Top 10 Most Underrated Nintendo 64 Games

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’ll be going over the 10 most underrated games on the Nintendo 64.

For this list, we’ll be discussing the games released for the Nintendo 64 that didn’t get as much love as much attention as they deserved.

If there’s an overlooked N64 game that we overlooked for our list, please tell us in the comments!

Sometimes called “Evo’s Space Adventures,” “Space Station Silicon Valley” follows Evo, a robot charged with repairing the titular space station filled with robotic animals. In order to complete that objective, the player needs to take control of various creatures, each of whom has special characteristics that let them complete specific tasks. The game’s quirky humor and varied gameplay make it a hidden gem that few appreciated. Also, capturing different forms with specialized move sets in a 3D platformer? Sounds kind of like “Super Mario Odyssey” to us! Someone was ahead of the curve!

Shooters of any kind were in short supply on the Nintendo 64, so it’s easy to see why this one was overlooked. The game follows a secret agent with the fakest name ever, Jean-Luc Cougar, as he infiltrates a military base controlling a weapons satellite. While aiming can be difficult, considering you need to stand still, it’s made easier by the fact that the game is built around taking cover. While “WinBack” didn’t end up being Nintendo’s answer to “Metal Gear Solid,” its cover system proved influential in future third-person shooter titles. It’s just a shame more people don’t appreciate where that system began.

Everybody remembers the console exclusive games for systems, but multiplatform ones are still great too! Created by the same team behind “NBA Jam,” “NBA Hangtime” was rebranded after they lost the rights to the name. While that certainly may explain why it went under many people’s radars, the game more than lives up to the name it had to leave behind.“Hangtime” retains the fast-paced, two-on-two basketball action that made “Jam” such a hit on the Super Nintendo. It also includes updated features, such as character creation, expanded team rosters, and more moves to perform, like alley oops. Overall, a real slam dunk!

Rare made a lot of great games for the Nintendo 64, so it’s only natural that some of them would get less love than the others. One of them is “Blast Corps.” The player is charged with clearing the way for a runaway vehicle carrying nuclear missiles. To accomplish this, you’re given control of a variety of vehicles and robots that let you destroy everything in the way that could set off an explosion. The puzzle action gameplay is fun and unique and there are plenty of secrets to discover. Although the controls can take some getting used to, “Blast Corps” lives up to its namesake, tearing through all expectations!

We’ll bet you didn’t even know there was a “Rayman” game on the N64, did you? The floaty title character’s first 3D platformer came out on a number of systems, but this one is actually the original. “Rayman 2” broadens the scope of the franchise’s story, while also being surprisingly dark for a kids’ game. Rayman also gains several new abilities, most notably the power to shoot magic energy from his hands. While the game may not have the expansive worlds other 3D platformers on the system are known for, the sequel makes up for it with focused level design and fun gameplay that moves at a quick pace.

Although we considered discussing “Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon” instead, its sequel deserves the attention more. Like its predecessors, “Goemon’s Great Adventure” follows the titular blue-haired ninja and his friends in a fictional version of Japan with magic and robots. The game combines 3D graphics with side scrolling gameplay, and features four playable characters, each with their own special abilities and moves. “Goemon’s Great Adventure” also has uncommon gameplay elements, such as a day/night cycle and 2 player co-op play. Guess ninjas just weren’t that hot on the back end of the 90s.

Racing games that don’t feature karts tend to get passed over on many Nintendo consoles. Still, “Beetle Adventure Racing'' is a solid title. While different colored VW Beetles don’t make for a lot of variety among the vehicles, there are a decent number of tracks to race on, as well as a battle mode – because every good racing game needs a battle mode! There are also items in crates to collect in every stage, which offer temporary speed boosts, as well as the ability to unlock new tracks and cheats. It may not finish first for everyone, but it’s still worth a test drive.

What if “Halo” was made by Rare? You don’t have to wonder, because that’s basically what this is...well, in terms of scope, atmosphere, and tone. This third-person shooter/adventure platformer follows a duo of galactic heroes and their cyborg dog as they try to free worlds from a race of monstrous insects. Each character’s unique abilities allow you to progress in different areas and all three are necessary to complete the game. Along with the action-packed campaign, which has a semi-co-op feature, there is also a multiplayer deathmatch. Although its control scheme and the constant backtracking for collectibles can be frustrating, “Jet Force Gemini” is an excellent space adventure nonetheless.

Yes, children – long, long ago there used to be licensed football games besides “Madden!” One of the best is “NFL Blitz.” From the same creators as “NBA Jam,” (them again!) “Blitz” features fast paced, arcade style football gameplay using real NFL players. The rules are streamlined compared to real football, cutting out all the stuff that slows the game down – like rules. For example, it lets you just do blatantly illegal maneuvers, like sacking players repeatedly. It may not be true to life, but everyone loves a little fantasy in their football, right?

For the life of us, we’ll never understand how “Mischief Makers” went so underrated – was it the fact that it was a sidescroller on a console that touted 3-dimensions as the next big thing? Or was it the fact that it took clear inspiration from anime which hadn’t gained steam outside of Japan yet? Whatever the reasons, everyone who hasn’t played “Mischief Makers” is missing out! The gameplay, particularly the shaking mechanic, is challenging and a ton of fun, and the characters and story aren’t half-bad either! Add in an aesthetic that’s aged very well and a positively dynamite soundtrack, and you have a game that’ll “shake shake” you to your core!