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Start with Super Mario 64 if you want the clearest, most movement-focused introduction to Nintendo 64 3D platforming. Its worlds are entered through paintings, and the main progression is a search for 120 Power Stars hidden among obstacle courses, puzzles, enemies, and exploratory routes. Choose Banjo-Kazooie instead for a more characterful, storybook collectathon built around a bear-and-bird team. Donkey Kong 64 is the pick for players who enjoy switching among five characters with different abilities, while Banjo-Tooie is a natural next stop after the first Banjo adventure.
There is no permanently correct ranking. A Nintendo Life user-rating list places Super Mario 64 first and Banjo-Kazooie second in the captured ordering, but that list can change and excludes Japan-only releases. The recommendations below use that ranking as one signal and explain which game fits which kind of player.
Which Nintendo 64 3D platformer should you play first?
For most players, play Super Mario 64 first. It establishes the basic language of the entire group: direct 3D movement, large spaces to investigate, discrete objectives, hidden items, environmental puzzles, and a gradual collection loop. You can then move to Banjo-Kazooie if you want more storybook character and teamwork, or to Donkey Kong 64 if changing between specialists sounds more appealing than controlling one hero.
The N64’s 3D platformer field is relatively small compared with later consoles, so a useful guide should distinguish the major experiences rather than pretend every candidate is interchangeable. The table is a taste-based guide, not a common review scorecard.
#1 Best Overall
| Game | Best for | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 64 | Players seeking foundational, movement-led exploration | Worlds entered through paintings, obstacle courses, hidden items, puzzles, enemies, and 120 Power Stars |
| Banjo-Kazooie | Players who want a storybook collectathon | Banjo and Kazooie work as a complementary bear-and-bird duo with different abilities |
| Donkey Kong 64 | Players who enjoy character switching | Donkey, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky each have distinct abilities while pursuing Golden Bananas |
| Banjo-Tooie | Players ready for another Rare platforming adventure | A follow-up choice for readers who want more of the Banjo style; the available material does not establish a precise mechanical comparison |
| Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Space Station Silicon Valley | Readers exploring beyond the central recommendations | Both appear in GameSpot’s N64 platformer coverage, but the available descriptions do not support detailed play-style claims here |
Why is Super Mario 64 the best starting point?
Super Mario 64 is the central reference point because its design makes movement itself the way you investigate a level. Nintendo describes the adventure as taking place in 3D, with worlds accessed through paintings inside the castle. Each world combines traversal with a specific objective structure, and the overall campaign asks you to find 120 Power Stars.
That structure matters when choosing among N64 platformers. Instead of moving through one uninterrupted path, you repeatedly enter a world, read its terrain, decide which route looks promising, and test Mario’s movement against obstacles. The documented ingredients include daunting obstacle courses, hidden items, puzzles, and enemies. Together they create a game where curiosity is part of the progression system rather than a detour from it.
Choose it if movement is your priority
If your ideal platformer is one where controlling the character feels like the main pleasure, this is the safest recommendation. The game’s identity is not dependent on a large cast or a complicated narrative premise; it is built around taking Mario into open 3D spaces and using movement to reach goals. That makes it a useful baseline before you judge the more specialized games on this list.
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The Power Star system gives exploration a clear reason. You are not simply wandering through a three-dimensional environment: you are looking for a finite set of rewards distributed across worlds with different obstacles and puzzles. Players who enjoy checking a world from several angles, revisiting an area with a new idea, and turning a visual clue into a route will find that loop easy to understand.
Know what it does not promise
The recommendation is about its role as a foundational movement-led adventure, not a claim that it has the largest cast, the densest collectible systems, or the most elaborate story on the N64. If those are your priorities, the next sections point to better matches.
Is Banjo-Kazooie the better choice for a storybook collectathon?
Yes, if you want a more character-driven tone and a duo whose abilities complement one another. Nintendo describes Banjo as a bear and Kazooie as a red-crested bird carried in his backpack. Their teamwork, different strengths, and shared search through Gruntilda’s lair give the game a distinct identity from Mario’s movement-first structure.
Banjo-Kazooie still belongs to the exploratory collectathon tradition, but its appeal comes from how the two characters operate together. You are not choosing between five independent heroes; you are using a paired set of capabilities to deal with obstacles and puzzles. That makes it a strong recommendation for players who want the mechanics and the cast to reinforce one another.
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The storybook framing is useful shorthand for the experience: the world is organized around a recognizable hero-and-companion premise, and the rescue journey through Gruntilda’s lair gives your collecting a narrative purpose. If a memorable duo matters as much to you as the feel of movement, this may be a better first game than Super Mario 64.
Pick it for complementary abilities
Banjo and Kazooie have different strengths, and Nintendo specifically presents their teamwork as the way they overcome obstacles and search the lair. That is the key distinction to look for. You are evaluating how a pair solves problems together, rather than how a single character’s movement handles a large open course.
