N64 Setup options

o1s1n

So getting my hands on all this N64 stuff again has me wanting to sort out my setup.

From what I've read online, these seem to be the options;

Stock -
PAL N64 - locked to 50Hz and Composite (by far the worst and what I currently have)
NTSC N64: 60hz, option of S-Video

Modded -

RGB Modded PAL n64 - not too expensive, still 50hz though (no multi region mod)
RGB Modded NTSC n64 - more expensive, glorious 60hz RGB! (no multi region mod)

So here's where I'm a tad confused - is the refresh rate driven by the console or the software on the carts?

If I pick up an NTSC N64 will I be able to play my PAL carts via a passport adapter? (I'm aware that there's no real multi region modification short of hacking consoles together)

Ideally I'd like to sell my PAL N64 but retain the PAL carts.

The 'nuclear' option is to sell all the PAL N64 stuff completely and rebuy the lot as NTSC, but that's a bit of a pain in the arse and would like to retain my original games.

Hmmm, decisions!

you need a new crt

o1s1n

urbanledge wrote: »

you need a new crt

I always need more CRTs but I'm not sure what that has to do with my N64 situation :pac:

o1s1n

Thinking of replacing one of your pins with a new machine?

CathalDublin

My US N64(not RGB modded yet) plays pal carts fine using a universal adapter thingy, US cart in the rear, pal cart in the front:eek:

o1s1n

CathalDublin wrote: »

My US N64(not RGB modded yet) plays pal carts fine using a universal adapter thingy, US cart in the rear, pal cart in the front:eek:

Excellent!

Can you remember if they displayed in 50hz or 60hz? (would determine if the refresh rate is console or software based)

CathalDublin

I'm pretty sure 60hz but I'm not 100%, I'll check later on if I get a minute.
been about 2 years since the N64 was on

o1s1n

**** it, just bought this :pac:

RGB Modded US NTSC N64.



Will be sticking my PAL boxed console with memory expansion on adverts shortly

The Last Bandit

NTSC RGB modded is the only way to go. I picked my NTSC-J up really cheap on Ebay, ok shipping was pricey but still a cheap console overall. Easy RGB mod on them as well.

Only used with an Everdrive as all my carts are PAL but I can live with that

Retr0gamer

A US N64 should play PAL games in 60Hz but it's not recommended, you'll get lots of speed related errors especially with the ones Nintendo badly optimised and Rare's games.

o1s1n

Retr0gamer wrote: »

A US N64 should play PAL games in 60Hz but it's not recommended, you'll get lots of speed related errors especially with the ones Nintendo badly optimised and Rare's games.

Damn, was hoping that wouldn't be the case. I've seen it happen with some PAL Snes games at 60hz and had a feeling it might happen to N64 ones too.

I guess I'll test them out when the US console arrives and if there are loads of issues, will sell all the PAL games and console as a lot and start building the collecting back up with US ones.

Really can't wait to see what an RGB N64 looks like... I wonder will you be able to see the extra sharpness through all the blur?

The Last Bandit

o1s1n wrote: »

Damn, was hoping that wouldn't be the case. I've seen it happen with some PAL Snes games at 60hz and had a feeling it might happen to N64 ones too.

I guess I'll test them out when the US console arrives and if there are loads of issues, will sell all the PAL games and console as a lot and start building the collecting back up with US ones.

Really can't wait to see what an RGB N64 looks like... I wonder will you be able to see the extra sharpness through all the blur?

The poo in Conker's is vibrant

Retr0gamer

The Last Bandit wrote: »

The poo in Conker's is vibrant

The poo as in the whole game? :P

CiDeRmAn

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The poo as in the whole game? :P

Get stuffed Retr0, that's a great game!

I have an RGB modded NTSC N64 and an Everdrive, perfect combination.

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Get stuffed Retr0, that's a great game!

I love the bits where it makes you carry stuff that slows you down... then makes you do the same thing 2 more times. Filler ftw!

murphyebass

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Get stuffed Retr0, that's a great game!

I have an RGB modded NTSC N64 and an Everdrive, perfect combination.

As it stands I'm not enjoying the Pal one I have mainly due to the picture quality.

I have the svideo cable from console goods which helped and I have the expansion pak but it still looks blurry.

I've changed all the settings on the LG LED telly that I have but nothing seems to clarify it.

So where can you buy one like you have is the question?

