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

Posts 41 to 60 of 114

KingMike

@ogo79 They can't melt it down to make trashcans. I just found a scan of the N64DD manual, and one of the warnings (the lovely Japanese Nintendo illustrated hardware manuals) is specifically to not throw the 64DD in a fire!
It also says do not connect the 64DD to a Super Famicom. Because if they wanted you to do that they would've called it a SFDD.

KingMike

Eel

well you don't melt things by putting them directly in contact with fire, that would just burn them!

Edited on by Eel

Bloop.

<My slightly less dead youtube channel>

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Darknyht

@shadow-wolf The Sony Playstation Mini will be interesting because it is Sony and not Nintendo creating it. So it is hard to say what they feel is the make or break point for the system. One factor is that Sony values PS1 games around $6 while Nintendo charges $10 for N64 titles (if my memory is intact), so they don't value the software as much. Another factor is the PSX was technically inferior to the N64 and Sega Saturn (32-bit processor running @33.8 mhz vs 64-bit processor running @ 93.75 mhz) and came to market 2 years before the N64, so any emulation of it should be less burdensome (I am far from an expert on the topic).

My best guess (again for what it is worth), is that the PSX Mini will be based on a stripped down PS TV. It was ARM Based and capable of running PS1 games. That means they already have an emulator capable of running PSX titles. Just tweak the OS and guts to fit what you want to do with the console and you are good to go. It would be really interesting if they left the networking connectivity, external card slot and improved on the model by offering a store for PSX, PSP and PSVita titles, but I imagine that is way more complicated than a cash grab plug-n-play device (maybe something hackers will figure out via the USB port).

Edited on by Darknyht

Darknyht

Nintendo Network ID: DarKnyht

Nemodius

well you don't melt things by putting them directly in contact with fire, that would just burn them!

hmm......did Sheldon just enter the room ???

"If failure is the greatest teacher, how come we are not the most superior beings in the universe ???"

ogo79

@KingMike
ive got to do something about that

the_shpydar wrote:
As @ogo79 said, the SNS-RZ-USA is a prime giveaway that it's not a legit retail cart.
And yes, he is (usually) always right, and he is (almost) the sexiest gamer out there (not counting me) ;)

KingMike

@Darknyht I'm not sure how the N64 is even "64-bit". The CPU sure looks like a 32-bit CPU to me by the docs I've read (a different revision of the same one the PS1 used).

Then again, in the opposite direction, the Genesis CPU is said to be 16-bit bit looks like it can do 32-bit math. Somebody able to explain that?

Edited on by KingMike

KingMike

Tasuki

Trajan wrote:

@Tasuki Plus it will never be rereleased so your option is to rip a ROM, download a ROM, or only ever play it via composite on a N64. Forever. Because again, it will never come out again. So your option is either to limit yourself, or to not.

So I am not a millionaire so according to you I should become a bank robber because I am limiting myself. Good to know I. Sure that defense will hold up in court.

RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.

My Backlog

Nintendo Network ID: Tasuki311

Banjo-

@shadow-wolf No problem! I don't notice Nintendo 64 games of the Wii U Virtual Console looking dark on the TV but on the GamePad. Anyway, I think that Nintendo will release a Nintendo 64 Classic Mini.

Not only some Nintendo's N64 games are gems but I don't agree with @Buizel on that modern sequels are superior and @kkslider5552000 has well explained why Rare is so important for the console.

I appreciate Nintendo's gems for N64: Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wave Race 64... And, obviously, I appreciate Rare's gems: Diddy Kong Racing, Goldeneye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, Conker's Bad Fur Day...

It's impressive how good Conker's Bad Fur Day, a Nintendo 64 game, looks on Rare Replay just with upgraded resolution. It's mind-blowing, really.

Even lacking more advanced graphics that we later enjoyed on GameCube, the Nintendo 64 has very good games that are a perfect balance of gameplay and visuals. There is something especially satisfying about these N64 classics that stands the test of time as proved by Rare Replay, Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D and Star Fox 3D.

I think that the N64 library of games is better than GameCube's although of course GameCube has its masterpieces as well.

@KingMike If I remember correctly Nintendo 64 has two 32-bit chips or something like that. It was very powerful but had a memory bottleneck that Rare circumvented by making landscapes made of little parts and other clever tricks.

Like good Germans, mathematics geniuses at Factor 5 also did amazing things.

Edited on by Banjo-

Banjo-

Darknyht

@ReaderRagfish I took the processor information straight from the wiki page and other reference sites. The processor was a 64-bit NEC VR4300 @ 93.75 MHz. It was cut down but still a 64-bit chip, and if you want to read all the boring reasons it is difficult to emulate the best explanation I found was on a Tumblr blog that is only now accessible through the wayback machine (https://web.archive.org/web/20160129061254/http://mudlord88.tumblr.com:80/post/137937195833/whyn64emuishard).

