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Nintendo 64 emulators

2,484 bytes added, 12:55, 23 September 2022
https://ares-emu.net/compatibility/41
==Emulators==
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
!colspan="15"|PC / x86
|-
|[[m64psimple64]] (ParaLLEl)
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://github.com/loganmc10simple64/m64psimple64/releases{{Simple64Ver}}]<br >[https://github.com/simple64/simple64/latest actions git]|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}³
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/[RetroArch |Mupen64Plus-Next (mupen64plus_next_libretro)]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/ nightly]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}|{{✓}}
|{{~}}²
|{{✗}}
|[[ares]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/releases {{aresVer}}]<br >[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/actions git]
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|{{~}}
|{{}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}|{{✓}}
|{{~}}²
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|-
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/[RetroArch |ParaLLEl-N64 (parallel_n64_libretro)]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/ nightly]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|-
|[[1964]]
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{~}}³
|-
|m64p simple64 (Final GLideN64)
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/thekovic/m64psimple64/releases/tag/v2021.5.30 Final GLideN64]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}
|{{~}}
|-
|[[BizHawk]]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}[https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/2454 *]|{{?}}|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[[DaedalusX64]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/DaedalusX64/daedalus/releases/latest git]
|?
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|{{✓}}
|-
|Not64[[DaedalusX64]]|align=left|{{Icon|GCNPSP|Wii3DS}}<br>{{Icon|Vita|PS2}}|[https://github.com/ExtremsDaedalusX64/Not64daedalus/releases/latest gitPSP]<br/>[https://github.com/masterfeizz/DaedalusX64-3DS/releases 3DS]<br/>[https://github.com/Rinnegatamante/DaedalusX64-vitaGL/releases VitaGL]<br/>[https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&p=39957#p39957 PS2]
|?
|{{✓}}
|{{}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}|{{✓}}<br/><small>(PSP)</small>
|-
|[[DaedalusX64]]Not64|align=left|{{Icon|PSPGCN|3DS}}<br>{{Icon|Vita|PS2Wii}}|[https://github.com/DaedalusX64Extrems/daedalusNot64/releases/latest PSP]<br/>[https://github.com/masterfeizz/DaedalusX64-3DS/releases 3DS]<br/>[https://github.com/Rinnegatamante/DaedalusX64-vitaGL/releases VitaGL]<br/>[https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&p=39957#p39957 PS2git]
|?
|{{✓}}
|{{}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✓}}
|{{}} <small>(PSP)</small>|{{~}}
|-
|Surreal64 CE
|{{✗}}
|}
</div>
*<nowiki>* Available exclusively as a libretro core</nowiki>
*<nowiki>¹ Only supports texture packs, and not filtering or upscaling</nowiki>
*<nowiki>² Requires replacing the input plugin to one with netplay support</nowiki>
*<nowiki>³ If not using Netplay, use RMG</nowiki>*<nowiki>⁴ Highly recommended to use 1964 GEPD for Goldeneye 007 or Perfect Dark</nowiki>*<nowiki>Only with GLideN64</nowiki>*<nowiki>Obsolete and replaced by Mupen64Plus-Next</nowiki>*<nowiki>RMG with GLideN64 recommended.</nowiki>
===Comparisons===
;[[Mupen64Plus]]
:A multi-platform emulator based on Hacktarux's Mupen64. It's about as accurate as Project64,<ref>loganmc10. [https://github.com/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-core/pull/336 ''Ignore TLB write if TLB entry is unmapping itself'']. "By the way, once this, along with the other PR's I have waiting are merged, we are at "compatibility parity" with Project64 as far as I can tell. I don't know of any game that doesn't boot with mupen64plus that works in PJ64."</ref> when both emulators are run with GLideN64. However, Mupen64Plus lacks a native GUI, instead being launched either from the command line or by dragging and dropping ROMs onto the executable and editing the config with a text editor. It also only comes bundled with outdated video plugins, so to ensure the best possible compatibility, sourcing better third-party plugins such as GLideN64 is a must. [[BizHawk]] and [[OpenEmu]] use forks of Mupen64Plus and its plugins for their N64 emulation, but they seem to be shallow. As of 2022 Project64-style overclocking for faster frame rates has been added under the option 'CountPerOpDenomPot'.
:;Mupen64Plus-Next and ParaLLEl-N64
:Both are heavily-modified forks developed as [[libretro]] cores. They introduce many features and optimizations not present in mainline alongside [[RetroArch]]'s general features, including 3-point texture filtering for Glide64, superior A/V sync and latency, and even an initially exclusive LLE Vulkan renderer based on Angrylion's pixel-perfect RDP plugin now known as ParaLLEl-RDP, making it a better alternative to the standalone version in some cases. ParaLLEl-RDP 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]. It also offers native high-resolution rendering, only available in integer scales of the original N64 resolution.
