Obscure or underrated N64 games

[SolVanderlyn]

Hey, there's a Saturn and DS thread... why not make a 64 thread, too?

Anyone remember Chameleon Twist?

It wasn't the prettiest game, but I remember it being one of the better Mario 64 clones/3D Platformer games. it had a unique tongue lashing mechanic that was a lot like Yoshi's from the various Mario games - long before Yoshi was ever in a 3D game.

Any other recommendations?

 

[EvilBoris]

I had this and I really loved it

 

[capitalCORN]

Hybrid Heaven.

 

[Cutty]

Rakuga Kids all the way

 

[ReddishGUI]

Both Goemon games, Space Station Silicon Valley and Fighter's Destiny.

 

[Zombine]

 

[blame space]

snowboard kids

 

[jipewithin]

That was pretty cool game.

Have to say this was pretty weird game but I really liked it and have fond memories of it



Goemon was awesome adventure game which I have a feeling not many even knew about. Maybe my first "weird japanese" game I played.

 

[andymcc]

Hey, there's a Saturn and DS thread... why not make a 64 thread, too?

Anyone remember Chameleon Twist?

Click to shrink...

The Saturn is pretty much defined by its obscure and underrated (and likely never localized) games, the N64's best games are the featured titles by Nintendo.

On topic, I think I'd nominate the two Goemon games. The N64 is kind of a desert.

 

[Hayama Akito]

The Nintendo 64 catalog is so small that is kinda hard to talk about "obscure" stuff. At the time I rented almost everything, mostly because... well, there were months with just one or two releases! some people even consider Mischief Makers obscure and it wasn't for N64 users at the time at all, at least not in my circle of friends...

I think the final frontier on "obscure" Nintendo 64 games are the japanese RPGs... there are a few untranslated yet that, honestly, they don't look so hot but maybe I would give it a try in the future, like Zoor: Majuu Tsukai Densetsu is probably the most obscure thing I can imagine right now (the video is a japanese Let's Play).



If you know japanese, Nushi Tsuri 64 was a surprise: its a fishing game, but with an RPG style game including a dotart work totally rare on Nintendo 64.

But of course if you are looking for the "obscure" stuff that is always mentioned: Bangai-oh, Bomberman 64 (not the title that was released here, the japanese one), Sin & Punishment, Mystical Ninja series, Rakuga Kids, Wonder Project J2 or Rocket: Robot on Wheels are a good start.

 

[Yahsper]

I had this and I really loved it

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But how...

I thought I was the only one who ever played this game. Bought it with my hard-saved cash instead of 1080 Snowboarding. The style just seemed cool and why snowboard when you could airboard?

Greatest disappointment of my life. I've only ever had 10 N64 games so I had to make the most out of every single one of them. I tried for years to make sense of this game but it was so unplayable to me with only a couple of levels and no real goals beyond the impossible to pull off tricks because of the controls.

I must've been 11 or 12 years old and I hardly spoke English so maybe I just missed stuff but I'll forever remember that game as the one I regret buying most.

 

[EvilBoris]

But how...

I thought I was the only one who ever played this game. Bought it with my hard-saved cash instead of 1080 Snowboarding. The style just seemed cool and why snowboard when you could airboard?

Greatest disappointment of my life. I've only ever had 10 N64 games so I had to make the most out of every single one of them. I tried for years to make sense of this game but it was so unplayable to me with only a couple of levels and no real goals beyond the impossible to pull off tricks because of the controls.

I must've been 11 or 12 years old and I hardly spoke English so maybe I just missed stuff but I'll forever remember that game as the one I regret buying most.

Click to shrink...

I had the opposite experience, I was maybe 14 and a picked up a bundle of games with a US/JOn converter for £10 (a new game was £50) . It was the most amazing purchase.

Airboarder 64, Blast Corps, Quest 64...... and snowboard kids and maybe another.

I just remember playing a lot of 2 player and there being a level where you were inside a house full of toys , but you were tiny. I cant really remember much more beyond it being very Japanese.

 

[Melkezadek]

Not sure how obscure it is by now but to this day, one of my favorite fighting games. Cool unique characters. Awesome music. The gameplay is surprisingly fluid for an early 3D fighter. Makes me sad knowing we'll never get a reboot of this series, as it would add more variety to the current fighting game landscape.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Honestly, not much. But the Bomberman games were really charming. And good lord, that soundtrack is fire.

 

[Hayama Akito]

Honestly, not much. But the Bomberman games were really charming. And good lord, that soundtrack is fire.

Click to shrink...

All hail June Chikuma.

