Release date: May 7, 2001

Dozens of fun minigames with the Mario cast, plus by this time Nintendo had removed the rotating joystick games that burned your palms.

Release date: April 14, 2001 (in Japan)

I’m cheating a bit here, as Animal Crossing was only available on N64 in Japan. That version of the game was later polished and released on the GameCube in America the following year. But the N64 original is just a slightly downgraded version from what would become one of the GameCube’s best games, and a massively successful series for Nintendo.

Release date: June 13, 2000

A micro-intensive PC RTS on the Nintendo 64? It’s not only amazing this game existed, but also that it managed to provide a solid experience of one of the best PC games ever.

Release date: September 14, 2000

Traditional NFL, NBA and MLB games on the N64 often left a lot to be desired, but Blitz 2001 was like bringing the arcade machine home. We desperately need a modern Blitz.

Release date: October 27, 1998

Give us more F-Zero games, Nintendo! F-Zero X gave players the challenge and sense of speed that was later perfected on the GameCube with F-Zero GX.

Release date: August 21, 2001

Classic THPS gameplay, with one of the best collections of levels in the entire series and a fantastic soundtrack.

Release date: May 2, 2000

The NES original is still fun to play, but Excitebike 64 took the game into the 3D world and delivered excellent physics and visuals for the time.

Release date: March 5, 2001

Conker released late in the N64’s life cycle and went a little under the radar as the PS2 had already been released and the GameCube wasn’t far away, but this unexpected M-rated platformer from Rare was full of adult humor and also had great multiplayer modes.

Release date: November 24, 1997

A solid evolution of the Mario Kart formula that had you racing through the air and water in additional to the usual circuits, and an overworld to explore.

Release date: December 8, 1998

The GameCube editions of the Rogue Squadron series are the real gems you’d want to go back and play, but the N64 original set the stage. Zipping around in a full fleet of Star Wars ships and taking down TIE fighters in 1998? Sign me up.

Release date: July 26, 1999

Like Mario Tennis, Mario Golf makes you appreciate how Nintendo nailed it all the way back in 1999 while the more modern games haven’t quite been able to deliver in the same way.

Release date: August 28, 2000

Nintendo somehow still hasn’t managed to make a Mario Tennis game better than the original, though the Game Boy Color version came close. Top-tier visuals for the N64 in 2000.

Release date: November 4, 1996

What Nintendo was able to achieve with water physics and visuals for a near launch game that game out a couple months after the system launched is mind-boggling. One of the best early advertisements for the N64 along with Super Mario 64.

Release date: November 22, 1999

DK64 gets some criticism for being a collect-a-thon – and there are a ton of things to collect – but as far as collect-a-thons go, it was one of the best.

Release date: June 30, 1997

Another franchise that hasn’t gotten as much love from Nintendo as it deserves. A classic rail-shooter that looked incredible at the time and is one of the Nintendo Switch Online titles you don’t want to miss.

Release date: February 5, 2001

Thanks to the unique art style, no N64 game has aged as well as Paper Mario

Release date: April 26, 1999

There were few better ways to pass an evening in 1999 than with three other players crowded around a TV playing Super Smash Bros. An excellent first entry in what would go on to become one of Nintendo’s most important series.

Release date: August 25, 1997

You probably wouldn’t want to go back to GoldenEye 007 and deal with the controls, which haven’t aged well, but this was one of the best movie adaptations we’ve ever seen with killer multiplayer, and the soundtrack is otherworldly.

Release date: November 14, 2000

The best wrestling game ever created, with a massive roster, an excellent create-a-wrestler feature for the time, and a branching story mode that made No Mercy just as playable alone as it was with friends.

Release date: May 22, 2000

Rare took what it learned from GoldenEye 007 and delivered an upgraded FPS in so many ways with Perfect Dark.

Release date: February 10, 1997

The perfect party game. and one that still holds up today. There’s a reason Nintendo keeps putting Mario Kart 64 circuits in newer Mario Kart games — they were awesome.

Release date: October 26, 2000

A unique Zelda title with a much darker and more mature story than the usual fare, but some fans still don’t like the time limit implementation.

Release date: June 29, 1998

A masterpiece of an adventure platformer from Rare that sadly didn’t receive as many follow-ups as it should have.

Release date: November 23, 1998

Considered by many to still be the best Zelda game in the entire franchise, Ocarina of Time had an excellent story, unforgettable zones and dungeons, and was an excellent 3D evolution of the classic Zelda formula.

Release date: September 29, 1996

The eternal question: Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time?

Super Mario 64 gets the nod over Ocarina of Time as it was a mind-blowing 3D launch game that remains eminently replayable to this day. Classic levels and excellent platforming, slightly hindered by a wonky camera system, but still arguably the best launch title any system has ever had.