08/30/2026
Happy Sunday Funday Vaulters!!! We certainly hope you're enjoying and taking advantage of this fun filled weekend.
This Sunday Funday we're going to focus on the iconic and beloved Nintendo 64 (N64). This system brought more three dimensional graphics, a controller a Trekkie would likely design and some of the most loved games from Nintendo. So let's dive in!
1. The N64 Launched with Only 2 Games in the U.S. and 3 Games in Japan.
Nowadays, it’s almost unheard of for a console to launch with less than a dozen titles. Even the ill-fated Google Stadia service had 22 games available on launch day. But when the N64 hit shelves in the U.S. on September 30, 1996, the only two games available wereSuper Mario 64
andPilotwings 64. That’s it. Those were your options.
Crusi’n USA was also meant to be a launch title, but it was delayed just weeks before launch due to quality concerns. And it still wasn’t a great port when it was later released that December.
2. A Surprising Number of Notable N64 Games Were Ultimately Canceled
Worldwide, only 388 unique titles were released for the N64. Of those, only 296 games made it to North America. Despite the console’s somewhat small overall library, developers certainly had plans for many more N64. Actually,dozens and dozens of high-profile announced and unannounced N64 games were ultimately canceled due to a variety of factors.
3. Both the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation Outsold the N64 In Japan
It’s not really fair to call the N64 a failure, but it did underperform compared to the NES/Famicom and SNES/Super Famicom. While it’s well known that the PS1 took a healthy lead over the console in the U.S., Nintendo held a comfortable second place stateside (even if the 20 million N64s that were sold in the U.S. didn’t quite match the success of the SNES). The story wasvery different in Japan, though.
4. Mario Party Cost Nintendo Thousands of Dollars (And a Lot of Gloves)
TheMario Partyseries debuted on the N64 in 1999, launching a massive new franchise for Nintendo. However, not everyone who played the game was thrilled. Several minigames in the firstMario Partyrequired players to rotate the N64’s analog stick as quickly as possible, resulting inabout 90 complaintsof injuries to the New York attorney general’s office.
To settle the complaint, Nintendo agreed to pay the state’s $75,000 in legal fees, and offered up to four pairs of fingerless gaming gloves to owners of the game who requested them. At the time, it was widely reported that the gloves could cost Nintendo around $80 million. It’s unclear exactly how many people requested the gloves, though the final amount Nintendo paid for the gloves was likely much lower than that.
The complaints also had the unintended effect of Nintendo removing stick-rotating games from mostMario Partysequels, and the company wouldn’t even re-release the firstMario Partyuntil 2022.
So there ya have it, some awesome lesser known fun facts about the beloved N64. Whether you want them for bragging rights with friends, gaming trivia night or in your compendium of gaming knowledge they make you a more empowered gamer.
Enjoy your Sunday Funday and as always, GAME ON 🎮!
