Bernkastel
Reaper of Miracles
I do not normally make threads in this section simply because I have limited video games knowledge. The only game console that I currently own is my trusty N64. And while games like Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark, Mario 64, and Goldeneye have been beaten to hell and back on this forum I feel that racers do not get enough respect. In this thread I countdown what I feel are the top 10 racing games for the N64.
I tried to look at things objectively as I took into consideration things like game play, replay value, single player, and multiplayer values.
Those of you that thought that this game would have been closer to the bottom obviously have not played very many racers. I find it remarkable that this game seems to have ridden the coattails of other fantastic Mario games for the 64 like Mario 64, Mario Golf, Mario Party, and Mario Tennis rather than get by on its own merit.
Don’t get wrong, this game is a fantastic multiplayer… but that’s about it. I personally can beat just about every race in single player mode including the backwards tracks within about 3 hours… and then I’m bored with it. The AI might be annoying at times, but the more I play the game by myself, the more I find myself having to give them a handicap just to make things interesting.
The replay value of the game shines through in multiplayer mode only, as the verse and battle modes of Mario Kart are the stuff of legends, but the game in single player mode gets dull as soon as you beat everything.
The N64 is known for several direct from arcade ports, and while some games like Hydro Thunder and California Speed are decent; they tend to offer little in replay value, and come up short in multiplayer mode. Others like Off Road Challenge and Cruis’n USA are just downright bad games.
Cruis’n World is the sequel to Cruis’n USA, and is better in every way possible. Not only can you use every car found in the game, put there’s also a paint shop –a feature that separates World from its sequel Exotica- and a hoard of bonus cars that actually takes quite of few hours of single player game play to unlock. Players can choose between two modes, Cruise and Championship. Cruise mode is the standard arcade style races while Championship mode modifies the existing Cruise levels into timed lapped tracks. If you can beat a certain time on certain tracks you can win all sorts of goodies.
Four player game play guarantees some amounts of fun, but tracks are simple and straightforward, and there are little shortcuts to be found. Plus bonus cars do not copy from file to file, so expect your competition to get butthurt if you use the Speed Demon and they don’t have it.
This was a triangle tossup between F-Zero X, Wipeout 64, and Extreme G as all three games are fundamentally the same. F-Zero X may have shittier graphics compared to the other two but the controls are much smoother. There are more levels to be offered in F-Zero X compared to the others, with 30+ vehicles on the road traveling at near hypersonic speeds all at the same time.
Multiplayer mode in my opinion for F-Zero X is vastly superior to Wipeout or Extreme G. Extreme G, while bad fucking ass as a single racer tends to come up short as it only offers two player racing, and the battle arena mode is awful. Wipeout 64 [like Hydro Thunder] becomes really glitchy if the screen is split more than twice. F-Zero X is the only one that offers a full grid in multiplayer mode with smooth game play at the same time.
The replay value for F-Zero X is higher than the others in my opinion. I put down Extreme G as soon as I beat it, and Wipeout seems to shine brighter in multiplayer mode than in single player mode. F-Zero X is great either as a single or multi-racer.
While there are several Rally games for the N64, this one just stands head and shoulders above everything else. The game play is realistic; cars react to the terrain how you would expect them too. When you drive on ice, it going to actually feel like you’re driving on ice. When the cars steer on dirt or mud, you can actually see the tires dig into the ground and throw around debris. And to top things off there is realistic damage done to the car whenever you hit a wall that affects your overall handling and speed. The cars also have lights that actually penetrate into the darkness and fog.
The tracks are all long and wide open, and there are plenty of shortcuts to be found. Settings include clear, sunny, night, foggy, snowy, and heavy rain with any combination available. Available options for multiplayer include up to four players complete with Rally and Championship modes.
Like F-Zero X, there are around 30 something cars in the race and you start from behind and work your way up. Unlike most other racers though, AI becomes better and more aggressive as you advance through the polls. You might pass seven cars in the blink of an eye, but then spend half a lap trying to pass the next three.
The only major setback is the controls. They are advanced and realistic, which makes the game hard to grasp at first. Choose the wrong steering and your car slides all over the place, choose the wrong tires and your car slides all over the place, choose the wrong suspension and your car might not perform as well. Finding the right balance for each car is part of the fun.
Wave Race is one of those games which ages like a fine wine. It was so innovative and ground breaking that many fans and critics still hold it as the standard for jet ski racing games. Realistic wave patterns, changing tides, and realistic jet ski motions really make this game fun to play. And that I mention that you can ride a dolphin?
