Building the ultimate, modern Nintendo 64 - Order HeyGears UltraCraft Reflex：store.heygears.com/referral/r...
Join the HeyGears IdeaShapers community: bit.ly/41ZgYle
Download the 3D Print files: www.etsy.com/ca/listing/15795...
Join me on Patreon: / zacbuilds
Patrons get ad-free early access to all of my videos + More
Links to all of the tools from this video (All of the below are affiliate links)
Brawler 64 Wireless Controller - amzn.to/3S1pDlG
iFixit tool kit - amzn.to/3QlHPoZ
EverDrive 64 - amzn.to/46wX9ET
Microsolder Practice Board - amzn.to/46FKZK4
Soldering Station - amzn.to/3M4Wsun
Hot air rework station (I bought it after this project) - amzn.to/3rUS2zc
USB Power Delivery Breakout Board - amzn.to/3PZ8mH5
DC Step Down Converter - amzn.to/45xpABb
Acrylic Clear Coat - amzn.to/3FlZI0v
Wet Sand Paper - amzn.to/3tCl9I4
Solder Flux - amzn.to/46wjcM3
20GA Wire - amzn.to/3Q47xNn
M3 Stand Off Kit - amzn.to/3Me115A
UGreen 45 Watt USB C Power Delivery Brick - amzn.to/40gblQt
Kapton Tape - amzn.to/3PXyxy1
Copper 40mm x 40mm Heatsinks - amzn.to/3M6H0Op
Copper Ram Heatsinks - amzn.to/45QEkLT
High-Performance Thermal Pads - amzn.to/40gblQt
Isopropyl Alcohol - amzn.to/48ZltRy
Cricut Cutter - amzn.to/3QkE9nf
Printable Vinyl - amzn.to/45vmFsQ
My Thermal Camera - amzn.to/46FLzHK
N64 HDMI Mod - shorturl.at/gqNQ4
All of the Music and SFX I use comes from: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Edited by Brycen Roy (IG: / brycenroy )
All My Filming Gear:
kit.co/ZacBuilds
Check me out on Instagram - @ZacBuilds
/ zacbuilds
Use code ZACBUILDS10 at www.badnorthamerica.com for 10% off favorite work gear
Check out my website for all past projects:
www.zacbuilds.com
I love how he explains the entire process very thoroughly as if we're going to do it too😭
And as though we haven't seen better build's on almost every retro mod channel.
Honestly if I wanna play N64 games I'd just emulate them on my PC
A few people might
who is we?
fr. if you miss playing these retro games on your tv, i'd rather design and build you a brand new custom system that is capable of EVERYTHING that you'd need for gaming but i'd stay under 15 bucks + it'd draw only 1-5w + it would take me a few minutes compared to his hours. and if you want to it could also be portable like a nintendo switch
If your CPU is cooking and your heatsink is cool there's something wrong with thermal transfer, i'd try to re-seat the pads or just use thermal paste somehow. Otherwise crazy cool project
100%.
The heatsinks are able to dissipate their share of that ~13w of heat to the air way faster than the PCB. You could put a fan in the case to get some air movement over the PCB, but with a hotspot temp of 60 degrees that's just overkill.
@@Teeh0 he mentioned that the heatsinks were cool to the touch, that'd be IMPOSSIBLE even if the thing was just ideling at 30C, copper may transfer heat faster but it can't be more than 5-10°C away from the temp of whatever you're running since the heat is constantly being produced
Yeah... of course the heat sink is going to be cooler, otherwise you'd violate the laws of thermodynamics. The actual die inside the chip package is going to be far hotter.
@@cjb89 it shouldn't be that far off, the way it is in the video there's gotta be a problem, no heatsink should be cool to the touch with a die @60°c
The Nintendo 64 is also very important to me. It was a gift from my late mother. I've had this console for 18 years.
My condolences ❤️🩹
If want to cut out another item, apparently you can get rid of the need for the expansion pack by replacing the 2x 2mb RDRAM modules on the board with 4mb ones (and then add in a resister in place of the jumper pack). This mod becomes more desirable for those looking to make a n64 portable. (Note: Revisions to the N64 later in its life replaced the 2x 2mb modules with a single 4mb, so this cannot be done for the later revisions.)
Ahh true true!
....and do you have any clue on how to actually do this? Or did you just read some comment on the internet from some know-it-all who claims you can do it but doesn't actually know how nor ever elaborates?
@@MrRobarino you literally just unsolder the ram chips and replace with bigger capacity ones, its not that hard to do
Quick tip, if you skip the IPA wash, remove the supports, and cure the part while it is still wet with resin, you can get a glass like finish. Resin is often used for smoothing FDM prints by dipping the whole print in resin and then curing the resin.
