Editing Nintendo (section)

==== 1993–1998: Nintendo 64, Virtual Boy, and Game Boy Color ====<!-- 5th generation of video game consoles -->
{{Further|Nintendo 64#History|Virtual Boy#History|Game Boy Color#History|label1=History of Nintendo 64|label2=History of Virtual Boy|label3=History of Game Boy Color}}

{{Multiple image
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| image1 = Nintendo-64-wController-L.jpg
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| caption1 = [[Nintendo 64]], released in 1996
| image2 = Game-Boy-Color-Purple.jpg
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| caption2 = [[Game Boy Color]], released in 1998
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In mid-1993, Nintendo and [[Silicon Graphics]] announced a strategic alliance to develop the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=GameBytes |issue=21 |title=Project Reality Preview by Nintendo/Silicon Graphics |first=Nathan |last=Cochrane |date=1993 |others=taken from ''Vision'', the SGI newsletter |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue21/flooks/preality.html |access-date=16 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-date=18 August 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170818140049/http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue21/flooks/preality.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Nintendo and Silicon Graphics join forces to create world's most advanced video entertainment technology | publisher=Silicon Graphics, Inc. |date=4 September 1993 |url=http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1993/Sep/sept_04.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970707183909/http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1993/Sep/sept_04.html |archive-date=7 July 1997 |access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref> [[NEC]], [[Toshiba]], and Sharp also contributed technology to the console.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reality Check |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=56 |date=March 1994 |page=184}}</ref> The Nintendo 64 was marketed as one of the first consoles to be designed with [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] architecture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nintendo Ultra 64 |url=http://www.csoon.com/issue15/nu64_1.htm |access-date=14 January 2009 |archive-date=4 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204193721/http://www.csoon.com/issue15/nu64_1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> As part of an agreement with [[Midway Games]], the arcade games ''[[Killer Instinct (1994 video game)|Killer Instinct]]'' and ''[[Cruis'n USA]]'' were [[Porting|ported]] to the console.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Midway Takes Project Reality to the Arcades, Williams Buys Tradewest |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=59 |date=June 1994 |page=182}}</ref><ref name="arcadehits1">{{cite web |title=Killer Instinct |website=arcadeHITS datObase |url=http://www.arcadehits.net/datObase/rom.php?zip=kinst |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204081007/http://www.arcadehits.net/datObase/rom.php?zip=kinst |archive-date=4 February 2009 |access-date=14 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although the Nintendo 64 was planned for release in 1995, the production schedules of third-party developers influenced a delay,<ref name="Fisher">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |last=Fisher |first=Lawrence M. |title=Nintendo Delays Introduction of Ultra 64 Video-Game Player |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/06/business/nintendo-delays-introduction-of-ultra-64-video-game-player.html |date=6 May 1995 |access-date=23 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107213609/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/06/business/nintendo-delays-introduction-of-ultra-64-video-game-player.html |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Ultra 64 "Delayed" Until April 1996? |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=72 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=July 1995 |page=26}}</ref> and the console was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in the United States and March 1997 in Europe. By the end of its production in 2002, around 33&nbsp;million Nintendo 64 consoles were sold worldwide,<ref name="ConsolidatedSales"/> and it is considered one of the most recognized video game systems in history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/914/914568p1.html |title=Nintendo 64 Week: Day Two – Retro Feature at IGN |website=IGN |access-date=4 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726163234/http://retro.ign.com/articles/914/914568p1.html |archive-date=26 July 2011}}</ref> 388 games were produced for the Nintendo 64 in total,<ref>{{cite web |access-date=27 March 2008 |url=http://ign64.ign.com/index/choice.html |title=IGN N64: Editors' Choice Games |website=IGN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509153954/http://ign64.ign.com/index/choice.html |archive-date=9 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> some of which – particularly ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', and ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'' – have been distinguished as [[List of video games considered the best|some of the greatest of all time]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/videos/9879/filter-face-off-top-10-best-game-consoles |title=Filter Face Off: Top 10 Best Game Consoles |publisher=g4tv.com |access-date=3 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702134141/http://www.g4tv.com/videos/9879/filter-face-off-top-10-best-game-consoles/ |archive-date=2 July 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Virtual-Boy-Set.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.5|[[Virtual Boy]], released in 1995]]

In 1995, Nintendo released the [[Virtual Boy]], a console designed by [[Gunpei Yokoi]] with [[stereoscopy|stereoscopic graphics]]. Critics were generally disappointed with the quality of the games and red-colored graphics, and complained of gameplay-induced headaches.<ref>{{cite news|last=Frischling | first=Bill|title=Sideline Play|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=11|via=ProQuest Historical Newspapers|date=25 October 1995}} Retrieved 24 May 2012.</ref> The system sold poorly and was quietly discontinued.<ref>{{cite news|last=Boyer | first=Steven|title=A Virtual Failure: Evaluating the Success of Nintendos Virtual Boy|work=Velvet Light Trap|issue=64 |date=2009|pages=23–33}} Retrieved 24 May 2012.</ref> Amid the system's failure, Yokoi formally retired from Nintendo.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111823/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time-page-2-of-2/ |title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time |access-date=12 June 2010 |first=Blake |last=Snow |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=4 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607134204/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/111823/the-10-worst-selling-consoles-of-all-time-page-2-of-2/ |archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref> In February 1996, [[Pokémon Red and Blue|''Pocket Monsters Red'' and ''Green'']], known internationally as ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', developed by [[Game Freak]] was released in Japan for the Game Boy, and established the popular ''[[Pokémon]]'' franchise.{{R|Game On! |pages=191}} The game went on to sell 31.37&nbsp;million units,<ref>{{cite web|title=All-time best selling console games worldwide 2020|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/264530/all-time-best-selling-console-games-worldwide/ |access-date=3 July 2020|website=Statista|archive-date=21 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191623/https://www.statista.com/statistics/264530/all-time-best-selling-console-games-worldwide/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with the video game series exceeding a total of 300&nbsp;million units in sales as of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last=Minotti|first=Mike|date=27 November 2017|title=Pokémon passes 300 million games sold as it eyes Super Mario|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/27/pokemon-passes-300-million-games-sold-as-it-eyes-super-mario/|access-date=3 July 2020|website=VentureBeat|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201045507/https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/27/pokemon-passes-300-million-games-sold-as-it-eyes-super-mario/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1997, Nintendo released the [[Rumble Pak]], a plug-in device that connects to the Nintendo 64 controller and produces a vibration during certain moments of a game.<ref name="Nintendo History" />

In 1998, the [[Game Boy Color]] was released. In addition to [[backward compatibility]] with Game Boy games, the console's similar capacity to the NES resulted in select adaptations of games from that library, such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]''.<ref name="KillTheGameBoy">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/19/18507409/nintendo-game-boy-competitors-nokia-sony-bandai |title=Only Nintendo could kill the Game Boy |website=The Verge |last=Byford |first=Sam |date=19 April 2019 |access-date=11 June 2020 |archive-date=20 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420224316/https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/19/18507409/nintendo-game-boy-competitors-nokia-sony-bandai |url-status=live }}</ref> Since then, over 118.6&nbsp;million Game Boy and Game Boy Color consoles have been sold worldwide.<ref name="GameBoySales">{{cite web|date=26 April 2016 |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |access-date=23 October 2016 |publisher=Nintendo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427084600/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=27 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

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