The game play is actually quite challenging, and even veteran players will find that they have to repeat expert mode several times in order to beat all the championships. It took me months just to get that pain in the ass glacier level, then a few more years to beat it completely as I would always put it down out of frustration. The stunt mode on the game becomes redundant for single play after a while, but provides hours of fun for two people.
The levels are colorful, and packed full of interesting secrets and obstacles. And to this day the change in the tides on some levels gets me every time. Fucking waves! Bah!
Those that want to call this game a cheap knockoff of Mario Kart either haven’t played it and are just spewing ignorance, or are just completely ******ed. Those that have played this game and Mario Kart know that the two are nothing alike except for the controls. Diddy Kong Racing not only has a story [however corny it might be] and levels that make the game seem more like an adventure than a racing game.
There are four different worlds located around a central island that the player has to race through. Each world hosts four different races and a mini boss, and all of them have to be beaten twice before the world is cleared. You win races and collect balloons which help you progress throughout the game. Once all four mini bosses are defeated, which take hours upon hours to do, the player can then challenge the main boss. Once the main boss is defeated the game is over; or is it? Turns out there’s a fifth world you have to beat, and then you have to beat the main boss a second time, which is just stupidly hard. After months and months of frustration and sleepless nights trying to beat the damn thing you succeed to find that the game STILL isn’t over! You now have to do beat all the levels and bosses again, but this time in reverse. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck me! Does this game last forever? Well, I’ve been playing it for over 15 years and I can’t even get halfway through the backwards tracks so I’d say yes, yes it does.
The game offers plenty of other extras as well, like several mini games and battle arenas with up to four person play. And while the mini games aren’t nearly as diverse as the Mario Kart verse or battle modes, the two player adventure mode will keep you and a friend occupied long after the thrill of Mario Kart ends.
One of my all time personal favorite games; what separates this game from the others is that Rush is more than just a racing game. The levels are so huge and wide open and packed full of shortcuts and secret items that it just compels the player to go into practice mode just so they find everything.
Like its predecessor San Francisco Rush, Rush 2 expands on many of the concepts found in that game. There are plenty of levels and secret levels to race, and so many cars to choose from it’ll make your head spin. The cars can be customized in nearly every way imaginable. There are paint, rims, engine, horn, torque, suspension, and steering options available. Bonus cars can be earned by collecting keys or Mountain Dew cans hidden in each level and the levels are modeled after famous cities across the United States. There are special levels such as the half pipe, pipe, crash courses and a stunt course to provide hours of alternative fun for when you don’t want to race.
There are two modes to choose from, single race and circuit. In circuit mode the player races all the levels except the special ones in forward, backwards, and mirrored settings. Wind and fog settings can be placed manually or automatically. Death circuit races are also available, where basically if your car blows up the race automatically ends.
The only real drawback is that the game only offers two player capabilities, but regards the games offers hours upon hours of game play either way.
While a racing game with nothing but Volkswagen Beetles to choose from might throw some people off, I urge anyone with a N64 to pick up a copy of this game immediately. You will not be disappointed. The game play is superb, and the cars react to the terrain similar to an actual car instead of flying of flying off of every cliff or wall imaginable like in the Rush series. Speed and handling are realistic, as are level designs to an extent. The visuals are stunning, and the cars that are available have their own sets of strength and weaknesses.
Even though there are only six levels to choose from, each one is enormous and is packed full of more shortcuts and secrets than those in the Rush games. Single players will find that there are more things to do after the championship modes are completed. Each level has roughly 100 points worth in specially marked boxes that must be collected during the duration of a race to unlock additional goodies. And how would the creators go about doing this? Through the addition of the police beetle. When the player taps the siren all the other AI cars come to a stop and pull over on the side of the road. I thought this was the coolest thing ever considering how aggressive the AI is in the game. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea the first time I tried it.
In addition to single player mode, up to four players can participate in either race or arena mode. The arena mode is similar to battle mode except players much accomplish a certain task in order to win. There are plenty of different levels available for the arena; enough to provide countless hours of entertainment.
While on the outside this games seems like a typical motocross game, I can say with confidence that it is anything but ordinary. The amount of game packed into that one little cartridge is unbelievable. The sheer amount of potential game play hours are just staggering.
