Do I really want a N64???

[Polygon Window]

Here's the thing, my girlfriend recently got a white DS Lite ( with the New Super Mario Bros game ) and we both think it's the best thing since sliced bread and what with all the talk of the forthcoming Wii ( of which we are both bloody excited ) I've gone all Nintendo-ey again.

I've already got a Xbox360 hooked upto my new lovely Sony Bravia HDTV and whilst it is truly a marvellous machine, especially when running Oblivion ( my God, what a game ) I still can't helping thinking about the new Nintendo and how much I want one and how much Nintendo actually means to me.

Until that time comes, I've been playing all my old Gamecube stuff, bought myself a component GC cable so I could enjoy the likes of RE4, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime all over again on the new TV but now I'm even thinking about going back in time even further and buying ANOTHER N64

Why? I've had 2 already, one at UK launch and one when I got into retro stuff about 3 years ago. I've ended up selling them both at some point to fund other video games systems but I can't help thinking that if I bought a US N64 this time around I might enjoy it more because of the extra games that are available on the NTSC machine and the prospect of modding for a better picture.

Don't get me wrong, at launch, I loved the N64 and the usual suspects like Mario64, Pilotwings64 and the Zelda games kept me well happy but like most things, you get bored, you sell stuff, you later regret it and you re-buy...that's retro gaming for you, I sold a Neo Geo AES about a year ago and whilst I have no regrets right now, I'll probably end up buying one again.

How good was N64...really? Worth a third a crack? Or should I just sit back with the GC, buy some pre-owned titles that I missed out on and wait for the Wii and the potentially pant wettingly great Virtual Console download service?

Thanks

[EvilBoris]

Don't go back to n64 games, they don't age well.
Any nice memories you have will be tarnished by 15 frames per second pain.

[Polygon Window]

This is it, my point exactly, thank you, the reason I sold the second one was probably due to it not being as good as I remember back at launch. This is what retro gaming does, it makes you think that you are going to enjoy stuff just as much as you did when you was a kid or a teenager but in truth you can be left feeling disappointed.

Not all consoles do this, my Jap Dreamcast isn't going anywhere, it really is as good as I remember and because I know own the Japanese variant, it's like owning a new console all over again.

I was hoping that a imported US N64 might offer up the same feelings but I suppose a console is only as good as it's games, hence why my GC currently gets more play than my 360.

Quality rather than quantity is usually the key...but then surely, that means the N64 qualifies as a great console? Not many games released and 3rd party games suffered due to Nintendo's insistance to stay cartridge based but alot of them were fantastic.

Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[AdamJW]

I'm the opposite and I'd go for it if I'd got the spare cash, like I have done, but if its a push then hold out. Thats all I can say really. I've got 2 N64s wired up atm myself. Japanese and PAL.

[MikeRox]

It's not that N64 games are bad, stuff like wave race is still fantastic now, but alot of the N64 classics can tend to feel a bit sparse now that we're used to much more populated environments. The SNES could be a better place to look for Nintendo magic until the Wii is released

[MetalJoe]

Get one. It's not really gonna cost you an arm and a leg is it? Besides, you could just sell it on again if you decide it's not for you.


Aphex fan eh?

[Polygon Window]

Yeah, I know you're right, I could easily flog it on or just keep it in the loft for a later date. One of my concerns is graphics and how crap they can look now and coming from somebody who loves retro stuff that should never ever come into it, if it did, people would never invest in old Spectrums and C64's but I think with something like the N64, it's kinda stuck in a no mans land.

We accept that older machines like Spectrums, NES, Master Systems etc are very limited graphically, it adds to the charm if anything and we just enjoy the gameplay. Later down the timeline, 16 bit consoles like Megadrives and SNES are lucky that they are good enough graphically to keep us excited and for the majority of us, 16 bit gaming was the golden age anyway so we hold it in high regard and with much affection.

As soon as things went 3D and become more complicated and demanding, some systems really show their age and that they can't handle it, it's almost like they were trying stuff out but without really knowing too much about it just as long as they could say on the box 3D!!!

