N64

[Byron Bitz]

So I’ve recently gotten into retro gaming, just ripped through a bunch of SNES games and now I’ve moved onto N64. Unfortunately the n64 looks blurry on my tv. I think it was made for older TVs or something. Anyone know a solution?

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[aleshemsky83]

The N64 generally just looks like crap on modern tvs even through an emulator on super hi resolution, but the console uses bilinear filtering + has built in hardware anti-aliasing that makes it super duper blurry on modern tvs. There are (expensive) upscalers to make it look better but even then it won't look that good.

I haven't watched this video just to be clear so I don't know how much it will help you but mylifeingaming guys like to cover the best way to play retro games, it might help you

 

[Jovavic]

I would just go to local garage sales or Facebook marketplace and get a cheap old TV

 

[The Macho King]

I would just go to local garage sales or Facebook marketplace and get a cheap old TV

Honestly you can probably find one for "you pick it up and it's yours".

 

[Power Man]

So I’ve recently gotten into retro gaming, just ripped through a bunch of SNES games and now I’ve moved onto N64. Unfortunately the n64 looks blurry on my tv. I think it was made for older TVs or something. Anyone know a solution?

Considering retro gaming myself lol

I love modern consoles for sport games because they are more realistic than what you find on older systems, but I have been turned off by other modern games lately............ long loading times, oversized maps, the grind, having to remember all those controls and button combos for each game ......

Games are supposed to be fun, I want to turn my console on and play right away dammit lol

Recently got a free Nintendo DS with tons of games, minus a charger (I'll buy it online)

 

[Jovavic]

DS plays GBA cartridges also. You would have to be really specific in your tastes if you couldn't find 20 awesome games across the two formats for that system.

 

[Power Man]

DS plays GBA cartridges also. You would have to be really specific in your tastes if you couldn't find 20 awesome games across the two formats for that system.

True true

 

[GreytWun]

@Beau Knows

I know he is a retro gamer he might know a way.

 

[Beau Knows]

@Beau Knows

I know he is a retro gamer he might know a way.

I mostly play on emulators these days, so I don't have much to add.

Maybe putting the TV in game mode would help a bit, if it's not already on. Use an S-Video cable connection if possible.

Like others have said, a CRT is the way to go, but having to keep one of those around is one of the reasons I stopped playing on the actual hardware.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

There's things like the Framemeister that make it possible to play retro games well on newer TV's but they come at a price.

You can't beat a good old CRT for retro games. In some cases, like with the SNES Super Scope or Level 11 of Battletoads on the NES, you actually cannot realistically use a HD or newer TV at all.

 

[JaegerDice]

Very few games from that generation hold up visually.

It was one of my favorite generations ever, because between the move to 3D and how cheap the move to CD made printing games, it seemed like everybody was willing to try anything and everything.

Honestly, if you have nostalgia for the period and those consoles, I would just accept and love them for the messy, experimental, revolutionary games they were, and not try to make them fit your memory of how they looked. Embrace how ugly they are and how far we've come.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Very few games from that generation hold up visually.

It was one of my favorite generations ever, because between the move to 3D and how cheap the move to CD made printing games, it seemed like everybody was willing to try anything and everything.

Honestly, if you have nostalgia for the period and those consoles, I would just accept and love them for the messy, experimental, revolutionary games they were, and not try to make them fit your memory of how they looked. Embrace how ugly they are and how far we've come.

The N64/PS generation was the awkward period between the old (2D, cartridge-based) and the new (3D, disc- or digital-based.) Many of the games were absolutely legendary, and that's what really matters, but purely in terms of visuals the vast majority of those titles look very dated.

However, it's not just about looks with a CRT when it comes to games made before the year 2000. They don't just look better, they play much better too, and in some cases cannot be played properly on a modern TV at all without add-ons.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Thanks guys, I think I’m gonna pick up a CRT TV off the free section of kajiji. If anyone’s selling games I may be interested in buying. My library’s already pretty extensive but I’m looking for Paper Mario, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Rayman 2 and Majora’s Mask.

 

[Jovavic]

Get the S-video cable for the 64, I don't think it was able to do component (five colors)

 

[Byron Bitz]

It’s been interesting diving into the world of buying and selling n64 games. Many of them have gone up a lot in value particularly the ones that were released late into the N64 life cycle with few copies in circulation. Some games are going for well over 100$ for just a loose pre owned cartridge. There’s also a lot of sellers that seem very suspicious, selling games for well under market value and I think they are broken or fakes because when I request to test the game before purchase or ask them to send me a video of them Starting the game up they ghost me.

