Project64 Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary With A 3.0 Update

Original hardware all the way.

Coolio.

It's crazy to see Project64 celebrate their 20th anniversary. Time flies.

@adamman12345 That's nice

@adamman12345 It’s much more of a nightmare to play OoT Randomizer on original hardware. Possible, but takes loads of time. Emulators are way more convenient.

I normally like playing original hardware but the N64 graphics have aged pretty poorly being early 3d rendering. I'm curious how much this improves the visuals.

@Tasuki Lol, you seem bitter that people do the job Nintendo doesn't do on Switch Online.

Please people, keep your blind Nintendo sycophantic tendencies elsewhere.

I don't really use emulators myself. Not for some misplaced conception of higher morals, just a mix of I just haven't had much desire to, those I would I typically already have in abundance in other means and the laptop I'm stuck with isn't particularly good for or fun to use for games.

I think literally the only ones I have are a SNES one for specifically one game alone; the Japan-only SNES Sailor Moon JRPG that was made to be a whole extra season of the show/extra arc the manga simply doesn't have, that also never left the East, so curiosity was too much to bear not checking it out. And, uh, Halo Online/Eldewrito, if you want to count that weird middle ground.

That all said, it's cool to see this one still going strong for the often overlooked and neglected N64 in Nintendo's modern days. Good on them.

@Tasuki Shhhh, I have both, don't tell. If I own it, I emulate it. As others said, running ROM patches is just way more convenient than flashing your own ROM.

This has been the only emulator that I can get N64 games running perfectly on. Helps me keep my original N64 alive that much longer, though I still crack him out for the Sony CRT I have, sometimes!

NINJA APPROVED

LONG LIVE PROJECT 64

I've always wondered if those against emulators though have grievances with old school Doom WADs? Technically by all means fan favorite Chex Quest is just theft of a quazi-free source code and repurposing it for the world's strangest cereal tie-in and selling it back. I mean, it too is free and easy to find now for the longest time with a quick Google search but still.

Freaking video games as a whole is built off the backbone of copying previous hardware and software for continued use and repurposing.

Video Games are art, experience them the way you want, support current developers. Not much more is needed to be said.

@Jokerwolf Surprisingly good way of summing it up

@MrScorpion You do you, I guess. But worth noting that Doom's WAD scene is literally incentivized by Id themselves back then. Hell, back now, dunno if they got it on Switch's ports but on PlayStation and Xbox's ports they not only support WADs on wholly unrelated consoles, they've routinely updated the game with hand-picked "Best ofs" themselves you can play instead of the main single-player.

I suppose WADs are more akin to mods and personal tweeking to code the developers throw at the community than emulators explicitly. It'd be like getting mad at Valve for giving Source FilmMaker and GMod to the community. But the negativity, especially when times flies by and the guys and gals actually behind these old games give you their blessing, always befuddles me.

@MrScorpion I am sad for you.

@MrScorpion Glad this was all nice and cordial. Too often opposing sides of opinions online over the most trivial of things leave too many at each other's throats. I'm fine with the concept of emulators, you're not, no worlds are ending and villages being burned to the ground.

It would be nice if there was a generally agreed upon timeframe of emulating acceptance, I think. For example, I would think it mildly disdainful to getting something still of current generation and perhaps last 2 just for free. So say, from Crackdown (Xbox 360 launch) to New Pokemon Snap (Most current game for current consoles that comes immediately to mind) But what would be a respectful timeframe? I guess when they're fully out of print and the game/console's no longer on the owner's market? Which is why I'm less bothered with checking out a rare Japan-only SNES title that no one has any real plans on ever revisiting exporting or selling in general. Your typical "victimless crime" angle, I suppose.

@adamman12345 sure, with and Everdrive 64, then I agree.

I don't see a problem with emulation. Idk why people talk about it like they're walking on boiling water.

Why is there no endgame content though for 3.0??

Emulators are a great way to play old games, sure original hardware is preferable but not a realistic proposition for the vast majority of people due to cost/availability and incompatibility with modern TV's. I have a good PC with retroarch connected to an IPS screen and with various retro controllers and arcade sticks, it's an amazing experience.

As for Project64 I've never found it to be particularly reliable, it was the best way to emulate N64 at one point but not so much these days

I don't see the fuss over downloading roms, I mean I certainly wouldn't emulate current gen games but what's the difference between downloading an N64 rom or buying the game off eBay? The original developer or publisher isn't affected either way, plus then you have the whole homebrew and rom hacking scene which has spawned some great games, even retail games like Sonic Mania.

