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JUST as the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) era was coming to a close Nintendo needed to keep up with the others developers, as the next big hit would include the 32-bit era, but Nintendo went a step ahead with the 64-bit era and introduced 3D graphics to the console market.

NINTENDO partnered with Silicon Graphic Inc. to develop the 64-bit era, with new technology and a new developer Nintendo made new console power, and here are the specs and development of the Nintendo 64 system.

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THE CONSOLE SPECS

WHAT is inside a Nintendo 64? what makes it able to play Mario Kart 64 on a home tv? To start of with the system has a 64-bit R4300i processor or their "Reality Engine" with a Co Processor of 62.5 MHz that combines both the graphic and audio systems. The n64 also included its CPU which was a RISC processor, it stands for Reduced Intruction Set Computer which makes intructions easier to perform and computations easier and fewer to follow, and it was also Superscalar which means that it can perform multiple instructions at the same time and completing them in a much faster and simpler way.

NINTENDO also added an ASIC which stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit, basically means that ASIC is a chip that can manage and controll components in the Nintedo 64 what would otherwise take other chips to function.

Nintendo 64 specs Nintendo controller label

THE CONTROLLER SPECS

THE controller is the main use of navigation for the Nintendo 64's interface. Coming in a unique trident shape and including an analog stick, including a 14 button layout as well. The analog stick was revolutionary for home consoles as it allowed players to be able to play 3D games, but how does it work exactly? The analog stick uses two wheels and small LED lights at the bottom of the joystick, and when the analog stick is moved the wheels turn and lights from LED shine through small slots between the wheels hitting a photo cell, which creates a small current that the Nintendo 64 uses to determine exactly what position the player is in, and what ever response the control sends.

THE CARTRIDGE SPECS

THE Nintendo 64 was the last Nintendo home console to use cartridges, then the Nintendo Switch picked it up again. But when the n64 released, cartridges were going out of style in favor of CDs. But why still use cartridges? Here are some pros and cons to Nintendo's decision.

PROS
  • Faster loading times
  • Hardware enhancement features
  • last longer, not so easily damaged
  • CONS
  • Not enought memory space about 8MB of space
  • Expesive, much more hardware than CD's
  • Low audio quality
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