Nintendo 64DD in a Kiosk

[Esquire Fox]

This isn't a find in the wild, but I did manage to get a very good deal on an import purchase. After months of unsuccessfully bidding on Yahoo! Auction Japan through a bidding service, I finally managed to win a 64DD for cheap. I purchased 7 of the 9 officially released games (excluding the rarest two) for about $20 a piece. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the items were in better condition than I was expecting. Doshin had the cardboard sleeve included and some of the games were unopened and still shrink-wrapped. Of course, at $20 a piece, I won't have any problem removing those games from their polymer plastic tombs.



Now, here's where things get interesting. One of my main hopes for the 64DD was that I could combine it with my N64 Kiosk. The console is seated in a clear plastic dome at the center of the kiosk. The base of the dome is fitted to the exact size and shape of the Nintendo 64 console. Judging from photos I have seen on the internet, it seemed that the 64DD had the same base as the N64. From my estimates, the two units would fit inside the dome with space left over for a cartridge to be inserted on top. Even then, I wasn't sure that the 64DD would play nice with the sound system in the kiosk.

Earlier today, the package with the 64DD and games arrived. Everything was carefully and professionally packaged, so kudos to the bidding service: Japonica Market. I didn't spare any time installing the 64DD in my kiosk. Much to my surprise, everything fit perfectly. The base of the 64DD is the exact same size/shape as the base of the Nintendo 64. There is enough room for any standard size cartridge, but not enough for a Gameshark or Wide-Boy 64. The 64DD even sits high enough that you can eject a disk without lifting the unit. There are no compatibility problems with the sound system or any of the other kiosk components. I couldn't be happier with the way this turned out.

So if you've ever wondered if you can squeeze a 64DD into a Nintendo 64 Kiosk, there's your answer.

[frogofdeath]

Kudos on the 64DD purchase! Won't be happening any time soon, but one day I would like to pick up the DD myself.

You mentioned the game prices, mind sharing the price you snagged the system for?

[Esquire Fox]

Kudos on the 64DD purchase! Won't be happening any time soon, but one day I would like to pick up the DD myself.

You mentioned the game prices, mind sharing the price you snagged the system for?

Thanks! The unit was purchased for 20,000 yen, which is a little over $210 dollars. The bidding service took a measly 5% commission and the EMS shipping for everything was $40.

One thing to note about buying a 64DD on Yahoo! Auction Japan is that your competition is the same people who are selling 64DDs for insane prices on eBay. Over the months that I was attempting to win one, I noticed that EVERY 64DD that was purchased by someone else ended up on eBay after about a week. There is currently a 64DD with a console and some accessories on eBay with an asking price of $450 BIN. That same 64DD was bought for 16,100 yen on Yahoo Auction, just over $160 dollars. The 64DD has a lot of scratches and the eject button is yellowed, which is why it went so cheap.

Yahoo! Auction: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/169333627
eBay Auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-NINTEND...item4ac1cd12fb

Yahoo! Auction Japan doesn't offer a way to search for completed listings, but it is possible to see the final price if you have the URL saved.

I've also seen a sealed Doshin 2 go for 18,000 yen and a copy of Pro Golf Tour 64 go for 15,000 yen, far cheaper than the typical $400 eBay price. If you are looking to buy rare Japanese items, buying on Yahoo! Auction Japan is the way to go.

[Mark1983]

Man...that looks so AWESOME! Good job on winning it!