The Nintendo 64 is considered one of the greatest video game consoles of all time because of its extensive library of games. This revolutionary platform set a new standard for 3D games, bringing instant classics like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64.
The console is renowned for its games, but which of them has the best graphics? This retro console may have had many hits back in the day, but not all have stood the test of time. Phenomenal art direction can add to a game's longevity. These are ten Nintendo 64 games with the best graphics.
Updated August 1st, 2022 by Russ Boswell: The Nintendo 64 remains one of the greatest consoles of all time thanks to its impressive list of iconic games and its unique position in allowing Nintendo to make the jump to 3D. There were a lot of great releases that took advantage of the new technology and created some truly unique experiences, allowing gamers to explore 3D spaces. But some of these games looked much better than others, featuring beautiful visuals for the time that still hold up well today. To better showcase the best-looking Nintendo 64 games, and the Nintendo 64 games with the best graphics, the following list has been updated to include even more entries.
13 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
The Nintendo 64 featured a wide array of engaging and entertaining games that explored the jump to 3D pretty well. Although there were many platformers and adventure games that capitalized on the increase in technology, First-Person Shooters saw a huge boost in their mechanics and capabilities. As a product, there were many FPS titles on the Nintendo 64 that did exceedingly well, with many fans pointing towards 007 GoldenEye and Perfect Dark as two of the best examples.
But the franchise Turok also managed to carve out its own cult following thanks to its unique premise. The second release in the series, Turok 2, was exceptionally beautiful for its time thanks to the use of the Expansion Pak.
12 Yoshi's Story
Nintendo has a penchant for creating "timeless" games that seemingly hold up in any era and the Nintendo 64 days are no exception. Super Mario 64 was a step up for the company thanks to the introduction of 3D, but it also managed to produce a fantastic 2D side-scrolling adventure with Yoshi's Story. Capitalizing on the Nintendo 64's increased power, Yoshi's story featured superb graphics for the time, with a beautiful storybook aesthetic that still looks good even in the modern age.
It's got a hint of 3D that encapsulates the 2D graphics and backdrops, helping the platforming adventure to stand out on the console while still maintaining its charm.
11 Glover
A lot of game studios attempted to capitalize on the success of Super Mario 64 during the Nintendo 64's era. The 3D Platformer had become a beloved genre during the console's heyday, with classics like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country reaping the benefits. In 1998, a new contender from developer Interactive Studios attempted to take its own slice of the seemingly growing pie.
Glover had the same "look and feel" as many other 3D Platformers of the time but featured some unique mechanics that used a ball to attack enemies and solve puzzles. Overall, the game is incredibly aesthetically pleasing, placing it right up there visually with the iconic adventures that inspired it.
10 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron released at a time when interest in Star Wars was piquing. Theatrical re-releases of old Star Wars movies had just happened, and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was months away. As a result, this game was a commercial success.
The scale of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron's worlds led to less consistency concerning detail, yet worlds like Tatooine and Hoth are stunning. Using an Expansion Pak increases the resolution of the game to 400x440i.
9 Paper Mario
The graphics of Paper Mario have come a long way since the series' inception. While Super Mario 64 leaped the series into 3D for the first time, Paper Mario was testing innovative technology.
It introduced flat model paper characters who were surrounded by a 3D world. The result was contrasting visual elements that looked remarkable. Despite being a game based on paper, Paper Mario is one of the leading Nintendo 64 games with the best graphics.
8 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Although The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time casts a shadow over its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has better graphics. Naturally, as a game that released later, it has more vibrant artwork with vivid detail. It's a game that requires the Expansion Pak to be playable.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was remade for the Nintendo 3DS with improvements to graphics. Still, the original is enchanting and has a style unique to games from the Nintendo 64 era.
7 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Playing the vast library of games that the Nintendo 64 offers, it becomes abundantly clear that the console suffered from low resolutions and poor texture qualities. However, there are exceptions since games like Rayman 2: The Great Escape have high-resolution modes with an Expansion Pak.
This game is credited with raising the standards for 3D gaming. If you're looking for good graphics on the Nintendo 64, Rayman 2's sprawling Glade of Dreams world is a great place to start.
6 Jet Force Gemini
This is a game that praised for its vivid detail, even if the game could be criticized for its counterintuitive control scheme. Completing Jet Force Gemini proves to be a daunting task as you have to save every Tribal.
A high-definition remaster of Jet Force Gemini was released for the Xbox One as part of the Rare Replay collection. Rare Replay is the best way to experience this retro Nintendo 64 classic.
5 Donkey Kong 64
As the first game to make use of the Nintendo 64's Expansion Pak accessory, Donkey Kong 64 is one of the system's most beautiful games.
A handful of the Nintendo 64's games supported the Expansion Pak, which is used to boost random access memory (RAM). Donkey Kong 64 was criticized for its backtracking throughout the game, but it was praised for its vivid detail and platforming mechanics.
4 Banjo-Tooie
The sequel to Banjo-Kazooie was an ambitious project that expanded on the world in many ways. Arguably, Banjo-Kazooie is the stronger entry of the two Nintendo 64 platformers, yet Banjo-Tooie is unquestionably a more beautiful game.
Banjo-Kazooie had small, focused level designs that were too fun. The scale of Banjo-Tooie made completing tasks arduous, but it is a superb looking game, nevertheless.
3 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
While many other games on this listicle have cartoony graphics, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 promotes realism. It is possibly the most realistic game on the Nintendo 64 because of its lifelike expansive worlds.
This is a game that also released on the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was the last game released for the Nintendo 64, and it has good graphics like many of the console's later releases.
2 Conker's Bad Fur Day
The idea to take this beloved furry squirrel from Diddy Kong Racing and turn him into a repulsive alcoholic was a bold move on Rare's part. Conker's Bad Fur Day was one of the last games to release for the Nintendo 64.
The single-player campaign is full of detail and small nuances that make it enjoyable. This is a game filled with satire and raunchy comedy, and critics loved it because of its uniqueness. If you only play one Nintendo 64 game, Conker's Bad Fur Day is an excellent choice.
1 Perfect Dark
Released in 2000, Perfect Dark offered a robust package containing a single-player story mode, co-operative missions, counter-operative campaigns, and local multiplayer.
As a spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007, the graphics were an improvement. The resolution nearly doubled with an Expansion Pak. This game looks gorgeous and has immense replay value. Perfect Dark is not only the Nintendo 64 game with the best graphics, but it might be the best overall period.