Nintendo 64 Revealed at E3 1996

First, apologies for not updating the site more. On top of my regular duties, I’ve been working on reviewing some games, namely various versions of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, and if SEGA ever responds, maybe Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

That said, I wanted to share some videos I came across at GameGrep, which reveal when the Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64, and more were shown off at a much lower-key Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1996:

Not only is it interesting and sometimes funny to see guys no longer with Nintendo doing these presentations, but some of the slip-ups while playing Super Mario 64 as well. My favorite is when they start to show off Mario’s new moves, and the camera winds up behind a tree– a sign of things to come in 3D gaming for many years, to be sure.

Of course, there was more than just Super Mario 64 going on– who remembers the so-called “Dream Team?”

In addition, there are also two B-rolls that was given to media and news stations to show off what Nintendo and other companies had come up with. YouTube user Grooveraider notes:

The gameplay footage shown was not from 100% complete N64 games. These were Japanese Betas. Even some games in the clip go from having audio – to barely having any audio – to having no audio at all. INTERESTING TIDBITS: In the clip during “Super Mario Kart R” intro title ( clip 2 of 2 ) you’ll hear a tune unheard of in the final production of “Super Mario Kart 64″. Be sure to crank the volume enough to hear the intro tune. Also witness a really beta version of Kirby’s Air Ride” ( clip 2 of 2 )that was eventually cancelled and moved it to the Gamecube.

It’s something else to look back at how things once were, not only in the games themselves, but how they were presented to the media at the time, too.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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