Gaming
Games
This is what the Mini Nintendo 64 could look like
We imagine the next retro console from Nintendo, destined for a shop near you in December 2018. Maybe.
If you've tried to secure one of Nintendo's upcoming SNES Classic Mini consoles, you've likely run into a few hurdles. Even though the tiny classic console isn't even out yet, pre-orders at practically every single retailer have already sold out – with plenty trickling over to eBay for extortionate prices – while pre-orders over in the US don't seem to even exist.
Given the cruelly short run Nintendo gave the NES Mini, it sounds like if you missed the boat on the SNES Mini, you might as well start thinking about the future – and luckily, we've got just the ticket for you. We've started dreaming up what Nintendo's next classic console will look like, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out where they might head next: the classic Nintendo 64.
Join us as we imagine up just what you might expect from a downsized N64 that can play your favourite 3D cartridges come 'Holiday Season 2018'. And don’t worry, this might just be a flight of fancy, but since it'll be impossible to buy one either way, nobody's any worse off for this exercise in gaming nostalgia.
The essential games for any gamer
It'll be hard to beat the collection of games featured on the NES Classic Mini and its SNES counterpart – the upcoming downsized 16-bit console even features the previously unreleased Star Fox 2 – but the N64 was filled with non-stop gems. From Super Mario 64 to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and its sequel Majora's Mask, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Perfect Dark, GoldenEye, Paper Mario, F-Zero X, 1080º Snowboarding, Wave Race 64, Pokémon Snap, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64 and even more, you'll have no shortage of games if Nintendo gets around to making a N64 Classic Mini console.
We imagine some of the Rare games might be tricky to get ahold of, as Microsoft now owns the plucky British developers, but if Nintendo can manage to salvage Star Fox 2 into a playable state for the SNES Classic Mini, we imagine the Japanese gaming giants can work some magic and give us some excellent pack-ins for the N64 take. How about translated versions of some of the 64DD games and software that were never released in the West, such as F-Zero X Expansion Kit, Doshin the Giant or SimCity 64? We can dream.
Pack-in controllers for multiplayer fun
Extra controllers, anyone?
© Nintendo / Red Bull
Handily, Nintendo are packing in two controllers for the SNES Classic Mini, and it'd be a shame to see a Nintendo 64 Classic Mini with only one. After all, multiplayer is practically the cornerstone of the N64. The original console let four players plug in their own trident controllers, and we imagine the N64 Classic Mini would be the same. And to keep the aesthetics of the console intact, we can see Nintendo employing a similar hidden compartment for the controller ports that we've seen on the SNES Mini.
And as it uses the same controller port as you'll find on the Wii and Wii U, we reckon you'll be able to use the N64 pads for Virtual Console on the Wii U – even if it has largely died a death. It'd be interesting to see if the expansion pack on the controller is retained, which back on the original console let you plug in a memory card, Rumble Pak or something called a Transfer Pak (which let you also slot in a Game Boy cartridge), but we imagine it'll be largely ignored. The one thing we really want though is to make that analogue stick durable.
Easy on the connections
The NES Classic Mini was lauded for its simplicity when it came out – and you can bet the SNES Classic Mini will be the same too – for simply packing in a HDMI output and an easily accessible micro-USB power connector, making it easy to hook up and take places. You can bet it'll be the same for the N64 Classic Mini, and while we can dream the controllers will be Bluetooth, we reckon we'll still be playing with controller cords. Let's hope they're longer than the ones supplied with the NES Classic Mini though.
Software smarts
The NES Classic Mini sported some handy new tricks for helping you play some of the hard as nails classics, such as multiple save states, and it also let you tweak around with different display modes, and we imagine the N64 Classic Mini would sport similar smarts. We'd love to see if the N64 version can do one better, and pack in a downloadable game store, even more save states, or the ability to load up saves from original N64 Memory Paks – there's plenty here Nintendo could tap into.
When’s it out?
Nintendo's usually hush-hush about any of its hardware announcements, and if the Japanese giant is working on a N64 Classic Mini, you can bet it'll be under wraps for a while yet – the SNES Classic Mini isn't even out yet, for starters. We imagine Nintendo could announce it at around a similar time next year to when the SNES Classic Mini was announced this year – out of the blue in late June – but instead of keeping it a limited release, Nintendo could keep the console in production for a long while, fending off scalpers and continuing to support it long after its initial release. That way, everyone's happy. We've got our fingers crossed Nintendo manages to work some magic for its eventual N64 re-release. We just hope it doesn't get scalped.
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