N64 controller pack

[Shadow_Zero]

I have this N64 controller pack, from Guillemot, and it has a button to switch between 4 different memory banks (is that how you call it?).
I'm not really aware how this works. If I boot with START I only get the see the first memory bank. If I press the button on the controller pack in the memory menu I get a message "CTRL PAK INSERTED WHILE POWER ON". If I reboot I'll just see the first memory bank again.
I have been able to save on an other memory bank, but I just can't reach them from the menu.
Anyone any idea?

[Link83]

After switching memory banks have you tried just pressing the N64's reset button instead of the power on/off switch?

[charlesr]

I've had those sort of packs, but they all lost data randomly. Personally I'd suggesting only trusting the Nintendo ones.

[Shadow_Zero]

After switching memory banks have you tried just pressing the N64's reset button instead of the power on/off switch?

So how do you mean? Start game, press button to switch memory bank, then reset?

Yeah, I variously get 'corrupted data' messages, so it doesn't seem very trustworthy. But I'm playing ISS 2000 and that game takes a memory pack! And I only get 1 tourny save for that. So if I want to save a world league, I need another controller pack...

[Asura]

It may well just be broken. Third party controller packs were notorious for losing data, even when the N64 was contemporary, never mind now.

[Shadow_Zero]

Controller packs could be used for either EU/US games, or JP games, not?

Amazon has one with 4 memory banks as well:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FTTRJQ/ref=cm_rdp_product

[egparadigm]

Don't touch unofficial Memory Paks with a bargepole on the N64.

[Ebisamaru]

im thinking maybe the other memory banks are now defunct at best mate.

[Shadow_Zero]

Ok, oddly enough I can switch the memory banks in the memory menu with ISS 2000! If I use '98 or 64 it gives the "CTRL PAK INSERTED WHILE POWER ON" message.
So at least I can see what's on it now.
And it seems to work to start the game, press a button, and reset, to switch to another memory bank for the game to store on, like Link83 said. Wonder if that's 'the' way, since it's not very practicle. But I have all 3 ISS saves on 1 memory pack now

[Link83]

So how do you mean? Start game, press button to switch memory bank, then reset?

Ok, oddly enough I can switch the memory banks in the memory menu with ISS 2000! If I use '98 or 64 it gives the "CTRL PAK INSERTED WHILE POWER ON" message.
So at least I can see what's on it now.
And it seems to work to start the game, press a button, and reset, to switch to another memory bank for the game to store on, like Link83 said. Wonder if that's 'the' way, since it's not very practicle. But I have all 3 ISS saves on 1 memory pack now

I dont actually own a Controller Pak with multiple banks - I was just guessing that it would work based on the way the N64 reset button works.

Any Controller Pak (or Memory Card) with multiple memory banks which are selected by pressing a button always default to memory bank 1 when the power is cycled (i.e. console is turned on and off) and pressing the memory bank selection button is the equivelant of 'hot swapping' a Controller Pak with a second Controller Pak.

Since you could not switch memory banks once the game had loaded the only other way to switch banks would be to 'soft reset' the console, and thats exactly what the N64's reset button does. The N64's reset button does not cut the power to the console, so when the game reloads the Controller Pak is still set to the last memory bank you selected before pressing reset, so avoiding the "CTRL PAK INSERTED WHILE POWER ON" problem.

It is interesting to hear that later games like ISS 2000 are programmed differently and allow the Controller Pak to effectively be 'hot swapped'.

[Mayhem]

This maybe why I chose to pick a multi bank memory pak that is selected via dip switches, not pressing a button to cycle.