In the early 1990s, years before the start of E3 from the Los Angeles Convention Center in 1995, there was another gathering of like-minded people dedicated to video games. Unlike E3’s industry-wide focus, however, Space World was an event organized by Nintendo to showcase their latest and greatest games.
From 1989 to 2001, Space World was one of those dream events that I wanted to go back to back in the day. While the first day of Space World was only published, everything else was surprisingly left open to the public. This knowledge sunk into my mind, as despite my best efforts, I never reached a single one.
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In retrospect, however, I feel like Space World wasn’t just a typical E3 prelude. Instead, it’s a microcosm of what the industry used to be, and I often think about how things were similar, but strangely different, at that time.
The world of E3 Before E3
In the era before E3, and before Space World, trade shows dedicated to video games were virtually non-existent. Video games sometimes found time at shows like the Consumer Electronics Show, which began in the 1960s, but a show built around games was rare.
In fact, it was very common to see information about new video games at some of the most syndicated tech shows. If you were able to catch shows like Computer Chronicles, there would be segments devoted to video games. Computer Chronicles was where I first saw a lot of video games, and that obviously expanded in the 1990s with shows like Electric Playground and X-Play.
In fact, if you were a fan of video games in the 1970s and ’80s, CES was the place to go to see things for yourself. Video games were exploding, but I don’t think anyone really knew what they were going to be. Indeed, everyone who ran these shows thought that the hardware was the most compelling part. Perhaps it was, but an exhibition built for developers to showcase their new software seemed like the obvious next step.
Generation Run
The first space world still feels shrouded in mystery. Apparently it was held in 1989 in Japan, where Nintendo showed off the SNES and Super Mario World. The details of that event, its location, and who attended appear to have been lost, but Space World will become more public in the years to come.
Throughout the 1990s, Space World was a must-see if you liked Nintendo products. Over the years, Nintendo would use Space World to get eyes on their latest products. They used to be great projects, since Space World is where Nintendo started things like the SNES, the Super FX chip, and the 64DD add-on for the N64.
Video games sometimes found time at shows like the Consumer Electronics Show, which began in the 1960s, but a show built around games was rare.
Even when E3 arrived, Space World continued. It was usually held at the end of the year, anywhere from August to November. It was clearly aimed at E3, but it was also clear that the two shows have different audiences and expectations.
Space World’s run from 1989 to 2001 was nothing short of spectacular. It wasn’t just one, random Nintendo game. It was important, and it felt bigger every year. Although it would skip 1998 due to problems with the 64DD, Space World was a place where Nintendo felt comfortable showing off some of their big upcoming products, including EarthBound 64 and the GameCube.
2001: A Space World Odyssey
The 2001 edition of Space World was the last, but within a decade or so, it would end up being the best iteration. It’s hard to understand what it was like to find news on the Internet from Space World 2001 back in the day, but I have fond memories of the show.
Information from the show floor trickled in, but there were already low-quality versions of the trailers for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine. While Sunshine was seen as something to be enjoyed, The Wind Waker was met with criticism for its new cel-shaded art style. Although it would later go by the dubious nickname Celda, I still hold Wind Waker in high regard as my personal favorite Zelda game of all time.
Space World’s run from 1989 to 2001 was nothing short of spectacular.
It was a really fun time, and no matter what you thought of The Wind Waker’s art direction or Retro turned Samus Aran’s latest adventure into a first-person shooter with Metroid Prime, the conversation was part of the fun. If you were a Nintendo fan, this time of year was like Christmas and your birthday turned out to be one.
Nintendo ended Space World following the 2001 show, as the cost of hosting their event compared to participating in E3 did not make financial sense. Even now, Nintendo’s presence in what we now call E3 season feels very coincidental, as they’ve had their own little version of Space World with Directs all year.
After the death of E3 in 2021, Nintendo always felt very affected. They have been doing their own dedicated shows, either Space World or Directs, since the 1980s. They have adapted to new technologies and streaming methods, while Sony and Microsoft have recently come up with the concept of what we know as Nintendo Direct. It’s fair to say that Space World laid the groundwork for that.
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