image courtesy of Flickr’s Tanooki

Two weekends ago marked the 16th anniversary of the Nintendo 64’s release in North America. It is the first console launch that I can remember. I was in the 4th grade at the time and got the system for Christmas. This was definitely the must-have gift for 8 year old boys that year. Rumors circled the playground starting in October that the thing was already sold out and wouldn’t be restocked until after Christmas. These rumors were the source of much anxiety for me as a child.

My mother was either diligent or lucky and secured a console for me for Christmas. My step-father had to help me hook the thing up to our TV, which in retrospect seems ridiculous given that there are all of three plugs to deal with. With the console, I received Super Mario 64, a game that would last me for months before I received another. After that I remember playing Shadows of the Empire, Blast Corps, Mario Kart, 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Race, and the list goes on.

All my friends had it. Afternoons, weekends, and summers were spent blissfully in front of the TV in air conditioned rooms to escape the life-threatening heat and humidity that is DC in the warm months. We would go from one kid’s house to another. Trying out each other’s games, playing Goldeneye and BattleTanx until it hurt, and inventing our own story lines to lend meaning to the umpteenth death match.

But, as with all things, this moment passed. I moved from the city to the suburbs. New consoles came into my life along with new friends to enjoy them with. And while I continue to enjoy gaming as a hobby to this day, no piece of electronics has captured my imagination in the same way. It was the hardware, the software, and the society of young friends who grew up around this moment.

This blog, named after a distinguishing feature of the Nintendo 64 controller, is dedicated to exploring that period from 1996 to 2001 where developers explored 3D worlds for the first time and grappled with the opportunities and challenges of the technology to create fun for a new generation of gamers.

To do this, I am going to play through every Nintendo 64 game in chronological order and provide my impressions to you, the reader. I hope for this blog to be, not just be about nostalgia, but about what these games really are when placed in historical context. My pieces will surely vary wildly in quality and content. Some will focus on the underlying technology, some on my personal experiences with the game as a child, and some as a launching pad for other conversations. Throughout, I hope that every entry will offer insight into life and gaming in the 90’s.

With that out of the way: Join me, won’t you? As we fondly remember the Nintendo 64.