What Nintendo 64 Switch Games Can You Play?

In 2023, Nintendo announced during a Nintendo Direct that gamers would have access to Nintendo 64 games through Nintendo’s paid expansion. People will never stop seeking the feelings they had playing classic games. As of November 2023, these are the games you can find in the catalog and what people hope to see in the future.

How Can I Play Nintendo 64 Switch Games?

Before we dive into the list, you will want to know how to access the games because not everyone can. To get the Nintendo 64 Switch games, you must have the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) + Expansion Pack membership. There is a regular NSO membership, but it only gives you NES, SNES and Game Boy games.

The price for the Expansion Pass is $49.99 annually for an individual, or you can be part of a family plan, which costs $79.99 every year. The latter is the best deal because you can split it with up to seven people. 

Once you have set up and connected to your Nintendo account, go to the Nintendo Store to download the Nintendo 64 channel. In there, you will see a bunch of games that will only grow. 

What Nintendo 64 Switch Games Are Available Now?

Before we dive deep into which titles make this price worth it, here is the complete list as of November 2023:

• Banjo-Kazooie
• Dr. Mario 64
• Excitebike 64
• F-Zero X
• GoldenEye 007
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• Mario Golf
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Party
• Mario Party 2
• Mario Party 3
• Mario Tennis
• Paper Mario
• Pilotwings 64
• Pokémon Puzzle League
• Pokémon Snap
• Pokémon Stadium
• Pokémon Stadium 2
• Sin & Punishment
• Star Fox 64
• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Wave Race 64
• WIN BACK: COVERT OPERATIONS
• Yoshi’s Story

Many of these were released originally as Nintendo 64 exclusives, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see them on a new console.

What Are the Highlights?

If you didn’t play the Nintendo 64 growing up, you may not know what the fan favorites are. However, if you know anything about video games, some titles are probably already legendary. 

The first notable entries are from The Legend of Zelda series. Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are some of the most beloved games in the franchise, with the former being regarded even today as one of the greatest video games ever created. The dark, twisted world of Majora’s Mask haunts gamers to this day, with a colorful cast of NPCs and some of the most intricate side quests in history.

Pokémon fans are here to rejoice. Pokémon Stadium introduced many to the franchise with addictive gameplay and impossible-to-forget minigames. Plus, who doesn’t want the calm vibes of Pokémon Snap that remind them of simpler times?

The big winners are Mario fans. Not only are there three entries to the Mario Party franchise to enjoy, but you can experience Super Mario 64 in its full glory if you couldn’t grab the limited release of the All Stars collection. 

Super Mario 64 revolutionized the Mario format forever with some of the most memorable tunes in the series. Gamers should be prepared — unless you have muscle memory from childhood, this game is challenging to beat and even harder for those seeking 100% completion. Prepare to rage.

Wait, Do Some of These Look Familiar?

Yes, some games have seen rereleases since being put on the NSO service. As previously mentioned, fans have gotten a taste of the nostalgia from rereleases like the Super Mario 3D All Stars collection, which included the coveted Super Mario 64. If you have this Switch release, you may not need to seek to play it online. Mario Party also saw some rerelease action in the greatest hits-style collection Mario Party Superstars in 2021.

Other games haven’t just gotten a remaster — how about a remake? Pokémon Snap got a glow-up with New Pokémon Snap in 2021, which colored it in shiny new graphics and included tons more missions and content for lovers of the original. Because this is a remake and not a remaster, you may still want to revisit the older iteration through NSO.

Finally, the Legend of Zelda duo got a remake, but it wasn’t for the Switch. The two games were released on the 3DS. Ocarina of Time was unveiled in 2011, and Majora’s Mask hit shelves in 2015. 

As for the rest of the games on this list, it is probably the first time you’ve seen them since the original console. Other games may have had rumors of remakes and remasters, such as Banjo-Kazooie.

What Nintendo 64 Games Do We Want?

Without hacking your Nintendo Switch, you will have to settle with this roster of games. But that doesn’t mean fans aren’t crossing their fingers, hoping for more fan favorites to be available in an update eventually. Some apparent omissions include the Banjo Kazooie sequel, Banjo-Tooie, and Donkey Kong 64.

Here are some games we would love to eventually see, though licensing issues may be the reason gamers don’t get some of them for good:

• Mega Man 64
• Castlevania 64
• Mischief Makers
• Turok 2 & 3
• Quake II
• Resident Evil 2
• Bomberman 64
• Diddy Kong Racing
• Super Smash Bros.
• StarCraft 64
• Tony Hawk 1 & 2
• Harvest Moon 64
• Dōbutsu no Mori 

The only confirmed game yet to be released is 1080° Snowboarding, which was established alongside Mario Party 3. With the latter already here, when can we relive the 1998 snow sports classic?

Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know!

Playing Classic Games on Modern Systems

Is the price worth it to you to pick up the Nintendo 64 Switch games? We trust Nintendo only to add more goodies as time goes on. However, wouldn’t it be even better if they added DS, 3DS or GameCube games to NSO, too? We’re not holding our breath, though it might be in the cards for their upcoming console.