Ultra N64 cartridge

[dre-w]

Found this buried at the bottom of a box today at the swap meet, got it for $3

What exactly does it do..?

I've been looking online trying to find some info and I keep getting different things..  Most websites state that it's purpose is to play Japan N64 games on the NA console and will translate some games to English if they were coded.  But I've seen a couple forums of people stating it upscales pixels in games, it's another type of Gameshark, an unreleased prototype, and something about your N64 needs to be hacked in order to use this..

I can't seem to find anything concrete on where it originated or what the packaging even looked like (that is if it even came in any)
Anyone familiar with this?

[Howard_Casto]

I think the label is throwing you off.  Remember most third-party game accessories are cheap junk from china that's re-branded by a dozen or so companies via stickers and packaging.

It can't upscale pixels... that is beyond the n64's limitations.  Extra memory in the jumper slot can upscale games, but they have to be coded for it and they still don't surpass the n64's max resolution, merely draw depth is improved ect...  It could be a gameshark clone, but it's doubtful.  From the snes on, cheat carts have had on/off switches to bypass the alterations without unplugging the cart.  But....

I think we have a winner:  http://www.consolepassion.co.uk/taxonomy/term/405/0?page=4 (scroll to the bottom).

At least the case is an exact match.  That being said.... again, cheap chineese junk, so the cases are recycled for multiple devices.  The only way to know for sure is to plug it in and hope it doesn't catch your n64 on fire. 

[capsule]

That's what comments on this video say as well

[capsule]

And you can see it in action here:

[dre-w]

LOL ..yeh I knew it was a bootleg / third party obviously.. they didn't even bother using the standard N64 logo.  The question was what does it do, not what is this awesome device lol.  So basically it just converts imports, cool thanks guys!

[lilshawn]

the n64 carts all have a region code that the 64 looks for when it boots the cart. in order to play bootleg carts or imports you must be able to fool the system into thinking the cart is legit. There where a couple ways of doing it such as swapping carts or plugging in a legit cart into a secondary slot. The 64 calls for the region info...the legit cart info is passed to the 64 and then the adapter passes the other cart info through to the system.


source - master gameshark game hacker from waaay back.






friend: dude i got some wicked codes for golden eye...you can press L+down and then yo-


me:  pfft codes...watch this hack hack hack


friend: whhhuuuuaaaat???


me: there now we have infinite everything, full automatic HAND GRENADES, you press and hold L to fly... aaaaand we can hold L+Z to walk through walls.


friend: why are the heads so big?


me: oh yeah, and the heads are big


friend: ......


me: code generator is the bomb

[Howard_Casto]

N64 Carts were interesting in another way as well. 

This was Nintendo's first attempt at universal cart.  The reason they need region locking in the game was because except for this code, the game code was identical for most games.  The language files for every region were on the same cart.  I think NeoGeo was the first to do this, but this was nintendo's first attempt.  They've kept doing it on the gamecube and still do it today.  You would be suprised how many games you can change the language jsut by altering the region code!

[lilshawn]

still better than the NES's "10NES" chip.


blink blink blink blink


take it out....blow...put it back


blink blink blink blink 


take it out put it back in


blink blink blink blink 


smash smash smash


works


thank god they got rid of it in that NES re-relaese they did.