Is the N64 Graphics Accelerator worth it?

[Draven]

Today I picked up a N64, one controller, and 007 Goldeneye for $15. I plan on getting Mario 64, Mario Kart, Star Wars (the one with Dash Rendar), and a couple others. I was wondering if the red graphics chip you put in the system actually makes a difference. I can get one at the flea market for probably another $15, but I don't want to waste my cash when I can pick up a game instead. Usually these types of things are over-rated. Any advice would be appreciated!

[Vectorman0]

It only works with games that were designed for it, or require it. Donkey Kong 64 requires it and was bundled with it, and Perfect Dark requires it for single player or 4-player multiplayer. Those are just two off the top of my head that require it, there are more that use it.

For older games like Mario 64, Goldeneye, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart 64, it makes no difference as it isn't used.

If you are only going to play the older games, then don't bother. But as an N64 fan, I think it's worth it for Perfect Dark alone.

[Greg2600]

It's called the Expansion Pak, and is actually a RAM upgrade of 8MB from 4MB. Personally, when I first got it, I thought games like Goldeneye ran much smoother than before.

Here's a listing of games that require it, need it sometimes, or are improved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_Pak

[sav127]

Star Wars Racer dosen't require it, but if its used the graphics are much much better

[MrSparkle]

alot of games make use of it either way i'd say pick one up eventually.

[Aussie2B]

Keep in mind that Space Station Silicon Valley won't work with it, though. It's always a good idea to keep the original jumper pak around just in case.

Also, the "improvements" that some games offer with it aren't always worth it. Some games offer "high resolution" modes, but they absolutely destroy the frame rate. It's a shame because they do look better, but I can't tolerate the nauseating choppiness. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is one game that I have to play in standard mode.

[MrSparkle]

hmmmm? I have space station silicon valley and it works just fine with the expansion in.

[Kevincal]

Just to be clear, the expansion pack does NOTHING to improve the earlier N64 games in regards to graphics or anything else right? Like say N64 games released up until 1998 or so? For instance, it doesn't really make Goldeneye run smoother right? Since that game was released in 1997, well before the expansion pack was released and surely wasn't developed with the expansion pack in mind?

[Draven]

Thanks for the clarification guys. I never played Perfect Dark. I was out of the 64 by the time it was released, but I've always heard great things about it and will pick it up first chance I get...actually, I think I saw one last weekend at the flea. But since it doesn't help with games it wasn't designed for and those are the ones I used to play I'll put off purchasing the Pack for a little while. Thanks again!

[demen999]

Are there any sites that offer comparison shots of with and without the ram pack. I have a fascination with those :p
Plus you get to see whats worth it!

[MrSparkle]

in regards to the question of the jumper pack having any effect on games that came out prior to its release i thought i remembered being able to have more mines out in goldeneye with the expansion in than without. I will try to find my jumper pack and test this theory tonight.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I got mine specifically to play Majora's Mask.

It was worth it.

[shopkins]

Yeah, you need it, honestly, to have fully functional N64 so you can get the most out of the library. I don't think it's worth $15, though.

[roushimsx]

IIRC Duke Nukem Zero Hour ran slower when in high resolution mode than when running without it :(

Also, Stunt Racer 64's "high res" mode w/ the RAM pack crops the image down to a 16:9 image on a 4:3 frame, allowing you to see even less of the track than if you'd just played in normal mode. Boo-urns!

[Ed Oscuro]

Keep in mind that Space Station Silicon Valley won't work with it, though. It's always a good idea to keep the original jumper pak around just in case.

Also, the "improvements" that some games offer with it aren't always worth it. Some games offer "high resolution" modes, but they absolutely destroy the frame rate. It's a shame because they do look better, but I can't tolerate the nauseating choppiness. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is one game that I have to play in standard mode.
Agreed 100%.

It's worth mentioning that if one is so inclined, "high resolution" modes can be emulated in Project64 but with even higher resolution: You can emulate the game in standard mode for maximum speed, and increase the resolution your emulator outputs at. This just adds more lines of detail to the display, but there's no benefit in terms of texture sharpness.

Perfect Dark is one example of a game I'm sure gives higher resolution textures with the Pak in (although you have to select this mode, which is a sure indication they realized you'd be trading speed for detail, which is the case here), and there may be some others.

