The Nintendo 64 was critically acclaimed upon release and remains one of the most recognized video game consoles. == History == === Background === Around the end of the 1980s, Nintendo led the video game industry with its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
It called the system's November 24, 1995 unveiling at Shoshinkai "the most anticipated videogaming event of the 1990s, possibly of all time".
As a fifth generation console, it competed primarily with the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. Development of the console began in 1993 under the codename "Project Reality".
If it works at all, it could bring MIPS to levels of volume [SGI] never dreamed of". Jim Clark met with Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi in early 1993, thus initiating Project Reality.
On August 23, 1993, the two companies announced a global joint development and licensing agreement surrounding Project Reality, projecting that the yet unnamed eventual product would be "developed specifically for Nintendo, will be unveiled in arcades in 1994, and will be available for home use by late 1995 ...
This announcement coincided with Nintendo's August 1993 Shoshinkai trade show. "Reality Immersion Technology" is the name SGI had given the set of core components, which would be first utilized in Project Reality: the MIPS R4300i CPU, the MIPS Reality Coprocessor, and the embedded software.
On August 23, 1993, the two companies announced a global joint development and licensing agreement surrounding Project Reality, projecting that the yet unnamed eventual product would be "developed specifically for Nintendo, will be unveiled in arcades in 1994, and will be available for home use by late 1995 ...
Of course, you had to think in Japanese..." On June 23, 1994, Nintendo announced the new official name of the still unfinished console as "Ultra 64".
SGI's early performance estimates based upon its supercomputing platform were ultimately reported to have been fairly accurate to the final Ultra 64 product, allowing LucasArts developers to port their Star Wars game prototype to console reference hardware in only three days. The console's design was publicly revealed for the first time in late Q2 1994.
In 1994, prior to the launch, Nintendo of America chairman Howard Lincoln emphasized the quality of first-party games, saying "...
On August 23, 1993, the two companies announced a global joint development and licensing agreement surrounding Project Reality, projecting that the yet unnamed eventual product would be "developed specifically for Nintendo, will be unveiled in arcades in 1994, and will be available for home use by late 1995 ...
When the Ultra 64 hardware was finalized, that supercomputer-based prototyping platform was later supplanted by a much cheaper and fully accurate console simulation board to be hosted within a low-end SGI Indy workstation in July 1995.
The prefix for the model numbering scheme for hardware and software across the Nintendo 64 platform is "NUS-", a reference to the console's original name of "Nintendo Ultra Sixty-four". === Announcement === The newly renamed Nintendo 64 console was fully unveiled to the public in playable form on November 24, 1995, at Nintendo's 7th Annual Shoshinkai trade show.
Official coverage by Nintendo followed later via the Nintendo Power website and print magazine. The console was originally slated for release by Christmas of 1995.
In May 1995, Nintendo delayed the release to April 1996.
It called the system's November 24, 1995 unveiling at Shoshinkai "the most anticipated videogaming event of the 1990s, possibly of all time".
It was first released on June 24, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, and March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia.
Although the design was mostly complete by mid-1995, its launch was delayed until 1996.
Time named it Machine of the Year in 1996, and in 2015, IGN named it the ninth-greatest video game console of all time.
In May 1995, Nintendo delayed the release to April 1996.
Electronic Gaming Monthly editor Ed Semrad even suggested that Nintendo may have announced the April 1996 release date with this end in mind, knowing in advance that the system would not be ready by that date. In its explanation of the delay, Nintendo claimed it needed more time for Nintendo 64 software to mature, and for third-party developers to produce games.
In 1996, the Nintendo 64's software development kit was completely redesigned as the Windows-based Partner-N64 system, by Kyoto Microcomputer, Co.
of Japan. The Nintendo 64's release date was later delayed again, to June 23, 1996.
Several months before the launch, GamePro reported that many gamers, including a large percentage of their own editorial staff, were already saying they favored the Nintendo 64 over the Saturn and PlayStation. The console was first released in Japan on June 23, 1996.
The Nintendo 64 was first sold in North America on September 26, 1996, though having been advertised for the 29th.
for December 1996 were Nintendo 64 games (both of the remaining two were Super NES games).
1 by registered users. In February 1996, Next Generation magazine called the Nintendo Ultra 64 the "best kept secret in videogames" and the "world's most powerful game machine".
