I just "region modded" my N64, what games should I get?

[nopepper]

People can enjoy their Nintendo's Version of the SuperGrafx or PCFX all they want.  It doesn't mean it's a great machine with a powerhouse library lol.

Now come on, no reason to bring up the Virtual Boy to this conversation.

[ClodBusted]

.

Wave Race 64 is amazing. However the Cube version is even better.

No. Just no.

Why not?

Because reasons.

[CrackTiger]

The N64 library's much narrower variety is comprised mostly of the kinds of games in which framerates have a much larger impact. Games like Riglord Sagas, Daisenryakus, Megami Tenseis, Final Fantasys, etc literally din't have their gameplay affected by lower framerates. Unlike all of those N64'ified/cart compromised versions of traditional games and genres, where everything they can get away with and too much they didn't was forced to be realtime 3D and the rest are pretty much all reliant on realtime 3D gameplay.

Framerate issues also have a much bigger impact and are much more noticeable when they're rendering visuals with minimal detail and variety, which is then distorted with several layers of filtering and reduced draw distance due to fog. It's bad enough when you're struggling to discern what onscreen is shooting at you. Anything less than a smooth framerate just kills it altogether.

Maybe, but none of the games I like in the system, sans Starfox, really suffer from choppy frame rates, or at least enough to distract against gameplay (such as Waverace). The only FPS that I find playable, and it's pretty great, is Doom 64. I thought the Turoks were sloppy even when they were new, and Goldeneye/PD are unplayable today (unless you are a millenial).

I was just responding to your comment about why framerate comes up so much in N64 discussion. I didn't bother pointing out that your notion of Playstation games making Saturn games "look like shit" doesn't make sense, especially within the context of framerate.

I also selectively like N64 games that happen to have more balanced visuals to compliment what's underneath, but the N64 fans who get super defensive in these kinds of discussions always bring up lists of lame N64 games and nonsense like "only blurring" matters.

[Arkhan Asylum]

When you respond over and over again with "It sucks!", that is what you're saying.

no, when I reply with "it sucks", that means it sucks.

That doesn't mean you can't enjoy something that sucks.  The people enjoying it admit it sucks too.  Taco Bell sucks and we all eat it.

If you want to imply new meanings to justify your eyeroll emoji, that's not our problem. 

back to it now,

Was there ever any interviews discussing why there weren't more 2Dish games like Mischief Makers? 

Why didn't they try more things like that since it was being successful on the other platforms?

There probably could have been some really well done 2D games, and the dumbassed N64 controller would've been pretty good for them.

You had Kirby/Tarzan/Mischief Makers, and that was it?  I can't think of any other 2D with 3D graphics platformers.

Oh.  Paper Mario.

And more Wonder Project J2-esque stuff would've probably been a great time.

It might have made Quest 64 actually good if that's how it was presented....

I just don't get it.   The PS1 and Saturn were cranking out 2D games and they were still being bought left and right.   Why'd Nintendo basically go "fuck that shit.  we need some really crapped up 3D instead"

[nopepper]

I was just responding to your comment about why framerate comes up so much in N64 discussion. I didn't bother pointing out that your notion of Playstation games making Saturn games "look like shit" doesn't make sense, especially within the context of framerate.

I also selectively like N64 games that happen to have more balanced visuals to compliment what's underneath, but the N64 fans who get super defensive in these kinds of discussions always bring up lists of lame N64 games and nonsense like "only blurring" matters.

Sorry, my point did not come across clearly. When I wrote this: "If we are going to compare PSX's library to N64, then of course the N64 will look like shit. But the same can be said of the Saturn. That doesn't mean the Saturn sucks. Or the N64.", I was merely talking about the breadth and quality of the library, and not in context to the visuals and frame rates.

Out of curiosity, and perhaps to put this back in topic with the OP, what N64 games do you enjoy?

[nopepper]

.

Wave Race 64 is amazing. However the Cube version is even better.

No. Just no.

Why not?

Because reasons.

Oukey.

