The Nintendo 64 101: A guide to the N64 

Introduction to the guide!

Contained in this guide is a wealth of information on everything you need to know about owning and successfully operating your Nintendo 64. Your not going to find information about where to buy or look for the Nintendo 64 or it's games. The goal is to write a comprehensive guide on what the system is and what it can do, as well as tips on the things you might need to get started using it. I've included info on everything officially manufactured by Nintendo for use with the Nintendo 64. Here's what you can expect to see in this guide:

* A condenced history of the "fun machine" itself.....* Details on every Nintendo 64 system release as well as info on minor system revisions.....* Learn what came in the original retail box.....* Learn all about the N64 controller.....* Ways to play using your controllers.....* details on officialy produced system accessories.....* Tips on hooking your system up to the right TV.       

A small history of the Nintendo 64...

The Nintendo 64 launched in the western half of the world in September, 1996 retailing for approximately 199.99$ USD.  Two launch titles were immediately available (Super Mario 64, Pilot Wings 64) and both retailed for 69.99$ USD. The contents of the N64 system in 1996 included a black N64 control deck, an AC power adapter, standard  RCA composite A/V cables, 1 light grey controller, Safety and precautions manual, a N64 instruction booklet, and the 4MB jumper pak pre installed in the control deck. The Nintendo 64 was heavily touted as being the world's first "true" video game console featuring a 64-bit processor. Previously, there had been two other vendors in the market that staked this bold claim before Nintendo 64. The Commodore 64 tried to make this claim but had been criticized for it's loosely translated system specifications; it featured a 64-bit picture processing unit but not a true 64-bit computer processing unit. The Atari Jaguar featured two separate 32-bit CPU's and not a "true" 64-bit one. Atari Jaguar's specs are still validly debated to this day with some feeling that two 32-bit cpu's are good enough to equate to a 64, others however will always view the Nintendo 64 as being the first undisputed 64-bit system. The Nintendo 64 had been code named project reality in production before later being called the Nintendo Ultra Sixy Four. It is for this reason that the official model numbers on all N64 hardware and software would have an NUS product tag. It housed the most advanced CPU in a video game system in it's time featuring Silicon based graphics. However, memory storage was an issue due to space limitations of the cartridge based format. And because of this major limitation, the 64-bit CPU often did not live up to it's expectations. Cost of production was higher than ever before, and Nintendo had to charge more for it's software to keep the profit margin respectable. Most Playstation games retailed for 49.99$ new, while N64 software generally ran anywhere from 49.99$-69.99$. To make matters worse, Nintendo was losing third party support from major developers like Square Enix likely because Sony's CD based unit had become the more cost efficient system to produce for with a higher profit margin. Due to the expense and programming nighmare the N64 had become, game developers were either afraid to take chances, or they simply could not produce parts fast enough to meet the standards. This meant that newer releases were few and far in between. Overall, the Nintendo 64 released over 292 N. American titles from 1996-2002. Harry Potter and The Chamber of secrets was the last game ever produced for the N64. Regardless of Nintendo's failure to evolve from the cartridge format, the N64's success cannot be argued. It is best known for breaking ground into the 3-D gaming world, and it's analog controllers are often recognized as a gaming revolution. It's thumb stick while criticized for the nature of it's quality at times, was highly praised for it's accuracy and the level of gameplay that had become possible using it. Most of all however, The Nintendo 64 is best remembered for it's critical first and second party software releases. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Turok: The Dinosaur Hunter, Goldeneye 007...to name a few. The Nintendo 64 may be considered out dated at this point (in gaming or computer terms) but the scope of quality gameplay and the high level of interaction it's games can still yet provide, make the N64 an instant retro classic.               

[[The Nintendo 64 Funtastic series]]                         [[The original N64 (Black)]]

        [[released in 2000]]                                    [[featuring all original controller colors]]

[[Gold Edition N64]]                                                        [[Special Pikachu Edition N64]]

[[Toys R us exclusive release]]                                    [[bundled with Hey You Pikachu game]]

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Inside the N64 box: What you would normaly expect to get when you buy a Nintendo 64

x1 Nintendo 64 control Deck.....x1 AC power adapter.....x1 matching colored controller.....x1 standard RCA composite A/V cables.....x1 Health and saftey precautions manual.....x1 Nintendo 64 instruction booklet..... x1 basic 4MB jumper pak preinstalled in control deck.....x1 Nintendo Power magazine susbscription pamphlet.

The control deck, controller, and inserts are packed into a styrophome container to protect the system. the booklets and the cords are usually located in small plastic wrappings.

