune Factory or heck, even Stardew Valley, they all own their success to the early Harvest Moon games. What makes this game special is that PAL gamers, which is us, never actually got the original release of the game back in the 90s, we got it for the first time via the Wii’s Virtual Console service. The gameplay loop is much what you would expect from the series, but even to this day, there is a charm in the older games, so this would be a welcome addition.
Chance of happening: 7/10
Holy Magic Century
If the name Holy Magic Century doesn’t ring any bells for you, you would not be alone in that. Developed by Imagineer, the same folks behind the recent Fitness Boxing 2, the game was aimed to fill the RPG sized hole that the Nintendo 64 library had. Set within a fantasised version of Ireland, the gameplay was similar to Chrono Trigger for its combat but used a levelling system similar to Final Fantasy 2. A sequel was planned, but never released, though there were some GameBoy games released as part of the series.
Chance of happening: 6/10
Hybrid Heaven
This was a weird one, even back when it released in late 1999, the game gives of some Cyberpunk vibes, but combines it with a gameplay system that could be compared to the VATS system from modern Fallout games. Players were in control of a synthetic human, created by aliens but when the character turns on its creators, it is time to fight back and then we get a political sci-fi game, it really is unlike anything else.
Chance of happening: 8/10
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
One game that didn’t see a release in Australia, at least on the Nintendo 64, Indiana Jones was a fun adventure, though perhaps flawed. The game had you take control of the titular Indiana Jones, who has teamed up with the CIA to find and protect the four pieces of the Infernal Machine. It managed to tell a decent story and has some good moments, interestingly the Nintendo 64 release was ported over by Factor5, who also have games that appear later in the list.
Chance of happening: 4/10
Jet Force Gemini
One of the overlooked titles from Rare on the Nintendo 64, Jet Force Gemini has you attempting to save the galaxy from a race of evil insectoid beings. The game is a 3rd person shooter/adventure game and makes good use of those aspects, its big draw though, was the three playable characters. Each one had a set of abilities that the others did not, so heading into one stage with the wrong sort, would make things far more challenging. It also offers multiplayer, but it is just standard deathmatch and not that fun.
Chance of happening: 4/10
Mario Party 1, 2 and 3
Let’s be honest, these three are here simply because they can be, each offers a collection of boards, games and fun, as long as your palms are protected. While a host of these mini-games can now be found inside Super Mario Party, there is something charming about their original release.
Chance of happening: Mario Party 1, no chance because of the chance of busted palms.
Mischief Makers
This one is perhaps best known as the first time Treasure developed a game for Nintendo, given that they were formally a Sega studio, but it was also the first ever 2d sidescroller for the console as well. The game isn’t a walk in the park, which given the developer, makes a bit of sense, but those who were willing to deal with learning how it all played out, were in for a fun, if short, time.
Chance of happening: 10/10
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Contrary to popular belief, the Mortal Kombat Trilogy isn’t a collection of the first three games in the series, rather an enhanced release of 3, but with content from 1 and 2 included. While the game was also released elsewhere, the Nintendo 64 had the exclusive 3-on-3 mode and yes, there were less characters, but there were extra stages and other hidden secrets.
Chance of happening: 4/10
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
This one is a bit of a hit amongst some members of the Vooks crew and for good reason, not only is it a wonderful 3d adventure game, but it has an amazing soundtrack, great characters and you get to pilot a giant mech. The game did get a sequel but was more of a traditional side scroller, but since the release of these games on the Nintendo 64, none of the other games have released outside of Japan.
Chance of happening: 8/10
Perfect Dark
It’s Perfect Dark… moving on. Wait for real, ok, the game contains a great story, with missions that take you all over the planet and even off of it. The guns are insane, from laptop turrets to x-ray sniper rifles, there was a lot going on there and of course, the multiplayer took what made Goldeneye so much fun and plussed it up, just as long as you had the Nintendo 64’s expansion pak.
Chance of happening: 7/10 (10/10 in our dreams)
Pokémon Puzzle League
One of the earliest spin-offs from the mainline Pokémon series of games, Pokémon Puzzle League was unique in that it focused more on anime versions of the characters, as opposed to the game ones. In this puzzler, players would battle in the new Pokémon Puzzle League, by matching blocks of 3 or more in order to clear your board and if you match 4 or more, you can send blocks to your opponents side. You can also select Pokémon to join you in your battle, but that was just for fun, it doesn’t change up the gameplay.
Chance of happening: 8/10
Pokémon Stadium 1 & 2
Much like Pokémon Puzzle League, this was one of the early spin-offs, but where as PPL was all new, at least for the series, Pokémon Stadium let you compete in Pokémon battles, just in 3d. The big draw for this game though, was that in using the included Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak, you could take your Pokémon from the GameBoy games, Red, Blue or Yellow and battle with them on the TV. If you didn’t have those games, you could just use a set of Pokémon that the game provided for you. There was also a quest line, where you would battle Gym Leaders, just like in the main games, if you wanted to try something a little different.
