Nintendo Space World

Not to be confused with Nintendo World Store.
Nintendo World
Genre Video gaming
Frequency Annually
Country Japan
Inaugurated 1987 (1987) (as Shoshinkai)
Most recent August 24, 2001 (2001-08-24)

Nintendo World (formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and Shoshinkai (Japanese: 初心会)) is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo. First held in 1989, it is typified by the unveiling of new consoles or handhelds. Unlike most other video game trade events, Nintendo World is not held annually or at any other set interval; Nintendo usually makes a decision regarding whether to hold the show by mid-July. It has historically always taken place in Japan, either in Kyoto, where Nintendo's headquarters are located, or at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, Japan.

Nintendo Power explains: "Q: What is Famicom Space World? A: Space World is a free show for the public that follows the one-day Shoshinkai. Gamers who wish to attend need only pick up an entry pass at any official Nintendo retail location in Japan."[1]:13

The systems that have been unveiled at the show series include the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, 64DD, and Nintendo 3DS.

History

The first Shoshinkai show in 1995 featured the public unveiling of the Nintendo 64 console, with thirteen games. This included two playable game prototypes (Super Mario 64 and Kirby Ball 64) and a videotape containing a total of three minutes of very early footage of eleven other Nintendo 64 games. Of all these presented titles, the development of Super Mario 64 was reportedly the most advanced, though only 50 percent complete.[2]

The second show from November 22–24, 1996 was located at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, Japan. This show bore the first appearance of the 64DD and the Rumble Pak which would launch in a bundle with the upcoming Star Fox 64. The system was shown in its own display booth with the hardware specifications having been finalized, according to Nintendo of America's Chairman Howard Lincoln. The system played an improvised conversion of the Super Mario 64 cartridge game onto a 64DD disk in order to demonstrate the storage device. The booth also demonstrated the concept of rendering audience members' photographed faces onto 3D avatars and shapes, which was ultimately incorporated and released as Mario Artist: Talent Studio and the Capture Cassette for 64DD. N64.com described the presentation of Zelda 64 as "very quick shots on videotape".[3][4]

The 1997 show featured a very early prototype of Pokémon Gold and Silver[5] featuring two starting Pokémon who don't appear in the final game, and an early Chikorita. The game would not be completed until 1999, by which point it would have largely changed.

IGN explained that the 64DD's notoriously repeated launch delays were so significant, and the company's software library was so dependent upon the 64DD's launch, that this also caused the skipping of the 1998 Space World. The event had been delayed to early 1999 and then again to November 1999, reportedly specifically due to the lack of 64DD launch titles.[6]

During the Space World of 2000, a compilation trailer of Nintendo licenses running on GameCube hardware was displayed. Some games revealed then were Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi's Mansion, Metroid Prime, Meowth's Party, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Kameo: Elements of Power, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Batman: Vengeance, and the technology demonstrations called Super Mario 128 and The Legend of Zelda 128.[7]

The last Space World consumer event occurred in 2001, featuring the then recently released GameCube and Game Boy Advance. A short clip of Super Mario Sunshine was shown in early form.

Some speculated another Space World consumer event would be held in 2005 for the formal unveiling of Nintendo's next console, Revolution (the development name for the Wii). This speculation was incorrect as Nintendo chose to fully reveal at E3 2006, the details of the system which would be renamed to "Wii". However, they did hold an event called Nintendo World 2006 that showcased the Wii and Nintendo DS.

Nintendo later held an event called Nintendo World 2011 in Tokyo from the January 8–10, 2011. The company gave the specific details on the Japanese launch of the Nintendo 3DS at this exhibition.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Nintendo Power". No. 79. Nintendo. December 1995.
  2. ↑ Semrad, Ed (February 1996). "Ultra 64 Unveiled". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis (79): 6.
  3. ↑ "N64.com Interviews Howard Lincoln". IGN. December 6, 1996. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Nintendo 64 Shoshinkai '96". Nintendo of America. Archived from the original on December 22, 1996. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  5. ↑ "SPACEWORLD'97 exhibitors GAME BOY - Pokémon Gold and Silver". Nintendo Japan. Nintendo. Archived from the original on February 24, 1998. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ "DD Date?". IGN. April 8, 1999. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, Sam (2001). "Player's Choice Games: Nintendo Gamecube". www.playerschoicegames.com. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  8. ↑ Ba-oh, Jorge (2010). "Try out 3DS at Nintendo World 2011 in January". www.cubed3.com. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
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