PlayStation Vs. N64: How They Matched Up In 9 Crucial Areas

Both the PlayStation and N64 had a seismic impact on the games industry and the shockwaves they sent out at launch can still be felt today.

Let’s start with the Nintendo 64 - its top games like the aforementioned Mario 64 and Zelda remained popular across the generations, winning new fans when they were revamped for the DS and 3DS respectively, as well as attracting a lorryload of downloads on Nintendo’s online store.

What’s more, these games have proved hugely influential; the precedents they set wrote the template for all future 3D Mario and Zelda titles. Breath of the Wild for Switch may have brought heaps of original ideas to the table, but its roots can be traced back to the masterful Ocarina.

Nintendo is still seen as good wholesome family fun and this is a reputation it honed during the N64 era, with the multiplayer-centric Mario Kart 64, Mario Party and Super Smash Bros offering a lighter living room experience than PlayStation’s output.

The PlayStation’s legacy will always be introducing gaming to a broader demographic. The industry has retained this wider appeal ever since.

The PSone’s techy approach also remains central to Sony's - and indeed other contemporary hardware makers’ - strategy today. Just as the PlayStation made our home CD players obsolete, modern consoles are multi-functional beasts with the potential to replace a dozen other pieces of living room tech.

PSone classics continue to do big business on the PlayStation Store, and many of the series the console kickstarted, from Metal Gear Solid to Tomb Raider, remain household names with as more influence than ever in gaming’s corridors of power.