In the "hey, these are the video-gaming things that are going to
celebrate their 30th anniversary since their release date" thread we
had recently*, we missed that the Nintendo 64 was entering into middle
age too. Released June 23rd 1996, it's now been thirty years since the
thing came out.

Now, I myself was no fan of the machine. I was already a PC Master
Race Forever follower, and had no time for the limited- and corporate-controlled hardware of ~~consoles~~. The least of which, in
my mind being Nintendo's hardware. I just never was a fan of their
hardware or games, after all. I'd have rather had a Saturn or
Playstation than an N64, thank you very much. But that said, there
were times I looked at some of the screenshots of the N64 games and
was envious. Surely nothing with only 4MB RAM and a mere 100MHz
processor could really look that good?

But it could, and I admit I lusted for a few of the games that came
out for that platform. None of the ones you might imagine though; none
of the games that actually defined the Nintendo 64, like "Mario64" "Banjo-Kazooie" or "Zelda: Major's Mask". None of those 'kiddie games'
for me, thank you! But I looked enviously at titles like "Star Wars:
Shadows of the Empire" or "Wave Racer 64" (a game which still
impresses me with its water physics), or even --if forced to admit
it-- "007 GoldenEye". Heck, I remember looking at a screenshot for the
N64 version of "Resident Evil 2" and worrying that my PC would /never/
be able to match that sort of visual fidelity.

It's debatable how much of an influence the Nintendo 64 really had on
the industry, though. I think the N64 marked the start of the
company's slow slide into niche-dom. They still released some
interesting titles during that time but it was their competitors who
moved the technology and trends forward. (Nintendo fans will
doubtlessly strongly disagree with me ;-). But visuals aside, a lot of
the really COOL stuff seemed to be happening on the other consoles.

Still, a lot of people grew up with the Nintendo 64 and the games they
played on that platform left strong impressions on them. A lot of
Indie games in fact seem to be trying to recapture the magic of that
era... so I guess Nintendo did have a lasting influence after all.

Oh! And one other influence the system did have on me? It was the
first time I saw a game console emulated on PC hardware. That /really/ impressed me. Admittedly, it happened years after the console
released, but that a PC could so perfectly copy the workings of
another system seemed like magic.

So happy Birthday, Nintendo 64 (sorry for being a bit late). You were
never my favorite, but I can't deny you left a mark.

#

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?



* okay, several months back but that's practically yesterday to me!
;-)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

<verbal diarrhea snip>

Smell me between the butt cheeks for the discounted
price of $4.88

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/5/2026 5:22 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

No, no, and no. Don't know, and don't know.

I married into a Gamecube. Other than renting a Nintendo for a weekend
to play and beat the original Zelda, I had no interest in Nintendo, and
Zelda being so short, I didn't see the appeal. Sure I played Donkey
Kong, Mario, Mario Brothers, and Dr. Mario in the arcade, but not often.

--
-Justisaur

?-?
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
?ª'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 5 Jul 2026 19:09:37 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
said this thing:

On 7/5/2026 5:22 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

No, no, and no. Don't know, and don't know.

I married into a Gamecube. Other than renting a Nintendo for a weekend
to play and beat the original Zelda, I had no interest in Nintendo, and >Zelda being so short, I didn't see the appeal. Sure I played Donkey
Kong, Mario, Mario Brothers, and Dr. Mario in the arcade, but not often.

GameCube tempted me solely because of "Rogue Squadron II" (yes, it's
another Star Wars game). 25 years later and the game /still/ looks
impressive (especially if played on a CRT television which disguises
some of its low resoultion). How the developers managed such
impressive graphics on such low-tier hardware is amazing.

I suspect witchcraft.



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/6/2026 7:36 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Rogue Squadron II

Wonder if it's on the Switch, looks interesting!

--
-Justisaur

?-?
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
?ª'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 08:43:53 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 7/6/2026 7:36 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Rogue Squadron II

Wonder if it's on the Switch, looks interesting!

*--

Is it different than SW Squadrons on Steam?

-pw

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:34:58 -0600, PW <noneused@noneused.net> said
this thing:

On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 08:43:53 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 7/6/2026 7:36 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Rogue Squadron II

Wonder if it's on the Switch, looks interesting!

*--

Is it different than SW Squadrons on Steam?

The "Rogue Squadron" gammes are a far more arcade experience than
Squadrons or the original "X-Wing" games. They aren't quite on-rails
but the arenas tend to be fairly small and the simulation is very
simple. So too is the AI and the mission structure. They're not bad
games at all but they definitely betrayed their console origins.

