For a brief moment, those two fronts intermingled. While peripherals were not unknown to the gaming industry, the N64 had several notable ones. The Transfer Pak, which was bundled with Pokemon Stadium, enabled data to be transferred between an N64 game and a Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge. It also opened the door for Nintendo experimenting with console/handheld connectivity, especially in future Pokemon titles. With rumors mounting of a Game Boy emulator coming to Nintendo Switch Online with Transfer Pak capabilities, now is the perfect time to reminisce about the sixteen titles that could use it.

RELATED: 15 Games That Utilize The Expansion Pak On Nintendo 64, Ranked

Unknown Benefits for Connected Games

Sadly, six of those titles will have to be crossed out immediately. These are obscure games only released in Japan, and the rewards for connecting them with their Game Boy counterparts are unknown. Their existence suggests that there may be more Japan-only titles that support the Transfer Pak, but players will have no way of knowing what they are or what they do until N64 emulation and translation efforts progress. These games, followed by the Game Boy titles they link to, are:

Choro Q 64 2: Hachamecha Grand Prix Race — Choro Q Hyper Customizable GB Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu 2000 — Powerful Pro Kun Pocket Nushi Tsuri 64: Shiokaze ni Notte — Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4 Puyo Puyo ‘N Party — Pocket Puyo Puyo SUN Robot Ponkottsu 64: Nanatsu no Umi no Caramel — Robopon Sun, Star, and Moon Versions Super B-Daman: Battle Phoenix 64 — Super B-Daman: Fighting Phoenix

Connectivity that Unlocks Special Content

The next six titles are more of what one would expect from the Transfer Pak. These games connect with their Game Boy spin-offs or ports to unlock some manner of content in their console equivalents. These titles and the Game Boy games they link up to are:

Mario Golf (N64) — Mario Golf (GBC) Mario Tennis (N64) — Mario Tennis (GBC) Mickey’s Speedway USA — Mickey’s Speedway USA Perfect Dark — Perfect Dark Super Robot Taisen 64 — Super Robot Taisen Link Battler Transformers Beast Wars Metals 64 — Ketto Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Senshi Saikyo Ketteisen

Apart from Perfect Dark, which unlocks some weapons for Joanna, all of these games are concerned with unlocking characters. Mario Tennis and its Game Boy port have a special relationship, as the Game Boy game also receives some extra characters and minigames, on top of the N64 version receiving more courts. Apart from the two Pokemon Stadium titles, this is the only instance of the Transfer Pak unlocking content for both game systems.

This is also where the rumors of a Nintendo Switch Game Boy emulator creep back in, as not only are Mario Golf and Tennis available now as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, they are conspicuously missing the characters unlocked through the Transfer Pak.

Last, and most importantly, are the four games with standout features tied to the Transfer Pak. These titles are the ones that will likely come to mind when considering N64 and Game Boy connectivity. These games and the Game Boy titles they connect with are:

Mario Artist — Game Boy Camera PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 — Any Game Boy or Game Boy Color Game Pokemon Stadium — Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow Pokemon Stadium 2 — Any Mainline Game Boy or Game Boy Color Pokemon Game

The Pokemon Stadium games, being what the Transfer Pak was designed for, make the most use of them. Pokemon can be pulled from players save files in the handheld games and used as teams in Stadium’s various modes. Special Pokemon unlocked in the Pokemon Stadium games can then be sent back to the Game Boy titles.

Pokemon Yellow will produce a special minigame if it is connected to the N64, and any of the portable titles can be emulated by the N64 while connected to it. The prominence of Pokemon in the Transfer Pak’s legacy suggests that some or all of these could be released to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service when the Game Boy compatibility rolls out.

Mario Artist is not tied to a particular game, but can instead import pictures from the Game Boy Camera for editing. PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 is also not tied to any specific game, but this means that any title can be used to unlock its character creator. The Transfer Pak did not see much use in the N64’s large game library, but some titles were more memorable because of it. If Nintendo is intent on bringing N64 and Game Boy connectivity back, then it will definitely elevate a few games on the Switch’s online service and make the whole package more enticing.

MORE: The Pokemon Stadium Games Are Must-Haves for Future Switch Online Updates