by Eric Abent

Created on: August 22, 2009

The Nintendo 64 was a system that should have, by all means, been completely groundbreaking. It was the most powerful system at the time, sporting sixty-four bits of graphical power; its closest competitors, the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn were only thirty-two bit systems (though, by the time the N64 was released, the Saturn wasn't much of a threat anymore). That, when coupled with the selling power of Mario, Zelda, and all the other famous Nintendo staples, set the system up for a quick rise to the top.

So why didn't it succeed the way it should have? It was certainly anticipated; the Super Nintendo is one of the most beloved systems in console history, and the follow-up to it was sure to impress. It wasn't as if it wasn't impressive either, it definitely had the best graphics of any system on the market then, and was launched with such fan-favorites as Super Mario 64 and Wave Race 64. The relationship gamers had with the system, however, was more one that burns passionately for a short time and then wears out at the drop of a dime, and less one with actual longevity and a deep, caring love.

When the system itself is examined further, and when the market in which it was released is given another look as well, it becomes clear why the system wasn't the revolutionary console it was supposed to be.

In a way, the Nintendo 64 was doomed to fail before it had even begun. It was released in September of 1996, a full year after it's only major threat to the top spot, the PlayStation. It's simple really, by the time the N64 was released, the PlayStation was already a household name. It had a game library that numbered in the dozens, perhaps even breaking one hundred, whereas the N64 had only a few launch games, and Nintendo would in no way be able to release a years worth of games in mere months. This is the same advantage that, in the end, moved more PlayStation 2s than Xboxes or Gamecubes in the next generation of consoles. If a console is released a year before the competitors in its generation, it gives it a huge advantage as far as moving units and establishing a consumer base are concerned.

Nintendo also had another fatal flaw working against them. While Sony had moved onto using discs as the medium for their games, Nintendo was still using cartridges. While they were able to say that their console had better graphics than its competitors, game companies shied away from developing for the system. If they developed for Sony, they may take a hit graphically,

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