TheNintendo 64, like manyNintendogaming consoles, is widely beloved and serves as a central point of nostalgia for millions of people around the world. It was home to many games people look back on fondly, but due to how gaming evolves based on technological advancements, many of these games were too ambitious for their time.
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Remaking games likeSuper Mario 64orPokemon Stadiumin the modern era is a dream many hope comes true. Even withNintendo 64games coming to theNintendo Switch’s online subscription service, that doesn’t mean many of the classic games shouldn’t be remade.
8Snowboard Kids
Snowboarding games throughout the history of gaming most often were designed in one of two ways. They were either arcade-like and fast-paced, or hyper-realistic and intense.Snowboard Kidsfor theNintendo 64brought energetic and colorful fun to the extreme sport.
It was heavily judged as being a clone of theMario Kartseries, which is both plus and a minus in terms of its reception. Outside of Nintendo, there aren’t many developers or publishers releasing family-rated sports games aimed at capturing the fun of a sport. A remake ofSnowboard Kidscould capture the attention of gamers clamoring for arcade snowboarding action.
7F-Zero X
Despite Nintendo reaching back in their catalog and bringing classic series back to life,F-Zeroseems to be the one stuck in the basement. The series has been around since 1990 and releasedF-Zero Xfor theNintendo 64back in 1998. Looking over how reviewers received the game, it was almost universally beloved but was knocked heavily for how rough the graphics looked.
That alone means that a remake ofF-Zero Xcould be wildly successful in the modern era as it sold almost half a million copies worldwide. Futuristic racing games aren’t coming out at a tremendous rate, as the genre is mostly dominated by kart-style racers in the modern era of gaming.
6GoldenEye 007
Recently it was revealed that a slight remasterofGoldenEye 007from theNintendo 64would be coming to both theNintendo SwitchandXbox Series X|Sconsoles. The bummer is that only those playing on Nintendo’s platform would gain access to the online multiplayer, simply due to theSwitch’s ability to emulate theNintendo 64.
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A generation of gamers look back on this classic shooter fondly, but anyone who picked it up again in the last decade or so was met with the tough realization that the controls simply do not hold up. RemakingGoldenEye 007would need to focus on fixing this aspect of the game as it hasn’t aged as well as nostalgia would lead people to believe.
5Pokemon Stadium
If there’s one series that isn’t short on video game releases, it has to bePokemon. On an annual basis,Pokemonis releasing both mainline and spinoff titles that continue to sell at an incredible pace thanks to a ravenous fan base. Back on theNintendo 64theseries released Pokemon Stadium, which brought the excitement of high-stakes Pokemon battling to an arena-based experience.
Both the original and the sequel also came packed with mini-games that were reminiscent of those found within theSuper Mario Partyseries. SincePokemon Stadiumis a rather simplistic experience it seems as though there wouldn’t be the need for many resources to offer fans a remake of this nostalgicNintendo 64 Pokemonbattler.
4Jet Force Gemini
In 1999 developer Rare released a third-person shooter namedJet Force Geminithat was critically well-received but didn’t find the commercial success that justified the series moving forward. Thankfully in 2015 people were able to check out this underrated gem thanks to Rare releasing a collection of their games calledRare Replay.
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Praised for its originality, the biggest criticism the game faced was a lack of polish and minor flaws.Xboxis a platform dying to establish more beloved series, and it feels like aJet Force Geminiremake is an unused resource that’s teeming with untapped potential.
3Banjo-Kazooie
Funny enough, it might be one of the titles no longer owned by Nintendo that may have the likeliest chance of being remade.Banjo-Kazooie, and its developer Rare, who are now ownedby Microsoft/Xbox Game Studios. For a platform yearning for more exclusive releases, turning back the clock and remaking a nostalgic mascot platformer would be an easy win for the company.
As with most games, the graphics forBanjo-Kazooieare a little chunky and rough, so a remake could put a beautiful coat of paint on it. Improving movement speed and camera controls would also go a long way in giving this ambitiousNintendo 64title a new lease on life.
2Donkey Kong 64
These daysNintendo fans are simply waitingfor the nextDonkey Kongtitle to be announced. Ever since the release of the hit 2D platformerDonkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, it’s been unclear what the next step in the franchise will be.Donkey Kong 64was a 3D platformer known for its collectibles and long runtime.
The genre isn’t as financially viable as others, but that doesn’t mean fans wouldn’t appreciate a remake of this beloved title. It’s safe to say that the next newDonkey Konggame will likely be of the 2D variety, so the only way to get a return to the world of 3D platforming for Donkey Kong would be a modern remake ofDonkey Kong 64.
1Super Mario 64
Most people might find it blasphemous to callSuper Mario 64flawed, but the reality of the situation is that the game has some rough edges in the modern era of gaming. That being said, it was critical in bringing three-dimensional platforming and level design to the forefront in a major way.
Fans have been clamoring for Nintendo to remake this classic, and outside of some ports to other systems outside of theNintendo 64,not much has happened on that front. In addition to a graphical overhaul, the likeliest focus for the remake to fix would be the camera controls, which were influential when it was released, but are now rather obtuse and frustrating.
