MyMedia Retrospective - Nintendo 64DD

We took a look at the Nintendo 64 way back in the first retrospective article but there was one thing I left out on purpose. That was the Nintendo 64DD add-on as I thought at the time it deserved its own article and here it is. Back when the Nintendo 64 was still fresh and providing entertainment for many I often wondered what that EXT port under the console was going to be used for. When I got wind of what Nintendo was brewing up my initial Nintendo fanboy response was “it’s new and it’s made my Nintendo, I must have!” and I continued to check the local Toy’s R Us store hoping to see a N64 DD drive miraculously appear on their shelves. At the time I was pretty young and didn’t research things intensely so I assumed it was mega storage alternate for the N64 cartridge. Just look at the size of the disks it must hold a lot more info than a cartridge right? Well it turns out I was way off and there was lot more the N64 DD add-on could do, lets take a closer look.

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Nintendo’s decision to stick with the cartridge format for the Nintendo 64 proved to have done more harm than good as it showed in the number units that were sold compared to its competitors. Sure the advantages were definitely positive for both Nintendo and their consumers, cartridges are much more durable and kid friendly than a CD-ROM and they loaded a lot faster. Nintendo didn’t have a big as problem with piracy as Sony had to endure with the Playstation but the negative aspects of the cartridge format for N64 were definitely not un-noticed. Nintendo knew that the maximum storage capacity of N64 cartridge could not compare with a CD-ROM no matter how much data compression was used and the cost to produce a cartridge easily exceeded that of a CD-ROM. The production costs for cartridges scared off a lot of third party developers as many were cautions about investing in case their game didn’t take off. Rather than take the same route as Sega did with the Mega Drive and simply bolt on a CD drive to their system. Nintendo in their typically “out side of the box thinking” took a different approach with offering an alternate format to the cartridge, opting for a rewritable magnetic disc rather than a CD-ROM. Along with that they tied in few extra interesting features that were promised to revolutionize the gaming industry.

It was back in 1995 at the Nintendo Shoshinkai game show event when Nintendo first announced their plans to release the Nintendo 64DD (Dynamic Drive). The disc drive add-on was connected to the Nintendo 64’s EXT port located underneath the console. It wasn’t until late 1999 towards the end of the N64’s production life that 64DD was actually obtainable and at first it wasn’t something you could buy at the local videogames store. Things didn’t look too optimistic for the 64DD and it looked as if the unit already had its fate sealed. Retailers were not too keen on allocating some shelf space for the 64DD and Nintendo themselves had the feeling that they would end up with a warehouse filled with unsold units. Rather than risk a backlog off unsold stock, Nintendo offered the 64DD through a mail order subscription service in Japan that costed punters 2,500 yen a month for 12 months. What you got for that price was the 64DD hardware including 4mb RAM expansion pack, a modem cartridge including cable and software, access to the Randnet online service and games/software to be shipped out to clients periodically. Nintendo did eventually ship some units out to retailers but many believed that this was done to clear unsold stock.

Now most us would be familiar with the common trend of hardware add-ons where additional hardware is added to allow the use of another format and/or boost performance. The 64DD was a little different as it provided more than just a dive for magnetic discs. Although it was format that was quickly being out dated Nintendo did have some interesting uses for it. The discs used were a lot like Zip discs for a personal computer as data could be written onto them but the 64DD magnetic discs had a maximum storage capacity of only 64mb. The advantage of using these discs is that they are encased in a tough shell so they are a lot more durable than a CD, they are cheaper to manufacture than a cartridge and load times very rarely exceed five seconds with three seconds being the average for writing and reading. Full games were obviously planned to use this format and three full 64DD games actually got released but it wasn’t the full games that got people intrigued with 64DD. It was the concept of expansion kit discs that provided further content for previously released Nintendo 64 games which works in a similar way as downloadable content works for the Xbox 360 and PS3, unfortunatley for Nintendo Wii owners they miss out on this mostly due to storage restrictions. The possibilities were almost endless; imagine extra levels and weapons for Goldeneye or more tracks on Mario Kart 64 and perhaps even a track editor. The only expansion kit to give us a taste of what could be done when combining a N64 cartridge game with a 64DD expansion kid was the F-Zero X Expansion Kit.

