The N64 is probably the most divisive console of all time

[Oscarzx n]

The N64 is a weird case, if you are talking with a person who had it as their first console, or second, they probably think it's one of the best consoles of all time, or probably the best, mostly because it had great games and also the jump to 3D was very impressive at the time, however if you talk to someone who were already playing games for years, like NES, Snes, Genesis and arcades, many of them hate the N64 because it lacks games that were popular on those platforms like RPG's, sidescrollers, shoot em ups, light guns, run and guns, fighting games or adventure gamese(point and click/visual novels) especially if they couldn't get used to the jump to 3D, which is not the case with PS1 and Saturn since they did get many games from genres that were popular in previous generations, and it doesn't help the N64 has aged probably worse than both of them thanks to the controller and average framerate of the games.

This results in many people having the N64 as their favorite console of all time but many having it as their least favorite classic console that wasn't a complete disaster sales wise (some probably prefer even the 3DO to the N64 though); in my opinion I think the console is good but not as good as their biggest fans think for all the issues It has, but also it's a little bit overhated since many of it's haters say it has like 10 good games or something like that, it doesn't, it's line up is not as big as other classic consoles but is not Jaguar levels either, it has a decent number of solid games and some should try it's line up more.

What do you think about the N64?

 

[Deleted member 2791]

The few games on it are great but I can count on my two hands how many there are.
Worst library out of all the Nintendo consoles by faaaaar, except meme shit like the Virtual Boy

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

I don't know, I think it has the issue that there's really not that many good games on it. The games that are good are top tier, but everyone has the same list of "best games" meaning there's no real discussion around it.

I also think the Wii is more divisive, but that's maybe just because I hate the controller.

 

[MrConbon210]

It has some of the best games of all time but other than that it's pretty meh. I'd say the PS1 has more variety and a better consistent catalog of interesting games though the N64 hit higher highs though rarely.

 

[SupremeWu]

If you were a fan of pro wrestling at that time (and most kids were) -- it was the system to have, just for the AKI games. Every group needed at least one N64 friend in those days.

 

[Satonaka]

Few games but many masterpieces. Wish it had a bigger catalog.

 

[Ocean Bones]

I think you're probably right. The bizarre controller and big franchises like FF moving to Playstation really turned off a lot of folks.

I also think the N64s top games have aged a lot better than the Ps1 or saturns top games. Mario kart, banjo, Mario 64, both zeldas and bad fur day all hold up better than just about anything in the PS or saturn libraries.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

It absolutely floored me as a kid but it's by far my least favorite Nintendo console.

 

[tokkun]

It was the best system of all time for local multiplayer, so a big factor was how easily you could get 3 friends together to play games.

 

[Lua]

The first party games are god like, but besides them there's almost nothing.

 

[KaiserGuillermo]

Low quantities of games, the highest quality of games. If I had to choose a console with only 10 games to take to an abandoned with full electricity island, it would be the N64

 

[shintoki]

It was the best system of all time for local multiplayer, so a big factor was how easily you could get 3 friends together to play games.

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Its the golden age for local multiplayer play. There is no better system. Between Mario Kart, Goldeneye, Mario Party, WCW, and Smash Bros. *Chef Kiss*

 

[Soap]

I haven't found this at all in the. In fact by all accounts, outdated games like goldeneye are held in extremely high regard by the wider public.

 

[nanskee]

It was the best system of all time for local multiplayer, so a big factor was how easily you could get 3 friends together to play games.

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Yep, if not for this it's not a very good console

It's strange, there's only a few good games. But the good games are amazing for their time.

If the games were too be reviewed today, the N64 would have quite a number of games scored 85+, some even 90+ (Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, Smash Bros, Pokemon Stadium, Perfect Dark) followed by a bunch of 4/10 games.

PS1 was certainly better

 

[OrangeNova]

There are a small handful of great games on it, but otherwise compared to the PS1, the library was so tiny.

 

[MagnesD3]

Console and controller is trash but it holds some the best games of all time. So play them on a Wii with a GameCube controller if you want optimization.

 

[joeblow]

The N64 was not as divisive as the Sega Saturn, which launched out of nowhere (upsetting retailers) and was priced at close to a bajillion dollars (upsetting consumers). Sega lost a lot of trust after that (R.I.P. Dreamcast) and could never fully recover.

