Japanese Nintendo 64

[Streetball 21]

For some odd reason, I am looking at buying a japanese N64. I cannot read japanese, but Im pretty confident I can get thru most of the games.

So my question is does anyone own one? Is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it? How rare is a japanese N64?

[jupitersj]

I know this doesn't answer your question directly... but I'm pretty sure you can play Japanese N64 games on a US console like this

http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/n64/

[TonyTheTiger]

Or just get a gameshark.

[digitalpress]

For some odd reason, I am looking at buying a japanese N64. I cannot read japanese, but Im pretty confident I can get thru most of the games.

So my question is does anyone own one? Is there any reason why I shouldnt buy it? How rare is a japanese N64?

Don't waste your money! Buy or borrow a bit to open your N64, take out the cartridge "guide" and you can play either US or Japanese games on your system. Easiest region-free mod ever.

[Fuyukaze]

Unless you want some limited edition version of the system, your wasting your money. Do what everyone else is telling you and simply get a domestic system and do the easy mod. That is unless you like paying more in EMS then the price of a domestic would run you.

[The 1 2 P]

Actually, you don't have to do any modding at all. US systems can play Japanese games with one small inexpensive assesory: an import convertor. They will run you an average of $10 or less on ebay and all you do is simply insert them into your US N64. Then you put your Japanese import game on top of the convertor and behold: import gaming on a US system for a small fraction of the cost.

[fishsandwich]

If you're going to import then you might want to check out a couple of these games...


Sin & Punishment (One of the best games on the N64 and the only one on this list I deem "essential". Totally playable with spoken English. Action/shooter by Treasure.)

Dezaemon 3-D (Make your own shooters if you have A LOT of time on your hands. Also comes with three already-made shooters, two of which are pretty decent.)

Last Legion UX (Virtua On style mech fighter, no Japanese necessary)

Rakuga Kids (2-D fighter with kiddie graphics but real fighter gameplay. Came out in Japan and Europe.)

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaio (Same as Bangai-O for the Dreamcast but with somewhat different gameplay and less detailed graphics. Low production run makes this one pricey.)

Custom Robo 1 & 2 (Prequel to the Gamecube game, pretty darn fun if you stick with it and use a guide for the tough spots.)

Bomberman 64 (The last N64 game released in Japan. It's NOT anything like the 3-D games that came out in the USA. It's classic Bomberman with 4-player capabilities out of the box.)

Air Boarder 64 (Ok, it's pretty shitty, but at least it's different and moderately playable. Scheduled for a domestic release for years before it was finally cancelled. It was even reviewed in EGM as "Air Boarder USA" and got a horrible score.)

[80s_Gamer]

Actually, you don't have to do any modding at all. US systems can play Japanese games with one small inexpensive assesory: an import convertor. They will run you an average of $10 or less on ebay and all you do is simply insert them into your US N64. Then you put your Japanese import game on top of the convertor and behold: import gaming on a US system for a small fraction of the cost.

This is correct. Back in 1998, I bought a converter from Tommo. I don't know if they're still around or not, but they charged me $20 and threw in a copy of Wonder Project J2 for free. But yeah, converters aren't that expensive (less than I paid definitely), and best of all it doesn't negate the repair agreement with Nintendo should your system fail! Plus, if you have friends with N64s, it sure beats having to take your system to their house to play your imports.

[ApolloBoy]

Why would you pay $20 for an import converter when you can mod your N64 for nothing (unless you count the cost of the gamebit)? It seems ridiculous to me.

[Aussie2B]

best of all it doesn't negate the repair agreement with Nintendo should your system fail!

While that sound advice for modern consoles, would Nintendo even do such a thing with a N64? o_O Any warranties probably would have expired many years ago.

Also, do these import converters work with every single N64 game? I know that not all Super Famicom to SNES converters support every single game.

[80s_Gamer]

Why would you pay $20 for an import converter when you can mod your N64 for nothing (unless you count the cost of the gamebit)? It seems ridiculous to me.

It's even more ridiculous to risk damaging my console just to play a few more games. You can't deny that the risk of this happening is very real to someone who doesn't know what they're doing. It's also rather ridiculous to have to lug a whole console to a friend's house should you want to import game with them. And yes, the fact that a very good game came with that converter made it well worth the price.

As for your question, Aussie2B, so long as Nintendo has the parts, yes, they will fix it. True, the warranty is no longer valid, but they won't even consider a repair if the system has been modified, and this counts as modifying.

[Aussie2B]

Even if Nintendo would be willing to do a repair, I would imagine the cost of getting them to do so and to ship the system both ways would probably be a lot more than just replacing it. I've ended up with so many spare N64 systems over the years, and it's not difficult to find one for, say, 15 bucks, if not less.

Also, the modification Joe recommended would be pretty impossible to damage a system with, unless someone finds using a screwdriver risky. :P And if you wouldn't want to keep the plastic piece out entirely, you could simply remove it, get the tabs out one way or another (knife, soldering iron, whatever), and then put it back in, without ever getting any tools near the delicate components.

[80s_Gamer]

Okay, but the issue of import gaming at a friend's house remains untouched.

[Kyle15]

I bought a Gamebit and have been just fine ever since.
Just order one of those, unless you want a Japanese N64 for your collection.
A Japanese N64 (even though I don't need one) is pretty tempting though.....

[The 1 2 P]

Why would you pay $20 for an import converter when you can mod your N64 for nothing (unless you count the cost of the gamebit)? It seems ridiculous to me.

You can get most of them for $10 or less. Plus, in the time it would take you to do your soft or hard mod job to your N64, I would already be playing level 2 of the import version of Perfect Dark.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I really never paid attention to Import N64 games as I just never came across any in the wild..until I found a few Import N64 games at the Flea Market.
The vendor had a Japanese N64 too but he wanted to much for it pushing that it being Japanese it was worth more.
I really liked the idea of owning the Japanese N64 console but I didn't want to pay his price.

I then found out about the US mod/had the bit already and modded all my N64s..It's so easy that it's a joke.
(Ok,I would not let a friend of mine try it who can't even change the tire on his car:frustrated:)

You could even remove/melt the two square blocks with a thin dollar store soldering iron from the top of the 64 if your careful..

I never really paid attention to what this thing was in my collection until I starting looking into import stuff for the N64(I got it at a flea market for like a buck.

N64 Multi Game Adapter by Game Source

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Chris1/Misc%20Pictures/N64gameadapter004.jpg

[Aun]

Bomberman 64 is a great game on Nintendo 64. Its worth playing do have this one copy its gr8. Ive just ordered one. Was very hard to find it on ebay but luckly i founded one of its copy cheaper and in great condition. Ebays Fesses are very high during this era can i have some more cheaper sites for games. A little help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance have fun.

[WasherDryerCombo]

For all of my imports I just swapped the backs of the carts with a bunch of crappy sports games that I got really cheap.

It took about 5 seconds and works like a charm.

[The 1 2 P]

So you put US cart backs on import cart fronts?

[thetoxicone]

So you put US cart backs on import cart fronts?

That would be what he means, I just use a gameshark since I already owned one from when it first came out for n64.