The Nintendo 64 was a beloved console that saw many classic titles, such as GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, and Super Mario 64. Despite the oddly-shaped controller, a lot of gamers were huge fans of the machine due to Nintendo's impressive first-party lineup of games. The Nintendo 64 has sold over 30 million units worldwide and still has a passionate community, and the games featured on the platform broke ground for 3D action-adventure and platformer titles. It's common within the gaming industry that certain titles wind up being canceled, and this was no exception throughout the N64s relatively short lifespan.
Recently, a leaked version of a game called Dinosaur Planet for the Nintendo 64 was revealed. This title was later reworked into Star Fox Adventures for Nintendo's next console, the GameCube. It doesn't happen very frequently that canceled games have the opportunity to receive a new lease on life like Dinosaur Planet, and the N64 was home to several canceled games. These projects were part of everything from Nintendo's own franchises, one-off titles, and ports. From the large list of axed games, there are a few that some fans would have loved to see released.
1080 Snowboarding 2
1080 Snowboarding was a big, surprising hit for the Nintendo 64, and when a sequel was announced in 1999, there was palpable excitement from some fans to see a sequel to the hit snowboarding game. Left Field Productions was the developer behind the snowboarding sequel, and during its development, it decided to cancel its agreement and start creating games for multiple platforms. This version of the game was never released, and with the launch of the GameCube coming up, the decision was made to retool it, and a successor entitled 1080 Avalanche was released instead. In 2018, Nintendo filed a trademark for 1080, giving fans hope that this franchise might be relaunched in some capacity, but this was probably a "business as usual" decision.
Mother 3/Earthbound 64
Mother 3, or as it's known to some fans, Earthbound 64, is a strange case within the gaming industry. The title was ultimately released on Game Boy Advance, but there was an N64 version of the title that wound up being canceled. It's widely speculated that the game was over half was developed before its cancellation, adding another wrinkle of intrigue to this elusive title. One of the main contributing factors to the game's cancelation was the relative inexperience that the developer had in utilizing 3D graphics. The title found new life as Mother 3 on Game Boy Advance, but some fans wonder to this day how the N64 version would have panned out. When it comes to fan wish lists of titles that should be localized for a western release, Mother 3 is often most wanted.
Project Dream
Project Dream was the name of a project at Rare which wasn't canceled in the strictest sense of the word but perhaps led to something even better. Originally devised as an RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment system with an isometric point of view, the project was moved to Nintendo 64 where it became more complex, where it was revised as a 3D RPG game. At the time, Rare was also working on Conker's Bad Fur Day, which inspired the team to completely revamp the development of Project Dream. The title became the critically-acclaimed Banjo-Kazooie which saw Rare and Nintendo enjoy financial success as well. In 2015, Rare lifted the lid on Project Dream with some footage, allowing fans to see what could have been with the original version of the project.
Metroid 64
After the release of Super Metroid, many fans were eagerly anticipating a follow-up on the new Nintendo console. Unfortunately, the Metroid series never had a chance on the Nintendo 64 right from the beginning, despite multiple references to a Metroid 64. Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto stated that it simply didn't feel right and that while holding an N64 controller, he couldn't envision how Samus would be controlled. Nintendo did approach another company about making a Metroid title, but the undisclosed developer stated it didn't feel confident in measuring up to the success of Super Metroid. Metroid 64 is one of many canceled N64 games that a lot of fans longed for, perhaps at the top of several most-wanted lists.
The Nintendo 64 continues to see a lot of support from fans, with new records being set in Mario Kart 64 and even ray-tracing mods added to Super Mario 64. It's extremely unlikely any of these canceled projects will see the light of day in their original forms, but for gamers, it's good to see that some of these projects went on to exist in different ways. It's always a shame for gamers to hear of canceled games, where some cancellations are more impactful than others, but it can be heartening to hear of work being salvaged in some capacity.