Difference between revisions of "Nintendo 64"
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Codenamed "Project Reality", the Nintendo 64 design was mostly complete by mid-1995, but its launch was delayed until 1996, when [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] named it Machine of the Year.<ref name="Fisher"/> It was launched with three games: ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Pilotwings 64]]'' (worldwide) and ''[[Saikyō Habu Shōgi]]'' (exclusive to Japan). As part of the [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation of gaming]], the system competed primarily with the [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]] and the [[Sega Saturn]]. The [[suggested retail price]] at its United States launch was {{USD|199.99}}, and 32.93 million units were sold worldwide. The console was released in a range of colors and designs over its lifetime. In 2015, [[IGN]] named it the 9th greatest video game console of all time. | Codenamed "Project Reality", the Nintendo 64 design was mostly complete by mid-1995, but its launch was delayed until 1996, when [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] named it Machine of the Year.<ref name="Fisher"/> It was launched with three games: ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Pilotwings 64]]'' (worldwide) and ''[[Saikyō Habu Shōgi]]'' (exclusive to Japan). As part of the [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation of gaming]], the system competed primarily with the [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]] and the [[Sega Saturn]]. The [[suggested retail price]] at its United States launch was {{USD|199.99}}, and 32.93 million units were sold worldwide. The console was released in a range of colors and designs over its lifetime. In 2015, [[IGN]] named it the 9th greatest video game console of all time. | ||
| − | = Specifications | + | = Specifications = |
== Hardware == | == Hardware == | ||
| − | |||
[[File:Nintendo-N64-Motherboard-Top.jpg|link=File:Nintendo-N64-Motherboard-Top.jpg|thumb|right|The Nintendo 64 motherboard, showing CPU, RCP, and RDRAM]] | [[File:Nintendo-N64-Motherboard-Top.jpg|link=File:Nintendo-N64-Motherboard-Top.jpg|thumb|right|The Nintendo 64 motherboard, showing CPU, RCP, and RDRAM]] | ||
| − | The Nintendo 64's [[central processing unit]] (CPU) is the [[NEC]] VR4300. | + | The Nintendo 64's [[central processing unit]] (CPU) is the [[NEC]] VR4300. ''[[Popular Electronics]]'' said it had power similar to the [[Pentium]] processors found in desktop computers. Except for its narrower 32-bit system bus, the VR4300 retained the computational abilities of the more powerful 64-bit MIPS R4300i, though software rarely took advantage of 64-bit [[Significant figures|data precision]] operations. Nintendo 64 games generally used faster (and more compact) 32-bit data-operations,{{Self-published inline|date=November 2015}} as these were sufficient to generate 3D-scene data for the console's RSP (Reality Signal Processor) unit. In addition, 32-bit code executes faster and requires less storage space (which is at a premium on the Nintendo 64's cartridges). |
| − | In terms of its [[random-access memory]] (RAM), the Nintendo 64 is one of the first modern consoles to implement a unified memory subsystem, instead of having separate banks of memory for CPU, audio, and video, for example. | + | In terms of its [[random-access memory]] (RAM), the Nintendo 64 is one of the first modern consoles to implement a unified memory subsystem, instead of having separate banks of memory for CPU, audio, and video, for example. The memory itself consists of 4 [[megabyte]]s of [[Rambus]] [[RDRAM]]. The RAM is expandable to 8 MB with the [[Expansion Pak]]. Rambus was quite new at the time and offered Nintendo a way to provide a large amount of bandwidth for a relatively low cost. |
| − | Audio may be processed by the Reality Coprocessor or the CPU and is output to a DAC with up to 48.0{{nbsp}}[[kHz]]sample rate. | + | Audio may be processed by the Reality Coprocessor or the CPU and is output to a DAC with up to 48.0{{nbsp}}[[kHz]]sample rate. |
| − | The system allows for video output in two formats: [[composite video]] | + | The system allows for video output in two formats: [[composite video]] and [[S-Video]]. The composite and S-Video cables are the same as those used with the preceding [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and succeeding [[GameCube]] platforms. |
| − | The Nintendo 64 supports [[Millions of colors|16.8 million colors]]. | + | The Nintendo 64 supports [[Millions of colors|16.8 million colors]]. The system can display resolutions from 320 × 240 up to 640 × 480 pixels. Most games that make use of the system's higher resolution 640 x 480 mode require use of the [[Expansion Pak]] RAM upgrade; several do not, such as Acclaim's ''NFL Quarterback Club'' series and EA Sports's second generation ''Madden'', ''FIFA'', ''Supercross'', and ''NHL'' games. The majority of games use the system's low resolution 320 × 240 mode. A number of games also support a video display ratio of up to [[16:9]] using either [[anamorphic widescreen]] or [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterboxing]]. |
| − | The Nintendo 64 is one of the first gaming consoles to have four controller ports. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo opted to have four controller ports because the Nintendo 64 is the company's first console which can handle a four player [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split screen]] without significant slowdown. | + | The Nintendo 64 is one of the first gaming consoles to have four controller ports. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo opted to have four controller ports because the Nintendo 64 is the company's first console which can handle a four player [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split screen]] without significant slowdown. |
