Just one week after the Japanese launch, the first imported Nintendo 64 machines hit the UK High Street three years ago this week. Selling almost entirely through the more switched-on independent retailers, the N64 cost the 'early adopter,', as the games industry insists on calling them, anywhere between £450 and £800. HMV were the only chain store to dip their toe in the water, offering the console with Mario 64 for £699.

Imported software was also fetching premium prices; £149 for Pilot Wings, for example. Sales were brisk, with one small independent retailer reporting sales of 50 machines in the first week, not least because, farcically, there was still no definite date for the official UK launch. At the time, Nintendo's UK agents, THE Games, were still hoping for, and publicly quoting, a 'late autumn' release date but rivals Sony and Sega poured scorn on this confused optimism.

"There are now very serious doubts about Nintendo's future in Europe," commented Phil Harrison, Sony's European Director of Communications. "It's obviously in a section of their map that says 'There Be Dragons'. They don't understand it and it's clearly not a priority". Sega's European marketing manager, Andy Mee, was even more dismissive: "By the time the machine does arrive both ourselves and Sony will have head starts of literally millions and I just can't see Nintendo making up that sort of ground". Well, he was right about the latter, if wildly off the mark with his prediction for Saturn's sales.

The official UK launch for the N64 finally took place on March 1 1997, with a price tag of £249, but this too generated into farce. Initial sales were good but they soon tapered off, prompting a viscous price cut on May 1 to £149. Although this was welcomed by the trade, the general public were furious. Nintendo's carefully cultivated 'nice' image was rubbished by both the tabloids and consumer programmes such as Watchdog. How dare Nintendo betray the very people who had supported them by buying the machine at its initial price? (Forget the really early adopters who'd seen their 'investment' depreciate by 75 per cent!).

Damage limitation became the order of the day as registered owners who complained were offered freebies - memory cards, extra joypads and even games (if they were very vocal) - to placate them. Despite all the above, and - even now - the lack of quality software titles, the N64 is still the console of choice for many gamers, with unique games such as Mario 64, Zelda, GoldenEye and Mario Kart still wowing us...