|
ALERT!!! Old School Gaming Question - N64 Related
What's the difference between memory cards and controller paks for the N64.
I'm getting ready to trade for a N64 package, and the other trader says he has both, but doesn't understand the difference. Do I need one or both for each controller? I'm getting two controllers. Thanks for any helpful info! :) |
During the entire time I had an N64, I never used any memory cards. I think all the games still had battery backed saves, the cards were only for moving them to another persons cartridge. So I wouldn't worry about those too much.
Perhaps by controller packs he means rumble packs, these are important if you want force feedback support in your games. Hope this helps |
also, when did the N64 become old school?
|
Not all n64 games had battery backed saves, World Driver Championship didn't for instance. As for the question, sorry my memory is fuzzy on it .
|
Originally posted by mixalot007 also, when did the N64 become old school? |
There were at least three accessories for the slot on the N64 controllers that I can think off offhand...
- Memory card. Used only for games that didn't have a battery backup for some reason or another. There weren't that many games that required its use, thankfully. Most of the "must play" N64 games used an internal battery backup. Not only that, but the N64 memory card was HORRIBLY unreliable, and lost data frequently. - Rumble pack. Came with StarFox 64, and enabled rumbling in supported games. Nice little accessory, but required a couple of AA batteries. - Microphone. I think there was only one game that supported this ("Hey you, Pikachu" or something like that). Was designed for voice recognition. |
All Konami games need the memory card.
N64 is not "old school," we're only one generation past it. |
I'm not quite sure, but maybe they were talking about the 4meg expansion that was installed into the unit itself?
|
For the N64, Nintendo called their memory card a controller pack so they mean the same thing. Also 99.9% of N64 games don't need the controller pack/memory card is not required because most games had a built in flash save.
|
The 4meg expansion was only used in a few games, IIRC, and came with Donkey Kong. Also used for that Star Wars Rogue squadron game, Perfect Dark, and maybe a couple of others.
I remember when I bought the first N64 Zelda, I specifically asked the guy at Gamestop if I needed a memory card. Of course, he sold me this crappy 3rd party one. The game didn't need it (it took me a couple of days to figure this out), and I don't remember ever using it. Also, be careful when buying used N64 controllers, as, at least on mine, the analog stick tends to wear out. |
Majora's Mask needs to 4M Expansion as well. Awesome game.
|
One of the more interesting add ons was Bio-Tetris. I imported it. Pretty fun. There was a pak that went into the controller, and had a wire that attached to your earlobe. It read your heart rate. Depending on how you set up the game you could make it get easier or harder depending on how fast your heart was beating. Very cool.
|
Originally posted by PixyJunket All Konami games need the memory card. |
Anything past the Odyssey is not old school.
Quake 2 and Turok 2 used the expansion pack as well to provide slight resolution and frame rate increases. They didn't require it, though. |
I doubt it's 99%... Blast corps needs a memory pack and most would consider that a must have game. Admittedly can't think of any others off the top of my head right now.
|
Originally posted by Chris_D I doubt it's 99%... Blast corps needs a memory pack and most would consider that a must have game. Admittedly can't think of any others off the top of my head right now. |
Yeah, I don't think Blast Corps needed a memory pack. It was one of the first games i got, and I didn't get a memory card until my Zelda experience.
Anyway, getting back to the purpose of this topic, one memory card should be enough for any games you get. Although you can put one in every controller, you don't need to. And if he's talking about rumble packs, they're not necessary and you can probably get them really cheap anyways. |
Nope I own Blast Corps and it does not require any controller pak (memory card).
|
Originally posted by PixyJunket N64 is not "old school," we're only one generation past it. I dont mean to sound like a troll but everytime some random teen kid comes to my store it's not to rare to hear them cry out "ooooooh old school!" when they see the N64 section. UGG!! 15 minutes ago was old school to them :p. p.s Mischief Makers ownzz. |
Originally posted by zero THANK YOU I dont mean to sound like a troll but everytime some random teen kid comes to my store it's not to rare to hear them cry out "ooooooh old school!" when they see the N64 section. UGG!! 15 minutes ago was old school to them :p. p.s Mischief Makers ownzz. |
:lol:
Yep, these whipper snappers are pretty funny. |
Originally posted by zero p.s Mischief Makers ownzz. |
Originally posted by Michael Corvin that is because today's kids are growing up on rap. With the life span of those artists, 6 months is 'old school' to them. |
More info that you wanted...
