Five Franchises That Won’t Be On Nintendo 64 Classic, Unless…

We’re hearing whispers once again that Nintendo is planning to release another Classic all-in-one console, this time focusing on the Nintendo 64. The cartridge based system that got its start in the mid-90’s became a huge staple for the company, introducing us to innovative 3D titles like Star Fox 64, Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and countless others.

So now begins the speculation. What games will we see included with the system? There are the obvious no-brainers along with popular favorites like Wave Race 64, Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, which will no doubt become huge staples for the console.

But then there are the titles that we don’t have a real huge chance of seeing on the system, mainly due to licensing or a lack of interest, or perhaps being “too much” considering the audience that Nintendo is shooting for with the console. Is there a possibility of seeing them? Perhaps, but there are a few things that must be done for that to happen.

Let’s look at the five titles that won’t be on the system, unless Nintendo has something planned.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

This controversial classic became a favorite amongst the N64 elite, just because of how unconventional — and over-the-top — its platforming action was. We’re talking about everything from our hero, Conker the squirrel, peeing on fires to put them out to bouncing off the gigantic breasts of a sunflower to get to a higher platform. Considering that Nintendo wants to go for an all-ages audience with the N64 Classic, this one won’t make the cut.

Unless…the company does some censoring of the title so that it’s a little more Teen rated, like bleeping out curse words and toning down the sexuality. But that could cause trouble for the publisher, since people like Conker just the way it is. So, for the most part, count this one out. At the very least, you can enjoy Conker: Live & Reloaded on Xbox One.

Classic WCW and WWF Wrestling Games

The Nintendo 64 was home to some of the best wrestling games out there, including WCW vs. NWO World Tour, WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and WWF No Mercy. There was just no beating the four player sessions involved here, and participating in a Royal Rumble like a champ. But with the licensing involved and an outdated roster for each title, there’s really a very slim chance we’ll see any of these surface on the N64 Classic.

Unless…there’s a slight chance that we could see Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 make the cut since there aren’t many licenses to worry about, or Nintendo could even work with WWE to make a more current version of something like No Mercy, where certain superstars are replaced. But that may be a lot more work than it’s worth, so unless Virtual makes the cut, the N64 Classic won’t have any wrestling games. Yeah, we’re bummed, too.

The Turok Games

There were a number of great first-person shooting games made for the Nintendo 64, but one of the early ones out of the gate was Acclaim’s Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, which made waves with its appealing visuals and non-stop action, not to mention its immense level design. For that matter, the sequels were a blast too. That said, with the games being mature-rated, it’s very unlikely we’ll see them make the N64 Classic cut.

Unless…There is a slight chance Nintendo could consider releasing one or two mature games for the system, but there’s something else to consider. Nightdive Studios has re-released the first two Turok games for PC and Xbox One, so they more than likely hold the rights. Making a deal with Nintendo should be fairly easy (and, hey, maybe we could get the Turok games on Switch!), but that’s if Nintendo goes with the mature-rated gamble. And that’s a big if.

The Star Wars Games

Sigh. The Nintendo 64 was home to some of the best Star Wars games around. Despite its goofiness with its tech, Shadows of the Empire had some fun moments. And Rogue Squadron was simply awesome, with its flight controls and stunning visuals. But EA holds the rights to the Star Wars franchise now, and unless Nintendo feels like coughing up some royalties, the Force just won’t be with the N64 Classic.

Unless…true, Nintendo might relent and work with EA on a possible licensing of a Star Wars classic, especially if they want to get Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 on the eventual GameCube Classic. But the question is if they think it’ll be worth the money. Here’s hoping they figure something out, because a Star Wars game would hit the spot.

Goldeneye 007

Let’s be honest. This is an essential Nintendo 64 favorite. Goldeneye still stands as one of the best multiplayer games ever made, not to mention one of the best movie-licensed titles ever. But there are a lot of licenses that Nintendo would have to sort out to get this done, including separate actor appearances, the Bond license, some of the villains, and so on. And to them, it may not be worth the effort.

Unless…Nintendo could take the same route that Activision did with the game years ago, changing things around to fit more into a contemporary style of Bond adventure. But then Goldeneye just wouldn’t be the same, so the effort may not be worth it. That said, it wouldn’t surprise us if Nintendo made a deal with Microsoft and Rare instead to bring Perfect Dark to the N64 Classic. It would certainly beat nothing.

Which of these favorites would you want to see on the N64 Classic?