3 Greatest Nintendo 64 Games Turning 30 This Year

Published Aug 21, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Of course, with the console being so influential, it is, naturally, also rather old. The N64 launched on June 23, 1996, a date that feels simultaneously so far away and yet so close, considering just how nostalgic we all seem to be for the 90s and specifically the latter years. Alongside the console itself celebrating its 30th anniversary, a few games that launched with it are also turning 30. These games are easily some of the most influential N64 games of all time and are undeniably worth celebrating all these years later.

3 Wave Race 64

Wave Race 64 was an incredibly impressive title for the Nintendo 64 that not only illustrated just how groundbreaking a console it was, but also how ahead of the curve Nintendo had become. Its realistic water physics, which added a new layer of tension to each race, brought a new dynamic to the genre that no other developer or studio was offering. It significantly elevated a good racer into a truly exceptional one, delivering visuals and spectacle in a truly revolutionary way.

30 years later, Wave Race 64 holds up. You can see its influence on certain tracks in the newer Mario Kart games, especially Mario Kart World, although the lack of a meaningful evolution today is a genuine shame. Playing it in 2026 is still just as fun and jaw-droppingly impressive as it was 30 years ago, and that is unlikely to ever change. Wave Race 64 was truly one of the very best Nintendo 64 titles, not simply because of how revolutionary it was, but because every component came together perfectly to deliver a legitimately phenomenal racing experience like no other.

2 Star Wars: Shadows Of the Empire

It may be hard to remember, but the release of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was a huge moment for the franchise and a truly groundbreaking experience in general. It wasn't merely the release of a video game, but rather a multimedia project that saw figures, a novelization, a video game, and a whole new score drop at the same time. The release of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was akin to the release of any other Star Wars movie, and that is partially why it remains such an important cultural touchstone for many fans.

Of course, the game itself was phenomenal and remains one of the best Star Wars games ever made. Introducing fans to the wonderfully roguish Dash Rendar, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire tells a compelling story across numerous diverse levels that blended a whole host of unique gameplay types to create a cinematic and extremely memorable experience from start to finish. The level of variety on offer, the compelling characters, stunning 3D visuals for the time, and sheer scale of spectacle make Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire a worthwhile experience on the N64, even 30 years later.

1 Super Mario 64

Of course, Super Mario 64 is easily the greatest Nintendo 64 game that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It was an enormous success for Nintendo, remains a critically acclaimed and endlessly enjoyable experience that has only aged ever so slightly, and proved to be a truly groundbreaking experience for both the platforming genre and video games in general. So much owes Super Mario 64 a wealth of gratitude for just how much it has inspired them, from the vast majority of 3D titles to the entire platforming genre.

It is honestly hard to believe that Super Mario 64 is 30 years old at this point. Its stylized visuals still look breathtaking to this day, and while the camera can be a bit fiddly and it lacks a lot of the mechanics that make the current generation of Mario titles so engrossing, Super Mario 64 is a genuine joy to play through in 2026.

You'll struggle to find someone who isn't as enamored and blown away by Super Mario 64 today as fans were back in 1996, even when compared with its successors. Super Mario 64 was as incredible a launch title for the Nintendo 64 as Breath of the Wild was for the Nintendo Switch, and it'll forever be fondly remembered and enjoyed.