Welcome back to Rank & File, where we rank things and then file them away. Today, we’re ranking Nintendo 64 games.
You know how it works. I asked a bunch of the bros to rank Nintendo 64 games and then I combined all of our ballots to come up with a final ranked list. Every title included by more than one bro qualified for our final list with the most popular and most beloved titles appearing toward the top of the list.
Sources vary, but there were about 300 games released for the console in North America. Our final rankings include 69 of those titles (ha!) and our individual ballots collectively span 111. More than a third of the console’s library can thus be found below. Wow!
Without further ado, here is the singular consensus take from a record-setting 15 Rank & File contributors, followed shortly thereafter as always by the many various individual takes.
RANK | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Super Mario 64 |
3 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
4 | Mario Kart 64 |
5 | GoldenEye 007 |
6 | Banjo-Kazooie |
7 | Super Smash Bros. |
8 | Star Fox 64 |
9 | Mario Party 2 |
10 | Pokémon Snap |
11 | Mario Party |
12 | NBA Hangtime |
13 | Perfect Dark |
14 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
15 | Diddy Kong Racing |
16 | Donkey Kong 64 |
17 | 1080° Snowboarding |
18 | Gauntlet Legends |
19 | Paper Mario |
20 | WWF No Mercy |
21 | Mario Party 3 |
22 | NFL Blitz |
23 | Banjo-Tooie |
24 | Mario Tennis |
25 | Snowboard Kids |
26 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
27 | Pokémon Stadium |
28 | WWF WrestleMania 2000 |
29 | WWF Attitude |
30 | Wave Race 64 |
31 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
32 | Blast Corps |
33 | Mario Golf |
34 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 |
35 | Cruis’n USA |
36 | Conker’s Bad Fur Day |
37 | Rampage World Tour |
38 | Yoshi’s Story |
39 | Beetle Adventure Racing |
40 | WWF War Zone |
41 | San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing |
42 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron |
43 | Jet Force Gemini |
44 | WCW/nWo Revenge |
45 | Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 |
46 | Hydro Thunder |
47 | Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. |
48 | Rayman 2: The Great Escape |
49 | Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside |
50 | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 |
51 | South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack |
52 | Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey |
53 | ClayFighter 63⅓ |
54 | Star Wars Episode I: Racer |
55 | Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest |
56 | Road Rash 64 |
57 | Mission: Impossible |
58 | Dr. Mario 64 |
59 | The World Is Not Enough |
60 | Fighting Force 64 |
61 | Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon |
62 | Bomberman 64 |
63 | Bomberman Hero |
64 | F-Zero X |
65 | Gex 64: Enter the Gecko |
66 | Excitebike 64 |
67 | Earthworm Jim 3D |
68 | Cruis’n World |
69 | Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes |
Quite a list, no? We’ve got plenty to examine here, but let’s start with the top ten. The thing that jumps out immediately is the diversity in genres – two adventure games, two 3D platformers, two rail shooters (one set in space, the other featuring photography), a kart racer, a first-person shooter, a fighting game, and an all-purpose “party” variety game. The second thing that jumps out is the lack of diversity in the developers and publishers; two titles were made by Rare and the rest are entirely Nintendo-owned properties.
However, further down the list we run into something we haven’t seen on a Nintendo console since perhaps the Nintendo 64 itself: a thriving variety of third party titles. We’ve got multiple titles featuring skateboarding, snowboarding, boat racing, and Star Wars. Baseball, football, and basketball are all represented more than once, as is professional wrestling. There are a handful of first-person shooters and 3D platformers all over the rankings. There are decidedly M-rated adult-oriented games and there are games with cute little anthropomorphic mammals – and those categories aren’t even mutually exclusive to each other!
Our collaborative rankings also put to rest, once and for all, a number of debates that used to rage within the Nintendo 64 community. Among them:
GoldenEye or Perfect Dark?
GoldenEye.
Super Mario or Banjo Kazooie?
Super Mario.
Best means of conveyance with which to race against your buddies?
Go-karts, then snowboards, then jet skis, then sports cars, then Volkswagens, then speedboats, then podracers, then motorcycles, then plasma-powered hovercars, then dirtbikes.
All-Star Baseball or Ken Griffey Jr.?
All-Star Baseball, at least if it’s 1999.
