The N64’s Untapped Potential — How Nintendo’s Wildest Console Still Feels Ahead of Its Time
When I decided to dive back into retro gaming, I started with the console that I remember most fondly: the Nintendo 64. In my childhood brain, it felt lightyears ahead of anything else. The graphics, the weirdly shaped controller, the leap into 3D — it all blew me away back then. Coming back to it now, I realise just how ambitious the N64 really was.
It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but that’s part of its charm. It was bold, experimental, and in many ways, ahead of its time.
The Bold Leap Into 3D
Nintendo had already made their mark with the NES and SNES, but the N64 was where they truly threw the dice. Super Mario 64 wasn’t just another platformer — it was the template for 3D gaming as we know it. The freedom of movement, the open worlds, the camera system… everything about it set the stage for decades of games to follow.
And then there was the controller. Love it or hate it, the three-pronged N64 pad introduced the analogue stick to the mainstream. Without it, we don’t get the DualShock, the Xbox controller, or even the Switch’s Joy-Cons in the form we know today. It felt strange at first, but once you got the hang of it, that little stick made 3D worlds playable in a way a D-pad never could.
Let’s not forget the four controller ports, either. Before online play was a thing, this was the console that made local multiplayer king. GoldenEye 007, Mario Kart 64, Smash Bros. — friendships were forged and destroyed in those living room battles.
Limitations That Shaped Creativity
For all its innovation, the N64 had its fair share of flaws. Nintendo’s decision to stick with cartridges while Sony pushed CDs meant developers had less storage to work with. Games had to be tighter, more efficient — sometimes that meant losing out on full-motion video or CD-quality sound.
But here’s the thing: those limitations bred creativity. Rare, in particular, seemed to squeeze every ounce of power out of the machine. Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Conker’s Bad Fur Day — games that still feel rich and imaginative, even with their storage constraints.
The N64 library may not have been the biggest, but when it hit, it really hit.
Why It Still Matters
So why revisit the N64 today? For me, it’s not just nostalgia. The console represents a turning point — a moment when gaming was stepping into uncharted territory. It was messy, experimental, and exciting in a way that’s hard to find in today’s polished, hyper-planned releases.
Playing these games again reminds me of how groundbreaking they felt, and how many of their ideas still echo in modern gaming. The joy of exploring Hyrule in Ocarina of Time. The thrill of a perfectly timed shell in Mario Kart 64. The chaos of a four-player GoldenEye match on a tiny CRT TV. These weren’t just games; they were cultural moments.
Looking Ahead
The N64 might not be everyone’s favourite retro console, but for me it’s the one that captures the spirit of why I’ve gone back to retro in the first place. It was bold, imperfect, but unforgettable.
Of course, no console is defined only by its hardware or ambition — it’s the games that make it legendary. And the N64 has some of the very best.