The Nintendo 64 did not have the same success as the Super Nintendo. Because it stuck to the expensive cartridge format, and was difficult to develop for most companies passed on it in favor of the Sony PlayStation. The Nintendo 64 has a very limited library because of this. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some undiscovered hits for it however. It sold as well as it did because of Nintendo games. Honestly none of those are hidden gems because everyone owned them. It was the few third parties that stuck around that had the overlooked hits. Today I’ve decided to highlight the Nintendo 64 hidden gems. I’ll be upfront and tell you that all of these are from third party developers. Let’s take a look at the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems, but first we have to go over some rules I established when coming up with this list.
- I’ve decided to skip out on import games here. I’ve already done a list of the best Nintendo 64 import games so if that’s what you’re after check that one out instead.
- I’m also trying to focus on games that are still hidden gems. Some got huge cult followings after. That’s fine and dandy but the purpose of this list is to help people find games they probably haven’t heard of yet.
- That means licensed games are mostly out. Honestly these tended to be the most advertised so everyone has heard of them by now.
With that out of the way let’s check out my list of the top 15 best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. I’m presenting it in alphabetical order so placement is no determination of quality here. Let’s dive right in.
Beetle Adventure Racing
Okay I admit that this one is a hard sell. It’s an arcade style racer, but all vehicles are Volkswagen bugs. I mean who wants to drive one of those things in a rally style racer? It just doesn’t make sense. Somehow Paradigm entertainment made it work. The game doesn’t take itself seriously by any means and honestly that’s what makes it so great. I always laugh at the fact that the color of car affects things like handling and top speed. The racing is surprisingly tight but the high point is in shortcuts. You’ll want to figure these out because it’s the best edge you’ll get in any race. There are a lot of them too, and some are really creative in execution. Before this game no one could imagine racing in a bug, but now here we are. It’s definitely one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems.
Body Harvest
This one is a game that was never highlighted in any way when it was released. I remember seeing previews and just not understanding what the developers were going for. Since then it has gone on to become one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. It was developed by DMA design (who also made the Grand Theft Auto games) and this makes a lot of sense. It’s a sandbox title with a plot involving an alien invasion. What makes this one unique is the fact that you can go almost anywhere (within the game’s boundaries) right from the start. You can even steal vehicles and drive around. For all intents and purposes this feels like an early 3D GTA lite. Body Harvest is a bit archaic by modern standards, and can be hard to return to, but it’s a hidden gem through and through.
Bomberman 64
I got this one on a whim. I had enough money for a new Nintendo 64 game but didn’t know what was available. There wasn’t much on the shelf, but I knew the Bomberman franchise and figured it was a safe bet. Thankfully I chose correctly. Bomberman 64 ushered the franchise into the 3D realm with a few hiccups, but overall the package is solid. The adventure mode was above and beyond what the franchise would usually push. You could explore huge environments within the confines of the traditional gameplay, and it was downright fun. The real high point was in the multiplayer however. Due to the focus on multiplayer on the N64 this one went overlooked which is why it’s one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. The best part is that you can customize your character in multiplayer with costumes you’d find in the main game.
Chameleon Twist
Even with the limited library of the Nintendo 64 I rarely hear this one ever mentioned. Chameleon Twist is a very non-traditional platformer title. This is because of the main gimmick which involves shooting out the main character’s tongue and grappling on to elements in the environment to pull yourself forward. This mechanic isn’t entirely linear. You can guide the tongue in all directions using the analog stick on the Nintendo 64 controller. Aside from this you can also walk and jump, and will need to do so to get past obstacles in your path. Initially it seemed to me like the gimmick was, well.. a gimmick. As I played more I came to love the freedom behind it and the way levels are designed to take advantage of it. Chameleon Twist really is one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems.
Goemon’s Great Adventure
Goemon is far from a household name even among hardcore gamers. Konami has all but forgotten about it, and the last localized iteration we got was decades ago. Goemon started out on the Nintendo 64 with a fully 3D adventure but with this one they returned to it’s roots. This is a 2.5D platformer which is a genre that wasn’t particularly popular back then. You play through a series of linear levels fighting your way through an army of very Japanese inspired foes. Then when you reach boss characters you fight on board a giant rollerblading mecha. It doesn’t make much sense, and honestly that’s the majority of the appeal here. Thankfully multiplayer makes a triumphant return here and it’s just as fun as ever. This is definitely one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. That’s true especially if you have a friend to play with through it.
Harvest Moon 64
I feel like even today the Harvest Moon franchise is relatively unknown. It’s a series of farming simulation games with trappings of action adventure like the Legend of Zelda. With that said Harvest Moon 64 is the best in the franchise. It expanded on the premise in numerous ways with a significantly higher number of crops you can grow, as well as more interesting storyline elements. The reason I love this one so much is that it was the best one in regards to creating a living breathing world. I felt like my time spent here was in a whole other dimension where I grew to love the characters and wanted to see what would happen next. In my opinion this is easily one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. It’s still a farming sim at heart, and the slow paced nature won’t appeal to everyone.
