I Wish There Were More N64 Games on Nintendo Switch

I love the Nintendo Switch. It’s an amazing piece of hardware with a stupidly awesome library of games, and I’m starting to think it’s my forever console. I really do believe I’ll be playing the Switch for the rest of my life (similar to how there are people still rocking the SNES).

However, I wish there were more N64 games on the Switch. If you look at the Switch’s current N64 library, it’s kind of pathetic. Unless I’ve missed something (and I don’t think I have), this is the full list:

• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
• Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
• Doom 64
• Star Wars Episode I: Racer
• Super Mario 64

Of those five games, only one of them (Super Mario 64) is exclusive to the Switch, and it’s only available as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which is now locked away in the Nintendo vault. Three of the others are first-person shooters, and the last one is a Star Wars-themed racing game. These are all great games. In fact, I own every single one of them, and I actually own multiple copies of the first Turok (I reviewed it on PC way back in the day).

However, that’s it. That’s the entirety of the Switch’s N64 lineup. To really drive home how odd that is, there are more PSOne games available on Switch than N64 games. In fact, there are almost as many PSOne Crash Bandicoot ports on the Switch as there are N64 games. Then you’ve got the Resident Evil games, the Spyro games, and the Final Fantasy games. I can’t remember which Mega Man games originally launched on PSOne, but I know there were several and I’m pretty sure those ended up on Switch as well. And all of that is off the top of my head; I’m sure I’ve missed a whole bunch.

So where are all the N64 games, Nintendo?

It’s especially astonishing that so many first-party titles are missing. I want to think that Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask will end up on the Switch for The Legend of Zelda‘s 35th anniversary, so we can add those to the likely candidates for Switch ports. I’m not sure we need Mario Kart 64 or the original Smash, as Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate kind of have us covered (I’d honestly rather have Nintendo add all N64 stages to both of those games and call it good).

But what about Donkey Kong 64 or Diddy Kong Racing? What about Paper Mario or Dr. Mario 64? How about Yoshi’s Story or Wave Racer 64 or Pilotwings 64?

When you exit the realm of first-party titles, your possibilities grow considerably. With a new Bond game on the Horizon, it would be a great time to revisit GoldenEye 007. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would be thrilled to see Banjo-Kazooie on Switch. Ogre Battle 64 was kind of overlooked in its day, but it definitely deserves a second look.

The N64 game I most want to see on Switch (with the possible exception of Majora’s Mask) is actually Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. And since Limited Run Games was able to do a cartridge re-release for Shadows, I think it’s safe to say they’d put out a physical release for the game if it were ever made available on Switch.

I’m not sure why Nintendo has been ignoring the fantastic N64 lineup. The N64 was a beloved console, and many of us look back on that era with a great deal of fondness. Bringing those games over to the Switch, where they can be enjoyed on the go, seems like a no-brainer.

So whaddya say, Ninty? You ready to give N64 fans a reason to call the Switch the ultimate gaming console? Open the floodgates. Our bodies are ready.