Editing Nintendo 64 (section)

=== Programming characteristics ===
Programming for the Nintendo 64 presented unique challenges alongside notable advantages. ''[[The Economist]]'' described development for the system as "horrendously complex".<ref>"Nintendo Wakes Up." The Economist August 3, 1996: 55-. ABI/INFORM Global; ProQuest Research Library. Web. May 24, 2012.</ref> Like many game consoles and embedded systems, the Nintendo 64 featured highly specialized hardware optimizations, which were further complicated by design oversights, limitations in 3D technology, and manufacturing constraints.

As the console neared the end of its lifecycle, Nintendo’s hardware chief, [[Genyo Takeda]], repeatedly reflected on these difficulties, using the Japanese term {{Nihongo|hansei|反省}}, meaning "reflective regret." Looking back, he admitted, "When we made Nintendo 64, we thought it was logical that if you want to make advanced games, it becomes technically more difficult. We were wrong. We now understand it's the cruising speed that matters, not the momentary flash of peak power."<ref name="It's Hip to be Square">{{Cite news |last=Croal |first=N'Gai |date=September 4, 2000 |others=Masato Kawaguchi and Marc Saltzman in Japan |title=It's Hip To Be Square |url=http://www.newsweek.com/its-hip-be-square-159157 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025172138/https://www.newsweek.com/its-hip-be-square-159157 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=August 3, 2020 |work=Newsweek |pages=53–54 |volume=136 |issue=10}}</ref>