::As for the difference between the two cores, ParaLLEl-N64 is actually the older of the two, as it is based off of the old Mupen64Plus-libretro core, having been renamed to ParaLLEl-N64 upon its initial integration of the ParaLLEl-RDP and RSP plugins. In addition to the ParaLLEl plugins, it also retains the older HLE plugins (glN64, Rice, and Glide64), as well as Angrylion Plus. Meanwhile, Mupen64Plus-Next is a new rebase off of bleeding-edge mainline, and as such is the more compatible of the two. It does away with the legacy plugins and replaces them with GLideN64 as a better HLE solution (though of course, the ParaLLEl plugins and Angrylion Plus stay), it considerably cleans up the Core Options menu for easier configuration, and it adds Transfer Pack support. Add to this the fact that going forward, all further improvements and new features will be to the Mupen64Plus-Next core, and Mupen64Plus-Next is now the more recommended of the two, thus ParaLLEl-N64 should now only be considered for performance reasons or perhaps for older ROM hacks that don't play well with the newer, more accurate plugins.
:;[[m64psimple64]]:A fork of Mupen64Plus with a custom-made Qt GUI. This is probably the easiest "just works out of the box" solution for Nintendo 64 emulation, as it comes bundled with ParaLLEl-RDP and ParaLLEl-RSP, ensuring both excellent compatibility and good speed without needing to mess with plugins or settings, provided your hardware supports Vulkan. However, unlike other emulators, it does not allow you to use other plugins. If GLideN64 is desired instead, there is an older build that retains it - unfortunately lacking the texture enhancement suite required for use of texture packs and upscaling. While it began as a shallow fork, it has increasingly become something closer to a hard fork, making as its developer has opted to make various accuracy-focused changes to the emulation core that will require additional work to port back to upstream or to other forks. It also currently features only an interpreter core, as the dynarecs used by Mupen64Plus are incompatible with the core timing changes made by the developer. While this makes simple64 more accurate than most other N64 emulators, it also results in slower performance. If more speed and enhancements are desired, there is an older build that is closer to upstream and uses GLideN64 as its graphics plugin - unfortunately lacking the texture enhancement suite required for use of texture packs and upscaling.
:;[[RMG]]
:Rosalie's Mupen GUI is a project aiming to close the gap between Project64 and Mupen64Plus in terms of user experience. Its interface is about on par with m64psimple64's in terms of cleanliness and ease of use, but unlike m64psimple64, it allows you to use other plugins. The latest version comes bundled with GLideN64 and ParaLLEl-RDP for video plugins, and mupen64plus-hle-rsp and ParaLLEl-RSP for RSP plugins, though it can still use the older plugins that come with regular Mupen64Plus in case your PC cannot handle the newer plugins. However, for some reason it currently does not allow you access to ParaLLEl-RDP's options within its GUI, so if you wish to make use of features such as upscaling or downsampling, you must do so by editing the mupen64plus.cfg file, whereas m64p simple64 does expose these options in its GUI. However, if you prefer GLideN64, this is a superior alternative, as it does have access to its settings GUI, and the last version of m64p simple64 that uses GLideN64 is becoming increasingly outdated.
:;Wii64 and Not64
;[[Project64]]
:An open-source emulator for Windows, as well as one of the oldest. Its official release builds are more up-to-date than Mupen64Plus', and the current version, 3.0.1, 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 some of the Mupen64Plus attempts and supports more features such as Transfer Pak emulation and 64DD emulation. It does come now comes with GLideN64 out-of-the-box, but the default audio plugin isn't even the best in the box. Annoyingly, it also nags you with a timed, unskippable message asking for donations to the project upon launch. It is thus recommended to download it through [https://github.com/Rosalie241/BetterMajorasMaskInstaller/releases/tag/4.0.2 Rosalie's BetterMajorasMaskInstaller], which downloads the latest nightly version of Project64 with the nagging message removed and installs several useful third-party plugins (it also downloads HD texture packs for OoT and MM, but you can opt out of that). For the most part, it works well in [[Wine]], but, if you're on a different platform, use Mupen64Plus instead.
;[[Ares]]
:An open-source multi-system emulator and successor to Near's [[higan]] project, with a mostly original N64 core. Unlike other N64 emulators, it aims for high accuracy and does not employ HLE RSP or RDP emulation of any kind, not does it use game-specific hacks. It uses Themaister's ParaLLEl-RDP Vulkan renderer (with the MAME renderer as a software-based fallback) for pixel-perfect LLE graphics. While it is currently less compatible than Mupen64Plus or Project64, it is quickly catching up to them [https://ares-emu.net/compatibility/15 (only a handful of games are currently listed as partially or not working)], and it currently passes several stringent [https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/pull/613 accuracy tests] the other emulators do not. However, it remains to be seen how accurate its developers are willing to make it [https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/commit/3142bd3aef3a0b7c9d97517c70f41e0eb27542ea without compromising speed ] and playability on current machines.
