Back Nintendo 64 AN نينتندو 64 Arabic نينتندو 64 ARZ Nintendo 64 AST নিনটেনডো ৬৪ Bengali/Bangla Nintendo 64 BS Nintendo 64 Catalan نینتێندۆ ٦٤ CKB Nintendo 64 Czech Nintendo 64 Danish
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 A charcoal-gray Nintendo 64 console (right) with a light gray Nintendo 64 controller | |
| Codename | Project Reality |
|---|---|
| Also known as |
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| Developer | Nintendo IRD |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth |
| Release date | |
| Introductory price | US$199 (equivalent to $400 in 2024)[6] |
| Discontinued |
|
| Units sold | |
| Media |
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| CPU | NEC VR4300 @ 93.75 MHz |
| Memory | 4 MB RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak) |
| Removable storage | 32 KB Controller Pak |
| Graphics | SGI RCP @ 62.5 MHz |
| Sound |
|
| Controller input | Nintendo 64 controller, 4 ports |
| Power | Switching supply, 12 & 3.3 V DC |
| Online services |
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| Dimensions | 260 × 190 × 73 mm (10.24 × 7.48 × 2.87 in) |
| Weight | 1.1 kg (2.43 lb) |
| Best-selling game | Super Mario 64 (11.62 million)[8] |
| Predecessor | Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Successor | GameCube |
| Related | Nintendo 64DD iQue Player |
The Nintendo 64[a] (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the N64 was the last major home console to use ROM cartridges as its primary storage medium.[b] As a fifth-generation console, the Nintendo 64 primarily competed with Sony's PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.
Development of the N64 began in 1993 in collaboration with Silicon Graphics, initially codenamed Project Reality and later tested as the Ultra 64 arcade platform. The console was named for its 64-bit CPU. Although its design was largely finalized by mid-1995, the console’s release was delayed until 1996 to allow for the completion of the console's launch titles, Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, and the Japan-exclusive Saikyō Habu Shōgi.
The N64’s original charcoal-gray console was later joined by several color variants. Certain games required the Expansion Pak to boost system RAM from 4 to 8 MB, improving both graphics and gameplay functionality. The console supported saved game storage either on cartridges or the optional Controller Pak accessory. The 64DD magnetic disc peripheral offered additional storage for game content and enabled the Randnet online service. However, due to a delayed launch, the 64DD was a commercial failure and was released exclusively in Japan.
In 1996, Time magazine named the N64 its Machine of the Year, and in 2011, IGN ranked it as the ninth-greatest video game console of all time. Though the N64 sold over 32 million units globally, it was ultimately discontinued in 2002 following the release of its successor, the GameCube. While it was critically acclaimed, the N64 faced commercial challenges, its sales lagged behind the PlayStation, and commercially failed in both Japan and Europe, despite strong performance in the United States.
- ^ "Nintendo 64 Breaks Loose". IGN. September 26, 1996. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ Kohler, Chris (September 29, 2016). "Nintendo 64 Came Out 20 Years Ago—Here's How I Felt About It Then". Wired. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
- ^ "Long-Awaited Nintendo 64 Machine Hits Stores". The Signal. Santa Clarita, California. June 24, 1996.
- ^ Younge, Gary (March 1, 1997). "Battle of the Giants Launched". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Curtis, Maree (March 2, 1997). "Remember the Games of the Old School Yard". The Age. Melbourne.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Stone Croal hotwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). First console by Nintendo. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- ^ "All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games". May 21, 2003. Archived from the original on February 21, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
- ^ Citations:
- Allegra, Frank (October 20, 2016). "Nintendo Switch will use cartridges". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- Sarkar, Samit; Alexander, Julia (March 1, 2017). "Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad, trust us". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- Webster, Andrew (January 16, 2025). "The Nintendo Switch 2 supports original Switch cartridges". The Verge. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
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