# List of Nintendo 64 games
The games of the [Nintendo 64](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-64) are the roughly several hundred titles released on ROM cartridge for Nintendo's 64-bit home console, which launched in Japan on 23 June 1996 at ¥25,000 and was supported into the early 2000s.[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/) The library is known for a small number of enormously influential titles, led by *Super Mario 64* and *[The Legend of Zelda](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-legend-of-zelda): Ocarina of Time*, and for a catalog that today is most accessible through the Nintendo 64 library of the [Nintendo Switch Online](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch-online) + Expansion Pack subscription service.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Console launch | Japan, 23 June 1996, at ¥25,000; more than 500,000 systems sold on the first day[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/) • [3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html) |
| Japanese launch games | *Super Mario 64*, *Pilotwings 64*, and *Saikyō Habu Shōgi*[4](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/mejor-o-peor-comparativa-del-catalogo-de-lanzamiento-de-switch-2-con-todas-las-consolas-de-nintendo-n/) |
| North American launch | 29 September 1996, with two titles[4](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/mejor-o-peor-comparativa-del-catalogo-de-lanzamiento-de-switch-2-con-todas-las-consolas-de-nintendo-n/) |
| Library character | Nintendo's first-party games, games from Rare—the British studio Nintendo then partly owned—and substantial third-party output[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/) |
| Production peak | Game production grew steadily from 1996 and reached a peak of 129 releases three years after launch[5](https://www.uvlist.net/platforms/stats/7-N64) |
| Modern access | Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app for Switch and Switch 2, released 25 October 2021, requiring a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/) |
| Mature-rated tier | A separate MATURE 17+ collection added *Perfect Dark* and *Turok: Dinosaur Hunter* in June 2024[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbioF6bhKJc) |
## The cartridge library
The Nintendo 64 used interchangeable ROM cartridges rather than the optical discs adopted by its competitors, and its software library included substantial third-party output alongside Nintendo and Rare games.[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/) • [16](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2003/675/oj/eng/pdf) Production of new games grew steadily from 1996 and peaked three years in, with 129 releases in a single year, before declining through the end of the console's life.[5](https://www.uvlist.net/platforms/stats/7-N64)
**Launch lineups differed by region.** In Japan the console arrived on 23 June 1996 with three games: *Super Mario 64*, *Pilotwings 64*, and the shogi title *Saikyō Habu Shōgi*.[4](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/mejor-o-peor-comparativa-del-catalogo-de-lanzamiento-de-switch-2-con-todas-las-consolas-de-nintendo-n/) The North American launch followed on 29 September 1996 with only two titles.[4](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/mejor-o-peor-comparativa-del-catalogo-de-lanzamiento-de-switch-2-con-todas-las-consolas-de-nintendo-n/) *Super Mario 64* itself reached Japan on 23 June 1996, North America on 26 September 1996, and the UK and Europe on 1 March 1997.[7](https://www.nintendolife.com/retro/games/browse?system=n64)
## Notable games
**First-party staples.** Nintendo's internal studios supplied the console's defining titles. *Super Mario 64*, the launch game, was proclaimed by many at the time as "the greatest video game of all time" and set the template for 3D platformers.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html) *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*, released in November 1998, set new standards and broke pre-order records for any videogame to that date.[3](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html) Other Nintendo EAD releases include *Mario Kart 64* (December 1996 in Japan), *Star Fox 64* (1997), *F-Zero X* (1998), *[1080° Snowboarding](https://www.edgepedia.org/1080-snowboarding)* (1998), *The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask* (2000), *Pokémon Stadium* (1999 in Japan), and *Paper Mario*, developed by [Intelligent Systems](https://www.edgepedia.org/intelligent-systems) and released in 2000 in Japan and 2001 abroad.[7](https://www.nintendolife.com/retro/games/browse?system=n64) [HAL Laboratory](https://www.edgepedia.org/hal-laboratory) developed *Super Smash Bros.* (1999) and *Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards* (2000).[7](https://www.nintendolife.com/retro/games/browse?system=n64)
**Rare's contributions.** The British studio [Rare](https://www.edgepedia.org/rare-company), which Nintendo then partly owned, produced *GoldenEye 007* (August 1997), *Banjo-Kazooie* (1998), *Donkey Kong 64* (November and December 1999), *Perfect Dark* (2000), *Jet Force Gemini*, and *Blast Corps*; *Conker's Bad Fur Day* (2001) was published by THQ.[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/) • [7](https://www.nintendolife.com/retro/games/browse?system=n64)
**Critical standing.** Metacritic's all-time ranking of Nintendo 64 games places *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* (23 November 1998) at the top, with *Mario Tennis* (28 August 2000) among the other leading entries.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/nintendo-64/all/all-time/metascore/) Retrospective surveys of the console's best games regularly center the same titles, including *Super Mario 64*, described as setting "an incredible bar for platformers and 3D games in general" on release, and *Ocarina of Time*, called "an absolute masterclass in game design".[9](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-n64-games-all-time/)
**Sales record.** Circana's Retail Tracking Service, shared by its senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella to mark the console's 30th anniversary, published a ranked list of the top 200 best-selling Nintendo 64 games in the United States by lifetime unit sales; the data covers US cartridge sales for the N64 only and excludes later ports.[10](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/here-are-the-top-200-best-selling-nintendo-64-games-in-the-us)
## Availability on Nintendo Switch Online
The principal legal way to play the library today is the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics collection, included with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership tier and playable on both [Nintendo Switch](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch) and [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-switch-2).[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/) • [11](https://www.nintendo.com/us/online/nintendo-switch-online/expansion-pack/) The app was released on 25 October 2021, occupies 1.9 GB on either system, and supports single-system play for one to four players and online play for two to four.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
