View Full Version : Lets talk 64DD
Chainclaw
02-06-2009, 01:54 AM
So I just picked one up, with all the common games. So far I've only played Doshin the Giant, and it's a pretty nifty game.
I've got a few questions and comments so far:
Does F-Zero X Level Editor work with the USA F-Zero X?
Is the 64DD supposed to be so noisy?
Is Doshin the Giant 2 worth tracking down? I'm not even going to bother with the Golf game, but more Doshin could be nifty.
What's with the lazy do it yourself end stickers?
What is your favorite software title for the platform?
What are your guys thoughts on this cool little piece of hardware? I've been dieing to get one for years, and I'm glad I finally picked one up.
smork
02-06-2009, 02:48 AM
I might recommend this be moved to Import-Mania as it will stay up on the front page longer and have more interest.
I'd say my 64DD isn't noisy at all. But it could be a matter of what you think is noisy.
I don't know about US F-Zero X. The expansion set is quite cool on the Japanese version, though.
As I mentioned in the thread in the What's It Worth forum, I think the Japan Pro Golf Tour is quite worth the effort to find. Doshin 2 is as well if you can get it for cheap - it pops up on Yahoo Auctions every month or so and usually runs 10k-15k yen. That one I linked to before is the cheapest i've seen and a nice set.
Kevincal
02-06-2009, 04:06 AM
I've always wanted a darn 64DD .. :( Way too expensive with hardly any games though. Maybe you could take some pictures, like comparing the DD disc next to an N64 cart. How heavy are the discs compared to an N64 cart? How heavy is the 64 DD itself? Is it as noisy as a Dreamcast? :P Better yet, make a video. :P
sidnotcrazy
02-06-2009, 07:46 AM
Here is a quick question. Will the 64DD work with a US N64? It doesn't sound like it would, but I would love to know.
Chainclaw
02-06-2009, 10:12 AM
Here is a quick question. Will the 64DD work with a US N64? It doesn't sound like it would, but I would love to know.
It works no problem.
I've always wanted a darn 64DD .. :( Way too expensive with hardly any games though. Maybe you could take some pictures, like comparing the DD disc next to an N64 cart. How heavy are the discs compared to an N64 cart? How heavy is the 64 DD itself? Is it as noisy as a Dreamcast? :P Better yet, make a video. :P
I'm sure there are plenty of videos on youtube.
The 64DD is basically a floppy disc drive, and the noise I hear sounds kind of like the noises floppy drives make.
edit:
Found a vid of Doshin 2, it looks amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eC17mrAPGY
sidnotcrazy
02-06-2009, 12:36 PM
Thanks for the information Chainclaw.
Aussie2B
02-06-2009, 02:12 PM
I'm pretty positive you need a Japanese F-Zero X.
Man, another topic that reminds me that I still don't have one. :( Someday, man, someday...
Chainclaw
02-06-2009, 08:17 PM
I took a picture of my setup:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/Xieflow/64DD.jpg
It looks exactly like every other picture of the 64DD with all the common games.
3 of the 4 Mario Artist games, and F-Zero Expansion kit were sealed when I took the picture yesterday. I've opened most of them by now :)
Greg2600
02-07-2009, 10:08 AM
I checked out a number of videos yesterday after reading this. Honestly, I didn't see anything that stood out, or that seemed particularly exciting about this add-on. Expansion packs were the craze back in the 90's, but I can't see it taking hold with the N64 players (mostly kids). Not unless it continued entirely new games, like a new Super Mario, for instance. Even then, the lesson of the SegaCD was people are not going to spending over a hundred or two hundred dollars for an add-on.
importaku
02-07-2009, 10:19 AM
So I just picked one up, with all the common games. So far I've only played Doshin the Giant, and it's a pretty nifty game.
I've got a few questions and comments so far:
1, Does F-Zero X Level Editor work with the USA F-Zero X?
2, Is the 64DD supposed to be so noisy?
3, Is Doshin the Giant 2 worth tracking down? I'm not even going to bother with the Golf game, but more Doshin could be nifty.
4, What's with the lazy do it yourself end stickers?
5, What is your favorite software title for the platform?
What are your guys thoughts on this cool little piece of hardware? I've been dieing to get one for years, and I'm glad I finally picked one up.
1, Nope you need a japanese version or you just get a warning screen.
