If you’ve been into gaming for a few decades, you’ll have fond memories of ?Saturday mornings diving into the latest releases on Nintendo 64. While the likelihood of you having a Nintendo 64 still available to play is slim, the Switch offers a?? limited number of titles from the iconic console. 

It’s been 28 years since the Nintendo 64 first hit TV units across the world, and 22 years since the final game was released for the console in North America (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, for those interested). Th??at’s a long time to go without playing some of the classics that were available during the console’s six-year tenure.?? 

However, if you’ve got a Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack membership, there are a few of those classics available to play. While some of them are definitely more niche, here are 10 of the best titles available to ??play. Apologies in advance if this list reminds you that we're aging up a little too fast...

Super Mario 64

I can’t begin this list without mentioning Super Mario 64. It was one of two games that were released alongside the launch of the N64 in North America (alongside Pilotwings 64), so it’s one of the first games t?hat springs to mind when I think back to queuing outside my local video game store to get the console on launch day in 1996. 

I don’t feel like I need to explain Super Mario 64 too much, but just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 39 years, let me give you the TLDR (whic?h goes for most of the games): Mario is invited to visit Princess Peach, only to find Bowser has infiltrated and ?kidnapped her. Cue a mad dash across the realm to locate and rescue the Princess, and take down Bowser. 

Pokémon Snap

If you want an updated version of this classic 1999 Pokémon title, then you can get New Pokémon Snap, which was released specifically for the Switch back in 2021. However, nothing quite touches the or?iginal in terms of nostalgia and classic design. There’s something really special about curling up and snapping shots of Pokémon as remembered from childhood.&n?bsp;

What tips the original over the successor, personally, is the lack of pressure to complete tasks. Admittedly there isn’t much in the new?? one either, but if you face a lot of pressure on a daily basis, being able to simply focus on taking photos rather than needing a reason to is actually really nice. 

Paper Mario

First reaching North America in 2001, Paper Mario is the first in a series of six games (or seven, if you count Paper Jam) to feature Mario and associated characters in their â€?.5Dâ€?forms. Again, the plot is familiar to all Mario fans - Bowser has Princess Peach, and Mario m??ust battle through the Mushroom Kingdom to get her back and kick some overgrown turtle butt. 

What makes the Paper Mario series incredibly special, and especially the first, is not only the art style but the puzzles and cooperation w?ith other characters as well. The RPG elements and turn-based combat moments are tense, but not overly so.? 

GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007 is an absolutely guaranteed memory for anyone who grew up in the 90s, whether you actually played or simply knew other people who did and desperately wanted to but your parents thought it was too gr?aphic. The idea of the latter is laughable now, considering the current gaming graphics we’ve become so used to, but the 90s were a different time. 

Regardless, the cover art of GoldenEye 007 is enough to trigger some childhood memories for most, featuring Pierce Brosnan as Bond and Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova. It’s based on the story from 1995’s GoldenEye, and as Bond, it’s up to the player to take down a criminal syndicate and prevent them from using a satellite weapon. It also had multiplayer options, which would usually result in an argum?ent or two. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released in 1998, Ocarina of Time was the first of the Zelda game series to feature 3D graphics. It is, arguably, among the best and most iconic video games of all time, and at the time of release, it received far more p??re-orders than any other game before it. 

As with most other Zelda titles, you take the role of Link and have all of his usual weapons in your arsenal, including the iconic sword and shield. The story is hard to explain if you’ve never ??played, but in short, Link must aw??aken the five Sages, defeat Ganondorf, and protect the kingdom of Hyrule. 

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was released in 2000, and as with the previous Ocarina of Time, The Crystal Shards was the first Kirby title to have 3D graphics. For most people of a certain age, Kirby is one of thos??e games that invokes a huge amount of nostalgia and has come to many platforms in the time since it was first released, including the Wii, Wii U, and now the Nintendo Switch. 

The story of The Crystal Shards involves Kirby having to reassemble a sacred crystal that has been shattered by Dark Matter. If you’ve ever played a Kirby game, you’ll know what to expect - explore 2.5D levels and devour your enemies to gain their powers. However, The Crystal Shards also introduced Power Combos, allowing you to mix and match ?powers to create n??????????????????????????ew and much more powerful ones. 