 

[sir_crocodile]

It's hybrid heaven

I learnt the sharpshooter/scorpion deathlock from a giant anthropomorphic horse who was trying to kill me

Fabulous game. Here's a boston crab:

 

[Decarbia]

N64 doesn't really have any obscure titles, it's library is tiny.

 

[Noodle]

Battletanx

Never gets a mention anywhere it seems

 

[EvilBoris]

Another one that I had at some point that I never really saw for sale very often

 

[tiesto]

The Nintendo 64 catalog is so small that is kinda hard to talk about "obscure" stuff. At the time I rented almost everything, mostly because... well, there were months with just one or two releases! some people even consider Mischief Makers obscure and it wasn't for N64 users at the time at all, at least not in my circle of friends...

I think the final frontier on "obscure" Nintendo 64 games are the japanese RPGs... there are a few untranslated yet that, honestly, they don't look so hot but maybe I would give it a try in the future, like Zoor: Majuu Tsukai Densetsu is probably the most obscure thing I can imagine right now (the video is a japanese Let's Play).



If you know japanese, Nushi Tsuri 64 was a surprise: its a fishing game, but with an RPG style game including a dotart work totally rare on Nintendo 64.

But of course if you are looking for the "obscure" stuff that is always mentioned: Bangai-oh, Bomberman 64 (not the title that was released here, the japanese one), Sin & Punishment, Mystical Ninja series, Rakuga Kids, Wonder Project J2 or Rocket: Robot on Wheels are a good start.

Click to shrink...

Oh wow, that Zoor game is something I've ever heard of! It looks pretty bad with the terrible world map traversal and steep encounter rate, but still cool there were actually more RPGs on the platform than the ones that always get mentioned.

 

[adumb]

 

[Nassudan]

That was pretty cool game.

Have to say this was pretty weird game but I really liked it and have fond memories of it



Goemon was awesome adventure game which I have a feeling not many even knew about. Maybe my first "weird japanese" game I played.

Click to shrink...

Probably my favorite game on N64.

 

[higemaru]

Beetle Adventure Racing is a top 3 racer for the system imo. Wicked Woods is an all timer track, one of the best visual themes ever. We need more New England Halloween themed tracks.

 

[NattyBo]

It's not really obscure at all, but I feel like people sleep on how good Pilotwings 64 was. Spent sooooooooo much time with that game.

 

[evilromero]

How about a little known racing game called Diddy Kong Racing featuring Duffy Kong, a side character from the Dinkey King series.

 

[wombleac]

Body Harvest was my jam, I think it was one of the first sandbox style games by Rockstar.

 

[1-D_FE]

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This SO much.

It's probably aged horribly (especially the camera), but it was a great Mario-esque game with an emphasis on physics.

Sucker Punch was the developer and it's always disappointed me that they never really went physics crazy in any of their later platformers.

 

[ChaosInTheSnow]

I'd also give a nod to Goemon. It had such a weird and wonderful atmosphere to it. And the theme tune, well it still gets stuck in my head to this day.

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Goemon 1 and 2 and Mischief Makers are essential. Hybrid Heaven is worth checking out too if you like brawler RPGs set in a dystopian future where you can use wrestling moves on bioweapons. Such a saturated market.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I always thought Goemon 1 was way better than 2. The 3D explorable world was a lot more charming and memorable than a bunch of 2.5D platforming stages.

 

[Sectorseven]

Is Blast Corps Underrated?

I enjoyed it.

 

[Lylo]

Not sure if obscure, but definitelly underrated: Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA

I said it before in the "What is a POSITIVE controversial game opinion you hold?" thread and i'll say it again: it's the best arcade racing game ever made.

 

[Host Samurai]

The Eva game is pretty obscure.

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 and 2.

 

[Deleted member 8752]

Not sure how obscure it is by now but to this day, one of my favorite fighting games. Cool unique characters. Awesome music. The gameplay is surprisingly fluid for an early 3D fighter. Makes me sad knowing we'll never get a reboot of this series, as it would add more variety to the current fighting game landscape.

Click to shrink...

I did not think other people were fans of this one. It's a poor man's Soul Blade, but still pretty fun in some ways.

 

[Dark Knight]

Nice, a Chameleon Twist shout-out! Love that one.

 

[Phil's Empty Chair]

 

[Mekanos]

Click to shrink...

Gotta be this, physics engine was amazing for an N64 title.

Wish these non-Nintendo N64 games got rereleased.

 

[mistersensation]

Seconding Goemon, Mischief Makers and Bomberman 64/The Second Attack, those games were my childhood. For my contribution, I'm gonna quote an old post I made on this very topic-

As long as we're talking about obscure N64 games, I want to give a shout-out to a game I've literally never heard anyone else talk about- Flying Dragon.

