History of video games/Platforms/Nintendo 64

History thumb|Nintendo 64 logotype. Development The Nintendo 64 was proceeded by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Famicom, a family of systems capable of refined 2D graphics, but only extremely limited 3D graphics. Notably the Playstation, among the biggest rivals to the Nintendo 64, also had its roots in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Nintendo 64 would be the first major home console released by Nintendo with no significant regional differences between American, European, and Japanese releases,Lance Barr Interview https://web.archive.org/web/20060213124455/http://www.nintendojo.com/interviews/view_item.php?1130801472 1 March 2021 nintendojo ~ a site to see 13 February 2006 The innovative analog stick on the N64 controller was designed by Genyo Takeda.Nintendo's hardware visionary is calling it a day https://www.engadget.com/2017-04-27-nintendos-hardware-visionary-is-calling-it-a-day.html 26 October 2020 Engadget en though the China focused iQue player would depart from the design standard of the system. On February 11th, 1994 Nintendo announced that Project Reality would not use a CD Rom drive, surprising the industry with decision which went against industry trends.Times Special to The New York COMPANY NEWS; Nintendo's Focus (Published 1994) https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/11/business/company-news-nintendo-s-focus.html?searchResultPosition=8 9 February 2021 The New York Times 11 February 1994Retro: This Is Why We Should Probably Be Glad Nintendo Stuck With Carts For The N64 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/02/retro_this_is_why_we_should_probably_be_glad_nintendo_stuck_with_carts_for_the_n64 9 February 2021 Nintendo Life 20 February 2017 A chip shortage in early 1996 delayed the launch of the Nintendo 64 in North America to fall.Nintendo Game Is Delayed (Published 1996) https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/05/business/nintendo-game-is-delayed.html 9 February 2021 The New York Times 5 February 1996 Launch "Change the System" and "Get N or Get Out" Nintendo 64 Slogans Polygon article,Tach Dave Celebrate the N64's 18th anniversary with this 1996 VHS tape https://www.polygon.com/2014/9/29/6863407/n64-anniversary-change-system-vhs 2 February 2021 Polygon 29 September 2014 en LA Times articleNew Nintendo Game, Same Distasteful Slogan https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-02-fi-35155-story.html Los Angeles Times 2 April 1998 The Nintendo 64 was launched in the United States in September of 1996 at a price of $200.New Nintendo 64 Is a Technical Wonder https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-09-30-fi-49002-story.html Los Angeles Times 1 November 2020 30 September 1996 Legacy In North America the Nintendo 64 was discontinued in 2003.That Was Quick: Nintendo 64 Is 20 Years Old https://fortune.com/2016/06/23/nintendo-64-20-years-old/ Fortune 14 November 2020 en The Nintendo 64 sold 32.93 million consoles, and 224.97 million software titles.IR Information : Sales Data - Dedicated Video Game Sales Units https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/ Nintendo Co., Ltd. 14 November 2020 en The Nintendo 64 was succeeded by the Nintendo GameCube. A notable lasting legacy of the Nintendo 64 is the gaming journalism outlet IGN, which got its start as an online news outlet focused on the Nintendo 64.Welcome to N64.com - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/1996/10/16/welcome-to-n64com 22 February 2021 en iQue Player In 2003 the iQue player was released as a version of the N64 with enhancements and modifications for the Chinese market.Meet the iQue Player, a Nintendo console that was only available in China https://news.avclub.com/meet-the-ique-player-a-nintendo-console-that-was-only-1798244884 12 December 2020 News en-us The iQue Player ceased receiving updates and new games in 2006. Ten years later on December 31st 2016, iQue game download support officially ended.https://twitter.com/zhugeex/status/793369039766712320 https://twitter.com/zhugeex/status/793369039766712320 12 December 2020 Twitter en By 2018 the service was fully shuttered.Nintendo Planned to Make a Pokémon MMO for the GameBoy Advance https://www.cbr.com/nintendo-planned-pokemon-mmo-game-boy-advance/ CBR 12 December 2020 31 July 2020 Also in 2018, community members figure out how to unofficially access the iQue softwareNintendo’s iQue Player Hacked Fifteen Years After Launch https://nintendosoup.com/nintendos-ique-player-hacked-fifteen-years-after-launches/ NintendoSoup 12 December 2020 29 April 2018 Technology N64's push to SGI style pixels was technologically premature. John Carmack Tweet on February 21st, 2013.@ID_AA_Carmack https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/304662242627031040? 