The courses range from construction yards, rain forests, and winter horrorlands, to motocross arena courses designed after the actual things. The levels are not easy, and take some time to master as the terrain varies from level to level. The riders are all uniquely balanced, and even come with their own special stunt move. There are a number of special levels including a stunt course and desert course. Two players can play each other in a game of soccer by pushing around a giant ball or go head to head in a dangerous hill climb.
The good people at Activision even included full copies of the Original Excitebike for the NES and ExciteBike 3D which can be unlocked. To top things off the game comes complete with a level designer, and a mode which players can create a championship and race formally on their own creations. The game even includes capacity for four players in verse mode, which includes all the races, created courses, and stunt and desert courses.
This is by far the all around best racing game that I have seen for the N64. 2049 took everything that made Rush 1 and Rush 2 such huge successes and improved them even more. Even though there aren’t as many racing levels as there are in Rush 2, the game comes with so many extras that most will probably ignore the “racing” part.
Like Rush 2 the levels in 2049 are all open and exploration is encouraged; however, many of the short cuts can only be activated after hitting certain switches found on the road. Instead of keys, players have to find coins and they are NOT easy to get. I don’t care how good you are, you will spend months trying to get these sons of bitches. One and two player circuit races are available for those that reeeeeeeeally want to race, and four players can race normally.
Those that don’t want to race should hit up one of the many stunt courses that are available. One of the improvement over Rush 2 is that cars are now equipped with wings that makes pulling off stunts easier to execute. You drive off a ramp, gets lots of air, perform a shitload of flips, hopefully don’t crash and burn, and get awarded big time. Then you repeat. There are even more coins that players can find. Stunt mode supports up to four players.
If by some slim chance stunt mode gets boring players can move to the battle mode, where Mario Kart meets Vigilante 8; however, this mode is so addicting that playing this mode once will make you want to shelf both of those games for at least a month. There are so many weapons and levels to choose from, and with four players game play hours are only limited by the need to eat and sleep.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s an obstacle course which can be unlocked that is fucking damn hard to beat no matter how many times you try it. Even though only one player can play it doesn’t mean that multiple people can’t enjoy it. Just get a bunch of your drunk, high friends together and say “I bet you can’t beat this” and show them the obstacle course. No one is going to want to leave that house until someone either beats it, or passes out from alcohol poising.
I tried to look at things objectively as I took into consideration things like game play, replay value, single player, and multiplayer values.
10.) Mario Kart 64
Those of you that thought that this game would have been closer to the bottom obviously have not played very many racers. I find it remarkable that this game seems to have ridden the coattails of other fantastic Mario games for the 64 like Mario 64, Mario Golf, Mario Party, and Mario Tennis rather than get by on its own merit.
Don’t get wrong, this game is a fantastic multiplayer… but that’s about it. I personally can beat just about every race in single player mode including the backwards tracks within about 3 hours… and then I’m bored with it. The AI might be annoying at times, but the more I play the game by myself, the more I find myself having to give them a handicap just to make things interesting.
The replay value of the game shines through in multiplayer mode only, as the verse and battle modes of Mario Kart are the stuff of legends, but the game in single player mode gets dull as soon as you beat everything.
9.) Cruis’n World
The N64 is known for several direct from arcade ports, and while some games like Hydro Thunder and California Speed are decent; they tend to offer little in replay value, and come up short in multiplayer mode. Others like Off Road Challenge and Cruis’n USA are just downright bad games.
Cruis’n World is the sequel to Cruis’n USA, and is better in every way possible. Not only can you use every car found in the game, put there’s also a paint shop –a feature that separates World from its sequel Exotica- and a hoard of bonus cars that actually takes quite of few hours of single player game play to unlock. Players can choose between two modes, Cruise and Championship. Cruise mode is the standard arcade style races while Championship mode modifies the existing Cruise levels into timed lapped tracks. If you can beat a certain time on certain tracks you can win all sorts of goodies.
Four player game play guarantees some amounts of fun, but tracks are simple and straightforward, and there are little shortcuts to be found. Plus bonus cars do not copy from file to file, so expect your competition to get butthurt if you use the Speed Demon and they don’t have it.
8.) F-Zero X
This was a triangle tossup between F-Zero X, Wipeout 64, and Extreme G as all three games are fundamentally the same. F-Zero X may have shittier graphics compared to the other two but the controls are much smoother. There are more levels to be offered in F-Zero X compared to the others, with 30+ vehicles on the road traveling at near hypersonic speeds all at the same time.