 

[Guru Meditation]

I never realized this until later when I joined forums. In the US the N64 was very popular, sold about as much as the SNES. Also was by far the best local multiplayer console of all time.

 

[legend166]

I think a lot of it comes down to what stage of life you were in.

I was aged 8-13 during the life of the N64. I didn't have money to buy my own games, my brother and I would only get them for birthdays and Christmas. So if you're only getting 3-4 games a year, who cares about long droughts? The N64 was incredibly top heavy, but when you only bought 20-25 games over the life of the console, that wasn't an issue.

On top of that I had siblings. We'd have 4 player Mario Kart 64 tournaments and fights over Mario Party. And the WCW wrestling games? Perfect Dark? It was amazing.

The N64 is still my favourite console of all time. A huge part of that is nostalgia, but that thing was the absolute perfect console for my age group.

Even just the concept of having a Playstation with only 2 players was baffling. How quaint.

But if you were someone in your 20s who didn't exactly do a lot of local multiplayer and had the money to buy more games, then yeah I can understand it would have been pretty disappointing.

 

[Worldshaker]

Ogre Battle 64, Mischief Makers, and the Mystical Ninja games were the only things holding me back from selling it to Funcoland.

The first party games were at least good, but I immediately got a PlayStation and Saturn when I realized they were the true successors to the 16 bit era.

It's the weakest Nintendo system by a landslide IMO.

 

[Emergency & I]

It was my first console and I love it. It's probably the best local multiplayer console in history.

 

[WestEgg]

The few games on it are great but I can count on my two hands how many there are.
Worst library out of all the Nintendo consoles by faaaaar, except meme shit like the Virtual Boy

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I've got a soft spot for the N64, but yeah, the library is probably the most limited of Nintendo's consoles. Though I'd give it more than 2 hands:

Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Paper Mario
Super Smash Bros.
Diddy Kong Racing
Golden Eye
Banjo-Kazooie
Doom 64
Mario Kart 64
F-Zero X

Granted, a few of those are debatable if they've held up well, but there's also other Rare games, some third party stuff, and whatnot. Still, it'd probably be hard to fill out an N64 classic

 

[Manmademan]

Its the golden age for local multiplayer play. There is no better system. Between Mario Kart, Goldeneye, Mario Party, WCW, and Smash Bros. *Chef Kiss*

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Playstation 3 is the underrated king of local multiplayer. All those perfect Arcade-to-PS3 ports that showed up out of nowhere late in the life of the system are straight up killer.

There is exactly one system where you can play BOTH of the Capcom D&D games (Tower of Doom, Shadow over Mystara) AND the full six player version of X-men: Arcade (assuming you were a lunatic with six dualshock 3s).

 

[Oscarzx n]

The N64 was not as divisive as the Sega Saturn, which launched out of nowhere (upsetting retailers) and was priced at close to a bajillion dollars (upsetting consumers). Sega lost a lot of trust after that (R.I.P. Dreamcast) and could never fully recover.

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I think the opinion on the Sega Saturn is pretty definitive: it's western version is not that good, but counting the japanese games it becomes a solid console, or better deppending on your taste.

 

[KernelC]

The most vocal majority of gamers grew up with it, so they love it, I dont see how that is divisive. Few of those games hold up

 

[Seahawk64]

GOAT console.

 

[Nickgia]

I'm glad I had it as a kid because I would probably hate it today.

 

[bixente]

I loved the N64, games I recall enjoying:

Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
GoldenEye 007
Perfect Dark
Banjo-Kazooie
Jet Force Gemini
Donkey Kong 64
Blast Corps
Super Mario 64
Mario Golf
Mario Tennis
Mario Party
Mario Kart 64
Beetle Adventure Racing
Top Gear Overdrive
F-Zero X
Pokemon Puzzle League
Pilotwings 64
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Wave Race 64
Pokemon Snap

And the awesome wrestling games on the system like WCW/nWo Revenge.

Then there's more "niche" but still very solid titles like Space Station Silicon Valley, Win back, and Body Harvest.

