I had no idea we’d end up here 30 years later, but the Nintendo 64 is having a heyday in 2026 as some of its best games are receiving remakes and now ModRetro has officially released its highly anticipated M64 console. Star Fox on Switch 2 brought back Star Fox 64 in style with one of the most successful Nintendo remakes in recent memory, and now the Ocarina of Time remake is still on the way, but scheduled for launch sometime this year. On top of that, the M64 is giving players a brand-new way to use their original N64 cartridges on modern displays. Somehow, a console that launched three decades ago feels more relevant right now than it has in years.
Of course, the Nintendo 64 isn’t literally a current-gen console again, but 2026 is already making it feel like one. Some of its games are being rebuilt for modern hardware, its original library has new hardware of its own, and another generation of players is being introduced to some of the gaming industry’s biggest and most influential 3D titles ever made. Essentially, the Nintendo 64 is experiencing something of a second life in 2026, and as someone who grew up playing the console, I’m totally here for it.
2026 Has Become a Full-Blown Nintendo 64 Anniversary Celebration
First off, it feels appropriate that all of this is happening in the Nintendo 64’s 30th anniversary year. The console originally launched in 1996, and Nintendo could have easily acknowledged that milestone by adding a few more games to Nintendo Switch Online, releasing some merchandise, and calling it a day. Instead, Star Fox 64 has already been turned into a full Nintendo Switch 2 remake, while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is set to receive the same treatment before 2026 is over. One remake could have been written off as Nintendo revisiting an old favorite, but two of the N64’s most important games returning within the same year just feels like we’re being spoiled.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
In fact, Star Fox is an incredible example of how different this is from Nintendo simply making an old game easier to access and enjoy. The Switch 2 release is a cinematic retelling of Star Fox 64 with fully voiced dialogue, an orchestral soundtrack, and a complete visual overhaul. Of course, Ocarina of Time‘s remake is still more mysterious, but Nintendo has described it as the N64 classic being “reborn” for a new generation rather than treating it like a simple Switch 2 port. These are current Switch 2 releases meant to stand beside everything else launching for the console, even though the experiences behind them were designed around hardware from 1996.
The Nintendo 64’s Biggest 2026 Comeback Stories
- STAR FOX ON SWITCH 2 – Star Fox 64 receives a cinematic Switch 2 remake.
- OCARINA OF TIME REMAKE – Nintendo rebuilds its landmark Zelda adventure for Switch 2.
- MODERN N64 HARDWARE – The M64 plays original cartridges on current displays.
- GAMESTOP M64 EXCLUSIVE – An exclusive Smoke model brings the revival to retail.
- NEW CARTRIDGES FOR THE M64 – ModRetro is publishing more physical games for the platform.
Of course, Star Fox 64 and Ocarina of Time are two of the best and most obvious choices Nintendo should look at for what feels like a full-blown N64 revival—though I wouldn’t mind a proper Super Mario 64 remake as well. Star Fox 64, after all, is one of the most iconic entries in a series that has repeatedly struggled to find a direction since then, while Ocarina of Time is still widely regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made. Rather than digging through the bottom of the N64 barrel and hoping nostalgia does all the work, Nintendo is taking two games that helped define the console and rebuilding them for players who may not have even been alive when the originals launched.
The M64 Makes This Feel Like More Than a Remake Trend
As exciting as the Star Fox 64 and Ocarina of Time remakes are, the M64 is really what takes this Nintendo 64 comeback to another level for me. Nintendo remaking a couple of its biggest games is one thing, especially during the console’s 30th anniversary, but an entirely new piece of hardware built to play original N64 cartridges is something else. The M64 isn’t just some emulation box with a list of games already installed, either. Instead, it’s about pulling those old cartridges back out, plugging in a controller, and reviving the feeling that came with late nights spent with Super Mario 64, a large pepperoni pizza, and a 2-liter of Mountain Dew.
M64 Key Features
- ORIGINAL CARTRIDGES – Plays authentic Nintendo 64 games from any region.
- 4K OUTPUT – Supports 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 4K displays.