Chance of happening: 3/10
Rainbow Six
Unlike the current version of Rainbow Six that people can play today, the original Rainbow Six was driven purely by tactics and the story followed the events of the original novel. In the game, players would undertake a briefing before each mission, select the operators that would then head out on it, and also plan the mission, by telling people where to go. You can opt to skip the planning and try to rush things, but with proper planning and patience, missions could be completed within minutes.
Chance of happening: 2/10
Ridge Racer 64
It’s Ridge RAAAACCCEEERRR! Yeah, that one, it released first on the original PlayStation and it was actually Nintendo Software Technologies that ported it to the Nintendo 64. As an arcade racer, players had to deal with a countdown clock, whilst also attempting to win each race. Players got a lot of tracks, both forwards and reversed and there were plenty of secrets to discover, not to mention the countless unlocks to obtain.
Chance of happening: 10/10
Rocket Robot on Wheels
Long before Infamous and Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch released their take on the mascot platformer, which while pretty by the numbers, was still a fun little adventure game. There were a handful of worlds to explore, but like many games of the era, there were a lot of things to collect, but what players remember most, apart from the fact that you were a robot on a single wheel, was the jazzy soundtrack, which even today is still fun to listen to.
Chance of happening: 7/10
Snowboard Kids 1 & 2
Long before Atlus made Persona, they made Snowboard Kids and its sequel and while simple enough, the games were well received, well if you could find the second game of course. Across both games, players would select their character, choose a mode and then track and hit the slopes. Unlike other snowboard games since, the game would take you back to the top of the slope, letting you do laps, oh and the game had Mario Kart like items, to mess with the other racers.
Chance of happening: More than Persona 5
Space Station Silicon Valley
While the whimsical name may make you think of a fun space adventure, the game had you play as Evo, a robot who could take control of animals, in order to attempt to restore his robot self to full working order. To make your way through the many locations within the space station, players would have to take over the right animal, in order to solve the various puzzles. Oh, yeah it was also one of the last family friendly games that the studio would make, before they dedicated themselves to Grand Theft Auto.
Chance of happening: 3/10
Star Wars Episode 1 Battle for Naboo
A spiritual sequel to the game below, players were given a story that was set in the time between when the Queen and Jedi blasted off the planet, until they returned and engaged in a full blown war. The game had you take control of vehicles, both on land and in the air, whilst attempting to subvert the droid invasion force. The game, like other Factor5 titles, had secret levels and ships to unlock, giving players the chance to replay missions to unlock them.
Chance of happening: 5/10
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Not to be confused with the upcoming movie, the game Rogue Squadron followed aspecialist team of pilots – including Luke Skywalker, who after blowing up the Death Star, would undertake missions to help out the Rebel Alliance. Some missions were stealth focused, at least for a while, and some required you to protect ships, with the missions themselves taking you to some familiar location, as well as all-new one. Perhaps the best part of the game is that it contained the N1 Starfighter, months before Episode 1 released, oh and you could fly around in a Buick car.
Chance of happening: 5/10
StarCraft 64
Much like Command and Conquer, StarCraft 64 was a real time strategy game, that required you to discover resources, train troops and protect yourself or attack others. The game is special in that it included all the content from the main game, plus the Brood War expansion and still managed to have a special bonus mission, that was available if you owned the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak. Unlike Command and Conquer though, StarCraft 64 does allow for two players to enjoy the game at once, with its split-screen mode, something that elevated this release, according to many players.
Chance of happening: 0/10
Super Smash Bros
I don’t think I should have to explain this one, but ok. Super Smash Bros. was the original fighter from Nintendo, it offered 12 characters to play as, with four of those unlockable. Players would battle it out in up to 4-player bouts, that could be made even more chaotic, with the inclusion of items. This was the start of the popular fighting series from Nintendo, but it also started a wave of other crossover fighting games.
Chance of happening: 10/10
Tetrisphere
Like its name suggests, in this game you play Tetris, but on a sphere, well depending on the game mode you selected of course. Much like regular Tetris, you have to clear the blocks from the board, but rather than trying to make a line, here you have to make three of the same piece touch and then they will clear. You can also stack drops, in order to clear the board faster, but that is easier said than done. The game has a bit of a cult following and for good reason, there really isn’t anything else quite like it.
Chance of happening: 5/10
Tonic Trouble
One of the earliest games developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Tonic Trouble was a 3d adventure game, that had players head down to Earth, after a passing spaceship accidently drops a mysterious liquid on the planet. The gameplay was very 3d platformer, but rather than get special power ups, players would instead be given gadgets that would give Ed, more abilities to make use of. While the gameplay was solid, the camera was a point of contention, something that many early 3d games did struggled with.
Chance of happening: 3/10
Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64 was the first of only two titles in the series, unless we count that game in Wii Sports Resort and unlike most other racing games, took place on water. But where the game shone was that the water was dynamic, which in turn made each race a real challenge for players. As not only did you need to contend with completing laps, you had to deal with a race surface that would invariably shift, which easily impacted your ability to make that required turn.
Chance of happening: 9/10 (maybe minus branding).
The likelihood of many of these games coming are not great, some of them are from developers that either no longer exist or have been merged into another company, or bought out buy someone else entirely. But hey that is what dreams are for and even if only a handful of these games get included going forward, that would be great.
The question we have for you, is what games would you love to see added to the service?
