Getting Started With The Nintendo 64

[@RetroRGB]

LOL @ quarter "decade". As if the N64 was released in 2018 ;p I'm sure you all know what I meant, but it was still embarrassing. It's not a technical error though (no one's loosing money buying the wrong thing as a result), so I decided it wasn't worth re-recording, editing, rendering and uploading all over again, just for that one word. Feel free to tease about it though - I totally deserve it :)

[@Phoenix_1991]

You take the fun out of it Bob. :D

[@Riylo]

Consider yourself teased. Doubly so, since 2.5 years ago was 2019.

[@0mnis14sh]

Quarter century sounds big. It's what I thought first before I noticed.

[@jeffreyonline]

"Wanna feel old? The N64 was 2.5 years ago"

[@BCWhims]

"The same way you might have a quarter decade ago." It's technically correct. Someone listening probably played N64 on a CRT with composite video a quarter decade ago.

[@ShankMods]

If the Nintendo 64 is so great, how come there's no Nintendo 65?

[@AbdAbdAbdAbd]

oh hi shank

[@gamerjerome]

If the Switch is so great, why is there no Switch 2?

[@perpetualcollapse]

We know the Wii was great because they made the Wii U lol

[@tkb301]

Because it's so good there's no need for a successor

[@linklooklisten]

There IS the Nintendo 69.......

[@RedPlanetPictures1]

I've been mulling about upgrading my 64 output for about 4 years now, but there's so much mixed info out there and too many options without good comparisons that I've hesitated pulling the trigger. This video was exactly what I needed to make a confident decision, love it!

[@cfreddykrueger9164]

I’ve been using voultars rgb mod with the rad 2x for almost a year now thanks to your review video Bob. Couldn’t be happier with the results.

[@RetroRGB]

An excellent solution!

[@TooBokoo]

The best part about Voultar's board is it couldn't be simpler to install. Even a novice can get that thing done in about 5 minutes. Probably take you longer to disassemble the console.

[@_Gilles_]

I just still love these semi-translucent console designs 25 years later. Still gives me excitement.

[@KashiwaDaisuke]

yeah, you could almost say they're... funtastic

[@koreyf]

I love the support that retro content creators provide each other. Also, Bob's intro is still one of the best around.

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@xrayspecsuk]

Omg, thanks for that first tip about that pack having to be in place, a had a spare transparent 64 that I thought was dead. Now works fine!

[@RetroTechUSA]

This video is incredible! The CRT remains king! If you want the best experience, pair your NTSC N64 with any Size JVC D Series CRT then thank me later.

[@dr.decker3623]

ummm no,.. get a Hyperkin HDMI for it and every retro console,.. play it on a 55" LED screen ,. and then YOU thank ME later lol

[@JohnSmith-oc2fk]

@@dr.decker3623 Retro consoles were never made for HD screens

[@Philthese93]

@@JohnSmith-oc2fk true but now we have the technology to give them new life into our readily available devices. Mario Party 3 in the living room with the 65 inch tv sounds like an amazing Friday night!

[@GOSOVAable]

@xg223 hahahaha, i hope he isn't being real

[@wesleybcrowen]

Retrotink 2X mini was such a good investment. If you don't want to mod the console then it's the next best thing for your N64 output.

[@MaxGallardo]

Can confirm, it's a great investment!

[@Cinderkin]

I had an N64Digital installed a couple of weeks ago. It's been a dream. I love this console.

[@alioth2021]

I'm glad there's now a more in-depth video on this subject. I got caught up with hardware and mods when I got back into retro gaming and ended up with a lot of expensive boxes and circuit boards that didn't work with my setup. I've since moved on to emulation exclusively, and I have sold most of the upscalers and consoles to make back some of the money I had spent, but a video like this probably would have saved me a lot of time, tears, and money.

