37% Of People Wish They Could Replay This N64 Game For The First Time
Nintendo made its first major foray into 3D gaming in 1996 with the release of the Nintendo 64. The home console was the follow up to the company's Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and it was quite the advancement. The console was not only a major graphical update from the previous generation, but it also featured four-player support and a slew of titles (including some hidden gems) to make use of these enhancements. In fact, developers still kept producing games for the Nintendo 64 well after the next generation's GameCube had made its debut.
The Nintendo 64 had a strong lineup of games, with many of these titles being the first 3D entries for their respective franchises. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first 3D Zelda game, which established the formula for other 3D entries in the series. The same rule applied to other IPs, such as Super Mario and Donkey Kong, which also fully ventured into the world of 3D for the first time on the Nintendo 64.
A recent survey asked fans which Nintendo 64 title they wished they could replay for the first time, and one game beat out the rest of its competitors.
Super Mario 64 jumps to the top
It turns out that a large number gamers would love to relive the experience of playing Super Mario 64 for the first time. Super Mario 64 took 37% of the vote, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which claimed 21%. GoldenEye 007 garnered 14% of the vote, while Super Smash Bros. snagged 13% and Banjo-Kazooie scraped up 6%. Other titles that were mentioned by fans included Donkey Kong 64 and Perfect Dark, two popular Nintendo 64 titles that were critically acclaimed.
Super Mario 64 was the launch title for the Nintendo 64 in 1996. The game was Mario's first fully 3D adventure, consisting of over a dozen different sandbox environments where players could jump, wall kick, and take on Bowser's goons. The platformer was a collect-a-thon game that required players to complete specific missions in one of the game's courses in order to collect Stars and unlock more levels. The title has received a few re-releases, including a complete remake of the game for Nintendo DS in 2004 and an enhanced port in 2020, which was released as a part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection for Nintendo Switch.