6 Nintendo 64 Masterpieces Better Than Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is, without a doubt, a masterpiece. Until 1996, the mustachioed, monster-stomping plumber had never before been seen in 3-Dimensional glory. The move to 3D was handled so well that the game shaped subsequent titles, paving the way for further masterpieces like Super Mario Galaxy. Everything from the gameplay to the level design was fun and well-thought-out, making it one of the best games of the Nintendo 64 console.

That said, the N64 was the launching pad of many other masterpieces. Some of the best and most beloved titles of all time were N64 games. In fact, as great as Super Mario 64 was, there are plenty of games that were even better. We've chosen some Nintendo 64 gems that were even more perfect than Super Mario 64, according to Metacritic.

Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001)

92 On Metacritic (But Hear Me Out)

No matter what your opinion on potty jokes and crude humor is, Conker's Bad Fur Day is, undeniably a masterpiece. If we go purely by ratings, then the foul-mouthed, irate squirrel ranks a little below Super Mario 64, with a 92 critic rating and 8.8 User Score (compared to Mario's 94 and 9.0 respectively).

But Conker's Bad Fur Day was such an iconic, important game for the Nintendo 64, and the number scores don't tell the full story. To this day, those who played the game can probably sing you the ballad of the massive, sentient pile of excrement that Conker has to fight at some point. If that isn't classic, what is?

Conker's Bad Fur Day was very much a product of its time. As the now-defunct Core Magazine put it, Conker's journey was "one of the craziest, dirtiest, most offensive 3-D platformers you've ever seen." It followed Conker, the hard-drinking red squirrel, on his journey to rejoin his girlfriend after a night of binge-drinking.

The game takes players through action, combat, platforming, and puzzling in scenes that heavily parody popular media of the time. Conker's adventures take him through levels inspired by Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, A Clockwork Orange, and many other pop-culture icons of the day.

The resulting title was a beautiful example of what could happen when games and game developers simply let go and had fun—and an iconinc moment from the Nintendo 64 era, when bright colors and cutesy aesthetics may have fooled the mainstream into thinking that games were still for kids.

Banjo-Kazooie (1998)

9.0 User Score On Metacritic

Although Banjo-Kazooie technically has a lower Metacritic rating than Mario 64, at 92 to Mario's 94, the user reviews tell a different story. User ratings on Banjo-Kazooie place it on the same level as its fellow platforming giant, making it a top contender for one of the console's best games of all time.

The title starred the dream team of Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird on a quest to rescue Banjo's sister from an evil witch. It was silly and colorful, but it was also some of the best 3D platforming the Nintendo 64 had to offer.

Players solved puzzles, traversed through levels, and uncovered secrets. Of course, since the game was released just two years after Super Mario 64, the two were compared to each other. But critics and players both agreed at the time—and to this day—that Banjo-Kazooie was an even better platforming experience than Super Mario 64.

The game leaned on the openness of the 3D environment in a way that Mario didn't. While you needed quick reflexes and gaming skills for Mario, Banjo focused more on the exploratory aspect. This made the game stand out as the better among the two.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000)

95 On Metacritic

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is one of the darkest games in the Zelda universe. Although most of the Zelda titles deal in some way with the imminent destruction of the world, nowhere was it felt as strongly as in Majora's Mask.

In this title, Link is tasked with saving a doomed world from being destroyed by a moon that's set to crash into it. The scenario is terrifying but the moon itself was pure nightmare fuel, flashing players with its menacing grin as it drew closer to causing the world's destruction.

Majora's Mask used a unique mask system and placed players in a time loop, trapping Link until he managed to restore the balance and save the world from destruction. The departure from the normal Zelda formula made the game outstanding and remains one of the most beloved Zelda titles of all time—and one of the best games on the Nintendo 64.

GoldenEye 007 (1997)

96 On Metacritic

Comparing Super Mario 64 to GoldenEye 007 feels a little unfair. One is a charming 3D platformer starring everyone's favorite plumber, while the other is a gritty first-person shooter starring everyone's favorite spy. And yet, if we go by the numbers, GoldenEye 007 is simply the better game of the two, according to critics and reviews.

GoldenEye lets players control international man of mystery James Bond through different levels. There is a standard. Bond-worthy story full of politics and intrigue and several locations around the world.

But what most people probably remember about this N64 gem is the awesome music (it is, after all, James Bond) and the hilariously chaotic multiplayer mode. The latter allowed up to four players to compete against each other in split screen, and was touted as being one of the best multiplayer games on the system—even accounting for the norotiously short and untouchable Oddjob.

Perfect Dark (2000)

97 On Metacritic

Another first-person shooter that's far higher rated than Super Mario 64 is the legendary Perfect Dark. The game was originally meant to be another Bond title, but was pivoted partway through development to be more heavily inspired by the X-Files.

The title featured the badass female protagonist Joanna Dark as she uncovered the secrets behind company conspiracies and alien life. Though it never went on to become as widely known or popular as some other N64 games, Perfect Dark is still considered to be one of the best games ever made for the console.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Near-Perfect 99 On Metacritic

And finally, we arrive at the one game with the nearly perfect rating on Metacritic: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Like Super Mario 64, this Zelda title was the first to take the franchise into the realm of 3D, and it did so even more successfully than its plumber sibling.

Ocarina of Time features a beautiful world full of larger-than-life personalities, exciting adventures, and excellent puzzles (though I bet the one point was docked for the infamous water temple).

The beloved game is returning soon to modern consoles with a fresh, upgraded look and feel. This means that new and old fans alike can enjoy the title on modern consoles. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was, without a doubt, a better game than Super Mario 64 and one of the best games of the Nintendo 64—and of all time, in general.

But even though six games can officially be considered "better" than Super Mario 64, all the console's best titles bring their own unique fun to the table. Every one of the highest-rated Nintendo 64 games has left a lasting mark on the world of gaming, one way or another, and they should all be celebrated in their own way.