[@dr.decker3623]

the only thing that won't work on new setups are the lightguns,.. ... if you couldn't setup your consoles you did something wrong lol

[@dpajc056]

No 90GB mandatory update before you can play your console there...boy do I miss those times

[@Mcbuzzerr]

I love how genuine this video feels

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@yawnny9098]

Holy shit Bob, excellent work! I clicked on the video thinking I already knew everything there was to know about the N64 and just wanted your take on it while I enjoy my Sunday beer. What I've been greeted with here is an N64 video that hits the exact right amount of technical detail that matches where I'm at with my RGB journey and goes above and beyond with specifics a lot of other similar videos haven't touched on. For example, the Forever Pack, the cartridge slot replacement, what to watch for in regards to expansion packs, waiting till mid video to discuss the n64 video signals, N64 digital overview, hilarious mcable spot, more laser bear options, etc... All done in such an upstanding way where you mention where you can buy the examples from when appropriate, and which KZbin videos to follow to learn more. Not to mention the production quality that gets better with every episode. This is why I keep coming back. Keep it up, legendary work!!

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@stephenschenider4007]

My god I feel like time is flying when I think about this consoles launch and this intro.

[@Djerique]

Bob! You are a wonderful addition to the retro gaming community. Nice in depth review. You’ve outdone yourself again. Hero! Greetings from The Netherlands.

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@Yipper64]

the past half year ive been playing a lot of N64, mostly Banjo Kazooie for now, but I really do love this console! It looks fantastic on my CRT, I just love scanlines, cant get enough of them.

[@PaperBanjo64]

N64 benefits the most from scanlines.

[@AceTrainerX3]

@@PaperBanjo64 As the great Exo Paradigm Gamer once said: "I know people always say Retro games are meant for CRTs, and that goes *triple* for the Nintendo 64."

[@71jbear]

I appreciate your easy going presentation. You avoid weird super hyped emotions/voices. You have earned my sub. Great video.

[@koreyf]

About the mClassic, I know there are varying opinions about it but I use it to upscale all my 480p signals because capture cards and gaming monitors don't play well with 480p. I use it with my RetroTink 2x Pro and EON GCHD MK-II to get a 1080p signal into my PC. (I found this solution before the RetroTink 5x, and the OSSC always seemed to advanced for me.)

[@randmiller88]

Recently got back into the N64 after buying a CRT on the cheap and digging out my old Jungle Green system out of storage.. (Sadly, my original black one with the Expansion Pak is long gone.) Also in the box were 4 original controllers, a memory card that needed a battery swap, and of course a few games including No Mercy, Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros., and Mario Tennis. I'm planning to pick up a few more (authentic!) games soon and I just bought an s-video cable and a Forever Pak 64 to avoid losing save files. Love it!

[@writeronfire]

Been playing via S-Video on a 36" JVC concave CRT. Wired N64 controllers with zero lag too 🎮 📺 also my original official memory pak still works 😄

[@mikal4580]

This video was excellent, hoping more n64 digitals come in stock soon, I've been checking back every so often. That really does seem like it could be my forever mod. I have an n64 with an RGB mod right now, but taking away the 64's inherent blur looks really good.

[@wobblingpixels3921]

I don't get the thumbs down before watching the vid. mCable fans? Even you disagree with Bob he is always trying to be fair and balanced.

[@alucard971]

Though he may be a little biased towards the N64 😏 "What is your favorite N64 game?" "The last one I'll ever have to play."

[@RetroRGB]

Hahahahahahahahaha :)

[@JMLRetroRoom]

I’ve been an advocate for the mClassic but only on OG Xbox, Wii, GC and DC.. But since getting the RetroTINK 5x Pro I don’t even use it anymore since it has the same features but it’s better. It can force 4:3, Smoothing and upscale to 1080p which the mClassic does all those but just not as good. The RetroTINK gives me a more proper 4:3 image and it’s sharper with more features. I still like the mClassic and believe it’s a more affordable option that has IMO solid visual enhancements to the right 480p retro consoles. One feature that’s forgotten is the 4K upscale for 24fps Blu-ray. It’s not native 4K but it’s pretty good and nobody ever talks about that.

[@brotherbodhi237]

Main advantage of the mClassic imo is that it accepts HDMI input. Helps a lot with my old HDMI modded GC that outputs 480p via HDMI. I don’t always want to have a long daisy chain of cords to convert it to component and then into the 5x to upscale it to 1440p before running it to my monitor. Much simpler to just plug the mClassic in the back of the console and be done with it. Still get 1440p and the smoothing filter looks decent enough. If I didn’t have one already - I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to buy one now that I have the 5x, but I use it randomly at times so I’m not going to get rid of it either

[@JMLRetroRoom]

@@brotherbodhi237 If you want to connect it to the 5X you just use the HDMI out of it. I haven’t seen really any enhancement at that point since it works best with 480p and the TINK has great 1080p output. Edit: I see what you mean now. Never mind 😅

[@horroRomantic444]

1st suggestion is the best. Old TV and Console. The best combination.