[nopepper]

Was there ever any interviews discussing why there weren't more 2Dish games like Mischief Makers? 

Why didn't they try more things like that since it was being successful on the other platforms?

There probably could have been some really well done 2D games, and the dumbassed N64 controller would've been pretty good for them.

You had Kirby/Tarzan/Mischief Makers, and that was it?  I can't think of any other 2D with 3D graphics platformers.

Oh.  Paper Mario.

And more Wonder Project J2-esque stuff would've probably been a great time.

It might have made Quest 64 actually good if that's how it was presented....

I just don't get it.   The PS1 and Saturn were cranking out 2D games and they were still being bought left and right.   Why'd Nintendo basically go "fuck that shit.  we need some really crapped up 3D instead"

I dont remember ever reading anything specific to why Nintendo did not release more 2D type games, but they also made stuff like Yoshis Story and Kirby, so don't think they were completely against it (like Sony USA during the PSX's initial run).

I think it all goes back to the decision of going with cartridges, which alienated 3rd party developers and thus limited the number of games released, which consequently limited the number of 2D games. I reckon the other factor was that sprite based fighting games, which constituted a great proportion of 2D games during that era just didn't fit into the N64's architecture and especially the controller.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Fighting games in general on an n64 controller is a stupid life choice. 

You can almost get away with it, but the C button setup is just a little too off for it to work right because the sizes change and it's just odd.

Enix was a two-hit wonder for n64, and only one of the two got released here.

I guess they might have just thought "wow fuck this brb making Star Ocean 2 on PS1!"

The epics they wanted to make would've required giant carts.   Dragon Quest 7 was two discs on a PSX.

that would've been idiotic as a cartridge probably..

[ClodBusted]

When I see and play 2D games like Kirby 64, Mischief Makers and Yoshis Story, I knew I had to make some harsh comments to participate in this discussion and pat myself on the back. But I'm no good at this, even though I'm trying to convince myself.
Instead, I played Kirby and Yoshi on the Wii VC, with mixed feelings. But then I've got to admit that I prefer Super Mario World and all the old Super Mario Bros. games over Yoshi's Island any day (bite me).

Regarding the PS1, I use it mainly for 2D games. Shooters, Puzzle and Castlevania. The majority of them being Japanese imports. 3D? Oh well, Tekken 3, Silent Hill and Ridge Racer 4, that's it. Let me tell you that teh JP version of R4 sucks bad due to the lack of Dualshock analog stick support, I had to learn it the hard way. Now I've got both the JP and US version of that game, and no one is stupid enough to buy the JP version from me.

[PukeSter]

Kirby 64 and Mischief Makers are classics. I love mixing and matching abilities in Kirby, there are some super fun combinations. Mischief Makers is fast, fluid, and the shake shake is a fun gimmick.

I'm iffy on Yoshi's story. It's a lot worse than the original, but it strangely has an arcadey pick up and play quality, with the special scores and tons of branching pathes.

[ClodBusted]

To me, Kirby 64 is just a tad too slow and graphically unappealing, even when compared to NES' Kirby's Adventure.

I can agree with your statement about Yoshi's Story.

[NecroPhile]

no, when I reply with "it sucks", that means it sucks.

That doesn't mean you can't enjoy something that sucks.  The people enjoying it admit it sucks too.  Taco Bell sucks and we all eat it.

If you want to imply new meanings to justify your eyeroll emoji, that's not our problem. 

Okay. 

I just don't get it.   The PS1 and Saturn were cranking out 2D games and they were still being bought left and right.   Why'd Nintendo basically go "fuck that shit.  we need some really crapped up 3D instead"

Probably for the same reason Sony denied 2D games for so long to NA or why NEC pushed FMV with the PC-FX: they thought they knew what the consumer wanted and were reluctant to admit they're wrong...  kinda like some people here. 

[Arkhan Asylum]

Probably for the same reason Sony denied 2D games for so long to NA or why NEC pushed FMV with the PC-FX: they thought they knew what the consumer wanted and were reluctant to admit they're wrong...  kinda like some people here. 

