The Glory of the Nintendo 64...15 Years Later

[lenguy]

Lets all take a stroll down memory lane shall we. 15 years ago, Nintendo launched its revolutionary successor to the SNES and take its first leap towards the realm of 3D gaming. The console was known as the Nintendo 64, 64 for its 64 bit CPU and was the last home console to feature the cartridge system. Despite being not having the same amount of success as Sony's Playstation system, it remains as one of those system that helped bring gaming into a new era and was home to some of the best games of any generation, on any console,past and present.

Remember this awkward looking thing? The first time I saw this design, I thought that there was no way in hell I would ever get use to that. My opinion soon changed once I picked the thing up and placed it in my hand. It just felt so comfortable and right,like I had been using it for years. The analog stick and Z button that helped revolutionize gameplay also felt smooth and natural. I had that moment after picking it up and play Mario 64 for the first time, after a few minutes, I thought to myself..this is how gaming was meant to be played. Despite the controllers somewhat clunky and awkward design, it worked. Everything work, The Z button, the analog stick,they all suited the gameplay very well. The analog stick set in motion for the modern controller design. It worked so well that a lot of modern controllers implement two analog sticks.

[YOUTUBE]K783SDTBKmg&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]
(Tell me this commercial doesn't bring back memories?)

I could sit here all day and list all the fantastic and memorable games. Mario 64, Mario Cart 64, Star Fox 64, Goldeneye, The Legend of Zelda OoT, Super Smash Bros..the list goes on. Every game brought an experience and level of fun that felt unique to its own. I could sit here all night typing up all the wonderful experiences I've had playing such games as Zelda, Mario, Super Smash Bros with my friends. These games are so powerful that I still play them 15 years later and enjoy them just as I did when I first played them. Games like Mario 64 and Zelda OoT are timeless, they to me defined not only a console but an entire generation of games and gamers alike. Even in some cases they set the bar so high that they haven't been matched yet. These are the games that people were quoted as saying that in 10 or 15 years later, people will still be talking about them. Its true more than ever and 15 years later, people will still be talking about them because of the impact they left.

15 years ago..1996..I asked for a Playstation that Christmas. I was furious to unwrapped my present to find a Nintendo 64. Discontent with my gift, I buckled and decided to plug it in and give it a go, I never looked back since. 15 years ago, the Nintendo 64 was my gaming console of choice, 15 years later it has earned my compliments of favorite and best home console of all time. I know others will disagree but I'm just stating how I see it. I mean, I still have the damn thing. It gets more play time than my PS3, I love the thing that much..Maybe I'll pass it down to my kids once I have a couple.

Reminisce below, but while you do that here are some things to think about.

Why is the Nintendo 64 special to you? What in general makes it so special?

What are some of your fondest memories playing the N64?

What is your favorite game? Why?

Remeber people, get N or get out!​

 

[Matth3w]

Great thread!

Disappointed with a PS1 hu? I was quite the opposite, a total Sony fanboy growing up. Oh the fights I had in primary school with friends over which system was better and why.....Good times.

Why is the Nintendo 64 special to you? What in general makes it so special? What are some of your fondest memories playing the N64?

I joined question 1 and 2 together, simply because of one word: Multiplayer. No words could describe the fun I had going over my friends house, playing 4 player Worms: Armageddon, Super Smash Bros., Goldeneye, Mario Kart, Pokemon Stadium, WCW/NWO Revenge etc. from 9-13 years of age.

I remember one moment vividly at my friends 10th birthday party. South Park was all the craze back then and we stayed up till 4am playing South Park on his 64 that he hired from the local video shop. So many lulz, such an awesome time.

What is your favorite game? Why?

Mario Kart. Soooooo much fun in Multiplayer, and has a surprising amount of replayability in single player too. This game was so addictive and fun back in the day, and even still now.

 

[Scuba 06]

I remember getting my Nintendo 64 as a child back on Christmas day 1997, I believe. I got the bundled Mario Kart 64, which pretty much everyone had, and I fell in love with the console pretty much from the get go. My first console was the Super Nintendo but I got it about 2 years earlier, and being so young, I really didn't know a lot about games, so I only had a few for. Although, I did like the SNES games I had like Super Mario World and Killer Instinct, it seemed like I really grew up with my N64. I cant really say why I liked it so much other than it was fun. There were just so many great games. I loved Mario 64, Ocarina Of Time, Banjo, Diddy Racing, Wave Race, 1080, I could go on and on. And I cant tell you how many hours I spent playing Golden Eye with my friends. I did also get a PS1 a year later and it was great but for whatever reason, I still liked N64 the best.To be frank, I do enjoy current games of today, but they aren't as fun to me. Maybe its nostalgia but also I feel many gamers today have polluted the air with all this hate and fanboyism, and online gaming has just turned people into a-holes. I never got into fights with my friends over games as a kid, we just had fun, it wasn't something to be taken so seriously. Besides I rather sit and play with an actual person I know, than a group of idiots ill never meet.

