Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Nintendo 64 emulators

1,536 bytes added, 01:11, 24 August 2019
m
no edit summary
{{Infobox console
|title = Nintendo 64
|logo = N64-Console-SetNintendo64Console.jpgpng|developer = [[:Nintendo]]
|type = [[:Category:Consoles|Home video game console]]
|generation = [[:Category:Fifth -generationvideo game consoles|Fifth generation]]
|release = 1996
|discontinued = 2002
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}
The '''Nintendo 64''' is a 64-bit fifth-generation console released by Nintendo in on September 29, 1996for {{inflation|USD|199.99|1996}}. It has a NEC VR4300 CPU clocked at 93.75 MHz, 4MB of RAM (a separate add-on was later released called the "Expansion Pak" that added an additional 4MB of RAM, making a total of 8MB of RAM), and an SGI RCP GPU.
==Emulators==
! scope="col"|64DD
! scope="col"|[[libretro|Libretro Core]]
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulatorsEmulators|Recommended]]
|-
!colspan="11"|PC
|[[Mupen64Plus]]
|Multi-platform
|[https://github.com/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-core/ 2.5releases {{Mupen64PlusVer}}]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|[[Project64]]
|Windows
|[https://github.com/project64/project64 /releases {{Project64Ver}}]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[CEN64]]
|Windows, Linux, macOS
|[https://github.com/tj90241/cen64 Git]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|?{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[http://1964js.com [1964]]
|Windows
|[http://www.emulation64.com/files/getdownloadgetfile/936/ 1.1] (officialOfficial)<br />[httpshttp://codefiles.googleemulation64.comfr/p/emu-1964Emulateurs/ EMU_1964_146.zip 1.2 r146] (Unofficial SVN)
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20160828165435/http://forums.daedalusx64.com/ Daedalus]
|Windows
|[http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/threads/599734-Daedalusx64-for-Windows-OSX-Linux-Updated-v1-1?p=2148637718 1.1] - [https://github.com/DaedalusX64/daedalus Git]
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[Sixtyforce]]
|OS XmacOS|[http://sixtyforce.com/download/ 1.0.14]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|[[UltraHLE]]
|Windows
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312015944/http://www.emuunlim.com/UltraHLE/ultrahle.zip 1.0.0]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[[Ryu64]]
|Windows, Linux, macOS
|[https://github.com/Ryu64Emulator/Ryu64 Git]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|R64Emu
|Windows, Linux, macOS
|[https://github.com/rasky/r64emu Git]
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
!colspan="11"|Mobile
|-
|[[Mupen64Plus|Mupen64+]] FZ|[[Androidemulators|Android]]|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mupen64plusae.v3.fzurita 3.0.181208 (beta)]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[Mupen64Plus|Mupen64plus]]-pandora]]
|Pandora
|[https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/mupen64plus-2-2.72661/ Build 20] (v2.2)
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|MegaN64<br/><small>(Mupen64+ based)</small>
|[[Android emulators|Android]]
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aspieapps.free.emulator 7.0]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
!colspan="11"|Consoles
|-
|[[Virtual Console]]
|[[Wii emulators|Wii]], [[Wii U emulators|Wii U]]
|N/A
|{{✓}}
|-
|Not64
|[[Wii emulators|Wii]], [[GameCube_emulators|GameCube]]
|[https://github.com/Extrems/Not64/releases/latest 20171009]
|{{✗}}
|-
|[https://code.google.com/p/mupen64gc/ Wii64]
|[[Wii emulators|Wii]], [[GameCube_emulators|GameCube]]
|[https://code.google.com/archive/p/mupen64gc/downloads 1.1 beta]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[https://webgithub.archive.orgcom/webDaedalusX64/20160828165435daedalus/http://forums.daedalusx64.comreleases/ Daedalus]|[[PlayStation Portable emulators|PlayStation Portable]]|[httphttps://www.emucrgithub.com/searchDaedalusX64/labeldaedalus/DaedalusX64 SVNreleases 1.1.7]
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|}
===Comparisons===Although many Nintendo 64 emulators have been made and many games can be run between them, complete compatibility and/or accuracy still leaves a bit to be desired. For half a decade, Mupen64Plus and Project64 have vied for the most playable emulator, and which has been more compatible has depended on when and in what configuration each emulator has been tested. Both emulators default to lackluster plugins, but, as of August 2017, both emulators have roughly equal graphical accuracy when run running with GLideN64. Mupen64Plus arguably has the edge in audio accuracy over Project64 + Azimer's audio plugin.
