NINTENDO 64 – 2 GAMES
NOTE: All launch lineups in this article are from the American releases of the respective consoles.
- Super Mario 64
- Pilotwings 64
The Nintendo64 launched Nintendo into the third dimension and further cemented their permanent spot in the games industry. But its launch lineup wasn’t exactly a broad showcase of the system’s potential. Super Mario 64 was a massive title for the company, moving the nimble plumber into the third dimension, and giving players a bright, colorful sandbox to explore. Leaping through paintings and discovering new worlds never got old, especially when each new stage presented new challenges and variations on gameplay to explore.
The only other game offered was Pilotwings 64. It was another title that showcased the system’s impressive new 3D capabilities. Much like the first game, you could explore a large world using a variety of vehicles, from a plane to a jetpack. There were a lot of areas to explore, but it was less immersive and groundbreaking than Super Mario 64.
The new analog stick provided players with a new way to control games, but if you weren’t enticed by either of these titles, you would have to wait several months to pick up anything else. Nintendo certainly banked on the success of Super Mario 64, and while their gamble did pay off, launching a system with only two games doesn’t fly anymore.