 

[Unholy Diver]

I haven't used it myself but I have heard that you can get some decent deals on games and gaming stuff from shopgoodwill.com

 

[Jovavic]

Pricecharting.com is a good resource I've used in the past that really helped maximize my return when I was forced to sell many years ago. Along with having pricing they also have neat tools like a lot calculator. Look out for lots, they may be 90% sports games but there could be gems that'll show up if you do the "work".

 

[TheGreenTBer]

It’s been interesting diving into the world of buying and selling n64 games. Many of them have gone up a lot in value particularly the ones that were released late into the N64 life cycle with few copies in circulation. Some games are going for well over 100$ for just a loose pre owned cartridge. There’s also a lot of sellers that seem very suspicious, selling games for well under market value and I think they are broken or fakes because when I request to test the game before purchase or ask them to send me a video of them Starting the game up they ghost me.

The time to collect retro games was a decade ago. Prices are outrageous now, I think due to people like the AVGN and others bringing the genre back to some extent. Basically, many people who were kids in the 80's and 90's now have money and want to reconnect with their childhoods, and sellers know this. I think you generally get what you pay for. The sellers that have legit merchandise in good condition know they have legit merchandise and aren't about to cut anyone a favor. People that are selling for insanely cheap are often either lying about what they have or haven't taken care of what they have. The people that are selling for way above market value also aren't knowledgeable, they just inherited and/or stumbled upon a video game cartridge that they think is expensive without it actually being so; a good example is the people who have tried to sell NES World Championship reproduction carts (which you can get for <= $50 I believe) for hundreds of dollars, knowing that the real originals either sell for between $8-$15K US (gray cart) or in excess of $20K US (gold cart).

If you think the N64 is expensive to collect for, you can't even imagine what it's like for a Neo Geo AES collector.

EDIT: I haven't looked at game prices in years, and wanted to re-check the gray cart. Nearly threw up.

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

I personally use the RetroTink 2X Mini.

 

[missingmika]

It’s been interesting diving into the world of buying and selling n64 games. Many of them have gone up a lot in value particularly the ones that were released late into the N64 life cycle with few copies in circulation. Some games are going for well over 100$ for just a loose pre owned cartridge. There’s also a lot of sellers that seem very suspicious, selling games for well under market value and I think they are broken or fakes because when I request to test the game before purchase or ask them to send me a video of them Starting the game up they ghost me.

I have a full set of N64 NTSC games. COVID has driven prices crazy.

The most expensive regular game is Clay Fighters Sculptor Cut. It goes for around $1,000 now. I got it like 2 years ago for $350ish off EBay.

The easiest way to tell if a game is a fake is look at the back of the cartridge. The old reprints were bad and if the i in Nintendo has a round dot it’s fake. Square dot you’re probably real. The more expensive ones don’t buy unless there are pics of the board. For ones like Clay Fighters I prefer the Blockbuster sticker on it (it was a Blockbuster exclusive).

From a collecting stand point I think there’s some out there that are rarer then their price:

1. Chameleon Twist 2
2. NFL Blitz Special edition
3. PGA European Tour
4. Polaris Snocross
5. Super Bowling

The system to collect for now is WiiU. Low amount of games produced due to low system sales. Price aren’t crazy yet. But I can see them getting really expensive in the future.

I have 76 of the 165 NTSC Wii U games and 60 of 600 NTSC GameCube Games.

 

[Chaels Arms]

I have probably 100 or so N64 games, I kept most of them in these plastic containers I bought back then where you could stick the instruction manual in the front so other than not having the original box they're all in pretty good condition. Are these still worth something or only if you have them in the box?

 

[missingmika]

I have probably 100 or so N64 games, I kept most of them in these plastic containers I bought back then where you could stick the instruction manual in the front so other than not having the original box they're all in pretty good condition. Are these still worth something or only if you have them in the box?

out of the box range from $1 to $1000 depending on game and condition.
Price charting is a good source:
Nintendo 64 Prices & Values | All N64 Games with Prices
This is the most expensive N64 has ever been.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

The Retrotink Mini is the way to go if you're hooking up an N64 to a modern TV, though I don't use it since I'm a creature of habit and prefer my trusty CRT.

Now, if you're really into the N64 and don't mind shelling out some dough, the Everdrive 64 is just the coolest as it allows you to play ROMs on console via a cartridge with an SD card slot in it. No idea of the logistics of getting one these days due to COVID, as I think I remember them being very difficult to find for a while. Thankfully, I got mine before the pandemic hit and I've spent countless hours playing old games that I was never able to get my hands on when I was younger.

 

[aleshemsky83]

The Retrotink Mini is the way to go if you're hooking up an N64 to a modern TV, though I don't use it since I'm a creature of habit and prefer my trusty CRT.

I just looked that up and it looks shockingly good. Expensive but not an insane price.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Not N64 but I bought Tomba for my wife last year over quarantine and I think I spent almost $150 on it. Crazy how expensive these games can get