Also for many like myself it doesn't stop me supporting the same games at retail, last night I bought Metal Slug 2 on Switch despite being able to play it on my PC and I bought Mario 3D All Stars despite being able to play them, even a much better version of Mario 64 and I'll still be buying the Sonic Origins Collection.

Plus without emulation we would never be able to play those unreleased versions of games such as the N64 version of Starfox Adventures (before Fox), or the 360 Goldeneye or Resident Evil 1.5. In fact without emulation the overwhelming majority of retro games would not be available to most people

Oooh, this emulator was for the longest time my go to n64 emulator. I don’t really play n64 on my PC anymore so emulators that runs on ARM like Mupen64 is pretty much the only n64 emulators I use these days.

I would love to see PJ64 being ported over to ARM eventually.

My thoughts on emulation boil down to this: If you own the game, do whatever you want with it. Even current gen games, as long as you actually own the game in some form, go ahead and emulate it. If the game is no longer sold through any official means, there's no difference between downloading a ROM or buying a used copy. If it is sold through official means, though, and you're still downloading the ROM, that's a problem.

@Tasuki Its a lot more convinent to download a rom than to spend a bunch of money just to get something to rip your game files for PC. Plus, you can also somehow get into the weird grey area that I fall in to where I own a Super Famicom and a bunch of Japanese SNES cartriges, but only speak English. I still own the carts for Chrono Trigger and Earthbound and Super Mario RPG, with the latter of the two even being complete in box, but they're in Japanese, so I can't play them. At least in my opinion, I feel that I still have the right to play the games that I own, so I download the English ROMs to actually play.

@Tasuki Where do you stand on games that you just can't get any more for love nor money? They just go the way of the missing Doctor Who episodes? Lost to the sands of time? Emulation is stealing but sometimes if you want to play a game there is no other way.
Also don't forget downloading things you don't own is usually referred to as piracy rather than theft so it makes the people who do it not feel as bad.

Emulate all the things!
If the industry doesn't care about preserving their work, the community should. And that goes for both, games and systems.

Also, to give another perspective:
Without (3DS) emulation, i wouldn't be able to play the system anymore because i can't see the tiny, low res screen properly anymore. Or at least not without massive eye and headaches.

So i ripped my entire collection to enjoy it on a much bigger screen in a much more comfortable position.

But regarding the "Emulation is theft" crowd:
Mind explaining to me how things can be stolen that aren't sold? That always confused me...

Original Hardware = Authentic!
Emulation = Fake

....I wished Nintendo would do a N64 Classic, a lot of the 64 games I played had some issue when played on Project 64.

Like Kirby 64 HUD wouldn't work properly and you had to pause or move to another area to update it. Majora's Mask would crash at a certain required area. (I forget what it's called, that place at the entrance of Great Bay) Other games would lag, or...something.

Ugh, I just missed the Virtual Console, it was the main reason I stopped messing with emulators and roms completely. (...well, besides SNES Classic, lol)

Emulation is sometimes the only method that you can play obscure, hard to find games. It's also a method of convenience as not always do I want to go up in the attic, retrieve all my retro consoles and fiddle about connecting them to my AVR / TV. I can understand it's a controversial subject, but those who want to support the industry, please go ahead, but there are many instances where if you want to get a hold of that one rare retro game for stupid money on eBay, you're not supporting the original developer, pulisher or whoever owns the IP, you're just giving some cash to some random person for the privilege. I'm a collector, I get it, you may want to own the physical copy, but without emulation I doubt I would ever get to experience some of the games that never went on sale in the West, or have since long been retired to the archives of history.

@Einherjar
The Term itself is false.
Stealing is taking something away from somebody.
By copying Software the Products are not taken away from anybody, it is copied, not stolen.

Because it is nothing material and so something out of Human Mind the legal Rules for how, if and when you are allowed to copy Software are very variable from Case to Case and Country to Country.

@BloodNinja

Lieees! lt doesn't run perfectly!!!!!
But good enough to enjoy Stuff

What i love about that Emulator are the Controller Plug ins.
I've took my original save file from Pokemon Red with the Retrode2, played it further on work with my mobile Phone on a emulator, used that save file with Project 64 to play Pokemon Stadium aaaand put it back on the Gameboy.