2, Well it's noisy but not extremely loud its just the disk drive thats the noise maker.
3, Not unless your wanting to get a complete set of games as its absolutely crap, it's barely even a game, nothing like the first one. Nowhere near worth the extortionate price it goes for.
4, Hehe no idea, maybe they gave you a choice so you could use the blank one to make your own label or use the printed one.
5, I like talent studio out of all the disks it's the one disk i have the most fun with.
Had a 64DD rather a long time now & it's interesting as a novelty but eventually the fun does wear off, but i go back from time to tie to have a play on it.
makaar
02-07-2009, 04:41 PM
It's not fair it was supposed to come out in the US for years, and I waited patiently and after they scrapped it I always felt cheated. As with the Perfect Dark / Gameboy Camera function that they did away with. Maybe next tax time I'll get one...
Aussie2B
02-08-2009, 02:36 AM
In terms of price versus what you get out of it, a 64DD may not really be worth it, but if you're a huge fan of F-Zero X like I am, an expansion pack is definitely something worth getting excited about. It's got new cups, new music, and an extensive track editor. That game alone has sold quite a few 64DD add-ons to Westerners.
Greg2600
02-08-2009, 01:39 PM
But Aussie you still need a Japanese N64, which means even more money. Like the Virtual Boy, another project Nintendo wisely canceled. The impact would have been almost identical to the SegaCD, negative, and lost a ton of money.
MarioMania
02-08-2009, 02:16 PM
I wonder if the 64DD came out in the US..Would people just ignore it, I don't think people would get it..Remember the Sega CD & 32X friso
Poofta!
02-08-2009, 02:43 PM
i watched the videos, and they all look awful, im glad youre enjoying it, but id rather spend my money (more importantly, my time) playing games that are fun, and in english.
I wonder if the 64DD came out in the US..Would people just ignore it, I don't think people would get it..Remember the Sega CD & 32X friso
That's most likely one of the reasons they didn't release it here.
Chainclaw
02-08-2009, 03:51 PM
On the other hand, the Famicom disk drive apparently did really really well for Nintendo in Japan.
I'm guessing they didn't release the 64DD in the US (and the Japanese release was so limited) because the project must have ran too long. They first showed it in 1995, and it was finally released December, 1999. The Dreamcast had been available in Japan for over a year at that point, and the PS2 was less than 6 months away.
I don't think the Sega CD was a commercial failure, the unit survived long enough to get seven separate hardware revision releases (Sega CD model 1, 2, CD-X, Aiwa Mega CD, Wondermega 1, Wondermega 2, LaserActive). They were releasing software for the Sega CD for what, 5 years? The 32X failed pretty hard, though, but that was as much due to the timing as it was to anything else.
Tupin
02-08-2009, 04:02 PM
The Famicom Disk System was somewhat of a failure, and it's perhaps the only system in history that died exclusively because of piracy. It actually got so bad that they just pulled them all from shelves in '89. Plus, a 128k cart came out months after the Disk System was released, making it pointless.
The Sega CD had its moments, but it was basically DOA.
Chainclaw
02-08-2009, 04:07 PM
I heard the FDS eventually died due to piracy, but most major franchises we know in the US got their start on the FDS. Obviously I know very little about the FDS, but I've played plenty of pre-FDS Famicom games, and most of them are pretty awful. I'm talking Urban Champion awful.
Again, I can't imagine the Sega CD being a failure with 7 hardware revision, and five years of support.
Tupin
02-08-2009, 04:20 PM
I heard the FDS eventually died due to piracy, but most major franchises we know in the US got their start on the FDS. Obviously I know very little about the FDS, but I've played plenty of pre-FDS Famicom games, and most of them are pretty awful. I'm talking Urban Champion awful.
Again, I can't imagine the Sega CD being a failure with 7 hardware revision, and five years of support.
Well, most pre-1986 Famicom games were pretty simple, but not bad. The Disk System also failed because third-parties wanting to develop for it had to give a certain amount of the rights to Nintendo, when they could just put it on a cart and have none of that.
The Sega CD wasn't a major failure, but it did a LOT worse in the marketplace than Sega thought it would. That was due to the lack of games.
hellfire
02-08-2009, 04:29 PM
how much did it cost you?
Chainclaw
02-08-2009, 05:55 PM
On the subject of all the FDS stuff, I've heard that a lot of the disks are failing nowadays, and was wondering if there is an estimated lifespan of 64DD games?
how much did it cost you?
