is the Nintendo 64 Mini happening or what?

[MartyG]

Was just looking around and spotted this:

https://www.allcade.ca/product-page/allcade-64-bit

$200 is a lot for a Pi in a box with a clone controller but the fact that its all configured and ready to roll with no faff on is a huge plus. Has anyone used emulators via Lakka before? The front end and implementation looks dope:

Anyone paying $200 for that needs kicking in the balls. It is not worth it, even after trying to justify it by claiming you paid $70 + shipping for a crap 3D printed case. And if it's shipping loaded with N64 ROMs (as it sounds like), it's not going to be around for long.

Setting this up yourself on a Pi with a microSD is a doddle and it'll cost far less than £150, even if you do buy a crap 3D printed case.

[replicashooter]

No doubt but my point was that N could easily crank one out if this is what the backroom modders turned kickstarters are doing.

[Deuteros]

[MENTION=7878]replicashooter[/MENTION]

There's an HDMI cable for the original Xbox.

[replicashooter]

@replicashooter

There's an HDMI cable for the original Xbox.

Thanks, thats news to me. Will look into it as the reviews are a bit hit and miss.

I'm just surprised there has been no hardware mod to pull the video signal directly from the board yet to get the best possible picture quality.

[replicashooter]

N have just filed that N64 trademark claim again like they did around the nes mini time...

https://www.resetera.com/threads/nintendo-apply-for-n64-trademark.44131/

Let the rampant speculation commence!

[Sketcz]

I wonder if they will improve the games visually.

Fun weird fact: Some N64 games actually look better and have higher resolution textures than the native hardware can display.

You can test this via emulation. Load up Pilotwings 64 on the actual hardware, and start the USA level. Notice how the map is quite blurry. Now load that same level on an emulator running at a higher res without anti-aliasing, and notice how there is surprisingly a lot more detail. It's not just a smoother upscaled texture, there is actually more detail which is not present on real hardware.

I interviewed the guys behind Space Station Silicone Valley, who confirmed this. They created the poly models and textures with a lot of effort, and they looked great on their workstation monitors, but then when they eventually came to test it on the real hardware, they were all disappointed by how it failed to display the higher levels of detail/quality they'd put in. SSSV by the way, is definitely in my top 5, maybe top 3 games for the N64. It's aged better than Ocarina of Time or Mario 64, neither of which I can enjoy anymore.

Anyway... Some games basically have more going on under the hood than we realise.

Also, I hope they use their intelligence to apply not only hardware based upscaling, but also software hacks to provide the option to disable the blur in specific games:

http://retrorgb.com/n64blur.html

I just want the option in the visual menu to toggle it on or off, like the scanlines in the SNES Mini.

Software hacks to remove blurring and making games look better:

[Neon Ignition]

After the SNES Mini's trick of including Star Fox 2 I'm mostly curious as to whether an N64 would have any hidden gems added to it

[replicashooter]

[MENTION=2415]Sketcz[/MENTION] thats exactly what I'm wondering because just putting out a straight 1:1 from the 64 on HD will look rough but if they add in some emulator based resolution tweaks and performance boosts then it can work because some 64 titles performed really badly back then and they'll really stand out now whereas with the mods they are quite decent.

[D J Kix]

They've already announced this year will see the NES Mini return for another spin.

I know, I was talking about new hardware. With the recent news about the trademark application, I am even more confident the N64 Mini will be announced between E3 and early July, and will be released between September and November.

[QualityChimp]

Soapbox: Why A Nintendo 64 Classic Edition Might Not Be Such A Good Idea

[D J Kix]

NES Mini
Announced: July 2016
Released: Nov 2016

SNES Mini
Announced: June 2017
Released: Sept 2017

So far the Mini hardware announcements have been mid-Summer and the release dates anywhere from early-to-late Autumn. Expect the same for the next (N64 or handheld) Mini?

I was 100% wrong

[chipsgravy]

According to this quote the NES and SNES Classics were stop gaps between the poorly performing Wii U and the Switch taking off.

http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2018/11/15/nintendos-reggie-fils-aime-on-hopes-for-an-n64-classic-switch-online-and-sakurais-smash-roster-tweets

So there is going to be no N64 mini for the foreseeable, now the switch is performing well. Looks like N64 titles will be on VC though.

[Nu-Eclipse]

According to this quote the NES and SNES Classics were stop gaps between the poorly performing Wii U and the Switch taking off.

http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2018/11/15/nintendos-reggie-fils-aime-on-hopes-for-an-n64-classic-switch-online-and-sakurais-smash-roster-tweets

So there is going to be no N64 mini for the foreseeable, now the switch is performing well. Looks like N64 titles will be on VC though.

I really wouldn't take anything Reggie says as gospel - he's been proven to be chatting sh1t way too many times in the past.

Nintendo have already trademarked an N64 Classic Mini logo so it really isn't out of the question that one will eventually appear.

For me, the emulation/tech remains the biggest issue. N64 games look and run like crap nowadays. Nintendo would have to considerably polish it up to get it running at a minimum of 720p and 30fps on SOC hardware for a plug-n-play microconsole. I just don't believe that Nintendo see it as worth their while at present, but in the future who knows?

[Asura]

I just don't believe that Nintendo see it as worth their while at present, but in the future who knows?

Yeah, I mean let's face it, this is the reason. Nintendo are a business and I'm sure they like money!

We've all said it many times, but I think it comes down to how (without Rare) they can't scare up ~20 games that would sell the machine, and of the ones they would choose, too many of them are probably much better in your memory than they actually were.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Yeah, I mean let's face it, this is the reason. Nintendo are a business and I'm sure they like money!

There have been PLENTY of times throughout the last three decades (including how badly Nintendo handled the initial production and distribution of the NES Classic Mini) where you could be easily forgiven for thinking that Nintendo don't actually like being given money by consumers and customers!

It is clear that Nintendo won't be able to get away with just repackaging the NES/SNES Classic Mini hardware in an N64 shell - they'll have to make more of an effort to ensure that the emulation is up to a suitable standard. Hence, one can easily see why they wouldn't be arsed at this particular moment.

I'll say this much: An N64 Classic Mini, if it ever drops, will not be budget-priced like the NES and SNES Classic Minis are. Expect it to come in with an RRP of at least £100, imo.