96 of 296 total US releases have built in save (EEPROM, SRAM or FLASHRAM)
19 of those 96 use the Controller Pak (Memory Card) as either an alternate save method or for additional save data. 1 of those 96 (Star Wars: Rogue Squadron) can also use Passwords to save. 2 games only use Passwords to save: Charlie Blasts Territory and Monster Truck Madness 64. 17 games have no save method at all. 168 games all use Controller Pak (Memory Card) to save. 13 of the 168 games that use the Controller Pak can also use passwords to save. 100% of all 1st Party N64 use built in save. Detailed Info: The following 96 of 296 total releases have built in save: 1080ş Snowboarding AeroFighters Assault All Star Tennis '99 Banjo-Kazooie Banjo-Tooie Big Mountain 2000 Blast Corps Body Harvest Bomberman 64 Bomberman 64: The Second Attack Bomberman Hero Chameleon Twist Chopper Attack Command & Conquer Conker's Bad Fur Day Cruis'n Exotica Cruis'n USA Cruis'n World Diddy Kong Racing Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers Donkey Kong 64 Dr. Mario 64 Earthworm Jim 3D Excitebike 64 F-1 World Grand Prix Fighters Destiny F-Zero X Glover GoldenEye 007 GT64 Championship Edition Harvest Moon 64 Hey You, Pikachu! In Fisherman Bass Hunter 64 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Indy Racing 2000 Jet Force Gemini Ken Griffey Jr's Slugfest Killer Instinct Gold Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Lode Runner 3D Looney Tunes: Duck Dodgers Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. Mario Golf Mario Kart 64 Mario Party Mario Party 2 Mario Party 3 Mario Tennis Megaman 64 Mickey's Speedway USA Mischief Makers Mission: Impossible Monopoly Multi-Racing Championship NBA Courtside 2 Featuring Kobe Bryant New Tetris, The Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber Paper Mario Penny Racers Perfect Dark PGA European Tour Pilotwings 64 Pokémon Puzzle League Pokémon Snap Pokémon Stadium Pokémon Stadium 2 Resident Evil 2 Ridge Racer 64 Rocket: Robot on Wheels Snowboard Kids 2 Space Station Silicon Valley Star Fox 64 Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo Star Wars Episode I: Racer Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Starcraft 64 Starshot Space Circus Super Mario 64 Super Smash Bros. Tetrisphere Tigger's Honey Hunt Tom & Jerry in Fists of Furry Top Gear Overdrive V-Rally Edition '99 Waialae Country Club: True Golf Classics Wave Race 64 WCW/NWO Revenge Worms Armageddon WWF Wrestlemania 2000 WWF: No Mercy Yoshi's Story 19 of the above 96 use the Controller Pak (Memory Card) as either an alternate save method or for additional save data: Big Mountain 2000 Blast Corps Bomberman 64 Bomberman 64: The Second Attack Cruis'n USA Diddy Kong Racing Excitebike 64 Fighters Destiny GT64 Championship Edition Killer Instinct Gold Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside Mario Kart 64 Multi-Racing Championship New Tetris, The Penny Racers Perfect Dark Wave Race 64 WWF Wrestlemania 2000 WWF: No Mercy The 2 following games only use Passwords to save: Charlie Blasts Territory Monster Truck Madness 64 The following 168 games all use Controller Pak (Memory Card) to save: AeroGauge Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage All-Star Baseball 1999 All-Star Baseball 2000 All-Star Baseball 2001 Army Men: Air Combat Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Asteroids Hyper 64 Automobili Lamborghini BASS Masters 2000 BattleTanx BattleTanx: Global Assault Battlezone: Rise of the Black Dogs Beetle Adventure Racing Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. Blues Brothers 2000 Bottom of the 9th Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Buck Bumble Bug's Life, A Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition Bust-A-Move '99 California Speed Carmageddon 64 Castlevania Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness Chameleon Twist 2 CyberTiger Daikatana Deadly Arts Destruction Derby 64 Dual Heroes Duke Nukem 64 Duke Nukem: Zero Hour ECW: Hardcore Revolution F1 Pole Position 64 FIFA '99 FIFA Soccer 64 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 Fighter Destiny 2 Fighting Force 64 Flying Dragon Forsaken 64 Fox Sports College Hoops '99 Gauntlet Legends Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko Goemon's Great Adventure Golden Nugget 64 Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Hexen Hot Wheels Turbo Racing Hybrid Heaven Hydro Thunder Iggy's Reckin' Balls International Superstar Soccer 1998 International Superstar Soccer 2000 International Superstar Soccer 64 International Track & Field 2000 Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 Knockout Kings 2000 LEGO Racers Madden 64 Madden NFL 1999 Madden NFL 2000 Madden NFL 2001 Madden NFL 2002 Mia Hamm Soccer 64 Micro Machines 64 Turbo Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits Volume 1 Mike Piazza's Strike Zone Milo's Astro Lanes Monaco Grand Prix Mortal Kombat 4 Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Nagano Winter Olympics '98 Namco Museum 64 Nascar 1999 Nascar 2000 NBA Hang Time NBA In the Zone 1998 NBA In the Zone 1999 NBA In the Zone 2000 NBA Jam 1999 NBA Jam 2000 NBA Live 1999 NBA Live 2000 NBA Show Time: NBA on NBC