Banjo-Kazooie

As far as platformers go, Banjo-Kazooie borders on being wildly underappreciated. The first in a line of five titles, Banjo-Kazooie was released back in 1998. Banjo, the honey bear in fetching yellow shorts and always in possession of his trusty backpack, was first introduced in 1997 as part of the cast of Diddy Kong Racing. Kazooie, the Breegull who can be found shelte?ring inside the aforementioned backpack, was introduced in this game and the pair became a beloved duo. 

Together, Banjo and Kaz??ooie must track down Banjo’s kidnapped sister, Tooty, who has been kidnapped by the evil witch Gruntilda. Gameplay is a mix of delightful (although often frustrating) platform levels, puzzles, and boss fights. There’s something incredibly satisfying about collecting mus??ic notes and Jiggies that open doors to new worlds. 

Yoshi’s Story

Yoshi’s Story was released in North America in 1998, and is a fruit-eating joy to play regardless of age. While most of the other titles on this list are adventuring games with someone to rescue, Yoshi’s Story provides something different: the endless frustration ??of trying to be better than you were before. There is an element of adventure and storytelling, but it arguably takes a back seat to beating your own hig?h score.

There are two modes in Yoshi’s Story: Story Mode and Trial Mode. To unlock new levels in Trial Mode, you must first complete the levels in Story Mode, and completing them requires the apparently simple task of eating 30 fruits. But of course, it’s not that simple. Each type of fruit is worth a different amount of points, with Melons giving the most, and there are also ??Lucky Fruits that offer a ??bonus. 

Perfect Dark

Perfect Dark is described as a “spiritual successor�to GoldenEye 007, runs on an upgraded version of the same game engine, and was developed and released three years later in 2000. Perfect Dark came not only with a solo campaign mode but also multiplayer options such as co-operative and deathmatch modes. It's making a comeback as w?ell, but it? remains to be seen whether a remake can touch the nostalgia of the original.

As Joanna Dark, you must complete objectives while avoiding or eliminating opponents to eventually stop an extraterrestrial conspiracy by a corporation known as dataDyne. As with GoldenEye, there are many weapons to choose from, but now these weapons ?all have additional useful features. The K7 Avenger, for instance, will detect threats such as nearby explosives. 

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Released two years after Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask hit shelves and TV screens in 2000 and features the same 3D graphics that premiered in the previous title. Majora’s Mask is�Confusing, to say the least. The gameplay involves a 3-day cycl?e that must be repla?yed, using knowledge learned from previous cycles to perform better during subsequent ones. 

One of the best features of Majora’s Mask is the transformations provided by the core masks that Link can use - a Deku Scrub, a G??oron, and a Zora. Each transformation provides Link with different, incredibly useful abilities, and you’ll need to think carefully about which form you take to complete puzzles and quests throughout the story. And did?? I mention that Link can control time and the moon is enough to give any kid nightmares for weeks?

The post 10 Best N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online appeared first on Destructoid.

Those who were around at the time will know just how much of a big deal Super Mario 64 was when it released in 1996. It represented not only the first 3D Mario game, but also the next step forward in ??v??ideo game technology. It was quite something, I can assure you.

Fast-forward nearly ??two decades, and someone is taking the classic N64 game and essentially "demaking" it to run on the Game Boy Advance. Yes, that's right, it's being rebuilt from scratch to run on ??hardware that's not been on the market since 2008/2009 (depending on the region).

In the video above, we get a glimpse of the project in its current state, which is being done by coder Joshua Barretto. A cursory glance shows that we do, indeed, have a recognizable version of Super Mario 64 that's being recreated to run on the GBA.

Super Mario 64: Now with pixels!

According to a report from DSO Gaming, Barretto's demake is utilizing meshe?s from the Nintendo DS port of the original game. While it's still very much in development, keep in mind that thi??s is meant to be running on defunct hardware that was originally released in 2001.

You can check the trajectory of the fan project by going back across some of their older videos. In this one �uploaded just a few wee??ks ago �we can compare and contrast. In the footage, we see that Mario himself is? just a red triangle; a red triangle with a shadow, mind.

