• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Nintendo 64 was originally released 20 years ago today

Z

zMiiChy-

Banned
My favorite console for it's time - Video games have never wowed so much since.

I'll never be able to forget the feeling of playing 3D games for the first time.
 
F

Fury451

Banned
Not always the greatest console, but I will always have a spot for it.

Love me some Body Harvest, Vigilante 8, Shadows of the Empire, Rogue Squadrob, Blast Corps, Perfect Dark, and Pokemon Snap just to name a few.

Also I'm old
 
D

Duggie_Brown

Member
This thread needs to be longer! Why isn't it longer!? Have people forgotten about how important this console was to the industry, what it gave us not just in hardware but in software!?

Analogue stick for true 3D gaming! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Rumble Pack for higher immersion! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
4 Player local co-op/multi-player! SHOULD STILL BE INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Full 3D Worlds on home consoles! INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY!
Home to some of the most influential 3D games of all time!

We were seeing special effects that we'd never or rarely seen before! Real time reflections, real time lighting, being able to target specific body parts in 3D with insane accuracy! Surround Sound! DOLBY BLOODY DIGITAL!!


Mario 64 changed the industry! No matter how many times people say it, it's impact is still felt today. It doesn't matter if the game has aged some what. You have to understand what it was like to come from purely (mostly) 2D games into a full 3D world and to have the new controls to go with it, plus the sound and gameplay. Anyone who has grown up in the later generations must not laugh at this as there has arguably never been a bigger shake to the industry since. 3D gaming and controlling it with an analogue stick was more than ground breaking.

Golden Eye 007! Once again, might not have aged well, but playing a 1st person shooter like this for the first time on consoles was something that had never been done before! Turok Dinosaur Hunter was incredible, but Golden Eye took levels, mission structure, music, controls and multi-player to a whole new level!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! There are reasons why people call this the best game ever made! It doesn't matter if it's not aged as well graphically etc. You have to realise that at the time, stepping into a 3D world like for the first time! Let me stress that again! FOR THE FIRST TIME!! There was nothing like it. It's not only because the game was in 3D, Nintendo managed to create new gameplay features that changed the industry! Z-Targeting was a vital component to this games success! Things like the rumble pack vibrating when you went over a hidden secret! Galloping a flipping horse across what felt like an endless field...nothing else like it.

Multi-player was king on this machine hands down and the PS1 couldn't touch it for that, no matter what similar games they released to counter the titles on this system!

Golden Eye 007!
Perfect Dark! This game was ahead of it's time.
1080 Snowboarding!! Seeing the boarders clothes flapping in the wind or the trail your snowboard left in the snow! Having to angle the board correctly so you don't crash!
Mario Party! Absolutely hilarious in multi-player! If you got blisters in your hands then you're a true Mario Party veteran!
F-Zero X 30 cars on the screen at once rocking out to awesome music at 60fps! Multi-player mayhem!
Star Fox 64 Dog fights! What more can I say
Wave Race 64 There had not been water effects before, like there was in this game! The race courses felt alive and dynamic, forcing you to adapt on the go as random waves moved your Jet ski around! Still to this day an absolute dream to play!

Man I could list a ton of other titles that this console had...bah! I will!

Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Beetle Adventure Racing
Blast Corps!
Body Harvest
Conker's Bad Fur Day!
Diddy Kong Racing!
Donkey Kong 64
Doom 64
Excite Bike 64
Goemon 64
Hybrid Heaven
Jet Force Gemini! BEST SOUNDTRACK ON THE N64! PERIOD!
Mario Golf
Mario Tennis
Mischief Makers
Pilotwings 64!
Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium!
Quake 2
Rayman 2!
Shadow Man
Snowboard Kids!
Star Wars Rogue Squadron! THAT SURROUND SOUND! AMAZING!
Super Smash Bros!
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask!
The New Tetris! BEST TETRIS EVER!
Turok 2!
Yoshi's Story!

