The New N64 Golden Age is Upon us!

LightyKD · 2026-08-05T07:35:49+0100

My only gripe with the M64 from a visual POV is that I wish the scanline filter was a bit better. I don't know what it is but it feels a little off.

VmprHntrD · 2026-08-05T16:49:18+0100

I like the stills there @Hanafuda did, it helps since it's the same video.
I've got my launch day N64 with an UltraHDMI mod with the latest firmware in it and have had it since the 00s or 10s whatever it was when you could get a batch mail off to have them done on a forum bulk buy and it's clean. But he's right, it's very close but not quite clean since it's just a pure raw feed from the hardware.

What the other two do is a bit more, and as time goes it'll add a bit more and a bit more until a ceiling hits with the raw power of their choices of FPGA. Maybe I'm in the minority of things, but I'm more about vanilla. I do NOT using an emulator like MESEN or some N64 emulator use hi-res texture packs to make MODE7 or my Mario experience look like a modern hot take remix of an old game. I'm great with it being 1080 or whatever, I'm even cool having the option to taste overclocking so games that had chuggy moments run more fluid (like with an emulator with limiting removed with a 60 cap) too

But I don't like having things blown out and reskinned(maybe not the be the best words to use to set this mood) so like right now, the M64 is the best looking option on those compared screen shots from Mario64. If I had the A3D I would not ever use that resolution doubler, I think it's ugly and not in the spirit of things. I don't mind having the graphics upscaled in totality like UltraHDMI does to a 720/1080p output to my TV as it is now, but I draw the line there. It's about the spirit of things vs reinterpretation.

I have a M64 in the mail because I waited and held off. I've got enough history with Analogue and seeing how they handled the A3D earlier on, their duo, their pocket+dock combo, the drop it and move on philosophy of using their loyal base. I got a foul feeling off them when suddenly with the M64 looked like a threat other than a coming soon page they out of nowhere cared heavily to clean up problems, increase this or that, add a feature to shock people to keep dropping them to distract from M64. it's childish, petty, fucking lame showing 'they care' when they just were forced to care. With modretros history both as a company with Chromatic in particular but even in the less organized past there's a more honest and supportive track record and care about what they do so I will continue to be very interested to see how this blows out through 2026 into 27.

Hanafuda · 2026-08-05T18:36:30+0100

VmprHntrD said:
But I don't like having things blown out and reskinned(maybe not the be the best words to use to set this mood) so like right now, the M64 is the best looking option on those compared screen shots from Mario64. If I had the A3D I would not ever use that resolution doubler, I think it's ugly and not in the spirit of things. I don't mind having the graphics upscaled in totality like UltraHDMI does to a 720/1080p output to my TV as it is now, but I draw the line there. It's about the spirit of things vs reinterpretation.

Everyone who's into retro gaming has their own crooked line of what's acceptable deviation from 'how it really was.' When I rebuilt several GBA's a few years ago, I used funnyplaying laminated ITA screens instead of IPS, because the pixel grid look of the ITA looks authentic Gameboy to me, even if the IPS display looks 'better.' But on the other hand I turned my back on the CRT-only orthodoxy a long time ago. I like playing my old systems on modern TV's. Inconsistent, but so what.

The internal horizontal scaling feature on the A3D is optional but fwiw the criticisms that currently apply to the M64's display go deeper than just that. But as I said above, I'm sure after a few updates they'll have resolved most of it. And they'll probably implement the internal scaling too. Nobody has to use it, but I bet most will.

emigre · 2026-08-05T19:19:46+0100

Isn't Modretro the Palmer Luckey company or am I getting confused with someone else?

N64 was meh. Will stick to the Decomps of the few games worth playing.

ut2k4master · 2026-08-05T19:22:27+0100

emigre said:
Isn't Modretro the Palmer Luckey company or am I getting confused with someone else?

yup

Hanafuda · 2026-08-05T19:24:36+0100

emigre said:
Isn't Modretro the Palmer Luckey company or am I getting confused with someone else?

N64 was meh. Will stick to the Decomps of the few games worth playing.

Yep. Would you like the FPGA console / missile guidance system combo, or just the sandwich?

emigre · 2026-08-05T19:27:12+0100

Hanafuda said:
Yep. Would like like the FPGA console / missile guidance system combo, or just the sandwich?

Does it come with fascism sprinkled on top?

TVL · 2026-08-05T19:59:36+0100

Holy shit, there are more new systems than there were good games by the looks of it.

VmprHntrD · 2026-08-05T20:01:26+0100

Hanafuda said:
Everyone who's into retro gaming has their own crooked line of what's acceptable deviation from 'how it really was.' When I rebuilt several GBA's a few years ago, I used funnyplaying laminated ITA screens instead of IPS, because the pixel grid look of the ITA looks authentic Gameboy to me, even if the IPS display looks 'better.' But on the other hand I turned my back on the CRT-only orthodoxy a long time ago. I like playing my old systems on modern TV's. Inconsistent, but so what.

