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15 years ago today, the Nintendo 64 was released in America

Kuran

Banned
I went out and bought it in secret the evening of release in Belgium, and hid it in a plastic bag in the garden underneath a bush.. it was very rainy night!

That night I snuck out, took the bag and installed it in my room on a tiny TV. I played Mario 64 until the morning and was so tired I just fell asleep without hiding the console and games.

The next morning when my mom came in the room, she didn't even mention it. Heh.

Playing Mario 64 for the first time was special.
 

Grinchy

Banned
Makes me feel kinda old....

I begged and begged for one of these. My parents brought me in their room one night to let me know that they just couldn't get one anywhere so I should come to that realization before I got my hopes up and subsequently spent Christmas morning let down. I gave up all hope, but little did I know they were trolling me. Really nice move on their part, and I just about pissed my pants when I opened it up that morning.
 
Marrshu said:
I still remember the first time I played Super Mario 64 in a Toys R Us. That was magical...
... and I'm never getting that feeling back, am i? ;_;
This. For me it was in Dixons (UK high street retailer). I remember trying to grab the top of the joystick between my thumb and forefinger, as if it was a full size one... and I was just blown away that I could move Mario in all directions. I only moved him a few steps and then we had to leave... but I'll never forget that moment.

[edit] Grinchy, are you the N64 kid? :p
 

Saroyan

Member
I still remember when the guy from EB called me and said they were selling them early, I drove to the mall as fast as I could and played Mario 64 all night, it was so awesome.
 

TheMan

Member
Remember that Toys R' Us gave away giant sized Mario 64 t-shirt with the console? May have been for pre-orders (although I'm pretty sure I didn't pre-order). I wore that shirt around the house constantly. Still have it somewhere, I think.
 

Calcaneus

Member
What a dud. Easily the worst console I've ever owned. There definitely was some good stuff there, but a lot of my later N64 experience was longing for the games that were coming out on the PS1 and Dreamcast and finding less and less to get excited about on my system. I'll cherish a lot of those memories , but I still would have rather had something else.
 
Grinchy said:
Makes me feel kinda old....

I begged and begged for one of these. My parents brought me in their room one night to let me know that they just couldn't get one anywhere so I should come to that realization before I got my hopes up and subsequently spent Christmas morning let down. I gave up all hope, but little did I know they were trolling me. Really nice move on their part, and I just about pissed my pants when I opened it up that morning.
You're the Nintendo Sixty FOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR kid, right? It's alright, you can admit it to gaf.



Either way: lovely story. :)
 

jeremy1456

Junior Member
The first console I purchased of that generation.

It was also the first time I felt like I couldn't be appeased with one console alone due to the limited number of games and lack of RPGs.

Soon after I got my Playstation and Saturn Goldeneye came out, and the other consoles were shelved for quite a long time, and then Perfect Dark was released, and the other two went back on the shelves.

While the Playstation was definitely the best console of the generation it lacked anything remotely as addicting as the two first person shooters, Smash Bros, and Diddy Kong Racing.

Funny enough, nowadays the Sega Saturn is actually my favorite of the three systems of that generation.
 

Aeana

Member
I went to Toys R Us and hogged the Mario 64 demo units for like 2 days before the N64 was released, then I bought one and the game immediately when they became available. I think I got mine a couple of days early, I see someone above also mentioned that.
 

Anth0ny

Member
Nintendo 64 produced my favorite game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Also:

Ocarina of Time
Mario 64
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Goldeneye
Perfect Dark
THPS
THPS2
Pokemon Stadium
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pokemon Snap
Super Smash Bros
Star Fox 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Paper Mario
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Mario Kart 64
Mario Tennis
Jet Force Gemini
WWF No Mercy

To those who say N64 has no games... are you KIDDING me? I still go back and play most of these games with friends even today. GC and SNES come close, but I don't think any console will ever top my love for N64.
 

Boney

Banned
I remember when I got in in Christmas 97. We celebrated christmas at my house, and got Goldeneye, and I was really confused because I was like, this isn't a Snes game, wtf is this! My brother had to explain to me it was a new console they just launched.