24 December 2020 Twitter Compute The CPU of the Nintendo 64 is a 64-bit NEC VR4300 (Compatible with the SGI RISC R4300i) MIPS III architecture processor clocked at 93.75 megahertz.Nintendo 64 Architecture A Practical Analysis https://www.copetti.org/projects/consoles/nintendo-64/ Rodrigo's Stuff 29 October 2020 en 12 September 2019 Despite having a 64 bit CPU, more efficient 32 bit operations were often used by developers.Advanced Navigation http://classes.kvcc.edu/students/~nlahman1850/final/n64.html classes.kvcc.edu 1 November 2020 The Nintendo 64 uses a SGI Reality Co-Processor clocked at 62.5 megahertz, combining the Reality Immersion Processor GPU and Reality Signal Processor Audio system on a single chip.How N64 Works https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/n64.htm 9 February 2021 HowStuffWorks 18 October 2000 en The GPU alone is capable of 500 MIPS, and can render 150,000 polygons a second. The Nintendo 64 has four megabytes of RDRAM.PS1 Strengths and Weaknesses vs N64 and Sega Saturn https://www.racketboy.com/journal/ps1-strength-and-weaknesses-vs-n64-sega-saturn RetroGaming with Racketboy 29 October 2020 en 11 January 2020 The system could be expanded to eight megabytes of RAM. The Nintendo 64 is capable of 100 megaflops.Console Power Comparison Chart https://thegamingsetup.com/guides/console-power-comparison-chart TheGamingSetup 4 November 2020 7 April 2020 Cartridges Official Nintendo 64 Cartridges had a maximum capacity of 64MB.A Brief and Abbreviated History of Gaming Storage – Techbytes https://blogs.umass.edu/Techbytes/2014/02/10/history-of-gaming-storage/ 18 October 2020 Because of the expense of cartridges, Nintendo 64 games cost much more than games for other systems on CD.The Game: Sony PlayStation versus Nintendo64 https://www.forbes.com/1997/09/19/feat.html?sh=5073f9c27dd9 9 February 2021 Forbes en To compensate for limited space on cartridges, developers were encouraged to use dynamic music progmatically rather then recorded but static soundtracks.Shigeru Miyamoto Interview - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/02/07/shigeru-miyamoto-interview 9 February 2021 en Cartridges used a CIC lockout chip to stop bootleg games from being produced and to stop piracy.Ryan Mike mikeryan/UltraCIC https://github.com/mikeryan/UltraCIC 9 November 2020 15 August 2020Modern Vintage Gamer How Nintendo Stopped Bootleg Games on the Nintendo 64 MVG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5uOK0nR934 9 November 2020 Nintendo 64 DD A version was produced for an American release, but was ultimately never sold.Machkovech Sam Rare US version of the N64’s disc-drive add-on unearthed near Seattle [Updated] https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/07/rare-us-version-of-the-n64s-disc-drive-add-on-unearthed-near-seattle/ 9 February 2021 Ars Technica 15 July 2016 en-us Special Editions A translucent orange Nintendo 64|thumb|upright=2|A translucent orange Nintendo 64, an example of the clear craze of the 1990's. Special editions and versions of the console. Starlight Gaming Station - Kiosk for hospital use.Announcing the Starlight Nintendo Switch Gaming Station! https://www.starlight.org/stories/announcing-the-starlight-nintendo-switch-gaming-station/ www.starlight.org 29 December 2020 en McDonalds Kiosk - A kiosk using a Nintendo 64 for use in McDonalds restaurants.Nintendo And McDonalds: A Short History https://kotaku.com/nintendo-and-mcdonalds-a-short-history-5498833 16 December 2020 Kotaku en-us Notable Games Qualities Fast paced action adventure, platformers, and first person shooter games were quite popular on the system. This is due in part to the specialties of developers who chose the system, and due in part to the unique technological properties of the system favoring such games. The Nintendo 64 did not enjoy the same level of support for popular JRPGs as it's predecessor, the SNES. Major JRPG franchises tended to release on competing consoles instead, leaving the Nintendo 64 with more obscure titles. 1996 Super Mario 64 Of all the games for the Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 perhaps has the most historic and lasting impact. It's successful translation of Mario from a 2D to a 3D platformer set an example of how a 3D platformer should enhance gameplay, look and control, paving the way for quality games in the genre by it's example. It was the first 3D game experienced by a number of 90's gamers. Noted developers Cliff Bleszinski and Gabe Newell cite Super Mario 64 as an influence.Nintendo 64: Launching a Legacy - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/09/24/nintendo-64-launching-a-legacy 11 February 2021 enValve's Gabe Newell Thinks Super Mario 64 Is Just Swell https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/03/valves_gabe_newell_thinks_super_mario_64_is_just_swell 11 February 2021 Nintendo Life 6 March 2014 Long