Hindsight is always 20/20. The N64 obviously has the smallest library and the biggest step down visually since early 3D games generally look worse than NES 2D games, but part of the problem is you're looking at it through the eyes of someone who has lived through the HD era. Seeing Super Mario 64 in 1996 imparted a feeling of sheer wonderment and amazement to nearly all who gazed upon it, it was so far ahead of anything that had come before it the start of "quality 3D games" besides driving, flying or first person shooters really began right there.
Not at all, although having lived through the HD era certainly doesn't help things. I guess I was the only one that thought all that first-generation 3D crap looked like utter shit, even back in 1996. It looked like shit then, and it looks about 100x worse now. I was far more impressed by the Catacombs 3D/Wolf3D/Dooms that came out 4 or 5 years prior. The first console to feature passable polygon-based 3D was the Dreamcast, in my opinion.
Going back to playing it today, it looks terrible but there's more elite level games I'd go back and play on the N64 than the original Playstation (there's more good games on Playstation, but more GREAT games on N64). Also with regards to the thumbsticks, I have my four original N64 controllers purchased in 1996, they all work great. If your controllers are failing someone was abusing them.
I beg to differ. I've had tens upon tens of N64 controllers pass through my possession over the years, in addition to handling other people's. I haven't seen a solid, upright thumbstick on an N64 controller in 12 years or more.
1.) The controller was revolutionary. The form may now look silly and the stick was definitely too flimsy, but at the time, it was unlike anything that was out there. The controller was pretty much a peripheral created so that Mario 64 would work, and for that, it was perfect. This was the second coming of the NES d-pad to me.
Different =/= better. I though the controller was the dumbest thing on Earth back when it was released. Nowadays, time has proven that not only is it a poor design, it was poorly constructed as well. See the Playstation Dualshock controller for an analog-stick-capable controller done right.
I'm also a fan of the Dreamcast controller, although I'm sure some people would debate me on that one.
N64 is the worst, no question. I don't agree in the reasoning area so much though.
The 3D was bad? Yes, it was, but bad compared to what? The other two systems were at least as bad.
Indeed they were. I'm not saying it was any worse than its contemporaries; in fact, I think ALL first-gen polygonal 3D looks like steaming piles of horse manure. My point was that the other two systems at least had a good selection of 2D games to offset the 3D shovelware. The N64 did not. It had a few, but not enough.
I also have no problem with cartridges. In case you didn't notice, cartridges have more or less come back with a vengeance. The next generation of consoles is likely to have %100 solid state storage, and the PSP will end up being the only handheld to use discs. The cartridge thing may have held back some of the games because of storage limitation, but it made up for it by sparing us the horrendous load times of the PS.
Load times don't bother me much. And look, solid-state storage has come a LONG way since 1996. The cartridge format, as it existed in the mid 90s, had outlived its usefulness. Not only were you limited on storage capacity, the sound hardware had to be sacrificed as well. No redbook audio, etc.
The games on the N64 are often times just...bad. Even the first party ones. Yoshi's Island on SFC is basically the best game ever made. Yoshi's Story on N64 is just f*cking terrible. Possibly the worst platformer Nintendo ever made.
That's funny, I think Yoshi's Story is one of the N64's better games, although that's not saying a whole lot. Granted, the control scheme sucks.
The Wii has lots of great games, particularly on WiiWare. Basing the system strictly on its merits the Wii is pretty excellent, it has some absolutely fantastic quality games, a quick look at gamerankings all time best list reveals two wii exclusive games on the top 3, and all of the top 3 are playable on the Wii in one form or another. The virtual console adds value to the Wii and gives it a gigantic library of games both new and old. From Super Mario Galaxy, to Zelda, to Metroid Prime, to Muramasa, to Punch Out, to Cave Story, to World of Goo, and then moving on to the gigantic library of great titles available on virtual console the Wii in terms of number of "good games" available to it for legitimate purchase may be the best system ever.
Regarding people who hate the GC/Wii more...I can't even begin to understand where you are coming from. I can only assume you would be...lets see...23-29 years old? That would place you in a situation where you were very young when the N64 came out and still suffering from rose tinted glasses. The N64 suuuucked. The Cube had mario Sunshine, a (barely) better Waverace, Luigi's Mansion, some Super f*cking Monkey Balls, the Gameboy Player, Killer 7, Alien Hominid, Tales of Symphonia (an actual, real, full on contemporary JRPG, something the N64 never got), that cool Kinikuman game, Phantasy Star Online, Animal Crossing, a very good Gundam game, Bomberman Land 2...way more good stuff that is still more playable than that piece of crap N64. The hardware itself is also exemplary. It virtually never breaks. The small discs leave you with very little load times (virtually none on 1st party releases), cute shape, the Wavebird (best wireless pad ever when it was released), and, again, the Gameboy Player which is rad.
Edit:
And the Wii...the Wii does essentially all this stuff (only the Gameboy Player is lost) plus all the Wii stuff. The Wii shop is loaded with more cool stuff than I have time to play. I give a lot of credit to Nintendo for actually putting all four controller ports and both memory card slots on the Wii and retaining %99 cube compatibility. They didn't have to do that.
I'm totally with you guys there. How anyone could make an argument that the Wii is somehow worse than the N64 just baffles me. It would seem anyone making such an assertion must be letting nostalgia obstruct their objectivity.
