That would be cool. Mario 64 in real stereoscopic 3D would be something else.
I agree, as I said, it’s not the only console to benefit. More so that the N64’s 3 point texture filtering, AA and full-screen horizontal blur lends it to a look that looks plain bad on an LCD which, I suspect, is the lens in which a lot of people are looking through (not to mention people not being able to distinguish images derived from emulation vs direct capture).
Since 2d sprite work has been bought up (A real shame vgdensetsu came to an end, one of my fav sites) it’s worth posting this and how the sub-pixel/‘half-pixel’ technique used in the creation of 2d pixel art animation was used to great effect in 3d games like Vagrant Story:
(Art director Hiroshi Minagawa)
Yes exactly! Vagrant Story, along with Ridge Racer Type 4, are probably the best examples of graphic designers and artists utilising clever texturework to eek out as much detail possible from characters and objects, or simulate lighting effects. And as you point out even that too would have very much been designed to look great on a CRT display given the designers were working around a lack of hardware features like bilinear filtering.
Animal Forest on N64 may well also be one of the few N64 games that translates well to modern displays, at least at lower resolutions, given its very cleverly designed textures combined with the texture filtering. I guess it’s similar to PS2 titles, Capcom’s pixel artists produced great work with BoF: Dragon Quarter, or there’s FFXII, but the hardware features did most of the work at communicating the intent behind the texturework.
Has anyone seen the reflection effects in Genki/Imagineer’s Rally '99? Phwoar!
Was looking at some screenshots of Ganbare Goemon 5 on N64 as it was shown at TGS 1997, and it really reminded me how good N64 games looked when output correctly through print. The textures in the town (furthest right screenshot) have a near-perfect appearance!
I decided that this year will be the year I will finally own an N64. I wanted to have one as a child, but my parents bought me the PS1 instead, because . I ended up loving it of course, but for all this time there was this N64 shaped hole in my heart and I want to do something about it.
Since I’m in Germany I could easily get a PAL one, but due to 50Hz I decided against that. So I’m wondering if I should go for a Japanese or US one? There are definitely some Japanese exclusives that I want to try, but as I don’t speak Japanese I would play the US version of most games I think. AFAIK, the region lock is just the cartridges being shaped differently in the back, so by swapping the back of the cartridge (or by loading a ROM via a flashcart) I could play US games on a Japanese system and vice versa, correct?
I’ve got my eyes on the fire orange one - just look at this beautiful thing, brings you straight back to the 90s
I suppose eBay is my best bet?
Correct, only the cart shape is different. The Japanese version is the most “region free” of the two - all North American games will fit. North American consoles just need two tabs removed to play Japanese games.
Other than the tabs, it’s basically the same hardware.
The biggest challenge is getting your hands on controllers that have decent analogue sticks that aren’t loose by now. If you plan on using OEM controllers - good luck, it may be a bit challenging. They’re definitely out there though. And N64 really feels best on the original controller in my opinion, kind of like Gamecube games on a Gamecube controller.
PS - I still love N64. Just wanted to add that.
Speaking of controllers, has anyone had any hands on experience with those " Brawler64" controllers from Retro Fighters?
If cart cost is also a concern definitely pick up a Japanese model, most games which are expensive in PAL or NTSC-U are significantly cheaper for NTSC-J copies.
I have an orange Brawler64. It’s a very good controller and the stick feels great, for most games I think it’s a good option. However the Z trigger is like a fake analog trigger – it has a lot of throw but still digital which I dont like for say Ocarina of Time where you need to press Z a lot. Also the size and spacing of the face buttons is different from the stock N64 controller, which messes with my muscle memory and felt weird again for say Ocarina of Time where I like to rest my thumb between the A/B and C left/down. Overall I think it’s worth getting but doesnt replace the original like I had hoped it would.
Re: japanese stuff.
For consoles the JP and US consoles are the same region except the tray which has blocking tabs for both regions. You can buy replacement trays on ebay that are blank and support both region games-- very easy non destructive mod.
For color, JP color options are more limited than US. The most common special colors are effectively limited to clear red/frost, clear blue/frost, and daiei hawks clear orange/black. I have the former and latter and like both colors but there’s something about the US style funtastic varients like all green “Jungle Green” that are very appealing.
For controllers, you can get very good condition used controllers on amazon japan shipped worldwide. The N64 wasn’t very successful there and controllers didn’t get overwealmingly beaten to shit by kids like here. Many used consoles will come with multiple controllers so that’s another option.
dang
Thanks for confirming. I’m leaning towards the US model right now simply because of the colour. Is it just me or did prices climb in the recent months? Maybe the orange ones are a bit rarer but I remember them to be cheaper when I checked them out a while ago. Feel so dumb for waiting so long
Good point, Japanese games tend to be cheaper for a lot of systems. Also, I really want to try out that Evangelion game
Right? They look so futuristic and just fun in a very 90s way, they bring me pure joy just looking at them . The Daiei one is beautiful too although I couldn’t justify paying an arm and a leg for that. If I can’t find a clear orange/blue/charcoal one for a reasonable price I‘ll just go for the standard grey one I guess.
I didn’t realize Japan didn’t have the variants. They are definitely cool, but the original grey one is still my favorite.
Hi guys, I want to buy a N64 RGB modded to play on a consumer CRT TV, no deblur wanted, are there any kits to favor for quality ?
Is this good ?
Nintendo 64 N64 RGB us&jp NTSC Cartouche region free non inclus Pull Pack | eBay
I already have a jap N64 for the accessories (+SFC RGB cable from retrogamingcables) and could exchange the body.
That looks pretty decent actually. It looks like he’s using a THS7374 which is the best way to do it, as it has a toggle for a low pass filter on the outputs.
That’s probably what the ON/OFF jumper is for below the chip. For the cleanest output, you’ll want to disable that.
Nice clean install, too. In the item description he says that his auctions are cheaper because the condition of the consoles aren’t perfect, so that’s something you need to consider. Great for you if you plan on swapping out the case.
Looks good… just make sure you choose a seller like this, where they show their work. If there are no good pics of the install, then stay away from that buyer.
Thank you very much
Has anyone used an Everdrive 64 v2.5? Any issues with SD cards?
I have a E64 v2.0 but I just can’t get it working anymore no matter how I format the SD card using many different operating systems and software too. I’m hesitant to drop more cash when I could just hit the same problem but there’s also a few games I’d rather play in NTSC on my PAL console (mainly due to prohibitive PAL prices).
I’ve never had issues with my GB or GBA Everdrives, just the n64 one in particular.
That sucks, does the same happen with other SD cards? might be worth trying the krikzz forum for help, one of the mods might have seen similar issues.
My 2.5 has been fine, I’ve had it for about three years now.