Yeah I'm wrong about your made up scenario while the rest of us are just talking about the n64 and stuff. 

lol. nailed it.   

PS1 had a steady stream of 2D games from launch onward, anyways, didn't it?  Were there large gaps between JP vs. NA releases for games outside of the usual translation delays?

My problem with Kirby 64 is that it was fugly. It lost all of it's crisp, cartoony look in favor of jaggedLand and the Blurbushes.

So it plays OK but looks terrible, so you wonder why you're even playing it.

I think that's one of the most disappointing things is the n64 has all the cartridgey-feelies you expect, but then you're bombarded with ass-visuals mostly.

EDIT: You know what else was disappointing?

Castlevania 64.

I borrowed my friends n64 to play that and couldn't believe how sad that shit made me feel.  I wanted to like it, but it basically felt like a rollercoaster that goes up really high for a second, and then just turns into a monorail until you slash your throat and jump off the side of it

[PukeSter]

It's still kinda surprising not enough people who've played C64 have played Legacy of Darkness.

It's no SOTN but it's significantly better than Castlevania 64, adds a bunch of new levels and characters, even fixes that godawful camera.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I have that one.  It's still so sluggish and irritating to play at times.

I like what it was trying to do though, and admittedly would play that before I play fuckin OOT.

[NecroPhile]

Yeah I'm wrong about your made up scenario while the rest of us are just talking about the n64 and stuff. 

lol. nailed it.   

Yep, I totally made it up where nopepper said repeatedly "its not great but at least it's not a Jaguar" and you kept going with "wrong, it sucks." 

#AlternativeFacts 

PS1 had a steady stream of 2D games from launch onward, anyways, didn't it?  Were there large gaps between JP vs. NA releases for games outside of the usual translation delays?

Google it.  There's no shortage of articles about SCEA rejecting 2D games, even on PS2 and PSP.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yep, I totally made it up where nopepper said repeatedly "its not great but at least it's not a Jaguar" and you kept going with "wrong, it sucks." 

The point is that if the only way to make something seem OK is to compare it to something worse, or go "at least it's cheap", it means it sucks.

You can enjoy it all you want.  It still sucks. 

It's relative greatness when you compare it to even bigger trainwrecks.  That doesn't make it actually good.

Those cheap hotdogs on 1$ hotdog day at baseball stadiums fucking suck, and everyone goes and grabs a ton of them and has fun enjoying the suck.  "Who cares if they suck!  ITS CHEAP! FUCK YEAH!"

It's a thing. 

I think we're all in agreement that the thing fucking sucks even if we can manage to find a few things to play on it that don't make us want to jackhammer our eyes, and the only reason we've even reached the point where we can find fleeting moments of enjoyment is because the games are dirt cheap, or we can emulate them.

If we had to pay retail, or worse, collector prices, nobody here would be like

YEAHOOOOO N64.

We'd all be wondering why people are paying 300$ for shitty games.

Google it.  There's no shortage of articles about SCEA rejecting 2D games, even on PS2 and PSP.

Interesting.

There were enough good 2D games back then that I never noticed I guess.   

Rayman, klonoa, tomba, .. legacy of kain,  Does Star Ocean 2 count as 2D?

Oddworld!

There were alot of cool games that didn't use 3D, or only used it sort-of.

Megaman 8 sucked.   Totally wish I didn't buy that.  I picked it over X4 like a moron.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I forgot this was a thing lol.

I tried to find Irritating Stick but only found PSX videos with people not talking thru the gameplay.

that game was funny, especially because you'd swear its talking about the n64 controller.

[nopepper]

I think we're all in agreement that the thing fucking sucks even if we can manage to find a few things to play on it that don't make us want to jackhammer our eyes, and the only reason we've even reached the point where we can find fleeting moments of enjoyment is because the games are dirt cheap, or we can emulate them.

Perhaps you have a different definition of what "sucks" means, but according to my definition, we are not all in agreement that it sucks. Price has something to do with it not sucking, but it's not everything.

