My Top 10 Nintendo 64 Games

This is my second post in a series where I rank my top 10 games from each console I've owned.  If you haven't seen it, go check out my Top 10 Original Xbox Games of all time.  Anyway, this one will be about my top 10 Nintendo 64 games of all time.  I've only ever owned about 25 or so, but this will focus on the 10 I played most.  If you played Nintendo 64 games like me growing up, you should recognize most or all on this list.  As before, if any had a sequel, they will be combined into one entry.

Honorable Mention: Pokemon Snap
As a huge fan of the first two generations of Pokemon, I had to get and play Pokemon Snap as a kid.  I loved trying to best my previous shots that I had submitted to Professor Oak.  I also loved how the game slowly expanded, adding maps and items to interact with the Pokemon.  Unfortunately, this game is limited, as it sets you on the same linear track for each map.  It would've been cool if they at least had multiple tracks to choose from (each one with Pokemon you couldn't get on other paths).  I was also hoping for a sequel to be released when Generation 2 games came out, but alas, it wasn't to be.  

10. Super Smash Bros.
I was never that great of a Smash Bros. player, as my friends could attest to, but I still enjoyed it.  My favorite to play as, unsurprisingly, was Kirby, as he was easiest to succeed with for noobs like me.  What I really liked though were the "Break the Targets" and "Board the Platforms" challenges they had for each character.  I liked how each character's challenges were uniquely different and suited them.  I completed most of them, but I think there's a couple I could never manage.

9. NBA Hangtime
This arcade style basketball game was pretty fun.  If I could change one thing, it would be to not have a time limit on the team/player selection screen.  But they had to make it as much like an arcade game as they could, I suppose.  I did once beat every team in the game with a created player.  I also wish the game had famous players like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley, who were in the NBA at the time, but I think they weren't part of the players union or something.  

8. Pokemon Stadium (+ Pokemon Stadium 2)
Like I said, I was a big fan of Pokemon during the first two generations, so I had to get Pokemon Stadium.  I remember going opening day and spending my birthday money on it.  I distinctly remember it was close to $100, due to it containing the Gameboy cartridge adapter pack.  But I just absolutely loved how you could now play your Pokemon games on a bigger screen.  A screen, also, that didn't require additional lighting.  I spent countless hours doing that.  I also thoroughly enjoyed playing through the gym leaders they had in this game and of course, the minigames, which are still fun to this day. 

7. Star Fox 64
I remember playing this as a kid, but not having a ton of success with it in the single-player missions.  I always get stuck on the same planet.  Eventually, I played it through as a young adult, and I beat the game.  It was the easy path, but hey, I did it.  Maybe someday I'll do a harder path.  Anyway, as a kid, I remember playing multiplayer with my sister/friends and shooting each other down.  That was fun.

6. Wave Race 64
Another great multiplayer game was Wave Race.  I enjoyed the single-player races as well, and the stunt missions were fun, too.  I think I raced best with the girl in the game.  I thought she had the best handling.  But this game did get a bit monotonous at times, as it was basically just riding a jet ski to the correct side of a buoy.  But hey, it's still fun, and that announcer guy really earned his paycheck.

5. Goldeneye 007
Who didn't play the multiplayer version of this as kids?  I remember it fondly.  I also played the campaign many times, although I could never beat it, and I still haven't beaten it.  I have tried picking it up in recent years, only to realize how bad the controls are compared to FPS today, but perhaps someday.  

4. Mario Party (+ Mario Party 2)
I would argue the first two Mario Party's were the best multiplayer games on the Nintendo 64.  I remember putting countless hours into the first, both by myself and with others.  I also remember getting burns/blisters on the palm of my hand from the control stick spinning minigames.  I then (not very smartly) used a pair of batting gloves I owned, but I only ended up ruining those.  As for the second one, I never owned it, but I rented it several times from Blockbuster.  I probably should have just bought it (or asked for it for Christmas).  

3. Mario Kart 64
My girlfriend and I will still to this day whip this game out and do a grand prix together.  It holds up well.  I never had a favorite racer or favorite map, but I still enjoyed it.  I also loved the multiplayer battles they had as well.  I don't think there's been a 2 or 3-year period in my life that I haven't played this game since getting it.  I just have to play it every few years.  

2. Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.
This may be my favorite baseball video game of all time.  It's close.  It's got an arcade style, which you have to accept.  But I loved playing as the Mariners, mainly because they had such great players at the time in Jr., Edgar, Buhner, Randy Johnson, and A-Rod.  It's a bit too easy for me now, as I can just run up the score on the computer, even with a team full of bad players.  I just love the controls, which in my opinion, hold up well today.  

1. Super Mario 64
How could I not make this #1?  Granted, there is no multiplayer element, but there is no game I have put more single-player hours into in my life.  As a kid, this game did eventually fall to the wayside as I played others (like the ones on this list).  But I still pick it up every few years.  It wasn't until my late teens/early 20s that I finally got 120 stars.  Now, it's no problem to get.  I still see others streaming this game, showing me new ways to get stars, or showing me new glitches, so I have to try them out myself.  A few glitches I have gotten to work are glitching Mips through a door and doing the BLJ (backwards long jump) up a flight of stairs to get into an area I'm not supposed to have access to yet.  Anyway, this is just a game I could see myself playing every decade for the rest of my life; it's just that perfect.