The Nintendo 64 (ニンテンドー64, Nintendō Rokujūyon, NINTENDO64), commonly abbreviated as N64, is a 64-bit cartridge-based video game console. It was released in June 1996, is Nintendo's third system released internationally, and the first to display 3D graphics. It is also the final home console to use cartridges until the Nintendo Switch in 2017 (though the Switch uses a different type of carts unlike vintage systems). It is also the first Nintendo system to have four controller ports as opposed to two from the previous NES and Super NES. Part of the 32-bit era alongside the Game Boy Color, it competed against the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn, and it is the most technologically advanced home console of its day in spite of using outdated cartridges while its rivals use CDs for storing games. One of the most critically acclaimed systems of all time like its predecessors, some of the most popular and best selling games of the N64 include Super Mario 64 (all-time seller), Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Star Fox 64, Perfect Dark, F-Zero X, and more. Its library is also known for introducing many spin-off games in the Nintendo franchises such as the Mario Party series, Super Smash Bros., Diddy Kong Racing, and Pokémon Stadium.
It sold 32.92 million units worldwide and was discontinued in 2002.
The Nintendo 64's predecessor is the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and it was proceeded by the GameCube.
The Legend of Zelda games[]
Other Games[]
- Super Smash Bros. (not an official The Legend of Zelda game, but features Link and other elements from the series)
There is one canceled The Legend of Zelda game for the ill-fated Nintendo 64DD peripheral, Ura Zelda, but the game was later reworked into Master Quest for the Nintendo GameCube.
iQue Player[]
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations.
In an effort to curb piracy in China, a Chinese-exclusive system called the iQue Player was created in 2003. The iQue functioned similarly to the Nintendo 64, but games were distributed digitally. Ocarina of Time was one of 14 games available for the system. Majora's Mask was also developed for the system, but was eventually cancelled for unknown reasons.
Trivia[]
- The slogans of the N64 are "Get "N" or Get Out!" and "Change the System", making it the first unique console promotion since the NES, SNES, and Game Boy (excluding Play It Loud for the latter).
- The Nintendo 64's original retail price in 1996 was $199.99, which is equivalent to $400.26 as of 2024.
- The launch titles of the N64 are Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, and a Japan-only game called Saikyō Habu Shōgi.
- Though the Nintendo 64 had an innovative controller, it is notoriously known for having a fragile analog stick, which would cause movement problems during gamplay when damaged from overuse, commonly when positioning forward. A widely known case of this occurring was by players of the original Mario Party game, where it contains mini-games involving intensely rotating it many times (which can cause blisters in hands due to hard plastic). This has caused many third-party companies to create aftermarket versions to help eliminate these issues.
- The two critically acclaimed Zelda games released on the N64, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, are the system's 4th and 12th best-selling games, respectively, with 7.6 and 3.36 million sold. For comparison, its highest seller, Super Mario 64, sold 11 million (though this game was a pack-in launch title).
- Although the Atari Jaguar in 1993 claims to be the first ever 64-bit console, it was made with a 16/32-bit CPU with two dissimilar additional processors that supposedly add up to 64, but it's overly complex design proved to be a huge flaw. The Nintendo 64, however, was built with an actual 64-bit central processor, making it the first true home console at this level.
- According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the reason why the Nintendo 64 has four controller ports is because it is Nintendo's first system powerful enough to handle a 4-player split screen without significant slowdown.
- The N64 is actually the second home console ever released with four controller ports, as the unsuccessful Atari 5200 in 1982, predates it by 14 years.
- Surprisingly, the Nintendo 64 is not the first console by Nintendo to have 4-player support; Very few Super NES games such as Street Racer or Top Gear 3000 are capable of such gameplay through the use of an adapter.
- Despite the N64 having an advanced 64-bit processor running at 93.73MHz (PS1 in comparison runs at 33.86MHz), virtually all of its games are set to run at 32-bit like its rivals due to storage limitations of using cartridges.
- The Nintendo 64 was originally going to be called "Ultra Famicom" in Japan, but was changed to be the first Nintendo home console to have a universal name and model design. Its prototype name in 1995 was also called "Ultra 64".
An example of a "Fire Orange" Nintendo 64 limited edition unit
- The N64 is known to be the first Nintendo home console to have official special edition models and controllers which most were made in different transparent colors such as "Jungle Green", "Fire Orange" or Atomic Purple".
- The "Atomic Purple" in particular would also be used for the Game Boy Color.
- Despite its success, the N64 had a relatively small library of games released for the system - 388 in total, due to the difficulty of producing 3D hardware for cartridges (which contain very little memory) in an era where CD technology became prominent and lack of 3rd-party support. For comparison, the earlier NES and Super NES had 1000+ (716 Western) and 1,755, respectively. Its main rival, the PlayStation, received 7,918 games, making it by far the best-selling console of that generation of video games (102.49 million units sold).
Gallery[]
Nintendo 64DD
Ocarina of Time, the first Zelda game released on the Nintendo 64
Majora's Mask, the second Zelda title released on the Nintendo 64
The N64 cartridge of Majora's Mask (collector's edition)
