Review Flashback: The Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 first made its North American debut on September 29, 1996. With an opening price tag of just less than $200, the system sold more than 30 million units worldwide with most of the sales being in the United States. The Nintendo 64, or N64 for short, was named this because it was the first home gaming system to feature a 64-bit processor.

This system came with 2 games: PilotWings 64 feature aerial stunts and acrobatics in various hang gliders, airplanes and parachutes. Super Mario 64, the other game in the bundled system marked the move of the franchise's most iconic character, Mario, from a side scrolling 2D platform game to a fully rendered 3D experience. And while it wasn't known at the time, Mario 64 would have a huge influence on the franchise forever.

Many fans had mixed emotions over changing Mario from 2D to 3D, but one thing could not be denied - the game was absolutely beautiful; from the backgrounds and environments, to the characters, and even the game's music. It featured challenging game play that appealed to fans of all ages, and was diverse enough to entertain every member of the family. For many kids, this was even their first glimpse at the character known as Mario, and what a great first impression it must have been for them.

Games for the Nintendo 64 were cartridge based, while its major competitors were trying out compact discs as a medium. This would make the N64 the last home gaming console released to use cartridge games. While bulkier than their competitor's counterpart, these cartridges were often much more reliable than compact discs - there was no worry of scratching the cartridge medium and rendering your game unplayable. Besides this, a system can read from a cartridge much faster than its competitor's counterpart, the compact disc. But cartridges did have their disadvantages, as well.

The N64 game cartridges were prone to static electricity and environment damage, and also took up a lot more room to store your collection than compact discs. Cartridges also hold much less data than a compact disc, and cost more money and time to make on an individual basis than CDs. As a result, many third party video game designers and manufacturers chose to release their games with Sega Saturn or Sony Playstation; using the cheaper and viable option of compact disc media, and ultimately leading to a shorter than expected life span for the Nintendo 64.