[@TheMikeyb86]

Superb! I'm so glad you covered the N64.

[@izenheimreborn6390]

I had found an old N64 my family had, and I had it all hooked up, and couldn’t figure out how to start it. Never knew it needed a cartridge to start up

[@SuperLuigiSixty4]

Great video! I personally run S Video to a CRT, but those HDMI solutions look pretty sweet. I'm also a proud owner of an Everdrive 64 5x. I use a wired Retro Fighters Brawler 64 as my main controller, but I'm waiting to see who wins the race to be compatible with the Switch Online games before I snag a wireless one.

[@jeffreyonline]

What a refreshing intro, also a great video in general as always

[@Mastersaifer]

Holy crap, awesome vid as always Bob!

[@RastaJediX]

Excellent video, Bob! I'm sure I will be sharing this with many many many of my friends over the years when I am trying to get them back into retro.

[@SDMasterYoda]

"Shimmering!" fucking love it.

[@kfishwick3]

What do you mean?

[@systemshocker2875]

RGB is definitely different from S-Video with the brighter colors

[@velbyYT]

The N64 has gotten so much stuff as of late, nice to see the love for it!

[@jeff97ish]

Thanks for this Bob. I just recently got me a few n64 consoles. I have mine hooked up via S-Video on the RetroTINK 2x Pro. I have it setup on a different tv than the one I use with my 5x.

[@Yokyle4356]

There is nothing more fun than playing a old system on a old TV screen it brings back old memories

[@Thatguy-zh1ln]

Great video, great info , and I appreciate all the links in the description

[@RetroMoments]

I have the UltraHDMI! I wish I could use a smoothing filter like the N64Digital has!

[@DragonQuarter]

Good video! I just ordered a Retrotink 5X and I have an official S-Video cable for N64 already, and based on the footage shown here, I think that's good enough. I'm not entirely sold on RGB on N64, although the N64Digital seems nice.

[@RetroRGB]

It's absolutely good enough. The shot with composite, s-video and RGB shows S-Video doesn't have any of the weird artifacts and interference composite has, when used on flat panels via the RT5x. It's a great choice.

[@TooBokoo]

Shout out to my homeboys Tim Worthington and Borti's advanced RGB mods. That shlt looks identical to my UltraHDMI with their deblur feature. 💪🏻 LOL! But, for real, the N64 is just always gonna be that one damn console that you don't strive to make look awesome, but strive to make look less like ass!

[@TorqueEffect]

I also have installed the Tim Worthington RGB mod into my N64, and flashed it with Borti's IGR Firmware, with that hooked up to a CRT with Retrovision Cables, and it looks fantastic!

[@forestmanzpedia]

I have the RGB Advance on my N64. It look so beautiful. My only problem is I use a RGB Scart cable meant for the SNES which unfortunately creates pixelated edges which can be annoying. In a few days I will receive my Rad2x so that issue will be gone for good. I can definitly recommend this mod. Definitly use Retrotink or Rad2x after you modded your N64!

[@notnowmike_]

Extremely informative. I learned some new things. Thank you for posting this.

[@gcfreak898]

I use the EON super 64 and that works great. Thanks for the great video.

[@MusicalBulbear]

my controller pak from 1997 still holds a save to this day.

[@Kani8122]

Thanks for mentioning that the cartridge tray mod doesn't remove the 60hz/50hz region lock, instead of pretending that fucking around with the cartridge slot makes the console "totally region free brah".

[@AceTrainerX3]

6:51 Oh boy, the N64 controller's B button got green screened

[@numberoneappgames]

This video got me. 😊 I'm just getting into the N64.

[@willmatheson]

My grandparents had an early flat-panel (it had HDMI that would do 1080i but not 1080p, IIRC) and it had an honest-to-goodness S-Video input. My N64 looked pretty good on it! Got 119 out of 120 stars in SM64. Guess I can blame the lag...

