Game guide · NexWave Games
Which Nintendo 64 games can four people play?
Four controller ports on the Nintendo 64 invite friends onto the sofa. But not every N64 game supports four players. Which cartridges turn those ports into a game night, and what else should you prepare?
Racing: Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing
Mario Kart 64 is a safe choice for a quick start: choose a character and race or battle with balloons. The original N64 version supports four players on one TV. Diddy Kong Racing adds hovercrafts and planes to karts, with a separate multiplayer race mode. It feels different from another evening of Mario Kart.
For a loose cartridge, check the label and contact edge. N64 plays directly from cartridges, so this local competition needs no online subscription. Each player does need a working controller. The analogue stick makes a particularly big difference in racing.
Fighting or board games: Smash and Mario Party 2
Super Smash Bros. lets up to four players fight simultaneously on one screen, for a very different evening from racing. Mario Party 2 alternates a board game with minigames. It suits groups who enjoy chatting between turns and discovering the winner after more than one quick round.
With Mario Party games, check the exact edition and any storage requirements. Progress and saves work differently by title. Ask whether a used N64 bundle includes Controller Paks if you want to save in games requiring them. For a casual match with friends, four good controllers usually come first.
Which suits your group?
For immediate racing and overtaking, start with Mario Kart 64. For longer races with different vehicles, try Diddy Kong Racing. Smash is the obvious choice for quick fights; Mario Party 2 suits a whole evening together. Always check the box for player count and required accessories for your exact edition.
Test all four ports and sticks beforehand so nobody drops out halfway through. N64 offers local multiplayer without complicated setup, but its hardware is old. A working cartridge and four usable controllers separate an evening of playing from one spent hunting cables.