Look N64 game library now available if you’re a Nintendo Switch Onlne subscriber at the Expansion Pack level, we now have access to not one but two of Rareware’s all-time 64-bit classics as Banjo-Kazooie and now, Golden Eye 007. Just a few years ago, this seemed like a pipe dream, but with the arrival of Banjo and Kazooie in The Last Smash Bros apparently helped establish the ‘relationship’ between Nintendo and Microsoft – owners of Rare for more than 20 years now – it is no longer an idea for the work of developer Twycross to appear again on the Nintendo platform stranger anymore.
There’s still a set of games from the developer’s golden years that are likely to come to Nintendo Switch Online. Most are available on Xbox as part of Sublime Rare replay bundles, and some of them, especially those with a Nintendo IP, are probably more likely to appear on Switch than others.
So we thought we’d gather the handsome strays and ask you which one of them would you like to see coming to NSO in the most ideal of ideal worlds. You’ll find a poll at the bottom, but first, remind yourself of candidates from a time when Rare seemed infallible. We feature nine games in order of release date, starting with a real Killer…
Publishing company: Nintendo / Developers: Rare
a gate of Killer Instinct 2 from the domes, Killer Instinct Gold was the second KI to appear on the Nintendo platform (well, the third day count Game Boy port) next original on SuperNES. The N64 doesn’t have many great fighting games – the legacy of Smash Bros. is the console’s biggest contribution to the genre, but today’s platform fighters are a subgenre of their own – and KIG is one of those few fighters system games. remarkable.
The chance for us to get this on NSO seems far-fetched, as the series was revived on Xbox in 2013. Imagine if KI was announced and not DK64, for example? We like a little KIG (we’re actually quite fond of saying ‘KIG’ as well), but we don’t imagine this would top the poll at the bottom of the page.
Publishing company: Nintendo / Developers: Rare
blast corps involves clearing the way for a slow-moving truck carrying a malfunctioning nuclear missile to a safe detonation zone – an area blocked by buildings and other structures ripe for destruction. As with many 64-bit titles, its original polygonal image is said to look a bit dated these days, but don’t let its looks put you off. This insanely silly concept makes for one of the most fun games on the N64.
We’d love to see this get more love on Switch, but that seems unlikely for some of the heavier players below. Eg…
Publishing company: Nintendo / Developers: Rare
Diddy Kong Race made Mario Kart 64 pretty much what Banjo-Kazooie will do Super mario 64; namely, taking the sample given by Nintendo and expanding it with color and creativity to create more than a mere homage. DKR expanded the single player into an adventure, and the addition of planes and seaplanes required much larger, more complex circuits to race around. The game also brings Banjo and Conker to the console, both characters now owned by Microsoft.
We have seen rework, do it again came to DS in 2007 and with Diddy present we think this will be a strong ‘possible’ for a potential NSO re-release.
Publishing company: Nintendo / Developers: Rare
An underrated entry in the Rareware library, Gemini Jet Force Combine cute design with stout, gun-fired third-person explosions on a cross-world quest to defeat the insect lord Mizar. The adventures of Juno, Vela, and the trusty good boy Lupus are not without flaws, but JFG is a surprisingly deep and satisfying adventure that’s worth checking out if you’re a fan Rare graves are looking for the jewels that passed you by around the turn of the millennium.
To be honest, we didn’t like this opportunity coming to the Switch due to the fierce competition.
Publishing company: Nintendo / Developers: Rare
There are some to blame for the demise of the 3D Collectathon platform craze. Donkey Kong 64, about its no-nonsense ‘as much as possible’ approach. Featuring five playable Kongs (you know them well), huge worlds and loads of mini-games (including emulated versions of the original arcade game). Donkey Kong and Rare Jetpac), the DK64 was a hugely valuable proposition back in 1999, and we think it might deserve a re-evaluation. after a few decades bashing.
Given that Nintendo owns all of the characters in this one – and the fact that it did come to the Wii U Virtual Console – this is a top (eaten) contender for a little Switch Online love. Come on Cranky, bring it to the refrigerator.