I already mentioned the lack of loading times and its library of well designed, playable games. I also implied that for arcade racing fans, it's a great pickup, because there are a lot of quality racers in the system.

What I did not enumerate, was that I also like the controller. I was fortunate to buy a couple of those funtastic ones brand new, when the N64 was being phased out, and never really started using them until recently, so they are practically brand new, and they feel great. I love the tight, springy analog stick. It's like the evolution of the Vectrex stick. I like its uniqueness, and when utilized well, really adds a different experience. For example, I first played Bangaioh on the Dreamcast and thought it was a good game, but playing it in the N64 feels like an entirely different thing. It's great. Same can be said for Waverace 64, which is just sublime with that analog stick.

I like that it has 4 controller ports without a need for a tap and I like that it has fun accessible games that can be played very easily by a lot of casual fans, so its great for more than 2 player multiplayer games with the right crowd. Makes multiplayer Bomberman sessions a breeze (although those games dont hold a candle to the Saturn version).

Finally, I actually have grown to like the look of N64 games. I don't like the fog and its blurriness, but some games have aged pretty damn well for 3D from that generation. Mario 64, FZero, Doom, Ogre Battle, Paper Mario(!) and the 2D stuff comes to mind right away, and other than 2D stuff (and Radiant Silvergun), looks subjectively better than most of what the PSX and Saturn were churning out during the same period.

If I had to choose 5 systems to keep in my collection, it would not make the cut, but I still love having it around, and has provided great gaming experiences, of which I'm sure there might be more to be had if/when I dig deeper into its library.

I don't agree with a lot of these kids proclaiming OOT as the best game of all time, as I don't even like that game. But it must have done something to a lot of people to make them feel that way, and Nintendo generally makes great games, so I'm sure it could be great to me as well, if I had played it at a different point in time.

Going full circle to my original statement, these guys and gals described in the previous paragraph are the ones that overrate the N64, almost without fail. Hey, I get it, as I (used to) overrate the SMS because Phantasy Star was a defining moment in my game playing life. The N64 had Mario and Zelda making a big mark on a lot of people growing up.

The rest can't seem to look past the system's technical shortcomings, its quirky controller, the memory of it sucking when they played it during its heyday (or now), etc., and realize that it has a lot of good games. It's not like NES games look good, or have the best controller ever, and they are still fun to play, and most people here can look past its deficiencies. The same applies to the N64, just with a much more limited library and different type of games.

[in99flames]

It was said earlier....but a good Japanese only N64 game worth getting is Sin and Punishment. Its basically totally playable. Only need translation for the main menu. The voice is all english.

Everyone is talking about modding the n64...dremmel out the tabs....all that...all I did was buy a cheap ass sports game(NHL 99)id never play for about 2 dollars and put the back half of the cart onto sin and punishment. No cutting or anything needed. Just pop in the cart.

[Arkhan Asylum]

the ground textures in every game look like theyre eternally not done loading.   lol

that was always offputting to me.  the models look decent enough but the environments look gooned out.

chameleon twist is a great example of this issue.

i never liked the n64 controller.   i tried to get used to it.  i get what they were trying, but, the stick sucked and the c buttons were goony. 

i did use an n64 controller with a cubestick retrofitted.
it was like a brand new console... 


and, OOT is dumb.   its bottom of the barrel for me.   that games flawed on so many levels, i think people rant about its greatness because it was all they had since quest 64 aint real.

[seieienbu]

Perhaps I'm biased and I might only dislike it if not for the fact that everyone loves it and I have to take it to the next level for that reason but I hate OOT.  I think it's terrible.  I think it's ridiculous that anyone my age ever liked the game.  It was Nintendo ripping off their own game and making it worse. 

I played Zelda 1 and thought it was fine.  It was a bit obtuse when I was 6 but as I grew up I played it again and again and eventually beat it.  Zelda 2 I thought was fantastic.  There's a world to explore and there's combat that's fun.  The graphics and music was excellent and I can't point to many other NES titles where the enemies actually acknowledge your presence and actively try to beat you while also interacting with the environment.  Anyway, I had fun with both of those 8 bit games and was looking forward to the Super Nintendo version.