Ocarina or Majora?
Ocarina, of course.
Wasn’t every Mario Party game the same?
No.
Best wrestling game?
No Mercy.
Best Bomberman game?
No difference.
Realistic sports simulations or arcade-style insanity?
With these graphics? Hangtime and Blitz all day.
Mario: Golf or Tennis?
Tennis.
Pokémon: battles or photos?
As Pokémon Go has reiterated twenty years later, it’s more fun to see them in the wild than it is to make them hurt each other.
Nintendo 64 or PlayStation?
We’re not touching that one with a ten-foot pole. (Yet.)
Lastly, here are everybody’s individual ballots.
Steve | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
3 | Mario Party 2 |
4 | Super Smash Bros. |
5 | Pokémon Snap |
6 | Mario Party |
7 | Banjo-Kazooie |
8 | Super Mario 64 |
9 | Mario Party 3 |
10 | South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack |
11 | Gauntlet Legends |
12 | Star Fox 64 |
13 | NBA Hangtime |
14 | Yoshi’s Story |
15 | NFL Blitz |
16 | Mario Kart 64 |
17 | Pokémon Stadium |
18 | GoldenEye 007 |
19 | Perfect Dark |
20 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
21 | Harvest Moon 64 |
22 | Beetle Adventure Racing |
23 | Rampage World Tour |
24 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
25 | Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest |
26 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 |
27 | WWF No Mercy |
28 | Road Rash 64 |
29 | Toy Story 2 |
30 | Snowboard Kids |
Keith | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Banjo-Kazooie |
3 | WWF No Mercy |
4 | NBA Hangtime |
5 | Super Mario 64 |
6 | GoldenEye 007 |
7 | Perfect Dark |
8 | WCW/nWo Revenge |
9 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
10 | Wave Race 64 |
11 | Cruis’n USA |
12 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
13 | NFL Blitz |
14 | WWF WrestleMania 2000 |
15 | Banjo-Tooie |
16 | Gauntlet Legends |
17 | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 |
18 | WWF Attitude |
19 | Snowboard Kids |
20 | Hydro Thunder |
21 | San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing |
22 | Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey |
23 | WCW vs. nWo: World Tour |
24 | Milo’s Astro Lanes |
25 | Mario Party |
26 | South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack |
27 | Conker’s Bad Fur Day |
28 | Mario Golf |
29 | Pokémon Snap |
30 | Mario Tennis |
31 | Donkey Kong 64 |
32 | Fighting Force 64 |
33 | Rampage World Tour |
34 | Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside |
35 | WWF War Zone |
36 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron |
37 | ClayFighter 63⅓ |
38 | Killer Instinct Gold |
39 | Earthworm Jim 3D |
40 | Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 |
41 | ECW Hardcore Revolution |
42 | Cruis’n World |
43 | Triple Play 2000 |
44 | NFL Quarterback Club ’98 |
45 | Star Wars Episode I: Racer |
46 | Beetle Adventure Racing |
47 | Yoshi’s Story |
48 | Cruis’n Exotica |
49 | Diddy Kong Racing |
50 | Gex 64: Enter the Gecko |
51 | 1080° Snowboarding |
52 | Pilotwings 64 |
53 | Chameleon Twist |
54 | Road Rash 64 |
55 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
56 | Excitebike 64 |
57 | Mission: Impossible |
58 | Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes |
59 | WCW Nitro |
60 | WCW Mayhem |
61 | Mike Piazza’s Strike Zone |
62 | Mario Kart 64 |
63 | Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt |
64 | Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. |
Ryan | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | WWF WrestleMania 2000 |
3 | WWF No Mercy |
4 | Super Mario 64 |
5 | GoldenEye 007 |
6 | Conker’s Bad Fur Day |
7 | Snowboard Kids |
8 | Perfect Dark |
9 | Banjo-Kazooie |
10 | NBA Hangtime |
11 | Wave Race 64 |
12 | Cruis’n USA |
Ben | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | 1080° Snowboarding |
3 | Mario Kart 64 |
4 | Super Smash Bros. |
5 | Diddy Kong Racing |
6 | GoldenEye 007 |
7 | Mario Party |
8 | NFL Blitz |
9 | NBA Hangtime |
10 | Mission: Impossible |
11 | Snowboard Kids |
12 | San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing |
13 | Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 |
14 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
