What to Buy With Your Nintendo 64 - written by JJ Hendricks

You have decided to buy a Nintendo 64 system but can't decide what you need to buy with it. Do you need extra controllers? Which games should you buy? Are memory cards and expansion paks necessary? Follow these easy directions below and you will know exactly what you need to maximize your fun with the N64.

Games - The biggest decision to make is what games to buy with your system. The Nintendo 64 is just an ugly paperweight if it doesn't have games to play. The first way to choose games is pick something related to one of your hobbies outside of gaming. Do you play football, skateboarding, like cars, or fishing? There are games for all of these hobbies and more. The second option for choosing your games is start with a list of the most popular games released on the Nintendo 64. They are:

Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, Mario Kart, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros, Perfect Dark, and Mario Party

These games aren't made for everyone, so be sure you check the ratings and descriptions before buying one.

Controllers - The N64 system originally came with one controller in the box but four slots for controllers. So you can buy three more controllers for the system if you want. If you will always be playing by yourself, you don't have to spend money on an extra controller. But I recommend buying at least one more because you never know when a friend will pop on over to play. If you choose any of the games that allow four players to play at once, definitely buy three extra controllers. They will be worth every penny with all the fun you will have with them.

This is a great time to mention the difference between Nintendo controllers and third party controllers. Nintendo controllers are more reliable and comfortable while third party controllers are less expensive. I only buy Nintendo controllers myself, because I think they are worth the extra money for the piece of mind that they will not break on you.

Accessories - The Nintendo 64 has many extra accessories you can buy too. The two most important, almost essential in some cases, are memory cards and the expansion pak. Memory cards allow you to save your progress in games and the expansion pak add graphical capabilities to the system. About half the games on the market require a memory card if you want to save your stats and place in the game so you should definitely buy one. The expansion pak is required for certain games like Perfect Dark and Donkey Kong but most games do not need it. If you want the best graphics, be sure to buy one.

You can buy tons of other accessories for the Nintendo 64, but the two most popular are the rumble pak and gameshark. The rumble pak is inserted into any controller and will shake during game play. It adds a little realism, but isn't anything important. The gameshark allows you to "cheat" in games by entering certain codes. You can walk through walls, be invincible, and have unlimited ammo in certain games. It can be a fun addition, but isn't required by any means.

This list should have helped you choose the games, controllers, and accessories you want to buy with your Nintendo 64. Now get out there and enjoy your new gaming purchase.