Best and Worst N64 games?

[Rob2600]

The N64 controller is very comfortable.

And a few of you are viewing the controller as one single controller, which is of course understandable. However, the N64 controller is more like three different controllers in one. Most N64 games use the "left hand on the middle prong and right hand on the right prong" position. Some games use the "left hand on the left prong and right hand on the right prong" position. And the third position is "left hand on the left prong and right hand on the middle prong".

Only one position is ever meant to be used at a time. N64 game designers knew this and didn't require changing positions mid-game. Some buttons are inaccessible in each position and game designers took that into account.

[goldenband]

4:

Assuming you're serious, glad to see Tigger's Honey Hunt getting some love. It's pretty, controls well, has lovely music, and though it's a great fit for kids, it actually offers some real challenge if you try to get 100% completion. Plus it captures the mood of the books quite well.

It's not perfect or mind-blowing, but it's still a very nice 2.5D platformer. I haven't tried the PS1 version, but it wouldn't surprise me if I prefer the N64's unvoiced/non-FMV cutscenes.

[Aussie2B]

I've been wanting to pick that and Tarzan up some time. I don't expect amazing things, given that they're licensed and aimed at little kids mostly, but I'm a sucker for 2.5D platformers. When done well, I absolutely love the look and how they play. Goemon's Great Adventure is right up there in my top couple N64 games (only Wonder Project J2 could edge it out, but that's an entirely different kind of game so it's hard to compare one against the other), and I really enjoyed Kirby 64 as well.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm a sucker for really simplistic and small games, like the arena Turok (that's Rage Wars I think) or Battletanx. Well, I wouldn't pay a lot of money for them, but seeing them makes me smile.

I was recently really happy to discover that, although I sold my original a long time ago, I found a loose Blast Corps somewhere. Classic game with crazy ideas slapped over a seemingly-straightforward (but kind of insane) premise.

Sometime I need to get Last Legion UX, and look again at the Aero Fighters 3D entry.

[Mondomedia123]

Best (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!):
-Ocarina of Time
-Super Mario 64
-Goldeneye 007
-Wave Race 64
-Majora's Mask
-WWF No Mercy
-South Park
-Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
-Mario Party 3
Worst:
-Superman 64
Cant think of any more at the moment

[ProjectCamaro]

My favorite in no particular order are:
- Goldeneye 007
- Zelda: OoT
- Forsaken 64
- Mario 64
- Rush 2
- Turok 2
- Star Wars: Roque Squadron
- 1080 Snowboarding
- Perfect Dark
- Star Fox 64
- Pilotwings 64

I really don't have a worst of list, I'm pretty OCD so I would research the games I wanted to death before I bought them. Plus I didn't have enough money to buy anything that I didn't know would be great.

[BydoEmpire]

Lets all look back at the title, and then discuss that.

Amen to that.

[needler420]

IMO the N64 controller separates the men from the boys.

I notice people who were good with a N64 controller went on to newer generations with more precise skills and better aim in FPS and what not.

I mean let's face it if you were pawning your friend in Goldeneye all day then it's probably because your friend doesn''t know how to use a N64 controller.

I remember playing it the year it came out in 1996. Between the 3D and 1st analog stick on a console it separated the boys from the men. Either you learned how to master Mario's moves quickly and went on to progress as I did and collected all 120 stars. Or if you suck with the controller you probably had a steep learning curve before you weren't constantly walking into walls.

[BricatSegaFan]

IMO the N64 controller separates the men from the boys.

I notice people who were good with a N64 controller went on to newer generations with more precise skills and better aim in FPS and what not.

I mean let's face it if you were pawning your friend in Goldeneye all day then it's probably because your friend doesn''t know how to use a N64 controller.

I remember playing it the year it came out in 1996. Between the 3D and 1st analog stick on a console it separated the boys from the men. Either you learned how to master Mario's moves quickly and went on to progress as I did and collected all 120 stars. Or if you suck with the controller you probably had a steep learning curve before you weren't constantly walking into walls.

I was decent with the controller then when it was new, but now its an awkward unresponsive mess. I really wanna play my n64 collection but sheesh these controllers blow.

I wish I can use my Saturn 3d pad on it

[YoshiM]

I was decent with the controller then when it was new, but now its an awkward unresponsive mess. I really wanna play my n64 collection but sheesh these controllers blow.

Is the stick worn out? That's the only flaw I have with the controller-the sticks wear out quickly. However, those sticks are TIGHT in the control department.

Play F-Zero X then play F-Zero GX on the GameCube. The control handling is almost night and day. In X you can make hard turns by cranking the stick but to pull off that same turn requires the shoulder trigger in GX. It's not a huge deal to most but it was a awakening for me who logged a LOT of hours on the N64.

Otherwise, it was a forward thinking controller. Designed for 3D graphic gaming with the digital throwback made it a great controller except if you liked fighting games.

[BricatSegaFan]

Is the stick worn out? That's the only flaw I have with the controller-the sticks wear out quickly. However, those sticks are TIGHT in the control department.

Play F-Zero X then play F-Zero GX on the GameCube. The control handling is almost night and day. In X you can make hard turns by cranking the stick but to pull off that same turn requires the shoulder trigger in GX. It's not a huge deal to most but it was a awakening for me who logged a LOT of hours on the N64.

Otherwise, it was a forward thinking controller. Designed for 3D graphic gaming with the digital throwback made it a great controller except if you liked fighting games.

Well yes the stick was worn out. But still the layout was kinda weird. I remember being able to play duke nukem zero hour with no problem when I was younger. Its very difficult to play now. Ehh oh well.

