20 Things CUT From N64 Games

20 Things CUT From N64 Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are taking a look at the cutting room floor of 90s gaming. These are 20 Things CUT From N64 Games. With around 400 games, there’s a lot to work with. Let's take a look.

Unused Bonus Game

“Donkey Kong 64” (1999)

One of the biggest criticisms of Donkey Kong 64 is the CRUSHING amount of collectibles and bonus games, paired with constant backtracking between the five different Kongs. But believe it or not, the game almost had even more bonus games. Hidden in the files, which were accessed years later, are unused versions of every bonus game. These maps likely date back to an earlier stage of development, with some featuring different difficulty levels of the minigames that made it into the final release. As if this game couldn’t be more bloated. God, I love it.

Stop ‘n’ Swap

“Banjo-Kazooie” (1998)

Rare was one of the most important developers for the Nintendo 64, even getting early access to the system’s hardware. There isn’t a Top 5 N64 games list out there that doesn’t include at least one Rare title. Originally, the N64 was designed so players could swap cartridges to unlock extra content between games. Rare (who had early access to the hardware) planned to use this idea in Banjo-Kazooie with a feature called “Stop 'n' Swap,” which would connect to other Rare titles. However, when Nintendo revised the hardware, cartridge swapping was no longer possible. Still, traces of Stop 'n' Swap remained hidden in Banjo-Kazooie’s files. Who would have thought having an annoying sibling pull the cartridge out of the console once would have been okay?

Bowser

“Super Smash Bros.” (1999)

Bowser is completely absent from the original Super Smash Bros., but did you know that he almost made the cut? Alongside Mewtwo and King Dedede, Bowser was planned to be a playable fighter and was actually worked on for a good portion of the game’s development. In fact, he was confirmed to still be in the build as late as November 1998 before being scrapped. Unfortunately, the Nintendo 64’s hardware limitations and tight deadlines meant he never made it into the final release. Miyamoto was the one to confirm his involvement, and I trust Miyamoto with all my heart.

Kamek

“Mario Kart 64” (1996)

Mario Kart 64 went through quite a few changes during development, even switching names multiple times. It used to be called “number 1 drive drive go Mario go”... For legal reasons, this is a joke. It started out as Super Mario Kart R, then became Mario Kart 64 R, before the “R” was eventually dropped, which makes sense, because for Australian players that makes it sounds like an adult game. One of the biggest changes during the development process was the roster. Kamek the wizard was originally meant to be a playable racer, but he was replaced by Donkey Kong before release. The reason for the swap is still unknown, and to this day Kamek has never officially joined the playable lineup in a Mario Kart game.

Turret Mode

“Star Fox 64” (1997)

Digging through files is a GREAT way to find secrets about the development process of old games. Digging through Star Fox 64’s files reveals leftover code and assets for turret-based gameplay, something that never appears in the final version. Why it was cut is still a mystery, but some fans have theories. The YouTube channel Elarix's Bootleg Game Shack suggests the turret mechanics were likely intended for enemy-heavy stages like Sector Y or Area 6, where the sheer number of foes would have made sense for such a feature. Hell yeah.

Adult Link

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

In Ocarina of Time, a huge mechanic was obviously time travel, which meant you could play as both young Link and adult Link. Instead of time travel, the sequel focused on young Link transforming into different creatures through the use of masks. However, evidence suggests that adult Link was once planned for Majora’s Mask as well. Concept art of him was later revealed in an official Legend of Zelda artbook, hinting that he may have been intended as another transformation. It’s likely that, just like the other forms, Link would have used a mask to become his adult self, an idea that would have actually worked really well.

Emulator Built In

“GoldenEye 007” (1997)

Before becoming Rare, the company operated as Ultimate Play the Game and created several titles for the ZX Spectrum, the hugely popular home computer in the UK. At one point, a Rare developer experimented to see if the Nintendo 64 could emulate the ZX Spectrum, possibly with the idea of releasing a collection later on, or including a Inception-style game within a game. As it turns out, Rare actually built an emulator directly into GoldenEye 007. It can’t be accessed normally, only with cheating devices, but it works.

Turok the Dinosaur Hunter

“WWF War Zone” (1998)

WWF/WWE games are no strangers to cut characters, as wrestlers can often leave the company mid-development. But one of the strangest omissions comes from WWF War Zone, which actually had Turok (yes, the Dinosaur Hunter) hidden in its files. Since the game was developed by Iguana Entertainment, the same studio behind the Turok series, it’s likely the crossover was an inside experiment. However, Turok never made it into the final roster. That’s a shame, I would have loved to fight a Dinosaur.

Alien Tank

“Body Harvest” (1998)

Body Harvest stands out as one of the earliest projects from the developers who would later create the Grand Theft Auto series, which makes sense considering the name Body Harvest. Its story follows a time traveler sent to the present day to thwart an alien invasion. A lot ended up being cut from the final product, and among the planned features was the ability to pilot an Alien Tank with hovercraft-like movement. This mechanic was never fully implemented, leaving the vehicle only partially functional in the game’s files.

Console Exclusive Level

“Command & Conquer” (1995)

Sure, the N64 might not seem like the best fit for a strategy title, yet it ended up getting solid ports of both Command & Conquer and Starcraft. To encourage players to revisit the game across different systems, the various Command & Conquer ports included unique levels. Interestingly, the N64 edition went all out, featuring not only all the exclusive maps from the PlayStation release but also every mission from the Covert Operations expansion—content that was originally available only on the PC. At some point this was cute, but it all still remains in the games files.