After months of waiting, Zelda 3 came out.  It's a masterpiece.  I love the game.  The combat is fun, the world is neat, the music and graphics were amazing, and the game's story was enough to keep me interested.  That was something new to the series.  Yeah, there's a blurb of text describing the scenario at the beginning of the first two games.  And yes, the manuals had cute stories with some cartoon-y drawings.  But in Zelda 3 things happen.  There's a country where things are going poorly due to the government becoming corrupted by Ganon.  There's a second world that you get a glimpse of where things don't quite make sense but then you come back and eventually realize that you have to go to this dark world to complete your quest.  There's 3 dungeons, a weapon upgrade, then 7 dungeons, then you fight Ganon and save Hyrule.

Link's Awakening was again fantastic.  It really shows off how good game design is more important than hardware when you have a game that played well enough to be a SNES game done so well but on a mini grey and green screen.  I enjoyed every minute of it but was still looking forward to the next Real Zelda game.

Then Zelda 64 came out and it is a god damn mess.  Between awful tutorials that take forever to get through, graphics that sucked then and are way worse now, and god awful play control I was frustrated immediately.  Almost every enemy in the game is fought in one of two ways: either hit Z then hit slingshot/bow once or you don't fight, you just wait, then when it reveals it's glowing point/soft underbelly you hit it a couple of times, and then you wait for a second iteration.  In dungeons you go to room after monotonous room where the doors shut and you have to kill everything to make a stupid shoot-able eye appear that opens a door to the next boring room.

The most grievous insult is how the game is, specifically, Zelda 3 again only worse.  Whereas Zelda 3 felt to me like Nintendo looked at what worked in Zelda 1 and decided to revise it for a more modern feel.  In Zelda 3 you collect 3 things, get a sword, turn the world crazy-times, collect 7 things, then fight Ganon.  That is exactly what you do in Zelda 64 only you do it Slower.  Everything is slower.  It takes like 20 seconds to open a chest rather than 1.  Do I really need to see another upskirt shot of Link for the 20th time I get some bombs?  Do I need to do endless amounts of tutorials?  When using the ocarina to teleport do I need to watch Link play it for 10 seconds?  Need to push a block up a space, walk around a block, pull it a space, go back around and push it two spaces?  Say goodbye to a whole minute rather than a quarter of that time.

All told, I felt like I'd spent $60 on a game that was the same yet somehow way worse than the game it was ripping off from years ago.  And yet this mess is the "Best game of all time!"

[SignOfZeta]

I only spent a little time in OOT, maybe three hours max. Everything is brown and I spent pretty much the whole time lost. In other words I give it the same review I give Goldeneye: for someone else.

[CrackTiger]

I was overly biased to love N64 Zeldas and very excited, up until the moment I tried the first one. It did so many things wrong and laid the groundwork for too many future 3D games to be ruined with auto jumping and fighting, instead of actual 3D gameplay.

I really enjoyed Soul Reaver and Shadowman though and not only do they feature realtime jumping and attacking, they also have cool style, setting and plots. I also don't like the OoT-onward very un-Zelda story and characters.

[PukeSter]

As someone who played Ocarina as a middle school teen in the 2010s, I definitely had a lot of fun with it. The biggest strength was definitely the quantity and quality of the dungeons. Overworld was a bit weak, not much to do in a big field besides run into the occasional poe or skeleton .

I believe majora's mask is one of the best games of all time though. The overworld was fleshed out, the side quests were exponentially improved, and there was a lot to do in between the dungeons. The transformations were also fun to dick around with

Hate me all you want, but I'm not a big link to the past fan. Dark world was a nice novelty though. Give me Dawn of ys or dungeon explorer 2 instead.

[ClodBusted]

i did use an n64 controller with a cubestick retrofitted.
it was like a brand new console...

