Nintendo64 Information

Table of Contents

• Technical Specifications
• Technical Support
• My current score
• Top Ten Lists
• Purchasing Information

Nintendo64 Technical Specifications:

Processors (yep, that's plural as in 2):

• 64-bit MIPS R4300i RISC CPU
  • Running at 93.75 MHz; 125 MIPS.
  • True 64-bit data path and registers.
  • 125 Dhrystone MIPS (93 million operations/sec)
  • 60 SPECint92
  • 45 SPECfp92
• 64-bit RISC "Reality Immersion" graphics co-processor
  • Running at 62.5 MHz; 100+ MFLOPS.
  • On-board rendering processor to handle:
    • textures.
    • anti-aliasing.
    • z-buffering.
  • Utilizes state of the art 0.35 micron CMOS technology for main ICs.
  • Geometry engine provides support for:
    • hardware-based shading.
    • z-buffering.
    • perspective correct texture mapping.
    • tri-linear mip-mapping.
    • real-time edge anti-aliasing and blending.
    • 256-level alpha channel.
    • level of detail (LOD) management.
    • Sprite effects include:
      • rotation.
      • scaling.
      • anti-aliasing.
      • 256-level alpha channel effects.

Overall, the Nintendo 64 is capable of rendering about 160,000 polygons per second with all hardware features enabled.

Video Output:

• Video Output
  • RF (optional)
  • Stereo A/V
  • S-Video (optional)
  • HDTV-expandable
  • Video Resolutions
    • 256 x 224 pixel resolution (low-res. mode).
  • 640 x 480 pixel resolution (high-res. mode).
• 32-bit RGBA pixel color frame buffer:
  • 21-bit color output
  • 7-bits for alpha buffer?
  • 4-bits for overlay graphics?

Memory:

• 4 MB RAM (128-bit wide memory data path).
• Rambus DRAM memory subsystem allows theoretical transfers up to 563 MB/second.

Audio Output:

• CD quality 16-bit stereo sound at up to 48 KHz.
• Up to 100 PCM channels.
• Real-time MIDI music sythesis.

Inputs:

• Four Controller Ports
  • Digital joypad at left
  • Analog stick in middle
  • Six buttons on the right
  • "B" and "A" buttons
  • Four "C Group" buttons
  • "L" and "R" buttons on top
  • One "Z Trigger" button on the bottom
  • Memory card port on back
    • 256 kilobit Controller Paks
    • Additional Paks (up to 2 MB) will be available
    • Supports other "paks" s
• Three-prong feed

Expansion:

• 32-256 Megabits (theoretical)
  • ROMs are Downward Compatible
• Produces polygonal graphics on the fly
• JPEG format for pre-rendered graphics
• Software-based compression optional
  • typical 2:1 compression.

Nintendo 64DD:

• Magnetic Disk Storage Medium
• Error Correction Support
• Utilizes N64 console for data processing
• Real-time Clock
• Developer ROM
• Contains data files to assist developers (sound bytes)
• 4" front loading disk feed
• 4 megabyte RAM expansion
• Installed in console Memory Expansion slot
• 75 ms seek time
• 790 KB/sec data transfer rate
• Burst Access Streams
• 3.98" x 4.06" x .4"
• The drive is manufactured by ALPS.

Games/Disks:

• High Density, Double-Sided
• 64 MB total capacity
• Read/Write capable
• Dynamic writable space
• 1-38 MB writable Planned Peripherals

Need a little technical assistance?

• Here we go! --->
  
• Jacob VanderPlas maintains an excellent......page as well.
  
• The Unofficicial Nintendo64 Headquarters ......has excellent game reviews.

My current score: 120 stars - finally finished the game after 6 years!

Super Mario64 Course totals

Course	Star #1	Star #2	Star #3	Star #4	Star #5	Star #6	Coins
1: The Bomb Level							106
2: Castle Level							131
3: The Underwater Level							100
4: Cool, Cool Mountain							102
5: Big Boo's Haunt							141
6: Hazy Mazy Cave							109
7: Lethal Lava Land							100
8: Shifting Sand Land							120
9: Dire, Dire Docks							100
10: Snowman's Land							101
11: Wet-Dry World							117
12: Tall, Tall Mountain							100
13: Tiny-Huge Island							118
14: Tick-Tock Clock							104
15: Rainbow Ride							100

Castle Stars:

Star 14:

This one (in the Red "!" switch course) is a toughy. My final technique was to fly off to the right after dropping in and try to line up along the string of coins that form a spiral. If you can stay just inside the coins, close enough to catch them you have a good line on the red coins.

Star 15:

I finally managed to beat the 21 second barrier needed for castle star #15. After countless attempts getting down to 21.1 seconds at best, I tried one last time, and made it in 20.8 seconds. I think the trick here is to do the three tight bottom turns without hitting the walls on either side of the course.

Bowser #3:

Well, I finally did it. Jumped into the 3rd Bowser course, found the hidden 8th red coin hiding under the steps up to Bowser's Pipe and got that castle star. Then, feeling up to the challenge, I dropped in to visit Bowser. I grabbed hi tail right away, spun him and threw him, getting about half way to the edge. Grabbed him again and KABOOM! Got him a third time, KABOOM. Quickly ran back to the center of the plaform to avoid standing on the bits that drop away and after a bit of running around, I got his tail and KABOOM! I think if you get his red coins, it is easier to beat him. The ending animation sequence is quite cool, guess I'll have to go get that piece of cake!

Here's my Top Ten lists for Nintendo64: