N64 Launch

Masayuki Uemura's opening speech had an immediate effect.

Long lines formed at the N64 demo area.

The reporters were in no rush, exchanging notes with one another.

After waiting twenty minutes, a GamePro editor finally sat down at a demo station.

Super Mario 64 was running on the screen.

He picked up the oddly shaped controller and placed his thumb on the analog stick on the left.

Mario on the screen began to walk slowly.

He pressed harder, and Mario's pace quickened into a run.

He ran a few circles around the 3D castle plaza, experiencing that delicate, all-directional control.

The D-pad truly could not achieve turns that smooth.

As he played, the editor told the photographer, "Get a few more close-ups of the controller, especially the structure at the base of the stick."

The photographer pressed the shutter.

"This feels pretty good in the hand, but your thumb will get sore if you play for too long."

"Remember to mention the ergonomics issue in the article."

With no pressure to rush from one appointment to the next, along with increased staffing and clearly divided duties, the reporters spent longer in the demo area.

They were no longer merely galloping past a CG trailer on horseback; they were truly experiencing the core mechanics of the games.

That depth of interaction was precisely the game experience Masayuki Uemura had emphasized in his speech.

Two in the afternoon, South Hall.

Sony's PlayStation exhibit was a roaring sea of voices.

Ken Kutaragi had kept his word. The speakers at the booth had been cranked to full power.

Crash Bandicoot's cheerful electronic soundtrack echoed throughout the entire South Hall.

Crowds packed the space before several specially made large displays.

Sony had lost the vote during the opening presentation, but they made up for the