90s Nintendo 64 Games: Classics Before the Millennium
The Nintendo 64, launched in 1996, is where Nintendo's biggest franchises made their first real jump into 3D, alongside genuinely new multiplayer experiences built around the console's four controller ports.
3D platformers
Super Mario 64, released alongside the console in 1996, moved Mario from side-scrolling levels into open 3D worlds and became the template much of 3D platforming followed afterward.
Play the N64 launch title: Super Mario 64
An original cartridge of Super Mario 64, discussed above as the game that took Mario, and 3D platforming generally, into open 3D space.
Check price on Amazon →Racing and multiplayer
Mario Kart 64 (December 1996 Japan, February 1997 North America) brought four-player split-screen kart racing to the format, and GoldenEye 007 (August 1997) became one of the console's defining four-player shooters.
Adventure games
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (November 1998) closed the decade out, translating the series's dungeon-and-exploration design into 3D. Star Fox 64 (1997) mixed on-rails and free-flight 3D space combat on the same hardware.
Releases outside the cutoff
Some well-known N64 games, including The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000), fall just outside our 1990 to 1999 scope and aren't covered as 90s releases here.
Frequently asked questions
What was the first 3D Super Mario game?
Super Mario 64, released alongside the Nintendo 64 in 1996, was Mario's first fully 3D game.
How many players does GoldenEye 007 support?
GoldenEye 007 (1997) supports up to four players in local split-screen multiplayer, which is a large part of why it's remembered as a defining N64 game.
Is Majora's Mask a 90s Nintendo 64 game?
No. Majora's Mask was released in 2000, just outside this site's 1990 to 1999 core historical scope, so it isn't covered as one of the decade's releases here.
Sourcing and corrections
Release dates for Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, Star Fox 64, and Ocarina of Time were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia in September 2026.