Could also spray with a few layers of clear acrylic paint
Lol I posted this before I got to that part in the video
IPAs are bitter too
@@sjcasey05 please do not drink isopropyl alcohol
@@keiyakins I happened to be referring to India pale ale, the other IPA.
I was expecting "modern" chips and such... not a refit of an existing unit. BUT - what a great introduction to microsoldering. So many "microlessons" learned. I'm subscribing, and Continued Success!
Obviously they don't make the CPU any more, and the RCP (GPU) was specially designed for Nintendo. But if you want one made out of modern reprogrammable chips you should look into FPGA gaming. It simulates the actual hardware of an N64 (or other console) using a newer chip with more power that can afford to waste some power to run a simulation.
Or just use an emulator that are perfect replicas of the hardware in software that have existed since the early 00s
@@MrAB-fo7zkboooooo
@@MrAB-fo7zk There are a couple of problems with emulators. Firstly, they don't necessarily perfectly replicate the original hardware. Depending on the host system, timing and performance issues abound. Secondly, a lot of cartridges include additional hardware (other than ROMs) which make emulation of those cards difficult. And, there's the cool factor of playing on the original device. I also prefer EMUs due to their portability and ubiquity. But there is something to be said for playing on original hardware.
Or desolder all special chips and print a new circuit board with space for the new components and the expansion pack?
Wait, so what was in the thumbnail?
Wondering that too
Click bait, maybe?
He had an arrow pointing to it saying “not this” saying that he wasn’t making that specific one
Jew bait
Not a modern n64
17:50 You: "Look at how crisp all of this is!" Your camera: *Not focused at ALL* XD
He could have filmed that part again after he saw the screw up... Naaaa just leave it.
*trigger warning - This is a joke" Press F to pay respects.. Zac is going to get Nintendo's lawyers on his neck any day now.
haha thats what everyone said about my Switch Pro video too. But realistically I'm modifying my own property and not breaking any laws, so if Nintendo wants to come after me they'd almost certainly just being doing it as a scare tactic with nothing to really back it up.
@@ZacBuilds UFD tech got a strike for modifying their own Nintendo built property.
@@JiminyP91this is why i DESPISE nintendo, and it's infuriating because their portable platforms are REALLY good, i have always loved the form factor of the DS, 3DS, ect but they don't deserve the credit for anything when they're so hostile to the most dedicated parts of their community.
@@Ferrari255GTOcan't wait until they find out about the retroid pocket flip. Looks (kinda) like a 3DS and is a handheld emulator
@@YOUR_NARRATOR975 well, the other problem i have is that i'm not too big a fan of the nintendo game library in exception for pokemon, i know that there are emulation machines with phone processors that are capable of playng up to PS1 games but for that i already have my PSP, and i even play PS2 on my phone, not all games run great but i can play Gran Turismo 4 just fine thanks to B spec letting me skip the tracks that lag, like seattle or Special Stage Route.
I really like your post mortem analysis of your projects, it gives a bit more realism to the project, showing that not all things go so smoothly
It's so good. So much of the satisfaction of these videos is feeling like they're enabling you to do the same thing yourself if you wanted, and the post-mortem is the absolute cherry on top.
Thanks! I love doing them because on almost every single project I do I'm constantly noticing things I could do better, thats part of the process of building. In the past I just tossed them away when the video was done (unless I did a follow up project) but now I have an outlet for them
You don't know what postmortem means. Maybe that's why you're impressed.
Drill 4 small holes and you screw a small noctua fan,no need to redo the whole project.
I agree, analysis is highly appreciated. I had a couple thoughts- -I think I'd personally keep the controller ports for compatibility with all n64 controllers. I respect the portless design though, all depends what you want in your build -Imagine getting video out and power in all through a single usb c for these retro consoles, all the way up to the wii u. You'd probably still want the hdmi port for ease of use, but being able to use a USB c dock dongle would be interesting, although this is more of an idea for portable consoles -Or even a rechargeable backup battery in it so it wouldn't power off if the power got cut Amazing video Zac. Love the n64 logo manip
Dude you're an absolute Rock Star. I can't even begin to even know where to start on this kind of work it looks so complicated. I'm so glad I found your channel because this is awesome I really enjoy this type of video
Nintendo lawyers watching this: 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🙏🏽🙏🏽
You should take apart the wireless receiver for the controller, de-solder the memory card connecter, and 3d print a new clear case for it so it is smaller and fits the style of your system! (or better yet, integrate it into the internal case by soldering the daughterboard right to the controller input pins.)
