64DD

    Today, the topic is going to be about one of Nintendo’s only add-ons to ever release on any of their systems. The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive, or 64DD for short, was an attempt to increase the storage space of the Nintendo 64’s cartridges. However, it was a complete failure in its implementation.

    When the Playstation released in 1995, its CD based format took the gaming industry by storm. Although there were CD based consoles before, the extra space was usually used for videos and cutscenes as the games themselves tended to take up very little space. The PlayStation, with its 32-bit graphics, introduced a way to use the extra space of the CD to create gaming experiences with better graphics. Contrarily, the Nintendo 64 could hold far less data.  Developers saw this, and quickly started switching from Nintendo to Sony.

    Nintendo wanted to up its storage space to stop developers from switching to Sony. In 1995, Their answer was revealed to be the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive.  The new system latched underneath the existing Nintendo 64, and could now hold 64 MB of extra data in its cartridges. The system also included an online service titled RANDNet, that allowed users a host of online features that are taken for granted today. These included online competitive play, beta testing, surfing the Internet, exchanging messages, and more. Such features were important to the Japanese market, where the Internet had not yet become widespread.  The system promised great software releases as well, including Mario 64 2, Zelda 64, Mother 3, Pokemon Stadium, and many more.  

    Yet, years passed, and soon gamers began to wonder why games that were planned for the disk drive ended up being normal cartridge releases for the Nintendo 64. Almost four years after the original announcement, the 64DD was actually released in Japan as a mail-order subscription. Boasting only a few significant standalone titles such as Mario Artist and Doshin the Giant, its niche market was geared toward its online features.  Only 15,000 systems were ever released in Japan, and these lackluster sales prevented it from reaching any international market.

    The question remains whether the 64DD would have sold well if it was released on time. Due to many of the Nintendo 64’s big name hits such as Paper Mario, Zelda:Ocarina of Time, and Donkey Kong 64 all being planned games for the system, it would have at least gained the hardcore Nintendo audience. It also may have kept some of the third-party developers from switching strictly to Sony, as the 64DD’s cartridges held more space than the traditional ones. If people were willing to subscribe to the online service, it could have definitely caught on.

    In short, the Nintendo 64DD is one of the most undersold console add-ons ever released, and I hope you enjoyed learning why today.

Super Smash Bros.

        Today we’re going to talk about one of the most popular gaming franchises in video game history. Yes, the iconic Super Smash Bros. Its multiplayer appeal is unrivaled to this day. Like always, there is a story behind its creation.

        In 1998, Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai wanted to create a fighting game that had universal appeal. At this point in time, the fighting game scene was dominated by games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat that were primarily geared towards competitive play. This made casual gamers not want to attempt them. Utilizing the 4-player capabilities of the Nintendo 64, Sakurai developed a gameplay mechanic that had players rack up damage rather than lose health. The higher the damage percentile, the farther the characters fly and eventually meet their demise. He created a prototype called Dragon King: The Fighting Game, which simply used stick figures as characters.

    However, Sakurai quickly realized the potential of the application of this gameplay mechanic. Since this game was to be planned for the Nintendo 64, a home console, it needed strong characters to serve as the image of the game. So, without asking Nintendo, he added characters from Nintendo’s various franchises. This included iconic characters like Mario, Link, and Kirby, and lesser known characters such as Ness and Samus. After building a more polished prototype, Sakurai proceeded to show it to Nintendo, who greenlit it for an initial Japanese release. However, sales outrageously surpassed expectations, and the game’s release was soon expanded into the worldwide hit that we know today.

    Now, what if Nintendo’s characters weren’t added to the game? Would the game be still as big of a hit as it is today? To figure this out, we must analyze  the appeal of Super Smash Bros. The characters may have been what brought people to the game, but what kept them playing was the gripping multiplayer gameplay. For this reason alone, I feel that it would have still done well without Nintendo’s characters as a multiplayer game on the sidelines. However, without Nintendo’s characters, there would be no way to build hype for a second game. New characters are always what drives the popularity of the next Super Smash Bros. game, and there would be no way the series would reach such mass appeal without the help of its sequels.

    Super Smash Bros. remains my favorite video game series to this day, as it is unmatched when it comes to playing with friends. The inclusion of Nintendo’s characters has given the series far more substance than gameplay alone, and has been one of the reasons why the series keeps selling to this day. I hope you enjoyed learning about its creation.