Great Nintendo 64 Remakes
Martin Watts December 30, 2012
A colourful history
With the Nintendo 64 being home to a wealth of great software titles, it’s only natural that some of games, at one point or another, were going to be given the makeover treatment and re-released for a new generation of gamers to enjoy. Some games are simply timeless and, despite their aged graphics, outdated audio and technical limitations, are still incredibly fun to play in this day and age.
While the terms “remakes” and “re-imaginings” conjure up memories of butchered classics and shameless cash-ins (*cough, cough* GoldenEye: Rogue Agent), there are some reworked and updated games that stay (mostly) true to the original masterpieces.
Below is a list of just some of the best Nintendo 64 remakes produced. Or, at least, that’s my opinion. If you disagree, then be sure to share your views in the comments section at the bottom. Also, to minimise the risk of death threats and suspicious-looking packages arriving in the post, it’s worth mentioning that the following are not listed in order of preference.
“Hey, quit shovin’!”
Super Mario 64 DS (Nintendo DS, 2004/2005)
Super Mario 64 DS is essentially an enhanced version of the Nintendo 64 classic. Most notably, it offers improved visuals and additional gameplay options, such as the ability to also play as Yoshi, Luigi and Wario. Despite the expanded roster of characters, the story remains unchanged (just like every other Mario game!), and Luigi and Wario simply adopt power-up abilities that were available to Mario in the original version (Wario can turn to metal, Luigi can become invisible).
Nevertheless, the game boasts an extra thirty stars for players to collect and feels instantly familiar to anyone who has played the Nintendo 64 version. Unfortunately, the lack of an analogue stick on the DS system means that players are either limited to the D-Pad or fiddly touchscreen controls, but it’s still very much playable.
