Nintendo iQue
Encyclopedia
The iQue Player (ˌaɪ ˈkju) is a video game console
that was manufactured by iQue
, a joint venture
between Nintendo
and Chinese-American
scientist Dr. Wei Yen
. The system also goes under the Chinese
name of Shén Yóu Ji (神游机), literally "Divine Gaming Machine". Shényóu (神游) also serves a double entendre
because the term also means "to make a mental journey". The console itself takes the form of the controller and plugs directly into the television. A box accessory is available that allows multiplayer gaming. At the moment, it is only marketed in mainland China
, as the console's unusual game distribution method is an attempt to curb games piracy in that region.
The iQue Player was first announced at the 2003 Tokyo Game Show
, and it was released in mainland China on November 17, 2003. A Japanese release was rumored for mid-October 2004, but never materialized. Nintendo currently has no plans to release the iQue Player outside of China.
Games for this console are stored on a 64 MB flash card which is contained within a cartridge that plugs directly into controller/console. Games are purchased at a special "iQue depot" where games may be downloaded onto the cartridge and played later, in a similar manner to the Famicom Disk System
. Demo games that come with the iQue include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
, Super Mario 64
, and Star Fox 64
. These demos are time-limited versions of the games. Full versions of the three titles are available, as are other first party Nintendo titles such as Dr. Mario 64
, Mario Kart 64
, Wave Race 64
, and F-Zero X
.
, but uses system-on-a-chip
technology to reduce size. It plays Nintendo 64
games specifically ported
to the system.
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
that was manufactured by iQue
IQue
iQue, Limited is a Chinese joint venture with its founder, Wei Yen, and Nintendo. iQue also makes the iQue Player, which was the company's first product...
, a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Chinese-American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
scientist Dr. Wei Yen
Wei Yen
Dr. Wei Yen is a software developer and entrepreneur. He has been involved with several companies, including most recently as chairman and founder of AiLive. Dr...
. The system also goes under the Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
name of Shén Yóu Ji (神游机), literally "Divine Gaming Machine". Shényóu (神游) also serves a double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
because the term also means "to make a mental journey". The console itself takes the form of the controller and plugs directly into the television. A box accessory is available that allows multiplayer gaming. At the moment, it is only marketed in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, as the console's unusual game distribution method is an attempt to curb games piracy in that region.
The iQue Player was first announced at the 2003 Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, and it was released in mainland China on November 17, 2003. A Japanese release was rumored for mid-October 2004, but never materialized. Nintendo currently has no plans to release the iQue Player outside of China.
Games for this console are stored on a 64 MB flash card which is contained within a cartridge that plugs directly into controller/console. Games are purchased at a special "iQue depot" where games may be downloaded onto the cartridge and played later, in a similar manner to the Famicom Disk System
Famicom Disk System
The was released on February 21, 1986 by Nintendo as a peripheral for the Family Computer console in Japan. It was a unit that used proprietary floppy disks for data storage. It was announced, but never released, for the North American Nintendo Entertainment System...
. Demo games that come with the iQue include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
, Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, and Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64
, known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64....
. These demos are time-limited versions of the games. Full versions of the three titles are available, as are other first party Nintendo titles such as Dr. Mario 64
Dr. Mario 64
Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game based on the original Dr. Mario. It was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, and is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, which was released for the NES and Game Boy in 1990.Originally, it was released only in North America...
, Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii...
, Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64
is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27, 1996 in Japan and on November 5, 1996 in North America. In Wave Race 64 the player races on jet skis in many different weather conditions, on a variety of different courses. The game was sponsored by the Kawasaki Heavy...
, and F-Zero X
F-Zero X
, is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed by Nintendo's EAD division, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America, in 1998. In 2000, an expansion of the game was exclusively released in Japan providing numerous extra features not in the original game. F-Zero...
.
Technical details
The iQue Player is based on the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, but uses system-on-a-chip
System-on-a-chip
A system on a chip or system on chip is an integrated circuit that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often radio-frequency functions—all on a single chip substrate...
technology to reduce size. It plays Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
games specifically ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to the system.
- Processor: R-4300 64Bit CPU, 93.75 MHz
- Memory: 4 Mb RAMBUS
- Graphics: 100,000 polygons/second, 2.09 million colors
- Sound: ADPCM 64
Online Services
iQue has online services for buying games, cloud storage, game updates, etc. Currently, there are two online services for the iQue Player one is kiosk based, another is broadband based.iQue Depot
The iQue depot is a network of kiosk that allows users to download games, update the games, and more. Players can also store their games on the iQue Depot network for free. They're mostly seen at gas stations in China. Users must be a member of the iQue Club to download games.Fugue Online
Fugue online is an online service that allows users to get free access to games at home, update their system and more. Plans are said to make online mutiplayer and communication possible in the near future.Successor
After 8 years, a successor to the iQue player has been speculated. Though no successor has been announce, Nintendo has plans to release the Wii in China. Most likely a successor would be based on the Gamecube or Wii.Games
| Original title in English | Chinese (Simplified) | Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... |
|---|---|---|
| Wave Race 64 Wave Race 64 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27, 1996 in Japan and on November 5, 1996 in North America. In Wave Race 64 the player races on jet skis in many different weather conditions, on a variety of different courses. The game was sponsored by the Kawasaki Heavy... |
水上摩托 | Shuǐ Shàng Mótuō |
| Star Fox 64 Star Fox 64 , known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars, is a scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is a reboot of the original Star Fox, and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64.... |
星际火狐 | Xingjì Huohu |
| Super Mario 64 Super Mario 64 is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over... |
神游马力欧 | Shén Yóu Mǎlìōu |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998... |
塞尔达传说-时光之笛- | Sèěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí |
| Mario Kart 64 Mario Kart 64 is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii... |
马力欧卡丁车 | Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē |
| F-Zero X F-Zero X , is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed by Nintendo's EAD division, it was released in Japan, Europe and North America, in 1998. In 2000, an expansion of the game was exclusively released in Japan providing numerous extra features not in the original game. F-Zero... |
F-Zero X 未来赛车 | F-Zero X Wèilái Sàichē |
| Yoshi's Story Yoshi's Story is a side-scrolling platform game, published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 entertainment system. It is the sequel to the Super Nintendo game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. It was released on December 21, 1997 in Japan, March 1, 1998 in North America and April 9, 1998 in Europe... |
耀西故事 | Yàoxī Gùshi |
| Paper Mario Paper Mario Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001... |
纸片马力欧 | Zhǐ Piān Mǎlìōu |
| Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth | 罪与罚-地球的继承者- | Zuì yǔ Fá: Dìqiú de Jìchéng Zhě |
| Excitebike 64 Excitebike 64 is a video game published by Nintendo and developed by Left Field Productions. It was initally released in North America on April 30, 2000 for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is the second installment in the Excitebike series, but is the first 3D game in the series. It is the sequel to the... |
越野摩托 | Yuèyě Mótuō |
| Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super... |
任天堂明星大乱斗 | Rèntiāntáng Míngxīng Dà Luàn Dǒu |
| Dobutsu no Mori | 动物森林 | Dòngwù Sēnlín |
| Dr. Mario 64 Dr. Mario 64 Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game based on the original Dr. Mario. It was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, and is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, which was released for the NES and Game Boy in 1990.Originally, it was released only in North America... |
马力欧医生 | Mǎlìōu Yīshēng |
| Custom Robo Custom Robo (Nintendo 64) is a robot fighting game. It was released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 only in Japan, and in 2006 for the iQue Player only in China. It is the first title of the Custom Robo series.- Gameplay :... |
组合机器人 | Zǔhé Jīqìrén |