The castle from Mario 64 is still very much present, but looking at the latest video, we can see that Barretto has made quite a lot of progress. In less than two months, they've added in the actual character model, new movement mechanics, ?a pause menu, better textures, and some bug fixes.

There's even a settings menu, some??thing that wasn't present on the Nintendo 64 OG. We get to see options for reducing the resolution?? and view distance, plus the ability to disable detailed textures to make the game run smoother.

At the moment, there's no release date for this Game Boy Advance rebuild of Super Mario 64. And, as far as I can tell, it's just coming to the console itself, so you'd need to actually have a GBA to play it. If I had one concern, it's how Nintendo will react ?if it sees its IP being demade for ancient hardware. I hope they go easy on Barretto. I'm getting tired of big legal teams bringing their litigation hammers down on regular folk.

The post Check out this de?make of Super Mario 64 for the Game Boy Advance appeared first on Destructoid.

Songs we remember

The Super Mario series is known for some of the best songs in the video game industry. From the sweeping orchestra of Super Mario Galaxy to the nostalgic 8-bit NES original, there are some themes that will stick in our memories for the rest of our lives. Below, we've listed the best Mario songs ever written by Koji Kondo and other talented composers in the industry. But, because N?intendo is prone to removing YouTube videos featuring music pulled straight from its games, we've decided to include incredible covers from the ?wonderful VGM community. Let's-a-go!

Super Mario Bros. - "Overworld Theme"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkluiXUDy6o

Arguably the most iconic video game theme of all time, you have the classic "Overworld Theme" from the original Super Mario Bros. It's upbeat, has a charming melody, and a backbeat that keeps the action forward. Even though the 8-bit sound font can be limiting, Koji Kondo found a way to make a catchy song that still sticks in our heads today. The talented Qumu made a lovely remix of the track, modernizing the piece but still keeping the original cha??rm of the composition.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - "Airship Theme"

//youtu.be/fq2ruq62dhM

Not every track in the Super Mario Bros series is upbeat. There can be some tense moments as well within the soundtrack. Super Mario Bros. 3's "Airship Theme" perfectly illustrates the tension between Mario and the danger he faces to save Peach. In the ??third game on the NES, you're on a flying ship, avoiding cannon fire and trying to stay alive. I remember feeling so scared because of thi??s terrifying music. The tune sets the stage perfectly with deeper notes and a marching drum beat that lets you know Mario is in trouble. ToxicxEternity published a great metal cover of this track, which reflects the darker tone of the "Airship Theme" in a mesmerising way.

Super Mario World - "Athletic Theme"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-bN2lnE1Lc

The Mushroom Kingdom is quite a whacky place. Green warp pipe?s that take you from place to place, ridable dinosaurs with large tongues, goombas that can be squished like marshmallows by jumping on them. It's pretty wild. The "Athletic Theme" keeps up that wild energy with an upbeat piano melody that's fast and goofy. The higher-pitched drumbeats and erratic sound design of how the instruments play in your ears do a great job of elevating the nuttiness of the world in the best way possible. It's one of the best Mario songs due to how many people have nostal??gia for the track and how well it reflects the action in-game.

Cover artist PPF brought all kinds of instruments to the party for their interpretation of the "Athletic Theme." Banjos, spoons, and even a plas??tic box were used as musical objects for the piece. It's just as wild as the original?? piece.

Super Mario RPG - "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms"

//youtu.be/j4CbazPjL20

It's not from a mainline game, but Super Mario RPG's "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" by Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura should get a mention. The track is upbeat but has layers of intrigue within it. It's mostly a higher-pitch melody, but every minute or so, it dwells into a creepy-sounding tone that adds so much atmosphere to the level that Mario and Geno are exploring. It sounds like some of the best dramatic Final Fantasy music mixed with the upbeat tone that the Super Mario Bros. series is known for. Perhaps, this is why Shimomura was hired later on for Kingdom Hearts as she is k??nown for blending two musical styles perfectly.

The Noble Dem?on does a wonderful job covering this piece with som?e grand strings samples and sound effects inspired by the forest like the thud of wood.

