Nintendo 64 Consoles, Games and Accessories

Named for its 64-bit processor, the Nintendo 64 hit Australian shores in 1997. It’s the last of Nintendo’s home consoles to use cartridges instead of discs, due to the increase in speed when loading data.

It also featured Mario’s first foray into a three-dimensional world, with Super Mario 64 releasing as a launch title alongside Pilotwings 64. Up to four players could join in on certain games, setting the stage for some lengthy multiplayer sessions in games like Mario Kart 64, Diddy Kong Racing, GoldenEye 007 and Super Smash Bros., the first instalment of the series that brings all of Nintendo’s most popular (and some obscure) mascots together for some frantic fighting fun.

The console featured a three-pronged controller, which could be held in different ways depending on the game being played, and was one of the first to use an analogue control stick instead of the + directional pad. Extra attachments could also be plugged into the base of the controller, such as a Rumble Pak (which vibrated when certain events occurred in the game) and a Controller Pak, for saving high scores, race times, and game data. A special adaptor was also released for the Pokémon Stadium games, allowing trainers to battle using their carefully-trained teams in 3D for the first time.

The Nintendo 64 sold fairly quickly when it was first released, with 350 000 consoles out of its initial 500 000-strong North American stock in three days, and 3.6 million by the end of its first year on sale. This wasn’t enough to beat out its rival, the PlayStation, but at the end of 2009 it has sold almost 33 million consoles worldwide.