Editing IQue Player

{{short description|Chinese home video game console}}
{{About|the home console|other iQue products|iQue}}
{{primary sources|date=December 2017}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox console
| name = iQue Player
| logo = Logo of iQue Player.png
| image = Nintendo-N64-iQue-Player-FL.jpg
| caption = iQue Player console/controller
| developer = [[Nintendo]]
| manufacturer = [[iQue]]
| type = [[Home video game console]]
| generation = [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth]]
| cpu = [[R4200#R4300i|MIPS R-4300i]]
| CPUspeed = 140.625&nbsp;[[MHz]]
| memory = 8&nbsp;MB
| graphics = [[Silicon Graphics|SGI]] [[Nintendo 64#Technical_specifications|RCP]] @ 62.5&nbsp;MHz
| discontinued = 2016
| connectivity = USB (iQue@Home)
| related = [[Nintendo 64]]
| website = [http://www.ique.com/products/M_Player.htm iQue] {{in lang|zh}}
| releasedate = {{vgrelease|CHN|November 18, 2003}}
| price = {{Chinese yuan|498|link=yes}}
| location = <!-- GPS or Wi-Fi based -->
| service = 
| topgame = ''[[Dr. Mario 64]]'' ([[pack-in game]])
}}
The '''iQue Player''' ({{Langx|zh|神游机|Shén Yóu Jī|God Gaming Machine}}) is a [[handheld TV game]] version of the [[Nintendo 64]] console manufactured by [[iQue]] and released exclusively in China. It was developed as a [[joint venture]] between [[Nintendo]] and [[Wei Yen]] following China's ban on the sale of home video game consoles. The console and controller are a single unit that plugs directly into a television, with a multiplayer accessory sold separately.<ref>[http://www.ique.com/machine_bb_gyh.htm iQue Ltd.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705093324/http://www.ique.com/machine_bb_gyh.htm|date=2007-07-05}}</ref>

The first part of its [[Chinese language|Chinese]] name, ''Shén Yóu,'' is a [[double entendre]] meaning "to make a mental journey." 

==History==
===Development===
Due to the widespread [[black market]] for video games in China—where consumers often purchased [[pirated]] cartridges or downloaded game files for use with [[console emulator]]s—Nintendo sought to offer a secure and affordable official alternative.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-30 |title=IQue Hardware - Nintendo iQue Player Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/nintendo-ique-player/IQue_Hardware |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=IGN}}</ref> The iQue Player adopted a handheld plug-and-play format to circumvent a 2000 ban by the [[Ministry of Culture (China)|Ministry of Culture]] on the sale of traditional home video game consoles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nintendo iQue Player: A Beginner's Guide – RetroGaming with Racketboy |url=https://racketboy.com/retro/nintendo-ique-player-a-beginners-guide |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=racketboy.com}}</ref>

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 at [[Silicon Graphics]] during the early 1990s, where he played a key role in the creation of Project Reality, which later became the [[Nintendo 64]]. His company, BroadOn, developed the cryptographic security system used in the iQue Player to deter piracy.

Although early development plans considered support for [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], and Nintendo 64 titles, the final product was limited to Nintendo 64 games.

The iQue Player was officially announced at the [[Tokyo 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calvert |first=Justin |date=September 25, 2003 |title=New Nintendo console for China |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gba/news/news_6075768.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031008164643/https://www.gamespot.com/gba/news/news_6075768.html/ |archive-date=October 8, 2003 |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 25, 2003 |title=iQue |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/25/ique |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

To gain approval from the [[Ministry of Culture (China)|Ministry 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.

The launch of the iQue Player was slightly delayed to November 18, 2003, with a limited selection of five [[launch game]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calvert |first=Justin |date=November 13, 2003 |title=Nintendo iQue Player spotted |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-ique-player-spotted/1100-6083370/ |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><ref name="iquereleasedate2">{{Cite web |title=iQue PLAYER优惠套装上海试卖，五款精品游戏同步发售！ |trans-title=iQue Player Discount Set Trial Sale in Shanghai, Five High-quality Games Released Simultaneously! |url=http://www.ique.com/news/game_news_031118.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051225021132if_/http://www.ique.com/news/game_news_031118.htm |archive-date=December 25, 2005 |access-date=March 15, 2023 |publisher=[[iQue]] |language=Chinese}}</ref><ref name="iquereleasedate2" /> Sales of the iQue Player were modest, with estimates ranging between 8,000 and 12,000 units.<ref>{{Cite web |title=《记录》第17期：神游中国（上） - 触乐 |url=http://www.chuapp.com/article/251110.html |access-date=2017-03-01 |website=www.chuapp.com |language=en}}</ref>

The final localized game released for the platform was ''[[Animal Crossing (video game)|Animal Crossing]]'' in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=iQue |url=http://www.ique.com/news_games.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028053427/http://www.ique.com/news_games.htm |archive-date=2007-10-28 |access-date=2007-10-28}}</ref> On October 31, 2016, iQue announced that the iQue@Home service would be discontinued by the end of December that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-31 |script-title=zh:神游机服务终止通知 |trans-title=Notice of Discontinuation |url=http://ique.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224034443/http://ique.com/ |archive-date=2018-02-24 |access-date=2016-11-01 |website=iQue |language=zh}}</ref> Servers were gradually deactivated, and all digital distribution services ceased by 2018.

==Technical details==
[[File:Nintendo-iQue-Motherboard-inSystem.jpg|thumb|iQue Player motherboard]]
The iQue Player is a compact version of the Nintendo 64, using [[system-on-a-chip]] technology to run Nintendo 64 games ported specifically for the system.