It is, but unfortunately the supplied PCBs and potentiometers of those Ebay N64 Cubesticks are lacking in range, steps and sensitivity, giving you trouble in many games.
I rebuild my N64 controllers using those Cubesticks and micro's PCB + potentiometers:
https://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5803.0

[seieienbu]

As someone who played Ocarina as a middle school teen in the 2010s, I definitely had a lot of fun with it. The biggest strength was definitely the quantity and quality of the dungeons. Overworld was a bit weak, not much to do in a big field besides run into the occasional poe or skeleton .

I believe majora's mask is one of the best games of all time though. The overworld was fleshed out, the side quests were exponentially improved, and there was a lot to do in between the dungeons. The transformations were also fun to dick around with

I don't like any 3D Zelda very much until Breath of the Wild.  My complaint with the other 3D Zeldas is that they're all Zelda 3 only worse.  They never get better than Zelda 3 and they're always way less fun to play so why would I play them?  Majora's Mask though?  That game is almost fantastic.  I think if it hadn't been on the N64 I'd really like it.  It plays like shit due to the controller and looks like shit due to the console but there are a lot of really neat ideas there.  If it had been a Gamecube launch title rather than on the N64 I think it would be one of my favorites in the series. 

Hate me all you want, but I'm not a big link to the past fan. Dark world was a nice novelty though. Give me Dawn of ys or dungeon explorer 2 instead.

I'm curious:  did you play Zelda 64 before or after Link to the Past?

[PukeSter]

I'm curious:  did you play Zelda 64 before or after Link to the Past?

I played link to the past first but I didn't finish it at the time. I think furthest I got was the swamp dungeon.

I didn't beat it until a couple years ago. I do like the game but not in the same way as Ocarina. The dungeons in Ocarina were much more interesting, and I really like the art style.


I think Majora works well on the N64. The low poly models definitely help add to the creepy vibe. The world is also massive!

I like Wind Waker but not as much as the other two. The exploration is nice but the dungeons are not as well designed, and having to do shit such as changing the wind direction and feeding the fish get tedious very quickly. Breath of the wild is kinda similar...amazing exploration poor dungeons, but also other dumb stuff such as a lack of enemy variety and super low weapon durability.

I have not played Twilight Princess nor Skyward Sword.

[nopepper]

I only spent a little time in OOT, maybe three hours max. Everything is brown and I spent pretty much the whole time lost. In other words I give it the same review I give Goldeneye: for someone else.

That has been pretty much my experience playing that game, and I've tried 4-5 times to get into it, but just can't. I even tried the 3DS version to see if it was an improvement, but just couldn't get into it. In fact, until Breath of the Wild, which I thought was great, I've never been able to get into any of the 3D Zeldas. Granted, I've only tried OOT, Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, but they all had the same type of gameplay that I found more of a chore than anything else.

Everyone is talking about modding the n64...dremmel out the tabs....all that...all I did was buy a cheap ass sports game(NHL 99)id never play for about 2 dollars and put the back half of the cart onto sin and punishment. No cutting or anything needed. Just pop in the cart.

I did the exact same thing for the 2 lone imports I own, as I had a shitty All star baseball game that I got for free with the system and a dead Ridge Race cart. I guess if for some reason, such as bypassing rising US version prices, you want to play more than that, then it makes sense to mod the system itself.

[seieienbu]

I like Breath of the Wild because it felt like a new game that was a modern re-imagining of Zelda.  It didn't feel like I was playing "How do I make Zelda 3 This time!?"  I liked that rather than having 11 dungeons to go through they spattered puzzles throughout the world.  Most were pretty quick and then done.  I didn't like several aspects like durability and never being able to climb during rain (I feel there should have been a rain-gear set that would let you climb as normal with all 3 pieces or something).  I thought the soundtrack was awful. 

But with those things said?  I found the game enjoyable and quite refreshing for a Zelda.  Majora's Mask is the one Zelda I can really compare it to.  From Zelda 1 to 2 the game changed a lot but they weren't sure exactly where they were going to take the franchise from there.  From 2 to 3 was a return to form albeit far more polished.  But after that the series mostly stagnates.  In fairness, I never played Skyward Sword so I'm not really taking it into consideration. 