Rank #2
- 340 GAMES IN 1: Enjoy a massive collection of 340 built-in classic games on a single cartridge
- COMPATIBLE WITH NINTENDO 64: Designed specifically for the Nintendo 64 console for plug-and-play convenience
- EASY TO USE: Simply insert the cartridge, browse the game menu, and start playing instantly
- WIDE GAME VARIETY: Includes a diverse selection of genres to keep players of all ages entertained
- CONVENIENT ALL-IN-ONE: Eliminates the need to swap multiple cartridges with one multi-game solution
How it fits the broader ranking
Nintendo Life’s captured user-rating list places Banjo-Kazooie near the top, second at the time recorded. Treat that as evidence of strong player enthusiasm, not a permanent industry verdict: the ordering can change in real time, and the list excludes Japan-only releases.
Should you play Donkey Kong 64 for its five-character system?
Choose Donkey Kong 64 when character variety is more important to you than having one central move set. Nintendo describes it as Donkey Kong’s first 3D adventure and names five playable Kongs: Donkey, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky. Each has distinct abilities, and the quest revolves around collecting Golden Bananas.
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That gives the game a different decision rhythm from the two recommendations above. Instead of asking only how to move through a space, you also ask which Kong is suited to the situation. The roster is the reason to select this game, so it is especially appropriate for players who like comparing specialists and changing characters as they explore.
Pick it if switching characters sounds fun
The five-Kong lineup is not a cosmetic change. The documented distinction is that each character has unique abilities, so the appeal lies in matching a character to an obstacle or collectible. If you enjoy a game that keeps its cast in the foreground, this is the clearest choice in the group.
Pick it if collecting motivates you
Golden Bananas provide the named collection goal. That places Donkey Kong 64 alongside the other N64 collectathons while giving its collection loop a roster-based angle. Before choosing it, decide whether you prefer gathering rewards with one familiar hero or distributing progress across several playable characters.
Understand the trade-off
A larger cast naturally asks you to keep track of more abilities and more situations in which they may matter. That can be the feature you want, or it can feel like additional mental overhead if your priority is uninterrupted movement. The distinction is about preference, not an objective quality ranking.
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Banjo-Tooie is the logical recommendation for readers who finish Banjo-Kazooie and want another Rare platforming adventure. GameSpot includes it among its N64 platformer examples, which establishes its place in the conversation. The available material does not provide a detailed official description or enough support for a precise comparison of its systems, so it is better presented as a follow-up option than as a list of specific feature claims.
Use your reason for liking the first game to make the decision. If the bear-and-bird partnership, storybook framing, and exploratory collectathon structure are what attracted you, Banjo-Tooie is the next title to investigate. If you are looking specifically for a movement tutorial or a five-character ability system, start with the corresponding game instead.
When it belongs in your sequence
- Begin with Super Mario 64 if you want to understand the N64’s foundational 3D movement.
- Play Banjo-Kazooie when you want a characterful duo and a storybook collectathon.
- Move to Banjo-Tooie when you want another Rare adventure in that broad lane.
This sequence is a recommendation path, not a claim that every player must complete the games in that order.
What other N64 platformers should you investigate?
GameSpot’s N64 platformer coverage also names Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Space Station Silicon Valley. They are useful leads for readers who have already considered the central three recommendations and want to survey the wider field.
The available descriptions do not establish enough detail to responsibly assign either game a specific movement model, collectible structure, tone, or difficulty profile here. Treat the names as starting points for further verification rather than as promises that they match Mario, Banjo, or Donkey Kong.
Why restraint matters with the deeper cuts
Lists of “every” N64 3D platformer can vary by definition and region. A title may be omitted because a list is selective, because a release was regional, or because the article is organized around a particular editorial criterion. Naming a game is not the same as proving that it belongs in the same play-style category as the core recommendations.
How should you compare these games before choosing?
There is no single published scorecard that measures all of these games on identical terms. A practical comparison uses the questions below and lets your preferences decide the result.
| Question to ask | What a “yes” points toward |
|---|---|
| Do you want movement and open-ended route finding to be the main attraction? | Super Mario 64 |
| Do you want a storybook premise and a two-character team with complementary abilities? | Banjo-Kazooie |
| Do you enjoy choosing among several specialists with distinct abilities? | Donkey Kong 64 |
| Do you want another Rare adventure after the first Banjo game? | Banjo-Tooie |
| Have you already covered the central recommendations and want to investigate less-documented candidates? | Conker’s Bad Fur Day or Space Station Silicon Valley |
Movement and control
Start by deciding whether the pleasure comes from one character’s movement or from using a roster. Super Mario 64 represents the former; Donkey Kong 64 represents the latter; Banjo-Kazooie sits between them by making a duo’s complementary abilities central.