Multiplayer mode in my opinion for F-Zero X is vastly superior to Wipeout or Extreme G. Extreme G, while bad fucking ass as a single racer tends to come up short as it only offers two player racing, and the battle arena mode is awful. Wipeout 64 [like Hydro Thunder] becomes really glitchy if the screen is split more than twice. F-Zero X is the only one that offers a full grid in multiplayer mode with smooth game play at the same time.
The replay value for F-Zero X is higher than the others in my opinion. I put down Extreme G as soon as I beat it, and Wipeout seems to shine brighter in multiplayer mode than in single player mode. F-Zero X is great either as a single or multi-racer.
7.) Top Gear Rally
While there are several Rally games for the N64, this one just stands head and shoulders above everything else. The game play is realistic; cars react to the terrain how you would expect them too. When you drive on ice, it going to actually feel like you’re driving on ice. When the cars steer on dirt or mud, you can actually see the tires dig into the ground and throw around debris. And to top things off there is realistic damage done to the car whenever you hit a wall that affects your overall handling and speed. The cars also have lights that actually penetrate into the darkness and fog.
The tracks are all long and wide open, and there are plenty of shortcuts to be found. Settings include clear, sunny, night, foggy, snowy, and heavy rain with any combination available. Available options for multiplayer include up to four players complete with Rally and Championship modes.
Like F-Zero X, there are around 30 something cars in the race and you start from behind and work your way up. Unlike most other racers though, AI becomes better and more aggressive as you advance through the polls. You might pass seven cars in the blink of an eye, but then spend half a lap trying to pass the next three.
The only major setback is the controls. They are advanced and realistic, which makes the game hard to grasp at first. Choose the wrong steering and your car slides all over the place, choose the wrong tires and your car slides all over the place, choose the wrong suspension and your car might not perform as well. Finding the right balance for each car is part of the fun.
6.) Wave Race 64
Wave Race is one of those games which ages like a fine wine. It was so innovative and ground breaking that many fans and critics still hold it as the standard for jet ski racing games. Realistic wave patterns, changing tides, and realistic jet ski motions really make this game fun to play. And that I mention that you can ride a dolphin?
The game play is actually quite challenging, and even veteran players will find that they have to repeat expert mode several times in order to beat all the championships. It took me months just to get that pain in the ass glacier level, then a few more years to beat it completely as I would always put it down out of frustration. The stunt mode on the game becomes redundant for single play after a while, but provides hours of fun for two people.
The levels are colorful, and packed full of interesting secrets and obstacles. And to this day the change in the tides on some levels gets me every time. Fucking waves! Bah!
5.) Diddy Kong Racing
Those that want to call this game a cheap knockoff of Mario Kart either haven’t played it and are just spewing ignorance, or are just completely ******ed. Those that have played this game and Mario Kart know that the two are nothing alike except for the controls. Diddy Kong Racing not only has a story [however corny it might be] and levels that make the game seem more like an adventure than a racing game.
There are four different worlds located around a central island that the player has to race through. Each world hosts four different races and a mini boss, and all of them have to be beaten twice before the world is cleared. You win races and collect balloons which help you progress throughout the game. Once all four mini bosses are defeated, which take hours upon hours to do, the player can then challenge the main boss. Once the main boss is defeated the game is over; or is it? Turns out there’s a fifth world you have to beat, and then you have to beat the main boss a second time, which is just stupidly hard. After months and months of frustration and sleepless nights trying to beat the damn thing you succeed to find that the game STILL isn’t over! You now have to do beat all the levels and bosses again, but this time in reverse. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck me! Does this game last forever? Well, I’ve been playing it for over 15 years and I can’t even get halfway through the backwards tracks so I’d say yes, yes it does.
The game offers plenty of other extras as well, like several mini games and battle arenas with up to four person play. And while the mini games aren’t nearly as diverse as the Mario Kart verse or battle modes, the two player adventure mode will keep you and a friend occupied long after the thrill of Mario Kart ends.
4.) Rush 2
One of my all time personal favorite games; what separates this game from the others is that Rush is more than just a racing game. The levels are so huge and wide open and packed full of shortcuts and secret items that it just compels the player to go into practice mode just so they find everything.