Majora's Mask though?  It wasn't a simple "Zelda 3, but this time..." game.  Thinking about it, it gives me the same sort of feeling as Breath of the Wild does; a new take on Zelda with the (then) modern game system in mind. Majora's Mask had a new and creepy world.  It had varied enemies and playstyles.  Though still wrapped in the confines of N64 Zelda, the different masks made the gameplay far more varied than any Zelda since.  The gameplay didn't feel as self similar as most of the games in the series.  My only complaints (listed above) with it are all N64 related and I think the game is good.

[Arkhan Asylum]

What seieienbu said about OOT is exactly why I hate it.

Everything is "lock on and strafe"

it's so boring.   Tons of lock on and do shit gimmicks.

I preferred Alundra 2 and Brave Fencer Musashi.

Especially BFM, because that's what a 3D zelda should have been.

Hell, even Mega Man legends was a better setup.

OOT just paved the way for a bunch of garbagey zelda games.

[wildfruit]

N64 was my most disappointing purchase ever. I ended up giving it to a friend. GIVING. I could not stand the blurry mud. Real annoying that it only came with RF cable. Not that it mattered as it couldn't do RGB scary anyway, which in PAL land was the only benefit we had. I would maybe play 4 games again
Mario 64, OOT, mischief makers & rogue squadron. Plus the game carts were too expensive. Extra £10/20 premium for crappy game versus a PSX crappy game. After never having a snesss was so excited.  Goldeneye with friends was ok but I don't think it would hold my interest. A solar Jetman remake would have been nice though ;)

[ClodBusted]

The N64 was supplied with a composite A/V cable. An RF modulator had to be purchased separately. Dark grey consoles are able to output S-Video natively in both PAL and NTSC territories - no mods needed, just a cable (the cabls are built differently in each regions).

[wildfruit]

The N64 was supplied with a composite A/V cable. An RF modulator had to be purchased seperately. Dark grey consoles are able to output S-Video natively in both PAL and NTSC territories.

In uk it came with RF in the box

[ClodBusted]

Whut lol. Thanks, didn't know about that. Did it at least had both RF and Composite included?

[Arkhan Asylum]

I legit started playing N64 again just a bit ago to see if it's really that bad.

I tried RGB through XRGB3 to my BigDickTV, and also composite through my regular CRT.

Still sucks.   Hybrid Heaven was so goony.

I did get some nostalgia feelies from it though, mostly stemming from remembering playing it at friends houses as a kid.

Donkey Kong 64 is awful.   

I swear there was some other moronic looking platformer that wasn't glover that was good but I can't think of it.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Here we go:

My friend had this.

It was weird as hell but kind of OK.

I'd still take Spyro or Gex.

[wildfruit]

Whut lol. Thanks, didn't know about that. Did it at least had both RF and Composite included?

I'm afraid not. Plus I didn't at the time have anything that could do S- video. It's not very common here. I have a toshiba now that claims to do s-video via scart adaptor but I tried a couple with no success so I just stick to rgb scarts.

[ClodBusted]

If your TV has just one Scart input, you have to switch between RGB and S-Video manually.
If your TV has more than one Scart input, one of them usually will support RGB, while the other one will support S-Video.

This is due to the lines for S-Video and RGB being shared within the Scart standard. RGB can be autodetected if the source device sends a correct signal voltage on pin 16, but S-Video can't.

[nopepper]

I legit started playing N64 again just a bit ago to see if it's really that bad.

I tried RGB through XRGB3 to my BigDickTV, and also composite through my regular CRT.

Still sucks.   Hybrid Heaven was so goony.

I did get some nostalgia feelies from it though, mostly stemming from remembering playing it at friends houses as a kid.

Donkey Kong 64 is awful.   

I swear there was some other moronic looking platformer that wasn't glover that was good but I can't think of it.