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127743
Tupin
02-08-2009, 06:13 PM
On the subject of all the FDS stuff, I've heard that a lot of the disks are failing nowadays, and was wondering if there is an estimated lifespan of 64DD games?
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127743
It's more systems that are failing than games, but they ARE magnetic media and are fragile.
I'd imagine that 64DD games would be less fragile since it protects the magnetic media. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they like ZIP disks?
Chainclaw
02-08-2009, 06:26 PM
More or less. Although I would say the form factor, and the little sliding piece of plastic covering the magnetic storage itself makes me think of 3.5" floppy the most.
Tupin
02-08-2009, 06:33 PM
More or less. Although I would say the form factor, and the little sliding piece of plastic covering the magnetic storage itself makes me think of 3.5" floppy the most.
Yeah, most Disk System games had no shutters.
Aussie2B
02-09-2009, 12:22 AM
But Aussie you still need a Japanese N64, which means even more money. Like the Virtual Boy, another project Nintendo wisely canceled. The impact would have been almost identical to the SegaCD, negative, and lost a ton of money.
Actually, you don't. The 64DD works absolutely fine with an American N64, and the F-Zero X Expansion Kit is the only game that requires a cart to play it. But American N64s are perfectly capable of playing Japanese N64 games as well. The only thing preventing them from popping in and playing are two plastic tabs in the cartridge slot, which are easily removed. I can understand if someone wants to own a Japanese N64 for collector's reasons, but in terms of just playing games, there's no need to waste any money on one.
But, yeah, like I said, it's a lot of money to get a 64DD versus how many games are available for it and how much enjoyment they offer, but I know quite a few people that consider F-Zero X their favorite racer, some even their favorite game, so such a good expansion is worth the hefty price tag to some.
As for all the comparison to the Sega CD, I don't think it's quite appropriate. First of all, the Sega CD wasn't a horrible failure in the US. No worse than the Dreamcast, at least. The system got over 100 releases, after all. Compare this to a system that didn't even leave Japan and only got into, what, the teens in release count? Plus, you have to look at it from a worldwide perspective. The Genesis may have been huge in the US and the Sega CD paled in comparison, but the Mega Drive never really caught on in Japan. The Mega CD actually got pretty good support, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was more successful than the Mega Drive was on its own. In comparison, the 64DD never saw success anywhere. But I wouldn't blame the hardware or the games, though; Nintendo just bungled the whole affair.
A Black Falcon
02-09-2009, 03:30 AM
Yeah, even the Virtual Boy had more released games than the 64DD. There were only 10 64DD disks, and that's including the RandNet disk and Mario Artist Communication Studio, while the Virtual Boy managed 22 games released in the US and Japan. :)
Sega CD indeed had a lot more releases, indeed, 224 total worldwide I believe according to Wikipedia. It also had a four year lifespan. It was more like 3 years in the US, but in Japan it was over four... (Dec. 1991 launch - Feb. 1996 last release in Japan, Oct. 1992 launch-Dec. 1995 last release for the US). The system didn't do quite as well as Sega hoped, but it did well enough, at least through the middle of 1995. It did collapse quickly after that, admittedly, but it'd had several good years.
The 32X, in comparison, had a very short lifespan (barely over a year) and only 39 released titles, 5 CDs (all also on Sega CD) and 34 carts (several also on Genesis). It was indeed a total failure in the market, for sure. The 64DD might be a bigger failure, though... but on the other hand, the 32X played a major role in destroying Sega, I'd say, while the 64DD didn't really do anything to Nintendo except disappoint some people. Not nearly as bad after-effects as the 32X. :)
rbudrick
02-11-2009, 01:56 AM
Well, most pre-1986 Famicom games were pretty simple, but not bad. The Disk System also failed because third-parties wanting to develop for it had to give a certain amount of the rights to Nintendo, when they could just put it on a cart and have none of that.
The Sega CD wasn't a major failure, but it did a LOT worse in the marketplace than Sega thought it would. That was due to the lack of games.
Actually, they canceled it because solid state memory got much cheaper and games needed more memory as time went on. Piracy didn't help, but then again, it never does.
-Rob
Would be a nice collectable to own, nevertheless.
I'm thinking about picking one up. But for that price, I could get a boxed Colorvision, which is worth more to me.