To make the 64DD’s online features possible Nintendo and Recruit worked together to create RANDnet which bared some similarities to the Satellaview for the Super Nintendo. Everything you needed to get the 64DD online was included in the starter pack which is all part of the subscription service. Part of this pack was a Nexus-developed software modem that plugged into the N64’s cartridge slot. Once you were connected to internet you could take advantage of number of options which included a web browser, access to a member’s only information exchange page, an online message board, the option of sending messages to the actual game programmers, beta testing, listen to online music that was of a CD quality and an online magazine that covered sports scores, weather, and news. When it comes to online gaming you have the choice to either play against other people or simply kick back and observe others play. One of the more popular features of RANDnet was it allowed users to share what they have created using the Mario Artist creative programs with other subscribers. In February 2001 the RANDnet service was cancelled even though it enjoyed moderate success with the somewhat limited user base there just wasn’t enough activity and future in the system to justify its continued existence. Free service was offered from the cancellation announcement right up until the plug was actually pulled. Once the RANDnet service was cancelled Nintendo began buying back all RANDnet hardware which would be useless with out the service but all other hardware and software could be kept.

The 64DD add-on only managed to sell 15 000 units in Japan and was classified as a dismal failure on Nintendo’s behalf often being compared to all the add-ons Sega piled onto the Mega Drive. Nintendo didn’t completely walk away from this empty handed though and if anything the 64DD was more of an experiment for them giving them a chance to trial a few ideas some of which became standard features in Nintendo’s future consoles. The RAM expansion pack that was included with the 64DD was released to the rest of the world on its own and bundled in with select titles to help enhance graphical performance in some games. Nintendo got a chance to trial an online service that networked people together and this was the first Nintendo system that could boot up on its own without having a game inserted because it had its own menu system. It was an interesting concept for its time and maybe things could have panned out differently if it wasn’t delayed for such a long period of time and more support was given.

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F-Zero X Expansion Kit

Noted as the best title available for the 64DD the F-Zero X Expansion Kit gave users a small glimpse of what could be achieved with the 64DD. The F-Zero X Expansion Kit was as the name suggest, an expansion pack for the N64 cartridge based game F-Zero X and works basically like downloadable content on the current generation consoles. Two new cups were available containing 12 new tracks and a track editor that allows users to bring out their creative talents and design their own courses using a large selection of editing options. These tracks can be integrated into the cup mode via the track edit option and up to 100 tracks can be saved to the 64DD disc. Three new machines were also available which include Super Falcon, Super Stingray and Super Cat and just like the track edit mode a machine edit allowed users to create their perfect vehicle. The audio of the game also received an upgrade to with the game sound effects emitted in surround sound and the music in stereo. In the cartridge version the sound effects were in stereo and the music was in mono. If there was one reason to get the 64DD add-on then this expansion pack would be good persuader.

Nippon Pro Golf Tour 64

Developed by Media Factory Nippon Pro Golf Tour 64 was a complete game developed for the 64DD and provided a decent golf simulation experience. As far as golf games go there was nothing that made this version stand out amongst the number of available golf games but it was the only 64DD game to have an online gaming feature. The regular game play modes were Match Play Mode, Stroke Player Mode, Grand Opening Mode, Career Mode and a Qualifying Tournament.

Kyojin no Doshin 1

Kyojin no Doshin 1 which translate to Doshin the Giant was a pack in game that originally came with the 64DD system. The game play style of this game is basically a god simulation where you take on the role of Doshin the Giant and his alter ego Jashin. Doshin being the love giant and Jashin being the hate giant. There are four tribes inhabiting an island with the game objective being that you create monuments for these tribes. The outcome will vary depending on wether you choose to make love or hate monuments. A add-on disc was released five months later called Kyojin no Doshin Kaihō Sensen Chibikko Chikko Daishūgō which translates to Doshin the Giant: Rescue from the Front by the Toddlers that Tinkle at the Large Meeting-hall which changes the perspective of the game entirely and required the user to swap between the two discs to complete the game. This game didn’t fair to well with the critiques due to the game average looking graphics, rough controls and slow game play style but it did get some credit for its originality. Doshin the Giant eventually made its way over to the Nintendo Game Cube.