Got me pretty hyped, and went to my grandma's to spend the rest of christmas eve and there was our N64. We couldn't open it until the next morning, so it was a pretty tough night. It came bundled with DKR, which I didn't really like because I thought it was too difficult.

But man, Goldeneye was something else.
 

TheMan

Member
Boney said:
I remember when I got in in Christmas 97. We celebrated christmas at my house, and got Goldeneye, and I was really confused because I was like, this isn't a Snes game, wtf is this! My brother had to explain to me it was a new console they just launched.

Got me pretty hyped, and went to my grandma's to spend the rest of christmas eve and there was our N64. We couldn't open it until the next morning, so it was a pretty tough night. It came bundled with DKR, which I didn't really like because I thought it was too difficult.

But man, Goldeneye was something else.

Wait, didn't goldeneye come out way after the N64 had launched? I remember it getting delayed repeatedly.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
mo4QN.jpg
 

Cipherr

Member
Toys R Us for me as well. Had it next to NiGHTS on Saturn, I played the hell out of both of them.

I remember the crazy prices for the games, I traded in Waverace 64 at a Funcoland and got something insane like $65 it was absurd really. It didnt win that gen in overall game selection, but it ruled that gen in terms of 4 player games. Some amazing 4player local multiplayer games released on the N64.
 

Pimpbaa

Member
The system that made nintendo go from #1 to near irrelevance due to bone headed design choices. Had quite a few good games but that was despite the system not due to it.
 
and I got mine I think 9 days before the official release...thank you Toys R Us of yesteryear and your complete lack of understanding of release dates
 

SarBear

Member
I remember going to Toys R Us a week before it was to release and playing Mario 64 on the kiosk. Before that, i hadn't even considered the damn machine because I couldn't fathom a 3 dimensional platform game. Yea, I was in shock and awe, and I remember finding the second to last blue pre-order slip for the machine and Mario 64 (i didn't quite understand the awesomeness of Pilot Wings at that time).

Funny thing was, when i went to pick it up a week later, there were news stations all over the place and angry parents everywhere because the machine was impossible to find in southeast Michigan. Newsdicks even asked me to do a report with them. Heck no! I was on a mission to stretch Mario's face for several hours at a time.
 
Souldriver said:
You're the Nintendo Sixty FOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR kid, right? It's alright, you can admit it to gaf.



Either way: lovely story. :)
Yep, I immediately thought of that kid too... but really... I wonder if he's on GAF.... someone that enthusiastic about a console is surely a gamer for life...
 
First time my mom had money to buy me a system at launch. She bought it on Friday I think and was planning to hold onto it for Christmas but I managed to convince her that giving it to me at launch would be the greatest thing ever... and it was.
 
I still remember the images from the Club Nintendo magazine (Latin America) when it was named Ultra 64.

And I remember the first images of Super Mario 64 when it was still in development. Good times.

Does anyone know where can I find those images of Mario?
 

TheMan

Member
Pazuzu9 said:
Yep, I immediately thought of that kid too... but really... I wonder if he's on GAF.... someone that enthusiastic about a console is surely a gamer for life...

Probably signed up years ago and is still waiting for his damn account to activate.
 

Anth0ny

Member
MYE said:
I still have mine hooked up

oh yeahh <3333333333333

Same here. Majora's Mask currently inserted. Do I need another play through before Skyward Sword launch?!?

I got my N64 for Christmas '96. That NINTENDO SIXTYFOOOOOOOOOUR video was especially hilarious to me, because that was pretty much exactly how I reacted. My parents didn't buy me a game, so I had to rent from Blockbuster. Looking at the back of the box, I rented what any kid would rent.

STAR WARS!

Shadows of the Empire was technically my first N64 game. I remember having fun, but I was underwhelmed. I brought it back to blockbuster, and my dad asked the clerk what the best N64 game was. He said Super Mario 64. I rented it... and the rest is history.
 

