Topic: Do you think the N64 Mini (if it is real) will be releasing soon?

Hi everyone, I was wondering what you think about the announcement/release of a potential N64 Mini. Assuming the N64 Mini is real, do you think it will be releasing within the next six months or so, or do you think it will come later? I was debating whether to replay Ocarina of Time on the Wii Virtual Console upscaled to 480p, or wait until a potential N64 Mini with save states and upscaling to 1080p releases.

Of course, there's the question of whether an N64 Mini would arrive in the next couple of years in the first place. I initially thought it wouldn't due to various factors (the N64 not remembered as fondly as the NES and SNES, cost of games, cost and size of controllers, controller accessories like the Rumble Pak, etc.), but NintendoLife recently reported on the confirmation of a patient featuring the N64 controller in a Mini-style log. In addition, Sony announced their own PS One Mini, so that could encourage Nintendo to release an N64 Mini too.

What do you think?

They would've probably announced already if it was coming soon.

Why not replay the best version on Nintendo 3DS?

I think that Nintendo 64 Classic Mini is likely. NES and SNES Classic Mini have been a success, the games are already there, and those patents... The controller would have to be redesigned, it sounds as sacrilege even for me but even though it was innovative it doesn't stand the test of time. It would be smaller, easier to use and have rumble built in but to not be a total sacrilege and bring nostalgia it should look similar and have the three handles.

Some of the best games that Nintendo has ever made were released for Nintendo 64 but they didn't release many. Rare Replay on Xbox One is a more complete Nintendo 64 Virtual Console. There is a problem with Diddy Kong Racing because Banjo and Conker are owned by Microsoft and Diddy is owned by Nintendo... Donkey Kong 64 includes Jetpac but Rare courteously let Nintendo use it on Wii U... Goldeneye 007 is in limbo...

Actually, the game that I would like the most would be Diddy Kong Racing because the other Rare games are in Rare Replay and I play Nintendo's games on Wii U and 3DS: Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race, F-Zero, Donkey Kong 64, Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Star Fox 64 3D...

Unless they're saving the announcement for something like Banjo in Smash Ultimate + Rare games on N64 Mini, I think they would've announced the N64 Mini already if it was launching this year.

It’s not gonna happen. Not this Holiday winter anyway

Honestly other then Rare games were there any other worth while N64 games?

Both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask have been remastered for the 3DS and those are way better then the originals.

GoldenEye is not like because of the actors likeness and the various rights holders

Super Mario 64 maybe

Mario Party 1 unlike due to the blister problem

Smash Bros I can see that one

That's really all I can think of that not Rare.

@Tasuki Paper Mario, and Mario Kart 64.

I want Nintendo to release the Nintendo 64 classic around the same time as the PlayStation classic so I can experience the 5th generation console wars for myself, even tho I was born around dat time, want to experience it and such. Once I do, i'll actually pick the same side I was on back in the day.

If you have Ocarina for the Wii vc then I would go ahead and play it on there personally, also with a Gamecube controller... actually my preferred way is the Gamecube disc with the Master Sword version - that way you get working rumble.

My 20 for the Mini N64:

Super Mario 64
Zelda: Ocarina
Zelda: Majora
F-Zero X
Star Fox 64
Wave Race
1080 Snowboarding
Mario Kart 64
Pilotwings 64
Super Smash Bros
Yoshi's Story
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Pokemon Snap
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Paper Mario
Sin and Punishment

If they could get RARE games then

Golden Eye
Perfect Dark
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie

@Tasuki I played many great and fun N64 games as a kid and none of them were made by rare.

Games with remakes or better versions don't need to be excluded, or else the NES mini would've had like 3 games.

@Yosheel Yeah that's true. It's unlikely it's coming this year because of that. Perhaps it might come next year, if Nintendo wants to release an N64 Mini when Sony releases a PS One mini?

@BlueOcean Those versions are better, but I prefer playing the VC versions on a console because of better controllers for comfortable playing and playing on a big screen TV instead of a tiny 4 inch portable screen. Plus having Save States and HD upscaling for Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask would be amazing. I would prefer to play them on Switch, but it doesn't look like Nintendo will get to N64 anytime soon so I'm looking for a possible N64 mini announcement instead.

@NintoRich I do have it on Wii VC, but the lack of HD upscaling doesn't make it look good on an HDTV. Plus save states would greatly improve the experience, which the Wii doesn't support for N64 games.

@Link-Hero True, but the Wii U VC version also apparently has some dark coloring and stuttering that isn't present in the original nor the Wii VC version. So I decided not to get it.

As others here have said though, it's unlikely it'll be releasing this year. I'd hope for the first half of next year but we'll see I guess. I'll be busy from the second half of next year onwards, so at that point I'd probably just wait for the release of N64 games on Switch whenever that would be.

@shadow-wolf I think that while not soon, Nintendo will release a N64 Classic. I don't know if you have a Wii U but these two games are available on there and the console outputs 1080p unlike Wii. I also prefer home consoles to handhelds for the reasons that you listed but I found the 3DS versions extremely pleasing and "comfortable". I wouldn't rule out HD remasters a la The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess for Switch or its successor.

@BlueOcean I would be so happy if they release HD remasters, but unfortunately I doubt they would since the 3D remasters have recently released. And while the Wii U outputs 1080p, from what I've read it doesn't upscale the VC games. I never bought a VC game on Wii U so I'm not 100% sure, but from what I've heard for example the NES Mini and Switch upscale NES games to HD, while the Wii U does not.

@shadow-wolf I just checked with my Wii U and my 1080p TV the game Ocarina of Time (Wii U) and the signal is still 1080p so Wii U definitely upscales to 1080p Virtual Console games. It looks pretty good and clean, obviously textures are still low-resolution and aliasing is evident. I also checked F-Zero (SNES) and resolution is also upscaled to 1080p. I don't have NES games on Wii U because they look really dark.

NES Classic and SNES Classic are both 720p but pretty good too.

There are two things working against the N64mini. First is the cost, as the Platstation Mini is showing, the cost gets higher once you get into larger games because the cost of storage on the system goes up. NES Classic was $60 for 30 games, SNES Classic was $80 for 21 games plus extra controller, so the N64 would end up being either $80 for 10 maybe or $100 for 20 with increased storage. (largest NES game was 1MB, SNES was 5MB and N64 was 64 MB).

Second issue facing Nintendo is that they do not own the rights to some of the biggest N64 titles, and the current rights owner as released them as a collection on a competing console. Golden Eye, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie, Star Wars: Rouge Squadron, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Blast Corps, Body Harvest, Jet Force Gemini, Diddy Kong Racing, and Pokemon Puzzle League (Panel de Pon) all have licensing issues. Like it or not, those are the games people remember fondly instead of Yoshi's Story.

@Tasuki that's why we will hack them. I can't wait to play Perfect Dark and Goldeneye via HDMI.

@Darknyht I think it's less about storage and more about how much people are willing to pay for those games. More modern games will have more value on the market. An n64 mini would probably only need around 1gb storage which is insignificant these days.

That said, I'm not sure nintendo would be generous enough to give us a wide selection of n64 games for an affordable price. I also think the controller will significantly increase the price.

@Darknyht I have like, 100 games on my SNES mini, it's not about storage. Their memory is mostly empty.

They're gonna launch the 64Mini just before Christmas...

Really want a 64 mini.