Retro Rewind: Nintendo 64

The first Retro Rewind is about Nintendo's final cartridge based console, the Nintendo 64.  Though it did send nintendo into a distant second place in sales, It was an amazing console, and the one that got me into retro gaming.

(Note:  Not my N64)

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Nintendo had been declared the winner of the 16-bit Era as the SNES defeated the Genesis in sales.  But another Japanese company, Sega, was ready to start another war.  But first a little backstory.  Nintendo wanted to make an attachement for the SNES that allowed for CDs to be used.  So they partnered with Sony to create it.  As Nintendo realized that they had a mistake, giving Sony a decent amount of the rights, they cut ties with them.  Nintendo then announced they were creating the "Ultra 64," which we know as the N64.  But Sony wouldn't let all their work go to waste.  They turned into the console that defeated the N64, the PlayStation.  

Now why exactly did the N64 not succeed as well as the PlayStation?  Here's a few reasons. First off is the obvious difference between the two machines.  The N64 uses Cartridges, while the PlayStation uses CDs.   

My collection.  From the top:  Diddy Kong Racing, F-Zero X, Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.

CDs could hold WAY more content than a cartridge could, making them a good choice.  Nintendo decided to go with cartridges, in favor of faster load times and sturdier games.  This didn't work out so well.  This caused the second reason.  Many third party publishers didn't exactly like Nintendo's choice, and jumped ship to Sony.  This included the RPG series Final Fantasy, who chose the PlayStation in favor of a larger world and a more complex story.  

Let's not forget that the Nintendo 64's games.  Nintendo and Rare churned out hit after hit on the console, providing some of the greatest games of all time.  For example, 

My Ocarina of Time Cartridge.

The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time.  This took storytelling to a whole new level.  The dungeons were large and took some puzzle solving, the combat was fluid, and the game looked great for the time.  There was also Mario's first 3d adventure, Super Mario 64.

My Super Mario 64 Cartridge

The levels were fun, It had great music, and great controls.  There's a bunch more, such as Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark, and Banjo Kazooie as well.  

That's it for this Retro Rewind.  See you next time!  

-dsteenson