after the discontinuation of the system, the game would find new relevance as a popular game for speedrunners. There are a wide variety of glitches in the game, such as the "Backwards Long Jump", used to skip sections of the game, Friend Devin Ellis 2022-10-01 Super Mario 64's Most Famous Glitch: A Complete Overview https://screenrant.com/super-mario-64-blj-jump-glitch-speedrunning-n64/ 2024-11-12 ScreenRant en and some unknown ones, such as an upwarp that occurred, speculated to be the result of a cosmic ray causing a bit flip.Wickens Katie Rampant space particles might be behind eight-year-old Mario speedrun glitch https://www.pcgamer.com/cosmic-rays-cause-tech-bit-flips-blue-screen-of-death/ 26 October 2021 PC Gamer 13 September 2021 enSorry, you'll never get your Mario to go as fast as this Super Mario 64 Mario https://www.avclub.com/sorry-a-literal-cosmic-ion-ray-boost-to-your-super-mar-1846250037 26 October 2021 The A.V. Club en-us Read more about Super Mario 64 on Wikipedia. Mario Kart 64 An influential game in the Mario Kart series, and the first to take the series into true 3D environments. Read more about Mario Kart 64 on Wikipedia. Wave Race 64 Jet-ski water racing game. Read more about Wave Race 64 on Wikipedia. Pilotwings 64 A launch title and casual flight simulator. Read more about Pilotwings 64 on Wikipedia. Killer Instinct Gold A port of the arcade fighting game Killer Instinct 2. Known for it's technical excellence with cutting edge graphics for the era. Read more about Killer Instinct Gold on Wikipedia. 1997 GoldenEye 007 A standout title, which paved the way for other console first person shooters. It's well remembered for it's local couch co-op mode. Read more about GoldenEye 007 on Wikipedia. Star Fox 64 An influential on rails shooter. Commonly counted as one of the best entries in the Star Fox series. Read more about Star Fox 64 on Wikipedia. Diddy Kong Racing The Diddy Kong Racing soundtrack was shaped to be like Diddy Kong's head, an unusual choice.Elston Brett Game music of the (holi)day: Diddy Kong Racing https://www.gamesradar.com/game-music-of-the-holiday-diddy-kong-racing/ gamesradar 11 December 2020 en Read more about Diddy Kong Racing on Wikipedia. Doom 64 Read more about Doom 64 on Wikipedia. Yoshi's Story Read more about Yoshi's Story on Wikipedia. Mischief Makers Shake, Shake! Marina Mischief Makers An eclectic 2D platformer with a distinct style. It was poorly received at launch before later becoming a cult classic. Read more about Mischief Makers on Wikipedia. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Read more about Turok: Dinosaur Hunter on Wikipedia. 1998 Wipeout 64 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Space Station Silicon Valley Quest 64 1080° Snowboarding The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time A considerable amount of crunch occurred during development.Hagues Alana Former Nintendo Of America Associate Producer Talks Crunch On Zelda: Ocarina Of Time https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/former-nintendo-of-america-associate-producer-talks-crunch-on-zelda-ocarina-of-time 3 May 2022 Nintendo Life 3 May 2022 The game is considered to be among the most important of the generation due to it's pioneering use of 3D game design to make a vast action adventure game with mechanical fluidity paired with excellent audio and graphical fidelity for the era.Gerstmann Jeff Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Review https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-the-review/1900-2543677/ 3 May 2022 GameSpotSchneider Peer The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Review https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/26/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-review 3 May 2022 IGN 26 November 1998 en As a result of these factors, this game is often considered among the best ever made.Should ‘Ocarina of Time’ Be Called the Greatest Game Ever? https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/is-legend-zelda-ocarina-time-best-game-ever-1157191/ 3 May 2022 The Hollywood Reporter 21 November 2018Luckerson Victor Why ‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ Will Always Be the "Best Game Ever" https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/23/18012564/legend-of-zelda-ocarina-time-best-game-ever-1998 3 May 2022 The Ringer 23 October 2018 en Read more about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Wikipedia. Mario Party The first entry in the popular Mario Party series. A minigame control resulted in hand palm injuries by some gamers leading to an investigation by the New York Attorney General, which resulted in protective gloves being shipped to some affected parties.Becker David Nintendo offers glove to prevent joystick injuries https://www.cnet.com/news/nintendo-offers-glove-to-prevent-joystick-injuries/ 