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 iQue Player device | |
| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | iQue |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth |
| Released |
|
| Introductory price | CN¥498 |
| Discontinued | 2016 |
| CPU | MIPS R-4300i @ 140.625 MHz |
| Memory | 8 MB |
| Graphics | SGIRCP @ 62.5 MHz |
| Connectivity | USB (iQue@Home) |
| Best-selling game | Dr. Mario 64 (pack-in game) |
| Related | Nintendo 64 |
| Website | iQue(in Chinese) |
TheiQue Player (Chinese:神游机,romanized: Shén Yóu Jī) is ahandheld TV game version of theNintendo 64 console manufactured byiQue and released exclusively in mainland China. It was developed through ajoint venture betweenNintendo and engineerWei Yen in response to China's ban on the sale of traditional home video game consoles. The system integrates the console hardware into the controller, which connects directly to a television, with a separate accessory enabling multiplayer support. A total of 14 games were released for the device.
Due to the widespreadblack market for video games in China—where consumers often purchasedpirated cartridges or downloaded game files for use withconsole emulators—Nintendo positioned the iQue Player as a secure and relatively affordable official alternative.[1] The iQue Player adopted ahandheld TV game format to circumvent a 2000 ban by theMinistry of Culture on the sale of traditional home video game consoles.[2]
Nintendo established the iQue company in December 2002 as a joint venture with Taiwanese-American engineer Wei Yen, a veteran of prior Nintendo collaborations. Yen had served as Senior Vice President atSilicon Graphics during the early 1990s, where he played a key role in the creation of Project Reality, which later became theNintendo 64.[3]
After leaving Silicon Graphics shortly after its work on Project Reality was complete, Yen established his own company, BroadOn, which would develop the cryptographic security system used in the iQue Player to deter piracy.[3]
The iQue Player was officially announced at theTokyo Game Show in September 2003, with a planned launch in mid-October in major cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, and a broader nationwide rollout scheduled for 2004.[4][5]
To gain approval from theMinistry of Culture and potentially reverse the national ban on home video game consoles, Nintendo emphasized the educational and developmental benefits of gaming in its marketing strategy. The console featured a real-time clock, enabling parents to restrict playtime to specific hours. Upon launching a game, the system displayed a message discouraging prolonged play and encouraging regular breaks.[3]
The launch of the iQue Player was slightly delayed to November 18, 2003, with a limited selection of fivelaunch games.[6][7] Sales of the iQue Player were modest, with estimates ranging between 8,000 and 12,000 units.[8]
The final localized game released for the platform wasAnimal Crossing in 2006.[9] On October 31, 2016, iQue announced that the iQue@Home service would be discontinued by the end of December that year.[10] Servers were gradually deactivated, and all digital distribution services ceased by 2018.
The iQue Player is a compact version of the Nintendo 64, usingsystem-on-a-chip technology to run Nintendo 64 games ported specifically for the system.
The iQue Player has been used inspeedrunning due to its faster loading times and quicker text scrolling compared to the Nintendo 64 versions.[11]
The iQue Player’s library comprises 14 titles, all adapted from Nintendo 64 games previously released in other regions. AlthoughThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was advertised on packaging and promotional materials, it was ultimately cancelled.[12][13]
Games were localized into Chinese with translated text and, in most cases, dubbed voice acting. However, some titles, such as theMario series andSin and Punishment, retained their original English voice tracks. Several releases also incorporated bug fixes and minor gameplay adjustments to account for the iQue Player’s lack of peripheral support, including theRumble Pak.
Game distribution followed a model similar to theFamicom Disk System andNintendo Power cartridge-rewriting service in Japan. Players brought memory cards to "iQue Depot" kiosks in retail stores to have games loaded. In October 2004, iQue@Home was introduced, an early form ofdigital distribution that allowed users to purchase games online and then connect the console to a PC via USB to transfer the title to the memory card.[3]
With both distribution methods, games were tied to a specific console as a form ofdigital rights management (DRM). Newly purchased titles were loaded to memory cards as encrypted files and re-encrypted on first launch using a console-specific private key. This system significantly limited unauthorized copying in a market otherwise characterized by widespread piracy.[3]
The iQue Player was bundled with a memory card that included several games:Dr. Mario 64 was fully playable, whileSuper Mario 64,Star Fox 64,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, andWave Race 64 were available as timed trials. The built-in real-time clock enforced trial limits based on minutes of play time, and full versions could later be unlocked through kiosks or iQue@Home.[3]
| † | Full gameincluded on the bundled memory card. |
| ‡ | Game demo included on the bundled memory card. |
| Original title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Dr. Mario 64 † | November 18, 2003 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ‡ | November 18, 2003 |
| Star Fox 64 ‡ | November 18, 2003 |
| Super Mario 64 ‡ | November 18, 2003 |
| Wave Race 64 ‡ | November 18, 2003 |
| Mario Kart 64 | December 25, 2003 |
| F-Zero X | February 25, 2004 |
| Yoshi's Story | March 25, 2004 |
| Paper Mario | June 8, 2004 |
| Sin and Punishment | September 25, 2004 |
| Excitebike 64 | June 15, 2005[14] |
| Super Smash Bros. | November 15, 2005 |
| Custom Robo | May 1, 2006 |
| Animal Crossing | June 1, 2006 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | Unreleased |
