This time we focus on the N64 peripherals, from the well-known Expansion Pak to the exotic Bio Sensor and the special Densha De Go!
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Last week we had a good binge of classics from Nintendo 64 And now, as we promised, we get back on the Retro Express to focus on some of the peripherals that were marketed for the 64 bit console from Nintendo.
Among the wonderful gadgets that we show you in this video, all of them provided by our good friend Santa Claus Jr, there are some that we all know, like the Rumble Pak and the Expansion Pak, but others are really curious. Do you want to see them in action? Inside video!
We start with one of the most peculiar: the Bio Sensor designed and manufactured by Arrow, a clip that was attached to the ear lobe to measure heart rate of the player after being connected to the lower slot of the N64 controller.
Only a title compatible with the Bio Sensor was marketed, Tetris 64, unreleased outside of Japan. Through this wit, the pieces they descended at a slower or higher speed in the middle of the game, depending on the player’s heart rate.
No less curious was the VRU (Voice Recognition Unit), a peripheral that was inserted into one of the four control inputs of the N64 to provide the console with an microphoneor that we interact through the voice with two cartridges: Hey You, Pikachu! and Densha de Go! 64.
Although the VRU was sold in Japan and the US, in Europe we were left with the desire to give orders to the Pokémon more famous, become a virtual pet. Given the Hey You, Pikachu! was designed for children, the VRU does not detect the deep voice of adults well. Hence, Mr. Quesada is the only one to be successful in speaking to Pikachu.
The one who did arrive in Spain at the time was the Transfer sir, essential to get all the juice out of Pokémon Stadium. This adapter allowed to insert Game Boy or GB Color cartridges on the N64 command to pass the data from Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow.
The Transfer Pak also allowed character sharing between the N64 and GBC versions of Mario Golf and Mario Tennis, as well as in Perfect Dark, although in the case of the Rare game it only served to unlock some tricks.
The most common peripheral, with permission from the Rumble Pak, it was undoubtedly the Expansion Pak, a small cartridge that after being inserted (replacing the Jumper sir that carried the console by default), added an extra 4 MB of RAM to the Nintendo 64.
Essential to be able to play The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Donkey Kong 64, the Expansion Pak was the key to enjoying the story mode of Perfect Dark and allowed to enjoy higher resolution graphics in titles like SW: Rogue Squadron and Resident Evil 2.
And we finish with one of the jewels of the Santa Claus Jr collection: Densha de Go! 64. The taito train simulator, after sweeping the arcades, made the leap to a multitude of consoles, and Nintendo 64 was one of them.
This wonder was not only compatible with N64 VRU / Microphone, also featured his own command, which perfectly imitated the controls of a commuter train Japanese. In the video you can see us doing the kaffir with him, to the despair of the passengers.
We want to thank, once again, Santa Claus Jr for having lent us all these wonders, as well as the N64 “custom” which has allowed us to make these two videos dedicated to the Nintendo console.
We wait for you next Saturday in a new installment, in which, once and for all, we will focus on Nintendo DS and some of the best releases from its catalog. How will we be able to capture the image? You will find out in seven days. Take good care of yourself!
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