[@LITTLE1994]

Made in 1996, and still is a great console to this day. Ironic you have the same model as mine.

[@dustinberthold962]

There should maybe be laws that after an agreed many years, those experiences become part of a video game library that is preserved.

[@anolte7]

I love the way this video is presented. I hope you make more like this for other consoles someday!

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@cicerothenekoknightplaysall]

nintendo 64 was my introduction to gaming im always looking for new tech tips on it

[@thestressedoutstreamer2655]

Hey just found the channel today! Subscribed and rang the bell looking forward to more retro gaming content!

[@adamfowler2547]

Great video Bob, makes me want to install my kit which is sitting there in box since ordering, may need to dust off the Hakko

[@Hitokiri926]

What a fantastic video, I very much enjoyed watching this! Thanks!

[@CollinKenny]

Great work Bob; hope this gets the views it deserves.

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@maris4137]

I hope this will be a series covering all retro consoles. Great video. 👍

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you! If this video does well, yes, I plan on doing it for every console. If not, then I'll still try...but these are a TON of effort to put together, so it'll be awhile.

[@MechaFenris]

I have found that for my N64 that an S-Video cable and a RetroTink 2 Pro gives me a great picture with no hassle. :) I always wondered how much strain the wireless adapters would cause... that's a neat solution (I use my Retrobit Tribute 64). :) Now that I bought a forever pak... I figure I'm golden with my N64. :) Great video, btw.

[@Steve_Mazza]

Wow - look at 16:14 and the next minute. The CRT (just a plain, small, CRT with unknown usage hours, pulled from a thrift store) does an amazing job of translating those pixels into a smooth, crisp image. The only areas where the LCD has it beat are color intensity and depth. (And the CRT may have been able to improve quite a bit if it had been adjusted using Mario's red hat as a guide.) I like playing retro consoles on both CRT and LCD ... but I do like pixels, so smoothing off for me, please! Thanks for the great video.

[@bowi1332]

I'm rewatching and I want to congratulate you on the efforts you put when filming displays. 👍 Hopefully we get a cheaper HDMI mod, soon, like the one from Electron Sheperd for the Wii and which is $79.99! The new "Retro GEM" from PixelFX is $119. I just want a simpler digital-to-digital mod. 😓

[@rosserjake]

The "No Signal" is the most frustrating thing. I've tried switching multiple AV cables, removing and placing the expansion pack, different game cartridges etc. The thing is the same AV cables work fine on my gamecube. I don't know what to do.

[@djm9937]

Bob, your face is priceless when mentioning the mClassic :)

[@RetroRGB]

LOL, I did that in one take - It was genuine :)

[@numberoneappgames]

Thank you so much for the guide.

[@paulcathcart7896]

I remember buying one of these with my student loan. Leaving my friends in the pub to go home and play Mario 64.

[@SYIBOI]

The dream is getting that integrated HDMI mod and keep an analog connection to my PVM if only they didn't cost a small fortune to get that mod put in 😭

[@JLowe1964]

I was able the buy the hdmi kit a couple years back, but it was ruined buy the guy I trusted to install it. 😭

[@Metaphor9696]

No offense to any other creators, but this is the best N64 video I have ever seen

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks very much!

[@Stungunwol]

I played N64 and Wii on my Commodore 1702 monitor. Thing still works great...

[@AndreVandal]

We can almost hear the sigh when you brings up the M-Cable

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

I've been playing N64 in 2021, namely the original Mario Party in preparation for Mario Party Superstars (which is out now, and yes, I did buy a copy of that game for my Switch).

[@CharlesFitzgerald-pm5uk]

I'm happy playing it with scart on a Sony bravia 32 inch tv from 2010 ❤

[@FreakyLeek]

Love my original N64 with a Rad2x. I would be interested in getting another one for/with digital no cut mod though.

[@JinzoFiter]

What would a good, shielded composite cable look like compared to one that's unshielded? Pretty sure a lot of my spares are unshielded, and I'm looking to replace them.

[@UNOxDExELLOS]

I haven't even watched this yet but it's Bob so you know it's gonna be good. Liked.