Sim City 64

Many would be familiar with the concept of the Sim City series where the player has a limited budget and has to build a thriving city from the ground up and maintain everything. Sim City64 was developed by HAL Laboratory and was an exclusive for the 64DD. This version is not to be mistaken with Sim City 2000 on the Nintendo 64 as this game is basically a sequel to Sim City on the Super Nintendo. A couple of elements from the Super Nintendo version made its way over the 64DD version such as Dr. Wright and the city advisor. This game did suffer from poor graphics as blurry textures, slow frame rate and screen slow down were common complaints made by reviewers, which was a shame considering the extra resources available with the 64DD.

Mario Artist

Nintendo had some big plans for Mario artist as this software was planned to be split up into eight separate titles but only four ever got released. Paint Studio, Polygon Studio, Talent Studio and Communication Kit were the titles that were released. Paint Studio was known as an amped up version of Mario Paint and came bundled with the Nintendo 64 mouse. Images could be imported for editing through two ways one is from a video tape or video camera via the capture cart; two is if you combine the Game Boy camera and the transfer cartridge. Polygon Studio gave users the opportunity to design and render 3D polygon images but the detail was limited. Image and video importing was done in the same as Paint Studio. Once a 3D polygon image was created it could then be transferred to Talent Studio which is another Mario Artist title. In Talent Studio you could animate what you have created using Polygon Studio and if you decided to upload an image of your own face you could basically make an animated version your self. This is where the concept of Mii’s on the Nintendo Wii first originated. The Nintendo 64 Capture Cartridge came bundled with this title and is used on all the previously mentioned Mario Artist games. Last but not least was the Communication Kit which connected the 64DD with the online service Randnet where users could share what they have created using the Mario Artist software. Printing services and exclusive competitions were available through Randnet.

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Below is a list of games, add-on content packs and applications that were intended to be released on the N64DD but never got released to the magnet disc format. There are quite a number of impressive titles on that list which may or may not have swayed the fate of the N64DD. Some disappeared into thin air never to be heard of again and the rest being released to the N64 as a cartridge or to another platform.

• 7th Legion
• Automobili Lamborghini Add-On
• Banjo-Kazooie 2 (released in cartridge as Banjo-Tooie)
• Cabbage
• Creator
• DD Sequencer
• Desert Island: No Man's Island
• Dezaemon DD
• Digital Horse Racing Newspaper
• Donkey Kong World
• Doubutsu Banchou (Animal Leader, released on GameCube as Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest)
• Dragon Warrior VII
• DT
• Fire Emblem 64
• Gendai Dai-Senryaku: Ultimate War
• Hybrid Heaven (released in cartridge)
• Jungle Emperor Leo (Kimba the White Lion)
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (released in cartridge and moved to Nintendo 64)
• Mario Artist: Game Maker
• Mario Artist: Graphical Message Maker
• Mario Artist: Sound Maker
• Mario Artist: Video Jockey Maker
• Mission: Impossible (released in cartridge)
• Mission: Impossible 64DD
• Morita Shogi 64 (released in cartridge)
• Mother 3 (EarthBound 64) (cancelled, it became a Game Boy Advance title of the same name)
• Mother 3.5 (EarthBound 64 Add-On)
• Ogre Battle Saga
• Pokémon 64/Pokémon RPG
• Pokémon Stadium (moved to Nintendo 64)
• Pokémon Stadium Expansion Disk
• Pokémon Stadium 2 (released internationally as Pokémon Stadium)
• Project Cairo
• Quest 64 Add-On
• Rev Limit
• SimCopter 64 (Released on PC)
• SnowSpeeder (Released in cartridge)
• Super Mario 64 2
• Super Mario RPG 2 (released in cartridge as Mario Story in Japan and Paper Mario in the rest of the world)
• Suu
• Unreal (developed by DMA Design)
• Tank
• Teo
• Tonic Trouble Add-On
• Toukon Road: Brave Spirits Add-On
• Wall Street
• Ultra Donkey Kong
• Ura Zelda (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest), the expansion disk to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (released on GameCube)
• Yosuke Ide's Mahjong Juku
• Zelda 64 (released in cartridge as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
• Zelda Gaiden (later released in cartridge as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Sources: Wikipedia ign gamestats youtube

 

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Written by: Matthew Armitage