The last home console with a cart based format was the Nintendo 64.  It was heavily criticized for this one thing. And I was one of the oddball gamers that was very thankful that Nintendo remained faithful to the cart format. I hope that someday things would get cheap enough so we can go back to the format and throw out those DVD and CDs. Why? I love cart based gaming. I love holding that big ugly globby piece of plastic in my hands. It is really very hard to explain. I like the instant data access that the console has verses the data media type disc consoles. But with the advancement in technology, we will never have anything big again. It will probably be something the size of a Turbo Grafx Hucard. And with that, I wouldn't mind. The only thing that would stop this is the fact that, in our present culture, everyone seems to want a multimedia player instead of a dedicated gaming console. Nothing but games go into any console that I have ever owned. Hardcore here? Yes!

I was thinking about, the time that I have been spending on my Nintendo 64 lately. I finally decided to make a “most played games” list. I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 or more games for the system. And that library is growing. I take it that, if you play certain games more often on a system than others that you own for it, they have to be your favorites, right? These are games that when I pull out my Nintendo 64, I go right to them and begin playing. Some I keep within easy reach. When I have one of those “system days” I usually play several games throughout the day as a marathon. So remember this is not a top game list for the system, this is a “MY” favorites list. Many may totally disagree with this list. But that is okay, go make your own list. This one is mine! I'm not entirely sure if this is in any discernible order, and yet it is. Mood swings I guess. StarFox 64 is my most favorite game on the system.

1. StarFox 64: This is easily my favorite game on the Nintendo 64 and in my opinion the best in its genre or class. I still remember my first experience with this game. When I entered the planet with the tower in the middle and that countdown with that big spaceship floating over it. The dog fighting there in true 3D done just right. I thought I was in shooter heaven. What a joy this game is to play. I cannot get enough of it. I keep coming back for more year after year from the first day it hit the store shelves and ended up in my hands.

2. Ridge Racer 64: The Arcade Racer is my favorite type racer, no simulation stuff for me. And I love the fact that I have a Ridge Racer game on a cart. It has great graphics, smooth animation, fantastic gameplay. I keep coming back to this game, can't get enough.

3. Cruis'n Exotica: Cars bouncing all over the road crashing into each other, over the top arcade racing, smooth frame rate puts this game on top for me. This is the most fun that I have ever had with a Cruis'n title. I laugh and chuckle as I play this game.

4. Dark Rift: I almost feel that I have a different game than what everyone has reviewed. This is the most underrated game that I know of. Sure it has a vague shallow plot, but it does give you a “cause” and that is enough for me to play the game. The story element never really mattered in two payer mode anyway. Slight blockiness in the graphics with a lot of detail. Great smooth animation and 60fps frame rate, tight intuitive spot on controls. Love the special effects. Fun deep weapons based gameplay with a mixture of VF and Tekken makes this the best fighter to me on the N64. The only thing that holds this game back is the N64 controller. This game would greatly benefit from an arcade style controller for the N64.

5. Star Wars Episode I Racer: I love the Tatooine level and I could play it forever. Nice graphics, love the feel of the pods. This thing runs smooth with a nice sense of speed. If you own a N64 you must own this game.

6. Wipeout 64: I love the hover craft racing of the Wipeout series. I love the fact that I have it here on cart and I feel that this is the best that the series produced.

7. Hydro Thunder: Wild arcade power speedboat racing that is almost a Ridge Racer on water. I love the booster power ups and jumps. A great faithful Midway port from the arcades.

8. Robotron 64: This is retro. Little souped up in its graphics and not really the same as the original but still, it stands as a good game on its own.

9. Bust-A-Move 2 arcade edition: For me this is a very addicting puzzle game. Love the little voices saying, “Leeeeetttsssss go!”

10. Paper Mario: This the best RPG for the N64, in my opinion. Love the graphics and the whole design of the game. It is one of those must own games for this system.

11. Disney's Tarzan: I know that this is one of those games that they categorize as a kiddie game, but I like the simplicity in the gameplay and find it fun.

12. Goemon's Great Adventure: The very Japanese cultural feel in this game is very weird and wacky to American gamers, but that is why I like it. Other than, it is a good side scrolling 2d, 3D-ish, platform game.

