The Nintendo 64 sits in a special place in gaming history, remembered for couch multiplayer, chunky cartridges and some of the most beloved 3D worlds ever created. Yet behind classics like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time was a shadow library of ambitious projects that were cancelled, moved to other systems or simply forgotten.
Publishers wrestled with expensive cartridges, shifting hardware plans and changing tastes. The result was a surprising number of games that were shown in magazines, trade shows or early previews, then quietly vanished. Some later resurfaced as prototypes or as reworked releases on newer consoles, but as Nintendo 64 titles they never made it to shop shelves.
If you enjoy imagining what could have been, you might also like the more light hearted fan made concepts in Ten Never Released Nintendo 64 Games I Wish Were Real. For a broader look at the hardware itself, the Nintendo 64 entry on Wikipedia and the dedicated list of cancelled N64 games are treasure troves of trivia and technical detail.
So grab a memory card, imagine the whirr of that N64 power brick and take a look at ten lost Nintendo 64 games that never saw the light of day as official releases.
10. Viewpoint 2064
What it was meant to be: A follow-up to the cult Neo Geo shooter Viewpoint, reimagined as a fully 3D rail shooter with shades of Star Fox 64. Players would pilot a sleek ship through branching routes, dodging obstacles and locking on to enemies in a stylish, arcade-inspired campaign.
What happened: Viewpoint 2064 was shown at Nintendo Space World around the turn of the century and looked almost ready to go. Then promotional material dried up, the N64 market shrank and the game quietly disappeared from release schedules. For years, it was considered lost, before a near-final build surfaced in the hands of preservationists many years later. Officially, though, it never saw a proper cartridge release.
What we missed: The N64 library has only a handful of high-quality space shooters. A polished, arcade-style sequel like this could have been a cult classic for fans of score chasing and fast reaction gameplay.
9. Rev Limit
What it was meant to be: A serious racing game from Seta Corporation, aimed at being the system’s answer to Ridge Racer and other realistic arcade racers. Early previews showed flashy weather effects, detailed cars and multiple racing modes, with both Nintendo 64 and 64DD versions planned.
What happened: Rev Limit appeared repeatedly in magazines and at events, slipping from one planned release date to another. Behind the scenes, Seta ran into financial trouble and the game was postponed again and again before being cancelled outright. Prototypes eventually reached collectors and preservationists, but the general public never had a chance to buy it.
What we missed: The N64 did well for kart racers and quirky driving games, but a fully fledged rival to the best arcade-style racers of the time could have filled a real gap in the library.
8. Doom Absolution (Doom 64 2)
What it was meant to be: A direct sequel to Doom 64, developed by Midway with input from id Software. This time the focus was set to be multiplayer, with deathmatch-style gunfights designed around the N64 hardware for split-screen battles, rather than a traditional single-player campaign.
What happened: The project was announced not long after the original Doom 64, then quietly scrapped in 1997 while still in early development. The ageing Doom engine and the pull of newer technology seemingly pushed resources towards other ports instead. Only fragments of information, concept notes and a few mentions in period magazines remain.
What we missed: N64 owners had plenty of couch multiplayer options, but a purpose built Doom deathmatch experience on cartridge could have been a favourite at sleepovers and late night gatherings for years.
7. Dragon Sword
What it was meant to be: A fantasy hack-and-slash adventure from Interactive Studios, the team behind Glover. Early builds were pitched as a mix of Golden Axe and a dungeon crawler, with four crusaders battling through a dark realm, co-op play and even competitive multiplayer modes.
What happened: Dragon Sword was previewed extensively and was said to be close to completion around 1999 to 2000. Then, doubts about its commercial prospects and publisher issues led to the release being pulled. Years later a beta build leaked online, showing just how far development had come before the plug was pulled.
What we missed: Four-player fantasy brawling would have suited the N64 perfectly. Instead, the console’s line up of traditional fantasy action games remained surprisingly thin compared with its rivals.
6. Riqa
What it was meant to be: A third-person action title from Bits Studios, heavily compared at the time to Tomb Raider and Perfect Dark. Players would control the heroine Riqa through sci fi environments, mixing shooting, exploration and puzzle solving in a cinematic campaign that Nintendo itself was set to publish.
What happened: Riqa was shown at E3 1999 and covered in magazines, but it never progressed beyond prototype status. After repeated delays it was eventually cancelled, and for years only a handful of screenshots and memories remained. More recently, developers and preservationists have shared early builds, letting curious fans peek at what might have been.
What we missed: The N64 is remembered for a few standout first-person shooters, but it has far fewer third-person action games. A polished, cinematic adventure starring a new heroine could have broadened the system’s appeal in a big way.
5. Fire Emblem 64 (Maiden of Darkness)
What it was meant to be: Often referred to by its working title Fire Emblem 64 or Maiden of Darkness, this project was planned for Nintendo’s ill-fated 64DD add on. It would have brought the long running strategy series into 3D, potentially with new features made possible by the rewritable disc format.
