Topic: N64 adapter for GC!

[Procoprio]

Right now on Nintendos website is a forum poll  that says: "What level of interest do you have, and how much would you pay for an adapter that allowed you to play N64 cartridges on the Nintendo GameCube?"  and the options were "Very interested, and would pay up to $39 or $49 or $59 or Not interested at all, and dont own an N64 or Not interested at all although own an N64".

Now why would Nintedo post this on their homepage unless they were really curious about producing it, keyword curious?  

[Ian Sane]

An N64 adapter doesn't really interest me because the system is still current enough that it takes very little effort to find a system or any of the major games.  An NES adapter would interest me more because finding a consistently working system is much harder.

I would gladly pay as much as a GB Player costs for an NES adapter.  I would also pay that much for a SNES adapter if I didn't already have a working SNES.  I wouldn't pay anything for an N64 adapter even if my N64 was broken.  There just aren't really any games for it that I have any desire to play again and again.  And both N64 Zeldas are on the Cube already.

It would be nice if Nintendo did release adapters like this though.  They're just asking the wrong question.  N64 adapter?  Don't care.  Adapters of all past Nintendo consoles?  Sign me up.

[kennyb27]

It would interest me.  I'm at college right now and my sister has my only N64 back at home.  And how great would it be to play with a GC controller.

[Bill Aurion]

I agree, as it would definitely be a help if you don't feel like lugging around two systems...However, I say it should be released during a gap in release and that it comes with a game or two built in...

[MaleficentOgre]

I want one of these on the revolution.  I also want a snes and nes adapter. I think that nintendo should also work a deal with sega to get old sega games up on one of their systems.

[KDR_11k]

Never had an N64, so Hell Yeah!

[odifiend]

Why would Nintendo do this?  I don't think the market for this is present at all.  Unlike Gameboy and the Gameboy player,  the market was not there to begin with.  Comparing N64 sales to GBA sales would be cruel.  Also unlike Gameboy that has been backward compatible since the beginning of time, N64 games 'expired' -  the generation has past.  I know a lot of people sell their old consoles to buy a new one.  That is not even taking into account that alot of the 64's great games have been ported to something else and that the Gamecube and N64 are Nintendo's worst performing consoles ever barring the Virtual Boy.  Who would be the target audience?  10,000 people who are Gamecube fans but never got around to buying a N64.  What a waste of production time, I wonder if Nintendo even thinks anymore...
Actually let me take that back, they are doing a poll.

[Ian Sane]

It's worth noting that the Gamecube controller doesn't have as many buttons as the N64 which would really limit a lot of titles.

[Bill Aurion]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
It's worth noting that the Gamecube controller doesn't have as many buttons as the N64 which would really limit a lot of titles.

The C-stick = 4 buttons

[Ian Sane]

"The C-stick = 4 buttons"

True.  But that's 4 really imprecise buttons.  Though if you could customize the setup you could potentially play Jet Force Gemini with twin joysticks which could be pretty cool.

All I'm saying is the the N64 controller doesn't convert to the Cube as well as the NES or SNES controllers would.

[ruby_onix]

Quote
I want one of these on the revolution.

If the Revolution is fully-compatible with the GameCube, then it wouldn't matter which particular system it comes out for.

As soon as Nintendo sets themselves up with a permanent "standard" for this kind of thing, then I want adaptors for the N64/SNES/NES/GBA/GBC/VB. Until then, it's just a "gimmick", that yeah, you'd probably find me wasting my money on.

Quote
Why would Nintendo do this? I don't think the market for this is present at all.

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act says that when someone like Nintendo has gone too long without producing any new hardware, they're not giving us a reasonable choice about buying their products, so their older stuff becomes "abandonware" and we're legally allowed to break the copy protection on those systems and games, to play the games we legally own.

I can't build myself a coconut Nintendo, because I don't know how, but I can legally dump my own games and play them in an emulator. At which point it becomes amazingly easy to "accidentally" pirate games (it becomes pirating once you give/sell the ROM/disk image to someone who doesn't own the original).

