Still play games on Nintendo 64 or N64, if yes then you should try some popular games. Here we will be sharing a list of the 10 best fighting games for N64.
Gaming consoles from the earlier years have a particular charm around them. Be it the Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, NES Classic, or the PlayStation 1. There’s always a time where you’d enjoy going back and playing those old games. Owning a console from the really early years in today’s time is considered more like holding on to treasure that was buried away thousands of years ago.
Today we’ll be covering the Nintendo 64 and the games that have been created for it. The games, in particular, we’ll be covering fighting games that are available to play on the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 first debuted in 1996 and continued till 2002. The console has a 64-bit NEC VR4300 CPU running at 93.75MHz. It comes with an internal storage of 4MB – 64MB and 4MB of RAM which could be expanded with an 8MB expansion Pak. It’s also got an SGI ROP GPU that runs at 62.5MHz.
Best N64 Fighting Games
Let’s take a look at the top 10 Nintendo 64 fighting games.
10. Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals
If you love the whole Transformers series of movies and maybe have even played the transformers game of the Nintendo DS Lite, you will enjoy this game. You get to play any of the four Predacons or Maximals. The Nintendo 64 edition of this game also included some mini-games that you could enjoy apart from just fighting around with transformers. The Transformers Beast Wars Transmetals game was developed by Takara and was released for the Nintendo 64 for Japan in 1999 and the rest of the world in the year 2000.
9. Dark Rift
Here is a sci-fi fighting game for N64 that lets you fight around in three world dimensions – Light, Neutral and Dark. The player gets to choose from eight playable characters that they can use to play the best of three out of five rounds per match. You can also unlock two characters that are hidden by completing the single-player mode. Dark Rift was developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. Dark Rift is also said to be Nintendo 64’s first native fighting game.
8. War Gods
If you are old enough or have played games on arcade machines then you’ll surely remember playing this particular game. The game borrows controls and fatalities right from the Mortal Kombat game series. Players were able to choose from 10 different playable characters, and these characters actually looked quite good for the time. As a player, you fight around with all the characters and bosses to collect all the stones become the ultimate hero warrior above all. The game has been developed by Midway Games and was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997.
7. Flying Dragon
Here’s another N64 fighting game that wasn’t very much popular but a one-of-a-kind fighting game. It was two games combined into one, with the Japanese one titled Hiryลซ no Ken Twin. The game is not just about fighting but also has a few role-playing elements as well as a lot of game modes. On one hand, you had a 2D styles game mode and on the other a 3D styled game mode. In both versions of the game, you have to fight other characters earn coins, and progress ahead to be able to upgrade or rather equip your fighter with unlocked items. You are also able to make use of special boosters and special moves that will help you in attacking your opponent. Flying Dragon was developed by Culture Brain and it was released for the Nintendo 64 between 1997 and 1998.
6. Bio F.R.E.A.K.S
Another title from Midway Games in this Nintendo 64 fighting game list that was first tested on arcade machines and then, later on, was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. This is a futuristic fighting game that is fast-paced as well as the in-game music which has that energy and rush to get rid of the enemy. Bio Freaks follows the story where large corporations are trying to take over the other but instead of using war and nuclear tactics, they decide to use their half-machine half-human robots to fight. The main show here is about being as violent as you can get with all the weapons and tools that you have.
5. Mortal Kombat 4
This n64 Fighting games list would be incomplete without the mention of the Mortal Kombat games. One the best-known fighting game series to date. Mortal Kombat 4 introduced limited weapon systems which could be activated by using a combination of various button presses. The game has a huge roster of playable characters to choose from- 15 of them in all. This was also the first 3D game that was being developed by Midway Games. The game was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997.
4. Fighting Force 64
Developed by Core Design and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999 Fighting Force takes fighting games to a whole other level. With four playable characters to choose from you go around fighting with various people such as law enforcement, security, and other gangs as well. You do have a large collection of weapons that you can use to attack the enemies. The game also lets you play in solo mode or two-player same screen mode. The game may not be in the good books of a lot of people, but it surely is a fun game to play on Nintendo 64.
3. Maze: The Dark Age
The game has been set in the Middle Ages where the wizards seem to have unlimited weapons and can remain immortal. What can you expect from this game? Well first of all it’s from Midway Games and second, its shares similarities with Mortal Kombat 4. Be it points or weapons or even controls and special combinations. Overall, it’s a great Nintendo 64 game with good graphics and a well-designed game environment. The game was released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64.
2. Killer Instinct Gold
Another Mortal Kombat styled fighter game for Nintendo 64 that depends more on power, combos, and special moves to tear down your opponent. With each fight, you do get a chance to use combos but they do not have any special kind of buttons to activate. Apart from all that, the game can run at 60 frames per second. Not something that you would find on all the other fighting games on the list. The game has a practice mode, multiplayer mode, and tournament mode. Killer Instinct Gold game was developed by Rare and was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996.
1. Super Smash Brothers
No other way to end the Nintendo 64 Fighting game list with one of Nintendo’s successful games Super Smash Brothers. This game literally needs no explanation. It has most of the popular characters from various other titles. You fight against other characters in the game with the use of various weapons available. Like all Mario games, the graphics and sounds are what makes playing this game enjoyable especially when you can play with your friends.
Conclusion
There are lots of N64 fighting games out there for the Nintendo 64, however not all of them turned out to be popular or successful because of many reasons. It surely is a delight to play these retro games, though finding these games online can difficult because it could be rare and nobody makes game cartridges anymore. However, you might be lucky enough if you try to look for places that allow you to play online. The Internet Archive is a good place to start.
So that’s all on the list of best fighting games for Nintendo 64. Let us know your favorite game or a game that we missed and should be in the list.
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