NFL Blitz NFL Blitz 2000 NFL Blitz 2001 NFL Blitz Special Edition NFL Quarterback Club 1998 NFL Quarterback Club 1999 NFL Quarterback Club 2000 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 NHL 1999 NHL Blades of Steel '99 NHL Breakaway Hockey '98 NHL Breakaway Hockey '99 Nuclear Strike 64 Off Road Challenge Olympic Hockey '98 Paperboy Polaris Snocross Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue Quake II Quest 64 Rainbow Six Rally Challenge 2000 Rampage: World Tour Rat Attack Rayman 2: The Great Escape Razor Freestyle Scooter Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 Re-Volt Road Rash 64 Roadsters Robotron 64 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie San Francisco Rush 2049 Scooby-Doo: Classic Creep Capers Shadow Man Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers Snowboard Kids South Park South Park Rally Space Invaders Spider-Man Stunt Racer 64 Super Bowling Supercross 2000 Superman Tarzan The World Is Not Enough Tonic Trouble Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Top Gear Hyper Bike Top Gear Rally Top Gear Rally 2 Toy Story 2 Triple Play 2000 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Turok: Rage Wars Twisted Edge Extreme Snowboarding Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Virtual Chess 64 Virtual Pool 64 Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98 WCW Backstage Assault WCW Mayhem WCW Nitro WCW vs nWo: World Tour Wetrix WinBack: Covert Operations Wipeout 64 World Cup '98 World Driver Championship WWF: Attitude WWF: Warzone Xena: Talisman of Fate The 13 following games can use passwords to save as well as the Controller Pak (Memory Card): Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. Doom 64 Extreme-G Extreme-G 2 Gex 64: Enter the Gecko Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero Nightmare Creatures Quake Rampage 2: Universal Tour Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA S.C.A.R.S. San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing Vigilante 8 The following 17 games have no save method at all: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Beast Wars Transmetals Clay Fighter 63 1/3 Clay Fighter: Sculptor's Cut Dark Rift Elmo's Letter Adventure Elmo's Number Journey Jeopardy! Knife Edge: Nose Gunner Mace: The Dark Age Magical Tetris Challenge Mortal Kombat Trilogy Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt South Park: Chef's Luv Shack The Powerpuff Girls: Chemical X-Traction War Gods Wheel of Fortune |
Re: ALERT!!! Old School Gaming Question - N64 Related
Originally posted by clappj What's the difference between memory cards and controller paks for the N64. I'm getting ready to trade for a N64 package, and the other trader says he has both, but doesn't understand the difference. Do I need one or both for each controller? I'm getting two controllers. Thanks for any helpful info! :) To answer your question. Memory Cards and Controller Paks are the same thing. They are a memory card for saving game data that plugs into your controller. Not all games require or even use the controller pak (see the list in my previous post for details). There is also the expansion pak which is a 4MB memory upgrade for the N64 that is required for certain games: Donkey Kong 64 Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Perfect Dark (technically it may not be required, but I don't think you can play the complete game without it) Or enhances others: Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage All-Star Baseball 2000 All-Star Baseball 2001 Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. Army Men: Air Combat Army Men: Sarge's Heroes Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Battlezone: Rise of the Black Dogs Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness Command & Conquer CyberTiger Daikatana Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers Donkey Kong 64 Kiosk Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Excitebike 64 Excitebike 64 Kiosk Gauntlet Legends Hybrid Heaven Hydro Thunder Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Indy Racing 2000 International Superstar Soccer 2000 International Track & Field 2000 Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 Ken Griffey Jr's Slugfest Madden NFL 2000 Madden NFL 2001 Madden NFL 2002 NFL Blitz 2001 NFL Blitz Special Edition NFL Quarterback Club 1999 NFL Quarterback Club 2000 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 Nuclear Strike 64 Quake II Rainbow Six Rayman 2: The Great Escape Resident Evil 2 Re-Volt Road Rash 64 Roadsters San Francisco Rush 2049 Shadow Man South Park Spider-Man Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo Star Wars Episode I: Racer Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Starcraft 64 Stunt Racer 64 Supercross 2000 The World Is Not Enough Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Top Gear Hyper Bike Top Gear Overdrive Top Gear Rally 2 Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Turok: Rage Wars Vigilante 8 Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Xena: Talisman of Fate -- fab |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:04 AM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.