Alolan_Apples
“Assorted” Collector
During my ten month break, I've been getting more interested into the stuff made by Nintendo and less interested into Animal Crossing. I even had a few game blog entries on my AC Spinoffs site. Some were debates (handhelds vs consoles, discs vs cartridges, and digital vs physical), and there was a long review of the best and worst Nintendo systems. Nintendo 64 was at the top. So don't be surprised to see a lot of Nintendo blog entries on the StarFall Press.
Ever since the NES Mini (or NES Classic Edition) was announced, I've been thinking that it would be possible to make other systems like that. However, it's too early to be talking about it since the NES Mini wasn't even out yet. If it was successful, they might come out with an SNES Mini or even an N64 Mini, but after that, they would not continue any further. The N64 didn't do as well as the previous systems, but the GameCube did even worse. The N64 library may have fewer titles than the GameCube library, but the GameCube has fewer charms, and were mostly lackluster compared to the N64. The Wii and Wii U were too recent, and they can connect to the internet or wi-fi. Do you really want a retro console that can connect to the internet? In that case, it wouldn't be "retro".
Again, it's still too early to talk about a retro console with N64 games since the NES Mini is still not out. But I would be more interested in an N64 version than an NES version (even if I plan on getting the NES version). Clearly, releasing an NES Mini shows that Nintendo cares for their older fans just as much as they do for the newer ones. I may not been born before the NES or SNES came out (I'm born in 1993), but the N64 was my first home console I ever played, and it still has some of the best games made on any console. Without further ado, here's what I would like for my N64-to-go:
Now time for the software. I don't have too many N64 games on my wishlist, so the furthest I would go is 20. Unlike the NES Mini and a potential SNES Mini, an N64 version of it wouldn't have anymore games than 20 or 25. Seriously, 30 is like 10% of the whole library, where for the other two, 30 is less than 10% of the library released for the US. Also, at least part of the library for Nintendo's is owned by Rare. Since Xbox now has Rare (I prefer to call it Xbox since Microsoft is more than just a gaming company), the Rare games are very unlikely to make it to the retro console with N64 games. It also appears than Goldeneye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing are in limbo since Goldeneye isn't even owned by Rare as DKR had two DKC characters. Mario Party 1 and Hey You Pikachu are also in limbo. One of them it has to be related to the voice calibration issue, and the other is banned by Nintendo due to this control stick rotation controversy. They skipped it for the Wii VC and has no plans to re-release it for the Wii U VC either.
I would be okay with having 20 games, but if I can have only five games, none of them being third-party or made by Rare (save DK64), and can't be Mario Party 1 or Hey You Pikachu, here would be my top five:
Pokemon Stadium was my first N64 game I ever played, and it's one of the top 10 selling N64 games of all time (that's when we include Rare games and third-party games). If they weren't included, Pokemon Stadium is in the top five. Right now, it's at the top of my Virtual Console wishlist. I know that a new Pokemon Stadium game is no longer necessary since we can now see Pokemon in 3D on the handhelds, but the fact that it was a multiplayer game and had a mini-game section with mini-game tournaments made it a memorable game from the N64. Forget about the porting issue. It's still fun up to today. Ocarina of Time was a game I never played until I was 22, and it was my first Zelda game I played. It's now my favorite game from all systems combined. However, choosing a version is tough on this one. I would rather play the uncensored version, but the 3DS version was a lot better than any N64 version of Ocarina of Time. I mean, the graphics are better, I could hold more tools while the ocarina is separate, I liked Navi's fourth wall break, and there are fewer glitches. But since this is an N64 retro console I'm talking about, I'll have to stick with the censored N64 version, which is at least less glitchy than the original at least. Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for the time it came out, but today, it has aged badly. In fact, very badly. I say that it's salvageable since we can expand the game by making the worlds bigger, have more obstacles, make missions less simple, and improve the graphics. But if we do that, we won't get the Super Mario 64 we all know. I still think Super Mario Sunshine is the best 3D Mario game, but SM64 expanded would beat Sunshine alone. Paper Mario was another game I was late to. I should've played it earlier. It's pretty addicting to play. It also had good soundtrack, interesting chapters, and a nice cast of side characters (Bombette being my favorite). I never downloaded this game until like a month ago. Finally, there is Pokemon Snap. Compared to the other N64 games, it's unique. As N64 is mostly platformers, racing games, and party games, Pokemon Snap is one of the few outliers on the N64. I know the courses are pretty short, but a small game doesn't outweigh the gameplay.
If I could have more games than just five (which I already declared Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Snap, Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, and Ocarina of Time), here are the others (red means 10 max, green means 15, and blue means 20).
Just to re-iterate what I said before, it's still too early to talk about a retro console with N64 games because the NES Mini was just announced and not even out yet. But some people on the Wii U board on GameFAQs were already talking about it when it was announced. And all of what I'm saying could be a pipe dream, but it's nice to give out my opinion on what N64 games I like best. By the way, it's N64's 20th anniversary this year.
So what do you think about this?
