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Rare US N64 disk-drive retail prototype found in Seattle
If you subscribed to Nintendo Power in the 90's, you probably remember reading about the Nintendo 64DD, a console disk-drive add-on design to bring higher storage capacity, a real-time clock and internet connectivity to the Nintendo 64. You may also remember that it flopped in Japan, badly. The N64DD never made it to the US market -- but it may have come closer to hitting store shelves than we previously thought. A collector in Seattle has stumbled upon a working US Nintendo 64DD prototype.
Virtually Overlooked: Mario Artist
The Mario Artist series is a set of three games (Paint Studio, Polygon Studio, and Talent Studio) that allow players to create artwork in varying forms. In addition to being pretty neat on their own, they predicted some of Nintendo's biggest developments before they became big. Looking through this suite of three games, we can see a few quite novel ideas that were later refined into massively important releases in other forms -- not the least of which, of course, is the "non-game."Unfortunately, the one part of Nintendo's strategy that these three titles failed to accurately predict was the releasing games on the 64DD part, which Nintendo did not end up adopting as a business model.
Take the 64DD's software line-up into double figures
The 64DD, much like the Neo Geo or the entire Game & Watch range, will probably always have a sort of magical allure to people like us; indeed, we were seconds away from selling our grandmothers when a complete 64DD collection recently appeared on eBay. Now, the above item has been listed on the auction site: a development kit for Nintendo's obsolete N64 add-on.Although we know that the original system sold 15,000 units, we have no idea how many of these were produced, but considering only nine 64DD games were ever released, it can't be that many! Heck, if we had any idea whatsoever how to use this, we could buy it and make the tenth 64DD title! Imagine the possibilities![Update 1: Corrected source][Via GameSniped]
Complete 64DD collection up for grabs
The 64DD is unquestionably one of the more obscure footnotes in Nintendo history. The Nintendo 64 add-on sold only 15,000 units (85,000 units were reportedly scrapped), meaning that finding the hardware in good condition can be a tricky task, let alone a complete 64DD collection. Yet that is precisely what's being offered in this eBay auction from UK seller golly_75. As well as a boxed 64DD unit, golly_75 is also including a Japanese Nintendo 64, a Nintendo 64 keyboard, a RandNet starter kit, and all nine of the 64DD games that were made, including rarities such as a factory sealed Japan Pro Golf Tour 64 (of which only 10,000 copies were made) and Daishuugou (Doshin the Giant 2: More than a Giant, which numbered only 3,000 units). In short, it's the most impressive 64DD collection we've ever seen.The price so far reflects that, as well -- at the time of writing, the highest bid is $888.[Via GameSniped]
Japanese game store devises winning formula for keychains
Game|Life's Chris Kohler found these keychains while browsing in a Super Potato store in Akihabara. The store makes them onsite out of-- guess-- old games and keyrings. They'll take any game you want made dangly, drill a hole in it, and keyring get. Seen here: Doshin the Giant for the 64DD, Rockman 5, and some unidentified Famicom Disk System disks.We'd totally buy one. And If there's a market for extremely impractical keyrings like this, that kill classic games in their creation, then we just totally got an idea for a craft. (Hint: it's this idea.)
