You see this box? According to TheGuy07, this is what we’d probably expect if there was going to be a Nintendo 64 Mini coming. The speculation begins as fans attempt to piece together what seems to be a small showing of a bigger picture. Nintendo has decided to trademark the classic before E3. Now that we’ve been disappointed by not seeing this get revealed: let’s start the show with some must-have picks for the Nintendo 64 Mini! Warning:
this article will NOT answer the “will there be a Nintendo 64 mini?” question.
Nintendo 64 Mini Picks
Super Mario 64
The premiere spot belongs to the plumber. The star of the Nintendo franchise and official mascot went on another solo mission in 3D for the first time for a platformer. Why Luigi wasn’t around remains to be seen. An expansive game, starting at the mushroom castle, was a game-changer for the platform. Alot of things were on point: the music, the voice, the new moves, including a punch. Mario did his fair share in this game and thensome. Bosses feel like bosses, but that’s not to say that Super Mario Bros 3 et al had no influences here. Definitely a solid choice for the Nintendo 64 Mini.
Star Fox 64
Fox McCloud’s first romp was a memorable one, but his 64 bit debut turned heads. The rails shooter was already 3D due to the Mode 7 graphics on the SNES, but this was more fleshed out 3D. Thanks to Nintendo 64’s update, Star Fox 64 borrows several items from its’ first outing and second game, which was unreleased in America. This is the second game to throw in the multiplayer, but the first to get four people involved into the multiplayer. Lots of fun moments with this part. Sure, everyone was on equal footing, unlike Star Fox 2 and Star Fox Command‘s Arwing fighters being unique to each pilot. Star Wolf’s team was brought into the mix, also. With voice-overs in, and other items going in, Star Fox 64 is a well-received title. An obvious choice for a bundle, but if it gets into the Nintendo 64 Mini: I’m good.
Mario Kart 64
Mario’s second 3D romp brought over from the SNES pulled off updated levels to the tracks. Multiplayer battles took things to another level. This was a turning point for the series in its’ second stage. One of the many multiplayers in the show. I have some fond memories of the game’s time in my presence. That racing quench in the Nintendo 64 Mini could be sated here.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Notably, one of the best games of all time and Zeldas to go into the 3D realm. The premiere entry with enemy lock-ons and huge bosses, this one seems to deliver on the NES original’s goal. Link rolls, jumps, and more. It’s a turning point for the Zelda series that we appreciate and better than its’ other “turning points”.(no one talks about CD-I. Forget the CD-I. What is the CD-I? Great, that’s the answer. Not “great”. The question. )
Goldeneye 64
There wasn’t much espionage in this one to undertake the likes of Metal Gear Solid outside of Winback. Pierce Bronson’s movie, with the same name, was brought out as the adaptation to the movie. Insane amounts of fun within the multiplayer parts. Especially with the dual wielding on pretty much every single firearm. The modes took on various names of old Bond movies. Man with the Golden Gun for one. The characters were added bonuses, with Oddjob being the hardest bastard to kill. The Goldeneye 007 experience was hard to reproduce past Perfect Dark, so this is definitely deserving.
Super Smash Bros
As Jump All-Stars is to the Jump, Smash Bros is to Nintendo. HAL Industries lead a fighting game that pulled off all things unorthodox. Mario vs. Samus vs. Bowser vs. Link vs. Donkey Kong, and craploads of others, as toys in an evil glove’s room. 4 man bouts to see who is left standing in a 2D space. From the Mushroom Kingdom to a battle in the Lylat System. Bros is hilarious and unique in its’ surface. This is the reason we look forward to Ultimate.
Honorable Mentions:
Killer Instinct Gold: Looking for that c-c-combo breaker? I’d put this here, too. Between Rare, Konami, and SNK, there isn’t too much going on to unleash the beast in the U.S. Western titles fill the fighting game role. The 64’s controller scheme was not ready for that, but Rare compensated well. KI is a definitive for the genre on the 64 and well-needed for anyone willing to take a history lesson pre-XBone.
Diddy Kong Racing: Kart racing in video games, with mascots, follow a formula. All terrain trials of fire. Diddy Kong was one of the first to break in that mold. From the ground to the sky, DKR was the trend-setter that did, and did it well.
Bomberman 64
Hudsonsoft’s white-and-blue bomber had a decent follow-up on the N64. Especially with a non-rails Adventure mode back in the days where we didn’t have to mention a game came bundled with a story-mode to generate Facebook reactions. Bomberman 64 was that party game which needed a Nintendo 64 presence and behold, we have one.
How’s My Picking?
This still didn’t answer “will there be a Nintendo 64 mini”, but hey, that’s my list. These are the games I picked as must-haves on the Nintendo 64 Mini if we ever see it this year or next. How about those who came to like the 64? Shoot over your picks in the comment section and ignore me judging you if you even THINK about adding Paper Mario to it.
