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In early 1994, Nintendo announced it had a 64-Bit console in the works. Called "Project Reality" plans were made for release of the machine in 1995. They assemebled a "Dream Team" of developers to work on the console, which they said the system should be ready by fall. Because of the recent cancellation of the SNES CD-ROM, Nintendo deemed CD's too slow and inadequate for gamers. Nintendo started hype on the system by two arcade games that were supposed to be launch titles, Cruis'n USA, and Killer Instinct. Because of prices on cartridges and the belief that Nintendo was not close to releasing the system developers that developed for Nintendo started to move to the PlayStation. But Nintendo continued to tell people that the Ultra 64 was only months from release and no software had been shown running on the system In 1995 Nintendo finally revealed that the 64 would not be out in time for Christmas that year, but in an effort to keep gamers from going to a 32-bit console they released Killer Instinct for the SNES. Later Nintendo announced that the new name for the Ultra 64 would be Nintendo 64 in order to build a global awareness for the product. The 64 was revealed to have a innovative controller with traditional buttons but also a small analog joystick and a port on the back for memory cards and other expansion modules. As Sega and Sony moved to CDs the benefits were becoming apparent. They could be made quicker and cheaper. Nintendo was hard pressed for developers to back its machine. Long time developers like Square announced that once they finished thier latest projects thier newest would be on the PlayStation. In 96 the N64 launched in Japan for about 250$ and Mario 64 sold about 1 per system Pilotwings 64 did not sell as well. In the E3 that year not only did the N64 games get well admired. Nintendo also publicly announced the N64DD. The 64DD was a proprietary drive that was delayed many times and never relased in the US but was eventually was in Japan as an online gaming add-on. Most people agreed Super Mario 64 was the game of the show and a lot of chains immediately signed for massive shipments of the N64 for the Christmas season. When the media printed a large number of stories stating that the 64s would be hard to come by a ton more suddenly became available and the Nintendo 64 was one of the most wanted items of Christmas that year. The US launch was one of the most successful in US history. Rather than creating new characters and concepts Nintendo took ideas of past success and changed them for the Nintendo 64. Games such as Star Fox and Mario Kart became hits on the system. Nintendo 64 also made a game based on a hit movie Goldeneye. In 1998 Nintendo released the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and upon its release it was hailed as one of the best games ever and some even declared it "Game of the Century". Upon Sega and Sony's announcement of new consoles, Nintendo revealed plans for thier own. Though not at first the release date of the system has been set at 2001. Nintendo continued support for the system in the US until March upon the release of thier last game Mario Party 3. |
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