The N64 hardware: original retail deals and systems as released by Nintendo 

The Nintendo 64 debuted in 1996 in it's basic color which was black. It came bundled with a basic light grey controller. By the Christmas of 1998, most black N64 consoles were being bundled with an additional atomic purple controller along side the grey one. Toys R us got an exclusive deal through Nintendo to release a gold edition Nintendo 64. It came with a matching gold controller. Nintendo later released a special Donkey Kong 64 bundle which included a translucent jungle green system with a matching colored controller, the Donkey Kong 64 game pak, and the 8MB expansion pak which replaced the 4MB jumper pak. Considering that most people at the time were showing  interest in the DK64 bundle more than any other N64 bundle package, Nintendo decided to take the concept one step further. They introduced the funtastic series lineup in 2000 which features 6 brilliantly colored see through systems. Jungle green which was previously packed with the DK 64 game pak was now being sold individually. A special Starwars Episode I bundle was made available at most big chain retailers for a limited time. It was a basic black N64 with a grey controller and included the Star Wars Episode I: Racers game pak. The retail box was pitch black with the Episode I logo printed on it. The Funtastic series are perhaps the most common Nintendo 64 system versions available outside of the typical black units. The Funtastic series features the following editions: 

Jungle Green-Smoke Black-Atomic Purple- Ice Blue-Fire Orange-Watermellon Red

Each of the funtastic systems came packaged with one matching controller and all of the standard N64 inserts including the basic jumper pak. There is virtually no difference in how the systems play N64 titles. On an interesting note: During the life span of the Nintendo 64 console, Nintendo customized the motherboard at least 4 times. Mostly this was to eliminate cost in production by scaling down the number of unnecessary components found on the motherboard. While this had no spectacular impact on system performance at all, it did eliminate RGB video compatability. RGB is a video output found commonly in europe but is less popular in N. American society. It utilizes a SCART connection not found on many USA model Televisions. Considering it's lack of importance coupled with the added cost to install the components for RGB output, Nintendo stripped the N. American units of this capability. For this reason alone, console mod enthusiats prefer the earlier basic black machines which still had RGB compatability. It's important to note that the funtastic series N64 systems are the fourth and final revision motherboards, and do not feature RGB output. No ammount of minor modification can retain RGB in these units either. Additionally, even the earliest released N64 units require modification for RGB to be useable, as well as the proper connections once modified. 

The Revolutionairy controller: A few words on the N64 controller...what it is and what it does

The Nintendo 64 can support up to 4 input devices for 4 player simultaneous action. The input device itself  is a rather large "wing" grip shaped controller designed to accomodate multiple playing positions. It's Nintendo's largest manufactured controller to date, including the more recent controllers for Gamecube and Wii. There are three basic playing positions for the left handed and right handed player alike.You do not need to worry about having to operate the Digital pad AND the analog thumbstick in most cases. There are a total of 12 functional buttons all of which are very commonly used depending on the games you play: dark grey directional pad (D-pad), red START button, green B button, blue A button, 4 yellow C buttons, dark grey L and R buttons (left and right buttons) white analog thumbstick, and a dark grey Z button. The default hand position most commonly used with the controller is the "right hand position".The player grips the middle and right side prongs from this position, accessing the analog thumbstick for general motion. Your controller supports additional accessory software which includes a memory card for saving games or options, a force feedback for realistic vibration by using a rumble pak, or even to transfer data from the Game Boy Color into a Nintendo 64 game itself via the transfer pak.

The analog stick is ideal for 3-D gaming as it makes movement in all directions smooth and quite natural. The D-pad is best utilized in 2-D side scrolling games, arcade classics, or for general menu navigation. The C buttons are commonly applied to camera management though they can have other functions too. The C buttons themselves usually act as support buttons overall, requiring an occassional tap to adjust an angle or use an item. The Z button is one of the more popular buttons outside of the traditional A,B, START button, and analog stick. In shooter games, Z button is a natural selection for firing weapons. Almost every N64 title will require the A,B, START, and Z buttons along with the analog stick. The L and R buttons are natural support buttons commonly used to toggle pages in a menu or to aim a weapon before firing in a shooter. Rarely is it that the L an R buttons get used as the main button configuration. 

Playing with the N64 controller: Learning the three common positions

The three hand positions are almost never used together in the same game, though a few buttons located on the D-pad are functional when playing games that require analog motion. In a football game for example, you'll be moving players around with the analog stick. But the D-pad can substitute as a functioning button for menus in the game. This is because the D-pad offers more precise menu navigation than the analog stick can. The three hand positions are: LEFT HAND-RIGHT HAND- HOME. In the LEFT HAND position, players grip the left side prong and the middle prong. The right hand operates the analog stick and Z button, while the left hand can access the D-pad and the L button. The left hand position is the least used of the three hand positions. In the RIGHT HAND position, the player grips the middle and right side prongs. The right hand accesses the A,B,C buttons,and the R button at the top of the controller. The left hand is in charge of the analog stick and the Z button located at your index finger's tip in the back side of the middle prong. This is the most common hand position. The HOME position is specially designed to accomodate 2-dimensional side scrolling games or arcade classics in general. The player grips the left and right side prongs accessing the D-pad, the A,B,C buttons, and the L and R buttons. The analog stick and Z button is left vacant in this position.