(BTW, I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not even an American. Just so you know.)

[Jdub03]

Most games on the n64 used the C-buttons just as the C-stick is used in gamecube games.  I dont think they would have much of a problem converting it over.

[odifiend]

Still I can't image the investment would be worth it.  Speaking of which, how well has the Gameboy Player done?

(BTW, Neither I am )

[King of Twitch]

$30 just to save 5 minutes unraveling controllers, moving systems around, and changing video and power cables?

Yes please

[odifiend]

$39 was the lowest price .  I'm curious as to where this adapter will go.  Well not really.  It has to be the bottom of the system, but how will that work with a cartridge?

[Jdub03]

It will most likely finction like the gb player.  A unit will sit at the bottom of the gamecube and have a slot for the n64 cartridge.  If this is how they will actually do it, I wonder how thick it will be.

[Procoprio]

Now that ive had some time to think about it I really suspect that its going to be the IQue (the N64 system recently released in China) player that Nintendo is releasing to the states. That way they can sell new copies of old N64 games on a new format. Because why would they bring out an adapter for the old system that none can buy games for.  

[SgtShiversBen]

The reason why I think this is a good idea is the fact of how cheap N64 games are, and how incredibly fun they still are.  On Friday I was bored and feeling frisky, so I went to GameStop and bought StarFox 64 (again) and NFL Blitz (you can't beat this one, it's just fun) for 8 dollars together.  Now, that may seem bad, but hell, at one time, these games were both 50-60 dollars each, no including tax.  I think that's a great deal.  Another reason is that I want to play Mario Kart 64 again, but NOOO, can't find any good controllers to buy.  But I think I would pay 40 dollars for this.  The N64 era was a great part in video game history.  Spawned the best FPS, 3D game, and revolutionized targeting.  If the PS2 can do it, why can't the 64?  Plus, with this I'm pretty sure they'd whip up a SNES add on because they're running out.

[odifiend]

Procoprio, I was thinking they were going to go I-Que as well, but then they really wouldn't call it an adapter AND it would be even more inconvenient (you'd have to repurchase all games in iQue format).  I'm picturing this adapter plugging into a memory card slot.
Ben: Why not just dust off your 64, or purchase one for like 20 bucks?  That's a better deal.  Also the reason PS2 could do it, was because it was built in.  No added costs and the timing (immediately after you purchase your PS2) were perfect.
I'm worried about Nintendo's mentality.  How are they managing to think this is a good idea?  Ruby's point about patent law is the only pro for them that could explain this, but the cost of production and the resulting dismal sales seems like a pretty big con.

[Jdub03]

I still say its going to be just like the gb-player adapter.  Thats the most sensible way to implement it.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Come on.  How frequently do Nintendo.com polls mean anything?  I think someone at NOA thought it would just be a fun poll question, honestly.

[Flames_of_chaos]

I would be interested if it was a NES/SNES/N64 add on.  And if it was NES/SNES/N64 there would be more incentives to buy one and a Hori digital pad(for the NES/SNES part)

[SgtShiversBen]

I do have my N64 out, actually it's sitting on my dining room table (don't ask me why).  It's not the point.  Sure I find it unnessecary, but I was just thinking it'd be cool.  40 bucks really isn't that bad if they do good things with it.  Meaning allowing you to play four player, save to the memory card and all that buttery goodness.  But like their polls, it wouldn't mean anything to me, just thought it'd be a great idead, especially for 40 bucks.  Plus I think this is Nintendo's way of seeing if backwards compatability is a good idea or not.  Just a theory though.

[UncleBob]

But what if you already have a GB Player?  Those things aren't fun to take off - it'd be a pain to switch them around every so often...

[SgtShiversBen]

My roommate and I were discussing that earlier today.  The only feasible way would be to put the GB player on top of the player, in between both of them....but more than likely it'd be like the microphone.