The internal horizontal scaling feature on the A3D is optional but fwiw the criticisms that currently apply to the M64's display go deeper than just that. But as I said above, I'm sure after a few updates they'll have resolved most of it. And they'll probably implement the internal scaling too. Nobody has to use it, but I bet most will.

I get that, and when I've done GB family style mods I'm much the same. I like a new screen just kind of need it these days for one reason or another, but I don't care if someone else doesn't like it for being 'better' perhaps more like it was but modernly acceptable is the right choice which your laminated would have done. I gave up on the CRT only types too, I tend to call them or the aspect ratio guys 'the CRT/ratio gesatpo' which pisses some of them off. They just goosetep into other peoples conversations, threads, shared images of a fun time and just shat all over it because oh my bleeding corneas it's a modern screen and it may not be pillarboxed into a square as if it's world shattering when it's just petty attention seeking drama.

I like playing them on both, I have both in recent years as i've upscaled from a too small 9" monitor to a 14" later 2000s monitor in parity with a PVM but isn't one. It works great for the unmodded systems and for light gun/rob type stuff. I also am just as happy if not more using my new this year 44" HDR roku tv as it has a nice pretty modern 120/240hz panel with a refresh comparable to a PC screen and I can use my old on it, but I have analogues snes genesis and pocket with adapters, the 2 nintendo minis, a m64 when it arrives(ultrahdmi N64 now), and a kevtris hd kit in a NES top loader on it too. I'm good going both ways whether it's square or an unholy rectangle, sharp or CRT gooey. The antics are just tiresome and dumb.

I get the m64 has some issue, but that seems to be the one a bunch of babies keep pulling out like it's some massive trump card to be proud of, and I just see it like using an N64 emulator in windows on this computer, too sharp and enhanced to where it feels like something emulated and tampered with. I know there are some other core problems, but it's barely in a few people hands and fixes are inbound and already out as they work it out. A3D clingers just like to mock because they've had many months of growth in advance and it's petty dumb stuff.

Hanafuda · 2026-08-05T20:32:46+0100

TVL said:
Holy shit, there are more new systems than there were good games by the looks of it.

Zelda OoT
Zelda MM
Mario64
Paper Mario
F-Zero X
Waverace
Conkers BFD
Perfect Dark
007 Goldeneye
Super Smash Bros
Mario Kart 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Starfox64
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
DK64
Blast Corps
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire
007 The World is not Enough
Jet Force Gemini
Harvest Moon
Animal Crossing
Mickeys Speedway
WWF No Mercy
Ogre Battle 64
Space Station Silicon Valley
Sin and Punishment
Resident Evil 2

And there are a ton of mid-shelf games (IMHO) like Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Turok games, Quake II, Duke Nukem, Doom, Kirby, Pilotwings, anything Pokemon, 1080 Snowboarding, Snowboard Kids, Beetle Adv. Racing, Cruisn USA, and a personal fav of mine, Re-Volt.

That's just off the top of my head. I've never understood the 'only a couple games' shit-talk re: the N64. IMHO its core catalog has held up a lot better than PS1.

TVL · 2026-08-05T20:49:07+0100

Hanafuda said:
Zelda OoT
Zelda MM
Mario64
Paper Mario
F-Zero X
Waverace
Conkers BFD
Perfect Dark
007 Goldeneye
Super Smash Bros
Mario Kart 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Starfox64
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
DK64
Blast Corps
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire
007 The World is not Enough
Jet Force Gemini
Harvest Moon
Animal Crossing
Mickeys Speedway
WWF No Mercy
Ogre Battle 64
Space Station Silicon Valley
Sin and Punishment
Resident Evil 2

And there are a ton of mid-shelf games (IMHO) like Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Turok games, Quake II, Duke Nukem, Doom, Kirby, Pilotwings, anything Pokemon, 1080 Snowboarding, Snowboard Kids, Beetle Adv. Racing, Cruisn USA, and a personal fav of mine, Re-Volt.

That's just off the top of my head. I've never understood the 'only a couple games' shit-talk re: the N64. IMHO its core catalog has held up a lot better than PS1.

I like five of the games you listed. In my mind N64 and Virtual Boy (and Jaguar) are neck and neck in good games.

I get if you grew up with it, or just if you like all those games regardless. I think it's one of the worst systems of all time. I don't even like the Zelda games that were on it, I like every Zelda game ever made more than OoT and MM. Never played the CDI games or the Game & Watch, but everything else.

The New N64 Golden Age is Upon us!

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