Nintendo 64 celebrates 20th anniversary; Sonic the Hedgehog turns 25

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Gamers around the world are celebrating the 20th birthday of one of the most iconic consoles of the 1990s— the Nintendo 64.

The Nintendo 64 was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and in the US three months later.

Diehard fans took to social media to celebrate the milestone, with many sharing photos of their well-maintained consoles.

The Nintendo 64, which was the last major console to use cartridge games, landed in Australia and Europe in 1997.

Some of its most popular games included the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007.

Writing for TechCrunch, Seattle-based writer Devin Coldewey said games with a broad age appeal helped the Nintendo 64's success.

"The N64 came at a time when games were still considered kid stuff ... But despite its bright [colours] and kid-friendly sensibilities, the N64 was a rock-solid platform that not only made a lot of us very happy for years and years, but also did important work in the history of gaming," he wrote.

"It brought us classic titles that pushed the boundaries of what was expected of games."

But it wasn't all about the Nintendo 64; gamers were also celebrating the 25th birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog, which also debuted on June 23, but in 1991.

Sonic, a speedy blue hedgehog who battles the evil Dr Eggman, came to prominence on SEGA's Genesis console during the 1990s.

After SEGA stopped making its own consoles, the franchise was deployed across Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo devices.

Happy birthday, friends. How old do you feel?

Topics: games, nintendo-64, computers-and-technology, japan