Well, I have to agree that DK64 looks and plays like utter shit. In fact, although I have not played Conker, all Rare games I've tried are some of the worst offenders of blurry, low frame rate and muddy games. Even good ones like Blast Corps.  Have not played Hybrid Heaven, so can't comment on that one.

I use SVid through a PVM and turn aperture all the way to the left, which makes the graphics very sharp and vibrant. Some games even look great. ;)

[crazydean]

You guys are wrong. N64 is great. You are dumb if you disagree with me.

[Bloufo]

Dark grey consoles are able to output S-Video natively in both PAL and NTSC territories - no mods needed, just a cable (the cables are built differently in each regions).

All N64's are capable of s-video.
The only difference being is that for PAL consoles you need a specially wired cable otherwise it will produce a crappy, overly bright image.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Hybrid Heaven is just weird in general.

[nopepper]

Tonic Trouble is the poor man's Rayman 2, supposedly. That is one genre I have never been able to get into, the 3D platformer. Other than the Marios and Ratchet and Clank (to a lesser extent), I always leave halfway after realizing I'm having to fetch the same shit for the thousandths time and fiddling with the camera.

Hybrid Heaven is just weird in general.

This is considered a "hidden gem" in the N64 library and  I've always thought it looked interesting, but as it often is with these experimental type of games, the execution seems clunky. Kinda like Buck Rodgers in the Genesis.

I've learned about a lot of N64 games for this guy and he gives it glowing marks: https://youtu.be/AH1UZaa0pZ4

I think I'll pass, even with the 5-6 bucks I've seen it go for, as if I'm going to sink 14 hours into a game, it better be good, and I'm not sure this one is. It also looks so barren and unappealing, even by N64 standards.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I grabbed a copy for 3$ and sometimes honestly wish I'd spent that 3$ on ice cream or a few candy bars.

It's not a bad game, it's just nothing to write home about.    Playstation provided better similar-ish experiences.


and Metal Gear Solid.



3D platformers on the Playstation were great.   They were far better than the N64 games, because they played more like 2D games in that you were running through levels and not playing "grab all the shit" or "why is the camera being a cunt".

Spyro was one of the greatest 3D platforming experiences of growing up, I think.   

That game was just really well executed.


and Crash Bandicoot's halfbaked 3D was a great idea.  Instead of fighting with a camera and screaming alot, you just played basically a 2D platformer with a camera that scriptedly moved.


Pitfall 3D was a pretty underrated 3D platformer, too.   I had alot of fun with that one. 



https://youtu.be/jIV1YMIgHy0?t=2015


lol this sums up Hybrid Heaven.

[ClodBusted]

Bloufo, have you tried the trans color and Pikachu N64 consoles yet? AFAIK these at least lack S-Video lines on the Multi AV out, maybe even the graphics chip or video encoder is lacking these? Please let me know if I'm wrong about that.
Regarding using S-Video cables built for NTSC N64 consoles on a PAL console, what you describe is what I experienced with a cable that I bought years ago. That's what I was talking about in my previous post.

[Bloufo]

Bloufo, have you tried the trans color and Pikachu N64 consoles yet? AFAIK these at least lack S-Video lines on the Multi AV out, maybe even the graphics chip or video encoder is lacking these? Please let me know if I'm wrong about that.

I have one of those Pikachu N64 systems. The blue and yellow edition.
S-Video works fine on it. No issues at all.

Regarding using S-Video cables built for NTSC N64 consoles on a PAL console, what you describe is what I experienced with a cable that I bought years ago. That's what I was talking about in my previous post.

From my own stuff I have a PAL Green N64. S-Video works fine on it if you use the cables that are correctly wired for PAL N64 consoles.

A couple pics of a few years ago from an LCD TV when using that console.

Top is that saturated image when trying to use standard N64 s-video cables.
Bottom pic is when using the correctly wired cables.

Ignore the stretched image. I obviously had forgotten to set it to 4:3

[ClodBusted]

Thank you so much! Myth busted, I guess.