Topic: The N64 Thread

@SegaDude113 I agree with you that a N64 'mini' would be a great addition to the roster... but I can't see Nintendo doing this, especially as they are really ploughing forward with making the online subscription service as 'essential' as possible

@CJD87 If they were smart they would do it anyway because more options means more money.

@SegaDude113 more options doesn’t automatically mean ‘more money’ for Nintendo though? Consider that a N64 Mini would be a physical product, needing production/shipping costs etc (tariff implications also…). Instead pushing consumers towards NSO is much more cost effective, alongside ensuring a buy-in to the general Nintendo ecosystem

There is currently really no fiscal need for a N64 mini. NSO is doing fine (and that’s where the mini games will pull from anyway) and since the NSO version is available on the entire switch family accommodating hold outs that either refuse to buy some version of switch or NSO is way too small to justify making another custom rom box. I could see them using it as a stopgap if switch 2 sales tank AND the switch family is no longer for sale but before then it’s a SKU and ROI waste especially with a trade ware still going on in the market that would likely buy that mini the most. Better to sit on it and use it for what it is: a sales injector.

@Ryu_Niiyama NSO didn't stop people from buying NES and SNES Classics.

@SegaDude113 the NES and SNES minis were released in the financially fallow time period of the Wii U, which was a disaster for the big N (though I still have my Wii U and play it occasionally). The minis were a good way to generate sales and get Nintendo back in the public consciousness (‘hey, remember this from your childhood?’) which generated nostalgia to help boost the Switch’s release; for many people they probably hadn’t played a Nintendo console since the Wii in the mid 2010s, so Nintendo had ‘gone away’ for nearly a decade for them.

What do people think will be the next N64 release for NSO?

I feel like we are due one.

@Mana_Knight Smash Bros or Diddy Kong Racing would be great. Can't imagine them releasing DK64 until enough time's passed since Bananza. I also imagine they'll release Smash Bros 64 some time before Melee

I agree that DKR seems a good potential choice. Related enough to promote Bananza, but would not detract sales. Only thing that might go against is if it were seen as too close to Mario Kart World still? We have no idea if Nintendo thinks like this though!

@Mana_Knight Nintendo "thinks"? I thought it was understood that they're like the Family Guy Manatees and just select a ball at random.

@SegaDude113 I never said it did. Reread my comment.

@Gamecuber people were still buying them afterward

@SegaDude113 do you mean the NES and SNES mini? They were sold for a very limited time, at least here in the UK, as were all the other mini consoles by other companies.

Played Wave Race 64 for the first time on NSO and it's delightful!

I beat Majora's Mask 100% for the first time recently on NSO. I got really close the last time I did a playthrough on Wii VC, but between the very difficult final Goron challenge and not understanding the one where you have to play a song to the gossip stones, I just barely missed out on getting every heart piece. Still the best Zelda game, pretty confident about that. Some other Zelda games are more fun, none are even close in terms of storytelling, neither are most video games I've ever played.

Makes up for when my 100% attempt at OOT a few years ago was ruined by being soft locked out of an upgrade.

I'd like to see Quest 64

@PsychoIsaac Me too! I have a soft spot for that one. Though, known as HOLY MAGIC CENTURY for me in Europe.

@PsychoIsaac @Mana_Knight
Many years ago, I watched someone play Quest 64/Holy Magic Century in an electronics store. This experience was enough for me to develop nostalgia. I bought and beat it a few years ago. It was a great time. Really enjoyed the pure and innocent tone.

So yeah, it would be great, if it comes to NSO, so more people can experience the magic of this game.

@Jhena It would probably be deemed as a 'baby's first RPG' by some, but some RPGs don't need to be that complex!

@Mana_Knight
Totally agree about the complexity. I think the simplicity is even a part of this game's charme.