;[[CEN64]]
* Game physics not working properly due to being tied to framerate. A good example is Donkey Kong 64, which is programmed to boost the character's speed and momentum proportional to in-game lag (most likely to make up for the game's frequent framerate drops), which can be exploited for certain glitches and sequence breaks on real hardware. Emulators currently run the game too well and with too little lag, making most of these tricks impossible to pull off.
* Possibly the most affected game is Knife's Edge, which runs like it's on permanent fast-forward, making it all but unplayable. Messing with timing-related settings such as CounterFactor can mitigate this somewhat, but nowhere near enough to fix the issue.
Fortunately, tackling these problems has recently become a core focus of development in some N64 emulators, and attempts are underway to improve the situation. Ares currently has the most accurate timings overall, and already runs Earthworm Jim 3D's demos much better than other emulators. Meanwhile, m64p simple64 has recently pushed various timing-related commits aimed at improving accuracy, and as a result it may now be the only emulator that runs Donkey Kong 64 properly. As these efforts progress, it should be noted that a side-effect of improved timings may be greater in-game lag. This should not be seen as the emulator becoming slower, but rather the emulator behaving exactly like real hardware does, as many N64 games were notorious for framerate drops.
==Peripherals==
===Transfer Pak emulation===
A few games use the Transfer Pak , such as ''Mario Golf'', ''Mario Tennis'', ''Mario Artist: Paint Studio'', and the ''Pokémon Stadium'' games, can use the Transfer Pak, an attachment that allows interfacing with specific [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy/Color]] games for certain features. MostlyMost N64 emulators can emulate the Transfer Pak's functionality to one degree or another, this can be done with NRagethe most robust being Project64 with N-Rage's input plugin, but a couple of things aren't are difficult to emulate or are not emulatedat all:
*Taking pictures with the Japanese ''Game Boy Camera'' (called ''Pocket Camera'') while in Transfer Pak mode playing ''Mario Artist: Paint Studio'' displays static.
*Playing the Gen 1 and 2 Pokemon games through the Game Boy Tower in Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 is notoriously finicky. At the moment, only Project64, using the N-Rage input plugin, can properly load either game's Game Boy Tower at all, with other emulators either crashing or failing to establish the connection. Even here, extra steps must be taken: for Pokemon Stadium 2, simply set the CPU core to Interpreter and Counter factor set to 1 in the emulator's game settings. For the first Stadium game, in addition to the aforementioned settings, Delay SI Interrupt must also be turned on, and an LLE RSP plugin other than the default Projec64 RSP must be used, such as ParaLLEl-RSP.
===64DD emulation===
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]. The latest newcomer is Mupen64Plus which is the base of other emulators such as [[m64psimple64]] and [[RMG]].
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! colspan="7"|PC / x86
|-
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/[RetroArch |Mupen64Plus-Next (mupen64plus_next_libretro)]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/ nightly]
|{{✓}}
|Mid/High
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[RMGProject64]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}|[https://github.com/Rosalie241/RMGproject64/releases project64 {{RMGVerProject64Ver}}]<br >[https://github64dd.comorg/Rosalie241/RMG/actions Devdownloads.html 64DD.org Builds]
|{{✓}}
|Mid/High
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[[Mupen64PlusRetroArch|ParaLLEl-N64 (parallel_n64_libretro)]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://githubbuildbot.libretro.com/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-corenightly/releases gitnightly]
|{{✓}}
|Mid/High
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|-
|[[Project64ares]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}|[https://github.com/project64ares-emulator/project64 ares/releases {{Project64VeraresVer}}]<br >[https://64ddgithub.orgcom/downloads.html 64DD.org Buildsares-emulator/ares/actions git]
|{{✓}}
|Mid
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|-
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/RetroArch ParaLLEl-N64 (parallel_n64_libretro)]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/ nightly]
|{{✓}}
|Mid/High
|{{✓}}
|{{~}}
|{{✗}}
|-
|[[m64pMAME]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]|{{✗}}|Mid|{{✓}}|{{✗}}|-|[[simple64]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/simple64/simple64/releases {{Simple64Ver}}]<br >[https://github.com/simple64/simple64/actions git]|{{✓}}|?|{{✓}}|{{✗}} (WIP)|-|[[RMG]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}|[https://github.com/loganmc10Rosalie241/m64pRMG/releases git{{RMGVer}}]<br >[https://github.com/Rosalie241/RMG/actions Dev]
|{{✓}}
|?
|{{✗}} (WIP)
|-
|[[MAMEMupen64Plus]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[httphttps://wwwgithub.mamedev.orgcom/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-core/release.html {{MAMEVer}}releases git]|{{}}|Mid?
|{{✓}}
|{{✗}}(WIP)
|}
</div>
* Project64's latest versions emulate the N64 mouse and can load Zoinkity's hacked 64DD cartridge conversions at playable speeds. You'll need to set every game to have 8MB of Memory by default manually. Games do not save, some need "32-bit engine" to be unchecked (like Talent Studio), and some (like Polygon Studio to fix models and Paint Studio to fix stamps) need the Angrylion GFX plugin rather than GlideN64, which does the job for the rest.
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