The collection's listed games include *1080° Snowboarding*, *Banjo-Kazooie*, *Banjo-Tooie*, *Blast Corps*, *Donkey Kong 64*, *Dr. Mario 64*, *Excitebike 64*, *Extreme G*, *F-Zero X*, *GoldenEye 007*, *Harvest Moon 64*, *Iggy's Reckin' Balls*, *Jet Force Gemini*, *Killer Instinct Gold*, *Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards*, *Mario Golf*, *Mario Kart 64*, *Mario Party*, *Mario Party 2*, *Mario Party 3*, *Mario Tennis*, *Paper Mario*, *Pilotwings 64*, *Pokémon Puzzle League*, *Pokémon Snap*, *Pokémon Stadium*, *Pokémon Stadium 2*, *Ridge Racer 64*, *Sin & Punishment*, *Star Fox 64*, *Super Mario 64*, *The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask*, *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*, *Wave Race 64*, *Win Back: Covert Operations*, and *Yoshi's Story*.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/) Added features include online multiplayer for up to four players, screen sharing for cooperative play, and, on Switch 2, a Rewind function and a CRT filter.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
**Mature-rated games sit in a separate app.** In June 2024 Nintendo introduced the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online: MATURE 17+ collection, through which *Perfect Dark* and *[Turok](https://www.edgepedia.org/turok-video-game): Dinosaur Hunter* became playable for Expansion Pack members.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbioF6bhKJc) The main N64 Classics app itself carries an ESRB descriptor of Blood, Use of Alcohol, and Violence.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
**The library keeps growing.** *Donkey Kong 64*, Rare's 1999 platformer and one of the largest omissions from the N64 library for years, was added on 4 June 2026, almost exactly one year after the Switch 2 launched.[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/donkey-kong/donkey-kong-64-is-finally-coming-to-nintendo-switch-online-so-you-can-experience-never-completing-it-as-an-adult-either/) Across all of its classic systems, the Nintendo Classics service now offers a library of over 270 titles spanning GameCube (exclusive to Switch 2), [Game Boy Advance](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-boy-advance), Nintendo 64, [Virtual Boy](https://www.edgepedia.org/virtual-boy), Super NES, Game Boy, and NES.[13](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/play-it-loud-with-nintendo-classics/) A dedicated Nintendo 64 Controller is available for purchase by Nintendo Switch Online members, with built-in rumble functionality for compatible games.[2](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
## Preservation and hardware alternatives
The Nintendo 64 is a demanding case for game preservation: its intricate architecture and microcode-based operations make faithful emulation especially difficult, and legal and ethical debates continue to shape preservation practice.[14](https://cdn.aui.ma/sse-capstone-repository/pdf/spring-2025/salmamahidat100820_4200_3935375_final%20rep%20mahidat.pdf) Beyond Nintendo's own service, dedicated retro hardware serves the same catalog. The [Analogue 3D](https://www.edgepedia.org/analogue-3d), an FPGA-based N64 console, runs original cartridges including *Super Mario 64*, *Mario Party 3*, *GoldenEye 007*, and *WCW/NWO Revenge*, though reviewers note that the N64 library itself has aged poorly in places, with blurry textures, floaty controls, and dipping frame rates.[15](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/analogue-3d-review) Nintendo's own final hardware expression of the library was the iQue Player, released in November 2003 by iQue, a joint venture between Nintendo and the Chinese-American engineer Wei Yen, which miniaturized the entire N64 into a controller with a built-in screen and retailed for RMB 498.[1](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/)
## References
1. [Nintendo 64 (N64) | Retro Console Museum](https://retro.chiba.tw/en/consoles/n64/)
2. [Nintendo 64™ – Nintendo Classics, Nintendo Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/nintendo-64-nintendo-classics-switch/)
3. [Nintendo History | Hardware | Nintendo UK](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-History/Nintendo-History-625945.html)
4. [¿Mejor o peor? Comparativa del catálogo de lanzamiento de Switch 2 con todas las consolas de Nintendo, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/reportajes/mejor-o-peor-comparativa-del-catalogo-de-lanzamiento-de-switch-2-con-todas-las-consolas-de-nintendo-n/)
5. [Nintendo 64 details, UVL platform statistics](https://www.uvlist.net/platforms/stats/7-N64)
6. [Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Games – Nintendo Direct 6.18.24, Nintendo of America (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbioF6bhKJc)
7. [All Retro N64 Games, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/retro/games/browse?system=n64)
8. [Best Games on Nintendo 64, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/nintendo-64/all/all-time/metascore/)
9. [The 25 best N64 games of all time, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-n64-games-all-time/)
10. [Here Are The "Top 200" Best-Selling Nintendo 64 Games In The US, Nintendo Life](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/here-are-the-top-200-best-selling-nintendo-64-games-in-the-us)
11. [Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack – Games, DLC & Classic Consoles, Nintendo](https://www.nintendo.com/us/online/nintendo-switch-online/expansion-pack/)
12. [Donkey Kong 64 is finally coming to Nintendo Switch Online, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/donkey-kong/donkey-kong-64-is-finally-coming-to-nintendo-switch-online-so-you-can-experience-never-completing-it-as-an-adult-either/)
13. [Play it loud with Nintendo Classics!, Nintendo Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/play-it-loud-with-nintendo-classics/)
14. [Imageability and emulation challenges of the Nintendo 64, SSE Capstone Repository](https://cdn.aui.ma/sse-capstone-repository/pdf/spring-2025/salmamahidat100820_4200_3935375_final%20rep%20mahidat.pdf)
15. [Reliving the 90s via the Analogue 3D, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/analogue-3d-review)
16. [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2003/675/oj/eng/pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual Nintendo-platform game titles › Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license