New to Nintendo 64 I have a question

[omegadot]

 

Maybe this is it....my most heaviest played games don't actually require a ton of precision so maybe I'm not noticing it is gone. Like, I'm not sniping cameras in GoldenEye much any more....I play the AKI wrestling games (only use for stick is to waggle for a special, no precision at all) and Mario Party 3. Maybe mine would feel off if it mattered. I might pick up a spare stick just to have it--I have some 3rd party Yobo controllers still packed up for back ups and they work, but I don't really like them.

 

The ones I see in the wild are, almost always, total toast. Literally, you can tilt the controller and the stick is totally loose, it just flops back and forth. Sad.

 

 

I will say the replacement sticks I've used tend to err on the too sensitive side. Can be surprisingly ruinous to things like Mario 64.

[+Cobra Kai]

A little more on the expansion pak: I thought the absolute best use of the extra ram was with Starcraft 64. Without the expansion pak, you get the original Starcraft game, with the ability to play each campaign of the 3 races. But, if you have the expansion pak, you get the Broodwar expansion, in addition to a higher resolution in graphics. That's 3 extra campaigns, an entire new game with the expansion pak! I thought that was pretty amazing value.

 

With Rush 2049 the expansion pak unlocks the Presidio track and the Extreme circuit becomes 24 tracks instead of 20.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I've never understood the issue with the n64 sticks....we played countless games of original Mario Party where the objective of many games was to simply spin the stick as fast as possible. Of course everyone did the "palm method" which meant you were absolutely beating the shit out of the stick. We ground some lines in the bases of our sticks (after certain games you might have to actually blow the plastic dust out) but I never ever had a stick just flop over and die on me, which is of course how most look now in pawn shops, etc.

I always felt we were super rough on these things and only toasted one stick over 100s of Mario Party games with 4 players over almost 10 years (and it was because the plastic dust got UNDER the stick, the stick itself still stood up fine). WTF were people DOING to these things that they are all so toasty? I never considered them weak, but damn they must be.

 

 

I've never seen an original N64 joystick stop working, they just get loose and the "feel" is off for some people. I seem to recall kids I went to school with fighting over who got the newest controller for multiplayer 007 matches.

 

This new style rotates on a big pivot ball (Like the gamecube joysticks) and not a small one, thus avoiding the chronic design flaw inherent in that design (its wears out and performs not as it did when new)

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with the original design, I just think the precision degrades after heavy use. I really like this upgrade and my N64 controller feels exactly the same over a year after install. I recommend them for sure.

 

 

Maybe this is it....my most heaviest played games don't actually require a ton of precision so maybe I'm not noticing it is gone. Like, I'm not sniping cameras in GoldenEye much any more....I play the AKI wrestling games (only use for stick is to waggle for a special, no precision at all) and Mario Party 3. Maybe mine would feel off if it mattered. I might pick up a spare stick just to have it--I have some 3rd party Yobo controllers still packed up for back ups and they work, but I don't really like them.

 

The ones I see in the wild are, almost always, total toast. Literally, you can tilt the controller and the stick is totally loose, it just flops back and forth. Sad.

 

I think part of it is nostalgia goggles. The sticks don't wear out all at once, so you get used to looser and looser sticks over time. As retro gamers looking for secondhand stuff to buy, it becomes painfully obvious when something's completely roached out. Good news, the design patents have all expired for the N64, and now Yobo, hyperkin, et al are selling controllers that are damn near identical to the originals, sans the Nintendo trademark. I got me a Pokemon Yellow colored one at my local Game-X-Change. If it's good, I'll probably get a gray one and a translucent blue one.

 

They are a bit higher end at $14.95 each than the $5-$6 previously junk clones, so hopefully the build quality is there. I haven't opened the box yet, but there appears to be no end to the supply so feel free to get the new replacements. Now what to do with all my old junky clones I've picked up over the years. Aside from the two handled Super Pads (my favorite) and rare Horis, most of the older 3rd party clones are junk.

 

EDIT: It's a carbon copy of the original...

Edited February 11, 2015 by stardust4ever

[+GoldenWheels]

 

 

 

I think part of it is nostalgia goggles. The sticks don't wear out all at once, so you get used to looser and looser sticks over time. As retro gamers looking for secondhand stuff to buy, it becomes painfully obvious when something's completely roached out. Good news, the design patents have all expired for the N64, and now Yobo, hyperkin, et al are selling controllers that are damn near identical to the originals, sans the Nintendo trademark. I got me a Pokemon Yellow colored one at my local Game-X-Change. If it's good, I'll probably get a gray one and a translucent blue one.

