Did Nintendo Lie to Its Fans About Some Important Details of N64?

Nintendo has mostly been a trailblazer when it comes to introducing something new to the industry. From making video games a household name with the NES and Super Mario Bros. to bringing console-level gaming to players’ pockets with the Nintendo Switch, they have done everything.

There was also a time when this company marked a major milestone for the industry by being the first to launch a console with the ability to present full 3D visuals. But it looks like Nintendo might have said some things that were not technically true when it came to the N64.

Did Nintendo lie to its fans regarding the power of the N64?

The N64 was a powerful console back then; the console was capable of presenting 3D Polygons effectively. It was developed by Nintendo in association with Silicon Graphics. But it was not exactly the console that Nintendo presented to its fanbase.

Let’s make one thing very clear at first: the Nintendo 64 was a very powerful console. In fact, it was so powerful that games like Wave Race 64’s water rendering were only possible on the N64. Some even pointed out that this console might be more powerful than PlayStation in raw computing power.

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However, what Nintendo did not tell its fans was that the Nintendo 64’s games had pretty low texture resolution. This was due to the very limited texture cache on the console. The other problem was the very limited storage capacity for its media – the carts. Carts were the reason Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII on the PS1 instead of the N64. It became the reason why many developers left Nintendo behind in favor of Sony’s newly launched console.

The carts had very limited storage space. Most N64 games could not exceed 64MB. In comparison, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII for PS1 crossed 1GB.

Of course, this console went on to give fans excellent titles such as Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and 007 Goldeneye. But its setbacks were pretty noticeable. Final Fantasy was a household name back then, and when it shifted platforms, many buyers went with it.

The question remains: did Nintendo lie to its fans about the N64? No, they did not; it was a uniquely powerful console with the ability to bring some really standout titles to Nintendo patrons. The only problem was Nintendo’s choice of media storage for their games.

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