The takeaway: It’s been 30 years to the day since Nintendo launched its first 64-bit gaming console in North America, the aptly named Nintendo 64. It was Nintendo’s third major home console release and came at a crucial time, considering the competition had already moved to disc-based games.
Nintendo’s new cartridge had landed in Japan three months earlier, and now it was time for North America to experience 64-bit console gaming. The hype machine was in full swing all summer long and by the time fall came, the anticipation was at its peak.
The Nintendo 64 went on sale on September 29, 1996 with an introductory price of $199. There was no pack-in game included with the system, and on release day you only had two choices: Super Mario 64 or Pilotwings 64. The obvious choice for most was SMB 64, but on release day finding either one proved difficult. Many – myself included – opted for whatever they were lucky enough to have in stock (in my case, it was Pilotwings).
In short: Super Mario 64 was a masterpiece. Up until this point, no game had mastered 3D graphics as well as Nintendo did with this game, and it’s no surprise that it became the platform’s best-selling title.
But the successes didn’t stop there, as the N64 delivered several bangers throughout its life, including GoldenEye 007, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Wave Race 64, to name just a few. The four-player local multiplayer in GoldenEye was a real treat.
Speaking of which: Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time will be released on November 5th.
Nintendo sold nearly 33 million N64 consoles worldwide before discontinuing the device in 2002. That’s good for 18th all-time and pales in comparison to more popular consoles like the PlayStation 2 or the original Switch, but the system largely carried Nintendo through a pivotal time in its history.