13. WCW nWo Revenge: I do not like watching wrestling on TV. I am not a fan. But this game has me hooked. It is lots of fun and one of the best games I have played of this type.

14. Rayman 2: This is a well designed 3D platform game. I like the mood and play mechanics put together here.

15. Kirby 64 the Crystal Shards: I have always been a fan of Kirby. And I am glad that they stuck to the old 2D side scrolling gameplay elements. That makes this game excellent in my opinion.

16. Beetle Adventure Racing: This is wild over the top racing that has a lot of power ups, jumps, and secrets to be found. Easily the best racer on the N64.

17. Donald Duck Goin' Quackers: This is another one of those games that they categorize as kiddie orientated. But for some reason I find the simple gameplay very enjoyable and hey, I'm controlling Donald Duck here. I'm a fan of that bird.

18. Zelda: Ocarina of Time: This game seems to be the special favorite son on this system. And it deserves being there. It is a very good action adventure RPG-ish type gameplay. The game draws you in and doesn't let you go. Great story element too. I play this when I want to sit back and enjoy an afternoon immersed in a game.

19. Castlevania: I never really got deep into the old Castlevania games. The only ones that I own, other than this one, is the one for the Genesis and PS1. I really did not expect this one to be any way like those old games and I had not formed any bias opinion. I'm saying this because I think that it is important to be able to enjoy this game. And I think this game is a great and enjoyable game. I love the atmosphere and moodiness that has been created here. The whole gaming environment and gameplay elements, from the puzzles to the giant boss like characters, this is one good 3D game for the N64.

20. Mischief Makers: This is one of those Treasure games and that in itself makes it great. They are known for good game design. This is a unique 3D looking side scroller with some new gameplay elements that are fresh and fun.

You may have noticed that there are some games that are always on a top ten list suspiciously missing, like maybe some of the darlings of the system. Like I said, this is my list. I did play Mario 64 a lot when I first got it, but, well, I do go back and play it,...... sometimes. The games on this list I just seem to like,........ more.

Do you have some favorites? Are any of those game titles ones that did not make the top ten list?

I know that maybe the next generation of consoles are in some lab in a far away place deep in the heart of the “big names” when it comes to gaming. How far away is it before things are revealed? Who knows? My main question is, “What will it take to impress this present generation of gamers to enter the next big console thrill ride?”

I think that when it comes to graphics, we have just about reached the pentacle of realism. One would have to dive into a fantasy world, to think, that there would be any dramatical leap forward into something on the level of virtual reality anytime soon. There still needs to be some great leap in the technological field of the home TV pushing in that direction. As long as the home console is dependent on that media for delivering its form of entertainment, the console is limited. There is some research in that area, but it is still a few years down the road. Presently the cost of virtual reality is out of the consumer's reach.

In the audio department, I'm not sure where we can go from here. I think, it might be possible, that we have come as far as we can go by having a medium that holds the delicious sounds that tantalizes our ears. What can be better than digital sound? Maybe there is some technology out there on the horizon that I am unaware of. I'm not sure if blu-ray has really made much, if any, impact on the average consumer. Maybe we can consider it still to be in its infancy. A lot depends on how much the consumer wants to soup up the equipment at home for their listening pleasure.

What's left is gameplay. Can we make any advances past the easy, normal, hard, or expert gameplay? Many, if not all, of the time when it comes to this part of game play you are faced with the opponent “harder to kill” to your being “one hit and you die.” There is a necessity to improve the area of the game's artificial intelligence. There is a need to change the way we look at and define the terms “easy, normal, and hard.” The harder level of the game would equal increased intelligence to the AI. Are we ready for some increased sophistication in gameplay? Or are we moving back into simplicity? I wonder how much of an impact that Nintendo has made with the Wii's interface in playing games. Are we looking at the next generation of being caught up in motion technology? Can the next big wave of consoles embrace both?

I think that the next generation of game consoles are faced with somewhat of a dilemma. I think that the present generation of gamers are going to be harder to please. Will the next big wave be only a beefed up extension of this present gaming balloon? If it is, I think that the balloon will either pop, or the air will quickly deflate, leaving a crippled gaming environment leaning toward another crash. I hope that I am wrong. But this is some of my concerns as a gamer. We are so used to the next generation offering us a thrill that we did not have in the previous. If it does not turn our heads, will we keep what we have and be satisfied?