When it came to days off from school, whether a holiday, a spring break or even summer during the late 1990s, I either had the opportunity of playing outside, or going to a friend's house with other friends as we crowded around to play some multiplayer games on their Nintendo 64. Some games were owned, while others we had as rentals from time to time. But what sets them apart from being unique to each other? Read on!

Mario Kart 64

When first picking up an N64, Mario Kart 64 was no doubt the first multiplayer game you were playing, For me and my friends, it was bliss (and even chaotic in some ways), but whether competing for the races or knocking balloons off of each other in the battle arenas, hours upon hours were spent fighting for the crown.

Diddy Kong Racing

Another thrilling racing game that just took first over Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing had players karting, flying, and even driving in a hovercraft in the water, making it just as fun! My friend even went as far as buying the game and no longer renting it after how fun it was for us especially when the characters were more memorable in a way.

Snowboard Kids

At the time, this was the only snowboard related video game I'd ever played, even when Cool Boarders for the Playstation was already out. But as you could see from the cutesy art design, it was more than just that, you were racing against other characters all the while using items in a Mario Kart fashion to gain the lead. Not only was it a fun experience, but I would say that it's one of the more underrated multiplayer games on the system as well.

South Park

While the original South Park game was notorious for being a bland licensed video game, we still got some fun out of the multiplayer portion of it while it lasted. It didn't have the same lasting appeal as the other games, but it was an interesting change of pace. But, we were into toilet humor at the time, so that was probably our only reason to keep playing.

Bomberman 64

I'm gonna be honest, Bomberman 64 was actually the very first time I was introduced to playing a Bomberman game at all, let alone with friends, but with a 3D perspective it gave more personality to what's otherwise familiar gameplay to the veterans, sneaking bombs around corners to an unsuspecting opposing player, and seeing their reaction to their defeat, and it was a great first impression of the series.

Super Smash Bros.

Although it's a franchise giant by today, the original game was still the most played N64 game among me and my friends. There was nothing quite like seeing Yoshi getting shocked by a Pikachu and Link lobbing bombs at Donkey Kong, and for a game preparing us for the millennium, it was only a sign that we would get even more opportunities for characters for future sequels.

What are your memories playing multiplayer Nintendo 64 games? As always, leave a comment and I'll see you next article!