![]() ![]() Photos of the event were disseminated on the web by Game Zero magazine two days later. ![]() Nintendo's next-generation console was introduced as the "Nintendo 64", contrary to speculation that it would be called "Ultra Famicom". The completed N64 was fully unveiled in a playable form to the public on November 24, 1995, at the 7th Annual Shoshinkai Software Exhibition in Japan. Killer Instinct featured pre-rendered character artwork, and CG movie backgrounds that were streamed off the hard drive and animated as the characters moved horizontally. Although Killer Instinct did use the same CPU as the N64, a MIPS R4300i, neither title was powered by Ultra 64 hardware. Around the same time, Rare (UK) and Midway (USA) released two arcade titles, Killer Instinct and Cruis'n USA, which claimed to use the Ultra 64 hardware. ![]() Atari had claimed to have made the first 64-bit game console with their Atari Jaguar, but the Jaguar only used a 64-bit architecture in conjunction with two 32-bit RISC processors and a 16/32-bit Motorola 68000. The system was frequently marketed as the world's first 64-bit gaming system. The final N64 console would retain the shape pictured by the Ultra 64. Pictures of the console showed the Nintendo Ultra 64 logo, a ROM cartridge, but no controller. The console's design was revealed to the public for the first time in late Spring 1994. Nintendo's code name for the N64, "Project Reality", stemmed from the bold belief that the hardware's advanced CGI capabilities would rival supercomputers of the era. An official announcement regarding their collaboration was made in October 1993. In August 1993, Nintendo expressed interest in SGI's work, and "Project Reality" was born. They were subsequently resolved but not before Sega had already decided against SGI's design. Sega of Japan's evaluation of the early prototype uncovered several unresolved hardware-issues and deficiencies. The SGI project was originally offered to Thomas Kalinske, then CEO of Sega of America, by James H. SGI had recently acquired MIPS Computer Systems, and the two worked together to create a low-cost real-time 3D graphics system. The Nintendo 64 owes its existence to Silicon Graphics (SGI) and MIPS Technologies, who were responsible for the R4300i microprocessor and the 3D graphics hardware used in the N64. Another technical drawback was a limited texture cache, which could only hold textures of small dimensions and reduced color depth, which had to be stretched to cover larger in-game surfaces. The limited capacity forced game designers to struggle with fitting game content into a constrained space, though the faster access time of the cartridge medium offered other advantages over Compact Disc media. A significant limitation was the small capacity and high production expense of cartridge-based media instead of the Compact Disc format used by competitors. ![]() However, the console's storage medium had limitations that harmed the market competitiveness. Of the consoles in the fifth generation, the Nintendo 64 was the last contender and the most technologically advanced. The N64 sold 32.93 million units worldwide, and in 2009 it was named the 9th greatest video game console by IGN, out of a field of 25. An assortment of limited edition controllers were sold or used as contest prizes during the N64's lifespan. The console was released in at least eight variants with different colors and sizes. The N64's suggested retail price was US$199 at its launch and it was later marketed with the slogan "Get N, or get Out!". The N64 was released with two launch games, Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64, and a third in Japan, Saikyo Habu Shogi. It was discontinued in 2001 in Japan, North America and PAL regions by the launch of Nintendo's GameCube. It is Nintendo's last home console to use ROM cartridges to store games (Nintendo switched to a MiniDVD-based format for the successor GameCube) handhelds in the Game Boy line, however, continued to use Game Paks. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil. The Nintendo 64, often referred to as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Yeah, getting an Nintendo 64 was that odd. I wound up with a used unit in exchange for building an indoor turtle pond for a friend. The N64 appeared during a time when I wasn't in the habit of buying every new console that hit the market. ![]()
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