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Top 10 Hottest N64 Games of All Time

Top 10 Hottest N64 Games of All Time

The greatest video game system of all time launched this week back in the glorious days of 1996 and I couldn’t help but commemorate all of it’s greatness with a top ten list. I’m of course talking about the Nintendo 64 and all of its 64 bits of sheer genius! Let’s take a look back at the top ten best selling videogames of all time for perhaps the greatest piece of hardware to ever grace the shelves of retail stores.

Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo and his wacky pal Kazooie were on a mission to save Banjo’s sister Tooty from the epic antagonist Gruntilda in this collect-a-thon platformer. The dynamic duo had some serious help from gamers when the title hit North Americans stores back in June of 1998 – help to the cool tune of 3.65 million copies sold worldwide. Needless to say, Banjo-Kazooie was a massive success, so much so, the title was released on the Xbox 360 in 2008 and again on the Xbox One in 2015.

Star Fox 64

Star Fox 64

Perhaps one of the greatest video games to ever be developed, Star Fox 64 sold a commanding 4.03 million copies during its tenure on the famed system. The title was the first N64 game to include support for Nintendo’s revolutionary Rumble Pack, which was included with the launch bundle for a few extra bucks. Star Fox 64 was also one of the first games to primarily feature both voice-acting and carefully choreographed cinematics, which was a huge step forward within the development of video games as a whole. “Don’t worry, Slippy’s here!”

Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing

Diddy Kong Racing was one of those games that you either loved or hated when it debuted for the N64 in 1997. It faced stiff competition upon its release but ultimately won gamers over with its cast of great characters. The hilarious thing about Diddy Kong Racing was that Nintendo solely developed the Mario Kart-type racer as a way to introduce gamers to future franchise characters. I’m willing to bet Nintendo didn’t know their character introduction project would sell roughly 4.88 million copies and come in at number 8 on the all-time sold list.

Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong’s debut on the Nintendo 64 was one of the most highly anticipated releases of 1999 due to the huge success of its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country , on the Super NES. Gamers went absolutely bananas when the game finally launched and outsold any of Nintendo and Rare’s holiday projections by a large margin. It would go on to sell 5.25 million copies in total with nearly 66 percent being sold in the U.S alone.

Pokemon Stadium

Pokemon Stadium

I was never a huge fan of the Pokemon franchise, with the exception of a two month binge on the GameBoy with Pokemon Red and Blue . However, gamers would definitely disagree as the title sold an impressive 5.45 million copies over the length of its product lifecycle. It launched with the hugely popular Transfer Pack, which allowed gamers to directly transfer their Pokemon characters from the Gameboy onto the Nintendo 64.

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros.

It’s a little bit of a shock to see Super Smash Bros. come in at number 5 on the all time list of N64 games sold, but when you see the remaining 4, you’ll completely understand. Nevertheless, Smash Bros. killed it when the game debuted in the winter of ‘99 and accounted for 5.5 million copies sold. The fighting platform game was a staple of my youth and many hours were spent battling the neighborhood kids for video game supremacy.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

You’d be hard pressed to find any true N64 fan that didn’t enjoy guiding Link through his epic journey. Just ask the gamers that attributed to the roughly 7.6 million copies sold and you’d surely find one a few that would agree. This game truly defined a generation with its advanced gameplay, impressive storyline, and the overall great feeling players received as a result of beating this instant classic. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time still holds the Metacritic record for the highest review score average of 99/100.

GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007

The N64 exclusive has a special place in my heart for being both the one game that always brought the family close together on weekends and the spark that would eventually lead me to join forces with Cheat Code Central. If you’re a seasoned reader of the site, like myself, then you can’t deny Cheatcc was the one and only reason you got past GoldenEye 007 ’s “00 Agent Mode” on any of the game’s ridiculous levels – you’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise. Nonetheless, James Bond and his cast of unique characters accounted for 8.09 million units sold worldwide and stands tall at number 3 on our list of top 10 N64 games sold.

Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart 64 sold a staggering 9.87 million copies when it launched during the winter of 1996. Nintendo had planned on releasing the game as a day one launch, but only had 95 percent of the title completed by the time their deadline hit. Rather than send the development team into a scramble to meet the intended projection, Nintendo made the right call and delayed the project. The move paid off and Mario Kart 64 became one of the greatest video games of all time and certainly one of the best titles to ever hit the Nintendo 64 console.

Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64

Coming in at number 1, Super Mario 64 sold a mind blowing 11.89 million copies during its heyday, which is a rather sizable amount for the era it occupied. Super Mario 64 is one of those groundbreaking games that people still discuss and reminisce about even to this day. Many hardcore gamers can tell you that Super Mario completely changed the landscape of video games as a whole and can single-handled be responsible for sparking a worldwide phenomenon that would translate well for the future success of the 64-bit console. Nearly 12 million copies sold doesn’t do justice for the impact the title had on both the N64 and the game industry as a whole.

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