Combichristoffersen

Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Has it been that long? Man, I'm getting old.. Happy birthday N64. You had a bunch of good games, even though I'll always consider your library to be vastly inferior to the PS1. And your controller is the worst controller I've ever used.
 

Shurs

Member
I picked this up on Day One.

I grabbed the system and Mario 64. Traded in my Playstation and all of my games to Funcoland in order to afford it.
 

JayTapp

Member
I loved Ocarina of Time, Mario 64. Wave Race. Goldeneye to name a few.

Had a good time but my friend kept showing me awesome games on his PS1. After I saw the intro of MGS, I traded my N64 to buy a PS1 and never regreted it. I remember it like it was yesterday.

After my incredible run with the NES and SNES I felt disappointed. (I was that Nintendo Fanboy who laughed at people with Genesis)
 
For a console that was a relative failure (huge market share lost to an upstart) it was one of the best consoles of all time, in terms of exclusives.

It's almost sad (but good for people's wallets) that if you buy a current gen console, you're mostly getting the same games no matter which one you choose. With the N64 and PS1, each had a big selection of fantastic exclusives, so picking between the two was a big decision.
 
Anth0ny said:
Nintendo 64 produced my favorite game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Also:

Ocarina of Time
Mario 64
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Goldeneye
Perfect Dark
THPS
THPS2
Pokemon Stadium
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pokemon Snap
Super Smash Bros
Star Fox 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Paper Mario
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Mario Kart 64
Mario Tennis
Jet Force Gemini
WWF No Mercy

To those who say N64 has no games... are you KIDDING me? I still go back and play most of these games with friends even today. GC and SNES come close, but I don't think any console will ever top my love for N64.
You and me would've been best friends back in the day.

Also, Mischief Makers was a damn fine game.
 

kunonabi

Member
I remember being so excited for the N64

I would go to blockbuster just so I could play the Mario 64 demo over and over. That game was revelation to me.

I had a promotional vhs tape with pilotwings 64, Shadows of the Empire, and I believe Mario. I watched the Shadows of the Empire footage several times a day.

Actual gaming memories:

Mario 64 was amazing and I remember sharing strategies and getting tips from this one kid at school. He would go one to be my best friend.

Shadows of the Empire - Beat the game on all difficulties, got all the challenge markers, taped myself playing through the entire game for a friend who wanted to see it. I spent countless hours messing around in that game. I used the cinematic camera and would just do stunts and fancy nonsense in the hoth and skyhook stages.

Tons of multiplayer action with Goldeneye, Battletanx, Bomberman 64, and the THQ wrestling games.

I got Mischief Makers for my birthday and played it like crazy with my friends.

Wave Race 64 was a personal fav of mine as well. I played it every morning before school and I knew that game like the back of my hand.

Castlevania 64 is my favorite Castlevania game and my third favorite game of all time.

I played episode 1 racer to death with a good friend of mine. We were really even aside from the sky stage which he couldn't play to save his life.

I loved the mystical ninja game and I still have those songs stuck in my head.

The World is Not Enough is still my favorite single player fps campaign.

I enjoyed Mission: Impossible despite the awful graphics and Hybrid Heaven was crazy awesome. Wrestling RPG? Best Idea EVER!!!

Fighter's Destiny 2 was a surprisingly good fighter and Mortal Kombat Trilogy was also played quite a bit in house.

The console had its issues but a ton of my favorite games are on the console so I can't help but love it.
 

Ultratech

Member
Wario64 said:

I remember this ad. I may still have a magazine that actually has that.
Damn, I feel old.

Anyways, I got the Pokemon Stadium N64 Pack, that had the N64 and Pokemon Stadium.
So much fun...of course, I got some more stuff for it later on including Star Wars, Smash Bros., OoT, Rampage World Tour, and one or two other games.
 

Darkgran

Member
Sold out everywhere....

I actually got on a waiting list for this baby at a local department store. They called me in November and said the had one. Man the memories...Super Mario blew my mind at the time, I couldn't believe how awesome that game was. Then came Zelda and it was everything I imagined it would be.
 
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