I'm going to say it, Smash Bros was probably the most important fighting game to appear since Street Fighter 2. Coming completely out of the blue with a totally unique, amazingly fun and well judged battle system (kinda' based on sumo of all things), Nintendo crafted the supreme 4-player fighting game experience. Smash Bros has you choosing from a variety of Nintendo stalwarts, ranging from Mario and Donkey Kong, to Link and Samus, you bounce around the brilliant arenas fighting, wearing each opponent down until you can deliver a coup de grace knocking them out of bounds. The start of what has to be one of the greatest multiplayer gaming series' ever created, N64 didn't have many good fighters, but at least here it had one of the best.

With DKR Rare looked at Super Mario Kart, and Mario Kart 64 and went to town on trying to create a better game. Here we have a very different 1-player experience to the afterthought that was seen in MK64, there's more tracks, an overworld hub to explore, a variety of challenges, and even true boss fights against a bunch of memorable opponents. On top of the Kart racing Rare even added two other vehicles to use which really add to the game's variety, a plane to fly around in, and a hovercraft for water stages. Just as soon as you think you've got a handle on the game it throws you into Wave Race style courses with their own water physics! Honestly its almost like you get three different games in one here, and that's not even taking into account the variety of other multiplayer modes on offer. As mentioned earlier where it comes to multiplayer shenanigans MK64 definitely has this beaten, but in the single-player Kart racing stakes this is pretty much unbeatable.

This sequel to the beloved Banjo Kazooie built upon the foundation of the excellent original game by putting much more focus on well written dialogue and creating a more interesting plot, resulting in a humourous, and more engrossing overall experience. Tooie is packed with many more ideas and puzzles than the original, there are some excellent new boss fights, and a more ambitious, fully formed attempt at an overworld. Thankfully it doesn't get bogged down like Rare's other release from the same period, Donkey Kong 64, its just much pacier and better retains a sense of wonder throughout.

Much darker and more downbeat than it's N64 sibling, Majora's Mask managed to squeeze even more out of the 64' with even better graphics this time around (with what is, in my opinion far superior art design), and also added in many cool new ideas of its own. Majora's Mask's gameplay revolves around a three day system. Time moves forward as you play and at the end of the third day the world ends, forcing you to return to the first day again (hopefully having achieved something concrete that will aid you in your quest), many puzzles also require you to do certain things on certain days, which adds to the complexity. In regards to atmosphere, and plot, this game is second to none, the game doesn't have as many dungeons as Ocarina, but the side quests are fun, and memorable, and the whole world, and the people living in it are very fleshed out. You really feel as though you're watching the final days of peoples lives play out before the end. Why is the game lower than Ocarina? personally, for me, in straight comparison this is the better game, but I can't overlook the fact that this blatantly re-uses a helluva lot from Ocarina, and Ocarina was the big originator, so for that reason I've put this lower, just by a hair's breadth.

Paper Mario takes pride and place as the best RPG on the N64. Though the N64 isn't really known for its RPGs, Paper Mario is a very high quality one, the battle system looks fairly simple on the outside, and is very easy for beginners to pick up, but its a lot of fun and there's a bunch of tactics for older gamers to discover here. The battle system is based on using the most effective moves, and timing your button presses to make attacks and defense more effective, badges can also be discovered and equipped which give a variety of different abilities and effects. The graphics are bright, and jolly, the story is fun, and unlike a lot of traditional RPGs you get to do loads of puzzles throughout the dungeons to keep your brain on its toes (think Zelda), this factor, as well as the lack of random encounters make the game very easy to pick up and play, making it a title that should definitely be checked out by both RPG fans, and non-fans alike.

Rare built on their earlier FPS classic GoldenEye in virtually every respect here, and then threw in more options and extras than anyone could've ever imagined. Not only was the whole campaign mode that little bit more consistently brilliant, with well balanced, graphically superior stages containing tons of stealth and action, but the whole thing could now be played in co-op (make sure the screen's split vertically) and counter-op as well, and added to that was a co-op mission mode that was nearly another complete game on its own. On the multiplayer front there were tons of different modes, new levels, guns (as well as many of the old classics from GoldenEye making a welcome return) and AI bots to play with. The new Sci-Fi theme allowed for much more imagination, and resulted in guns and environments that were much more memorable and unique. Outside of that Rare threw it loads of stat counters, and extra game options as a bonus. Simply phenomenal.

Sin and Punishment has you controlling two rebel heroes as they plough through reams of monsters and soldiers. The game is a rail shooter, so you move along a set path, only really needing to focus on bullet dodging and aiming. Here you also get a close quarters melee attack, and can rebound powerful enemy shots to do more damage. The title is among the best action games of its generation, with excellent controls, a great, over-the-top plot, and some of the most memorable set-pieces ever to grace a game. The audio here is first rate, with brilliant voice acting (which is all in English I might add), and very high quality music. All these elements add up to make Sin and Punishment one of the best rail shooters ever created. Treasure at their very best.

Who out there can say they weren't astounded when they first saw this game in action? Mario 64 brought new levels of control and immersion to the 3D platformer, here you were free to explore the fully realised world, you could creep, jog, or run through the stages (due to the well implemented analogue controls), and had at your disposal a myriad of different jumps and maneuvers crafted to fit every occasion. Levels here were well designed, fun to explore and see, and were filled with variety and ideas (Who can forget the first time they took to the skies with the flying cap?). Easily one of the most influential games ever made.

After Mario 64 set the bar for what you could do with a 3D environment, Ocarina managed to raise the bar even higher, bringing a much more cohesive experience. Gone were the thinly veiled teleporters of Peach's Castle, to be replaced with a full 3D overworld littered with dungeons and villages to explore. I'm not quite as enamoured with this game as many people are (I find some of the art design and plot to be lacking), but it can't be argued that Ocarina has some of the most carefully designed, and polished gameplay of its time. Each dungeon has been honed to perfection, and they all manage to be both consistently clever, and intuitive. The game's fighting system (whereby you can target enemies and maneuver around them) is elegant, and well thought out, allowing for dynamic and exciting battles. Overall Ocarina more than deserves its reputation as one of the best releases of its generation. In regards to later ports, the original gold cartridge N64 version is the only one that is uncensored, all subsequent releases had the red blood removed, as well as the Islamic chanting which took place in the Fire Temple stage.

A huge, enjoyable romp through pastiches of everyone's favourite movies, Conker's is my clear choice for best game on the N64. This game brought everything Rare had learnt about making platformers together to create a big, highly ambitious game filled with variety and fun. There's a memorable plot (which might not have been the most cohesive, but managed to be totally engrossing and consistently funny), some of the best graphics to be seen on the system, and a mass of excellent multiplayer modes thrown in for good measure. On a technical level Conker leaves most other N64 games in the dust, including voice acting with lip synching, amazing levels of textures (which was one of the 64's biggest technical limitations) and dynamic shadowing. Even now I struggle to think of any game out there quite like it.