The N64 followed up the Super Nintendo, which is one of the my all time favorite machines, and the N64 basically just sucked balls in every way. The SNES/SFC had loads of RPGs, the N64 had none. The only 2D fighters on N64 were KI and MK, which are f*cking shit. Super Mario Kart was amazing, and is still one of the best racers ever, Mario Kart 64 is an ugly, random, rubber band fest for losers. Zelda: TOoT: didn't like it anywhere near as much as Link's Awakening and Link to the Past. It was very very brown and I kept getting lost. Yoshi's Island: Best game ever made. Yoshi's Story: A C- at best. I still think Waverace 64 and Super Mario 64 are really really good, but that was about it for me. Sin and Punishment was too little too late. By that time I was knee deep in Saturn and loving it.
The 5200 didn't disappoint me because I've never liked an Atari console aside from the Lynx (which was rather incredible). When the 2600 was current I either played Colecovision or stayed at the arcade.