Sony’s announced the PlayStation Mini on the back of two years of Nintendo’s incredible success with their mini consoles. The NES classic and SNES classic proved theirs a solid market for accessible retro gaming. Gamers snapped them up as collector’s items, and casual fans as a way to relive their nostalgic memories.
Rumors are swirling about a Nintendo 64 classic edition, and it just makes sense. It’s an excuse for Nintendo to print money, especially with the Switch lacking a Virtual Console replacement. This begs the question, what titles would be included?
In creating this list, I have included 20 titles I suspect will be included. My rules for making the list are:
- The game cannot fully belong to Rare and Microsoft
- The game must be considered a classic on par with the previous mini console lineups
That’s it. Two rules to restrict my picks. This isn’t a personal top twenty games. I don’t like all of the titles I’ve included. This is my best guess at what titles will help sell the system.
Released on day one with the system, Super Mario 64 is the bestselling title on the Nintendo 64. There is no way this game won’t come packaged on a 64 mini. Its exclusion would be a mockery of the system and game’s place in history. There’s also the fact that it continues to be a truly fun game to this day. The camera can be frustrating at times, and the controls are less responsive than Mario Odyssey, but overall the game remains a top tier platformer. Anybody dropping $100 on a N64 mini deserves to have this included.
Released as the only other N64 launch title, the mustachioed mega hit that was Super Mario 64 destroyed it in sales and people’s hearts. The inclusion of Pilotwings on the SNES mini is what makes me think it’ll appear on an N64 mini. The symmetry makes sense. The game itself is flawed. Players might get a kick out of it for 15-30 minutes before never selecting it from the menu again. This one will be filler.
Ocarina of Time or Link to the Past is as hotly debated as Kirk or Picard. Whichever side you land on, this game needs to be on the mini console. Not having Link’s first 3D adventure would be a crime. Its use of Z-targeting and contextually sensitive actions did as much for game development as Super Mario 64, and like that system seller it continues to play well today.
Star Fox was fun on the SNES, but the 16-bit hardware couldn’t bringing the concept to life the way it deserved. The sequel is everything the first game wanted to be. Enhanced models, environments, textures and frame rate make Star Fox 64 worth playing today. Even if you don’t like the game, the famous lines of dialogue will make a shoe in for inclusion. “Do a barrel roll.”
Banjo-Kazooie should be in this slot, but Microsoft owns the license so that’s not happening. Instead we’ll see Rare’s other major platforming collect-athon included in the compilation. Donkey Kong 64 failed to live up to Rare’s own DKC trilogy. Its inclusion feels more like a requirement than an a necessity.
Enter a significantly better 3D platformer. Rayman 2 has a ton of personality. The graphics and art design are first rate. The controls are tight. The camera is occasionally terrible, but for the most part get the viewing angle right. Nintendo’s mini consoles have had a few hidden gems included in the previous versions, and Rayman 2 would fill that slot here.
Pokémon must have a place on the mini. Outside of Mario, Pikachu is Nintendo’s largest mascot. The franchise has passed over $70 billion in sales. That’s an insane statistic. Pokémon Stadium is another solid choice, but the complexity of porting it with the connection to portable systems included makes it an unlikely inclusion. Thankfully, Pokémon Snap is a fantastic game without any technical blocks keeping it from inclusion. Hop in your cart and photograph the wild Pokémon. Parents and kids can enjoy it when they’re too tired to walk around playing Pokémon Go.
Released on the Wii virtual console for the first time, Sin & Punishment is a strange shooter from Treasure is a unique experience. The Nintendo 64 lacks the diverse library of the SNES or NES, and it doesn’t get weirder than Sin & Punishment on the system. Including it provides a shot of strange into an otherwise safe lineup.
After the wealth of RPGs on the SNES, the Nintendo 64 was a letdown in this genre. There are no Final Fantasy titles to include on a mini console. The genre stand out comes from Nintendo themselves. Once Square pulled out, they were unable to make a directed Mario RPG sequel and switched gears to Paper Mario. The Gamecube sequel is regarded as infinitely superior, but the first title in the series makes for a decent addition to the mini’s lineup.
Natsume’s relaxed little farming sim came to WiiU late during its life cycle. If it hadn’t received the Virtual Console release I wouldn’t have it on this list, but Harvest Moon 64 makes sense to be included on the mini. Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are insanely popular, and Nintendo would be smart to capitalize on the trend.
Disney’s partnership with EA might keep this from happening, but they’re passing up an easy revue steam if they do. Nintendo would do all the heavy lifting with the sales and guaranteed Disney would walk away with a strong profit. Shadow of the Empire or Pod Racer could just as easily take this spot, but Rogue Squadron is the best of the bunch.
All the games on this list have been single-player affairs. For a console known for its 4-player component, this is insane. Diving into the great multiplayer catalogue of the Nintendo 64 must start with Mario Kart 64. Released six months after the console launched, it was the first major multiplayer game to take advantage of all four-controller ports. Enjoy battle mode, before it became the current joke it is in the series.
Two kart games might feel like overkill, but only if you haven’t played Diddy Kong Racing. It brings enough variety to the genre to make it a worthy addition to an N64 mini. As much as I love Mario Kart 64 personally, a lot of people think this is the superior title. Far be it from me to object to an opinion. It’s inclusion also makes sense from a library perspective. Like Rayman 2 and DK64, this shows the development of a genre on the console.
Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are a complete write-off, but the FPS genre came to consoles in a big way during this generation. Without the two largest titles available for inclusion, the rest are slim pickings. Turok 2 has a solid single player campaign, and 4-player split screen death matching. It is the best of the rest.
I’m going to be honest and admit that the Mario Party games all blur together for me. It’s inclusion is a forgone conclusion, and which one doesn’t matter much. Any will do, but I went with the last one released on the system. A lot of people will see the most recent title has being the most advanced, so it might make sense from a marketing perspective. The other option would be to include the first. Show where the series started.
Water never looked so good. Released Nov 1996, Wave Race 64 blew minds away with its gorgeous water physics. Much like Sin & Punishment, it brings something different to the lineup. Riding massive peaks on a jet ski, all while pulling off sick 90s tricks mid-air, sets this racing game apart.
Nintendo’s answer to Cool Boarders. 1080 Snowboarding received a lot of praise for it’s realistic approach to snowboarding. It’s a cold counterpart to Wave Race 64 and provides another diverse entry into with a multiplayer component.
Mario somehow works in every situation possible. It defies logic, but the fat plumber makes anything amazing. Tennis is no exception. The moment you smash a fireball across the court you’ll understand why this game needs to be included. The series recent Switch release only further increases the likely hood this game will appear, as it might drive more interest toward the new title and vice versa.
How could this not be included? The marketing tie in with Smash Ultimate on Switch alone guarantees its place in the mini’s library. The connection will be even stronger than Mario tennis. I’m actually not a Smash Bros series fan, but even without a love for the games I know this must be included.
Personal Wish List
There are a few titles that won’t possibly make the cut, but I would love to see. WCW/NWO Revenge was the greatest wrestling game on the system. WWF had the superior lineup, but Revenge got the most play back in the day. NFL Blitz is too much fun with four players, but I suspect it’s too obscure to make the cut without being a system exclusive. Last, there’s Conker’s Bad Fur Day. The M-rated platformer plays well and defies expectations…too bad it’s with Microsoft now.
Exclusions
Legend of Zelda; Majora’s Mask is one I haven’t played enough of to have an opinion. Nintendo tends to treat it as a strange step-child, and I suspect that will continue with the mini console. One Legend of Zelda title will be enough, and sales alone dictate Ocarina of Time be the packed in title.