The Nintendo 64 was Nintendo’s first console that allowed for fully realized 3D worlds. This extra dimension meant that racing games on the N64 could operate better than they had on any previous console. Before 3D, racing games had to make use of 2D sprites and use some graphical trickery to emulate the feel of driving a vehicle.
The Nintendo 64 took full advantage and released some all-time classic racing games. N64 had a younger audience, so many of their racing titles steered towards children, but there was still plenty of fun to be had by gamers of all ages.
10 F1 World Grand Prix
Formula One is seen by many as the pinnacle of racing. Only twenty people (twenty-two in 1998) in the world have the skill necessary to call themselves an F1 driver. In 1998, Nintendo allowed that experience to extend to anyone who owned a Nintendo 64.
F-1 World grand Prix delivered a race car driving experience that was unparalleled at the time. The game featured every driver from the 1997 grid, except one Williams driver due to licensing disagreements. It featured every track from the season and even allowed the player to monitor things like tire wear and the amount of fuel they had. F1 World Grand Prix was a fantastic N64 racing game that showed where racing games could go in the future.
9 Wipeout 64
Wipeout 64 is the only Wipeout game to appear on a Nintendo console. That isn’t too surprising, with Wipeout developers being owned by Sony, and Nintendo having a very similar exclusive series with F-Zero.
Wipeout 64 is a futuristic racer where players pilot flying cars at incredible speeds. The racing style takes inspiration from real-world F1, putting a high emphasis on finding racing lines and proper braking. Wipeout 64 is a great game, but some frame rate issues hold it back from landing higher on our list.
8 Cruis’n World
The Cruis’n series began life as an arcade-only racing series before landing on consoles. The games feature a host of different fun cars to choose from and exotic locals to race through.
Cruis’n World is the sequel to Cruis’n USA and gave the series more charm by adding some all-time classic tracks like Egypt and Japan. The racing steers farther into the arcade realm than simulation, making it a blast to play with friends. Other Cruis’n games were released for the N64, but none were as polished as Cruis’n World.
7 Excitebike 64
Excitebike 64 is a sequel to the original Excitebike game released on Nintendo and is the first fully realized 3D game in the series. The game remains a classic today, with twenty different tracks and an emphasis on landing tricks.
Our biggest disappointment with Excitebike 64 is the lack of a track creator, a staple of the original game. The game does feature the entire original title and a 3D remake titled Excitebike 3D, making this feel like the definitive Excitebike experience.
6 Star Wars Episode One Racer
Star Wars Episode One Racer is a tie-in to the prequel movie Star Wars The Phantom Menace. The game allows you to operate a different number of Pod racers and race them in tracks across the Galaxy.
The Pod-Racing sequence in the Phantom Menace is one of the few standout sequences in that film, and it translated perfectly to the N64. The fast-paced racing and beautiful locales make this the best racing game in a galaxy far far away.
5 Ridge Racer 64
If this were the PlayStation, Ridge Racer would be a contender for the top spot. Ridge Racer features some of the tightest arcade controls and fun tracks of any arcade racer, but the N64 version failed to live up to the highs of its counterparts.
Ridge Racer 64 is still a fantastic racing game with twenty different tracks taken from previous installments. The problem with this version is too many corners had to be cut to get the game on the Nintendo 64. We still highly recommend the N64 version, as few games are as fun as this classic series.
4 F-Zero X
F-Zero X was truly a technical feat at the time. The gameplay was so fast that only the twitchiest of gamers could make it to the end of the course. Races had thirty drivers on screen at once and the game ran at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second.
Few racing games kept us coming back for more like F-Zero X. It’s amazing what Nintendo was able to put into this game given the console’s hardware limitations. The break-neck speed of the gameplay, jaw-rattling soundtrack, and the addictive “death race” mode, make this an incredible N64 racing game.
3 Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64 is often heralded as one of the best kart racing games ever released. The game features a ton of the Magic Kingdoms’ famous heroes and villains and pits them against each other on sixteen different tracks that are just as iconic today.
Some other noteworthy additions are the battle mode and fully 3D tracks. Our biggest disappointment with this game was the parse single-player experience when compared to other games released for the N64. Still, Mario Kart is an absolute classic and one of the best games to play with friends.
2 Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64 is a water racing game, having the player race jet skis against their opponents. The game took full advantage of the N64’s hardware, creating beautiful 3D water effects. It’s not just the graphics that make this title stand out, it’s the immense joy you feel from whipping a jet ski around in a 3D world.
Wave Race 64 is one of the most fun racing games we’ve ever played. Controlling the jet ski is hilarious chaos, especially when three other friends are brought into the mix with multiplayer.
1 Diddy Kong Racing
Many would argue that Mario Kart 64 is the standout Kart racer for the Nintendo 64, but Diddy Kong Racing did everything that Mario Kart 64 did and then some. Diddy Kong Racing features three different vehicles to race in, a robust story mode with boss fights, and four different battle modes.
The gameplay and racing in Diddy Kong Racing are tight and responsive. The use of three different vehicles; kart, hovercraft, and plane, makes every race feel fresh. And the story mode is some of the most fun we have ever had in a single-player racing game. When it comes to racing games on the N64, Diddy Kong Racing is the clear champion.
