The Nintendo 64 is basically a current generation console again in 2026

I had no idea we would end up here 30 years later, but that Nintendo 64 has a heyday in 2026 when some of its best games get remakes and now ModRetro has officially released its long-awaited M64 console. Star Fox on Switch 2 was brought back Star Fox 64 in the style of one of the most successful Nintendo remakes in recent memory, and now Ocarina of time remake is still in the works, but scheduled to launch sometime this year. On top of that, the M64 gives gamers a whole new way to use their original N64 cartridges on modern screens. Somehow a console 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 anymore, 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 in it, and another generation of gamers are being introduced to some of the gaming industry's biggest and most influential 3D titles ever made. Basically, the Nintendo 64 is experiencing something of a second life in 2026, and as someone who grew up playing the console, I'm all for it.

2026 has become a full-fledged Nintendo 64th anniversary

First, it feels fitting that all of this is happening during the Nintendo 64's 30th anniversary. The console originally launched in 1996, and Nintendo could have easily recognized 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 turned into a full Nintendo Switch 2 remake, while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will receive the same treatment before 2026 is over. A remake could have been written off as Nintendo revisiting an old favourite, but two of the N64's most important games returning within the same year just feels like we're spoiled.

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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 edition is a cinematic retelling of Star Fox 64 with fully voiced dialogue, an orchestral soundtrack and a complete visual overhaul. Of course, Ocarina of times remake is still more mysterious, but Nintendo has described it as the N64 classic being “reborn” for a new generation rather than treating it as a simple Switch 2 port. These are current Switch 2 releases meant to stand alongside everything else launching for the console, even if the experiences behind them were designed around 1996 hardware.

Nintendo 64's biggest comeback stories in 2026

• STAR FOX ON SWITCH 2 – Star Fox 64 is getting a cinematic Switch 2 remake.
• OCARINA OF TIME REMAKE – Nintendo is remaking its landmark Zelda adventure for Switch 2.
• MODERN N64 HARDWARE – M64 plays original cassettes on current screens.
• GAMESTOP M64 EXCLUSIVE – An exclusive Smoke model brings the revival to retail.
• NEW CARTRIDGES FOR M64 – ModRetro publishes 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 be looking at for what feels like a full blown N64 revival – although I wouldn't mind a proper Super Mario 64 remake too. Star Fox 64after all, is one of the most iconic entries in a series that has repeatedly struggled to find direction ever since, while Ocarina of time is still widely considered one of the best video games ever made. Instead of digging through the bottom of the N64 barrel and hoping nostalgia does it all, Nintendo is taking two games that helped define the console and rebuilding them for gamers who may not even have been alive when the originals launched.

M64 makes this feel like more than a remake trend

As exciting as 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 brand new hardware built to play original N64 cartridges is something else. M64 isn't just an emulation box with a list of games already installed either. Instead, it's about pulling out the old cartridges again, plugging in a controller, and reliving the feeling that came with late nights with Super Mario 64a large pepperoni pizza and a 2-liter Mountain Dew.

M64 Key features

• ORIGINAL CARTRIDGES – Plays authentic Nintendo 64 games from any region.
• 4K OUTPUT – Supports 720p, 1080p, 1440p and 4K displays.
• EXACT PERFORMANCE – Reproduces original playtime, video and audio.
• FOUR CONTROLS – Supports local split-screen multiplayer with four controller ports.
• STEERING SUPPORT – Works with original and several modern N64 style controllers.
• BUILT-IN PACK – Includes Expansion Pak and Controller Pak features.
• OVERCLOCKING MODES – Reduces frame rate drops found in original cassette games.
• CRT FILTER – Adds customizable scanlines and other retro display effects.
• REGION FREE – Play NTSC and PAL cassettes without restrictions.
• QUIET DESIGN – Fanless cooling keeps the console completely silent.
• 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 START – Starts in seconds without needing an account or login.
• CARTRIDGE LIGHTING – Adjustable LED lighting illuminates inserted cartridge art.

Now, many people still play their original N64 consoles today, but doing so on a modern TV isn't always as simple as plugging one in and hoping for the best. The M64 is designed to remove most of this hassle by supporting resolutions up to 4K, original N64 controllers, modern controller options and built-in functionality for accessories such as the Expansion Pak and Controller Pak. In other words, it lets players experience the original games without asking them to tolerate all the inconveniences that come with using hardware from three decades ago.

Then there's the GameStop side of this, which is probably the weirdest part of the whole comeback. In 2026, gamers can go to the same retailer that sells 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 crowd, but seeing it sold through GameStop at least makes it feel official and does the heavy lifting to transport me back to when the Electronics Boutique at the mall was the place to be for all new releases.

The M64 isn't being released solely to preserve the games players already own, either. ModRetro backs it up with new physical cartridges, complete with boxes and printed manuals, which is just about the most Nintendo 64 item it can do. I don't expect new M64 releases to suddenly start competing with the biggest Switch 2 games, but the fact that someone is publishing brand new cartridge games for N64-like hardware in 2026 is pretty wild. Thirty years after the original console launched, gamers aren't just getting better ways to revisit its library. They are 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 adding a controller, original cartridges can be surprisingly expensive, and most gamers 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 convince millions of people to rebuild the Nintendo 64 collections they sold years ago.

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 is giving the original cartridges a modern home and new physical games are being produced for it, almost every part of the N64 experience has suddenly become active again. Somehow, the Nintendo 64 has new games, new hardware, and a spot at GameStop in 2026, which is more than most consoles get 30 years after their supposed heyday.

Basically, what I'm saying is that the Nintendo 64 couldn't have asked for a better anniversary. Gamers who want fully remastered versions of the best N64 games get them on the 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 feel outright retired either.