The Nintendo 64 is one the most influential consoles of all-time, being the home of many classics such as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Yet, despite many excellent titles releasing worldwide, there were quite a few exclusives to specific regions. North America had its fair share, and so has Japan.
Some of the games released exclusively in Japan were only playable in North America thanks to those modifying their Nintendo 64s. Importing games and running them at home can often be a major hassle, and, unfortunately, some of these foreign games just aren’t worth jumping through hoops to play.
10 J-League Eleven Beat 1997
Nintendo has had many colorful sports games publish on its platforms over the years, and J-League Eleven Beat 1997 is comparable to the Backyard Sports series with its kid-like character design in a soccer game. Published by the now-defunct Hudson Soft, this sports game is straightforward and doesn’t have much depth campaign-wise.
Still, it was unique for its art style and a departure from other games in the J-League series, which were designed with a more realistic outlook in mind. The real-life J-League has since been discontinued, unfortunately.
9 Mario Artist: Talent Studio
Along with games, there was a Japan-exclusive add-on Nintendo created for the Nintendo 64. The 64DD (or 64 Disk Drive) expanded the storage compared to what was used on the cartridges. One of the games released with this accessory was Mario Artist: Talent Studio.
This was not an in-depth game. It was more an application where players could create their own avatars and then animate them. There was even some technology allowing players to take photos of themselves and paste onto their avatar, similar to the Mii creators Nintendo produced later.
8 Animal Forest
Known by its Japanese name Doubutsu no Mori, this was the very first Animal Crossing game ever made. Animal Forest has players take on the role of a player who moves to a town made up of anthropomorphic animals, living life while trying to pay back a mortgage.
This game was very bare-bones, with only a few special characters and locations. The game would later be upgraded and released outside of Japan as simply Animal Crossing. Despite its massive downgrade from where the franchise is now, it would be interesting to go back to where it first began.
7 Tetris 64
The classic puzzle game of Tetris had two games on the Nintendo 64, each limited to their own regions. While North America and the PAL region received the strange Tetrisphere, Japan received the properly titled Tetris 64.
This game had a plethora of modes. Normal Tetris had three types: A marathon mode, a stage mode, and a garbage mode. There was also Giga Tetris, where giant pieces will get involved with the puzzle. Then, there’s Bio Tetris, which measured the player’s heart rate as they played using the Japan-exclusive Bio Sensor.
6 Susume! Taisen Puzzle Dama
Speaking of puzzle games, another popular Japan-exclusive one was Susume! Taisen Puzzle Dama. The game will look familiar to those who are a big fan of Puyo Puyo, as it’s essentially a reskin of the normal game.
Players are tasked with creating combos by linking balls with similar colors. Putting three or more together will clear them and create obstacles for the opponent to overcome. The game is character-centric, with nine characters included in the game, with both the playable character and their opponent in the background as the puzzles are completed.
5 Wonder Project J2
It’s hard to know exactly what is going on in Wonder Project J2, but the game is, at the very least, beautiful considering the era in which it was released.
The center of the game’s story is Josette, who communicates through who robot named Bird, which, unless it isn’t clear, looks like a bird. The player can answer Josette’s questions through yes or no answers which are used in dialogue later in the game. The goal is to help guide Josette through situations she faces, including confronting an entire army.
4 Dezaemon 3D
Sometimes, playing video games just isn’t enough. Why not create them instead? Dezaemon 3D is a game in which players can create their own 3D shooting levels. The game allows players to craft 3D models, create cut-scenes for each stage, and even compose a song to play while enjoying the level.
There are two sample shooters to play in order to get inspiration. While “Solid Gear” is a war-based game of shooting at techs and mechs, “Usagi” is more playful as players can take down robots and evil bunnies. The game gives players a lot of wiggle room to become great creators.
3 Nushi Tsuri 64
It’s hard to imagine many getting excited about a fishing simulation game, but Nushi Tsuri 64 is a lot deeper than it sounds. Also referred to as Legend of the River King, this role-playing game features six characters that players can choose as their hero for the game.
The goal is to collect as many different kinds of fish as possible. The world can be explored, and NPCs are available to have a chat with. There are even random encounters in the game in which players can choose to throw a rock at their enemy or make an escape.
2 Custom Robo
A game targeted at those who enjoy action figures and toy models, Custom Robo was the virtual version of having these experiences. Players take on the role of a kid who gets a robot named Ray for their birthday. In order to upgrade this robot with more parts, the player must run around and interact with other characters.
The goal is to engage some of them in battle with their robots. The battles involve real-time combat in which robots are tossed into the arena and must go toe-to-toe. Winning battles earned the player parts and money.
1 Sin & Punishment
If there is one game Nintendo 64 fans wish came to the U.S., its Treasure’s Sin & Punishment. Playing as both Saki and Airan, players are placed in a world where science experiments to save the world from global famine have gone wrong. Creatures that were being raised as food revolted, and it’s up to the heroes to save the world.
The game is an arcade-style rail shooter game where players move around left to right to take on different enemies. The original game never released in the U.S., but its sequel did. Sin and Punishment: Star Successor came out on the Wii in 2009.
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