Anyways, its funny but I actually got into wrestling because of WCW and WWF games my friends played, which I ended up purchasing myself. I had WWF Warzone, WCW/nwo Revenge, and No Mercy (best wrestling game ever), I spent tons of hours playing these games. I used to love recreating matches on tv and ppv cards. Thosre are probably my fondest memories with the console.

My favorite Nintendo 64 game, as corny and outdated as it sounds, is Ocarina of Time. It was just that damn good. But other than that probably Tony Hawk Pro Skater.

 

[Matth3w]

Maybe its nostalgia but also I feel many gamers today have polluted the air with all this hate and fanboyism, and online gaming has just turned people into a-holes. I never got into fights with my friends over games as a kid, we just had fun, it wasn't something to be taken so seriously. Besides I rather sit and play with an actual person I know, than a group of idiots ill never meet.

Have a rep

I think the 64 had just as many decent single player games too as multiplayer games {Zelda, Mario 64, Conkers Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark, to name a few}.

 

[Scuba 06]

Have a rep

I think the 64 had just as many decent single player games too as multiplayer games {Zelda, Mario 64, Conkers Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark, to name a few}.

Thanks for the rep. Hey I really mean it too, I'm like the only person in my circle of friends who dosent spent countless hours playing Halo, Call Of Duty, etc. And I like those games, but people have made it an obsession, its just ridiculous to me. Those N64, PS1, Snes games just seemed really special to me as a kid. It seems like the creators really put a lot into making those games good and entertaining. Now days its like they just put an annual release for the 'hot games' so they can make as much money as possible. Even though I dont think Nintendo is as great as it once was, atleast they didnt then and for the most part now, didnt put out their franchise games, like a Zelda or DK every year, devaluing the uniqueness of their games.

 

[Matth3w]

Thanks for the rep. Hey I really mean it too, I'm like the only person in my circle of friends who dosent spent countless hours playing Halo, Call Of Duty, etc. And I like those games, but people have made it an obsession, its just ridiculous to me. Those N64, PS1, Snes games just seemed really special to me as a kid. It seems like the creators really put a lot into making those games good and entertaining. Now days its like they just put an annual release for the 'hot games' so they can make as much money as possible. Even though I dont think Nintendo is as great as it once was, atleast they didnt then and for the most part now, didnt put out their franchise games, like a Zelda or DK every year, devaluing the uniqueness of their games.

No probs, I agree wholeheartedly

It seems that single player games now are second rate, and producers/creators put the multiplayer option in their games to add longevity (I'm looking at you - shoot em ups) *glare*.

Back in the days of N64 and PS1 gaming, the single player was just as good as the multiplayer; not just used as 'training' to prepare you for online like these days. That's what made the 64/PS1 great and awesome.

I dunno, it's far more fun IMO playing in the same room as someone else, instead of talking into a distorted mic.

Anyway, best get back on topic.

What's sad is my little brother who is a COD fanatic (which sadly, is an understatement), refuses to play on the 64 because of the 'crap graphics'. What a shame, he doesn't know what he's missing.

 

[Scuba 06]

No probs, I agree wholeheartedly

It seems that single player games now are second rate, and producers/creators put the multiplayer option in their games to add longevity (I'm looking at you - shoot em ups) *glare*.

Back in the days of N64 and PS1 gaming, the single player was just as good as the multiplayer; not just used as 'training' to prepare you for online like these days. That's what made the 64/PS1 great and awesome.

I dunno, it's far more fun IMO playing in the same room as someone else, instead of talking into a distorted mic.

Anyway, best get back on topic.

What's sad is my little brother who is a COD fanatic (which sadly, is an understatement), refuses to play on the 64 because of the 'crap graphics'. What a shame, he doesn't know what he's missing.

LOL. One of my brothers is just like that, although he's not a COD fanatic, he craps all over the N64 or any 'old' system simply b/c graphics, man that pisses me off. Funny story, I never had a Genesis growing up, but most of my friends did, so I played a lot of those games like Sonic, Ecco, X-Men. Anyways I got the Sonic Collection, which had the old genesis games, for the PS2 and tried to see if my I could get my bro into it and he crapped all over that too. I was like do you know who this is ? He's like, "Oh from Mario olympics." Too bad he grew up seeing the crappy Sonic games and now he thinks that franchise was always a joke. Also about COD, I also used to really enjoy playing the old WWII games, along with MOH but in recent years with MW the fanbase has really just turned me off a lot with their immaturity and stupidity. I still like the franchise but I dont like it as much as used to because of the clowns that have polluted the fanbase.