@enriqueamaya3883 - Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
For real, that thing is fugly
First thing I thought when he got that giant thing out the box and yet he didn't!!!
He mentions this at the end of the video.
Add a memory card slot to the console. :)
2:00 honestly even a $5 solder removal pump would help a lot
5$? I bought mine for 50 cents lmao a basic spring loaded one, it does the work though
Or even solder wick lol
Very cool upgrade to the N64, and I agree with your end analysis of potential for active cooling
Very cool build, may I suggest cutting at the outline of your logo on the sticker so there's no white background covering most of the cartridge board and add another one for the front of the console itself.
Can we maybe see a part two where you *do* disassemble the wireless receiver, slim it down, and connect it somewhere hidden? That'd be really neat!
As much as wireless is cool and overall an upgrade, I think you lose a bit of the nostalgia not having those ports on the front. Maybe a simple retooling of the wireless connector to make it more streamlined and eliminate the memory card port?
@@EdStarwindthe ports would be there still as he said
@shawnstolze4462 you could leave the ports empty (and maybe even disconnected) while having internal wireless receivers
can't hook up the n64 transfer pak for pokemon stadium without that port
didn't say anything about, or recommend removing the port.... just hiding that receiver @@joshfaustcomedy
I've used both of those controllers, and I strongly prefer the original. Those wireless controllers often lose the signal, and the control stick seems to have some issues as well. The original controllers have a control stick which wears out and degrades over time, but you can buy replacement parts for the control stick and get it back to good as new, and the control stick is actually shockingly precise and reliable when in good condition.
that makes sense; electronics used to be built to last; now they're built extra cheap
@@armorhide406 If the stick isn't too far gone, it can be cleaned and lubed up to help keep from further wear. I've had luck with Joystick Butter on my controllers. For the one I used most growing up I replaced the needed parts from Kitsch-Bent. If you need a tutorial, the best one I've seen that I ended up using is a joystick teardown from Restore64. Hope this helps anyone who happens to see this reply comment.
@@armorhide406 Yeah, and on top of that, while electronics were never really built with maintenance in mind, at least back then companies hadn't figured out how to actively prevent people from repairing their own stuff as effectively as they do nowadays. Used to be just a few specialized screws that needed a very specific and uncommon type of screwdriver, now it's mostly all just glued together, or comes with chips installed which purposefully brick the entire system if they detect someone trying to do maintenance. Or sometimes things are just as simple as prohibiting the manufacturers from selling parts to individuals (like they did with the microsoldering thing which is only sold to authorized repair shops). Kinda sad to see things become so increasingly anti right to repair.
@@HippieInHeartapple is taking the crown here, watch hugh jeffreys if you do not know what i mean.
I love the original controllers, it just sucks when the joystick starts wearing out.
I like how much more real you are about practice with soldering and the difficulty of the job. Many other vids arent like that. Really great vid 👍
this is really cool bro, i'd love to see a revised build for your ps2 as well as this, with smaller and more streamlined builds. watching you work is fascinating.
Gamecube GameCube GameCube! GameCube!
Gamecube? Yes, You're Working on it. Cool 😎 😎
Your decision to go with clear plastic really paid off! I would love to see your take on a vertical handheld like the Miyoo Mini+
I loved this build, would be awesome to see a future version integrating the transfer paks for the pokemon stadium games into the case while integrating the wireless controller portions. Watching you go though the post postmortems is one of the best parts as well, allowing us to see even for someone who can do all of this, there is always room to grow and improve at what you do. Keep up the fantastic work!
I'm going to finish watching the video but you got me about 10 minutes in love your explanations I love how you're trying to teach instead of just showing the finished product
I wasn't familiar with your channel until this video showed up in my feed this morning, but I've now subscribed and can't wait to start watching more of your content! What a cool project, and I loved the level of detail with which you walked us through every level of the build.
I wouldn't have remove the ports on the front so I do like your decision. The adapter is a little ugly but maybe you could modify the adapter to make it smaller since you don't need the memory portion of it. Good video!
There are other devices that use that port besides memory cards though. Pokemon stadium had an adapter you could plug a gameboy cartridge into to transfer pokemon and actually emulate the games. You could even fast forward the game.
You and Tito are amazing KZheadrs, I hope your audience skyrockets and y'all become super successful. It's amazing to revive the old school consoles.
Great job and very impressive! N64 Zelda Ocarina of time and 007 Goldeneye me and my brother saved our weekly gift funds in a small coffer. Four of my friends had Ocarina and helped each other out. I remember one friend came over to boost me in Fire temple in exchange for toasted peannutbutter sandwiches. I also got hard stuck in Water temple, like another friend did. Eventually we made out our heroic journeys!