I know it's just natural progression and I shouldn't be too hard but why do some N64, Saturn and PS1 games look a bit naff now whereas a SNES game looks just as it did back then and you happily except it?

[Polygon Window]

Side note to MetalJoe, love the Aphex, his Chosen Lords compilation is awesome if you haven't got it.

[Team Andromeda]

Ace Console go for it, the graphics don't look that bad , in fact the likes of Mario and Wave race still hold up today , and if you have a Mod X-Box get the N64 Emu to get rid of the Blurry textures ect , though nothing beats the real thing that N64 control was a bit of magic.
I'll sell the Cube and get the N64. the last time NCL were good inthe home
Just make sure you get a Import one with a RGB Conversion and get ready to play some utter gems full of pure gameplay

[Polygon Window]

Really? You'd sell your cube and deprive yourself the oppotunity to play the likes of RE4, Metroid Prime 1 & 2, Paper Mario 2, The Wind Waker, Resi Remake, Ikaruga to name but a few, in favour of the N64?

Funny, a few people have said that before, was the GC considered a flop then? I always thought it done good business in the time it's been out, especially compared to the N64 which I thought was the weakest of all Nintendo's machines.

I know the N64 sold literally millions of units in about a week or something when it first come out but alot of that was due to Mario going 3D wasn't it, if truth be told, the N64 has the smallest selection of titles.

If only all consoles had a games libary as vast as the DS, now that's a console albeit a handheld with a bright and long future. I hope the Wii gets the support it deserves, I like my 360 and have nothing against Microsoft but I'd like to see Nintendo muscle in and shake up the console scene, I think we need it.

[Baseley09]

Do I really want a N64???

If you ask that then no. Outdated. If you can get one for a tenner with the 5 games on it then go for it.

[Dogg Thang]

I don't see why you wouldn't want one if they are cheap. For a start, you shouldn't be getting rid of anything that has to do with gaming. Ever. Sooner or later you'll get a hankering to play an old classic. But I understand that most of us have space issues and it's not always practical. However, if you have a parent or two, retro gaming is easy -

Step 1 -> Buy whatever retro stuff you want (or, better yet, just don't throw it out to begin with).

Step 2 -> Go visit parents (they'll love you for it)

Step 3 -> Throw all of your retro games and systems in your parents' attic

Step 4 -> Whenever you feel like playing a particular game, go visit parents (remember, they'll love you for it) and get whatever you are looking for.

So go get your N64 and enjoy it. When the retro novelty wears off, don't get rid of it. Go visit a parent or relative who lives in a bigger place than you do. It's retro gaming made easy.

[Mayhem]

Yes, get an N64, there's loads of great classic games awaiting discovery. Only piece of advice, get a US machine, avoid the PAL machine and games like the plague.

[Team Andromeda]

Really? You'd sell your cube and deprive yourself the oppotunity to play the likes of RE4, Metroid Prime 1 & 2, Paper Mario 2, The Wind Waker, Resi Remake, Ikaruga to name but a few, in favour of the N64?

Funny, a few people have said that before, was the GC considered a flop then? I always thought it done good business in the time it's been out, especially compared to the N64 which I thought was the weakest of all Nintendo's machines.

I

Its nothing to do with being a flop, more so I just don't think the games are that great onthe Cube. Ikaruga I can play onthe DC, Prime II was just too hard for it's own good and the rest you'll be able to play onthe Wii anway.
N64 onthe other just has a list full of gems that are a joy to play and just work perfect with the N64 pad , and best of all most can be got onthe cheap right now

I'll go for the N64 anyday ofthe week

[Salsa Party Animal]

I have bought an USA N64 about 2 years ago (I think) and hardly play it. It is nice to have one but the graphics age badly. You might well wait to see if Nintendo Wiii can offer you N64 games on it from downloading it and possibly get better graphics.

It all depend on how much a graphics tart are you