Nintendo 64 accessories
Nintendo 64 accessories are first-party Nintendo hardwareand third-party hardware, licensed and unlicensedintended for use with the Nintendo 64, which was released in 1996. Nintendo's first-party accessories are mainly transformative system expansions: the 64DD Internet multimedia platform, with a floppy drive, video capture and editing, game designer, web browser, and online service; the controller plus its own expansions for storage, data transfer, and vibration; and the RAM-boosting Expansion Pak for improvements in graphics and gameplay. Third-party accessories include the essential game developer tools built for Nintendo by Silicon Graphics and SN Systems, an unlicensed SharkWire Online service, and unlicensed cheaper counterparts to first-party items.
First-party
First-party Nintendo 64 accessories have a product code prefixed with NUS, short for the console's pre-release name, "Nintendo Ultra Sixty-four".Controller
The Nintendo 64 controller features a distinctive "M"-shaped design, with a "control stick", making Nintendo the first manufacturer to include a thumbstick as a standard feature in its primary controller. It is functionally similar to an analog stick, but the control stick is digital like a ball mouse.The controller includes a D-pad and ten buttons: a large A and B button, a Start button, four C-buttons, two shoulder buttons, and a Z trigger positioned on the back. A port on the bottom of the controller allows users to connect other accessories, including the Controller Pak, the [|Rumble Pak], and the [|Transfer Pak].
Power supply
The power supply is packaged with the Nintendo 64 and provides electricity to the Control Deck.Jumper Pak
The Jumper Pak is a filler module that plugs into the Nintendo 64's memory expansion port. It serves no functional purpose beyond terminating the RDRAM bus when the Expansion Pak is not installed.Rambus memory controllers require memory modules to be installed in pairs, with any unused slots needing continuity modules like the Jumper Pak. These modules do not provide additional memory; instead, they ensure proper signal propagation by directing signals to termination resistors. Without them, signals would reflect, causing instability.
Most Nintendo 64 consoles were shipped with the Jumper Pak pre-installed.
RF Switch and RF Modulator
The RF Switch and RF Modulator connect the Nintendo 64 to the television through RF. They are primarily intended for older televisions that lack AV cable support. The accessories are also compatible with the NES, SNES, and GameCube.Controller Pak
The is the console's memory card, comparable to those of the PlayStation and GameCube. Compatible games can save player data to the Controller Pak, which plugs into the bottom of the Nintendo 64 controller, as do the Rumble Pak and Transfer Pak. The Controller Pak was marketed for exchanging data between Nintendo 64 owners, because data on the game cartridge can not be transferred.The original models from Nintendo have 32 KB of battery backed SRAM, split into 123 pages with a limitation of 16 save files, but third-party models have much more, often in the form of multiple selectable memory banks of 32 KB. Games occupy varying numbers of pages, sometimes using the entire card. It is powered by a common CR2032 battery.
Upon launch, the Controller Pak was initially useful, and even necessary for early games. Over time, the Controller Pak lost popularity to the convenience of a battery backed SRAM or EEPROM in some cartridges. Because the Nintendo 64 Game Pak format also allows saving data on supported cartridges, few first-party and second-party games use the Controller Pak. The vast majority are from third-party developers. This is most likely due to the increased production and retail costs which would have been caused by including self-contained data on the cartridge. Some games use it to save optional data that is too large for the cartridge, such as Mario Kart 64, which uses 121 of the total 123 pages for storing ghost data, or International Superstar Soccer 64, which uses the entire cartridge's space for its save data. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater uses 11 pages. Quest 64 and Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon use the Controller Pak exclusively for saved data. The Japan-only game Animal Forest uses the Controller Pak to travel to other towns. Animal Forest can play Famicom games from a Controller Pak, though only one game, Ice Climber, was released via this method through magazine giveaways.
Following the 1996 Christmas shopping season, Next Generation reported "impressive sales of the memory pack cartridges despite the lack of available games to take advantage of the $19.99 units".