So, so many great games on this system! I agree that many have not held up graphically, but that doesn't matter. If you were around when this machine launched, it was an era of magic, excitement, fun and great great content supported by a machine that wanted you and others to play together.
The N64 is one of the most important consoles of all time and also one of the best consoles ever! period! Also my favourite gaming console.
I'm 35 years old, own pretty much every console that has ever come out, but the N64 and the era that it lived in has remained untouched in pure gaming magic since. Here's to the N64! Pure videogaming joy!
 
N

Nyoro SF

Member
The OP is right that it's really hard to go back for most of the N64 library unfortunately. I tried playing Jet Force Gemini last year and couldn't suffer through an hour. But the console itself has a lot of sentimental value for me as it was the first console that was mine and not shared between me and my brother... lol.

We picked it up from Funcoland. I think that was one of our last Funcoland purchases before that store chain got completely swallowed up by EB Games / Gamestop. I remember wanting to get an extra controller and the guy opened a drawer full of all the different colors of controllers, around 15+. The N64 was also the feature console at my local "youth group" so I have a lot of memories playing with friends for years and years on it. Really, it was such a fantastic multiplayer console.

Playing Mario 64 in a Blockbuster demo station was a revelation that I had to have this console. To this day it is hard to think of a 3D platformer with such incredibly tight design. And of course we can't forget Ocarina of Time. I could list on and on, Smash Bros, Mario Party games, Tony Hawk games, NFL Blitz, etc. Yes, I bought the "Expansion Pak".

I had no idea that the gaming landscape would change so much after the N64 released. I was a pretty dyed in the wool Nintendo fan back then so the only times I would play non-Nintendo consoles were at friend's houses. That changed next generation, so I guess you could say N64 was my last Nintendo Fanboy console purchase. Despite its obvious flaws nowadays... yeah. Great times that I won't forget.
 
C

Cpt Conifer

Member
One interesting thing I haven't seen anyone point out yet on GAF is how the memory cards for this system were sort of like Nintendo having only one foot in the door. I think we owned one or two, but the only time I ever remember using it is when we wanted to transfer some costume items over for some multiplayer Bomberman64. I think we owned them more as a "reflex" after that nightmarish realization that hit most of us when we first owned PSXs or Saturns. (edit: Actually I just recalled it wasn't wholly necessary on Saturn either due to it having some onboard battery-powered memory, though we all know those batteries go out.)

There must have been some third party games out there that didn't have saving built into the cartridge, but I basically don't remember ever having anything plugged into that slot on the controller aside from the rumble pack that came with StarFox 64. I'm pretty sure we lost the N64 memory card in no time because it was that small and useless. A stark contrast from, say, the Dreamcast where the VMU was a very obvious necessity.
 
S

supermarioworldE

Banned
Hands down the best local multiplayer console of its time. Most of my memories with the system include Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart 64, WCW vs Nwo: World Tour, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Killer Instinct: Gold, Nightmare Creatures, Shadows of the Empire, and Mario 64.

But it's weird to have nostalgia for the N64, as it's the only console Ive ever owned that Ive played consistently since its debut. 20 years, and I havent gone a single year without playing it. That may make it the system Im most familiar with, but it's also the one that Im probably the most burned out with.

I didnt get to play Star Fox 64, Donkey Kong 64, Mario Party 3, F-Zero X, WWF: No Mercy, and Ocarina of Time until years after the console's initial lifespan. Many games from that era have not aged very well, but the classics are still enjoyable to this day.

All I have left on my wishlist is Conker's Bad Fur Day and Banjo Kazooie, and I can move on from the system once and for all.

The beginning of the end for Nintendo, but still one of the greatest systems, the last great console war (with the PS1), and one of my favorites to this day.

Happy Birthday, and thanks for the awesome memories, Nintendo.
 
N

Nyoro SF

Member
playoverwork said:
One interesting thing I haven't seen anyone point out yet on GAF is how the memory cards for this system were sort of like Nintendo having only one foot in the door. I think we owned one or two, but the only time I ever remember using it is when we wanted to transfer some costume items over for some multiplayer Bomberman64. I think we owned them more as a "reflex" after that nightmarish realization that hit most of us when we first owned PSXs or Saturns.

