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A super rare Nintendo 64 Disk Drive dev kit has been documented by YouTuber Shane Luis on his Twitter account, @RerezTV. Luis was reportedly sent the dev kit by a private video game collector for verification and documentation, and he shared the entire unboxing process on his account. The dev kit has attaches to the bottom of a standard Nintendo 64 console, and uses several adapters to connect a utility cart and disk to the system. There was also an instruction manual included in Japanese that Luis has scanned and uploaded, if you want to try and help translate it. You can view Luis' full thread and see all the details of the dev kit in the linked Twitter thread below.

I was asked to verify and photograph a Nintendo 64 Disk Drive (64DD) Development Kit from a private video game collector. The system was new in box and needed to be carefully documented.

This is what it looks like to unbox one. pic.twitter.com/X2PflhtemW

— Shane Luis (@RerezTV) March 24, 2021

 

[TheTechRobo]

We know they still have some Gameboys

We do?

 

[Reynardine]

We do?

I remember seeing a photo from inside one of Nintendo Japan's storage rooms a few years ago that had shelves of unopened Famicoms complete in box.

Makes me drool to think of all the stuff they must be keeping there.

Edit:
https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/0275103c-85e5-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d

 

[raxadian]

We do?

https://www.thegamer.com/nintendo-replaces-grandma-broken-game-boy/

They couldn't fix it so they got one from storage.

 

[Hells Malice]

Cease & Desist incoming including getting dragged to the court!

Wat. Kids say the dumbest things, do you even know any of those words?

 

[HarveyHouston]

I like articles like this; it's always fascinating to find out stuff about abandoned hardware. Hopefully modders can make the 64DD popular again; I'd like to try out some stuff on this detachable unit.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

I like articles like this; it's always fascinating to find out stuff about abandoned hardware. Hopefully modders can make the 64DD popular again; I'd like to try out some stuff on this detachable unit.

I think someone enabled either some internal code or some build of SM64 running with some enhancements from the 64DD. IIRC, I think the draw distance was a little better, and maybe the framerate was slightly improved, but nothing mindblowing.

It'd be cool if someone found one of these and it had the N64 build of Mother 3, Resident Evil 0 for N64, URA Zelda/an earlier build of OOT, etc..

 

[BitMasterPlus]

I remember seeing a photo from inside one Nintendo Japan's storage rooms a few years ago that had staples of unopened Famicoms complete in box.

Makes me drool to think of all the stuff they must be keeping there.

Edit:
https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/0275103c-85e5-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d

You mean to tell me Nintendo has a stash of fresh unopened old consoles in their storage? Forget robbing banks, I'm breaking into Nintendo and stealing those gold coins!

 

[Silent_Gunner]

You mean to tell me Nintendo has a stash of fresh unopened old consoles in their storage? Forget robbing banks, I'm breaking into Nintendo and stealing those gold coins!

*NinteNinjas lead by Sheik appear from behind and take you down faster than Ryu Hayabusa can say WTF at that one cutscene in NG2 on NES where Irene is falling towards him rather...suggestively.*

 

[DarkCoffe64]

So, who's going to remake the cancelled Mother 64 with this, lol?
Cool find, saw a youtube post about it like some days ago (possibly the same guy of the twitter there), didn't give it much thought as I'm more interested in the games than devkits, but findings of the sort are always nice.

 

[t1232088]

cool

 

[Deleted member 518296]

Awesome ! This drisk drive is beautiful
That's a bit shocking that after these years it's still looks like new!

 

[Revlic]

Would be awesome to have!

 

[TheBoingo]

Wow, still feels like ancient history. lol.

 

[ChibiMofo]

I am surprised that Nintendo went to the trouble of creating that official box for a dev kit. Maybe they always do that, but it seems a waste of the marketing team's resources when a plain brown box will do.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

I am surprised that Nintendo went to the trouble of creating that official box for a dev kit. Maybe they always do that, but it seems a waste of the marketing team's resources when a plain brown box will do.

They probably do this to simulate what the actual console is like, and to ensure that whatever devs do will translate to the main system itself.

 

[acometiscoming]

Whoa

 

[rimoJO]

time to play some mario artist

 

[proffk]

It will be interesting to know what hard4games thinks of this. Its a youtube channel and the dude is an expert in 64dd. He also helped metaljesus with the rare usa 64dd.

 

[Deleted User]

That looks amazing, not gonna lie.

 

[andyhappypants]

Thats an awesome find! What lovely bit of kit. My N64 is broken sadly. Id love to get it going and play some Wave Race and 1080 with my kids.