Pikachu Gets Whacked

“Conker’s Bad Fur Day” (2001)

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is packed with parodies of movies and video games, including Saving Private Ryan, but one cameo went too far for Nintendo. Originally, there was a scene where a mobster beats up a Pikachu, and as he scurries away, the mobster remarks about needing to “catch them all.” Nintendo forced Rare to remove it from the game, and for a time fans believed it was gone for good. However, clever players eventually managed to piece the scene back together, uncovering one of the wildest hidden moments in the title. Thank you, YouTube. I love you.

Sea Monsters

“Diddy Kong Racing” (1997)

Here’s a smaller hidden piece of content, but it’s from one of my favourite games of all time, so we’re talking about it. While Mario Kart has dominated the kart-racing genre for decades, Rare tried to compete on Nintendo’s home consoles with Diddy Kong Racing, offering more vehicle types and game modes than its rival. Hidden in the game’s files is an unused model of a sea monster, hinting that it may have been intended for one of the Sherbet Island tracks. Gross.

Sword Beam

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

As far back as the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES, players have been able to shoot a beam out of Link’s blade, assuming their health is full. This was not included in the 1998 release of Ocarina of Time, but clearly was meant to be. As seen in early trailers and screenshots, a sword beam was clearly meant to be a feature available to the player. We don’t know what happened, but it did make its 3D debut in Majora’s Mask, more or less.

Removed Cutscene

“Conker’s Bad Fur Day” (2000)

Pikachu wasn’t the only casualty in Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and once again this was due to Nintendo’s censorship. Another cut involved a scene showing a wounded soldier. Strap in. In an unused cutscene, Conker would come across a live soldier being operated on by one of the Tedis. While this moment didn’t make it into the final game, it can still be seen in one of the public demos that were shown before release. Okay, that wasn’t so bad, we’re still monetised.

Graphics Mode

“Jet Force Gemini” (1999)

The Nintendo 64 came out during a time when developers were just beginning to experiment with multiple resolution options in games - 240p, 360p, the console had it all. Jet Force Gemini was designed to include several higher-resolution modes, but the code to access them wasn’t implemented in the final release. To unlock these enhanced graphics, players need to rely on a cheat device, making it a hidden feature that only the most curious fans can experience. It's a fun change to a game that is pretty tough on the eyestrain by today’s standards.

Shooting Your Friends

“Perfect Dark” (2000)

Perfect Dark was designed as the follow-up to GoldenEye 007, bringing a wealth of multiplayer options along with it and a spiritual successor feeling that is undeniable. Early promotional material teased a feature called “PerfectHead,” which would let players take photos with the Game Boy Camera and upload them via the N64 Transfer Pak to use on in-game character models. Implementing PerfectHead proved too complex for Rare, and the feature was ultimately left unfinished. This was probably a good idea, because I would have been getting pictures of everyone I hated, and that would have definitely put me in a counselor's office.

Final Smash Attacks

“Super Smash Bros.” (1999)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii introduced the Final Smash, a powerful super move triggered by breaking an orb that appears randomly on the stage. Interestingly, the idea for Final Smashes actually existed during the development of the original Super Smash Bros., but there wasn’t enough time to implement it. Hidden within the game’s files are audio clips for Captain Falcon, Fox, Kirby, Ness, and Pikachu performing their cut Final Smashes, giving fans a glimpse of what might have been in the first game. My Final Smash would sound like an overweight 30-year-old getting out of a chair.

Multiplayer Mode

“Banjo-Tooie” (2000)

4 player multiplayer was arguably the greatest feature of the N64, and even with this there were plenty of fantastic single-player-only games. Although Banjo-Tooie did include a multiplayer mode for party vibes, the game also nearly included an extra mode called Bottles’ Revenge. In this mode, the second player could possess enemies to attack Banjo, and if they defeated him, they’d take over his body and continue the game, allowing the original player to start possessing enemies instead. The feature wasn’t finished in time for release, but fans can still access a mostly complete version of Bottles’ Revenge using cheat devices. These cheat devices are proving to be really useful.

Cut Multiplayer Level

“GoldenEye 007” (1997)

Guess who dug into more game files! That’s right, fans. Fans of GoldenEye 007 uncovered the name of an unused level hidden in the game’s code: the Citadel. At first, there seemed to be no way to access it, even with cheats. The mystery was eventually unraveled by Pop Fiction, who showed that the level could be loaded using a (would you believe it?) cheat device by first loading its assets into the Crucible stage. The Citadel turned out to be an early multiplayer test level that the developers scrapped, which isn’t uncommon. What is more uncommon is fans being able to piece it back together.

Yoshi

“Super Mario 64” (1996)

For completionists, Yoshi can obviously be found in Super Mario 64, though reaching him requires collecting all 120 Power Stars. While his role in the final game is minimal, that wasn’t always the plan. An unused Yoshi Egg sprite tucked away in the game’s files hints that he originally had more involvement. Miyamoto also confirmed that a special Yoshi event was planned but ultimately cut during development, leaving only glimpses of what could have been. We know there was a horse planned that was later used instead for Ocarina of Time, so it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to a Yoshi mount.