 

[Mekanos]

Loved the N64 and it was my first real experience following a console's life cycle but I get it. If you really like 2D platformers and RPGs you're kind of SOL, and PS1 certainly has you covered there.

Incredible multiplayer machine though, perfect as a kid growing up. And it still has some of my all time favorite games; Banjo-Kazooie and Majora's Mask are both in my top ten, and there's also SM64, OOT, and Paper Mario, along with other great games. And some solid hidden gems in it like Rocket: Robot On Wheels. I still maintain its first party library trumps the one on GameCube pretty handily at least. And overall its 3D titles have held up better than the PS1's, except a few like Metal Gear Solid. The best aging PS1 titles are their 2D/isometric titles.

 

[Guru Meditation]

I've got a soft spot for the N64, but yeah, the library is probably the most limited of Nintendo's consoles. Though I'd give it more than 2 hands:

Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Paper Mario
Super Smash Bros.
Diddy Kong Racing
Golden Eye
Banjo-Kazooie
Doom 64
Mario Kart 64

Granted, a few of those are debatable if they've held up well, but there's also other Rare games, some third party stuff, and whatnot. Still, it'd probably be hard to fill out an N64 classic

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Would also add

Perfect Dark
Conkers BFD
Star Fox 64
Wave Race 64
Smash 64
Mario Party/Tennis/Golf
Turok
F Zero X

Their catalog of exclusives is actually quite good. It's just they missed out on so many third party games.

 

[Kuro]

 

[Version 3.0]

It's a contender, certainly, but I think the Gamecube and the Wii both got just as much flak (if not more), and just as much praise (if not more), as the N64.

The Gamecube, in particular, took more abuse than any console I can remember (some of it warranted), and sold far less than the N64. But it seems to me that it's now more fondly remembered than the N64 is.

The Wii took plenty of crap, too, but it sold 100 million units, so maybe that's too lopsided to call divisive.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

People tend to overrate it or overly dismiss it.

I had plenty of systems before it, and I had a Saturn, Playstation, and PC that gen in addition to it. I still loved the N64 but compared to its competition and previous Nintendo consoles, it felt limited. Super Mario 64 and Ocarina were groundbreaking, its racing games were impressive, and Sin & Punishment was amazing. First-person shooters on N64 weren't so hot if you were a PC gamer; they were generally pretty sluggish. N64 analog sticks also wore down and felt grimy fairly quickly. And Japanese third-party games usually felt like B-team stuff. It's a mixed bag of a console but its top 20 or so games really kick ass.

 

[Lightjolly]

It had a small library but it had a good amount of masterpieces that resonated throughout the ages. That's the sign of a good console, it's among the top 3 nintendo consoles

 

[FarSight XR-20]

The N64 had few games but these games (mostly from Nintendo, Rare and Acclaim) were legendary.

It only lacked a Metroid and more RPGs.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

It's my second least favorite Nintendo console after the NES. OoT and MM are really the only games I like on it.

 

[jwhit28]

OoT is still my favorite game ever. N64 was the main way I first experienced Pokemon (which as a 10 year old in 98 took over my life) because of the transfer pak. Starfox was the first time I felt like Voice Acting actually made a game better. I had more fun in those early 4 player days than I ever did in the move to online. I just need Nintendo to release fresh controllers.

 

[Juryvicious]

Not really, that would be the Sega Saturn.

When it comes down to it, no bullshit, the N64 had some of the best, most fun single player and legendary multiplayer games not only of its generation, but of all-time. I was still in college at the time of its release and our large circle of friends, along with our respective partners played all the systems, and the N64 was the ultimate party, drinking machine, without fail. The N64, like the PS1, achieved its goal, and that was giving us thousands of hours of bliss, fun, mayhem, fights and screaming matches.

 

[Anth0ny]

It is indeed the GOAT.

MM, OOT, SM64. Timeless classics and still 3 of the greatest games ever made.

Then you have Goldeneye, Banjo Kazooie, Tooie, DK64, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Pokemon Snap, Puzzle League, Star Fox 64, Smash 64, Mario Party 2, AKI Wrestling games, Paper Mario...

so many iconic titles

 

[joeblow]

I think the opinion on the Sega Saturn is pretty definitive: it's western version is not that good, but counting the japanese games it becomes a solid console, or better deppending on your taste.