Anyways, yeah I agree about single player. In fact, single player is still the most important thing about a game to me. Games like Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII, now those were some great stories that were enhanced by excellent game play. Oh and they didn't have multi player and I didn't hear anyone bitching back then. One thing I really miss now that there was a ton of back then were the 3D plat formers. Rare, which WAS a great company made awesome original games like Banjo Kazooie, DK64, and Conkers. For the PS1, you had Crash and Spyro (who are pretty much garbage now) I also really enjoyed the old Tomb Raider and Resident Evil games, just a lot of good stuff back then. And yeah, I much rather play my old snes fighting games like Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat or Killer Instinct with a friend than online with someone I dont know. Besides GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Turok, Quake and 007:World Not Enough were also fun shooters of the time.

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

I ADORED The N64. As a child (nostalgia shines through), I spent more time on this machine than any other. The N64 was my baby, to the point where now I sit on my PC, and Ive emulated an N64 and I'm playing it with a PS3 controller.

My fave game? Zelda: Ocarina of time, which is my fave game of all time, closely followed by Majora's mask.

My fondest memory though HAS to be of playing Goldeneye with 3 friends, sat around a tiny room, all of us laughing and then wanting to cry as another grabbed the Golden gun, only to be blown up by a Prox, and all of us laughing like mad.

The N64 is so special to me because of all of the nostalgia. The console is full of it. The games were fantastic, but there werent MANY of them that were brilliant, just the odd few that were absolutely outstanding. It was because of the multiplayer (local only, 4 players), it was because those games that made the console something REALLY special.

 

[Lee]

29th September 1996 the Nintendo 64 was released in the North America regions, the same console was released in Japan on the 23rd June and the EU got the console on the 1st March 1997. So being European it’s not really the Fifteenth anniversary for us, nor is it the Fifteenth anniversary for the console but today it’s time to celebrate the N64.

I asked on twitter some thoughts of the N64 and here are the best three:

“I stayed up for 36 hours straight to get past the Fire Dungeon in OoT. the water dungeon took much longer.”

“Countless hours of WCW vs NwO Revange and the awesomeness that was Perfect Dark”

“goemon 64 mystical ninja!, ogre battle 64!, mario 64!, myschief maker!, mario kart 64, starfox 64, goldeneye! Great memories”

Great memories indeed, I’m sure many people will write about how great some of the games are: games such as Goldeneye which has gone on as one of the greatest FPS’ of all time, Mario Kart 64 which has gone on as one of the greatest racers of all time, Ocarina of Time which has gone on as one of the greatest games of all time or even Super Mario 64 which has gone down as one of the most revolutionary games of all time. Quite impressive for a console that was out sold by a 32 bit unit!

Why was the N64 so special to me personally? Well it was a console that brought countless hours of play, it was one where the family played Mario Kart 64 together, it was one where I destroyed friends at Mario Kart 64. Add into that Goldeneye and the sheer rush of getting the golden gun and killing someone to go into first place. It just brings back memories whether it’s alone going through the great Hyrule field or Snowboarding down the side of a mountain or feeling that rumble in your hands for the first time.

Lets talk games shall we? I suppose everyone will list the games that are usually listed for the N64 so I’ll look at some others:

Perfect Dark Take a better storyline than Goldeneye, better visuals, better multiplayer mode and mix it together. Stick Joanna Dark as a female lead and tada. Loved at the time and forgotten mostly inm retrospect it truly is an under-rated game.

Diddy Kong Racing I once called this game Diddy Kong racism due to the over abundance in racial stereotypes that aside it was still a darn good game. Add a great Adventure mode, some brand new characters who would star in two of the finest platformers for the console (Banjo and Conker) and then add a car/hovercraft and a plane and hilarity ensues!

WWF No Mercy The finest wrestling game ever made, nuff said really.

Majora’s Mask OOT is a hard act to follow but the unique game play elements, the brilliant story, the dark nature of it and the best collection of non-player characters in any Zelda game and you have this masterpiece.

Jet Force Gemini The best game ever made that never got a sequel, Jet Force Gemini was a third person shooter that was rather dark. The story mode was fantastic taking you across various worlds where exploration is key.

I love the N64, most people do. It was a time where multiplayer was Four mates sat on the couch having a laugh rather than taking abuse of 13-year-old Americans for your accent.

