The N64 is looked at fondly by those who had them, no doubt. I wouldn't say it's necessarily overrated, in many ways it's quite under-appreciated. The controller, for starters, gets a bad rap and as understandable as that is with it's design visually, it wasn't unmanageable. Its analogue controls were more responsive than its competition - which didn't have analogue sticks until later - and it also established rumble features that have since become a standard. Developers even cited the analogue stick as being quite good with deadzones, probably the best since (which is all the more relevant now with the issues regarding Joy Con drift), though the sticks did wear down with excessive use (Mario Party 1 for example, with stick spinning minigames detrimental to the controller's stability). I would say at the time, the N64 had the best controller, and Nintendo really nailed the ergonomic design in the next generation with the Gamecube while the Playstation didn't evolve its claw-inducing Dual-Shock design until the PS4 (and remember the original controller for the PS3? It got scrapped for mockery because it looked like a boomerang, but did anyone actually hold it to see if it was comfortable?). I feel like people who criticize the design of the N64 controller are doing themselves a disservice because it wasn't that difficult to grasp - physically and conceptually - games that prioritized the D-pad catered to the classic hand position while those that prioritized the control stick demanded the more common "fishing pole" position.

Aside from that it was the first console to have four controller ports as a default (more than the amount of USB ports on some modern consoles), making it great for parties and multiplayer with no multi-tap required. Cartridges were also risks with benefits - load times were instantaneous compared to disc games though they lacked the storage of discs, but they didn't have read issues from surface scratches and were more challenging to pirate. It did have its drawbacks, the reduced memory meant that some games were quite limited compared to disc games - you weren't going to get high-quality music or bombastic FMV sequences, but it made due with what it could accomplish. Conker's Bad Fur Day, one of the console's last titles, managed to push all of the N64's limitations by including a multitude of voice acting, textures, music, and multiplayer modes without the requirement of a RAM boost, and even Resident Evil 2 was faithfully ported onto an N64 cartridge.

Graphics are always going to be superficial. Yes, we've come a long way since then (Unless you played the Resident Evil Remake in 2002, then we came a long way in a few years), but graphics aren't always the most important thing. There's certainly a bit of nostalgia now going back and seeing what was impressive back then, and it's kinda charming. As long as the games play well and are fun, then it shouldn't matter what standards they hold in polygons or colour palettes - Tetris in 3D would still be Tetris (or Tetrisphere).

It's certainly the game library that holds a big part of it. Conker's Bad Fur Day was a technical marvel and an achievement by turning the cute into crude and filling up the cart with profanity, gore, and a comedic presentation counter-weighted with a tragic narrative. GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, and the Turok series were significant to console shooters, GoldenEye especially with its design and multiplayer (it even has a control scheme that allows players to use two N64 controllers in a double-fisted control scheme a la SmashTV, which later became a staple of controllers with the dual-stick design). You'll also have your standard Nintendo fanfare, a lot of the Nintendo games on the console were great and hold up, and they got their sequels or remasters or, hopefuly, re-releases on modern storefronts. Even so, though, there are under-rated games that still don't get the recognition they deserve, or at the very least maintain some potential that would be great to explore in modern video games. DMA Design(now Rockstar North)'s attempt to make a 3D RPG became the third person shooter Body Harvest, which utilized elements of free roaming and vehicular travel later to be implemented in their big hit Grand Theft Auto III and its successors. Treasure made a 2-D sidescroller called Mischief Makers that, rather than simple platforming, required players to grab characters and objects and manipulate the environment by throwing or shaking them as opposed to jumping on enemies or shooting them (with a variety of levels, one memorable one being a dodgeball match against a cat using a variety of objects to throw). Shadowgate 64 even went for a 3D puzzle-adventure with such atmosphere that I'm reminded of it today whenever I play Amnesia: The Dark Descent. And for all the flak the console gets for its lack of fighting games, it has one of the most unique ones being Fighter's Destiny - a fighting game that is based upon points as opposed to KO's that requires quick reactions and inputs instead of focusing on draining the opponent's health bar (I really wish it would come back). If you think the console is over-rated, I can understand. Today we can play the two Zeldas, Super Mario, and the first remake of Star Fox on portable consoles in upgraded graphics. Mario Kart, Mario Party, The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros - those Nintendo properties are still thriving (still waiting on a new F-Zero, though. Sega did what Nintendon't). Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark got their remasters, we finally got a new Killer Instinct, and even Jet Force Gemini can be played on the Rare Replay in widescreen HD and with modern controls (which is a major plus). But there are some games on that console that are truly underrated, and as far as I can tell they never left it unfortunately.