[@ericko777]

I use the mclassic with my retron 5 for my cartridge retro games and it does make a difference in color vibrance and sharpness. I also have it connected to the N64 via a hyperkin hdmi (temporary until I get a retrotink) and it does make a color and sharpness improvement (10%ish). It also allows me to modify 4:3 and 16:9 which comes in handy often with complicated setups of various systems and scalers. I also use it a lot in combination with my OSSC to get some amazing picture quality out of various retro consoles. I love it. I can see it not being as necessary if you're retro consoles are RGB or HDMI modded but it does provide me with great results via my component and scart systems via the OSSC

[@kerrymillan3943]

Do I only need one forever pak 64 for my system or do I get one for each of the controllers I have? Idk if this is a stupid question I'm sorry.

[@TheManoberry]

Awesome video Bob!, love that Try4ce cameo lol!

[@ians_parks]

I felt Bob's pain when he brought up the M classic.

[@ericko777]

I think the mclassic is great for my retro systems but I don't have access to rgb and hdmi mods

[@danim5881]

S video on crt is great!

[@swishahouse68]

Getting one of these Kind of Videos for the Playstation 2 would be GREAT for me right now. 🙏🏽

[@gamecubeplayer]

use ps2 component cables with retrotink 5x with it's motion adaptive deinterlacing

[@swishahouse68]

@@gamecubeplayer my Dilemma is, if i spend $300, shouldn’t i just buy a Backwards Compatible PS3? Thing about that is, I’m not the most tech Savvy guy. I’d like to be able to play Roms on the Systems. Something tells me that Soft Modding the PS3 is a Task versus just buying a MC2SIO/MX4SIO for the PS2. Is there anyway to get the PS2 to look as Good as the PS3 Upscaling?

[@gamecubeplayer]

@@swishahouse68 the retrotink 5x has an upscaling smoothing filter

[@MrJakeTucker]

I got my N64 second hand around 20 years ago and it came with an expansion pack. I didn't know until Bob's video but it looks like I have a 3rd party exp. pack. It fits in such a way that it's not possible to put the lid/cover on after inserting the exp.pack. It's always worked OK though.

[@ocix]

I have an Ultra HDMI modded console. It really is super nice. Allows be to stream N64 it’s pretty fun :)

[@Lemon_12334]

Thanks my Nintendo 64 is displayed. I’m so happy.

[@brokefarmerjohn2422]

I’m getting back into N64 after 20 years or so. I’m 30 so I wanted to relive the console I loved back in the day. I had the DK64 edition N64 which is what I wanted this time. So I bought a Funtastic Jungle Green N64 with the red top expansion pack and two funtastic green Nintendo controllers on eBay for $235 after tax. Then I looked into games and was turned onto the Ever Drive 64 x7, being I wanted the look of the DK64 I paid extra for the Banana Yellow Ever Drive 64 x7. That was $212 after tax. Then had to buy a quality HDMI cable and micro SD card, another $30 Then had to upgrade my cable from the simple AV cable to S, add a Retrotink also. I was told the cables that come with the Retrotink mini aren’t as shielded or as good of quality as the OEM Nintendo S cable, well that cable is $50 and I will likely go with the x2 pro Retrotink so likely another $130 So now I’m at over $650 just to play a 20+ year old video game system lmao. But this time around it will look better and I’ll have every game made for the N64 instead of just a handful of games. Reliving childhood memories are not cheap! I would like to note, my sister kept a charcoal N64 and 8 or so games so a lot of my pain was self induced to have exactly what I had as a kid plus upgrading it for my modern TV. The funtastic N64 was lost in time.

[@twocows360]

1:20 there's actually been a native port of SM64 and OoT specifically... if you're looking at one of those two games, assuming you have a way to dump your cartridge ROM, you can play them natively on your computer (or any other device they've been ported to, including the 3DS for SM64 at least) without any emulation at all. The OoT project is Ship of Harkinian, I don't think the SM64 one has a specific name but there are multiple tools available to automate the compilation process.