 

They are a bit higher end at $14.95 each than the $5-$6 previously junk clones, so hopefully the build quality is there. I haven't opened the box yet, but there appears to be no end to the supply so feel free to get the new replacements. Now what to do with all my old junky clones I've picked up over the years. Aside from the two handled Super Pads (my favorite) and rare Horis, most of the older 3rd party clones are junk.

 

EDIT: It's a carbon copy of the original...

 

Good to know! My yobos are the older ones and even though they work ok, I guess....they just feel all wrong. I have no issue paying for more for stuff that feels right and is built well.

 

Sadly I'm very lucky to get even 2 people for Mario Party nowadays, let alone 4. And a 2 player party is kind of weak!

[AtariORdead]

Best thing to do is get a Hori N64 minipad. I have 4 of these now and a Japanese system modded to also plau US games and fitted with an RGB mod.

 

The difference is like night and day.

 

As for the library, well I can play Lylat wars, Waverace, Mario 64, Blastcorps, Beetle adventure racing, F-Zero, Mischeif makers, Pilotwings, WCW/NWO revenge, Yoshis story amongst others, so there is a lot of quality on the machine.

[Atariboy]

I can just about guarantee that the comparison with the genuine Nintendo product stops and ends at the exterior.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I can just about guarantee that the comparison with the genuine Nintendo product stops and ends at the exterior.

The sticks still use the old plastic stick tech. The stick is really tight feel to start off. I squirted some silicone spray lubricant (it is safe for ABS and other plastics; I use this on Rubick's Cube type puzzles all the time) in the thumbstick and played Mario64 for a couple hours to break it in. After a hour or so playing, the stick gets much better.

 

These really are carbon copies of the originals. What do you want me to do, disassemble it and take macro photos of the innards? Of course it's not an exact replica but it feels close an authentic controller in my hands. And for the record, I've never played a new old stock 1st party N64 controller, so I have no idea what the break in time on one of those is.

 

If the Yobo came with a Game Cube styled thumbstick, it would be perfect, but they seemed adamant about copying the original, flaws and all. The thumbstick is not the best, but neither is an original new old stock N64 controller. It's still an improvement over the older rubbish clones though.

[Atariboy]

With my earlier post, I of course meant to say "starts and ends". Didn't exactly come out right the way that I worded it.

What do you want me to do, disassemble it and take macro photos of the innards?

You hadn't even opened it when I posted that. So don't take it so personally that Yobo's reputation precedes them.

And for the record, I've never played a new old stock 1st party N64 controller, so I have no idea what the break in time on one of those is.

 

There was none that was discernible to me.

 

Nothing felt any different with the analog stick on my regular controller for many years. And even today, I only notice the slightest of differences between this one and its twin that came with the system and has never been used (Or a brand new spare that I bought off Nintendo's online store back around 2008 or so that was used for 10 minutes to confirm it was operable before storing it away for the day when it might be needed).

 

The fact that it's changing in feel so quickly for you isn't a good sign of its long-term viability I suspect. But it's great that you like it and with any luck, my skepticism will be unwarranted.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Atariboy

[+GoldenWheels]

Best thing to do is get a Hori N64 minipad. I have 4 of these now and a Japanese system modded to also plau US games and fitted with an RGB mod.

 

The difference is like night and day.

 

As for the library, well I can play Lylat wars, Waverace, Mario 64, Blastcorps, Beetle adventure racing, F-Zero, Mischeif makers, Pilotwings, WCW/NWO revenge, Yoshis story amongst others, so there is a lot of quality on the machine.

 

Nice (overpriced) controller but I found it positively awful for games that use the D-pad as a D-pad (and not just for once in a while random commands) like WCW/NWO Revenge. Too much of a stretch for my left thumb (bad angle) and puts my thumbs WAY WAY too close together with the d-pad and A+B.

 

Great for the games which rely mostly on the analog stick though.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

The fact that it's changing in feel so quickly for you isn't a good sign of its long-term viability I suspect. But it's great that you like it and with any luck, my skepticism will be unwarranted.

 

That may be due to the fact that I sprayed silicone into the thumb stick. I have experience using it with Rubik's Cubes and stuff. You need to work the plastic parts until the volatiles evaporate, otherwise they'll stick. After a couple hours playing, the stick felt good. All the buttons are responsive, but the thumbstick and buttons in general are the slightest stiffer than my stock original (good condition) gray N64 pad. I plan to pick up another Yobo for regular use, probably the translucent blue model, unless they make a purple one...

 

I'm gonna keep my two SuperPads

 

and try to sell back my older "junk" 3rd party Yobo, MadCatz, etc for store credit.

 

That will give me an arsenal of 5 good controllers, 1 stock good condition original, 2 new old-style Yobos, and two Interact SuperPads. I've never played on a Hori but they're probably expensive collector's items and the Dpad looks like a PITA to use...

Edited February 13, 2015 by stardust4ever

[+Cobra Kai]

That Hori pad looks awesome.