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Couldn't the same type of logic be used for the N64? It had stellar 1st party games, but most of 3rd party games were forgettable. Its legacy is definitive in that way.

 

[Herne]

There wasn't great third party output, but Nintendo and second parties were almost enough on their own to support it, and that says a hell of a lot about their quality and how many games they released.

My friends and I loved the console, we had a great time with it and remember it fondly. It's even finding some use (albeit through emulation) showing my toddler nephews and niece how to play as they have fun in Diddy Kong Racing and Donkey Kong 64.

 

[Deleted member 887]

It has way too many sports titles, but I will never forget how many hours me and my cousins spent playing Wrestlemania 2000 and No mercy. One of the best console for couch co op ever imo.

 

[Egocrata]

The Wii is a MUCH more divisive console.

Remember the waggle talk? Kiddie? Fad? Casuals? Minigames?

 

[denseWorm]

i look at the n64 as an oooold piece of tech. we owe it a lot. we probably owe the ps1 more considering where gaming is these days. but i don't think it's fair to rate these consoles thusly... anyway the best way i can do this is to remember favourite games from either console... so that's... banjo-kazooie, goldeneye and clayfighter 63/3rd vs metal gear solid, spyro and vagrant story.... i think it would be most fair for me to use spyro as a comparison, and doing so i would say that i enjoyed spyro more.

i didn't play zelda games until wind waker (which came with the n64 titles included) so i can't really compare those.

N64 and PS1 were totally different consoles, better for different things, CD vs whatsit, so it's hard to compare them... I prefer ps1

 

[Lumination]

First console that comes to mind is the X1 tbh.

After that disaster of launch PR, the ship has been righted to some extent. Cool features like emulation and game pass, but no exclusives. You have audiences that love it and people who couldn't care less because the strengths and weaknesses are so lopsided.

 

[JaredTaco]

The N64 has major gaps in certain genres (especially for RPG fans), but the system has a varied library.

Superb 3D Platformers:

Mario 64
Banjo Kazooie
Rayman 2
Banjo Tooie
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Donkey Kong 64 (I'm not a big fan, but some people love it)
Rocket: Robot on Wheels

Great Racers:

Wave Race 64
Mario Kart 64
San Francisco Rush series
Beetle Adventure Racing
F-Zero X
Diddy Kong Racing

Sublime 3D Shooters:

Star Fox 64
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Sin & Punishment

I'm not going to spend all day listing stuff, but N64 has tons of great games that are still worth playing today.

 

[Khrol]

N64 has one of the greatest libraries of games ever. There were some absolute gems on there and I'm not talking about first party stuff which a lot of still holds up.

 

[Lothars]

I don't think it is, I think the wii is far more decisive, the n64 has some of the most loved games of all time. The best games for the system still hold up really well.

 

[Deleted member 7462]

The N64 is definitely not my first or second console.

I also think that it's the best Nintendo console not named the Switch.

It has the highest quality-to-amount ratio of any console that I can think of. So many great games.

 

[EllipsisBreak]

The N64's library tends to be greatly underrated. There are a lot more great games than it gets credit for.

Here's a quick list cherry picked from my collection:

1080 Snowboarding
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Tooie
BattleTanx: Global Assault
Beetle Adventure Racing!
Blast Corps
Bomberman 64
Castlevania
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Cruis'n (series)
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Doom 64
Dr. Mario 64
Excitebike 64
F-Zero X
Goldeneye 007
Jet Force Gemini
Kirby 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
LEGO Racers
Mario Golf
Mario Kart 64
Mario Party (series)
Mario Tennis
Paper Mario
Perfect Dark
Pilotwings 64
Pokemon Puzzle League
Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium (series)
San Francisco Rush (series)
Snowboard Kids (series)
Star Fox 64
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo
Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Super Mario 64
Super Smash Bros
Superman (lol)
Tetrisphere
Turok (series)
Wave Race 64
World Driver Championship
Yoshi's Story

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That's more than 50 games that are well worth playing. And I was skipping over a lot. And I don't have everything on the system to begin with. N64's reputation for having a small library seems to have come about through comparison to the PS1 (which is fair; the latter was much more extensive), but there's still quite a lot of good games here when looked at on its own merits.