Nintendo 64
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo
- Production
- 1996–2002
- Generation
- Gen 5
- Type
- Home
- Launch price
- $199
- Media
- Cartridge
- Units sold
- 32.9M
About Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64 (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. It was Nintendo's third major home console, following the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and competed with Sony's PlayStation and the Sega Saturn in the fifth generation of consoles.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lifetime sales
Official manufacturer-reported figures.
32.9Munits
225.0Mgames
6.8games / console
Source: Nintendo Co., Ltd. IR — Dedicated Video Game Sales Units, as of June 30, 2026.
Library & collector facts
388licensed games
- North America: 296
- Japan: 208
- PAL: 242
Lineage
Release timeline
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- June 23, 1996
- 🇺🇸 North America
- June 24, 1996
- 🇪🇺 Europe / PAL
- March 1, 1997
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- March 1, 1997
- Lifespan
- 6 years on market
Pricing
Launch price (1996)
- 🇺🇸 USD
- $199
- 🇬🇧 GBP
- £250
Controller
Nintendo 64 controller / 4 ports
Launch titles & exclusives
Super Mario 64 · Pilotwings 64 · Saikyou Habu Shogi (JP) · Wave Race 64 (JP) · Cruis'n USA
Super Mario 64 (most NA launch bundles)
Super Mario 64 · The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time · The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask · GoldenEye 007 · Perfect Dark · Banjo-Kazooie / Tooie · Conker's Bad Fur Day · Star Fox 64 · F-Zero X · Paper Mario · Mario Kart 64 · Super Smash Bros.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (2002, NA) was among the last licensed releases
ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut (Blockbuster rental exclusive, ~$1500+ CIB); Stadium Events successor-tier rarities; sealed launch units with Mario 64; Nintendo World Store demo units
Hardware specs
- Cpu
- NEC VR4300
- Gpu
- SGI RCP @ 62.5 MHz
- Ram
- 4 MB RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak)
- Power
- Switching supply, 12 & 3.3 V DC
- Sound
- 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo, Dolby Pro Logic surround (select games)
- Weight
- ~1.1 kg (2.4 lb)
- Dimensions
- 260 × 81 × 190 mm
Hardware revisions
- Original N64 NUS-001(1996)
original launch hardware
⚠ expansion port for Memory/Expansion Pak
- N64 with internal RGB mods popular in enthusiast scene (PAL units had RGB native)
- Funtastic Series(1999)
translucent color variants
- iQue Player(2003)
China-only Flash-cartridge-based revision developed with Wei Yen, Nintendo's only official emulation-on-hardware product
Launch colorways & special editions
- Atomic Purple
- Jungle Green
- Ice Blue
- Fire Orange
- Watermelon Red
- Grape Purple
- Daiei Hawks Edition (JP)
- Pikachu Edition Blue/Yellow and Orange/Yellow (1999)
- Gold Edition (Toys R Us exclusive)
Modding scene
- Difficulty
- soft-mod
- Custom firmware
- N/A (ROM-based); flashcarts: EverDrive 64 X7, SummerCart64, 64Drive
Reception & legacy
Strong launch despite Sony's PS1 having a year head start; Super Mario 64 widely regarded as revolutionary; cartridge format criticized for cost and capacity vs CD-ROM
Cartridge decision drove Square to defect to PlayStation for Final Fantasy VII (the defining third-party loss of the era); aggressive 'Play It Loud!'-style marketing; lockout chip litigation
Defined 3D platforming and 3D camera conventions still in use today; Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time are cornerstone game-design texts; cartridge format and loss of Square doomed Nintendo to second place for two decades
References
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Nintendo 64 in the news
Recent coverage mentioning the Nintendo 64, gathered from 80+ gaming-news sources.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Hits a Crisp 60 FPS on Switch 2, but Nintendo’s Real Flex Is Reimagined Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is less than two months away from launching on Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide, and today Nintendo showed off the remake's gorgeous visuals and gameplay in a new overview trailer. However, the game will not be a stiff 1:1 remake of the original Nintendo 64...
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Overview Trailer Showcases New Footage
Nintendo has posted an overview trailer for the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It showcases new footage while reiterating information previously unveiled during last month’s Direct. Released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, the title follows Link on a quest to stop Ganondorf...
Zelda: Majora’s Mask added to Nintendo Music
As announced earlier this week, today’s scheduled Nintendo Music update includes nearly 2 hours of music from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000) on Nintendo 64, with 111 total tracks now available on the service. The curated playlists this time around are for Battles, Dungeons, Welcome to...
Best Buy Wants To Travel Back To 1998 With Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Midnight Launch
Back almost three decades ago, digital storefronts didn't exist for home consoles. So when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time originally launched on Nintendo 64 in 1998, the only way to get the game early was showing up at a retail store at midnight (something my dad actually did because I was...
You Can Now Play Goldeneye 007 on PC in Third-Person Mode
James Bond and Nintendo 64 fans, here is something special for you today. Joshua-1248 has released a new version of GoldenEye 007 Plus that allows you to play this classic Nintendo 64 game in third-person mode. GoldenEye 007 Plus is based on the decompiled GoldenEye 007 source. It is still in...
Battery-replaceable GameCube and N64 controllers seemingly set to be available outside of Europe
Nintendo customers in Europe have recently been able to buy Nintendo products that contain replaceable batteries meaning that it now is a lot easier to fix a product with a faulty battery. It looks as though Nintendo is set to introduce the GameCube controller and Nintendo 64 controller with the...