{{further information|Nintendo 64 programming characteristics}} | {{further information|Nintendo 64 programming characteristics}} | ||
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[[File:N64-Console-Orange.jpg|thumb|A Nintendo 64 console and controller in Fire-Orange color]] | [[File:N64-Console-Orange.jpg|thumb|A Nintendo 64 console and controller in Fire-Orange color]] | ||
| − | The Nintendo 64 comes in several colors. The standard Nintendo 64 is dark gray, nearly black, | + | The Nintendo 64 comes in several colors. The standard Nintendo 64 is dark gray, nearly black, and the controller is light gray (later releases in the U.S. and in Australia included a bonus second controller in Atomic Purple). Various colorations and special editions were released. |
| − | Most Nintendo 64 game cartridges are gray in color, but some games have a colored cartridge. | + | Most Nintendo 64 game cartridges are gray in color, but some games have a colored cartridge. Fourteen games have black cartridges, and other colors (such as yellow, blue, red, gold and green) were each used for six or fewer games. Several games, such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', were released both in standard gray and in colored, limited edition versions. |
== Programming characteristics == | == Programming characteristics == | ||
| − | + | The programming characteristics of the Nintendo 64 present unique challenges, with distinct potential advantages. ''[[The Economist]]'' described effective programming for the Nintendo 64 as being "horrendously complex". As with many other game consoles and other types of embedded systems, the Nintendo 64's architectural optimizations are uniquely acute, due to a combination of oversight on the part of the hardware designers, limitations on 3D technology of the time, and manufacturing capabilities. | |
| − | The programming characteristics of the Nintendo 64 present unique challenges, with distinct potential advantages. ''[[The Economist]]'' described effective programming for the Nintendo 64 as being "horrendously complex". | ||
| − | As the Nintendo 64 reached the end of its lifecycle, hardware development chief [[Genyo Takeda]] repeatedly referred to the programming challenges using the word ''hansei'' ({{lang-ja|反省}} "reflective regret"). Looking back, Takeda said "When we made Nintendo 64, we thought it was logical that if you want to make advanced games, it becomes technically more difficult. We were wrong. We now understand it's the cruising speed that matters, not the momentary flash of peak power". | + | As the Nintendo 64 reached the end of its lifecycle, hardware development chief [[Genyo Takeda]] repeatedly referred to the programming challenges using the word ''hansei'' ({{lang-ja|反省}} "reflective regret"). Looking back, Takeda said "When we made Nintendo 64, we thought it was logical that if you want to make advanced games, it becomes technically more difficult. We were wrong. We now understand it's the cruising speed that matters, not the momentary flash of peak power". |
== Regional lockout == | == Regional lockout == | ||
| − | Nintendo initially stated that while the Nintendo 64 units for each region use essentially identical hardware design, [[regional lockout]] chips would prevent games from one region from being played on a Nintendo 64 console from a different region. | + | Nintendo initially stated that while the Nintendo 64 units for each region use essentially identical hardware design, [[regional lockout]] chips would prevent games from one region from being played on a Nintendo 64 console from a different region. Following the North American launch, however, they admitted that the cartridges contain no such chips, and the regional lockout is enforced by differing notches in the back of the cartridges. |
Revision as of 22:34, 8 January 2019
 | |
 A charcoal grey Nintendo 64 console and grey controller | |
| Also known as | Project Reality Template:Small, Ultra 64 Template:Small |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo IRD |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth generation |
| Release date | Template:Video game release |
| Retail availability | Template:Start date–Template:End date |
| Discontinued | Template:Video game release |
| Units sold |
Worldwide: 32.93 million<ref name="sales" /> Japan: 5.54 million Americas: 20.63 million Europe & Australia: 6.75 million |
| Media |
Nintendo 64 Game Pak Magnetic disc Template:Small |
| CPU | 64-bit NEC VR4300 @ 93.75 MHz |
| Memory | 4 MB Rambus RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak) |
| Storage | 64 MB Game Pak |
| Removable storage | 256 Kbit (32 KB) Controller Pak |
| Graphics | SGI RCP @ 62.5 MHz |
| Sound | 16-bit, 48 or 44.1 kHz stereo |
| Controller input | Nintendo 64 controller |
| Power | Switching power supply, 12V and 3.3V DC |
| Online services |
Randnet (Japan only) SharkWire Online (third-party) |
| Best-selling game | Super Mario 64, 11.62 million (as of May 21, 2003) |
| Predecessor | Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Successor | GameCube |
Contents
Introduction
The Nintendo 64, stylized as NINTENDO64 and abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit central processing unit, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America and Brazil, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, and September 1997 in France. It is the last major home console to use the cartridge as its primary storage format until Nintendo's seventh console, the Nintendo Switch, released in 2017. The console was discontinued in mid-2002 following the launch of its successor, the GameCube, in 2001.
