Snowboard Kids
Mario Kart on snow, basically — and that was the whole charm. Big-headed cartoon kids raced down the mountain pelting each other with weapons and items, then rode the ski lift back up mid-race while rivals took potshots at the line. Atlus's goofy N64 racer was the loud, chaotic flip side of 1080° Snowboarding.
Developed by Racdym and published by Atlus, Snowboard Kids arrived on Nintendo 64 in Japan on December 12, 1997, followed by North America on March 13, 1998. The premise was pure arcade chaos: playable characters (Slash, Nancy, Jam, Linda, Tommy, plus the unlockable Shinobin) raced down nine courses hurling "Shots"—attack weapons—along with helpful items to boost yourself or cripple rivals.
Critics immediately compared it to Mario Kart on snow. The game's standout quirk was its ski-lift mechanic: after each downhill run, riders climbed back to the top mid-race, and getting pummeled near the lift line was pure agony. Reviewers generally received it well — smooth controls, inventive course design, real replay value — even as some dismissed it as derivative.
A PlayStation version reached Japan in January 1999, and Snowboard Kids 2 launched on N64 later that year. The series wouldn't see a new entry until a DS revival in 2005. It's a cult favorite now — the goofy, item-flinging alternative from the same season Nintendo's own 1080° Snowboarding played the sport straight.
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1080° Snowboarding
"TEN-EIGHTY!" — the grunted title call said it all. Nintendo's own N64 snowboarding game played it straight: weighty, physics-driven boards, board-scraping sound design, and a namesake 1080-degree spin so hard it took nine distinct actions to land. You spent whole evenings just trying to beat the rival rider in Match Race.
Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding
This Xbox launch title did something radical: instead of following preset race tracks, you could pick any line down a whole mountain. The gimmick was fame—impress photographers and film crews, land sponsorships, and become a media sensation. Plus, the hard drive let you load your own music onto the console, a showstopper feature in 2001.
Mario Kart 64
The first 3D Mario Kart brought four-player split-screen racing to the Nintendo 64, turning every sleepover and dorm room into a competitive battleground. Shells flew, friendships were tested, and players argued eternally about which character had a hidden advantage.
Nintendo 64
Nintendo's leap into three dimensions, the N64 brought 3D polygon gaming into living rooms with its quirky three-pronged controller and a cartridge library anchored by Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Its rumble pak added tactile feedback, while its four controller ports made it the console of couch multiplayer legends.