No company shaped 90s gaming more than Nintendo. It entered the decade with the NES in millions of homes and the Game Boy in millions of pockets, and it left the decade with Pokémon taking over the world. In between came the Super Nintendo, a bruising rivalry with Sega, a rare flop and some of the most important games ever made.
Quick answer
Nintendo in the 90s launched the Super Nintendo (North America, 1991), fought the console war with Sega, released the short-lived Virtual Boy (1995), introduced the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 (1996), and closed the decade with the Game Boy Color, Pokémon Red and Blue and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998).
Key takeaways
- The Super Nintendo defined the 16-bit era.
- The Virtual Boy was a rare Nintendo flop.
- Super Mario 64 showed how 3D games should control.
- The Game Boy line and Pokémon dominated the late 90s.
Nintendo in the 90s: timeline
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1990 | The NES and Game Boy dominate; Super Mario Bros. 3 arrives in North America. |
| 1991 | Super Nintendo launches in North America with Super Mario World. |
| 1992 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario Kart. |
| 1993 | Star Fox uses the Super FX chip for early 3D graphics. |
| 1994 | Donkey Kong Country amazes with pre-rendered graphics; Super Metroid; Super Game Boy. |
| 1995 | The Virtual Boy launches and flops; colorful "Play It Loud" Game Boys. |
| 1996 | Nintendo 64 launches with Super Mario 64; Game Boy Pocket. |
| 1997 | GoldenEye 007, Star Fox 64 and the Rumble Pak. |
| 1998 | Pokémon Red and Blue, Game Boy Color and Ocarina of Time. |
| 1999 | Pokémon Yellow, Super Smash Bros., Pokémon Snap and the Pokémon card craze. |
The Super Nintendo and the console war
The Super Nintendo arrived in North America in August 1991 with Super Mario World in the box. It faced a confident rival: Sega's Genesis had a head start and a new mascot built for speed. The marketing battle was famous, but on screen the Super Nintendo answered with games like A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart and Donkey Kong Country. See the full ranking of the best SNES games.
Fun fact: The Super Nintendo version of Mortal Kombat in 1993 replaced blood with gray "sweat", while the Genesis version allowed blood with a code. The controversy helped lead to the creation of the ESRB rating system in 1994.
The Virtual Boy misstep
In 1995 Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, a tabletop headset that displayed games in red-on-black 3D. It was uncomfortable, had few great games and was discontinued in about a year. It remains Nintendo's most famous failure and a prized curiosity for collectors.
The Nintendo 64 and the jump to 3D
The Nintendo 64 launched in North America on September 29, 1996. Its three-handled controller and analog stick were designed for 3D, and Super Mario 64 showed the world how a 3D platformer should move. Cartridges meant fast loading but fewer third-party games than Sony's CD-based PlayStation. Nintendo's own games kept the console essential: GoldenEye 007 (1997) made four-player split-screen a sleepover ritual, the Rumble Pak added vibration, and Ocarina of Time (1998) introduced Z-targeting. Rank them yourself with the best N64 games.
The Game Boy never stopped
While consoles battled, the Game Boy kept selling. Colorful "Play It Loud" editions arrived in 1995, the slimmer Game Boy Pocket in 1996 and the Game Boy Color in November 1998. Then Pokémon arrived. Pokémon Red and Blue launched in North America in September 1998 and turned the Game Boy into the most important device in every school. See the best 90s Game Boy games and the original 151 Pokémon list.
Nintendo's 90s hardware at a glance
Super Nintendo (1991)
16-bit home console and the decade's best 2D library.
Super Game Boy (1994)
Played Game Boy games on your TV in color.
Virtual Boy (1995)
Red 3D headset, discontinued within about a year.
Game Boy Pocket (1996)
Smaller, sharper, two AAA batteries.
Nintendo 64 (1996)
Analog 3D and four controller ports.
Game Boy Color (1998)
Color handheld just in time for Pokémon.
Conclusion
Nintendo's 90s were a story of risks: some failed, most changed gaming forever. For the bigger picture, see every 90s video game console and the 90s video games that changed gaming.
Frequently asked questions
What consoles did Nintendo release in the 90s?
In North America, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo (1991), Virtual Boy (1995), Game Boy Pocket (1996), Nintendo 64 (1996) and Game Boy Color (1998), while the original Game Boy and NES were still on sale.
When did the Nintendo 64 come out?
The Nintendo 64 launched in Japan in June 1996 and in North America on September 29, 1996, with Super Mario 64 as its headline game.
What was the Virtual Boy?
The Virtual Boy was a 1995 tabletop headset that showed games in red 3D images. It sold poorly and was discontinued within about a year.
Who won the 90s console war, Nintendo or Sega?
Sega gained a lot of ground in the early 90s with the Genesis, but Nintendo outsold it over the 16-bit generation overall. By the late 90s, Sony's PlayStation had become the market leader.
What were the best Nintendo games of the 90s?
Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Pokémon Red and Blue are among the most celebrated.