There must have been some third party games out there that didn't have saving built into the cartridge, but I basically don't remember ever having anything plugged into that slot on the controller aside from the rumble pack that came with StarFox 64. I'm pretty sure we lost the N64 memory card in no time because it was that small and useless. A stark contrast from, say, the Dreamcast where the VMU was a very obvious necessity.
Click to expand...

Ah, you reminded me. I bought one of those big third party rumble packs that doubled as a memory card. And as you said, I don't recall doing anything with the memory portion... at least I think I don't; I could've sworn that the later Tony Hawk games required it.
 
D

dragonyeuw

Member
nkarafo said:
This is actually a testament to how amazing the controls are in this game. They are so natural and easy to perform but at the same time they let you do crazy acrobatics if you practice them enough. You never feel like you lose control of Mario and every mistake is 100% your mistake. There aren't many 3D games that feel so right IMO. Unfortunately, recent 3D Mario games simplified/dumbed down the controls so now you don't have the same freedom nor they feel as good.

Plus, i don't remember many games where i just enjoy running around doing nothing in particular. Except maybe early genesis Sonic games that also had nice feel and physics.
Click to expand...

Indeed. In fact I had a quick run through last year, hadn't played in some years. Did the exact same thing. Something about the fluidity of the controls doesn't seem like it was duplicated in later 3d Marios( granted I haven't played 3D world on Wii U yet, so I can't speak to that). But Super Mario 64 maintains a certain intangible magic that's hard to put into exact words.
 
N

neoemonk

Member
kswiston said:
I actually did something similar when I started college at the end of the PS1/N64 generation. I sold the bulk of my PS1 and SNES JRPG collections, figuring that I didn't have time for games anymore. I held onto my systems, but it was quite expensive to replace some of those PS1 games when I decided to do so 7-8 years later. Some I will never replace (I had a complete copy of Chrono Trigger with mint condition inserts/manual, and a near mint condition cart/box).
Click to expand...

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, and Chrono Trigger here. All my boxes and manuals were in good shape as well.

Someone gave me a used working SNES a few years back that I have hooked up to an old CRT I have in my basement, but the only game I have is NBA Live '95. I haven't gone through the trouble of trying to collect the games again however.
 
K

kswiston

Member
neoemonk said:
Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, and Chrono Trigger here. All my boxes and manuals were in good shape as well.

Someone gave me a used working SNES a few years back that I have hooked up to an old CRT I have in my basement, but the only game I have is NBA Live '95. I haven't gone through the trouble of trying to collect the games again however.
Click to expand...

It's almost not worth the effort now. People are trying to sell things like Super Mario World for $30 now, despite the fact that there must have been close to 10M North American copies floating around at the end of the SNES' lifespan. Games that actually had limited print runs (and are still of interest now) are crazy expensive. I am glad that one of the games I never sold was E.V.O. Cart only copies are going for $150-200.

Now is actually a decent time to complete your N64 collection. Outside of rarities/special editions, pretty much every retail game is still under $100 used (cart only), and aside from Conker, most of the worthwhile stuff is still under $50. I doubt that will be the case when we are celebrating the system's 25th anniversary.
 
C

Cave Johnson

Member
illadelph said:
N64 renders scratch my nostalgia itch like no other

tumblr_mzih1yXvlm1r28k5co1_400.png
Click to expand...


I would totally play the shit out of Mario with this aesthetic.
 
L

Lothar

Banned
It was the ultimate system for multiplayer, the perfect system for college dorms. What do college kids even play today? Do they just play by themselves in a room online?

We thought the Nintendo 64 was going to be something that revolutionized multiplayer. Instead it turned out that it would still be the best in 2016 and playing with friends in the same room became archaic.
 
K

kswiston

Member
Lothar said:
Instead it turned out that it would still be the best in 2016.
Click to expand...

Some of that is just nostalgia I think. Dreamcast, Gamecube, and the Wii all had a ton of great local multiplayer stuff.

If you could afford to get together enough systems and controllers, Halo 1 was something special as well. As close as consoles got to the LAN experience.
 