Goldeneye is a completely different situation, as I've heard that game uses an internal clock to adjust for varying processing speeds. The result is that if you can overclock your N64 you'll be able to push out more frames. The downside is that this is a relatively inefficient system compared to having more stuff set to constant values, as the N64 is supposed to be a closed system. It's good for the future, though.

I really wish the N64's video chip had more internal texture cache, instead of that horrible bottleneck it ended up with - although I somewhat enjoy the surrealism caused by the lo-res textures in many games.

[grolt]

I remember being really hyped on the pack when it was first announced, and the idea that it would make the spiritual sequel to GoldenEye even better than its predecessor certainly had me convinced it was the second coming. In reality, you'll hardly notice any differences. Perfect Dark runs slow as shit regardless of what mode you're in, Turok 2 looks virtually the same, etc. The only noticeable reason to have it is that quality games like Majora's Mask and Donkey Kong 64 require it. That's it unless you've got incredible attention to detail.

[mnbren05]

N64 expansion pack = sega 32x

[savageone]

IIRC Duke Nukem Zero Hour ran slower when in high resolution mode than when running without it :(

Also, Stunt Racer 64's "high res" mode w/ the RAM pack crops the image down to a 16:9 image on a 4:3 frame, allowing you to see even less of the track than if you'd just played in normal mode. Boo-urns!

Command & Conquer 64 is the same way. When you put the game in high resolution it looks better but the speed is annoying enough to make you want to run at standard resolution instead. :P

[Kid Ice]

Quake II and Rogue Squadron made good use of the extra RAM.

Well worth $15 if you ask me, if just to play Perfect Dark single player. Although technically the game is still playable without it, all you can really do single player is fight bots. Stupid.

[theChad]

If you have the expansion pack in while playing the "Silo" mission of Goldeneye 007, it makes running through the flames of a detonated plastique on invincible mode much, much smoother.

[boatofcar]

If you have the expansion pack in while playing the "Silo" mission of Goldeneye 007, it makes running through the flames of a detonated plastique on invincible mode much, much smoother.

Does anyone have any real evidence that the expansion pack changes anything on games released before it?

[theChad]

Could just be a placebo, I suppose.

[Flack]

I got mine specifically to play Majora's Mask.

It was worth it.

string = Replace(string, "Majora's Mask", "Rogue Squadron")

[bangtango]

I've always found it that much more difficult to sell N64's without the Expansion Pak.

[c0ldb33r]

get the expansion pack just for completeness' sake.

[A Black Falcon]

The Expansion Pak really should be considered a must-own accessory for all N64 owners who want any kind of a serious collection. Some of the system's best games require the pak or are dramatically improved by it, such as Perfect Dark, Majora's Mask, DK64 (in my opinion at least), San Fransico Rush 2049... without one no N64 is complete, for sure.

(Note -- the Expansion Pak is a RAM expansion. It increases system RAM from 4MB to 8MB, by adding a second 4MB RDRAM unit to the one built in to the system. The Jumper Pak is required because RDRAM needs a board in every circuit at all times; empty RDRAM slots, like that one, need blank units in them to fill the gap, such as the Jumper Pak.)


Just to be clear, the expansion pack does NOTHING to improve the earlier N64 games in regards to graphics or anything else right? Like say N64 games released up until 1998 or so? For instance, it doesn't really make Goldeneye run smoother right? Since that game was released in 1997, well before the expansion pack was released and surely wasn't developed with the expansion pack in mind?

Yeah, only games that support it will be improved, and the Expansion Pak, and the first few games to support it, were released in October or November of 1998 (in the US). It had originally been designed for the 64 Disk Drive, but some American third-party developers convinced Nintendo to release it as a stand-alone product... good thing too, because the 64DD never came out here. Anyway, that first holiday season ('98) a few games supported it -- Turok 2, Top Gear Overdrive, NFL Quarterback Club '99, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, likely a few more... Turok 2 and Rogue Squadron were the big ones, though. Then the next year DK64 was the first game to require one. But no, games that do not support it will not be improved by having one. They can't even see that that extra 4MB of RAM is there.


Keep in mind that Space Station Silicon Valley won't work with it, though. It's always a good idea to keep the original jumper pak around just in case.

Also, the "improvements" that some games offer with it aren't always worth it. Some games offer "high resolution" modes, but they absolutely destroy the frame rate. It's a shame because they do look better, but I can't tolerate the nauseating choppiness. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is one game that I have to play in standard mode.