* [[Mupen64Plus]] is a crossan open-source, multi-platform open, plugin-source based emulator based on Hacktarux's Mupen64. As of [https://github.com/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-core/pull/336 July 2017], the codebase has reached compatibility parity with Project64, when both emulators are run with GLideN64. Mupen64Plus lacks a native GUI, instead of being run either from the command line or by dragging and dropping ROMs onto the executable and editing the config with a text editor such as Notepad++. There are several third-party GUIs made for it, of which M64Py may be the most solid. The end-user experience has improved in 2017 with [https://m64p.github.io/ m64p], which combines new versions of Mupen64Plus with GLideN64 and a new Qt5 GUI. This is as compatible as N64 emulation gets as of August 2017, and the package can be played out-of-the-box without having to mess around with plugins. Mupen64Plus has also been ported to a number of different platforms. [[BizHawk]] and [[OpenEmu]] use shallow forks of Mupen64Plus and its plugins for their N64 emulation.
:* [[Project64]] is Wii64 and Not64 are both based on Mupen64, with Not64 being a mostly open-source emulator for Windowsfork of Wii64. Its official release builds are more up-Not64 claims to-date than Mupen64Plus', and the current version, 2.3.2, is roughly be better optimized as accurate well as the development versions of Mupen64Plus when both are played with recommended plugins. It has a more user-friendly interface than the Mupen64Plus attempts having higher compatibility and supports more features such as overclocking and Transfer Pak frequent updates. N64 emulation. Howeveron Wii is not very good, and it doesn't come with GLideN64 out-of-the-box, and the default video and audio plugins aren't even the best in the box. It presently remains confined to Windows, though work is underway recommended to port it to Android and Linux. For stick with the most part, it works well in WINE, but, if you're on a different platform, use Mupen64Plus insteadVirtual Console N64 releases whenever possible.
* [[Project64]] is an open-source emulator for Windows. Its official release builds are more up-to-date than Mupen64Plus', and the current version, 2.3.2, is roughly as accurate as the development versions of Mupen64Plus when both are played with recommended plugins. It has a more user-friendly interface than the Mupen64Plus attempts and supports more features such as overclocking and Transfer Pak emulation. However, it doesn't come with GLideN64 out-of-the-box, and the default video and audio plugins aren't even the best in the box. It presently remains confined to Windows, though work is underway to port it to Android and Linux. For the most part, it works well in [[Wine]], but, if you're on a different platform, use Mupen64Plus instead. * [[RetroArch]]'s N64 Nintendo 64 libretro core is based on Mupen64Plus and its plugins but with heavy modifications. It introduces many features and optimizations not present in mainline alongside RetroArch's general features, including Project64-style overclocking for faster framerates, 3-point texture filtering, superior A/V sync and latency, and even an exclusive LLE Vulkan renderer based on Angrylion's pixel-perfect plugin, making it a better alternative to the standalone version in most some cases. Its developers have expressed intentions to eventually rewrite the core and brand it as its own emulator, called ParaLLElparaLLEl. That new paraLLEl core has a special "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzR93F9gPdc Super VI Mode]" option which, if used, can make the visuals of N64 games look less blurry with fairly mitigated jaggies even at their native resolutions. Although, it may need a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7_D_D419S0 powerful GPU].
