Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64 Release dates North America September 29, 1996 Japan June 23, 1996 Europe March 1, 1997 Australia March 1, 1997 Details Manufacturer Nintendo Media ROM cartridge Predecessor Super Nintendo Entertainment System Successor Nintendo GameCube

The Nintendo 64 (often shorted to N64) is Nintendo's third home console released in 1996 and 1997, succeeding the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The N64 was also the first console to feature full 3D graphics, the first system to have a 64-bit processor and a 32-bit graphics chip, and it was arguably the first console to feature a practical analogue stick. Despite these innovations and its strong launch, the Nintendo 64 sold about 33 million units worldwide by the time it was discontinued in 2002, less than the 49 million sold by its predecessor. The drop in sales was attributed to Nintendo's controversial decision to remain with ROM cartridges instead of CD-ROMs, alongside the dominance of Sony's PlayStation.

A variant of the Nintendo 64, the iQue Player, was released for Chinese markets in 2003. It essentially takes the form of a plug-and-play console in the form of a controller, with unique cartridges designed for it. F-Zero X was among several games released for this console.

F-Zero games

The only F-Zero game released for the Nintendo 64 is F-Zero X, though it received an expansion disc for the Nintendo 64DD titled the F-Zero X Expansion Kit. Additionally, Captain Falcon appears as an unlockable playable fighter in Super Smash Bros., and has remained as a playable character in the series since.

Accessories

Nintendo 64DD

The Nintendo 64 plugged into the Nintendo 64DD

The Nintendo 64DD was a disk-based hardware add-on released for the Nintendo 64, released in 1999. Intended to address criticisms about the use of cartridges, the Nintendo 64DD was a commercial failure upon release, only selling about 15,000 units in Japan before being discontinued altogether. Only nine titles were released for the console, and many of the games in development for the add-on were either discontinued, moved to the standard Nintendo 64, or published for other consoles.

Rumble Pak

The Rumble Pak was a hardware add-on intended for the Nintendo 64's controllers. Introduced in 1997 to coincide with the release of Star Fox 64, the Rumble Pak inserts into a port built into Nintendo 64 controllers. Inside the Rumble Pak is a motor with an offset mass on its axle; whenever the motor is activated by the game, the controller rumbles as a result of the resultant rapid changes in inertia. Both F-Zero X and the F-Zero X Expansion Kit are compatible with the Rumble Pak.

External links

• Nintendo 64 on Bulbapedia
• Nintendo 64 on Lylat Wiki
• Nintendo 64 on Metroid Wiki
• Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 64DD on NintendoWiki
• Nintendo 64 on Nookipedia
• Nintendo 64 on SmashWiki
• Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 64DD on StrategyWiki
• Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 64DD on the Super Mario Wiki
• Nintendo 64 on WikiBound
• Nintendo 64 on WiKirby
• Nintendo 64 on Zelda Wiki