Codenamed "Project Reality", the Nintendo 64 design was mostly complete by mid-1995, but its launch was delayed until 1996, when Time named it Machine of the Year.<ref name="Fisher"/> It was launched with three games: Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64 (worldwide) and Saikyō Habu Shōgi (exclusive to Japan). As part of the fifth generation of gaming, the system competed primarily with the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. The suggested retail price at its United States launch was Template:USD, and 32.93 million units were sold worldwide. The console was released in a range of colors and designs over its lifetime. In 2015, IGN named it the 9th greatest video game console of all time.
Specifications
Hardware
The Nintendo 64's central processing unit (CPU) is the NEC VR4300. Popular Electronics said it had power similar to the Pentium processors found in desktop computers. Except for its narrower 32-bit system bus, the VR4300 retained the computational abilities of the more powerful 64-bit MIPS R4300i, though software rarely took advantage of 64-bit data precision operations. Nintendo 64 games generally used faster (and more compact) 32-bit data-operations,Template:Self-published inline as these were sufficient to generate 3D-scene data for the console's RSP (Reality Signal Processor) unit. In addition, 32-bit code executes faster and requires less storage space (which is at a premium on the Nintendo 64's cartridges).
In terms of its random-access memory (RAM), the Nintendo 64 is one of the first modern consoles to implement a unified memory subsystem, instead of having separate banks of memory for CPU, audio, and video, for example. The memory itself consists of 4 megabytes of Rambus RDRAM. The RAM is expandable to 8 MB with the Expansion Pak. Rambus was quite new at the time and offered Nintendo a way to provide a large amount of bandwidth for a relatively low cost.
Audio may be processed by the Reality Coprocessor or the CPU and is output to a DAC with up to 48.0 kHzsample rate.
The system allows for video output in two formats: composite video and S-Video. The composite and S-Video cables are the same as those used with the preceding SNES and succeeding GameCube platforms.
The Nintendo 64 supports 16.8 million colors. The system can display resolutions from 320 × 240 up to 640 × 480 pixels. Most games that make use of the system's higher resolution 640 x 480 mode require use of the Expansion Pak RAM upgrade; several do not, such as Acclaim's NFL Quarterback Club series and EA Sports's second generation Madden, FIFA, Supercross, and NHL games. The majority of games use the system's low resolution 320 × 240 mode. A number of games also support a video display ratio of up to 16:9 using either anamorphic widescreen or letterboxing.
The Nintendo 64 is one of the first gaming consoles to have four controller ports. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo opted to have four controller ports because the Nintendo 64 is the company's first console which can handle a four player split screen without significant slowdown.
Color variants
The Nintendo 64 comes in several colors. The standard Nintendo 64 is dark gray, nearly black, and the controller is light gray (later releases in the U.S. and in Australia included a bonus second controller in Atomic Purple). Various colorations and special editions were released.
Most Nintendo 64 game cartridges are gray in color, but some games have a colored cartridge. Fourteen games have black cartridges, and other colors (such as yellow, blue, red, gold and green) were each used for six or fewer games. Several games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, were released both in standard gray and in colored, limited edition versions.
Programming characteristics
The programming characteristics of the Nintendo 64 present unique challenges, with distinct potential advantages. The Economist described effective programming for the Nintendo 64 as being "horrendously complex". As with many other game consoles and other types of embedded systems, the Nintendo 64's architectural optimizations are uniquely acute, due to a combination of oversight on the part of the hardware designers, limitations on 3D technology of the time, and manufacturing capabilities.
As the Nintendo 64 reached the end of its lifecycle, hardware development chief Genyo Takeda repeatedly referred to the programming challenges using the word hansei (Template:Lang-ja "reflective regret"). Looking back, Takeda said "When we made Nintendo 64, we thought it was logical that if you want to make advanced games, it becomes technically more difficult. We were wrong. We now understand it's the cruising speed that matters, not the momentary flash of peak power".
Regional lockout
Nintendo initially stated that while the Nintendo 64 units for each region use essentially identical hardware design, regional lockout chips would prevent games from one region from being played on a Nintendo 64 console from a different region. Following the North American launch, however, they admitted that the cartridges contain no such chips, and the regional lockout is enforced by differing notches in the back of the cartridges.