* [[CEN64]] is an up-and-coming emulator that aims for cycle accuracy while, at the same time, aiming to eventually be usable on modern PC hardware. It currently lacks many features and has spotty compatibility, but it's gradually improving. It can already emulate some well-known edge cases such as the picture recognition in Pokemon Snap.
* [[1964]], along with its various versions and forks, was once a decent, speedy open-source alternative to Project64 and Mupen64, though it usually lagged behind the two in compatibilitycompatibilities wise. Nowadays it has completely fallen off the radar, as development has stopped, is Windows-only, and there is no longer a central code repo to speak of. There is little reason to use it nowadays outside of historical purposes, very specific edge cases, or if your device is too slow to run Mupen64Plus or Project64.
* Daedalus is an N64 Nintendo 64 emulator for the PSP, which has been ported to Windows, but results are even more hit-and-miss than on other emulators due to being made for PSP first and foremost. On PSP, most games are unplayable, but there's a [http://daedalusx64.wikia.com/wiki/DaedalusX64_Compatibility_List small amount of them that work really well] with the right settings (Quest 64, for example).
* [[Sixtyforce]] is MacmacOS-only, closed-source, and asks you to pay for full access to its features. It was once one of the only choices for Mac users, particularly those with older Macs, since it's the only emulator with a <abbr title="Power PC">PPC</abbr> [[Dynamic recompilation|dynarec]]), but, with the switch to x86 and Mupen64Plus being ported to OS XmacOS, it has now become irrelevant.
* Wii64 and Not64 are both based [[UltraHLE]] marked a milestone in Nintendo 64 emulation, in that it was the first to play some popular N64 titles at full speed on Mupen64hardware made at the time of its release through [[High/Low level emulation|high-level emulation]]; it isn't without its drawbacks though - pressure from users, combined with Not64 being a fork of Wii64. Not64 claims legal threats from Nintendo, forced them to be better optimized as well as having higher compatibility and more frequent updatesdiscontinue development. N64 emulation on Wii is Besides being for historical value, there's not very good, and it is recommended much to expect from this emulator anyway due to stick with the Virtual Console N64 releases whenever possiblecompatibility issues.
* [[UltraHLERyu64]] marked is a milestone in Nintendo 64 emulation, emulator made in C#. The 'Ryu' word is named after the "RyuJIT" used in that both Visual Basic & C#. But it was might have been inspired by the first to play some popular N64 titles lead author's sole (so far) [https://github.com/Ryujinx/Ryujinx/commits?author=Dudejoe870 commit] at full speed on hardware made at the time of its release through Switch emulator, [[High/Low level emulation|high-level emulationRyujinx]]; it isn't without its drawbacks though - pressure from userss Git repository and his depreciated [https://github.com/Dudejoe870/RyujinxAutoUpdate Ryujinx Auto Updater] tool. "86RYU", combined with legal threats from Nintendoa x86 JIT compiler, forced them to discontinue development. Besides is being for historical value, there's not much to expect from developed alongside this emulator anyway due to compatibility issuestoo.
==Emulation issues==
{{Main|Recommended N64 Pluginsplugins}}
Emulation for the N64 is not at the point where many would expect it to be by now. The system is extremely complex compared to its contemporary consoles. With almost no documentation being available to emulator developers, it is difficult to create an emulator with a high degree of compatibility with games. Many games require specific plugin setups with specific emulators to be played decently.
===High-level vs. low-level graphics===
One of the biggest hurdles in the road to proper N64 emulation has been accurately emulating the N64's graphics hardware, known as the Reality Display Processor, itself a part of the N64's Reality Co-Processor. The N64's RDP was the first real 3D accelerator GPU on consoles. In fact, it was the most powerful consumer-grade GPU in the world at the time it came out. It is very hard to emulate all of its functions accurately due to the RDP's complexity & flexibility. In addition, many RDP functions have to be reproduced in software for accuracy, which takes a lot of processing power.