Really, this is how it should be.
I was so astounished how well this transition was possible.
Playing without Borders.

@carlos82 Apologies, I didn't read your post before I wrote mine, but I've basically echoed what you said =0p

I often think when looking at my 8, 16 and 32-bit consoles, "what constitutes the original experience anyway?"

In my lounge I've got a SuperNT with an SD2SNES, a wireless controller and it outputs to an OLED TV. None of that is "original"! 😅 Even in my office where I've got a Super Famicom Jr., it's RGB modded, connected via an OSSC and using the same SD2SNES. It feels close enough to the original for my needs, although I would like to have a CRT at some point.

When it comes to the N64 though, I generally prefer original hardware because most emulators have accuracy problems (they all manage Mario 64 well but pretty much everything else always has something wrong). Plus, the N64 controller's button layout and analogue stick are pretty unique, so unless you have a means of connecting an original controller up, any other controller tends to make the games feel off. Trying to play the ocarina with the right analogue stick of some controller is horrible. 😥 So I tend to stick with original hardware there if I can.

@Azuris Yes, that's the semantic argument, but besides the point.
The argument was, that those who emulate deprive the original creator of their well earned money.
While this can be true, of course.
But more often than not, the things that get emulated aren't available for purchase anymore.

I'd love nothing more to shove money towards Nintendo and Capcom for a way to play Gotcha Force in HD.
But as it stands, ripping my own, legally bought copy and playing it via emulator while my legally bought Gamecube sits snugly on its display shelf, is the only way to go here.

People need to learn what emulation is and what it stands for even on a community level.

I think I've used PJ64 for as long as I had a computer, which has been since 2001. Glad that they are still around!
Another good emulator that I tend to use is 1964.

@Tasuki Then don't use it. Emulators legal in the US

@Azuris hahaha!! For the games I run, it’s flawless. Probably not that way for other games, but it’s the only emulator for N64 I’ve used that doesn’t have missing graphics and audio glitches for the games I run.

Wow, going to download it as soon as possible, I've been an user since the beginning. If you can use the real hardware, knock yourself out, but that costs money, even to play it adequatley on an HD TV. Best way to go if you own the hardware, is to have one of those old TV's. But emulation is fine. I was able to play Neon Genesis Evangelion thanks to Project 64, and it's one of my favorite games on the system. Hopefully, that new Plug in works when you connect your PC to an HD TV.

@Tasuki Copying is not theft, it you steal something, it's gone, if you copy something, the original is still there.

@Clod In what universe is paying id software for a license to use their source code to create a promotional game "theft"? Are you ignorant on the development history of Chex Quest or is this some sort of malicious attempt to equate playing Doom mods to emulation?

I think I see what the purpose of this article is. And, well I'm honestly not too upset about it. It worked like a charm.

I have spent thousand of dollars for gaming over the years, starting with the NES and currently PS5, XSX and Switch. I do not feel guilty in the slightest if I download a game I bought many years ago that I can no longer play or even a game that I missed back then that’s not currently available for sale.

If you ask me about hacking my Switch and loading pirate versions of currently available games, no I wouldn’t do that. But old games I have no issue about. Would I pay if they were available? Yes! Just as I did for my NES & SNES Classic, Mario 3D all Stars or switch online. But if not available and get a urge to play one retro game I’ll just hunt it down and load it on an Emulator with no regrets.

Emulation keeps alive the video game history that companies aren't worried to do by bringing back old games to recent hardware or even by just keeping the source codes of their games, which is the least they could do for themselves, but they don't. Even so, muppets like 'bootlicking' companies and criticizing the fans' free hard work to preserve the history of hardware that's not officially commercialized anymore and, thus, can't give any profit to those companies even if people wanted to spontaneously give them. That's freaking funny

Emulation and ROMs are essential to preserving gaming history. Anyone against it is really ignorant and only cares about their weird and phony moral compass. Big companies don't care about you and would steal your money in a heart beat, and they essentially do through crappy and half-assed products that break or function poorly. Your average person can't play vintage games anymore and if they want to, it's expensive as f*uck. Retro games have become overpriced and quite frankly, not worth buying anymore. Anyone who wants to play a classic but has no way of doing so should just emulate. Rather than worrying about (game company goes here) losing a quick buck off a sh"itty and half-assed port of a 18 year old game, you should instead be thinking about how they should be making NEW games for you to want to buy and enjoy. A company trying to get you to purchase the same game for the 7th time is just greedy and lazy on their part. Play ROMs and emulate classic games. Literally who cares

I do believe hardware will always be better than software emulation. And of course supporting the original developers and console manufacturers is paramount.

