The N64´s Long Way to completion

The N64 was released in June 23:rd 96 and later that year in the US, but the N64project started already in 1993 and was planned to be launched already back in 1995.

23 August -93

Nintendo announces that they and Silicon Graphics will develop a new console under the name Project Reality. the machine will have a 100Mhz 64 bit MIPS RISC-processor and be able to create great 3dimensional worlds never seen before in the history of video gaming.  The release is planned to the end of 1995.

30 Mars -94

Rare and William are the first companies to sign up in Nintendo´s "Dream Team" which means that they will produce games for Nintendo´s new console. Williams will use the 64bit technology in their arcadegames to make it easier for them to convert their games to the N64.

2 May -94

The skotish companie DMA signs up and becomes the third member in Nintendo´s Dream Team.

5 May -94

Nintendo´s decision to use the cartridge technique in Project Reality instead of the popular CD-technique because of that the CD´s are to slow for the complex graphics used in 64bit-games, causes big attention in media.

9 June -94

Alias Research confirms that they are working on the development-tools from Project Reality.

23 June -94

CES -94 in Chicago: NOA renames the machine to Ultra 64 in the US. Acclaim announces that they will do games exclusively for the Ultra 64. Demoversions of Cruise´n USA and Killer Instinct is showed.

18 July -94

It´s announced that Nintendo will use Rambus new extremely fast memmory technique for the Ultra´s memory.

5 October -94

Williams announces that a completely new version of Doom will be developed for the Ultra 64 with new courses and monsters and netter graphics.

5 October -94

Multigen let´s Nintendo use their technology for creating 3d-graphics.

21 November -94

Paradigm Simulators announces that they in corporation with Shigeru Miyamoto will develop new Ultra 64 title that will be available at the launch of the console.

5 January -95

At the Winter CES in Las Vegas Silicon Graphics confirms that they are finished with the design of the machines CPU. Spectrum Holobyte announces that they are planning to release a N64 game based on the movie Top Gun.

15 February -95

Angel Studios an american special effects company begins to work with Shigeru Miyamoto and his team.

23 March -95

Virgin joins the Nintendo Dream Team with their game Robotech.

5 May -95

Nintendo and Silicon Graphics are completely finished with the N64 and announces that they will release it in Japan and the US and Europe in april 1996. They also uncovers that the machine with the first games will be revealed at Shoshinkai in Tokyo the 24:th November. Lucas Arts announces a new Star Wars game for the N64.

29 August -95

The Star Wars game gets it´s final name Shadows of the Empire and it leaks out information to the nintendo magazine Nintendo Power that Nintendo´s new CD-Rom will be presented at Shoshinkai.

18 September -95

A rumour from Japan is saying that the Machine will be renamed from Ultra 64 to Nintendo 64 in Japan.

20 October -95

Lucas Arts becomes a member of the Dream team with their official confirmation that they will produce Shadow of teh Empire.

21 October 95- Nintendo officially renames the machine Nintendo 64 and shows pictures of the both the machine and it´s revolutionizing analog "3d-stick".

17 November -95

Information about Super Mario 64 starts to leak out and reliably sources assures that it will be a totally 3dimensional platform game.

21 November -95

Electronic Arts announces Fifa Soccer for the N64.

24 November -95

World premier for the N64 and 13 games at Shoshinkai in Tokyo. 2 playable games Super Mario 64 (50% completed )and Kirby Bowl (20% completed) and videos from Body Harvest, Pilotwings 64, Mario Kart 64 , Shadows of the Empire, Creator, Wave Race 64, Buggie Boggie, Golden Eye 007, Blast Dozer (Blastcorps) , Star Fox 64 and Legend of Zelda (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) . Hiroshi Yamauchi (The big boss at nintendo) holds a long speech about the N64 that will be released in Japan the 21:th April 1996 and how it will save the whole videogame industry. Yamauchi also mentions the 64 DD, Nintendo´s answer to the CD-ROM that will be previewed at the Next Shoshinkai (96). Nintendo says that they are planning to release the N64 in the USA and Europe in the end of April 1996.

1 February -96

Nintendo announces that the machine will be named Nintendo 64 in the whole world and that the US release date will be the 30:th september and that the N64 not will be out in Europe before sometime later that autumn.

10 February -96

Square that had been planning on a new Final Fantasy game for the N64 decides to develop it for the Playstation instead.

10 February -96

Japanese rapports tells that Nintendo won´t be able to release it in Japan the 21:th April and will possibly be forced to with 3 months and release it the 21:th July instead.

21 February -96

Ocean presents their Mission Impossible for the N64 and that it will be based on a new movie with the same name starring Tom Cruise. Ocean also confirms that they will abandon all the other confirmed versions of the game to other formats.

8 Mars -96

Nintendo admits that they will need some more weeks to complete all the games and produce the desired number of N64´s. Theirfore the japanese release date will now be the 23:rd June. At the same time it´s revealed that Super Mario 64, PilotWings 2 and a unknown chessgame will be released with the machine. Nintendo say´s that the delay not will delay  the US and European release dates.

23 June -96 Japan

The N64 is released in Japan. (Nintendo sold 500.000 units the first week in Japan! that´s almost 1 unit /second!)

1 October -96 USA

The N64 is released in the USA. In the US the N64 sold in one week in as many copies as the Playstation sold in 13 weeks!

1 March -97 Europe

The N64 is released in Europe.

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