For this reason, most developers have instead opted to approximate the RDP's functions using high-level emulation (HLE) through various APIs such as Direct3D, OpenGL, and even Glide. While this results in much more reasonable system requirements for emulation, along with prettier, higher resolution graphics, this method can be hit and miss. It often requiring per-game tweaks and settings to prevent graphical glitches on many games. Some games implemented custom graphics microcode which had yet to be reverse-engineered. Although many or even all of them have already been implemented in HLE mode in 2016-2018 with dedicated work from GLideN64's lead programmer, gonetz, and one or two assistants.<ref name="gliden64_blog-1">{{cite web|url=https://gliden64.blogspot.com/2017/|title=Public Release 3.0|publisher=Blogspot|accessdate=2018-06-17|date=2017-12-29}}</ref><ref name="ZSortBOSS">{{cite web|url=https://github.com/gonetz/GLideN64/issues/1685#issuecomment-364436534|title=Initial implementation of BOSS ZSort ucode (WDC, Stunt Racer)|publisher=GitHub|accessdate=2018-06-17|date=2018-02-10}}</ref> For example, [https://youtu.be/HfCOnmRHI0o Factor 5]'s games do now work, specifically when using GLideN64 plugin's high-level graphics mode.<ref name="Indiegogo">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiana-j-infernal-machine-high-level-emulation#/updates/all|title="Indiana J. & Infernal Machine" HLE|publisher=Indiegogo|accessdate=2018-06-17|date=2018-05-17}}</ref><ref name="gliden64_blog-2">{{cite web|url=https://gliden64.blogspot.com/2018/05/hle-implementation-of-microcodes-for.html|title=HLE implementation of microcodes for "Indiana Jones" and "Battle for Naboo" completed.|publisher=Blogspot|accessdate=2018-06-17|date=2018-05-26}}</ref> Other games may have issues with such RDP quirks as frame buffer/depth buffer access (issues with how the frame buffer is used as well as performance issues), VI emulation as well as issues with how combiner/blender modes are emulated (such as noise issues and combiner accuracy).
Low-level emulation can be handled in two ways, complete low -level software emulation or a hybrid approach of LLE RDP emulation, which involves using graphics APIs to simulate the RDP while using low -level RSP emulation to emulate the graphics microcode. Low level software emulation of the RDP involves replicating all RDP functionality in software, which allows for very high accuracy but can suffer from major performance issues unless optimizations such as vectorization and multi-threading are performed. Hybrid LLE emulation can allow for performance enhancement over low level software RDP emulation but can suffer from various problems due to things such as replicating the N64's numerous blending/combine modes, emulating frame buffer access and replicating how polygons are rasterized to the screen (due to how the RDP renders primatives primitives on a low level).
It should also be noted that, even though most games "work" through the HLE method, it is not an accurate representation of what the N64 hardware's video output actually looked like but rather a rough approximation by PC graphics hardware. Your mileage may vary on whether this is a good thing or not, given the N64's often blurry low-res output.
<gallery widths="300">
Majora's mask accurate.png|Majora's Mask with low-level graphics (using SoftGraphic)
</gallery>
===[[Texture filtering]]===
The N64 was the first console to feature texture filtering of any kind. However, unlike PC graphics hardware and every console after the N64, its implementation of bilinear texture filtering was unique, in that, in order to reduce strain on the system, it only used three samples as opposed to four, resulting in slightly jagged textures. Instead of faithfully applying this "imperfect" version of bilinear, HLE plugins instead apply conventional bilinear filtering, interpolating straight from the source texture up to the output resolution, much like on PC games. While technically this method of bilinear filtering is superior to the N64's, it can also result in textures that look even blurrier than on real hardware.
A few games use the Transfer Pak such as ''Mario Golf'', ''Mario Tennis'', ''Mario Artist: Paint Studio'', and the ''Pokémon Stadium'' games. Mostly, this can be done with N-Gage's input plugin, but a couple of things aren't emulated:
*The Game Boy Tower mode of the Pokémon Stadium games don't work and makes the emulator crash or hang.