26 October 2021 CNET en Read more about Mario Party on Wikipedia. F-Zero X Fast paced futuristic racer. Read more about F-Zero X on Wikipedia. Banjo-Kazooie A 3D platformer and collectathon made by the company Rare. Read more about Banjo-Kazooie on Wikipedia. Hey You, Pikachu! A digital pet game about learning to communicate with a Pokemon creature, a Pikachu.Photographing Magikarp, Voice Chatting With Pikachu, And All Of Our Favorite Pokemon Spin-Offs https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/photographing-magikarp-voice-chatting-with-pikachu/2900-3412/#2 3 May 2022 GameSpotPeters Jay Pokémon might be famous for its games, but it also has some great gadgets https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/25/22298495/pokemon-hardware-gadgets-pikachu-poke-ball-mini-camera-consoles 3 May 2022 The Verge 25 February 2021 en One of two games to use the Voice Recognition Unit (VRU).The Weird, Weird Games of the Nintendo 64 https://www.vice.com/en/article/mv5k7p/acknowledging-the-ultra-ambition-of-the-nintendo-64-645 3 May 2022 www.vice.com en The system could recognize up to 256 words.Moyer Michael Popular Science September 2000 https://books.google.com/books?id=IKvES_TIwJoC&q=pikachu&pg=PA42#v=snippet&q=pikachu&f=false 3 May 2022 Bonnier Corporation en The game was said to be difficult to control due to either poor voice recognition and or bad microphone quality.LoChiatto Jonathan Peripherals That Ruined Great Games - Looper https://www.looper.com/715366/peripherals-that-ruined-great-games/ 3 May 2022 Looper.com 22 December 2021Simmons Nathan We Finally Know Why Pikachu Ignored You In Hey You, Pikachu! - SVG https://www.svg.com/607791/we-finally-know-why-pikachu-ignored-you-in-hey-you-pikachu/ 3 May 2022 SVG.com 17 September 2021 Read more about Hey You, Pikachu! on Wikipedia. 1999 Super Smash Bros. Turok: Rage Wars Superman 64 Star Wars Episode I: Racer Pokémon Stadium Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber Neon Genesis Evangelion Mario Golf Jet Force Gemini Mario Party 2 Harvest Moon 64 Donkey Kong 64 2000 Paper Mario Perfect Dark The World Is Not Enough Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion StarCraft 64 Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo Pokémon Stadium 2 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Sin and Punishment Ridge Racer 64 Mega Man 64 Mario Party 3 Mario Tennis Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Excitebike 64 Banjo-Tooie The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask thumb|upright=3|center|A short documentary on Eiji Aonuma and the creation of Majora's Mask by YouTube channel Video Game Story Time. Read more about The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask at Wikipedia. 2001 Dr. Mario 64 Conker's Bad Fur Day Post Market A number of notable titles saw release after the platform was officially discontinued. 40 Winks A game with a rocky development finally shipped an Nintendo 64 version in December of 2018.Update 19: Shipping · 40 Winks - A New Nintendo 64 Game https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retrogames/40-winks-a-new-nintendo-64-game/posts/2362713 Kickstarter en40 Winks Future Uncertain - IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/17/40-winks-future-uncertain en Read more about 40 Winks on Wikipedia. Dinosaur Planet A December 1st, 2000 build of Dinosaur Planet for the Nintendo 64 by Rare was unofficially released on the 20th, of February, 2021 as the result of an online leak.Welch Chris Rare’s unreleased N64 game Dinosaur Planet has leaked https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/20/22292964/dinosaur-planet-rare-n64-game-leak-star-fox 22 February 2021 The Verge 20 February 2021 enYin-Poole Wesley Rare's unreleased Dinosaur Planet for N64 out in the wild, gameplay emerges https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-02-20-rares-unreleased-dinosaur-planet-for-n64-out-in-the-wild-gameplay-emerges 22 February 2021 Eurogamer 20 February 2021 en Dinosaur Planet had previously been released under a different name following a significant overhaul. Read more about Star Fox Adventures for the GameCube on Wikipedia. Gallery N64 Console N64 Controllers Accessories 64DD Developer Tools iQue Player The Nintendo backed iQue Player released in 2003 exclusively in mainland China, and was an all in one system that played Nintendo 64 games. Technology Development There is a WikiBook on N64 Programming. External Resources Nintendo 64 iQue Player Nintendo 64 programming characteristics Nintendo Gateway System Nintendo 64 Archived web materials Nintendo of America website - 1996 N64 Website - 1998 N64 Hardware website - 1998 Other Websites Video Game Console Library - Nintendo 64 page with technical info. Video Game Console Library - Nintendo 64 DD page with technical info. References 2100%__NOTOC__