Is The N64 Classic Still Coming?
Nintendo hasn't released a retro throwback console since the Super Nintendo Classic, so will the rumored N64 Classic release sometime during 2021?
One of the most common complaints Nintendo fans have with the Switch is the lack of Nintendo 64 and GameCube legacy content on the platform. The online service for the Switch is considered to be mediocre at best and it's partially because the free SNES and NES games aren't intriguing gamers the way they used to. After both of those consoles received miniature modern updates pre-loaded with classic titles, fans began speculating that Nintendo would release the Nintendo 64 as a mini-console next. However, it's been so long and Nintendo has slept on releasing N64 games for years now, so what is Nintendo planning with its N64 titles?
The NES Classic and SNES Classic consoles flew off the shelves when they were released back in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Because of their limited stock and nostalgic value, they became sought-after and fan-favorite items. However, this caused fans to speculate about the inevitable N64 Classic and what games might come pre-installed on the console. Nintendo has since filed a patent for a symbol depicting the N64 controller in the same style as the NES and SNES classic's respective symbols, but it has also been three years since the last classic console released.
What's even more strange is that Nintendo has hardly re-released any N64 titles since the SNES classic has come out. Some games, like Doom 64, have made their way to the Switch's eShop, but other than Super Mario 64's inclusion in Super Mario 3D-All Stars, N64 games have been absent from Nintendo's usual lineup. When compared to older systems, it seems like N64 and GameCube titles have gotten the short end of the stick.
What Nintendo Might Do With N64 Games
Nintendo is genuinely unpredictable, so it's possible that an N64 Classic is still coming, but it seems like the company has other plans for re-releasing N64 content. One of the main problems with releasing an N64 Classic now for Nintendo is that the device absolutely needs Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on it. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is available until March and Nintendo isn't going to want Mario's inclusion on the N64 classic to upset fans who purchased the Switch game. Nintendo is also very likely to release a similar product for the Zelda series for its 35th anniversary this year, so there's lots of room for cannibalization of Nintendo products if an N64 Classic is released.
There's also the issue of Nintendo's online service failing to meet the expectations of many of its users. Many players desperately want N64 and GameCube titles on the Switch, and adding them would instantly raise the value of the online service. It's a simple solution to the problem that will allow Nintendo to amend the issue with little effort. In comparison, the N64 Classic would require Nintendo to manufacture and distribute consoles while making sure it still owns the licensing to each game on the device. The likelihood of an N64 Classic releasing has decreased with each passing year, and with the recent rumors about Zelda's 35th anniversary, that fact doesn't seem to be changing any time soon.