L

Lakershead22

Member
How time flies. I had a SNES before the n64 but I never was old enough to appreciate the snes. With the n64 my love for games floirished. I consider it the first console I truly appreciated.
 
H

hoserx

Member
Spent so many hours on n64.com before release. Got my system at K Mart on launch day. Still have it, even though I lost it to an ex gf for 3 years. Amazingly it was returned, with all of my games. #blessed.
 
F

fakie

Member
My favourite console. I still play Smash 64 with my friends and we have a blast.

The sad part is the flawed design of the analog stick, it is simply imposible for it not to wear down to death. Most of my controllers are becoming very hard to play with because of it.
 
Mihos

Mihos

Gold Member
I remember it coming out with only 2 games and the trickle of releases was just maddening. I will always associate it with the system that killed 3rd party support. Coming off the SNES, the system was such a colossal letdown to me. I remember where I was when I found out FF7 wasn't coming to N64, broke my heart. I still try to play some of the games, but even RGB modded with a frameister, they look really bad and makes it hard to go back.

It was after I sold off my original N64, but I remember them giving free gloves to Mario party owners.
https://www.cnet.com/news/nintendo-offers-glove-to-prevent-joystick-injuries/

To be fair, I think they said something like only 700 gloves were claimed.
 
petran79

petran79

Banned
Unfortunately I had seen Quake prior to Mario so I was not that impressed.

The shiny Mario colors could not lighten my heart after this dark experience
 
N

neoemonk

Member
Lothar said:
It was the ultimate system for multiplayer, the perfect system for college dorms. What do college kids even play today? Do they just play by themselves in a room online?

We thought the Nintendo 64 was going to be something that revolutionized multiplayer. Instead it turned out that it would still be the best in 2016 and playing with friends in the same room became archaic.
Click to expand...

The guys that lived two doors down from me in the dorm had some epic Goldeneye matches going on in there. That and one of the Genesis NHL games seemed to be on around the clock that school year in their room. Good times.
 
J

jaypah

Member
I hunted and hunted and hunted for a N64 for Christmas 1996. Found one in Esplanade Mall. The guy said he'd hold it for one hour, it was 2:00 pm on Christmas Eve. My cousin drove me over there (after we stopped to pick up a few 40oz of St. Ides) and I tore through the mall trying to get to the store which was probably a Babbages or EB at the time. I paid my money and clutched my bag and on the way out there were desperate parents offering me $500+ cash money for my system. But after getting an NES and SNES on their respective nationwide launch Christmas I wasn't going to let money stand in the way of opening my new Nintendo console on Christmas morning. Sure, I was 16 but I didn't care. Tradition won out and I had my console wrapped and under the tree along with Mario 64 and that's all that mattered in that momemt. Nintendo. Fuck yeah.
 
yesrushdt

yesrushdt

Member
I remember Kay-Bee Toys breaking the street date and being able to pick it up a few days early. :D Not my favorite system but it sure has some of my favorite games like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time and Banjo Kazooie.
 
C

Celine

Member
playoverwork said:
One interesting thing I haven't seen anyone point out yet on GAF is how the memory cards for this system were sort of like Nintendo having only one foot in the door. I think we owned one or two, but the only time I ever remember using it is when we wanted to transfer some costume items over for some multiplayer Bomberman64.
Click to expand...
There are definitely some good N64 games that require the controller pak:

007: The World Is Not Enough
Beetle Adventure Racing
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
Doom 64
Forsaken 64
Gauntlet Legends
Goemon's Great Adventure
Hybrid Heaven
Hydro Thunder
Micro Machines 64 Turbo
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Rayman 2
San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing
Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA
San Francisco Rush 2049
Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers
Shadow Man
Top Gear Rally
Turok 1,2,3,Rage
WipEout 64
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
The worst nintend platform, but with some quality games none the less

I experienced star wars for the first time because of shadows of the empire
 
MulderYuffie

MulderYuffie

Member
My fav system (well maybe tied with PS2). I grew up with this thing I got it on my 4th birthday (October 5th) of that same year and it changed my life forever what a magical little machine I feel so old now 20 years come and gone.
 
