On this day 22 glorious years ago (though technically it released early on the 26th), the Nintendo 64 came to North America bringing with it so many amazing memories with its revolutionary style and incredible games to experience. As an homage to the system that was so paramount to our childhood, let’s look back on what made this platform so great to begin with.
The Nintendo 64 integrated amazing advanced 3D graphics for this time and advanced the gaming experience with its breakthrough 64-bit technology. This opened up the gaming world tremendously, easily trumping that of the PlayStation’s 32-bit experience. Progression, that was the name of the platform game and that’s exactly what the N64 gave us!
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The Super Mario 64 title was also revolutionary at the time, especially for a franchise that already had an incredible following and such a huge standing in the community as a whole. The camera control was also a big hit with consumers, including how the controller interacted through all stages of the title’s lifespan.
But what really, really cemented this system in the Gaming Hall of Fame was a title that made and broke friendships: GoldenEye. This was a game that allowed players to go up against one another as Bond, James Bond and that damned gold gun absolutely tore alliances asunder.
GoldenEye paved the way for co-op experiences and FPSs, as well as became a part of a foundation that transformed into the online macrocosm seen today. This was a multiplayer experience that is still – to this day – seen as legendary.
There were so many titles that gave N64 players treasured memories: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Cruisin’ racing games, Banjoi Kazooie, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon Stadium, Perfect Dark, Star Fox 64, Donkey Kong, Road Rash, and so many more!
Another fun feature that admittedly probably wasn’t for everyone was the different color options! I remember I used to save up back in the day so I could have every single controller color option available. I still have them, including my precious gold various – though the Grape remains my favourite to this day.
The Nintendo 64 was a turning point for gaming and we owe a lot of our modern-day experiences to this revolutionary console. What were some of your favourite N64 memories? Sound off below!
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