If you were hoping for a flood of great Nintendo 64 games after the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, then chances are good that you've been incredibly disappointed. That flood is more like a steady drip of titles, with just about one coming out each month. Today we were given the much-anticipated Banjo-Kazooie, and prior to that it was Paper Mario in December. Today we're going flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, GamePro and more old school magazines to see what critics said when these two N64 classics were first released. Join me for a frustratingly brief episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


In a week dominated by the news of Microsoft buying Activision, I've been reminded a lot of one of Big M's very first video game acquisitions -- Rare. Perhaps Nintendo was also thinking about their one-time friends, because they just re-released Banjo-Kazooie, bringing one of Rare's most iconic games to the Switch. Released two years into the Nintendo 64's life, this was the perfect next step for platforming fans who had already collected all 120 stars in Super Mario 64. While not a radical departure from other 3D platformers, Banjo definitely helped to push the genre forward, and critics were ready to fall in love all over again.

Winning the Game of the Month prize in Electronic Gaming Monthly's 110th issue, Dan called Banjo-Kazooie "wonderful." "It's grand, it's beautiful, it's addicting and most importantly, it's fun. The game is bigger and better-looking than Mario 64. This is a must-buy." The other three critics agreed, though both John and Crispin were quick to point out that the camera was a little finicky. Next Generation also had a number of concerns, including the game's originality: "Despite all of the above, Banjo-Kazooie feels so much like Super Mario 64 that it cannot be overlooked, which is why we didn't give it a perfect score. On the other hand, Rare must be commended for taking the genre to a new level and delivering an impressive platformer that engulfs players in a Disney-esque cartoon world and makes simple exploration a joy."

Of course, most critics were a lot more positive than Next Generation. GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5, N64 Magazine went as high as 92% and Nintendo Power went with a 9.2 out of 10, calling it "the best of its breed." Armond concluded that "The graphics are phenomenal, but what's cool is that they're just a teaser for the incredible gameplay." While there were complaints about the camera and originality, pretty much every critic agreed that Banjo-Kazooie was yet another fantastic 3D platformer for the Nintendo 64.

By 2001, the question had gone from "can Mario work as a role-playing game?" to "can Mario work as a role-playing game without Square around?" I think we can all agree that Super Mario RPG proved that you could set an epic adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom. However, with Square jumping ship to PlayStation and the Nintendo 64 lacking any must-own RPGs, many critics and fans were once again skeptical about Mario's chances. That concern was short-lived, however, because Paper Mario is yet another great role-playing game, starting a franchise that would go on to spawn a half dozen sequels and spin-offs.

Next Generation didn't mince words when it came to praising the game, calling it "one of the best RPGs ever, and definitely the best RPG available on the Nintendo 64." Even with the cutesy graphics and goofy storyline, they argued that it's an adventure game that "no hardcore fan of the genre should miss. Give this one a chance. You won't regret it." You saw similar high marks from the rest of the critics, including a 4 out of 5 from GamePro, an average of 90% from Die Hard Game Fan and a 7 out of 10 from Edge.

Some of the highest scores came from Electronic Gaming Monthly, who gave it their Game of the Month distinction in issue 140 and called it a "brilliant extension to the gameplay, characters and story of Mario RPG." "For you old-schoolers who didn't take kindly to Mario's 3D transformation, Nintendo has flattened his world right out for this platformer/RPG. If you have a soul, you'll enjoy this game." Mark especially liked the gimmick: "The whole 2D 'paper' spin is an inspired move, giving everything a unique and colorful look while avoiding the trademark N64 blur effect." Coming out right before the GameCube launched in the United States, Paper Mario would end up being one of the last truly great games for the Nintendo 64.