[@zombeat7376]

I still have my n64 that I had since the mid 90's. I recently tried the emulator on the pc. It looks pretty good now but I think may have lot to do with using a 4k tv, whereas last time i tried it i didnt. IMHO the windows pc and emulator is the best way to play n64 games now. Not even an hdmi mod will look that good. But one thing I am trying to find out about is. I love the top gear rally game, I have been playing it for over 20 years 😄 but I did a paint job in the paint editor on that game saved to the original memory card. But then bought a more modern rumble with memory available so was I able to load up the paint job in the game and take a duplicate save of the paint job onto the newer rumble/memory pack. So it's amazing to still have that paint job I did in the mid 90's. What I am trying to find out about is, is it possibly to get your original memory card saves on to the pc and use on an emulator? I simply want to take the paint job save from the original memory card and use it on the n64 mupen plus emulator. I say simple but I don't even know if it is possible.

[@KappaCow]

CRT + S-VIdeo baby!!!

[@ShamanNoodles]

If you're buying a memory pak, it's worth spending the extra money for a quality one! I've had 2 different aftermarket memory paks lose all my data. And no, it wasn't the battery!

[@64-Bit-Gamer]

Looking forward to watching this.

[@irwingalvarez]

lol at 6:52 the gray color of the N64 controller on the green screen behind Bob mapped to the green on the B button of the N64 controller he's holding in his left hand.

[@HybridAngelZero]

Great stuff! At last, I can play Quest 64 in the best quality... is what I would be saying, except I never knew Controller Paks used SRAM with a battery to save, I always thought they used EEPROM! Guess I better invest in those Forever Paks

[@jerbear7952]

I love having all of my original nintendos but I really just play my modded wiiu at this point. I almost wish it wasn't so convenient.

[@Shawnredfield98]

Bob is the 🐐. Every video is a banger! Appreciate you.

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks!

[@RetroComparisons]

Fantastic video as always! If you get a chance, try out one of the 2 HDMI mods at 720p with the mClassic upscaling it to 1080p. It doesn't make a world of difference but it takes the clean signal and smooths out the jaggies.

[@RetroRGB]

I showed that in the video. Mostly useless: www.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/N64dSmoothingOffmClassic.png www.retrorgb.com/getting-started-with-the-nintendo-64.html

[@RetroComparisons]

@@RetroRGB Ah gotcha, sorry I missed the 720p part, I guess I was focusing too much on the 1080p. Keep up the great work!

[@RetroGames4K]

Interesting info for retro gaming. Nice video...👍👍👍

[@LandPirate62]

Awesome job!! Can’t wait for one on PS2

[@deadringer8050]

i actually bought a pair of n64 controller extension cables and i plug the retro fighter receiver in there and tuck the cable away there like 8 bucks for a pair on amazon

[@dr.decker3623]

me and my son have about 50 games for the n64, all the best carts, play it on our ultrawide 55" through HDMI from Hyperkin. Best ever,.. also have 2xSNes 2xNES and 4xSegas (2 model1 2model2) with about 100 carts for each :D

[@maoraharon21]

there's nothing like a real crt. I just love these things.

[@AceTrainerX3]

Back-breaking for sure, but it's worth it.

[@maoraharon21]

@@AceTrainerX3 yeah the big ones are not a one man job gotta have a friend or two.

[@RobertKliethermes]

This is why I keep 7 different CRT TVs at my house.... you know... just in case. :)

[@donkeyk1988]

Just a recommendation for my fellow PAL gamers - if you’re tempted to dust off your trusty PAL N64 and play that - don’t. Even without considering the fact NTSC consoles are easier to RGB mod, PAL conversions are notoriously awful - slower and with borders. First party Nintendo games are especially bad for this! An NTSC consoles and everdrive with US ROMs is a strong recommendation. RGB mods, etc. are then an option down the line if you’re keen.

[@frankeeeej]

My two cents: US roms on a rom cart will work fine on a pal console. Sure, maybe a pal n64 isn't as great as an ntsc one, but you know, if its what you have: rom cart is a great option

[@ozzyp97]

@@frankeeeej This is true, and it'll output PAL-60, meaning better compatibility with PAL TVs. It's just a color encoding issue though, RGB on an NTSC console would also work even if composite is black and white. NTSC roms on PAL also play ever so slightly too slow, if that's something you care about.

[@Herculesbiggercousin]

Quality content sir, thank you