The Nintendo64 was the first console that offered serious 3D graphics processing. It had an unusual development, the result of a partnership between Nintendo and
Silicon Graphics, and the system was based on technology used in Silicon Graphics high-end MIPS-based workstations, using a custom R4300i
chipset - and the entire system retailing less than $300, was a remarkable feat at the time. As such, the system was far ahead of it's time. The
casing was a very durable,
hard plastic design, cart, instead of CD based, and featured an unusual controller that was ergonomically superior to anything before it - and turned out later, ideally suited to first person and fighting games. The Nintendo64 enjoyed a long life, and several historically significant games developed natively for the system that remain to this day
benchmarks in game design.
Example:
Person 1: "Dude, remember the first time you saw
Mario 64 on display? That was what real
next gen was all about."
Person 2: "Yeah, I first saw the title screen, ran over, pushed away all the little kids shoving
Mario's mustache up his nose, man did my Playstation games look tired then. I'll never forget that."