Nintendo's N64 - also known as the "Ultra64" - is a strange system . . whereas Sega and Sony both wisely went with the cd-rom format, Nintendo opted to remain cartridge-based . . . whereas the Saturn and Playstation emphasized number of polygons and complex textures, the N64 relies on blurring techniques and relatively simple geometry, yet fluid mechanics and fast loading times. Finally, the Playstation and Saturn both enjoyed fairly decent third-party support, with Sony having the obvious edge, whereas almost all the 64's decent titles came either from rare or nintendo themselves . . . critics have hailed the controller, which was the first to feature analog and digital control, as an important innovation . . but in the end, while there are some beautiful titles like Zelda64, Mario64, and Goldeneye, there just weren't ENOUGH games, or variety, to compete with Sony's beast.