Nintendo secured a deal for exclusive Star Wars games here:
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/110498/LF0065.shtml#.WPC5B7vysUs
This was a big deal for it's time, I remember seeing this on the news that Nintendo had secured a deal with LucasArts for an Episode I game (which at that time was supposed to be the mother of all movies). Actually I think Nintendo had a deal even before this, prior to the N64 LucasArts was signed up a "Dream Team" developer for Shadows of the Empire and had rights to use Star Wars characters on its packaging and what not.
Kobe Bryant and Ken Griffey Jr. were arguably 2/3 most popular/marketable athletes of their time, only Michael Jordan would be bigger, I would say that was a pretty big get.
Sony got a lot of exclusivity deals because why wouldn't you sign an exclusivity deal with Sony? You couldn't make your game on the N64 anyway because of the cartridge format, so why not get a break on licensing fees or some free advertising deal with Sony? By about 97 it was clear the Sega Saturn was a fucking disaster so you were better getting some sweetheart deal with Sony rather than keeping your options open for a ... Saturn port that no one would care about. I would've signed an exclusivity deal with Sony too if I was a developer, because why not? Might as well squeeze them for a sweeter deal, it's not like you were going to make money anywhere else.
Even with the terrible cartridge format Nintendo had started to chip away at Sony's hold, they got Capcom to give them RE2 and even sign up for an exclusive Resident Evil 0, which would move on to the GameCube. Namco also buried the hatchet with Nintendo and let them make a Ridge Racer game for the N64 by 2000. By then of course the damage done was so severe that it was of little help to the N64, poor guy had suffered terribly.
N64 got other exclusives too, even from EA, like Beetle Adventure Racing.
And no, 2D games would not have helped Nintendo. At that time, 3D was it or bust, Sega tried to push 2D games on the Saturn and it was a disaster. People were too enamored with 3D in those early years, it would take several more years for 2D to come back in vogue. CD was the answer, if they had CD they would have murdered Sony IMO. Straight up murdered them.