First, Space Station Silicon Valley has no problem running with the Expansion Pak in. I have the game and have had my Expansion Pak installed continuously since I got it in late 1999, and SSSV works fine.

Second, while you are right that framerates often suffer in the high-res modes, they look so good that I often use them anyway. I don't always use them -- I don't use high res mode in Excitebike 64 for instance, the slow framerate and letterboxing are just too annoying -- but in most games, including Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, I absolutely do. I think that Legacy of Darkness' framerate is decent enough in high res mode... slow, but decent enough to be playable, and it makes the game look fantastic!


It's called the Expansion Pak, and is actually a RAM upgrade of 8MB from 4MB. Personally, when I first got it, I thought games like Goldeneye ran much smoother than before.

Here's a listing of games that require it, need it sometimes, or are improved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_Pak

That list is nice, but not perfect.

First, some games on it do not have Expansion Pak support. Banjo-Tooie, for instance, does NOT use the Expansion Pak, despite being on that list.

On the other hand, it isn't complete. All-Star Baseball 2001 is one example of a game that supports the Expansion Pak but is not on that list, but it's not the only one, I'm sure.

Also, some games should be in the middle category that are in the lower one. For instance, San Francisco Rush 2049 has some major features which are expansion-pak-only features: the sixth race course (and thus the last, and best, circuit, the 24-race Extreme Circuit, because it requires track six), in-race music, and moving objects in the stages (cable car cars, trains in tunnels, etc) all require the expansion pak. It's a vastly superior game with one.

I believe Stunt Racer 64 also requires a expansion pak for the 3 or 4 player modes, but haven't played it myself so I can't say it for certain. But it's not the only other game with expansion pak-exclusive features.

Lastly, that "Cosmetic improvements and minor features" category really isn't named well. That makes it sound like the differences don't matter... just play most of those games in high-res or medium-res mode and then the default low-res mode and you'll quickly see the difference -- it's very noticeable in almost every case. The framerates are often lower, but oh well.


I really wish the N64's video chip had more internal texture cache, instead of that horrible bottleneck it ended up with - although I somewhat enjoy the surrealism caused by the lo-res textures in many games.

Yeah, the horribly small texture cache really is the system's main design flaw. It's too bad, having a larger cache would have made a real difference... as it is the N64 has the best graphics of the generation, but the difference would have been even greater with more games having high-res textures.

If you want to see an N64 game that does as great a job as possible dealing with the small cache, play Star Wars: Battle for Naboo. Besides being a great game, the graphics are spectacular, with beautiful, high-res textures, lots of voice, developer commentary tracks on every level (with a code)... awesome stuff!

[Leo_A]

The expansion pack causes Space Station Silicon Valley to frequently freeze. How far did you ever go with it? It's a well known problem that myself and many others have encountered. The game does have issues when the ram pack is installed.

[SHERBO64]

N64 expansion pack = sega 32x
majora's mask = quite a bit better than most 32x games

[A Black Falcon]

The expansion pack causes Space Station Silicon Valley to frequently freeze. How far did you ever go with it? It's a well known problem that myself and many others have encountered. The game does have issues when the ram pack is installed.

Through the first couple of worlds I believe, though I don't have it here so I won't be able to check for a couple of weeks. I don't remember any crashes.

[Leo_A]

I wonder if there was a revision done to solve the problem? You should've encountered problems by that point normally.

[darkslime]

Make sure you get an official nintendo one.
The third party ones are usually crap.

[c0ldb33r]

Make sure you get an official nintendo one.
The third party ones are usually crap.
I didn't even know they released a third party one. That sounds pretty sketchy!

[eskobar]

Expansion Pack is a MUST-BUY for your N64.

There are many reasons to buy it but none is more important than Zelda: Majora's Mask which is my favorite N64 game.

Isn't is cheap ?, i can buy it in Mexico for 10 usd... so what's the big deal, buy it !!

[cityside75]

I didn't even know they released a third party one. That sounds pretty sketchy!

I have a third party one that I found cheap at a resale shop a while back. The biggest problem with it is after a while it gets hot and causes glitches in the graphics. I took the "heatsink" off and added some thermal compound and it seems to be a little better.

Bottom line - Go with the official Nintendo pak if you can.