Euro Connector Plug
The Euro Connector Plug is an adaptor packaged with European releases of the console, which converts RCA composite and stereo cable inputs to Composite SCART.Rumble Pak
The provides haptic vibration while playing video games, enhancing player immersion by delivering vibration at key moments, such as when firing a weapon or taking damage. It was released alongside Star Fox 64, with which it was originally bundled, and later became available as a stand-alone accessory. Like the Controller Pak and Transfer Pak, it plugs into the expansion port on the bottom of the Nintendo 64 controller.Cleaning Kit
The cleaning kit contains materials to clean the connectors of the Control Deck, controllers, Game Paks, Rumble Paks, and Controller Paks.Transfer Pak
The Transfer Pak plugs into the controller to transfer data between supported Nintendo 64 games and Game Boy or Game Boy Color games. It was released in Japan in August 1998, bundled with the game Pocket Monsters' Stadium, and in North America and Europe in March and April 2000 respectively, where it was similarly bundled with Pokémon Stadium.Expansion Pak
The adds 4 MB of RDRAM, the same type of memory as the console's onboard RAM, doubling the system's total memory from 4 MB to 8 MB. It installs into the console’s memory expansion port, replacing the pre-installed Jumper Pak.The Expansion Pak was initially developed for the 64DD to support its multimedia applications, but was instead released separately in late 1998, and was later bundled with the 64DD's delayed launch in Japan in December 1999. The accessory was bundled with Donkey Kong 64 and Japanese versions of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and Perfect Dark.
The Expansion Pak was packaged with an ejector tool to assist in removing the original Jumper Pak.
Game developers leveraged the increased memory for improved visuals, gameplay, and performance. Some games require the Expansion Pak, including Donkey Kong 64, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and all 64DD software. Others restrict access to certain content without it. For example, the Expansion Pak is necessary to play the single-player campaign in Perfect Dark, with the game’s packaging stating that only "approximately 35%" of the game is available without it. In StarCraft 64, the Expansion Pak is required to play the Brood War expansion.
IGN praised the Expansion Pak for delivering an "immediate and noticeable" impact on supported games, making it one of the most influential add-ons for the Nintendo 64.
However, the Expansion Pak can introduce compatibility issues in some games. Space Station Silicon Valley may crash in certain areas when the Expansion Pak is installed.
64DD
The 64DD is a floppy drive with real-time clock, font and audio library in ROM, and a bundle of other accessories and custom games. The peripheral was initially announced in 1995, planned for release in 1997, and repeatedly delayed until its release in December 1999. It was launched alongside a now defunct online service called Randnet. With nine games released, it was a commercial failure and so was never released outside Japan.Modem
The modem cartridge is a specialized N64 cartridge with a built in modular connector port. It connects at up to, for the defunct Randnet service and compatible 64DD games and web browser.Mouse
The Nintendo 64 Mouse was manufactured by Mitsumi and was released only in a bundle with a 64DD launch game, Mario Artist: Paint Studio. It functions similarly to a standard computer mouse and was developed for the 64DD's GUI-based games and applications, such as the Mario Artist suite, SimCity 64, and the web browser for Nintendo's defunct online service Randnet. Mouse movement imitates the N64 controller's analog stick, and the mouse buttons act as the A and B buttons. This makes the mouse technically compatible with every N64 game, but its functionality is limited due to the missing buttons and method of analog control.Capture Cassette
The Nintendo 64 Capture Cassette is a special Nintendo 64 cartridge with audio, video, and microphone input jacks on the back, which is used to import images and audio in the Mario Artist suite. It was bundled with the 64DD game Mario Artist: Talent Studio.Keyboard
The compact keyboard is for the Randnet service and compatible 64DD games.VRU
The VRU or Voice Recognition Unit is compatible with only two games: Hey You, Pikachu! and Densha de Go! 64. Both games were packaged with the VRU, but Hey You, Pikachu! is the only game requiring it. The VRU consists of a ballast connected to controller port 4, a microphone, a yellow foam cover for the microphone, and a clip for clipping the microphone to the controller or a plastic neck holder for hands-free usage. The VRU is calibrated for best recognition of a high-pitched voice, such as a small child's, and other voices are less likely be recognized properly by the VRU. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was originally intended to include VRU functionality, but this feature was removed from the final game. The accessory was also planned to be used by the cancelled games VRS Racer and Teo 64DD. Some fan projects have introduced custom VRU support into games.VRUs are region dependent, and foreign region VRUs are not detected by the games. No VRU compatible game was launched in the EUR region, so there is no EUR-region VRU. A similar device for the Wii is Wii Speak.