The N64 | Video Gaming Memories by Imraan Nazir 🎮🤜💥🤛 #RetroGaming #SuperNintendo

The first time I played the Nintendo 64 was in the late 90s at a friend’s house. The first game I played was James Bond GoldenEye. I remember holding the Nintendo 64 controller for the first time, gripping it at either end with my right thumb on the D-pad and my left thumb on the buttons.

My friend looked over and started to laugh. I wondered what he found so amusing. He set up the 2-player mode on GoldenEye, and when the game started, my character wouldn't move. I was using the D-pad, and my friend laughed even harder, telling me to use the analogue stick to move the character.

Once I started using the analogue stick, my character began to move. I was amazed by the graphics and sound, especially since I still had the Super Nintendo at that time. The James Bond theme sounded exactly like it did in the movies, not a MIDI version like on the SNES or Mega Drive. Another game my friend had was F-Zero X, which I had to try since I loved F-Zero on the Super Nintendo. I was excited to see the 64-bit graphics on the Nintendo 64.

My friend switched on the console, and I saw the Nintendo 64 logo followed by the F-Zero X title screen. I was eager to see the graphics and the number of cars in the game. Unlike the SNES version, which had only five cars, F-Zero X featured many more, including familiar ones like Golden Fox and Blue Falcon. I immediately chose Golden Fox, my go-to car on the SNES.

We started exploring the available tracks, and I spotted Mute City, a name I recognized. I asked my friend to select it, and we were ready to race. The announcer's "3, 2, 1, GOOOOOO" was followed by the amazing Mute City theme tune. The remix was brilliantly done, with a rock and roll style that was still incredible. The graphics, cars, and tracks had significantly improved from the SNES version.

I never owned a Nintendo 64 during its lifespan, as I had a PlayStation 1. However, I always wanted one for games like Mario 64, GoldenEye, Zelda, F-Zero X, Lylat Wars, and many others.

On March 8, 2017, my wish came true. I bought a Nintendo 64 from Retro Game Base, the shop that inspired me to get into retro gaming. Initially, I went there to take pictures for my blog, not to buy anything. After getting permission from the shopkeeper to take photos, I noticed the retro consoles on display, including a clear blue Nintendo 64 with two controllers. I was considering buying one on eBay, but this clear blue edition caught my eye. After checking eBay and finding no listings for the clear blue version, I decided to buy it from Retro Game Base, along with GoldenEye.

I thanked the shopkeeper for letting me take pictures and left the shop. Once home, I immediately connected the Nintendo 64 to my TV and inserted GoldenEye into the console. Hearing the James Bond theme tune brought back flashbacks of playing at my friend's house.

Thanks for reading

Imraan Nazir

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Retro Gamer Strikes Back
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