But the thing that stuck out most upon my revisiting was the game’s soundtrack. I thought this was a travesty and started Karting it up on my original console, rediscovering what made the game so great in the first place, testing my muscle memory and remembering the intense schadenfruede of hitting someone with a shell right as they were about to hit a big jump. Weirdly, only one person selected Mario Kart 64, the game that essentially defined the spirit of console before more well developed games ( Super Smash Bros.) homed in on what made the N64 so special. In terms of reliable distractions that aren’t as life-ruiningly immersive as contemporary consoles, but still competitive and community fostering, the N64, its stupid-ass tri-pronged controller and all, is the all-time MVP.Īfter the console turned 20 years old this June, the Nerdist writers banded together to pay tribute to our favorite games, which ranged from Star Foxto GoldenEye to Harvest Moon 64. The Nintendo 64 is easily that best game console of all time.

Mario kart 64 music kalimari desert