Help! Bare N64. What to watch out for?

[Issac Zachary]

I got a bare N64. I need the power supply, controllers, RAM expansion, rumble packs, memories, etc.

What do I need to watch out for?

Is an aftermarket RAM pack ok or should I not cheap out and go OEM?

OEM PSUs seem cheap enough.

I'd like to eventually do an RGB mod.

Any suggestions and tips will be appreciated as I continue to do my own research as well.

[Hoagtech]

IF you plan on using the basic THS amp RGB. You will need a series one console. Atomic consoles generally don't support the RGB connection.

I haven't seen a bad RAM expansion in my day but I would be hesitant on buying the aftermarket memory cards. Almost all original brands will need an internal battery replacement and will require a solder point inside if your comfortable doing that.

I would stay away from aftermarket controllers as they use a different joystick and axis then OEM and I find stretching the spring and cleaning out the axis and regreasing usually yields great results.

I do enjoy my sharp pixels but I have to say the S-video looks even better in most cases as I don't believe the 64 is designed for RGB even though the J region supports it natively.

I still use RGB because of my Scart switch convenience but I did want to forewarn you that's not for everyone.

You can use deblur with a Gameshark, Tim Worthington's RGB board, or a an UltraHDMI install.

No matter what you choose. The n64 looks better on a CRT as well as correct aspect. I find the smaller CRT's especially hide the flaws of the era.

If you haven'y puirchased games for them. They are expensive, so if you want to "back up" your current collection and keep them in collectible condition. I would opt for the Everdrive X7 or X5 if you plan on using it for certain games like Animal Forest translation and Treasures 3D shooter.

Good luck

[bobrocks95]

You can get a memory pak these days that uses FRAM and doesn't require a battery at all.

You can also buy a corroded or damaged OEM rumble pak and mod it to not use batteries either, though third-party rumble paks are fine, it was a hard thing to do all that wrong.

N64 controllers are a total crapshoot. These days I'd probably recommend a Retro-Bit Tribute 64, $20 gets you something slightly lower quality than a Hori Mini pad, which I'm guessing are hitting close to $100 these days. If you really want the original tri-tip you can buy one and replace the joystick with parts from kitsch-bent if it's inevitably loose.

[Issac Zachary]

Thank you thank you!

Good points. I have no problem modding, repairing and soldering, so I'll keep my eyes open for stuff that needs repair.

And yes, I will be using a CRT, a 26 inch 15kH NTSC Sony Trinitron (convex screen).

No games yet, but I have a friend who has some he would share with me. Any more I like sharing games with friends via a game back up like an Everdrive so at least one of us owns the game but only games that aren't supported on the Everdrive do we have to exchange physically to share them. Still, there are some games I want to buy. Time to start saving up.

I did get one controller but the stick is wonky. I want to try to fix it, then trade it for my friend's and fix his with the same problem.

[RocketBelt]

Joytech memory cards are fine. Used one for many years. The batteries are easily replacable, no solder. Once replaced you're good for another 15+ years.
I would stick to the OEM ram pack, although its debatable if you need one at all. Arguably not. Check out a list of games that need or even use it.
I don't use the rumble pack, and wouldn't bother with one. Its a very unrefined experience.
Svideo can look really nice on NTSC N64, (at least it does on my early revision console) especially on a good crt. I would try it, you may find you don't even need an RGB mod. If it's a later model NTSC console then they use a different video chip and I don't have any experience with Svideo on those. There are also bad svideo cables out there.
Svideo is not great though on PAL N64, even with the brightness fix. I wouldn't like to use a pal console unless it's been RGB modded.
There's people out there saying N64 composite is acceptable on a crt but they are mistaken, it is not.
Stick with pal games on a pal console and ntsc games on an ntsc console. Mix and match and the n64 will generate out of spec refresh rates that your display device may not handle.
I've bought a Tribute64 controller but the stick unfortunately is useless, many games that require any sort of precision are unplayable. I hear the other new controllers are just as bad. Fix up an original controller is my only recommendation. As others say you can get good results stretching out the spring and cleaning and applying a bit of grease to the cogs.
Everdrives work very well, there exist many widescreen patches and translations that make it worthwhile.

[Issac Zachary]

I'll try the S-Video too. I kind of like having options "just because". But priorities first, an RGB modded console without games, PSU, or controllers would be kind of worthless. It's a green transparent console. Not sure if it's one of the "Funtastic" consoles I've heard about or not or if that even matters.

The main games I want to play are Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie and DK 64. I do believe DK 64 needs the expansion pack.

I'll try fixing this controller first thing then and then look into other bad ones if I think I can fix them.

[bobrocks95]

Get a new stick shaft, bowl, and gear set from kitsch-bent and some good plastic grease and you should be able to get the stick feeling pretty good. That said, after getting a Hori Mini I've only ever used my original controller for the very few D-Pad focused games on the system, I don't like the original stick's feel any more.