The TL:DR explanation given on Digg where I found the post was that "It has multiple processors with timings that no n64 emulator gets right. CEN64 is still working on it. The most popular N64 emulators just circumvent the graphics and just run the API calls they intercept rather than run them in emulation."

The posters pointed out even Nintendo custom builds the emulator for each individual N64 game, which would increase the storage overhead on any N64 Classic Mini. So again, I don't think the N64 is a possibility at this point in time.

Darknyht

Nintendo Network ID: DarKnyht

Banjo-

True, Nintendo 64 CPU is:

64-bit NEC VR4300 @ 93.75 MHz*

I remember that Nintendo explained how they designed the hardware for creating visuals effects like anti-aliasing on textures so they wouldn't look like a grid of pixels like the PlayStation games, the metallic effect (Metal Mario, pool of liquid metal in Super Mario 64...), the use of defined big sprites like the bubbles when Mario is exhaling underwater, the blurry distant objects and backgrounds... Kids might not know this but Nintendo was absolutely state-of-the-art at that time and Nintendo 64 one of the most advanced consoles ever made.

*
"The Nintendo64's central processing unit (CPU) is the NEC VR4300.[113] Popular Electronics said it had power similar to the Pentium processors found in desktop computers.[44] Except for its narrower 32-bit system bus, the VR4300 retained the computational abilities of the more powerful 64-bit MIPS R4300i,[113] though software rarely took advantage of 64-bit data precision operations. Nintendo 64 games generally used faster (and more compact) 32-bit data-operations,[114][self-published source?] as these were sufficient to generate 3D-scene data for the console's RSP (Reality Signal Processor) unit. In addition, 32-bit code executes faster and requires less storage space (which is at a premium on the Nintendo 64's cartridges)". (Wikipedia)

Edited on by Banjo-

Banjo-

Chubby_Man_X

It's probably coming sooner rather than later.
Ninti needs to capitalize on this trend they started and a mini N64 is the perfect way to keep the momentum going for the company.
Since Sony is releasing the PS1 classic by the end of 2018, i don't see the N64 mini too far away a launch from that.

Edited on by Chubby_Man_X

Chubby_Man_X

Battista

I can see it possibly coming out in January to coincide with Smash Bros’ 20th anniversary.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)

Buizel

@kkslider5552000 I moreso meant that, as popular as Rare's games are, there's still a lot more to love on the N64. Off the top of my head, you could have Mario 64, OoT, MM, Donkey Kong 64 (Rare, but Nintendo has the rights), Starfox 64, Super Smash Bros, Mario Party, Pokemon Snap, Kirby, F-Zero X, Mario Kart 64, Mario Tennis, 1080, Wave Race, Paper Mario, Pilot Wings...and that's before even considering third parties (although I'm not confident that the latter would make it to such a console!).

I do wonder if it's a wise decision to release an N64 Classic alongside a Playstation classic though...do we want to see this play out again? Haha.

At least 2'8".

Banjo-

@Yellowtails Yes, it's definitely possible.

@Buizel Haha This time no cartridges vs. CDs involved though.

Banjo-

kkslider5552000

Buizel wrote:

moreso meant that, as popular as Rare's games are, there's still a lot more to love on the N64. Off the top of my head, you could have Mario 64, OoT, MM, Donkey Kong 64 (Rare, but Nintendo has the rights), Starfox 64, Super Smash Bros, Mario Party, Pokemon Snap, Kirby, F-Zero X, Mario Kart 64, Mario Tennis, 1080, Wave Race, Paper Mario, Pilot Wings...and that's before even considering third parties (although I'm not confident that the latter would make it to such a console!).

I mean, that's true enough. I have a fondness for N64 games that others often don't so I understand that. But it would be just such a letdown. It would be like if the SNES Classic didn't have JRPGs...and those Rare games were far bigger over here than any SNES JRPG!

Non-binary, demiguy, making LPs, still alive

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dimi

So is there any game that took advantage of 64-bit data precision operations?

And yes N64 came to market 2 years after PS1 but was it really so technically superior to it? Resident evil 2 wasn't really better on it.

Edited on by dimi

dimi

Eel

Yes it was superior, but it limited the scope of its games due to space restrictions on the cartridges.

Resident Evil 2 was a direct port, they didn't really need to do much and there was no point in making any big graphical improvemements (although there ARE some improvements)... But they did need to compress some things (like the prerendered movies, sounds, music and many textures) to fit in the cartridge.

Try to imagine a world where the N64 was not limited by tiny cartridges, and how different its games might have all looked...

Edited on by Eel

Bloop.

<My slightly less dead youtube channel>

SMM2 Maker ID: 69R-F81-NLG

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erv

I hope it comes with a "fog edition".

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