[Guru of Time and Space]

Numerous mentions of Mario Kart as one of the best games on the Nintendo 64 but only ONE of Diddy Kong Racing and simply as an "honorable mention"?

What's that smell?

Something is fishy here...

...do you guys even play videogames?

-GoTaS

[SOL BADGUY]

Numerous mentions of Mario Kart as one of the best games on the Nintendo 64 but only ONE of Diddy Kong Racing and simply as an "honorable mention"?

What's that smell?

Something is fishy here...

...do you guys even play videogames?

-GoTaS

Played Diddy Racing, Mario Kart is better.

[j_factor]

Why do you care so much if you can access buttons that you have no need to access in the games where you hold it that way?

Because then the game developers would have been free to use more buttons.

I don't see what is gained by forcing the d-pad and analog stick to be completely separate. What detriment would there have been to putting the analog stick by the d-pad and eliminating the middle prong? The only downside I see is it would eliminate the middle + left prong control option, which I don't recall any game really using.

Here's why I don't like it. Look again at the "right way to hold it" picture:



That is not a natural position to keep your hands in. They're not at the same angle, or the same distance from your body. It just doesn't feel right; it's weird and diagonal. Almost every other controller has you holding your hands in a normal side by side position -- with the few exceptions being controllers that are mostly panned by gamers, like the Intellivision. This is no coincidence.

[The Adventurer]

Typicality you hold it more like this, because its more comfortable.

[PreZZ]

Played Diddy Racing, Mario Kart is better.

Single player winner=diddy kong racing
multi player winner=mario kart 64

[A Black Falcon]

Because then the game developers would have been free to use more buttons.

How many games then really needed more than 9 buttons plus an analog stick or d-pad? I don't see it. I mean, Sony had rarely-used stuff on its controllers too (do even a double digit number of PS1 games support the analog click buttons?). They're not on a separate part of the controller, but regardless, that extra pad/stick and button really weren't needed. Games should not require you to use both the d-pad and analog stick at the same time, for one thing, and for the third shoulder button... really, two should be enough.

I don't see what is gained by forcing the d-pad and analog stick to be completely separate. What detriment would there have been to putting the analog stick by the d-pad and eliminating the middle prong? The only downside I see is it would eliminate the middle + left prong control option, which I don't recall any game really using.

Have you not read any of my explanations about how it allows you to have ideal thumb positioning for both dpad AND analog games, which isn't possible on any two-prongs-only controller? That's one reason why the N64 controller is better the way it is, because it's more comfortable this way.

The other reason is that Nintendo was trying to make a controller that would be familiar to people used to digital-only controllers, but also one with analog, and they thought that a good way to do that would be to have a left and right "traditional" controller look, with the analog stick elsewhere. That's the other reason.

Here's why I don't like it. Look again at the "right way to hold it" picture:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...er-in-Hand.jpg

That is not a natural position to keep your hands in. They're not at the same angle, or the same distance from your body. It just doesn't feel right; it's weird and diagonal. Almost every other controller has you holding your hands in a normal side by side position -- with the few exceptions being controllers that are mostly panned by gamers, like the Intellivision. This is no coincidence.

As the post below yours pointed out, the hands in that picture aren't holding the controller quite right.

Typicality you hold it more like this, because its more comfortable.

Yeah, I'd hold it more like that. Both hands can be at a similar angle, and it's comfortable and good for long play sessions. I do often not put my finger over the R button unless it's a game which requires it, but I do that with lots of systems (it's the same with handhelds for example, stuff like the GBA is more comfortable when NOT held so that my fingers are over L and R... DS too somewhat, etc.) But that's just my general dislike of shoulder buttons when compared to the much more comfortable triggers.

On that note, if I had to say something bad about the N64 controller, it'd be that I wish that it had two Z-style buttons, instead of Z and R.

[j_factor]

Typicality you hold it more like this, because its more comfortable.

Yeah, I always "want" to hold it like that, but I can't really play games that way. The right prong is way at the wrong angle and it just kills my wrist. Not to mention up on the stick becomes up-left.

How many games then really needed more than 9 buttons plus an analog stick or d-pad? I don't see it.

There are some games, such as the Saturn version of MechWarrior 2, that use d-pad and analog stick simultaneously. There are also Playstation games that use dual analog rather effectively, doing back to the system's original analog joystick and games like Descent.

Is it a lot of games? Not really, but I bet it's larger than the number of games that "needed" the N64 controller's setup. The only thing that comes to mind is Robotron 64.

Have you not read any of my explanations about how it allows you to have ideal thumb positioning for both dpad AND analog games, which isn't possible on any two-prongs-only controller? That's one reason why the N64 controller is better the way it is, because it's more comfortable this way.

I guess I just don't see that. I have no issue whatsoever on Saturn, Dreamcast, Gamecube, or Xbox switching between the analog stick and d-pad. I don't find my thumb to be in a poor position either way.

The other reason is that Nintendo was trying to make a controller that would be familiar to people used to digital-only controllers, but also one with analog, and they thought that a good way to do that would be to have a left and right "traditional" controller look, with the analog stick elsewhere. That's the other reason.

I really don't think that's accurate. The N64 controller is the weirdest-looking, most unfamiliar controller of its time.

[j_factor]

sorry, double post

[understatement]

Yeah, I always "want" to hold it like that, but I can't really play games that way. The right prong is way at the wrong angle and it just kills my wrist. Not to mention up on the stick becomes up-left.

I was starting to think I was the only one that had this problem.