I've bought a Tribute64 controller but the stick unfortunately is useless, many games that require any sort of precision are unplayable. I hear the other new controllers are just as bad. Fix up an original controller is my only recommendation.

What's the controller testing ROM you can get that checks deadzones and stick range/shape and all that? I can run a repaired OEM, Tribute 64, genuine Hori Mini, and generic garbage through it for some empirical results. I admittedly haven't used the Tribute 64 much but it didn't have any glaring flaws that I recall. The Hori Mini has slightly different angles from what I've heard from speedrunners, but it's slight and only applicable at an extremely high level of play (I recall a runner at GDQ who used a Hori Mini for some game, but at one section switched to an OEM to lock in an angle for a specific trick, then switched back).

EDIT:
New OEM for reference:

Spoiler

OEM with Kitsch-Bent parts:

Spoiler

Hori Mini:

Spoiler

Tribute 64:

Spoiler

Threw away my horrible generic controllers but here's the Gamecube style stick replacement that was very popular for a while:

Spoiler

Is the Tribute 64 overblown? Definitely, and my right side gate seems a little off since the stick doesn't quite hit it, which is why it's so much larger on the right. But the Hori Mini also overreaches or whatever you'd call it, and my repaired OEM stick is actually underperforming a little bit, and before repair I couldn't run in Yoshi's Story at all, since it was so worn out for left and right movement (and seems to still be a little off on that axis). It also feels like I need to grease it again and sand the parts down a bit since it's very rough right now.

But in the drawing dot test all 3 controllers tracked similarly well, had small deadzones, and could hit any angle I wanted. Will muscle memory match a good condition OEM stick? Of course not, but for someone new to the N64 I would recommend trying a $20 Tribute 64, which is completely returnable on Amazon no questions asked if you don't like it, rather than try to seek out an expensive new OEM controller that will actively grind itself into dust.

I would love to try a Steelstick though as another option, but they're rarely available.

[Issac Zachary]

Get a new stick shaft, bowl, and gear set from kitsch-bent and some good plastic grease and you should be able to get the stick feeling pretty good. That said, after getting a Hori Mini I've only ever used my original controller for the very few D-Pad focused games on the system, I don't like the original stick's feel any more.

I've bought a Tribute64 controller but the stick unfortunately is useless, many games that require any sort of precision are unplayable. I hear the other new controllers are just as bad. Fix up an original controller is my only recommendation.

What's the controller testing ROM you can get that checks deadzones and stick range/shape and all that? I can run a repaired OEM, Tribute 64, genuine Hori Mini, and generic garbage through it for some empirical results. I admittedly haven't used the Tribute 64 much but it didn't have any glaring flaws that I recall. The Hori Mini has slightly different angles from what I've heard from speedrunners, but it's slight and only applicable at an extremely high level of play (I recall a runner at GDQ who used a Hori Mini for some game, but at one section switched to an OEM to lock in an angle for a specific trick, then switched back).

EDIT:
New OEM for reference:

Spoiler

OEM with Kitsch-Bent parts:

Spoiler

Hori Mini:

Spoiler

Tribute 64:

Spoiler

Threw away my horrible generic controllers but here's the Gamecube style stick replacement that was very popular for a while:

Spoiler

Is the Tribute 64 overblown? Definitely, and my right side gate seems a little off since the stick doesn't quite hit it, which is why it's so much larger on the right. But the Hori Mini also overreaches or whatever you'd call it, and my repaired OEM stick is actually underperforming a little bit, and before repair I couldn't run in Yoshi's Story at all, since it was so worn out for left and right movement (and seems to still be a little off on that axis). It also feels like I need to grease it again and sand the parts down a bit since it's very rough right now.

But in the drawing dot test all 3 controllers tracked similarly well, had small deadzones, and could hit any angle I wanted. Will muscle memory match a good condition OEM stick? Of course not, but for someone new to the N64 I would recommend trying a $20 Tribute 64, which is completely returnable on Amazon no questions asked if you don't like it, rather than try to seek out an expensive new OEM controller that will actively grind itself into dust.

I would love to try a Steelstick though as another option, but they're rarely available.

Awesome work and much appreciated! Right now I'm really digging getting OEM controllers and just keeping them repaired.

[RocketBelt]

To expand a bit on the Tribute64 I found any game needing precision control very difficult. Goldeneye basically unplayable. Mario Kart spending more time on the grass then the track. You move the stick about a quarter or so and that's equivalent to the the OEM stick at full tilt. Using one back to back with an OEM controller, there's no competition.
Everything else about the Tribute64 is nice, the shape, the wireless, the button placement, so it's hard to beleive they got the stick so wrong.

[bobrocks95]

Fair enough. Maybe the Hori Mini is just as sensitive and I've just adapted. I wish I remembered how a new OEM stick felt but I've kind of lost that frame of reference.