Just in time for this year’s holiday season, Nintendo announced that the Super Nintendo Classic Edition, a follow-up to last year’s NES Classic, will be available starting in September. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to realize that there’s a trend starting to form here: First it was the NES, then the SNES… is the Nintendo 64 going to get the Classic Edition treatment next?
There are some significant differences between the N64 and the SNES and NES that suggest this may not happen, the primary one being the technical quality of the consoles and games. N64 games require hardware that’s a lot more powerful than is necessary to run SNES and NES games, so while it may be practical do produce the SNES and NES Classics, it might not be as cost effective for an N64 version.
Still, that won’t stop us from dreaming. It’s definitely possible, even if they’d have to charge more for it, or put fewer games on the machine. If this were to ever happen, we have some ideas of what games should be on the system. Assuming that this mini N64 could hold 11 games, these are the ones we’d like to play.
Super Mario 64
This is the first-ballot hall-of-famer of N64 games, to the point where it’s not really necessary to explain its inclusion here. It’s one of the most important and fun video games of all time, and an N64 Classic that didn’t have this on it would be a ridiculous product that completely missed the mark.
GoldenEye 007
Although we’re not sure how licensing and other things like that related to a James Bond game would work and whether or not that would be a major hurdle, this was the defining first-person shooter of its generation, and the console’s identity is so indelibly tied to this game that, again, it would be a real shame if this title wasn’t included.
Mario Kart 64
There’s a theme here: The N64 had a lot of iconic games, and for a lot of players, Mario Kart 64 is THE game. Even today, in light of all the sequels that have followed it, this game is infinitely replayable, whether you want to take an hour or so and race through all the cups, or just play through a few tracks for a minute.
Super Smash Bros.
Meanwhile, Super Smash Bros. may not look as good today when compared to the speed- and reaction-based games that came after it. Still, Super Smash Bros. is an important piece and the genesis of a superb fighting game franchise, and while you’re playing it today, you can almost forget how much better Melee, Brawl, and the Wii U version are. Given what it is, it’s still a ton of fun.
Bomberman 64
Time has sort of left Bomberman behind, or at the very least, it hasn’t proved to have as much longevity as some of his early Nintendo brethren. Still, Bomberman 64 was a deep game that feels like a hidden gem, even though it was one of the console’s predominant titles.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
This is another no-brainer: Ocarina Of Time is an RPG legend, and for many players, not just the best game on the N64, but the best game they’ve ever played.
Banjo-Kazooie
Although perhaps not as great a platformer as Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie remains a staple of its era, an ageless wonder that really holds up.
Star Fox 64
Four words: “Do a barrel roll!”
Pokémon Snap
Fans have been begging for some sort of remake, sequel or re-release of Pokémon Snap for years now, and whether or not that ever comes to fruition, it would be nice to see a rare and great photography-based game get a second life, at least in this form.
Pokémon Stadium
This is as close to a console Pokémon RPG as we’ve ever gotten, and while it’s not quite the same as the handheld experience, it still, even today, feels so cool to battle Pokémon on your TV.
Donkey Kong 64
The N64 had an embarrassment of riches in terms of platformers, and while some may deride Donkey Kong 64 as too similar to Banjo-Kazooie, too much of a good thing seems like a great thing in this case.
What games did we miss that you would consider must-haves for this theoretical N64 Classic? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Featured image: Nintendo