Super Mario 64 - "Bob-Omb Battlefield"

//youtu.be/LPq8_HB8QBA

"Bob-Omb Battlefield" was my first introduction to the world of Super Mario, and man, the stage's theme is still bangin' tod??ay. It's jazzy and cheerful and will have you bob-ombing your head up and down to the beat. And then when you think it doesn't get any better, the main section of the song escalates the track. The brass goes hard and the drum beat becomes more apparent.  Also, don't forget about the tasty bassline to "Bob-Omb Battlefield."  This track made my experience with the stage Bob-Omb Battlefield even more memorable.

The Grammy-winning 8-Bit Big Band does a fantastic job bringing "Bob-Omb Battlefield" to the ?21st century. The brass instruments sound epic, and the jazzy spin from the saxophone on the track is a great hook to the overall composition.

Super Mario 64 - "Dire, Dire Docks"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrlrFUnFxc

"Dire, Dire Docks" from Super Mario 64 is arguably one of the best Mario songs. It has a gorgeous orchestration with a calming xylophone melody at first. You're at ease as you swim around the water of the stage. However, the song steps it up a notch on?ce Mario is facing an enemy by including a rocking drum beat and snares. It somehow blends the two perfectly as the game switches between each mode. "Dire, Dire Docks" has been listened to millions of times and ?has been covered by the VGM community often.

One of the? best versions comes from Insaneintherainmusic. The piano is beautifully played, and the soprano sax on the cover works so well with the melody. The jazzy?? solos are also inventive, adding a neat spin to the original track. "Dire, Dire Docks is such a beautiful melody," said Insaneintherainmusic in the video's description. "It's one of my go-to melodies when I sit down at a new piano I haven't played before, just because the melody is so great."

Super Mario Galaxy - "Gusty Garden Galaxy"

//youtu.be/EAWk1D67PKM

When Super Mario Galaxy introduced an orchestra to the series, it was a game-changer. The compositions flourished, adding so much more levity, personality, and grandeur to each track. The best instance of this is "Gusty Garden Galaxy." It's an absolute spectacle with the phenomenal strings work, imaginative use of the harp, and wonderful brass section that brings the piece altogether. Once you hear this track in-game, you know you're off on a?nother memorable adventure with your favorite Italian plumber. This song swooped me off my feet.

DSC brought the orig??inal charm of this track with the acoustic guitar and then adds a rocky element to the overall piece. Give it a listen above; it's pretty a??wesome.

Super Mario Odyssey - "Fossil Falls/Cascade Kingdom"

//youtu.be/VxKuA0is0UU

Just like "Bob-Omb Battlefield," the "Fossil Falls" theme is a great introduction to the game you're about to play. The sweeping strings and grand brass section blends into an epic theme that takes your breath away. The composition also takes on an adventurous spirit with the rocking percussion in the background. You can't help but be excited to play Super Mario Odyssey, and that's thanks in part to this wonderful Mario song.

gabocarina96 does a swell job of bringing the ene??rgy of ??"Fossil Falls" into the cover. The rocking guitar plays the melody wonderfully, and the ocarina delivers bringing in the beautiful introduction of the piece.

Super Mario Odyssey - "Jump Up, Superstar!"

//youtu.be/kxcVvaKDv1o

The best Mario music finds a way to lift your spirits, and "Jump Up Superstar" from Super Mario Odyssey certainly does that. The vocals of this track are marvelous as the song takes you through a magical odyssey of jazz. It fits the vibe of nightlife in New Donk City as "we jump up in the air" and "our cares will soar away." You can't help but sing or dance as the music lifts you up. Hearing this song in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is also a delight.

The piece sounds awesome without vocals as well, as Sam Griffin proves with the acoustic guitar. He does a ??stellar job of bringing the energy of the piece to YouTube with just one instrument.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - "Peach's Castle"

//youtu.be/BKFdGd0nn_c?t=277

The original "Peach's Castle" music in Super Mario 64 is iconic, but Banjo-Kazooie composer Grant Kirkhope did a wonderful job of bringing the song to Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. He injects personality into the track with playful takes on the original song and is guaranteed to give you a smile as a flute section and triangle-like percussion play the original melody. You can hear a bit of it within the mini-doc Ubisoft uploaded for the game above. Can we please get Grant Kirkhope to orchestrate a mainline Super Mario Bros. game please?