Happy Birthday N64 and keep rocking!

(originally posted at www.nintendolee.com)

 

[Dagger Dias]

The Nintendo 64 was awesome. I remember when I first got it, Christmas of 1996 with my first two games Super Mario 64 and Star Wars Shadows of the Empire. To go from the SNES to the 64 got even more epic by the time Mario Kart 64 came out due to the 4 player modes. One of my fondest memories is from back in spring break of 97 when I invited all of the guys from my class over, we stayed up all night having a Mario Kart 64 tournament followed by 4 player races. I won. We did something similar when Goldeneye came out and Oddjob was quickly ruled out as someone you could not select. Other great games included Star Fox 64, Paper Mario, Ocarina of Time, and Diddy Kong Racing which no one could beat me in.

The Nintendo 64 will live on forever in our memories.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I remember the 1st time playing on an N64, at my cousins house. We played "Wave Race" and I was amazed by it. The graphics were incredible, reflections on the water etc and so far ahead of my PlayStation!

I went home and my brother and I were trying to work out ways we could save up enough money to buy one asap, as christmas had already gone and we didnt want to wait until next year. Eventually we ended up buying a PS2 instead but years later I got an N64 off a mate cheap, just so I could re-play Wave Race, WWF No Mercy, Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing (I hated the chicken character on that game!)

I always rated the 64 as a great console. Mario 64's graphics always impressed me too and it was a massive leap forward having Mario in 3D. I didnt like the game but I appreciated how good and advanced it was. Great console. I ended up selling it about 2 years ago as I didnt have it set up any more, but I wish I had kept it just for Diddy Kong and No Mercy.

 

[Chicago1989]

The N64 is special to me, because it's one of those systems that I never got to play with that much in my life. I liked the N64, but I never owned one or had the opportunity to play with it for years. I always wanted one, but I grew up owning a PlayStation.

But the N64 is still a big part of my childhood, especially since many of my old friends owned one and I got to play with it. It was a fun system, with many great games.

My favorite games for it were The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Turok: Seeds of Evil, Shadow Man, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Pokemon Stadium.

 

[Cracka Jack]

Why is the Nintendo 64 special to you? What in general makes it so special?

My love of first party Nintendo games is part of it being my favorite console, but it being truly my first console is the biggest reason why I love it so much.

What are some of your fondest memories playing the N64?

I remember being pretty much introduced to splitscreen multiplayer by Goldeneye, and the many, MANY hours spent playing Smash Bros. with my friends and brothers. Good times indeed.

What is your favorite game? Why?

Super Mario 64 takes the cake (that Mario was promised) on that one. Super Smash Bros. and Ocarina of Time deserve mention as well.

 

[poppycock]

The Nintendo 64 is my favourite console and hold my most fondest memories as far as playing video games go. I have never been a huge gamer... I enjoy playing them from time to time but I would much rather write songs or do some art when I have time. The time the N64 was the new thing was probably the period I was most into video games and that is why I have fond memories of it. Before I got an N64 I had a megadrive with about 5 games and a Gameboy with a few games. The N64 was the one that got me as hooked on games as I'd ever be. I still go back and play the N64 from time to time.


My favourite games where...

Turok and Turok 2 - Amazing, adored both but especially Turok 2. The world/enviroment was huge and the weapons where brilliant. I enjoyed this game more than Goldeneye. I was and still am heavily into dinosaurs so that was a huge selling point for me.

Goldeneye - Needs no explanation really. Great game and the mutiplayer mode was not to bad I seem to remember, ahem.

Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 - I personally enjoyed Mario Kart 64 more than any other version of Mario Kart and for me only the recent Mario Kart on the Nintendo DS was as much fun. Mario 64 was one of the first games that really hooked me in and made me play and play until I completed. Just hearing the music today on my nephews DS version brings me right back.

WWF Wrestlemania 2000 - The WCW games were the originals to use the style and WWF No Mercy was the improved version but still it's Wrestlemania 2000 that I have fond memories of. My favourite wrestling game of all time.

WWF Attitude - I remember getting it for my birthday and having to go to school just as the postman knocked on the door with it. I ran to my room and just had enough time to see Undertaker and Kane make their entrances and I had to go. All day long it's all I could think about and when I got back home I played it non stop.

F1 World Grand Prix - Not into F1 or racing games too much but back then I used to watch F1 with my grandad and this game was brilliant. Best racing game I have ever played.

Southpark - Wish I could get hold of this game now..I know I could on ebay but always forget. Never owned the game but used to rent it from Blockbuster all the time.