However, there are some scenarios where emulation does become important. Whether it's now impossible to obtain titles, unreleased content, or fan creations such as the Banjo Kazooie / Ocarina of Time mods that exist.

While other people are of course willing to play any old game on emulation and imply it doesn't have any impact on the industry (tell that to the numerous developers that have gone bankrupt over the last 5-10 years), I do personally try to only stick to games I physically own and keep safely stored in my attic from older consoles. Which at least in some cases such as Wii and GameCube games via Dolphin allow me to appreciate them at better resolutions now.

@MrScorpion In order for something to be a crime, it must first be reported. Stealing also isn’t technically the correct crime in this case, when you are talking about downloading something digital. If you want to get into talking about theft, you have to prove damages. If you can find proof that the guys who made an old NES game 30 years ago are somehow being damaged financially by a download in 2021, I would agree with you. Right now, though, I’m pretty certain those guys already got paid. You would have to download something that is currently being sold or has current copywrite protections; that would be the first step in determining the crime. Keep in mind too, that digital “theft” usually goes under copywrite infringement, since a physical thing isn’t being taken. Ethically, yes. It’s stealing. Legally? Completely different topic depending on the law of the land you live in.

My point in all this; it’s not best practice to point at a bunch of strangers in a chat forum and accuse them of stealing. You always have to first witness and then prove a crime occurred that caused damages to the other party.

@Tasuki See, you can’t just accuse people of being thieves without proving damages. Digital downloads aren’t stealing; they are copywrite infringement. In many regions, it’s viewed as a completely different crime, due to the fact that no physical wares are being moved against the will of the owner. You may not like it, but you have no right accusing people of being a thief without any burden of proof.

@Casco Exactly. There are some things that will no longer be available in the near future. I bought and paid for a digital copy of Demon’s Souls, and a PS3. Now that we know of the CMOS battery error that is tied to trophies, I know that once my CMOS battery dies my PS3 will brick and I will no longer be able to play that game, thanks to Sony’s error. Emulating it will soon be the only way to play that version of the game, so I feel no guilt doing it for something I paid for.

Dang, this emulator is 20 years old?! That's insane! Happy aniversary to Project 64!

Wow. I feel old. I still wish we had better N64 emulation on Wii and Wii U. It's the only reason I went back to original hardware this year. Aside from that, I'm happy that the PJ64 team are still making improvements. This is great for game preservation!

@CactusMan I think so, too!

@Bermanator that’s focussing purely on the publisher and hardware manufacturer. Companies like Telltale, Lionhead, Acclaim, Guerrilla, Silicon Knights, Bizarre… it’s these companies who develop games and then lose out. Not Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft.

@CactusMan I’ll be honest and say since the news of 3DS carts potentially having premature issues, I’ve modded my 3DS and backed up my physical games to a microSD card on it. Now my games can not have to further deteriorate by being overused etc.

@LightyKD at least Nintendo’s in house emulation has vastly improved and allows for patching in new textures on the fly etc. I’d expect this to be why they’ve held off on an N64 Switch Online library until some point this year, so the treatment SM64 got can be given to other titles.

@MrScorpion It’s all good! And while I agree with the general premise of the argument, some of us rip our own ROMs using our own hardware, which as far as I know is perfectly legal as long as we don’t distribute it. Obviously distribution is illegal, region dependent. Have a great weekend and thank you for being cordial and thoughtful, yourself!

NINJA APPROVED

@MrScorpion Hell yeah! And it's quite okay to be biased, I think. Sometimes that just means that you are willing to stand for something, and that's respectable in my book.

@Bermanator it depends how far down this rabbit hole you want to go… once they’re bankrupt and have all lost their jobs? Maybe not. But maybe emulation is part of the reason it happened in the first place, lack of sales etc. If we’re talking companies and licences still around, in a world of remasters and collections on multiple platforms you can never predict your logic.

@Tasuki Yeah, we should honestly pay those emulator devs.

@Bentendo1609 Yeah, the lack of DK64 sales has been staggering.