As you've heard from the last 10 Mario songs, this series contains so many magical soundtracks that both kids and adults will remember for years to come. It's no wonder why the soundtrack to the Super Mario Bros. movie is well-regarded as it's heavily influenced by the games that came before it. What are your favorite Mario songs because we've certainly missed many?

The post The 10 best songs from the Mario series, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Mario isn't the only one who can ride dolphins

A new mod for Super Mario 64 asks and answers a simple question. What if May, from the Guilty Gear series of fighting games, was the main character of Super Mario 64?

Enter Totsugeki 64. This mod for the Nintendo 64 classic exchanges Mario for a 3D version of ??May, the chipper young first mate of the Jellyfish Pirates??.

Author SpK released the mod on May 5, May's birthday in the Guilty Gear universe. It includes a brand-new May model, additional control options, and some secrets too. The source code's also open to dig through, if you want to make your own Totsugeki hack.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCqyNJAh3LA

Users have been able to confirm that Totsugeki 64 does indeed work on console too, for those lo??oking to mess around with those files.

It's gonna be May

May is a staple of the Guilty Gear series, as one of the main roster characters all the way b??ack in the original 1998 entry. Her signature orange coat and hat, as well as a giant anchor, are just one aspect of her design.

The other, referenced in the name of this mod, is her ability to summon and cooperate with denizens of the sea. Dolphins, especially. Play a decent amount of Guilty Gear Strive against a May player and you'll be all too familiar with the ring of "TOTSUGEKI" as a young lass and her dolphin fl??y across?? the screen.

Here, Mr. Dolphin just helps out as a platforming tool. Much less aggressive and in your face. Funny enough, it highlights a fun overlap May and Mario have, in their ability to ride dolphins. It's a pretty cool birthday present, as well as a fun way to re-experience a Nintendo classic with a little bit of Guilty Gear mixed in for good measure.

You can find Totsugeki 64, as well as SpK's other various mods, over on RomHacking.

The post It’s-a May, not Mario, in this Super Mario 64 meets Guilty Gear mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Gotta go fast!

Speedrunning's gotta be a tough gig. You're playing a game for hours on end with no breaks, working tirelessly to hit every frame perfectly, and if you mess it up, well you're out of luck, and you have to start all the way back at the beginning. It's a corner of games that's always fascinated me, so I'm always interested when I catch whispers of what's going on in the speedrunning community. That's exactly what happened today when I heard the news that the "glitchless" speedrun world record for Skyrim had been broken.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Xlym_uZ4Q

As originally reported by TheGamer, this feat was accomplished by the YouTuber Nucular, whose real name is Jackson Reynolds. He uploaded a video of his new speedrun yesterday, and this time he managed to get through the game's story at seventy-two minutes. He actually took the record from himself, as the record is now two minutes fa??ster than the time Reynolds previously held.

Reynolds also took the comment section on his own video to describe some of his strategies for the run, like playing as one of the High Elf race because of t?heir quicker movement speed, which correlates to their being the tallest race in the game. He also humbly admits to the mistakes he made during the run, such as forgetting to grab a crucial fast travel point that lost him a precious thirty seconds.

Apparently the grind never stops, because Reynolds is also working to beat his record for the no glitch playthrough of Skyrim on the legendary difficulty.

Like I said, mad respect to Reynolds and his fellow speedrunners, because I can only imagine how much time and dedication this kind of thing takes. It always makes me think of a video I saw once of a streamer beating the Super Mario 64 world record for the 120-star run �he tells his parents, who are nearby in the other room, and who celebrate with him in the most genuine and wholesome way. It still makes me tear up when I watch it, and it serves as a remi??nder of how awesome the speed?running community can be.

//www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/comme???nts/j09r4v/streamer_gets_the_world_record_time_for_super/

The post New Skyrim ‘glitchless’ speedrun record clocks in at just over an hour appeared first on Destructoid.