Hybrid Heaven
At one point Hybrid Heaven was touted as the console’s answer to Metal Gear Solid. It came from the same developer, Konami, and had a story focused on political intrigue. Unfortunately Hybrid Heaven has long been forgotten but that just means it’s one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. Staying true to it’s name this is a ‘hybrid’ of genres. In one sense it’s an action adventure title, but with RPG battles. Here’s where things get weird however. You have a lot of commands at your disposal and these more realistic fighting style moves. It’s strange, and more than a little confusing when you start. It can take a bit of time to get the hang of things but when you do you’ll discover a neat little game trapped within this cartridge. Because it’s so strange it’s easy to see why this one never took off.
Iggy’s Reckin Balls
Speaking of weird now we get to Iggy’s Reckin Balls. There’s nothing out there quite like it, but that’s why it’s one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. Here you play as a ball that can grab on to elements of the environment. Strangely enough Iggy’s Reckin Balls is a racing title and it’s distinctively two dimensional in nature. You have to grapple on to the elements of the environment to move upwards, but you can only bounce left and right. At first the whole thing just feels unwieldy. It’s tough to make sense of especially because there are random elements to gameplay. Once you get the hang of the momentum and timing your swings Iggy’s Reckin Balls becomes a lot of fun. This is definitely one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems.
Mischief Makers
Up to this point Treasure was best known as a Sega developer. With the jump to 3D they branched out on to Nintendo platforms, and Mischief Makers was their first partnership. It’s a shame this one was so widely overlooked (for the simple fact of being a 2D title) because it’s easily one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. Here you play as an android named Marina on the Planet Clancer. The natives kidnap the professor who invented her, and she sets out to shake shake and make things go boom. The level designs are simply incredible. Treasure came up with some amazing and diverse ideas for them and it feels like there’s something new around every turn. The real high point however is in the boss encounters. Few games are as insane or push boundaries as hard as Mischief Makers in this regard.
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Legend of the Mystical Ninja on the SNES was sort of a sleeper hit, but was low key one of the best games for the platform. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon was first and foremost a platformer, but it had a lot of action adventure elements too. Many considered this as a hold over of sorts until the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon brought over that insane sense of humor we all have grown to love. The only problem is that multiplayer was completely dropped. Konami probably couldn’t figure out how to push the hardware enough for split screen play back then so Mystical Ninja 64 is purely a solo affair. That’s not a deal breaker by any means and regardless this is still one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems.
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
The Nintendo 64 was sorely lacking when it came to role playing games. The cartridge format just couldn’t compete with CDs in regards to storage space. These huge adventures needed a lot of data behind them, and so it was basically out. Ogre Battle 64 is one of the few. It didn’t have a lot of bells and whistles but it’s easily one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. The most interesting thing about the Ogre Battle franchise is the fact that you don’t directly control your parties of characters. The CPU performs all attacks on their own, but you do move units around across the map by selecting their destinations. It’s a very interesting system with fun mechanics and addictive gameplay. Ogre Battle 64 is easily the best strategy RPG for the platform.
Rocket Robot on Wheels
Developer Sucker Punch eventually migrated over to Sony’s camp where they became famous for their Sly and Cooper franchise. Before doing so they released their absolute best game with Rocket Robot on Wheels. This platformer has a very unique mascot behind it with Rocket. He wheels around and so many of the puzzles are based on physics and momentum. In terms of gameplay this sets Rocket Robot on Wheels apart from the others, and it’s definitely the primary reason I consider this one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. I also really like the colorful and huge world that Rocket lets players explore. Honestly Sucker Punch should have made a sequel because to put it bluntly this one knocks the socks off of everything else they’ve made.
Snowboard Kids
Have you ever been playing Mario Kart and suddenly thought ‘I sure wish this was snowboarding instead?’ Well Snowboard Kids has you covered. This is as close to the fast and frantic action you’ll find in a winter sport. Snowboard Kids has you sliding down the slopes racing others to the bottom. When you do reach the bottom you hop on a ski lift to start the next lap. It’s an ingenious idea that works super well. Like in Mario Kart you can pick up items and shoot them back at your foes. The focus is on multiplayer and it’s this mode that makes Snowboard Kids one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. I really love the cute style of this one. The character designs are unique with a sort of fusion between Western cartoons and anime.
Space Station Silicon Valley
This is the second game from DMA Design to make the list. It’s hard to believe the future developers of Grand Theft Auto threw so much support behind the Nintendo 64, isn’t it? Space Station Silicon Valley is a unique 3D platformer where you can take control of your foes. Each have their own abilities and control characteristics. In hindsight this was very forward thinking. May modern games have used similar mechanics but few with the same level of finesse as this. It may not be the prettiest N64 game but it’s definitely one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems. Space Station suffers a few glitches that can make it tough to play in modern times but it hasn’t been ported elsewhere. You’re best off playing this one on original hardware.
Tonic Trouble
It was always strange to me that Ubisoft, when Rayman was just taking off in popularity, decided to try their hand at another 3D platformer. The market was already flooded so pushing out an original game seems an odd choice for them. What’s more is the fact that Tonic Trouble is even more over the top than their other offerings. Here you play as an alien janitor in an action adventure game spanning across huge 3D environments. There are lots of platforming elements, but the focus is on shooting. The protagonist is armed with a peashooter (which fires from the first person perspective) and a host of different gadgets that allow him to reach new areas. Tonic Trouble is easily one of the best Nintendo 64 hidden gems.