[CatPix]

I think part of it is nostalgia goggles. The sticks don't wear out all at once, so you get used to looser and looser sticks over time. As retro gamers looking for secondhand stuff to buy, it becomes painfully obvious when something's completely roached out.

Yes, and no.

I think some players are just damn brutal with their pads.

Don't you remember visiting a friend or just a school comrade and noticing that their N64/PS1/PS2 sticks were completely jammed, when yours were, not putting on nostalgia googles, rock solid?

I know people that jammed their PS2 sticks in 2 years of use (and on FIFA games, seriously??). I still have my original controller bough in 2001, and the stick is only a bit loose.

I got an used Xbox360 pad with my Xbox360; at the time, it was 4 years old, and the joystick was loose and umprecise. Before fixing it with a new stick, I bough one wired Xbox360 pad to play on computer and console. I got it used, and for 5 years as well now. And the stick is only slightly loosening, and it doesn't show on the controls (no erratic moves) (it might as well be something that Xbox360 pads are made like).

 

Some people act as if the stick is some kind of stiff handlebar; and of course you have the people that throw their pads on the floor on every occasion; it's painfully obvious that those people will damage their whole gamepad in so few years.

It also depens on the type of games you plays, but as a PC gamer, I got some FPS and other kind of game; Oblivion and Skyrim that need to use the stick button to sneak (and that's my type of gameplay, so believe me I use it ALOT).

So yeah, some people are just jamming their pads, even if playing casually, and some other can throw years of Mario Kart, Mario Party and SSB into their N64 sticks and never got them loose.

Edited February 14, 2015 by CatPix

[Andromeda Stardust]

Some of the Mario Party minigames and even certain advanced moves in Paper Mario, require for instance flicking the control stick in a certian direction as rapidly as possible. It simply cannot be done effectively using the thumb as intended but you can get far more actuations per second by holding the control stick flat against your palm and slapping it back and forth. The now industry standard dome-type thumbsticks found on Game Cube and Dual Shock PSX controllers can withstand this sort of repeated abuse, but it will wreak havok on the weak plastic rod found within the N64 control stick.

 

There are now Gamecube and original style replacement thumbsticks for original N64 controllers, but I've heard the GameCube style replacement sticks have a timing issue that can result in lagged or slower response during rapid movement.

[bohoki]

i just got a n64 for $15 and bought crusin usa for like $5 ive always wanted that game playing it in the arcade all the time and it is pretty close to the arcade

 

my n64 has a couple weird issues the reset button doesnt work unless i press it 3 times

 

and the power button sometimes doesnt turn it off untill i turn it back on and then off

 

my stick is partially loose but not too bad i disassembled it to discover what causes it and it is a poor design the nylon bowl wears and then the stick sits lower allowing the ball joint to drop that is what causes the floppyness

 

if you have a new one with no floppyness take it apart now and put a dab of grease in the bowl to keep it from eroding

[Andromeda Stardust]

The power and reset switches are probably dirty. You will want to get a security bit, disassemble the N64 completely, and handwash the plastic shells. Make sure they are completely dry before you reassemble. It also helps to revitalize the switches with contact cleaner from Radio Shack. My N64 was so dirty the reset switch was crusted down. A thorough cleaning had it working great in no time!

[bohoki]

The power and reset switches are probably dirty. You will want to get a security bit, disassemble the N64 completely, and handwash the plastic shells. Make sure they are completely dry before you reassemble. It also helps to revitalize the switches with contact cleaner from Radio Shack. My N64 was so dirty the reset switch was crusted down. A thorough cleaning had it working great in no time!

my reset was also dirtlocked but years of messing with plastic buttons in various systems and controllers i just cleaned it with a slice of buisness card shoved or is tight cases just a folded piece of copy paper in there and slide it up and down to clean out any debris

 

i'm confused why it would not turn off though

[Andromeda Stardust]

my reset was also dirtlocked but years of messing with plastic buttons in various systems and controllers i just cleaned it with a slice of buisness card shoved or is tight cases just a folded piece of copy paper in there and slide it up and down to clean out any debris

 

i'm confused why it would not turn off though

That is a little weird. Most of the time when a switch malfunctions, it won't turn on. Still, if you have a bit, try cleaning it. You can clean the plastic with a toothbrush and water + dish soap. You can also clean the PCB with a toothbrush and denatured alcohol, but typically only the outside of the console is dirty. You can pick it up a can of SLX denatured alcohol at the hardware store. You need to use anhydrous alcohol because moisture promotes corrosion. It's also preferable to the rubbing alcohol most people use to clean game contacts.

 

I wrap tape around the handles of old toothbrushes I've used to clean stuff. You don't want to put a dirty brush in your mouth, yuck!