Like its predecessor San Francisco Rush, Rush 2 expands on many of the concepts found in that game. There are plenty of levels and secret levels to race, and so many cars to choose from it’ll make your head spin. The cars can be customized in nearly every way imaginable. There are paint, rims, engine, horn, torque, suspension, and steering options available. Bonus cars can be earned by collecting keys or Mountain Dew cans hidden in each level and the levels are modeled after famous cities across the United States. There are special levels such as the half pipe, pipe, crash courses and a stunt course to provide hours of alternative fun for when you don’t want to race.
There are two modes to choose from, single race and circuit. In circuit mode the player races all the levels except the special ones in forward, backwards, and mirrored settings. Wind and fog settings can be placed manually or automatically. Death circuit races are also available, where basically if your car blows up the race automatically ends.
The only real drawback is that the game only offers two player capabilities, but regards the games offers hours upon hours of game play either way.
3.) Beetle Adventure Racing
While a racing game with nothing but Volkswagen Beetles to choose from might throw some people off, I urge anyone with a N64 to pick up a copy of this game immediately. You will not be disappointed. The game play is superb, and the cars react to the terrain similar to an actual car instead of flying of flying off of every cliff or wall imaginable like in the Rush series. Speed and handling are realistic, as are level designs to an extent. The visuals are stunning, and the cars that are available have their own sets of strength and weaknesses.
Even though there are only six levels to choose from, each one is enormous and is packed full of more shortcuts and secrets than those in the Rush games. Single players will find that there are more things to do after the championship modes are completed. Each level has roughly 100 points worth in specially marked boxes that must be collected during the duration of a race to unlock additional goodies. And how would the creators go about doing this? Through the addition of the police beetle. When the player taps the siren all the other AI cars come to a stop and pull over on the side of the road. I thought this was the coolest thing ever considering how aggressive the AI is in the game. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea the first time I tried it.
In addition to single player mode, up to four players can participate in either race or arena mode. The arena mode is similar to battle mode except players much accomplish a certain task in order to win. There are plenty of different levels available for the arena; enough to provide countless hours of entertainment.
2.) Excite Bike 64
While on the outside this games seems like a typical motocross game, I can say with confidence that it is anything but ordinary. The amount of game packed into that one little cartridge is unbelievable. The sheer amount of potential game play hours are just staggering.
The courses range from construction yards, rain forests, and winter horrorlands, to motocross arena courses designed after the actual things. The levels are not easy, and take some time to master as the terrain varies from level to level. The riders are all uniquely balanced, and even come with their own special stunt move. There are a number of special levels including a stunt course and desert course. Two players can play each other in a game of soccer by pushing around a giant ball or go head to head in a dangerous hill climb.
The good people at Activision even included full copies of the Original Excitebike for the NES and ExciteBike 3D which can be unlocked. To top things off the game comes complete with a level designer, and a mode which players can create a championship and race formally on their own creations. The game even includes capacity for four players in verse mode, which includes all the races, created courses, and stunt and desert courses.
1.) San Francisco Rush 2049
This is by far the all around best racing game that I have seen for the N64. 2049 took everything that made Rush 1 and Rush 2 such huge successes and improved them even more. Even though there aren’t as many racing levels as there are in Rush 2, the game comes with so many extras that most will probably ignore the “racing” part.
Like Rush 2 the levels in 2049 are all open and exploration is encouraged; however, many of the short cuts can only be activated after hitting certain switches found on the road. Instead of keys, players have to find coins and they are NOT easy to get. I don’t care how good you are, you will spend months trying to get these sons of bitches. One and two player circuit races are available for those that reeeeeeeeally want to race, and four players can race normally.
Those that don’t want to race should hit up one of the many stunt courses that are available. One of the improvement over Rush 2 is that cars are now equipped with wings that makes pulling off stunts easier to execute. You drive off a ramp, gets lots of air, perform a shitload of flips, hopefully don’t crash and burn, and get awarded big time. Then you repeat. There are even more coins that players can find. Stunt mode supports up to four players.
If by some slim chance stunt mode gets boring players can move to the battle mode, where Mario Kart meets Vigilante 8; however, this mode is so addicting that playing this mode once will make you want to shelf both of those games for at least a month. There are so many weapons and levels to choose from, and with four players game play hours are only limited by the need to eat and sleep.
And if that weren’t enough, there’s an obstacle course which can be unlocked that is fucking damn hard to beat no matter how many times you try it. Even though only one player can play it doesn’t mean that multiple people can’t enjoy it. Just get a bunch of your drunk, high friends together and say “I bet you can’t beat this” and show them the obstacle course. No one is going to want to leave that house until someone either beats it, or passes out from alcohol poising.
