The Nintendo 64, or N64, came out in 1996, making 2021 the 25th anniversary of its release. It was the first time since Nintendo's entry into the console space that it did not come out on top, being beat by Sony's PlayStation.
All the same, the system is home to some of the best and most celebrated games ever made, including Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, and many more.
To understand the N64, you need to know more than just the games. Understanding how the system came to be is just as important to appreciate Nintendo's first foray into 3D gaming.
9 The Graphics Processor Was First Pitched to Sega
Before Silicon Graphics made the deal with Nintendo, they approached Sega with the offer to work together using a new CPU. However, Sega turned them down and the company eventually went with Nintendo.
Instead of the powerful 3D technology that powered the best Nintendo games of the 90s, Sega came out with the Sega Saturn. Saturn had its handful of classics, but graphically it did not compare to what the likes of Mario and Zelda were churning out.
8 It Was Publicly Revealed In 1994
When we compare console reveals today to how they were done in prior generations, the differences are all too apparent. The N64 was publicly revealed in 1994 with a release meant for late 1995. It ultimately did not come out until 1996.
In comparison, the PS4 was announced in February of 2013 and came out in November of the same year. The PS5 also was announced in 2020 and came out before the year ended. Waiting two years for a console is wild to think about, especially when the console's life itself was only about half a decade.
7 It Was Called The Ultra 64 And Ultra Famicom
The N64 was initially titled the Ultra 64 and Ultra Famicom in the west and Japan, respectively. It was even publicly revealed with this name and fans saw the logo at events as early as 1994, two years before the actual console's release.
It would only be announced as the Nintendo 64 a year later in November of 1995, less than a year before it came out in Japan and the US.
6 Cartridges Led To Third-Party Developers Leaving
One controversial decision made by Nintendo during this period was to stick with cartridges while other companies started adopting CDs.
There are several theories as to why they did this. Nintendo claims the lack of load times was essential to a smooth at-home gaming experience, while others speculate it was to make piracy more difficult. Regardless of the reason, the difficulty in developing for the format caused many third-party publishers and developers to focus their efforts on PlayStation.
5 The iQue Player
The iQue player came out long after the N64 but it is still important to bring up because it was the first time a whole region got to experience specific games from the console. In China, gaming consoles were banned from 2000 to 2015.
To get around this, Nintendo developed the iQue player. Players used a flashcard to download games from kiosks or from the Internet. Games like F-Zero, Ocarina of Time, Wave Race 64, and many more were available on the service. It launched in 2003 and shut down just a few years ago in 2018.
4 It Almost Had Online Functionality
Jim Clark and Marc Andressen wrote a 20-page outline for a potential online network for the N64. Details are sparse on how it would have worked and the two never reached a deal with Nintendo.
The delay also had the two leave to do a separate project, which went on to become Netscape Navigator, an early web browser from the 90s. Netscape Navigator eventually went under when services like Internet Explorer became the default browser for years.
3 Shigesato Itoi Came Up With The Name
The final name for the N64 came from Shigesato Itoi, the man behind the Earthbound franchise. His rationale for the name was for something striking and simple. Part of the inspiration came from people referring to any Nintendo console or product simply as "Nintendo".
It is quick and gets to the point. There is absolutely no confusion as to what the system is. This naming convention has stuck; most Nintendo Console names start with the company's title followed by a maximum of two words.
2 Just What Was The 64 DD?
There was an add-on made for the N64 that saw little attention. The Nintendo 64 Disc Drive went underneath the console and had a slot for inserting floppy discs. In addition to more space, the add-on had a real time clock and could even connect to the Internet.
Many classic games for the system started development for the add-on before its failure made it unviable. It sold poorly in Japan and never came out in the United States. Animal Crossing also originally released on this format in Japan before coming to the GameCube in other territories.
1 There Were About 100 Controller Prototypes
There were about 100 controllers tested before the final design was decided upon. All of these were tested with Super Mario 64. It makes sense, then, when you look at just how perfectly that launch title plays with the controller when so many other games had trouble adapting to the unconventional design.
While the controller is polarizing, it did bring a lot of firsts with it, including the first console with four controller slots and an analog stick.