Nintendo just released an update finally allowing players to reassign the controls on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s Nintendo 64 app (now named Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics) and Nintendo 64 Mature 17+ app (now named Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics: Mature 17+). Due to this, I have had to go back and change reviews and review scores for multiple games that now can play better on these apps.

Here’s what I’ve changed:

Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
F-Zero X	Futuristic Racing	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	A-
tl;dr F-Zero’s first truly 3D game has aged remarkably well, thanks to the game’s unflinching 60FPS framerates and blazing fast speeds that make it easier to look past the game’s muddy textures, low-poly racers, frequent pop-in and barren landscapes. The track designs here are excellent as well, making full use of 3D to have players racing in 360-degree tunnels, on tubes, around corkscrews, through loops. While it’s not quite on par with the series’ best (the GameCube follow-up, F-Zero GX), it’s a solid second place. Unfortunately, this version doesn’t come with the content from the Japan-only 64DD expansion. Also, you’ll want to be sure to change the shoulder buttons to be symmetrical in the Nintendo 64 app. Nitpicks aside, this is a fantastic addition to the Nintendo 64 app.
Goldeneye 007	First-Person Shooter	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	B-
tl;dr One of the most celebrated and influential First-Person Shooters of all time, and for good reason. Many elements of this game have aged extraordinarily well – the level design and goal design is still phenomenal, enemy AI is excellent, the music is wonderful, there’s a lot of good variety in the game’s missions, and the multiplayer is legendary. What’s more, this version updates the framerates and resolution, making it look much, much better than the original release, while still maintaining the classic look. Unfortunately, the big problem here is the controls, which still feel clunky even after reassigning the buttons, thanks to the way the game doesn’t let players change aiming speed and the awkward way sight-aiming works. Still, if you can forgive these control issues, this is still a fun entry in the genre.
Harvest Moon 64	Management Simulation	1	C
tl;dr This is the fourth game in the franchise, but it’s the first game since the original that truly tries to push the series forward, adding multiple new elements to the gameplay (including menus, finally!), more variety in livestock and crops, and being surprisingly closer to what we expect from modern entries in the genre. Its only real failings are its forced isometric perspective and the archaic graphics. Still, despite these flaws this game holds up okay and fans of the genre may want to give it a look.
Jet Force Gemini	Third-Person Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Online), 2-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	D+
tl;dr This Rare-developed Third-Person Shooter may have been impressive for its time, but by today’s standards its controls are bizarre and absolutely miserable, even with the ability to reassign buttons, since there’s no way to adjust analog stick sensitivity or reverse axis. This is a game only the nostalgic or masochistic will want to play now.
Sin and Punishment	Third-Person Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B+
tl;dr This game was far ahead of its time, and it’s a shame it was never released in the West in its initial release. Play this game using the D-Pad to move (or re-map the left analog stick to use the Nintendo 64’s D-Pad controls) and right stick to aim – a holdover from the original game’s inspired control scheme. This was a phenomenal action game that’s roughly comparable to a rail shooter like Star Fox or Panzer Dragoon, but with a grounded character to control, running and jumping independent from his aim. Really, this game’s biggest flaws are the antiquated graphics – the gameplay absolutely holds up, making this an outstanding addition to this collection. I should note that the co-op here is a bit of a misnomer – two players can exert the same control over the game’s main character, allowing players to split responsibility for movement and aiming if they like.
Star Fox 64	On-Rails Shooter	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	A-
tl;dr This game perfected the formula of the first two Star Fox games, and the entire series has been chasing this game’s tail ever since. This is a high-watermark for On-Rails Shooters, and it has aged extremely well. Only the somewhat dated visuals hold this game back (though in this release, you’ll want to fix the shoulder button assignments to make them symmetrical). I should note that this game’s 4-player deathmatch mode is superb as well, and not to be overlooked. Overall, this is a phenomenal game and one of the highlights of this collection.
WinBack	Third-Person Shooter	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen / Online Split-Screen)	C+
tl;dr Back in its original release, this game was dismissed as a poor-man’s Metal Gear Solid, but it’s actually closer to the Syphon Filter franchise. It has light stealth elements, but its focus is primarily on linear level design and fast-paced cover-based gunplay. It’s surprising that this game has aged as well as it has, given that it was made for a console with only one analog stick. Its controls need a bit of remapping, but once you do, this is a decent Action game.

Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics: Mature 17+

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Perfect Dark	First-Person Shooter	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen / Online Split-Screen)	C+
tl;dr Rare’s follow-up to the legendary Goldeneye is a game that fans often swear is even better. The game has a lot going for it, but even with button reassignment, the controls here are rough, due to an inability to adjust look sensitivity and the odd choice to replace vertical aiming when looking down the sights with a crouch. You can still muddle through this, but it’s awkward and very clunky compared to modern controls.
Shadow Man	Third-Person Shooter	1	D
tl;dr Shadow Man combines dull, tedious gunplay, simple mindless enemies, uninspired platforming, needlessly confusing twisty level design, clunky controls (even after button reassignment), ugly visuals awash in browns and grays, an absurd storyline that plays out like a teenager’s idea of what “mature” stories must be like, and goofy voice acting. I suppose it is at least unique in it artistic style, but otherwise there’s absolutely nothing of value here.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter	First-Person Shooter	1	C
tl;dr Being able to remap the controls in Turok really helps quite a bit, but even after doing so these controls feel really sloppy and pale in comparison to the modern remaster of the game. Add to this the game’s extremely dated, chunky visuals and occasional framerate drops and this is a pretty rough game. The core game here is still a solid old-school First-Person Shooter, but this is far from the best way to play it.
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil	First-Person Shooter	1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	C
tl;dr Being able to change the controls here helps tremendously, but even after doing so this feels extremely clunky, While I do think the core game here is quite good, you are far better off playing the remastered version in the eShop.

The good news here is that being able to remap controls in Nintendo 64 games definitely does make them better, especially since you can remap specific directions on both analog sticks and D-Pad. The First-Person Shooters largely see the most improvement here, since you can now get some semblance of two-stick controls in these games.

However, it’s not perfect, and don’t think this is going to be a perfect solution to dated controls. Some of these games had control issues that went well beyond button assignments and strange directional input choices, such as overall clunky movement. And even for the First-Person Shooters, the improvements are limited due to a lack of an ability to change look sensitivity, as well as “down sight” aiming controls that swap out what inputs do, making button reassignments fail to account for both these and the “off the hip” controls.

In other games, the improvements are more subtle, but largely fix irritations for a more polished experience. Games like F-Zero X and Star Fox 64 that had symmetrical controls that mapped to ZL and R can now be remapped to L and R or ZL and ZR to make them symmetrical again. Harvest Moon 64 no longer needs to force players to use the analog stick when they might prefer to play with a D-Pad. Sin and Punishment no longer requires using the D-Pad to play well, as you can re-map the D-Pad controls to the left analog stick. And WinBack lets you address some of the control oddities that game had.

Oh, and Jet Force Gemini and Shadow Man, which were terrible and had terrible controls… are both still terrible and have terrible controls, something button reassignment just cannot fix.

In short, this is definitely an improvement, but it’s not a cure-all, so don’t expect this to drastically change the way you play games on the Nintendo 64 apps… though it may at least make some of the worst offenders actually playable.

tl;dr – The Nintendo 64 App and Nintendo 64 Mature 17+ get button remapping options that definitely improve some games… but don’t outright fix the control issues these games have. Still, this is absolutely a welcome new feature on the app.

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