- ACCURATE PERFORMANCE – Reproduces original gameplay timing, video, and audio.
- FOUR CONTROLLERS – Supports local split-screen multiplayer with four controller ports.
- CONTROLLER SUPPORT – Works with original and several modern N64-style controllers.
- BUILT-IN PAKS – Includes Expansion Pak and Controller Pak functionality.
- OVERCLOCKING MODES – Reduces frame-rate drops found in original cartridge games.
- CRT FILTERS – Adds customizable scanlines and other retro display effects.
- REGION FREE – Runs NTSC and PAL cartridges without restrictions.
- SILENT DESIGN – Fanless cooling keeps the console completely quiet.
- NEW CARTRIDGES – Supports original games, remasters, and brand-new physical releases.
- WIRELESS UPDATES – Adds compatibility improvements, features, and accessory support.
- OPEN-SOURCE HARDWARE – FPGA-based design supports modifications and community development.
- QUICK STARTUP – Boots within seconds without requiring an account or login.
- CARTRIDGE LIGHTING – Adjustable LED uplighting illuminates inserted cartridge artwork.
Now, plenty of people still play their original N64 consoles today, but doing so on a modern television isn’t always as simple as plugging one in and hoping for the best. The M64 is designed to remove most of that hassle by supporting resolutions up to 4K, original N64 controllers, modern controller options, and built-in functionality for accessories like the Expansion Pak and Controller Pak. In other words, it lets players experience the original games without asking them to tolerate every inconvenience that comes with using hardware from three decades ago.
Then there’s the GameStop side of this, which is probably the strangest part of the whole comeback. In 2026, players can head to the same retailer selling the Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and order a brand-new console designed specifically for Nintendo 64 cartridges. Granted, the M64 isn’t an official Nintendo console, and it’s clearly aimed at a more dedicated retro audience, but seeing it sold through GameStop makes it feel official, at the very least, and does the heavy lifting to bring me back in time to when Electronics Boutique at the mall was the place to be for all new releases.
As exciting as the Star Fox 64 and Ocarina of Time remakes are, the M64 is really what takes this Nintendo 64 comeback to another level for me.
The M64 also isn’t being released solely to preserve the games players already own. ModRetro is supporting it with new physical cartridges, complete with boxes and printed manuals, which is just about the most Nintendo 64 thing it could possibly do. I don’t expect new M64 releases to suddenly start competing with the biggest Switch 2 games, but the fact that anyone is publishing brand-new cartridge games for N64-style hardware in 2026 is kind of wild. Thirty years after the original console launched, players aren’t just getting better ways to revisit its library. They’re technically getting new additions to it.
Admittedly, there are some obvious limits to how far this comeback can go. The M64 costs $229.99 before a controller is added, original cartridges can be surprisingly expensive, and most players will probably be perfectly happy experiencing older Nintendo games through Switch Online or their original hardware. No one should expect the M64 to start stealing shelf space from the Switch 2 or convincing millions of people to rebuild the Nintendo 64 collections they sold years ago.
The ModRetro M64 costs $229.99 USD and can be purchased directly on the ModRetro Store in Clear, Purple, Green, and AMD Red colorways, and is available for pre-order via GameStop, which features an exclusive “Smoke” edition.
Even so, I don’t think it needs to do any of that to make the Nintendo 64 feel brand-new again. Between Star Fox 64 and Ocarina of Time being remade for the Switch 2, the M64 giving original cartridges a modern home, and new physical games being produced for it, nearly every part of the N64 experience has suddenly become active again. Somehow, the Nintendo 64 has new games, new hardware, and a place at GameStop in 2026, which is more than most consoles get 30 years after their supposed heyday.
Basically, what I’m saying is the Nintendo 64 couldn’t have asked for a better anniversary. Players who want completely rebuilt versions of the best N64 games are getting them on Switch 2, while anyone who still prefers the originals now has a brand-new console designed to keep those cartridges alive. The Nintendo 64 obviously isn’t a current-gen console in the literal sense, but for the first time in decades, it doesn’t exactly feel retired, either.
