Once an anticipated console or game is released, gamers usually start talking about the next big thing. Even more exciting than discussing confirmed games or consoles, is talking about the things that haven’t been announced yet — especially those that seem plausible. With the SNES Classic launch behind us (barely), it’s not surprising that gamers have dove into the idea of an “N64 Classic Edition” — the next logical retro system from Nintendo.
The NES Classic launched in 2016 and the SNES Classic just launched, so will the N64 Classic launch in 2018? That remains to be seen, but we imagine folks at Nintendo have thought about the possibility. Gamers are certainly discussing it, and they have some thoughts on the library.
Over on NeoGAF, Nintendo fans have been feverishly offering opinions on a games lineup, with a specific emphasis on previously unreleased games. The SNES Classic featured the never before released Star Fox 2, which was canceled in 1995 shortly before its SNES launch due to the impending arrival of the Nintendo 64. So is the there a similar type of game that could find an eager audience on an N64 Classic?
The prevailing answer seems to be F-Zero X Expansion Kit. Released on the Japanese exclusive colossal failure that was the Nintendo 64DD, the expansion kit added 12 new courses to F-Zero X, a vehicle editor, and a toolkit that let players make their own tracks. Pretty neat, right? Other 64DD that would be interesting to play in North America for the first time include one of four Mario Artist titles and SimCity 64.
Commenters also mentioned Animal Crossing, which was initially released in Japan on Nintendo 64, but only came to North America on GameCube. The other really popular choice is a riff-off of a game that would undoubtedly wind up in the N64 Classic library: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Multiple NeoGAF users have mentioned the addition of the Master Quest. The Master Quest was initially designed for the 64DD, but was scrapped and later launched as a The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker pre-order bonus for GameCube, and later as part of Ocarina of Time on 3DS.
We don’t know if an N64 Classic will come to light, but if it does, perhaps one or more of these obscure titles will be made available for a wider audience. It’s safe to say that any N64 Classic Edition would come with some of the N64’s top titles — Super Mario 64, Super Smash Bros., Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Golden Eye 007, to name a handful.