World and level structure
Ask whether you prefer worlds entered through paintings and revisited for Power Stars, a lair-centered journey built around a duo, or exploration organized around several Kongs. These are different ways of turning a 3D space into a progression system.
Collectibles and backtracking
All three central recommendations use named collection goals: Power Stars for Mario and Golden Bananas for Donkey Kong, while Banjo-Kazooie is described as a collectathon centered on searching Gruntilda’s lair. Decide whether returning to a place to pursue another reward sounds satisfying or tiring. The amount of backtracking you personally tolerate is a useful filter even when a universal score would not be.
Cast and tone
Choose Mario for a focused central hero, Banjo-Kazooie for a bear-and-bird partnership with storybook flavor, or Donkey Kong 64 for a five-Kong cast. Tone is subjective, so use these descriptions as orientation rather than as an imposed ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the “best” N64 3D platformer ranking objective?
No. The Nintendo Life list cited for this topic is ranked by its user-rating database, and the ordering can change in real time. It also excludes Japan-only releases, so it is not an exhaustive global catalog.
Rank #4
- 18 IN 1 CARTRIDGE: Includes Mario Party 1, 2, and 3, plus 15 additional classic N64 games on a single cartridge.
- COMPATIBLE WITH N64 CONSOLE: Designed to work with the Nintendo 64 console, US version, for seamless plug-and-play use.
- SPACE-SAVING DESIGN: Consolidates multiple beloved N64 titles into one cartridge, reducing clutter in your game collection.
- US VERSION: Cartridge is compatible with US region N64 consoles, ensuring proper functionality with your existing setup.
- GREAT FOR FANS: A convenient way to enjoy multiple classic N64 titles, including the full Mario Party trilogy, in one package.
That limitation does not make the list useless. It tells you what one active audience ranking looked like at a particular capture: Super Mario 64 first and Banjo-Kazooie second. The more durable conclusion is that “best” depends on the experience you want—movement, exploration, collectible density, character variety, tone, or your tolerance for revisiting spaces.
How to read other lists
- Check whether the list is user-ranked, critic-ranked, or an individual recommendation.
- Check whether Japan-only or other regional releases are excluded.
- Check the date, because a live user order can change.
- Check whether “3D platformer” is being used narrowly or as a broad label for exploration-heavy games.
How can you play these games today?
There are two practical paths: original Nintendo 64 hardware or a current Nintendo service that includes N64 software. The ranking coverage mentions Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie as available through Switch Online + Expansion Pack, but that catalog statement is time-sensitive and was not independently verified against the current regional service page. Check Nintendo’s official service information for your country before relying on present availability, subscription price, or eligibility.
Original-hardware checklist
If you want the original console experience, the relevant physical products are an authentic Super Mario 64 cartridge, a Banjo-Kazooie cartridge, and an original N64 controller. Those are product categories, not guarantees of current stock or any particular listing.
- Confirm that the cartridge is genuine rather than a reproduction.
- Check the physical condition and whether the seller describes it accurately.
- Verify regional compatibility with your console.
- For a controller, inspect the analog stick and confirm that the listing matches the N64 connection you need.
Used-game availability and prices change, so verify the specific listing before buying. A physical cartridge also avoids depending on a subscription catalog, while a current digital catalog may be more convenient if the title is included in your region at the time you check.
What is the shortest recommendation for each type of player?
- New to N64 3D platformers: Start with Super Mario 64.
- Want a storybook duo: Choose Banjo-Kazooie.
- Want five playable specialists: Choose Donkey Kong 64.
- Finished the first Banjo adventure: Investigate Banjo-Tooie.
- Have played the main recommendations: Use GameSpot’s broader list as a lead for Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Space Station Silicon Valley, then verify the details that matter to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Power Stars does Super Mario 64 have?
Nintendo’s description sets the game’s collection target at 120 Power Stars. They are distributed across 3D worlds that combine obstacle courses, hidden items, puzzles, and enemies, so the number is a campaign-wide goal rather than a single level objective.
Which game is better if I dislike switching characters?
The documented five-character system makes Donkey Kong 64 the least natural fit for that preference. Super Mario 64 keeps the focus on Mario’s movement, while Banjo-Kazooie uses a fixed bear-and-bird partnership rather than a five-character roster.
Are Japan-only Nintendo 64 platformers included in every ranking?
No. The Nintendo Life user-rating list used as one reference explicitly excludes Japan-only releases. Other lists may define their regional coverage differently, so check each list’s scope before treating it as exhaustive.
Should I buy a cartridge or use a subscription service?
A cartridge suits original-hardware owners who want a physical copy and independence from a changing catalog. A subscription can be more convenient when the game is included in your region, but Nintendo’s current availability, price, and eligibility should be checked directly before you rely on it.
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