As this week is coming to a close, so is the month of January. Today is the last day of January. I hope 2026 is treating you well so far. If it’s going good, keep it going and hope for the best. If it’s going bad, you still got the rest of the year to turn it around. I had bad years that gone good towards the end of the year before.
10 years ago, Nintendo released a special, limited-edition console called the NES Classic Edition, otherwise known as the NES Mini. It was a small device, but it had 30 games downloaded to it (including Super Mario Bros, Pac-Man, and Balloon Fight). The next year, Nintendo released the next one in line, the SNES Classic Edition, but this time, it had 25 games downloaded to it. However, we did not get a N64 Classic Edition. Nintendo told us that the purpose of the NES Mini and SNES Mini were to help transition from the Wii U to the Switch. Right around that time, Nintendo discontinued Virtual Console, closing the door to retro games. We finally got to play Nintendo 64 games on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, as we got unexpected surprises too, including Banjo-Kazooie (Microsoft licensing issue), Goldeneye 007 (three-way licensing issue), Pokémon Stadium (Transfer Pak issue), and Mario Party 1 (which was never rereleased due to people tearing their hands on some of the mini-games).
Now what if I did have my own portable console like the Switch Lite or the 3DS that had Nintendo 64 games downloaded to it? I would actually like one. The Nintendo Switch may have made that obsolete, but to be honest, Nintendo has been doing a terrible job about porting and allowing people to play Nintendo 64 games on the Nintendo Switch for the following reasons:
- Nintendo Switch Online is a paid subscription service. While already a problem since you now have to pay to play online (which is part of the reason why Animal Crossing: New Horizons was more disappointing than Animal Crossing: New Leaf), this also means that when you pay to play Nintendo’s retro games, you only have access to them for a limited time. The Nintendo 64 games are part of an even more expensive package than the standard package.
- Nintendo has been very, very bad about adding Donkey Kong 64 to the service. Donkey Kong 64 is my favorite game from when I was a child, and for the longest time, Nintendo did not add it to the service. It wasn’t here at the beginning, nor was it part of the first two waves of additional games. They also seem to prioritize a few third-party games that nobody cares about (like Extreme-G and Ridge Racer 64) over Donkey Kong 64 (which everyone wants). And I’ve waited over 4 YEARS for it to come out on NSO (and yet, it still isn’t on the N64 app). I also once said that if Nintendo doesn’t release DK64 on NSO, then I’m never going to buy their products again. I won’t even give their newer Animal Crossing games a chance.
- Early on, you were unable to change the button-mapping for the emulation games. They finally fixed that in 2025 when the Nintendo Switch 2 came out. But they also added the CRT filter and ability to rewind N64 games. The bad news, those two features are exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, and thanks to Donald Trump, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a higher barrier to purchase (though Nintendo has been greedy as of late). If you want custom button mapping, you can get it on both the Switch and Switch 2. But if you want custom button mapping, ability to rewind, and CRT filters, then you’ll have to spend over $500, which hardly anyone has.
So yeah, I would like a portable console that has Nintendo 64 games downloaded to it that I can keep forever and play anywhere at any time. I would also like a portable console that does the same for GameCube games.
What I want in an N64-to-go Gamepad:
Let’s start with the Nintendo 64. Between the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, I remember believing that the GameCube was better when it first came out. But starting 2015, I’ve been thinking that the Nintendo 64 was the better of the two consoles. And it still is the best console today when it comes to library, in my opinion. You can beg to differ and think the Switch is, but did you know that most of the games I played on the Nintendo Switch were emulated games, remakes of older games (including Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee), and games that were homages to older games (i.e. A Hat in Time). I did play some original titles (Animal Crossing: New Horizons being the most prominent), but even they were disappointments compared to older titles.
When you get to the games, I would have “basic” suggestions (my minimum expectations) and “chaotic” suggestions (radical changes). An example of a “chaotic” suggestion is that there should be an HD mode for all of the Nintendo 64 games (like Super Mario 64 looking like Super Mario Odyssey or Pokémon Stadium looking like Pokémon Let’s Go).
General Suggestions:
- It should look like a game tablet similar to the Switch Lite, with a square screen.
- The buttons should be the exact same you see on a Nintendo 64 controller, except for a few new buttons.
- The A, B, and C buttons should be on the right side, as well as the R button at the shoulder.
- The Control Pad, Control Stick, and Start buttons should be on the left side, as well as the L Button and Z Button at the shoulder.
- New buttons include the Power Button (on top edge), Volume Buttons (on top edge), Menu Button (on left side), and Capture Button (on right side).
- It should have a rechargeable battery.
- It should have local wireless features so you can play with others.
- You should have save states and the ability to rewind.
- You should have a CRT filter.
- Capturing should allow you to take videos or take screenshots.
- For the color of the console plating, the only options should be Jungle, Ice, Fire, Grape, Watermelon, and Smoke. If I can have only one, I would have an Ice-colored one.
- There should be a soundtrack app, similar to Nintendo Music.
- Menu Music is the same as Free Battle selection music from Pokémon Stadium.
- The selection sounds when choosing a game have the same sound effects Pokémon Stadium has.
- Chaotic Suggestions:
- There should be a Classic Mode (where you can play the games in their original graphics) and an HD Mode (where you can play the games in modern HD graphics).