R

Reckless Abandon

Member
Love the 64. Probably the most total time spent played of any console I've owned (mostly due to the fact that I was in grade school). Home of my all time favorite game Perfect Dark and plenty of other hits with staying power (OG Smash, Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, Goldeneye, Rogue Squadron, the RE2 port, StarFox). Special place in my gaming heart for the 64.

Mario Kart 64 is still the best of them all. And I remember the first time I booted up Wave Race. Blew. My. Mind.

Some faves from the lesser-knowns: Shadow Man, Winback, Vigilante 8, Shadows of the Empire, Gauntlet, Jet Force Gemini.

So much fun having 3 friends over and going at it in Smash or PD, or teaming up (kind of) in Gauntlet.
 
S

Sumio Mondo

Member
I now feel old. One of my favourite consoles ever, purely for nostalgic reasons. So many charming games this console had. OoT, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Mischief Makers, Majora's Mask and Super Mario 64 are all still some of the best games I've ever played.
 
T

To Far Away Times

Member
The N64 has an interesting legacy.

The games are mostly too old and they haven't aged as nearly as well as SNES/Genesis games. The controller is awful. For every good game the N64 got, the PS1 got a bunch more.

But... the N64 made more contributions to gaming than just about any console.

Modern analog stick, rumble, and 2 of the most important games ever made: Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

Videogames are basically split into pre and post Mario 64, that's how big a deal that game was. And OoT still tops plenty of Greatest Games of All Time lists.
 
P

Peltz

Member
stfuppercut said:
I was never really that big a fan of the Gamecube output from Nintendo outside of Melee. Fuck, I mean the best Nintendo published game on GCN was made by Sega.
Click to expand...

F-Zero GX? Good choice for the top game.

But Wind Waker and Metroid Prime were real gems too.
 
I

illadelph

Member
I love how everything N64 stuck with the four colors of the logo, down to the box art and the original controller colors (besides the more traditional gray and black)

dat red, blue, yellow, and green scheme of the "fun machine"
 
M

Makoto Yuki

Banned
While the NES and Genesis were the first systems I owned, it wasn't till the Super Nintendo and the N64 where I started to really love playing video games. The combination of Nintendo 64's amazing library of exclusives and the JRPGs of the Playstation made the mid 90's to early 2000's such a great time to play video games.

By far the most nostalgic time for me. While I still love to play video games, the rose-tinted glasses of yesteryear will always look fondly on this system as one of my favorites along side the SNES and the Playstation. My personal trinity of console gaming goodness.

Having four controller ports was the smartest thing about the system, all those hours of Bomberman 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Golden Eye, Mario Kart 64, etc etc. Good times.
 
O

oatmeal

Banned
I bought a new analog stick for my N64 on Amazon and it is basically a GameCube stick. Feels awesome. Tried to buy more from same listing and got botched N64 ones. They stopped carrying the good ones.

Oh well. I have one good one now, not that I ever play the n64.
 
B

bronzodiriace

Member
The best place for Wrestling game.

Wcw vs Nwo
Wcw vs Nwo revenge
Wrestlemania 2000
WWF No mercy The goat


I can't remember a Wrestling game coming close to the grapple system and playability of AKI Corporation.

Superb.


I want a n64 mini collection like the Nes today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Modern Vintage Gamer: Playing Retro Emulators on the Nintendo 64
Retro Trailer Hardware
1
588
magnumpy replied
The "Impossible" Nintendo 64 core for MiSTer FPGA...and how it became very possible
32
6K
SegaSnatcher replied
N64: A Visual Compendium Launching March 4th
42
3K
NeoIkaruGAF replied
  • Poll
(Somewhat) How Not To Retrospective: The Nintendo 64 Chronicles (Sakhura Baguette)
Opinion Analysis Retro
23
2K
Katajx replied
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy Available Today - $40 Together, $20 Individual (Games are BC on PS5/Series, no Native Release)
2 3 4 5 6
256
19K
GinSama replied
Top Bottom