AFAIK the later "Rogue Squadron games" made for GameCube never got
ported to any other systems, largely because they were _so_ optimized
for that platform and used _so_ many tricks to eke out maximum
performance that even getting them to /run/ on emulators (much less
run smoothly) was impossible. Or at least, that's how it used to be.
Whether the raw horsepower of modern PCs could manage it today is
something I don't know but anyway I doubt the Switch could do it. It's
possible if they did a full re-write of the code, but I don't think
that's in the cards for these older games. Especially not from
Nintendo.




--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/7/2026 8:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:34:58 -0600, PW <noneused@noneused.net> said
this thing:

On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 08:43:53 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 7/6/2026 7:36 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Rogue Squadron II

Wonder if it's on the Switch, looks interesting!

*--

Is it different than SW Squadrons on Steam?

The "Rogue Squadron" gammes are a far more arcade experience than
Squadrons or the original "X-Wing" games. They aren't quite on-rails
but the arenas tend to be fairly small and the simulation is very
simple. So too is the AI and the mission structure. They're not bad
games at all but they definitely betrayed their console origins.

AFAIK the later "Rogue Squadron games" made for GameCube never got
ported to any other systems, largely because they were _so_ optimized
for that platform and used _so_ many tricks to eke out maximum
performance that even getting them to /run/ on emulators (much less
run smoothly) was impossible. Or at least, that's how it used to be.
Whether the raw horsepower of modern PCs could manage it today is
something I don't know but anyway I doubt the Switch could do it. It's possible if they did a full re-write of the code, but I don't think
that's in the cards for these older games. Especially not from
Nintendo.

Its always been an arms race between "How optimized and properly
programmed does the software have be to?" and "How much can my machine's
raw electron power do to make it work?" Or simply software versus hardware.

(Re "electron power", when you get a PC that is powered by a horse then
I'll use "horsepower". Until then its "electron power"!)

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:15:54 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

On Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:34:58 -0600, PW <noneused@noneused.net> said
this thing:

On Mon, 6 Jul 2026 08:43:53 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On 7/6/2026 7:36 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Rogue Squadron II

Wonder if it's on the Switch, looks interesting!

*--

Is it different than SW Squadrons on Steam?

The "Rogue Squadron" gammes are a far more arcade experience than
Squadrons or the original "X-Wing" games. They aren't quite on-rails
but the arenas tend to be fairly small and the simulation is very
simple. So too is the AI and the mission structure. They're not bad
games at all but they definitely betrayed their console origins.

AFAIK the later "Rogue Squadron games" made for GameCube never got
ported to any other systems, largely because they were _so_ optimized
for that platform and used _so_ many tricks to eke out maximum
performance that even getting them to /run/ on emulators (much less
run smoothly) was impossible. Or at least, that's how it used to be.
Whether the raw horsepower of modern PCs could manage it today is
something I don't know but anyway I doubt the Switch could do it. It's >possible if they did a full re-write of the code, but I don't think
that's in the cards for these older games. Especially not from
Nintendo.

*---

oh! thanks

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:33:58 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:
electron power do to make it work?" Or simply software versus
hardware.

(Re "electron power", when you get a PC that is powered by a horse then
I'll use "horsepower". Until then its "electron power"!)

I have very tiny horses pulling the electrons in my PCs! I have to
leave piles of hay in the chassis each morning or it won't turn on!

:-P


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the entrails of the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs
say:

On Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:33:58 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:
electron power do to make it work?" Or simply software versus
hardware.

(Re "electron power", when you get a PC that is powered by a horse then >>I'll use "horsepower". Until then its "electron power"!)

I have very tiny horses pulling the electrons in my PCs! I have to
leave piles of hay in the chassis each morning or it won't turn on!

Is there a very tiny Amish man riding that electron?

Xocyll
--
I don't particularly want you to FOAD, myself. You'll be more of
a cautionary example if you'll FO And Get Chronically, Incurably,
Painfully, Progressively, Expensively, Debilitatingly Ill. So
FOAGCIPPEDI. -- Mike Andrews responding to an idiot in asr

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:41:27 -0400, Xocyll <Xocyll@gmx.com> said this
thing:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the >entrails of the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs
say:

On Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:33:58 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:

(Re "electron power", when you get a PC that is powered by a horse then >>>I'll use "horsepower". Until then its "electron power"!)

I have very tiny horses pulling the electrons in my PCs! I have to
leave piles of hay in the chassis each morning or it won't turn on!

Is there a very tiny Amish man riding that electron?

Yes. It's quite troublesome. They keep trying to build barns on my
motherboard. But I don't mind the schnitz pie.





