Following the success of the Super Nintendo in 1990, Nintendo was in a precarious position. The rise of 3D graphics had massively shifted the landscape of the games industry, as new companies like Sony excelled with CD-based hardware like the PlayStation. Looking to embrace this new standard of visual fidelity, while also keeping the family-friendly nature that the company was known for, Nintendo prepared to launch their most ambitious console to date: the Nintendo 64. In retrospect, the N64 is regarded as one of the most influential and entertaining home consoles ever made, but at the time of release, its popularity was yet to be seen. With the recent trend of Nintendo 64 remakes on the Switch 2, and as the hardware celebrates 30 years of history, there’s no better time to reflect on the intriguing launch of this fan-favorite console.
Nintendo 64 Hits Japan
Work on the Nintendo 64 began as early as 1993, three years after the launch of the SNES, and it marked many firsts in the gaming industry. While the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn only boasted 32 bits of processing power, the N64 offered 64 bits (hence the name), allowing for cleaner sound and that flashy new 3D graphics technology. Though Nintendo flirted with the idea of using CD-ROM technology by partnering with Philips, early hardware concepts failed to come to fruition, pushing the N64 back to cartridge-based software. Despite these collaborative woes, Nintendo still worked closely with computing manufacturer Silicon Graphics, as well as software companies Alias Research and MultiGen, ultimately creating the hardware that we know and love today.
During development, this new console was dubbed the “Ultra 64”, but Earthbound creator Shigesato Ito suggested the simpler “Nintendo 64”, and the rest is history. Though the system was originally intended for a holiday 1995 release, several delays occurred before the Nintendo 64 would hit the market. First, Nintendo delayed the console until April of 1996, citing a need for more software development time, though the low number of launch titles told a different story. Come 1996, the console was delayed yet again, this time to June, but instead of a simultaneous worldwide release, the Nintendo 64 would exclusively release in Japan first. North America would have to wait until September of 1996 and Europe until March of 1997.
When the Nintendo 64 finally launched in Japan, the response was less excitable than Nintendo had hoped. While critics and industry experts applauded Nintendo’s hard work and the quality of the console, consumers weren’t exactly diving in headfirst. While diehard Nintendo fans were quick to pick up an N64 on day one, the rest of the gaming public were far more interested in the competition, namely the Sony PlayStation. Several elements contributed to this mediocre launch, including a lack of role-playing games, the high cost of cartridges, and popular franchises moving over to the PlayStation. Luckily, high sales in North America saved Nintendo from a complete commercial failure, though it was interesting to see such low sales in their home country.
A Tiny Launch Lineup
One of the most baffling parts of the Nintendo 64 was its launch lineup of games, or more accurately, the lack thereof. When Sony launched the PlayStation, there were 12 fresh games to enjoy. Sega pushed out 6 games for the launch of the Saturn. For the Nintendo 64, there were literally a couple. Although Japan received the exclusive virtual board game, Saikyō Habu Shōgi, it’s very rarely remembered as a launch title. Instead, if you were gaming on Nintendo 64 on launch day, you were probably playing one of two games.
First, there’s the heavily nostalgic but constantly confusing flight simulator, Pilotwings 64. A sequel to the popular Super Nintendo predecessor, Pilotwings 64 put players in the cockpit of several flying crafts, including a jetpack, hang glider, gyrocopter, and more. While the main focus of the game was completing challenges to earn pilot licenses, many players had much more fun participating in mini-games like skydiving or exploring the four in-game islands in “Birdman” mode. In short, Pilotwings 64 was a decent enough experience and worthy of a rental, but it grew repetitive quickly.
Of course, the clear winner in the pair of launch titles needs no introduction: Super Mario 64. Honestly, what’s there to say that hasn’t been said before? Super Mario 64 took one of the most popular game series of all time and effortlessly transferred it into 3D, setting the standard for every platformer that would follow. Colorful, cute, challenging, and packed full of content, Super Mario 64 was a game that you could get lost in for countless hours; perhaps long enough to make you forget that there were basically no other games to play. Still, the strength of Super Mario 64 was immeasurable, as it easily carried the Nintendo 64 through the summer months until more games were released in the winter of 1996, including titles like Wave Race 64, Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Cruis’n USA.
Looking back, it’s wild to consider just how tenuous the launch of the Nintendo 64 was. Delays were frequent, the worldwide release was staggered, Japanese gamers preferred the PlayStation, and there were barely any games to play. Without the buying power of the North American market and the incredible quality of Super Mario 64, the history of the N64 might have been much different. Thankfully, once the console caught on, it birthed some of the best video games ever made, like Banjo-Kazooie, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Donkey Kong 64, Jet Force Gemini, GoldenEye 007, Super Smash Bros, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and Diddy Kong Racing, just to name a few. So, if you’re sitting around this summer and feel the urge to play some retro games, why not boot up one of these Nintendo 64 classics? Alternatively, you can always pick up the Star Fox remake on the Switch 2, or look forward to the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time when it launches this holiday.