Ever since the NES Mini (or NES Classic Edition) was announced, I've been thinking that it would be possible to make other systems like that. However, it's too early to be talking about it since the NES Mini wasn't even out yet. If it was successful, they might come out with an SNES Mini or even an N64 Mini, but after that, they would not continue any further. The N64 didn't do as well as the previous systems, but the GameCube did even worse. The N64 library may have fewer titles than the GameCube library, but the GameCube has fewer charms, and were mostly lackluster compared to the N64. The Wii and Wii U were too recent, and they can connect to the internet or wi-fi. Do you really want a retro console that can connect to the internet? In that case, it wouldn't be "retro".
Again, it's still too early to talk about a retro console with N64 games since the NES Mini is still not out. But I would be more interested in an N64 version than an NES version (even if I plan on getting the NES version). Clearly, releasing an NES Mini shows that Nintendo cares for their older fans just as much as they do for the newer ones. I may not been born before the NES or SNES came out (I'm born in 1993), but the N64 was my first home console I ever played, and it still has some of the best games made on any console. Without further ado, here's what I would like for my N64-to-go:
- Make it a portable gaming tablet like the Wii U's gamepad and something you can bring everywhere to play. I'm more of a person who prefers portable systems now. The controls can be N64 controls too and not the Wii U ones. The screen would be squared rather than rectangular.
- Give it an ability to contact other portable N64 devices like what this entry is about. You know, something like download play, so we can play multiplayer games.
- Give it a color choice just like the N64's color choice when it was out. So if I had my copy, it can have an ice blue frame.
- Pre-installed software with no way to connect to the internet.
Now time for the software. I don't have too many N64 games on my wishlist, so the furthest I would go is 20. Unlike the NES Mini and a potential SNES Mini, an N64 version of it wouldn't have anymore games than 20 or 25. Seriously, 30 is like 10% of the whole library, where for the other two, 30 is less than 10% of the library released for the US. Also, at least part of the library for Nintendo's is owned by Rare. Since Xbox now has Rare (I prefer to call it Xbox since Microsoft is more than just a gaming company), the Rare games are very unlikely to make it to the retro console with N64 games. It also appears than Goldeneye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing are in limbo since Goldeneye isn't even owned by Rare as DKR had two DKC characters. Mario Party 1 and Hey You Pikachu are also in limbo. One of them it has to be related to the voice calibration issue, and the other is banned by Nintendo due to this control stick rotation controversy. They skipped it for the Wii VC and has no plans to re-release it for the Wii U VC either.
I would be okay with having 20 games, but if I can have only five games, none of them being third-party or made by Rare (save DK64), and can't be Mario Party 1 or Hey You Pikachu, here would be my top five:
- Pokemon Stadium
- Ocarina of Time
- Super Mario 64
- Paper Mario
- Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium was my first N64 game I ever played, and it's one of the top 10 selling N64 games of all time (that's when we include Rare games and third-party games). If they weren't included, Pokemon Stadium is in the top five. Right now, it's at the top of my Virtual Console wishlist. I know that a new Pokemon Stadium game is no longer necessary since we can now see Pokemon in 3D on the handhelds, but the fact that it was a multiplayer game and had a mini-game section with mini-game tournaments made it a memorable game from the N64. Forget about the porting issue. It's still fun up to today. Ocarina of Time was a game I never played until I was 22, and it was my first Zelda game I played. It's now my favorite game from all systems combined. However, choosing a version is tough on this one. I would rather play the uncensored version, but the 3DS version was a lot better than any N64 version of Ocarina of Time. I mean, the graphics are better, I could hold more tools while the ocarina is separate, I liked Navi's fourth wall break, and there are fewer glitches. But since this is an N64 retro console I'm talking about, I'll have to stick with the censored N64 version, which is at least less glitchy than the original at least. Super Mario 64 was revolutionary for the time it came out, but today, it has aged badly. In fact, very badly. I say that it's salvageable since we can expand the game by making the worlds bigger, have more obstacles, make missions less simple, and improve the graphics. But if we do that, we won't get the Super Mario 64 we all know. I still think Super Mario Sunshine is the best 3D Mario game, but SM64 expanded would beat Sunshine alone. Paper Mario was another game I was late to. I should've played it earlier. It's pretty addicting to play. It also had good soundtrack, interesting chapters, and a nice cast of side characters (Bombette being my favorite). I never downloaded this game until like a month ago. Finally, there is Pokemon Snap. Compared to the other N64 games, it's unique. As N64 is mostly platformers, racing games, and party games, Pokemon Snap is one of the few outliers on the N64. I know the courses are pretty short, but a small game doesn't outweigh the gameplay.
If I could have more games than just five (which I already declared Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Snap, Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, and Ocarina of Time), here are the others (red means 10 max, green means 15, and blue means 20).
- Mario Kart 64
[*]Donkey Kong 64
[*]Pokemon Stadium 2
[*]Mario Party 2
[*]Mario Party 3
[*]Majora's Mask
[*]Star Fox 64
[*]Kirby 64
[*]Yoshi Story
[*]Super Smash Bros
[*]Mario Tennis
[*]Mario Golf
[*]Pokemon Puzzle League
[*]Snowboarding 1080
[*]Excitebike 64
Just to re-iterate what I said before, it's still too early to talk about a retro console with N64 games because the NES Mini was just announced and not even out yet. But some people on the Wii U board on GameFAQs were already talking about it when it was announced. And all of what I'm saying could be a pipe dream, but it's nice to give out my opinion on what N64 games I like best. By the way, it's N64's 20th anniversary this year.
So what do you think about this?
