Chronology of Nintendo Video Games

Copyright © 2002-2008 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: kpolsson@islandnet.com
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URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/ninvid/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 26.


1977-1987 1988-1989 1990 1991 1992 1993-1994 1995-1996 1997-1999 2000 2001
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007-end

2000

January 21
  • Enix releases the Dragon Warrior Monsters game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [298.51]
January 24
  • Nintendo releases the Mario Party 2 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [401] [419.171] [821.77] [871.38] (February [554.17])
January 31
  • Activision releases the Disney's Tarzan video game for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color in the US. [411] [424.43]
(month unknown)
  • Nintendo of America Chairman Howard Lincoln retires. [424.130]
February 8
  • CBS Television airs the Judging Amy TV show in the USA. A Nintendo 64 is being played without a cartridge plugged in. [920]
February
  • Nintendo launches the Pokémon 2000 Stadium Tour, visiting twenty US cities. [595.144]
February 29
  • Activision releases the Battle Zone: Rise of the Black Dogs video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [409.89] [411]
(month unknown)
  • Kemco releases the Top Gear Hyper-Bike video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [424.121]
  • Midway releases the HydroThunder video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [424.121]
March 1
  • Nintendo releases the Pokémon Stadium video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [298.38] [401] [416.137] [424.33,65] [595.144] (February 29 [411])
March 19
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. In a virtual Internet world, a character jumps over barrels thrown by Donkey Kong, then zaps him with a laser gun. [843]
March (month)
  • Top selling video game title during the month in the US: Pokémon Stadium by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. [734.15]
  • Top selling Game Boy Color video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Yellow. [734.15]
April 1
  • Nintendo releases the Pokémon Trading Card video game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [401] [416.137] [595.144]
April
  • Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 Pokémon Stadium Battle Set. It includes Nintendo 64 system, two controllers, Pokémon Stadium video game, and Transfer Pack. Price is US$149.95. [424.79]
  • Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask video game for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. [448.60]
April 25
  • Reprise Records releases the music album Silver & Gold by Neil Young. The album cover art was shot with a Game Boy Camera. [823.19]
April (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Trading Card for the Game Boy Color. [595.46] [989.56]
  • Top selling Nintendo 64 video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Stadium. [595.46] [989.56]
(month unknown)
  • Nintendo releases the Crystalis video game for the Game Boy Color. [595.27]
May 10
  • Nintendo releases the Funtastic Series of Nintendo 64 consoles in semi-transparent cases: Watermelon, Ice, Jungle, Fire, Smoke, and Grape. [416.130] [424.79] [825.34]
May 15
  • Hudson releases the Bomberman 64: The Second Attack video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [411] [421.15]
May
  • Nintendo releases the Wario Land 3 video game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [407.15] [1190.98] (July [554.17])
May 20
  • Konami releases the Metal Gear Solid video game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [304.130] [401] [471.52] [554.117] [734.16]
May 21
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A pizza restaurant has an arcade video game, called "Monkey Fracas Jr." This is a reference to the Donkey Kong Jr. video game. [844]
May 22
  • Nintendo releases the Perfect Dark video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US and England. (Total unit sales in the USA: over 1 million.) [304.134] [393.13] [411] [424.65] [440.157] [471.90] [734.16] [823.16] [1253.105]

May (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Trading Card for the Game Boy Color. [967.15] [595.46]
  • Top selling Nintendo 64 video game in the USA for the month: Perfect Dark. [967.15] [595.46]
June 26
  • Nintendo releases the Kirby 64 - The Crystal Shards video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [401] [420.131]
June (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64. [473]
  • Top selling Game Boy Color video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Trading Card. [473]
(month unknown)
  • Activision releases the X-Men: Mutant Academy video game for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color in the US. [626.93]
July (month)
  • Top selling Game Boy Color video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Yellow. [473]
August 7
  • Lifetime Television airs the film The Truth About Jane on television in the USA. A Nintendo game system is heard being played, but a Sega controller is shown. [928]
August 24
  • In Japan, Nintendo unveils the Gamecube video game system. It features 405 MHz 0.18-micron IBM PowerPC "Gekko" processor with 32-bit integer and 64-bit floating-point processing, 202.5 MHz System LSI "Flipper" graphics processor, 24-bit color, 101.25 MHz 16-bit sound processor, 24 MB main memory. [473.28,30]
  • In Japan, Nintendo unveils the Game Boy Advance handheld video game system. It features reflective 240x160 pixel 1.6- by 2.4-inch 32,000-color TFT LCD screen, 32-bit RISC and 8-bit CISC processors, 32 kB WRAM, 96 kB VRAM. Size is 3.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches. Two AA batteries power the unit for about fifteen hours. Code name during development was Project Atlantis. [473.28,36] [476.83]
August 28
  • Nintendo releases the Mario Tennis video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US [448.5] [554.17] [871.38]
September 1
  • Nintendo releases the Pokémon Puzzle League game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [304.148] [401] [411] [554.17] [595.146]
September 21
  • Enix releases the Dragon Warrior I & II Remix game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [298.51]
September 27
  • Atlus releases the Ogre Battle 64 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [411] [470.91]
October 15
  • Nintendo releases the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games for the Game Boy Color in the US. (1.4 million copies sell in the first week.) [304.140] [394.86] [401] [407.87] [448.5,14,18] [554.17] [595.146]
October 21
  • First Look Pictures shows the film Dead Babies at the Bergen International Film Festival in Norway. The game Perfect Dark is show on the Nintendo 64, but with a PlayStation 2 controller. [923]
October 26
  • Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [304.150] [411] [448.60] [453.46] [554.17] [824.60] [989.98]
October (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Silver for the Game Boy Color. [990.46]
  • Top selling Nintendo 64 video game in the USA for the month: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. [990.46]
November 6
  • Nintendo releases the Hey You, Pikachu! video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [448.118] [554.17] [595.146]
November
  • Nintendo applies to the US Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on software emulation of handheld video game hardware. (The patent is granted in January 2004.) [600.22]
  • Ubi Soft releases the Walt Disney's The Jungle Book - Mowgli's Wild Adventure video game for the Game Boy Color in the US. [395.97] [554.117] [564.98]
  • Treasure releases the Sin & Punishment video game for the Nintendo 64 in Japan. [577.60]
November 19
  • Nintendo releases the Banjo-Tooie video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [407.123] [448.118] [554.17] [989.102] [1102.113]
November (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Silver for the Game Boy Advance. [554.46]
  • Top selling Nintendo 64 video game in the USA for the month: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. [554.46]
December 8
  • Enix releases the Dragon Quest III Remix video game for the Game Boy Color in Japan. [298.51]
December (month)
  • Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Pokémon Gold for the Game Boy. [555.52]
  • Top selling Nintendo 64 video game in the USA for the month: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. [555.52]

End of 2000. Next: 2001.
The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author.

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1977-1987 1988-1989 1990 1991 1992 1993-1994 1995-1996 1997-1999 2000 2001
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of Video Game Systems
  • Chronology of Arcade Video Games
  • Chronology of Sega Video Games
  • Top Selling Video Games by Month
  • Video Game References in Pop Culture
  • Polsson's Garage Sale - Video Games
  • Ken P's Today in History
  • Last updated: 2008 June 26.
    Copyright © 2002-2008 Ken Polsson (email: kpolsson@islandnet.com).
    URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/ninvid/
    Link to Ken P's home page.


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