If you want to see exactly how far gaming has come in 18 years, let's think back to the Nintendo 64, the groundbreaking console that went on sale in the U.S. on Sept. 29, 1996.
To promote the upcoming console, Nintendo sent Nintendo Power subscribers a VHS tape -- because it was 1996 -- that featured a 15-minute commercial. Along with a lot of sight gags, backwards hats and ridiculous one-liners, the video did give players a long look at the upcoming N64 games.
While its easy to laugh at how dated Super Mario 64 looks now, the feeling of seeing Mario on a big, explorable 3D space was thrilling at the time. The video also shows large chunks of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Pilotwings 64. If you stick it out through the whole video, there's even a trailer for Killer Instinct.
So happy birthday, N64. Your graphics may not have aged, but you'll always have a place in our hearts.
BONUS: How Nintendo Shaped 30 Years of U.S. Gaming History