- There should be an Ocarina button, which is compatible with Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
Games:
For my personal console, I would have only 16 games downloaded to it. The games I choose are:
- Super Mario 64
- Mario Kart 64
- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Pokémon Stadium
- Pokémon Snap
- Paper Mario 64
- Goldeneye 007
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Donkey Kong 64
- Diddy Kong Racing
- Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Pokémon Stadium 2
- Pokémon Puzzle League
- Super Smash Bros
- Banjo-Tooie
Basic Game Suggestions:
- Super Mario 64 should fix the bonking issue. If it did, then you can only bonk if you dive into a wall. The camera needs to be fixed too.
- The music in the Fire Temple in Ocarina of Time needs to be changed. It should neither have the Islamic prayer nor the Shadow Temple remix, but a completely new soundtrack.
- To resolve Transfer Pak issues, Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow should be part of Pokémon Stadium 1, and Pokémon Gold/Silver should be part of Pokémon Stadium 2.
- To unlock Mew, you must complete Round 1 in Pokémon Stadium. To unlock Celebi, you must complete Round 1 in Pokémon Stadium 2.
- The rabbit and the beetle should be slowed down in Donkey Kong 64.
- Button mashing glitch in Diddy Kong Racing (where repeatedly hitting the A button results in maximum speed) should be present.
- Time should stop inside the dungeons in Majora’s Mask. Saving your game should also work like it did in the 3DS version.
- Canary Mary should be slowed down in Banjo-Tooie.
Chaotic Suggestions:
- For Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Banjo-Tooie, remake suggestions should be the same as they were discussed here.
- In addition to making Mario Kart 64’s tracks more visually appealing, the six that appeared in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe should have the same design (except for the anti-gravity sections).
- Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask should put the tools with the control pad, while the C buttons can be used to adjust the camera.
- Pokémon Stadium 1 Suggestions:
- As part of including Red/Blue/Yellow, they should be exactly similar to Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee, except with random encounters and no Pokémon GO references, ability to breed Pokémon, playable games in the Game Corner, and cycling. The Dark, Steel, and Fairy types should be included, as well as Alolan Form Pokémon and newer and improved moves.
- While improving the graphics, animations should be the same as they previously were in Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, plus brand new animations for moves like Freeze-Dry, Power Gem, and Moonblast (which were not present in the original PS and PS2 games).
- Run Rattata Run should have both Kantonian and Alolan forms as variations.
- Dig, Dig, Dig should have both Kantonian and Alolan forms as variations.
- Pokémon Stadium 2 Suggestions:
- As part of including Gold/Silver, they should be similar to how Let’s Go Pikachu/Let’s Go Eevee, just like how I suggested for Pokémon Stadium 1.
- Fairy Type should be included, as well as Alolan Forms, Galarian Forms, Hisuian Forms, Paldean Forms, other Pokémon from evolutionary families of the first two generations, and maybe even Riolu and Lucario.
- Pokémon Snap should put in all 151 Pokémon species from the first generation.
What I want in a GCN-to-go Gamepad:
Other than the Nintendo 64, the console I believed Nintendo was at its best was the GameCube. Though that’s probably because I grew up playing it. But as you know, gaming has become more about profit as the years came. I will say that the Nintendo Switch, on average, was better than both the Wii and Wii U in terms on library, as well as the NES and SNES, but the GameCube wins.
I have some suggestions for the GameCube-to-go. This time, there will be no chaotic suggestions. While the GameCube isn’t perfect, I’ll admit being spoiled by the newer Pokémon games and the 3DS Zelda games.
General Suggestions:
- It should look like a game tablet similar to the Switch Lite, with a wide screen.
- The buttons should be the exact same you see on a GameCube controller, except for a few new buttons.
- The A, B, X, and Y buttons and the C stick should be on the right side, as well as the R button at the shoulder.
- The Control Pad, Control Stick, and Start buttons should be on the left side, as well as the L Button and Z Button at the shoulder.
- New buttons include the Power Button (on top edge), Volume Buttons (on top edge), Menu Button (on left side), and Capture Button (on right side).
- It should have a rechargeable battery.
- It should have local wireless features so you can play with others.
- You should have save states and the ability to rewind.
- Capturing should allow you to take videos or take screenshots.
- Plating colors include black, white, gold, platinum, orange, and purple. If I can choose one, I would get the golden one.
- When you first turn on the tablet, you’ll see the sequence where the G is drawn by the cube.
- You should have a soundtrack app.
- Menu music is the same as Animal Crossing’s hourly music (from the GameCube Version), matching every hour. If you choose to turn off changing music, you’ll hear the Nook’s Cranny theme (GameCube Version).
- Sound effects are the same as Animal Crossing’s sound effects when you’re inside a house (from the GameCube Version).
Games:
For my personal console, I would have only 12 games downloaded to it. The games I choose are:
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Super Smash Bros Melee
- Mario Kart: Double Dash
- Luigi’s Mansion
- Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
- Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
- Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
- Kirby Air Powered Ride
- Metroid Prime
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
They should only have a few fixes to the games as well rather than radical overhauling. Like Metroid Prime should allow you to jump in morph form, Metroid Prime 2 should have more checkpoints, Double Dash should make blue shells work like they did in Mario Kart 8, and graphics should look more visually appealing.
And no, I did not include Animal Crossing, despite suggestions on using its soundtrack and sound effects as the menu music. If you want to know why, it’s because Animal Crossing is one of these games where it’s hard to play the older games once you’re used to the newer games. Even New Leaf might be more frustrating to play after playing New Horizons, despite money-making being easier in New Leaf. I may repost the ACNL Remake Suggestions I previously posted on another site later, but that’s pretty much it.
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