What happened: Development proved difficult, and as the 64DD stumbled in Japan the project was cancelled before screenshots or detailed footage were ever shown. The work done did not entirely vanish however, since ideas and story elements were later reworked into the Game Boy Advance entry Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
What we missed: Western N64 owners never saw a Fire Emblem game at all. A successful home console debut on N64 might have brought the series overseas years earlier and changed the course of its popularity in the West.
4. Resident Evil 0 (Biohazard) (N64 Version)
What it was meant to be: A prequel to the original Resident Evil, designed to take advantage of the N64’s cartridge-based hardware. One of the key ideas was that the game would load entire areas into memory at once, allowing seamless swapping between protagonists Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen without traditional loading screens.
What happened: Capcom began development around 1998 and even showed footage of the N64 build. However, the limited storage space of cartridges and the looming arrival of the GameCube made the project less appealing. The N64 version was quietly shelved and development moved to Nintendo’s new optical disc-based console, resulting in the GameCube game that players eventually received.
What we missed: A full-blown, cartridge-based survival horror game pushing the N64 to its limits would have been a technical showcase and a fascinating contrast to the later GameCube release.
3. Eternal Darkness (N64 Version)
What it was meant to be: Silicon Knights’ ambitious psychological horror title actually started life on N64. The team planned a story spanning centuries, with multiple playable characters and a unique “sanity” system that would blur the line between game and player through strange visual and audio tricks.
What happened: By around 2000 the N64’s commercial life was winding down and Nintendo wanted stronger support for the upcoming GameCube. As a result, Eternal Darkness was shifted to the new console, rebuilt on improved hardware and eventually released there in 2002. The N64 version, despite being shown in playable form at trade shows, never reached shops.
What we missed: The GameCube version is rightly praised, but a cartridge-era take on the same ideas would have been a fascinating technical and artistic experiment. It also would have given the N64 a rare, fully fledged, mature-rated horror exclusive.
2. Dinosaur Planet
What it was meant to be: Rare’s planned swan song for the N64, a large-scale action adventure starring fox like heroes Krystal and Sabre on a world full of talking dinosaurs and magical relics. Think Ocarina of Time style exploration with Rare’s trademark humour and detail.
What happened: The game was shown at E3 2000 and impressed many, but as development went on Nintendo stepped in with a suggestion. The Star Fox brand needed a new outing, and the project was reworked into what became Star Fox Adventures on GameCube. That meant a change of platform, a heavy rewrite of characters and story and the effective cancellation of the original N64 version. Years later, a development build of the N64 game leaked, giving fans a glimpse of the original concept.
What we missed: An N64 epic in the spirit of Rare’s other adventures, free from the expectations and compromises that came with grafting Fox McCloud and friends onto the design. Many still wonder whether the original Dinosaur Planet might have been the stronger game.
1. EarthBound 64 (Mother 3 for N64)
What it was meant to be: The long awaited third main entry in the cult Mother series, developed for 64DD and later for standard N64 hardware. Early previews showed a quirky, stylised 3D world full of humour, melancholy and strange characters, carrying on the spirit of EarthBound on Super Nintendo.
What happened: Development dragged on for years. The 64DD struggled, the project switched hardware, and the team’s ambitions kept colliding with technical realities. By 2000, despite being more than halfway complete, the N64 version was officially cancelled as Nintendo shifted focus to the GameCube. The story did not end there though, as the game was reborn on Game Boy Advance as the beloved 2D version of Mother 3.
What we missed: Many fans still dream of a fully playable, official N64 incarnation of EarthBound 64. A successful release could have boosted the series’ profile worldwide and possibly changed how Nintendo viewed quirky, text heavy RPGs on home consoles.
What These Lost N64 Games Tell Us About The Era
Taken together, these projects show just how turbulent the late N64 years were. Developers grappled with costly cartridges, an experimental disc add on and the looming arrival of new consoles. Some games were too ambitious for the hardware, some were victims of format changes and others simply missed the small window where a late N64 release still made financial sense.
They also highlight how important game preservation has become. Thanks to dedicated fans, former developers and archivists, prototypes and design documents for several of these titles have survived. Even when a commercial release never happened, the ideas still influence later games and give us a deeper understanding of how the industry worked at the time.
If you enjoy this kind of gaming archaeology, you might also like the broader look at series history in 10 Best Game Franchises that Span Decades or the trivia packed Ten Interesting Facts About Nintendo That You Might Not Know.
Cancelled projects can be frustrating to read about, but they also remind us how many bold experiments, risky ideas and near misses sit just behind the games we actually played. For every cartridge you blew the dust out of as a kid, there were others that never even made it to the factory.
Which of these lost Nintendo 64 games would you have bought on day one, and are there any other unreleased N64 titles you think deserve a place on the list? Share your thoughts, memories and wish list picks in the comments below. If you are feeling nostalgic, explore more gaming and Nintendo themed posts across Top 10 of Anything and Everything and consider bookmarking the site so you never miss a fresh countdown.
Know someone who still has their N64 tucked under the telly? Send them this post and see which lost cartridge they wish they could slot into that classic grey console.