History

Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the SNES) in Japan in 1990, and in North America in 1991. It was a 16-bit console. Most games it played were 2D, and any 3D games it played were not true 3D. Two years later, in 1993, Atari released a system called the Jaguar. It was a 64-bit console, and its marketing made the systems from Nintendo and Sega look outdated. To make matters worse, Sony was working on a new 3D video game system to launch in 1994 that would be known as the PlayStation. By the mid 1990s, Nintendo knew it was time to move on and create their own 64-bit system. Its name in development was called Project Reality.[4] The Nintendo 64 released in Japan in June 1996, in North America in September 1996, and in Europe in March 1997.

Because making games for the Nintendo 64 was more expensive than making games for the PlayStation, many video game companies chose to develop only for the PlayStation. Nintendo also did not like games that had a lot of blood or violence in them. Most companies who made these kinds of games made them for the PlayStation instead. Nintendo ended up losing their first place spot in the video game market and Sony beat them because of these two things. Additionally, Sony was inspired by the N64 joystick design to make their DualShock PlayStation controller. The production of the Nintendo 64 ended in Japan in 2002 and in 2003 worldwide, as Nintendo began to move their focus to the GameCube system.

Reception

In 2015, IGN named the Nintendo 64 the ninth-greatest video game console of all time.[5] Many great games were released on the system, with many video game series first appearing on the N64. These series included Super Smash Bros., Paper Mario, and Mario Party. It also had the first mario game in 3D, which was Super Mario 64.

Sales

5.54 million Nintendo 64 units were sold in Japan, 20.63 million in the Americas, and 6.75 million in other regions, a total of 32.93 million units.[6]

Notable games

References

  1. ↑ IGN Staff (September 27, 1996). "Nintendo 64 Breaks Loose". IGN. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-14. Retrieved 2019-03-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games". May 21, 2003. Archived from the original on February 21, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  4. ↑ Plunkett, Luke. "Nintendo's Lovable Code Names for Consoles". Kotaku. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon. "Nintendo 64 is number 9". IGN. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). Nintendo. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
source: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64