*Taking pictures with the Japanese ''Game Boy Camera'' (called ''Pocket Camera'') while in Transfer Pak mode playing ''Mario Artist: Paint Studio'' displays static.
The special AV-In cartridge (NUS-028) that ''Mario Artist: Talent Studio'' can use doesn't work because it requires an RCA cable signal.
Recently, there has been an effort to emulate the 64DD, and now [[Project64]] and [[MAME]] can run several commercial 64DD games as part of its N64 emulator. This is being ported to [[CEN64]] with the help of [https://twitter.com/LuigiBlood LuigiBlood].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|64DD Emulation
! scope="col"|N64 Mouse
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulatorsEmulators|Recommended]]
|-
|[[Project64]]
|-
|[[CEN64]]
|Windows, Linux, macOS
|[https://github.com/tj90241/cen64 Git]
|{{✓}}
|Mid
|?{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[[MAME]]
|Multi-platform
|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
|{{✓}}
|Mid
|?{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|}
* MAME includes early basic 64DD emulation as well but is much slower. Disk images need to be in head/track format. See [https://github.com/Happy-yappH/ddconvert.git here] for more information. It does not currently support disk swapping or saving disk to files. Writes only update the copy in memory, and, once the MAME process ends, the changes are lost. Current usage: <code>mame n64dd -quickload disk -cart cart -nodrc</code> (both disk and cart are optional)
* CEN64, like Project64, had 64DD emulation ported to it from MAME. However, it focuses on accuracy and plays much slower than other emulators, aside for the 64DD emulation itself being is imperfect.
===iQue Player emulation===
Before the GBA, DS, and 3DS, Nintendo released a modified version of their Nintendo 64 system for the Chinese market, which was called the iQue Player, through their not-quite-subsidiary iQue. Fourteen games were translated into Simplified Chinese, including Sin and Punishment, Ocarina of Time (the Majora's Mask port was cancelledcanceled), Super Mario 64, and others.
Unlike the Chinese releases of their more recent systems and their games, iQue Player releases are regular N64 roms wrapped with several layers of encryption, as well as a ticket and signature system like that on Wii, DSi, 3DS, Wii U and Switch. The Chinese ROM-hacking scene is very active though and has translated the Japanese regular N64 releases for many of these to their language already, which explain some of the Chinese ROMs floating for those. However, recently, almost all pieces of iQue Player software were decrypted to regular .z64 ROM format.
===Aleck 64 arcade emulation===
Nintendo collaborated with SETA to release an arcade system based on their Nintendo 64 system (kind of like their PlaychoicePlayChoice-10 for the NES, Super System arcade hardware for SNES, and later Triforce for GCN and Wii U). The Nintendo 64-variant with more RAM, the Aleck 64, failed to catch on and bombed. It was never released outside Japan, even though one N64 port made it.
The Aleck 64 ROMs were dumped, and Zoinkity is working on converting them to regular N64 ROMs (with controls remapped to N64 controller buttons). They generally require an 8MB Expansion Pak to run at all and 4K EEPROM to save settings and scores. The ones covered by these patches are:
* Donchan Puzzle Hanabi de Doon!
* Eleven Beat: World Tournament
* Hi Pai Paradise
* Kuru Kuru Fever
* Magical Tetris Challenge
* Mayjinsen 3 / Meijin-Sen
* Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth (also ported to N64)
* Super Real Mahjong VS
* Tower & Shaft
* Vivid Dolls (official eroge game on a Nintendo console)
The remaining ones from the system's library not yet covered are:
* Hi Pai Paradise* Magical Tetris Challenge* Mayjinsen 3 / Meijin-Sen2
* Rev Limit
* Super Real Mahjong VS
* Variant Schwanzer
==References==
<references/>
{{Nintendo}}
[[Category: Consoles]][[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Nintendo consoles]]
[[Category:Nintendo 64 emulators|*]]

Navigation menu