N64 controller accessory support: learning other options your controllers and system gives you

The Nintendo 64 was designed to accept accessories by way of a cartridge slot located at the back of the controller. Mostly these accessories were sold separately from the system itself though some retail chains could include bundled deals. The controllers can accept such devices as a RUMBLE PAK, a CONTOLLER PAK, and the TRANSFER PAK. Third party companies manufactured other devices as well. In all cases save for the Transfer pak, the accessories ran off their own power sources rather than recieving it through the controller. The Rumble pak required two AAA alkaline batteries, and the controller pak uses a CR2032 lithium type battery. These accessories allow for players to save game data, enjoy realistic force feedback features, and to allow the Game Boy Color to interact with the Nintendo 64.

[[Controller pak]]                                                                              [[Rumble pak]]

[[256kb memory storage]]                                                                [[force feedback]]

   [[Transfer pak]]

                                                     [[Transfers data from GBC to N64]]

The Controller pak is a battery backed memory card add on to the Nintendo 64 controller. It allows for the saving of game data onto the controller pak so that players can later upload this data into another game pak.  The idea is that there is no way to swap information between cartridges as could be found present in the Playstation memory card system. So the controller pak was designed to allow this function. It features 256 kb file storage capacity which translates to 123 "notes". Not all games require the controller pak be default because most cartridges support their own battery backed storage medium. Super Mario 64 for example can save game position without the need for the controller pak add on. Other games can save the players current position, but requires the controller pak to save custom content like costumes created by the player for example. And some games rely exclusively on it to save data. The original retail box displayed all Nintendo 64 accessories supported by that game. 

The Rumble pak was originally introduced in 1998, included with the game Star Fox 64. It was later sold separately as well for around 24.99$. The rumble pak was wildly successful and marks another notable achievement by Nintendo in gaming history. It provided realistic vibrations in the player's hands. Reacting to the action on screen, it rumbled anytime a player encountered big explosions or took a hit in game. Controllers these days integrate the rumble feature into the controller as a standard practice. But Nintendo's rumble pak deserves credit for raising the bar on how we interact with our games. It requires 2 AAA batteries to operate (and yes the batteries were sold separately).

The transfer pak was introduced as a stand alone accessory for the Pokemon Stadium series. It was packed in with the original Pokemon Stadium game pak. Players can attach the transfer pak into their controllers and then load a Game Boy Color game into the cartirdge slot of the transfer pak. Intitally the idea was to allow a player to upload a pokemon from their Game Boy Color pokemon games into the Pokemon Stadium game pak. Nintendo however, decided to include other interesting ways to have the Game Boy Color interact with the Nintendo 64 console. A hand full of titles such as Perfect Dark and Mario Golf supported transfer pak features. These features generally included unlocking bonus levels or special content not otherwise accessible.

Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak: Tapping into the 64's potential

Sometime in 1998 it was becoming well known that the cartridge based system was showing it's limitations. The CD based Playstation system was producing fully rendered CGI movie segments which it could integrate into gameplay. Players were treated to stunning movie clips and superior music quality as the result of the system's ability to store memory. In Japan, Nintendo decided to create a memory storage add on to address the short comings it's system faced. They created the Nintendo DD or Disk Drive. a bulky black device which attached to the high speed serial port on the bottom of the N64 and accepted magnetic disk cartridges. This unit enhanced memory storage capabilities for the Nintendo 64 by triple the amount the N64 was capable of alone. The expansion pak was required to allow the Nintendo 64 DD to operate. Unfortunately the device met with commercial failure in Japan and it never shipped to the western world. The expansion pak however, DID ship. This accessory slides into the front of the control deck replacing the basic 4 MB jumper pak to provide 8 MB RAM memory total. With this device, it was possible to enhance the maximum resolution or to add more textures to the games programmed to support it. Sometimes games could allow for larger environments as well. Only 2 games were ever produced for the Nintendo 64 that soley relied on the expansion pak in order to play. They were Donkey Kong 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Many other games are visually enhanced by it, but do not require it for gameplay. Regardless, the expansion pak was a total replacement for the jumper pak and can run all Nintendo 64 games. It came bundled with Donkey Kong 64 intially but was later sold separately for a price tag of 35.99$