5 N64 Shooters That Still Hold Up Today

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The Nintendo 64 was many gamers’ first experience with first-person shooter games. While the genre actually started on computers, PCs were quite expensive at the time. Consoles like the N64 and the original PlayStation made FPS games accessible to a wider audience. Game developers were still experimenting with the format back then, but the N64 has some enjoyable FPS titles that offer a nostalgic look at gaming in the 1990s.

Here are the five N64 shooters that still hold up today.

5) Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

If you’re looking for a nostalgic trip to the over-the-top action of the 1990s, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is worth revisiting. It features incredibly unique weapons, like the Cerebral Bore – a gun that lets you shoot an enemy in the head and, well, dramatically destroy their brain.

Playing Turok 2‘s single-player wasn’t the most exciting experience, but the fantastic four-player multiplayer made it all worthwhile. Seeds of Evil really shined with friends. While it might be harder to gather three players for a local match these days, it’s still an experience you won’t forget.

4) Doom 64

First-person shooter games were incredibly popular on PCs in the 1990s, largely thanks to the huge success of Doom and the many games it inspired. Doom 64 attempted to bring the series to consoles and was largely successful. It’s a common misconception that it was simply a version of the original game, but that’s not the case.

The team created a fresh game specifically for N64 fans, building on the classic Doom experience. They didn’t just port it, though – they went the extra mile to deliver a unique version for N64 players, complete with new weapons, enemies, and well-crafted levels. The only downside is that it doesn’t include a deathmatch feature, which prevents it from being even better.

3) Duke Nukem 64

While Doom 64 was a unique game, Duke Nukem 64 is largely a version of the original PC game. The developers adjusted some levels and had to cut most of the music to fit the game onto the console. However, it’s fundamentally the same experience with a few extras.

Duke 64 cleverly used the Nintendo 64’s Rumble Pak for added immersion. It also includes some new weapons and brings The Protector Drone, originally from the Atomic Edition, into the main game. I’d rank it slightly higher than Doom 64 because it features four-player split-screen multiplayer, which really enhances the experience.

2) GoldenEye 007

If you’re thinking of classic Nintendo 64 shooters, GoldenEye 007 is likely the first game you’ll remember. It really showed that the shooting genre could work on the console and became one of Rare’s most popular games. While it has some minor issues with speed and aiming, GoldenEye is still a fun and enjoyable game today.

While the multiplayer is what everyone remembers, GoldenEye also features a fantastic single-player campaign for its time. With tons of secrets to uncover and different difficulty settings, it offers a lot of replay value. It’s not necessarily the best game of its kind, but it’s definitely the most important and impactful.

1) Perfect Dark

I remember being blown away when GoldenEye 007 showed everyone that a great first-person shooter could work on the Nintendo 64. But for me, Perfect Dark was where Rare really hit their stride. They took everything that was fun about GoldenEye 007 and just expanded on it – it was a bigger, more polished, and more complete experience all around.

The game offers a ton of ways to customize your multiplayer matches, making it incredibly replayable. It’s amazing that all of this content could even fit on an N64 cartridge! Honestly, the only other game from that time period with a comparable amount of stuff to do is Timesplitters: Future Perfect, and even that is packed with a huge amount of content.

The single-player campaign is incredibly fun, with well-designed levels that let you experience the game as secret agent Joanna Dark. It also offers cooperative play, adding to its appeal. Plus, there’s a unique ‘counter-op’ mode where one player acts as an enemy, trying to thwart their friend’s progress. Overall, Rare created a truly exceptional game back in 2000.

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2026-05-17 01:12