* Processor: [[R4200#R4300i|MIPS R-4300i]] 64-bit CPU @ 140.625&nbsp;MHz
* Memory: 16&nbsp;MB [[DDR SDRAM]], 8&nbsp;MB usable
* Graphics: 100,000 [[Polygon mesh|polygons]] per second, 2.09 million colors
* Sound: ADPCM 64
The iQue Player has been used in [[speedrunning]] due to its faster loading times and quicker text scrolling compared to the Nintendo 64 versions.<ref name="Gamerant Ocarina">{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Christopher |date=2015-05-09 |title=Gamer Sets New World Record for 'Ocarina of Time' Speedrun |url=https://gamerant.com/world-record-ocarina-of-time-speedrun-skater82297/ |publisher=Gamerant}}</ref>

==Games==
[[File:Nintendo-iQue-Memory-Card.jpg|thumb|iQue game memory card]]
The iQue Player’s library comprises 14 titles, all based on Nintendo 64 games previously released in other regions. Although ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'' was advertised on packaging and promotional materials, it was ultimately cancelled.<ref name="youtube.com">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/eGT7lRptA3c Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130214105616/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGT7lRptA3c Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web |date=24 August 2011 |title=Nintendo iQue Player - History and Hardware Overview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGT7lRptA3c |website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="NS cites iQue Player's Majora's Mask">{{Cite web |last=Lim |first=Gabriel |date=October 16, 2018 |title=China's iQue Player Was Originally Supposed To Get Zelda: Majora's Mask |url=https://nintendosoup.com/chinas-ique-player-was-originally-supposed-to-get-zelda-majoras-mask/ |access-date=February 2, 2019 |website=NintendoSoup}}</ref>

Games were localized into Chinese with translated text and, in most cases, dubbed voice acting. However, some titles, such as the ''Mario'' series and ''[[Sin and Punishment]]'', retained their original English voice tracks. Several games also included minor bug fixes and gameplay adjustments to account for the iQue Player’s lack of peripheral support, including the [[Rumble Pak]].

Game distribution followed a model similar to the [[Famicom Disk System]] and [[Nintendo Power (cartridge)|Nintendo Power]] cartridge rewriting service in Japan. Users would bring their memory cards to retail iQue Depot kiosks to download games directly. In October 2004, Nintendo introduced iQue@Home, allowing users to connect the console to a PC via USB and download games from iQue’s servers.

With either system, games were bound to a specific console, a form of [[digital rights management]] (DRM). Games were downloaded to memory cards as encrypted files and re-encrypted on first launch using a console-specific private key. This system proved highly effective at deterring piracy, even in one of the world's most piracy-prone markets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=H |first=Marshall |date=May 6, 2018 |title=iQue technical information |url=https://retroactive.be/personal/ique/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=retroactive.be}}</ref>

The iQue Player was bundled with a memory card containing several games. [[Dr. Mario 64|''Dr. Mario 64'']] was fully playable, while ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', ''[[Star Fox 64]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', and ''[[Wave Race 64]]'' were limited-time trials. The built-in real-time clock enforced trial limits based on minutes of play time. Full versions could later be purchased at kiosks or via iQue@Home without redownloading.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Key
|-
| bgcolor="#FFFF99" style="text-align:center;"| †
| Full game [[Pack-in game|included]] on the bundled memory card.
|-
| bgcolor="#FFE2E6" style="text-align:center;"| ‡
| [[Game demo]] included on the bundled memory card.
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Original title
!Release date
|-
|bgcolor="#FFFF99"|''[[Dr. Mario 64]]'' †
|November 18, 2003
|-
|bgcolor="#FFE2E6"|''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' ‡
|November 18, 2003
|-
|bgcolor="#FFE2E6"|''[[Star Fox 64]]'' ‡
|November 18, 2003
|-
|bgcolor="#FFE2E6"|''[[Super Mario 64]]'' ‡
|November 18, 2003
|-
|bgcolor="#FFE2E6"|''[[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 (video game)|Paper Mario]]''
|June 8, 2004
|-
|''[[Sin and Punishment]]''
|September 25, 2004
|-
|''[[Excitebike 64]]''
|June 15, 2005<ref>{{Cite web |title=iQue |url=http://www.ique.com/game.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212101459/http://www.ique.com/game.htm |archive-date=2006-02-12 |access-date=2006-02-12}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. (video game)|Super Smash Bros.]]''
|November 15, 2005
|-
|''[[Custom Robo (Nintendo 64)|Custom Robo]]''
|May 1, 2006
|-
|''[[Animal Crossing (video game)|Animal Crossing]]'' 
|June 1, 2006
|}

==See also==
*[[Video gaming in China]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.ique.com/products/M_Player.htm iQue Player website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111232106/https://www.ique.com/products/M_Player.htm |date=2019-11-11 }} {{in lang|zh}}
*[http://www.ique.com/products/M_athome.htm iQue@Home page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408060033/http://www.ique.com/products/M_athome.htm |date=2018-04-08 }} {{in lang|zh}}

{{Nintendo 64}}
{{nintendo hardware|}}
{{Fifth generation game consoles}}

[[Category:Nintendo 64]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles|IQue]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 2003]]
[[Category:Discontinued video game consoles]]
[[Category:IQue consoles]]
[[Category:Online video game services]]
[[Category:Nintendo consoles]]
[[Category:MIPS-based video game consoles]]