--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> writes:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

Not really, I think Finland was pretty much Playstation country at that
point, as far as consoles were concerned. And yes, I had a PC then,
maybe even a decent one already instead of "cheapest parts for a
student's budget".

I guess the N64 birthday explains why I just saw something about Star
Fox 64 and thought maybe I could give it a try, on an emulator. Let's
see.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/9/2026 7:34 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:41:27 -0400, Xocyll <Xocyll@gmx.com> said this
thing:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the
entrails of the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs
say:

On Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:33:58 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:

(Re "electron power", when you get a PC that is powered by a horse then >>>> I'll use "horsepower". Until then its "electron power"!)

I have very tiny horses pulling the electrons in my PCs! I have to
leave piles of hay in the chassis each morning or it won't turn on!

Is there a very tiny Amish man riding that electron?

Yes. It's quite troublesome. They keep trying to build barns on my motherboard. But I don't mind the schnitz pie.

Actual LOL!


--
-Justisaur

?-?
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
?ª'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 14:36 this Monday (GMT):

On Sun, 5 Jul 2026 19:09:37 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
said this thing:

On 7/5/2026 5:22 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

No, no, and no. Don't know, and don't know.

I married into a Gamecube. Other than renting a Nintendo for a weekend
to play and beat the original Zelda, I had no interest in Nintendo, and >>Zelda being so short, I didn't see the appeal. Sure I played Donkey
Kong, Mario, Mario Brothers, and Dr. Mario in the arcade, but not often.

GameCube tempted me solely because of "Rogue Squadron II" (yes, it's
another Star Wars game). 25 years later and the game /still/ looks
impressive (especially if played on a CRT television which disguises
some of its low resoultion). How the developers managed such
impressive graphics on such low-tier hardware is amazing.

I suspect witchcraft.

Design beats compute power the majority of the time
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:50:04 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> said this thing:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 14:36 this Monday (GMT): >> On Sun, 5 Jul 2026 19:09:37 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>

said this thing:

On 7/5/2026 5:22 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you
want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

No, no, and no. Don't know, and don't know.

I married into a Gamecube. Other than renting a Nintendo for a weekend >>>to play and beat the original Zelda, I had no interest in Nintendo, and >>>Zelda being so short, I didn't see the appeal. Sure I played Donkey >>>Kong, Mario, Mario Brothers, and Dr. Mario in the arcade, but not often.

GameCube tempted me solely because of "Rogue Squadron II" (yes, it's
another Star Wars game). 25 years later and the game /still/ looks
impressive (especially if played on a CRT television which disguises
some of its low resoultion). How the developers managed such
impressive graphics on such low-tier hardware is amazing.

I suspect witchcraft.

Design beats compute power the majority of the time

It depends on what you're trying to win. Factor5's Rogue Squadron
games were tremendous technical achievements... but the fact that they
were so closely tied to the GameCube limited them to that single
market, and prevented the games from being ported to other platforms.
And now Factor5 is out of business.

Sometimes a sloppier, less efficient design wins because it is more
portable and faster to market. Perfect can be the enemy of good, after
all.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 7/15/2026 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:50:04 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> said this thing:

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 14:36 this Monday (GMT):

On Sun, 5 Jul 2026 19:09:37 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
said this thing:

On 7/5/2026 5:22 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Do you have any memories of the Nintendo 64? Did you own one? Did you >>>>> want to own one? Did you think it was as good as they said? And why
was "Mario 64" so impressive to people anyway?

No, no, and no. Don't know, and don't know.

I married into a Gamecube. Other than renting a Nintendo for a weekend >>>> to play and beat the original Zelda, I had no interest in Nintendo, and >>>> Zelda being so short, I didn't see the appeal. Sure I played Donkey
Kong, Mario, Mario Brothers, and Dr. Mario in the arcade, but not often. >>>

GameCube tempted me solely because of "Rogue Squadron II" (yes, it's
another Star Wars game). 25 years later and the game /still/ looks
impressive (especially if played on a CRT television which disguises
some of its low resoultion). How the developers managed such
impressive graphics on such low-tier hardware is amazing.

I suspect witchcraft.

Design beats compute power the majority of the time

It depends on what you're trying to win. Factor5's Rogue Squadron
games were tremendous technical achievements... but the fact that they
were so closely tied to the GameCube limited them to that single
market, and prevented the games from being ported to other platforms.
And now Factor5 is out of business.

Sometimes a sloppier, less efficient design wins because it is more
portable and faster to market. Perfect can be the enemy of good, after
all.

"...of good enough." The full quote is "Perfection is the enemy of good enough."

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)