Id rather not have to go to the hassle of getting it modded etc.

I assume the best bet is ebay.com and get an american seller willing to ship an already modded console to Ireland maybe?

I'm considering selling my pal one and going with the new 3DS but theres a part of me that would feel wrong not owning an N64 in some fashion even though I mainly use it for Lylat Wars.

o1s1n

The one I just bought was from ebay but it was by far the cheapest RGB/60HZ one up there. The rest are twice the price.

If you're willing to live in PAL 50Hz land, there are some in France with the RGB mod already done.

(it's possible some of these are actually the official French N64 version which Nintendo included RGB on)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Console-Nintendo-64-N64-NUS-001-FRA-PAL-avec-MOD-FULL-RGB-Officiel-/301425878118?pt=FR_Jeux_Vid%C3%A9o_Consoles&hash=item462e61e466

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RGB-Modded-PAL-Nintendo-64-N64-Model-NUS-001-FRA-Better-video-signal-1-/331311868444?pt=DE_Konsolen&hash=item4d23b9ea1c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CONSOLE-NINTENDO-64-N64-NOIR-PAL-NUS-001-FRA-Mod-RGB-Officiel-/271700976682?pt=FR_Jeux_Vid%C3%A9o_Consoles&hash=item3f42a3e42a

murphyebass

o1s1n wrote: »

The one I just bought was from ebay but it was by far the cheapest RGB/60HZ one up there. The rest are twice the price.

If you're willing to live in PAL 50Hz land, there are some in France with the RGB mod already done.

(it's possible some of these are actually the official French N64 version which Nintendo included RGB on)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Console-Nintendo-64-N64-NUS-001-FRA-PAL-avec-MOD-FULL-RGB-Officiel-/301425878118?pt=FR_Jeux_Vid%C3%A9o_Consoles&hash=item462e61e466

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RGB-Modded-PAL-Nintendo-64-N64-Model-NUS-001-FRA-Better-video-signal-1-/331311868444?pt=DE_Konsolen&hash=item4d23b9ea1c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CONSOLE-NINTENDO-64-N64-NOIR-PAL-NUS-001-FRA-Mod-RGB-Officiel-/271700976682?pt=FR_Jeux_Vid%C3%A9o_Consoles&hash=item3f42a3e42a

To be fair I'd want to go the whole hog and get a 60Hz one.

I may as well get the speed and picture.

Myrddin

murphyebass wrote: »

As it stands I'm not enjoying the Pal one I have mainly due to the picture quality.

I have the svideo cable from console goods which helped and I have the expansion pak but it still looks blurry.

I've changed all the settings on the LG LED telly that I have but nothing seems to clarify it.

So where can you buy one like you have is the question?

Id rather not have to go to the hassle of getting it modded etc.

I assume the best bet is ebay.com and get an american seller willing to ship an already modded console to Ireland maybe?

I'm considering selling my pal one and going with the new 3DS but theres a part of me that would feel wrong not owning an N64 in some fashion even though I mainly use it for Lylat Wars.

RGB won't make much odds for you I'm afraid, the flat panel screen is the killer there. To get it looking any way decent, you'll need a scaler/scanline system in place. Prob cheaper just to get a small crt

murphyebass

Myrddin wrote: »

RGB won't make much odds for you I'm afraid, the flat panel screen is the killer there. To get it looking any way decent, you'll need a scaler/scanline system in place. Prob cheaper just to get a small crt

ok so its the telly more so than the RGB.

TBH if thats the case then so be it. I just dont have the room for a CRT right now. Could change in the future but definately a no go right now.

Might look into that scanline machine I was tempted by a while back especially now I have a mega drive as well.

Cheeers.

o1s1n

Here's an interesting one. NTSC, RGB and has an overclock switch.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-64-with-THS7314-RGB-Amp-overclock-switch-green-red-LED-bundle-/171561826870?pt=Video_Games&hash=item27f1e1ba36

Retr0gamer

murphyebass wrote: »

As it stands I'm not enjoying the Pal one I have mainly due to the picture quality.

I have the svideo cable from console goods which helped and I have the expansion pak but it still looks blurry.

The blur unfortunately is inherent to the system, it's a ****ty form of anti aliasing that Nintendo included on the console.

Donatron

When buying an everdrive cart for a NTSC console is there difference in what type of cart you get or is it just dependent on what region the ROMs you put on it?