It's essentially two fighting games in one- a standard arcade fighter that's utterly unremarkable, and a 'super-deformed' mode that, at least to my 11-year old mind, was the coolest thing ever. The twist was that it was a long-form story mode (though admittedly light on the 'story' aspect) that allowed you to collect and use items and equipment as you progressed through the different levels of tournaments. There were a ton of different items, ranging from health potions to new super moves to a cloak that would let you teleport to all sorts of other cool shit, and all your items could level up and some could even 'evolve' into better ones. Also there was an item shop with a girl that would give you discounts or secret items if you were a frequent customer. Fuck, even as I'm typing it here I'm realizing that is all still way cool.

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EDIT- Another one I just remembered for those of you who like Goemon is Goemon Mononoke Sugoroku, a Japanese-only Culdcept-style board/card game hybrid that played really well and sucked away a lot of me and my friends' time.

 

[Ryuelli]

 

[Deadpool_X]

Castlevania 64 is underrated. People hate on this game, but realistically, it's still the best representation of classic Castlevania in 3d we've had yet. It may not be perfect, but it's a really fun game, that, like Zelda 2, has been bashed by people for so long that many people who've never played it start to hate on it, just because they've heard it's bad.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

The Saturn is pretty much defined by its obscure and underrated (and likely never localized) games, the N64's best games are the featured titles by Nintendo.

On topic, I think I'd nominate the two Goemon games. The N64 is kind of a desert.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the N64 is kind of the opposite of a "hidden gems" system. Most of its good games are well known.

Tetrisphere could use a few more fans, though.

 

[andymcc]

Yeah, the N64 is kind of the opposite of a "hidden gems" system. Most of its good games are well known.

Tetrisphere could use a few more fans, though.

Click to shrink...

good call.

i think the lack of genre diversity really hurts the system. the lack of puzzle games on a NINTENDO system is really something.

 

[Actinium]

 

[AllMight1]

Hybrid Heaven.

Click to shrink...

Came to say this.

It's so underrated, so fun even today.

It combined a lot of genres: Fighting sim, platforming exploration, shooting, adventure.

Featured great graphics and cinematics. And the option to play Widescreen with better resolution.

 

[SpartyCrunch]

Yeah, the N64 is kind of the opposite of a "hidden gems" system. Most of its good games are well known.

Tetrisphere could use a few more fans, though.

Click to shrink...

Tetrisphere is phenomenal! The music! The gameplay! The entirely separate puzzle mode!

We really need a remaster.

 

[Deleted member 2669]

Fighters Destiny is one of the most interesting fighting games out there. Its rules are more olympic-based than a traditional fighter, using a point system and replacing health with stamina. Knocking down your opponent wins you a point, a ring out wins you a point, special moves will win you many points, etc. Each fight truly goes at its own pace. Plus, you can play as a cow.

The Saturn is pretty much defined by its obscure and underrated (and likely never localized) games, the N64's best games are the featured titles by Nintendo.

On topic, I think I'd nominate the two Goemon games. The N64 is kind of a desert.

Click to shrink...

Perspectives like this only validate the thread's premise. Never assume you know all there is to know.

 

[Walker_Boh]

Aidyn Chronicles. One of my favorite rpgs and was the first game to teach me about the concept of permadeath in games.

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

Castlevania 64, still the best 3D adaptation of the Classicvania style to 3D, perfectly spiced with bits from other genres.

Castlevania 64 is underrated. People hate on this game, but realistically, it's still the best representation of classic Castlevania in 3d we've had yet. It may not be perfect, but it's a really fun game, that, like Zelda 2, has been bashed by people for so long that many people who've never played it start to hate on it, just because they've heard it's bad.

Click to shrink...

Well, beaten.

 

[Shinobido Heart]

Seconding Goemon, Mischief Makers and Bomberman 64/The Second Attack, those games were my childhood. For my contribution, I'm gonna quote an old post I made on this very topic-



EDIT- Another one I just remembered for those of you who like Goemon is Goemon Mononoke Sugoroku, a Japanese-only Culdcept-style board/card game hybrid that played really well and sucked away a lot of me and my friends' time.

Click to shrink...

I was just about to mention Flying Dragon. Glad I'm not the only one who loved Flying Dragon to death. :)




I remember back when I was trying to do Yuka's secret move (At the end of this video) and seeing it for the first time was amazing.

 

[Vazra]

Fighters Destiny still counts. Love the point system and the board game on 2 was dope. Sucks there were no more sequels to flesh out more the concepts

Also yikes at them doing Kakuto Chojin after this game.