Nintendo 64

If you were looking for the N64 game system decoration from Generation II, see Game system.

The Nintendo 64 (N64) is a console created by Nintendo, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia. N64 games are cartridge based. It was eventually succeeded by the GameCube.

Technical specs.

• CPU: 64-bit R4300i RISC
• Co-Processor: 64-bit RISC
• Memory: 4MB (upgradeable to 36Mb)
• Colours: 16.7 million (32,000 on screen)
• Polygons: 150,000 per second
• Resolution: 640x480 pixels
• Sound: 16 to 24-channel

Pokémon games

There are five Pokémon games for the Nintendo 64. In chronological order they are:

• Pokémon Snap
• Pokémon Stadium
• Pokémon Stadium 2
• Pokémon Puzzle League
• Hey You, Pikachu!
• Super Smash Bros. (features Pokémon)

Other Hardware

• Expansion Pak – a memory expansion that plugged into the consoles memory expansion port.

• Transfer Pak – an accessory that plugged into the controller and allowed the Nintendo 64 to transfer data between Game Boy and N64 games. Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 are games that rely heavily on the Transfer Pak.

• Nintendo 64DD - was a short lived expansion system for the Nintendo 64. Several Pokémon games that were announced for the N64DD were either ended up canceled or being released on cartridge format only.

• VRU (Voice Recognition Unit) – This device is packed in and required to play Hey You, Pikachu!.

Trivia

Nintendo released several custom products including a Pikachu N64 which came in two colors (blue and orange). It had several customizations such as a Poké Ball for the on switch and Pikachu's foot for the reset button.

N64 myths

It is popular belief that the Nintendo 64 was the first 64 bit console, the first console with four controllers and the first console to use an analog stick. This however, is not true. The first game console to bill itself as "64-bit" was actually the Atari Jaguar, while the first console to use an analog stick was the Emerson Arcadia, and the first to feature four controller ports was the Bally Astrocade. Essentially, the only thing out of the three that the 64 did first was combine them.