Nintendo 64 Release Date – Worst release yet?
The Nintendo 64 Release Date
The iconic and widely popular gaming console was released to the public to be purchased in stores worldwide first in Japan on June 23 1996 and then later in North America on September 26, 1996, and lastly in Europe and Australia on March 1st 1997. The Nintendo 64 was developed by Nintendo and Silicon Graphics.
This was the beginning of one of the greatest additions to gamers worldwide. One of the best feelings as a kid was waking up knowing that after school and on the weekends I would be getting together with my friends to play some Mario Party 64, Mario Kart 64, Golden Eye 007, Super Smash Bros, Or Star Fox 64.
This gaming console caused Nintendo’s sales to increase by %156 in 1997. The Nintendo 64 is also, the last home gaming system to use cartridges until the Nintendo Switch was born and came along on March 3rd 2017. The Nintendo 64 is by far one of the most popular home game consoles to grace the market. This came in after the release of the Super NES. The Nintendo 64’s controller was different from the others.
The First Games After The Nintendo 64 Release Date
- Super Mario 64: The beloved Mario 64 was released on, September 29, 1996, NA, March 1, 1997, Jap, June 23, f1996 Eur.
- Pilot wings 64: Took to the skies on, September 29, 1996, NA, March 1, 1997, JAP, June 23, 1996, EUR.
- Saikyō Habu Shōgi: The Japanese game closely related to chess was released on, June 23, 1996, JAP.
- Wonder Project J2: The cute loveable robot was released on, November 22, 1996 JAP.
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy The blood-spraying arcade fighter released on, November 1, 1996, NA, April 29, 1997, JAP, September 27, 1996 EUR.
M-Shaped Controller
This M-shaped controller feels really good in your hands while you play, it has a 10-button layout unlike that of the 6-button controller on the Sega (mega drive) or the 6-button controller found on the Super NES. This includes an analogue stick and directional pad of course.
The Ninentdo 64 is also one of the first controllers with 4 ports, according to Shigeru Miyamoto Japanese video game designer, producer, and game director at Nintendo. Which is one of the main reasons for its popularity. Allowing up to 4 people to play the games with their friends or family at the same time is a game-changer!
The Ultra 64:
The original 64 was named the Ultra 64 and was developed by Nintendo in the mid-1990s. It was then later renamed the Nintendo 64 (N64) that we know and love today. The N64 gaming console is also, widely known for its 64-bit graphics and was the first home console to feature 3D graphics. Other popular games on the console are The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and GoldenEye 007. The N64 was succeeded by the Nintendo GameCube in 2001.
The Nintendo 64 was a significant console in the history of video gaming. It was the last home console to use game cartridges instead of CDs, which made it more expensive to produce games for the N64 but also made loading times much faster. It is still considered one of the best home consoles to ever come out leaving many with great memories from their childhood!
The Delayed Release Of The N64:
The console’s original release date was going to be on Christmas of 1995. The company exclaimed that it would not have enough units to fulfil the needs of the consumers by this date. After the delay, the console was released with just 2 games mentioned previously Mario 64 and Pilot Wings 64. Although, in Japan, it was released with 3.
The resason for the console was not released on time due to issues with the hardware being devoloped in time, the upgrade to the 64-bit processor, which makes sense. The other thing was, they had to carefully consider the gaming selection they would choose for the console and make it make sure the games were fun to play for consumers.
The competition at the time was fierce with the likes of the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn at the helm. They had to ensure the Nintendo 64 was on the same playing field as it’s competitors. Although it did not release on the date it had planned we are all better off for it. This delay in the development process ensured we gamers would have a much better gaming experience with the N64 console than we would have had they not given it the extra attention needed.
Color Variants Of The 64:
This console came in many different colors offering a variety of choices to the gamers as they played their favorite games. These colors include: Standard Charcoal, Jungle Green, Ice Blue, Grape Purple, Fire Orange, Smoke/Clear Black, Watermelon Red, Clear White/Blue, Clear White/Red, Mini Pikachu Dark Blue, Mini Pikachu Light Blue, Mini Pikachu Orange among others.
How Many N64 Gaming Consoles Sold?
This impressive gaming console sold an astonishing 32.93 million units which is a significate number at the time. 20 million of these were sold to Americans in the United States. The Super Nintendo sold 49.10 million units, 23.35 million of those in North America & 17.17 million units in Japan. Although, it doesn’t not have the same hardware as the N64, I believe the Nintendo 64 is the better console of the two if I had to choose between them.