CorEire

Donatron wrote: »

When buying an everdrive cart for a NTSC console is there difference in what type of cart you get or is it just dependent on what region the ROMs you put on it?

The everdrive itself is region free so it's just down to the ROM you choose.

The Last Bandit

Donatron wrote: »

When buying an everdrive cart for a NTSC console is there difference in what type of cart you get or is it just dependent on what region the ROMs you put on it?

Everdrive will work on any region console provided it has the right CIC chip installed for that console installed.
You'll get donor CIC chips from any game cartridge, usually a 6102 for NTSC and 7101 for PAL games.

o1s1n

So I got the Hori pad in the post today, feck is it small! I thought the 'mini' would reflect it's size in comparison to the standard huge n64 pad, but it's even a bit smaller than you'd think it'll be. Still very comfortable though and far far nicer than Nintendo's official pad.



Not sure how my picture went half and half with the flash (!) but it gives you a good idea of the size of it. Shame they're so expensive as I'd buy a full set of them (and they wouldn't take up that much space!)



It really feels like a precursor to the Gamecube pad. Especially the analog stick.

o1s1n

My n64 deal went south he tested it out and it wasn't working anymore. Oh well, am glad it came to light before he shipped it out!

Bought this Jap one instead, bit more expensive, but it also has the PAL/NTSC mod as well as the RGB one. Guess I won't be needing that import adapter!

Myrddin

A pal/ntsc mod? Nice, last time I looked at that mod it looked messy.

o1s1n

Yeah I think you literally have to combine parts of an NTSC and PAL console together?

This guy seems to make them quite a lot, has a good few of them in his ebay feedback.

Here's a video of one of his in operation. It auto detects the region which is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN1no0xb4Ew

Myrddin

That's very impressive, might look at that option in the new year

o1s1n

Here's the lad's shop, he's in France. Has some other interesting bits too. A Gamegear with an AV out to the TV and a Megadrive controller port is one I've never seen before

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/otakus.store/m.html?item=151511225864&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

He has one more of these n64s up at the moment, but it's 20-30 more expensive than my one was as it's a rarer orange model. RAM expansion included which is nice.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Console-Nintendo-64-Orange-RGB-Pal-Ntsc-Mario-Story-System-Rare-N64-/391000290947?pt=FR_Jeux_Vid%C3%A9o_Consoles&hash=item5b096ef683

KeRbDoG

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah I think you literally have to combine parts of an NTSC and PAL console together?

This guy seems to make them quite a lot, has a good few of them in his ebay feedback.

Here's a video of one of his in operation. It auto detects the region which is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN1no0xb4Ew

Nop, it seems just to be a 'here. The top right chip is just the normal RGB amp but by Otakus.

Myrddin

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Nop, it seems just to be a 'here. The top right chip is just the normal RGB amp but by Otakus.

The pic in your attachment there is a lovely job, very neat. When you say it's a 'normal' pif in this mod, I didn't know there was a way to actually switch regions using only one PIF, I thought you needed two chips, one PAL & one NTSC...& a 6 way switch to switch between them?

Tomo.Murphy

o1s1n wrote: »

Here's the lad's shop, he's in France. Has some other interesting bits too. A Gamegear with an AV out to the TV and a Megadrive controller port is one I've never seen before

Luke Morse did a really nice Game Gear mod from spare parts and an N64 shell.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FiJL27Jy-rI

(Apologies for the mobile link. Too lazy to use something other than my phone, ha.)

KeRbDoG

Myrddin wrote: »

The pic in your attachment there is a lovely job, very neat. When you say it's a 'normal' pif in this mod, I didn't know there was a way to actually switch regions using only one PIF, I thought you needed two chips, one PAL & one NTSC...& a 6 way switch to switch between them?

Yup, you need two PIF chips and switch between them

Myrddin

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Yup, you need two PIF chips and switch between them

Cheers This RGB mod too, can that be done to any N64? The US one I have from memory can't be rgb modded because the number on the board is too high or something...

KeRbDoG

Myrddin wrote: »

Cheers This RGB mod too, can that be done to any N64? The US one I have from memory can't be rgb modded because the number on the board is too high or something...

I believe that crowd sell an RGB amp board for the other encoder chip. Much more complicated to do. I have a boxed JAP N64 with the RGB amp done which I must sell (if anyone might be interested!)