15 | Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest |
16 | WCW/nWo Revenge |
17 | WWF No Mercy |
18 | Wave Race 64 |
19 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron |
20 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
21 | Banjo-Kazooie |
22 | Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside |
23 | Hydro Thunder |
24 | Star Wars Episode I: Racer |
Marissa | GAME |
1 | Donkey Kong 64 |
2 | GoldenEye 007 |
3 | Beetle Adventure Racing |
4 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
5 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
6 | 1080° Snowboarding |
7 | South Park |
8 | Pokémon Snap |
Andrew | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Banjo-Kazooie |
3 | WWF War Zone |
4 | WWF Attitude |
5 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
6 | NBA Hangtime |
7 | Gauntlet Legends |
8 | Perfect Dark |
9 | ClayFighter 63⅓ |
10 | NFL Blitz |
11 | Snowboard Kids |
12 | Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 |
13 | San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing |
14 | Rampage World Tour |
15 | Fighting Force 64 |
Sweeney | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Star Fox 64 |
3 | Super Mario 64 |
4 | Banjo-Kazooie |
5 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
6 | Resident Evil 2 |
7 | WWF Attitude |
8 | GoldenEye 007 |
9 | Super Smash Bros. |
10 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 |
11 | Perfect Dark |
12 | NBA Hangtime |
13 | Banjo-Tooie |
14 | Dr. Mario 64 |
15 | Sin and Punishment |
16 | Cruis’n USA |
17 | Mortal Kombat 4 |
18 | Pokémon Snap |
19 | 1080° Snowboarding |
20 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron |
21 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
22 | Wave Race 64 |
23 | Mario Tennis |
24 | F-Zero X |
25 | The World Is Not Enough |
26 | Mario Party |
27 | Rainbow Six |
28 | Mario Kart 64 |
29 | Vigilante 8 |
30 | Conker’s Bad Fur Day |
Kelsey | GAME |
1 | Mario Party 3 |
2 | Mario Kart 64 |
3 | Super Mario 64 |
4 | Mickey’s Speedway USA |
5 | Mario Party 2 |
6 | Yoshi’s Story |
7 | Pokémon Snap |
8 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
Webber | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Super Mario 64 |
3 | Gauntlet Legends |
4 | Mario Kart 64 |
5 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 |
6 | 1080° Snowboarding |
7 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
8 | Super Smash Bros. |
9 | Mario Party |
10 | Paper Mario |
11 | Donkey Kong 64 |
12 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
13 | GoldenEye 007 |
14 | Mario Party 2 |
15 | Star Fox 64 |
16 | Mario Tennis |
17 | Pokémon Snap |
18 | All-Star Baseball ’99 |
19 | Diddy Kong Racing |
20 | NFL Blitz |
21 | Mario Golf |
22 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 |
23 | Road Rash 64 |
24 | Bomberman 64 |
25 | Excitebike 64 |
26 | Mario Party 3 |
27 | Hydro Thunder |
Trevor | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
2 | Star Fox 64 |
3 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
4 | Paper Mario |
5 | Super Mario 64 |
6 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
7 | GoldenEye 007 |
8 | Jet Force Gemini |
9 | Blast Corps |
10 | Banjo-Kazooie |
11 | Mario Kart 64 |
12 | Perfect Dark |
13 | Rayman 2: The Great Escape |
14 | Banjo-Tooie |
15 | Diddy Kong Racing |
16 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron |
17 | Donkey Kong 64 |
18 | Snowboard Kids |
19 | NBA Hangtime |
20 | Conker’s Bad Fur Day |
21 | Mario Party |
22 | Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon |
23 | Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire |
24 | Gauntlet Legends |
25 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
26 | Rampage World Tour |
27 | Mario Golf |
28 | Pokémon Stadium |
29 | Wave Race 64 |
30 | Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. |
31 | 1080° Snowboarding |
32 | Super Smash Bros. |
33 | Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey |
34 | Pokémon Snap |
35 | NFL Blitz |
36 | Turok: Dinosaur Hunter |
37 | Bomberman Hero |
38 | Yoshi’s Story |
39 | Gex 64: Enter the Gecko |
40 | Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes |
41 | Mission: Impossible |
42 | War Gods |
43 | Quest 64 |
44 | Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 |
45 | ClayFighter 63⅓ |
46 | Earthworm Jim 3D |
47 | Superman: The New Adventures |
Stevie | GAME |
1 | Diddy Kong Racing |
2 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
3 | Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. |
4 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
5 | Super Mario 64 |
6 | Paper Mario |
7 | Star Fox 64 |
8 | Banjo-Kazooie |
9 | FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 |
10 | Space Station Silicon Valley |
11 | Rayman 2: The Great Escape |
12 | NFL Blitz |
13 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
14 | Donkey Kong 64 |
15 | Pokémon Snap |
16 | Pokémon Stadium |
17 | Mario Tennis |
18 | NBA Hangtime |
19 | Gauntlet Legends |
20 | Snowboard Kids |
21 | Mario Kart 64 |
22 | Banjo-Tooie |
23 | GoldenEye 007 |
24 | Wave Race 64 |
25 | 1080° Snowboarding |
26 | Mario Party |
27 | Madden NFL 99 |
28 | Super Smash Bros. |
29 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 |
30 | Mario Golf |
31 | NHL 99 |
32 | Bomberman 64 |
33 | Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon |
34 | Jet Force Gemini |
35 | Glover |
36 | F-Zero X |
37 | Perfect Dark |
38 | Star Wars Episode I: Racer |
39 | Cruis’n USA |
40 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
41 | Yoshi’s Story |
42 | Beetle Adventure Racing |
43 | NBA Jam 99 |
44 | Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest |
45 | Extreme-G |
46 | Cruis’n World |
47 | Road Rash 64 |
48 | ClayFighter 63⅓ |
49 | San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing |
50 | Gex 64: Enter the Gecko |
Brian | GAME |
1 | Mario Party 2 |
2 | Super Mario 64 |
3 | Super Smash Bros. |
4 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards |
5 | Pokémon Snap |
6 | Pokémon Stadium |
7 | Mario Kart 64 |
8 | Mario Party |
9 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
10 | Mischief Makers |
Colin | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
2 | Banjo-Tooie |
3 | Mario Kart 64 |
4 | GoldenEye 007 |
5 | Star Fox 64 |
6 | Perfect Dark |
7 | Banjo-Kazooie |
8 | Mario Tennis |
9 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
10 | Super Smash Bros. |
11 | Super Mario 64 |
12 | Donkey Kong 64 |
13 | Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey |
14 | Mario Golf |
15 | Diddy Kong Racing |
16 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
17 | Jet Force Gemini |
18 | Mario Party |
19 | 1080° Snowboarding |
20 | Rampage World Tour |
Kevin | GAME |
1 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask |
2 | Mario Kart 64 |
3 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
4 | Blast Corps |
5 | Super Mario 64 |
6 | Super Smash Bros. |
7 | Body Harvest |
8 | Star Fox 64 |
9 | Pokémon Stadium |
10 | Banjo-Kazooie |
11 | Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate |
Tim | GAME |
1 | Mario Kart 64 |
2 | Super Mario 64 |
3 | Mario Tennis |
4 | GoldenEye 007 |
5 | Mario Party |
6 | Super Smash Bros. |
7 | Pokémon Snap |
8 | Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside |
9 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater |
10 | Mario Golf |
11 | NHL Breakaway 99 |
12 | Mario Party 2 |
13 | Paper Mario |
14 | NFL Quarterback Club ’99 |
15 | All-Star Baseball 2000 |
16 | Madden NFL 2000 |
17 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
18 | Diddy Kong Racing |
19 | The World Is Not Enough |
20 | Star Fox 64 |
21 | Banjo-Kazooie |
22 | Bomberman Hero |
23 | Hydro Thunder |
24 | Star Wars Episode I: Racer |
25 | Paperboy 64 |
26 | Wave Race 64 |
27 | Dr. Mario 64 |
28 | South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack |
29 | Pokémon Stadium |
30 | WWF War Zone |
Tony Hawk was absolute trash on this console. What were we thinking?
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Ocarina of Time is good, but overrated. Clearly my rankings didn’t do a good enough job providing balance
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Tim, the fact that OoT is 17 is ABSURD. Equally as absurd as putting Mario Kart 64 2ND TO LAST
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