The console also won the 1996 Spotlight Award for Best New Technology. Popular Electronics complimented the system's hardware, calling its specifications "quite impressive".
It was first released on June 24, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, and March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia.
The PAL version of the console was released in Europe on March 1, 1997, except for France where it was released on September 1 of the same year.
It found the controller "comfortable to hold, and the controls to be accurate and responsive". In a 1997 year-end review, a team of five Electronic Gaming Monthly editors gave the Nintendo 64 scores of 8.0, 7.0, 7.5, 7.5, and 9.0.
Next Generation's end of 1997 review expressed similar concern about third party support, while also noting signs that the third party output was improving, and speculated that the Nintendo 64's arrival late in its generation could lead to an early obsolescence when Sony and Sega's successor consoles launched.
Nintendo successfully outsold Sony and Sega early in 1997 in the United States; and by the end of its first full year, 3.6 million units were sold in the U.S.
BusinessWire reported that the Nintendo 64 was responsible for Nintendo's sales having increased by 156% by 1997. After a strong launch year, the decision to use the cartridge format is said to have contributed to the diminished release pace and higher price of games compared to the competition, and thus Nintendo was unable to maintain its lead in the United States.
The console would continue to outsell the Sega Saturn throughout the generation, but would trail behind the PlayStation. Nintendo's efforts to attain dominance in the key 1997 [shopping season] were also hurt by game delays.
Five high-profile Nintendo games slated for release by Christmas 1997 ( Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker's Quest, Yoshi's Story, and Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.) were delayed until 1998, and Diddy Kong Racing was announced at the last minute in an effort to somewhat fill the gaps.
In an effort to take the edge off of the console's software pricing disadvantage, Nintendo worked to lower manufacturing costs for Nintendo 64 cartridges, and leading into the 1997 holiday shopping season announced a new pricing structure which amounted to a roughly 15% price cut on both first-party and third-party games.
The price of the console in the United States was further reduced in August 1998. ==== Promotion ==== The Nintendo 64's North American launch was backed with a $54 million marketing campaign by Leo Burnett Worldwide (meaning over $100 in marketing per North American unit that had been manufactured up to this point).
But there's no such thing for consoles yet [as of 1998]". === Sales === The Nintendo 64 was in heavy demand upon its release.
Five high-profile Nintendo games slated for release by Christmas 1997 ( Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker's Quest, Yoshi's Story, and Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr.) were delayed until 1998, and Diddy Kong Racing was announced at the last minute in an effort to somewhat fill the gaps.
While the competing Saturn and PlayStation both set teenagers and adults as their target audience, the Nintendo 64's target audience was pre-teens. To boost sales during the slow post-Christmas season, Nintendo and General Mills worked together on a promotional campaign that appeared in early 1999.
Ninety different tips were available, with three variations of thirty tips each. Nintendo advertised its Funtastic Series of peripherals with a $10 million print and television campaign from February 28 to April 30, 2000.
The Nintendo 64 was discontinued in 2002 following the launch of its successor, the GameCube.
Several games developed by Rare were released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service, including Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, and Perfect Dark, following Microsoft's acquisition of Rareware in 2002.
we’ll make the game on a cartridge first, then add the technology we’ve cultivated to finish it up as a full-out 64DD game". == China's Nintendo 64 (IQue Player) == The iQue Player was released on November 17, 2003 after China banned video game consoles.
The games that were released in the IQue Player's lifetime (from 2003 to 2016) are Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, Star Fox 64, Yoshi's Story, Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros, F Zero X, Dr.
Time named it Machine of the Year in 1996, and in 2015, IGN named it the ninth-greatest video game console of all time.
One exception is Donkey Kong 64, released in April 2015 on the Wii U Virtual Console, as Nintendo retained the rights to the game. Several unofficial emulators have been developed in order to play Nintendo 64 games on other platforms, such as PCs, Mac and cell phones. == Accessories == Nintendo 64 accessories include the Rumble Pak and the Transfer Pak. The controller is shaped like an "M", employing a joystick in the center.
The games that were released in the IQue Player's lifetime (from 2003 to 2016) are Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, Star Fox 64, Yoshi's Story, Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros, F Zero X, Dr.
It was the last major home console to use cartridges as its primary storage format until the Nintendo Switch in 2017.
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