That 3D printer is PHENOMENAL. It's crazy how far we've gotten to create industry-standard quality prints in our homes.
there is a sequence in the 1998 film Small Soldiers where a resin printer is making a figuring, with support material and all, the tech is much older than I thought!!!
figurine****
I expect it’s better than the one you can build from monthly parts on magazine covers.
@@slonktonkster9680Yeah the old ones used a laser beam and a gimballed mirror to solidify the resin. Pretty cool, but also way more expensive and slow than today's LCD units.
@@ToastyMozart It seems analogous to the way that there were, maybe are, laser printers that used LCD arrays like the Qume CrystalPrint, if I recall correctly. So, that would be a 2D printing technology catching up to the 3D printing world!
lets be honest... can we just buy your version because we are too lazy and unskilled to build our own lmao
Great video! I'd like to see you do it again the way you explained it at the end and maybe with a different color resin.
Awesome! thanks for sharing the link to the practice waffles too
Kudos for the power connector desoldering, it is really hard without the hot air station but generally mixing your own leaded solder with the un-leaded factory one lowers the overall melting point thus facilitating all melting at the same time and the solder blob was the way to go, also check solder suckers they are quite helpful for getting those multi legged components out, also also drag solder on point!
Solder wick will work fine too. Your tip is #1 though. Just increase iron temps from average for the larger mass, and melt a bunch of fresh solder over the pins. Solder wick should suck it all up and with new solder + a bit of flux it should all come out pretty cleanly.
N64 should have leaded solder, it's old enough. I think 7th gen consoles were the first with unleaded solder. (Which led to the notoriously bad reliability of the very first versions of all of those consoles)
Yes it will be leaded solder.
@@82NeXus Would still always apply fresh solder before attempting to desolder. Most of what I work on is high end studio equipment from the 70s and 80s which would obviously be leaded solder, yet it still very often will get "stuck" and not flow well without a fresh layer. I'm not sure if it's because it reflows some flux across both ends and separates easier afterwards, but regardless, old solder has a tendency to become "stuck" and just filling it back in with new solder and sucking it back out can often give a perfectly clean joint from something that was being very difficult - to the point where I often just apply new solder in the first place.
@@ryanjay6241 Yeah a know. I always try to mix a good amount of new solder into the old before desoldering. Sometimes it doesn't seem to mix well though. Don't know if it's because I was mixing lead with lead-free or because the solder on the board was old, or my iron wasn't hot enough for the lead-free solder, or what.
I love how 3D printing completely blew open the door for creative types like yourself. I know growing up my brother and I would always buy into every single "New Console" announcement, and even before the system was showed off you could find fan made "Mock Up's" I guess would be what you call them, specifically I remember like 2 years into the PS2 lifecycle people started speculating what the PS3 will look like and feature and it would always be these insane looking futuristic shapes with like clear plastic covering where the disk goes or something along those lines. My point is now that 3D printing is so widely available and people can share prints and ideas now modders like yourself can pretty easily really customize new shells or whatnot and I love that so much. I think what baffles me most of all is just how criminally underrated your channel is, the filming, editing, the clarity of your explanations, and most of all the quality of the final product. If I had to guess without seeing your sub count beforehand I would think you were somewhere in the 5M-10M range just going off of quality alone. Keep up the amazing work man, I bet so many people get inspired by your builds.
Dude i gotta say that was one of the best sponsorship segments I’ve seen in a while. Didn’t even feel like a sponsorship, just felt like a normal part of the video while also completely selling me on the product in question. Great work!
Videos like this have inspired me to try my first console mod, starting with the 3DS, a simple-ish USB C charging port swap. Wish me luck.
Zack! This was INCREDIBLE!! The attention to detail is insane! If you choose to do a clear resin again, if you sand it just to 200 and then shoot it with clear, the end result will be virtually indistinguishable from going to 2000. That should also save you a ton of time and maybe even give a little more longevity to the clear as it'll have a bit more bite to hang on to ❤.
This.
Dude thank you so much, hope you guys are both doing well! Appreciate the advice, I'll definitely do that next time
“Shoot it with clear” You mean clear coat?
yes@@emmettturner9452
ye@@emmettturner9452
This video is awesome. Love that you do a postmortem at the end. Definitely feel you on the printing part. There are definitely prints I've made that took far longer and produced lackluster results because I didn't properly position them for support structure.
Very cool video! Love the custom shell to really make the mod your own
Okay. This video just popped up in my feed and... I was hooked. Your energy, your enthusiasm, your approach to difficult problems and how you overcame them... dude. You are one sick dude! I most absolutely gave you a follow about 1/4 of the way through the video and I've activated the Bell to make sure I keep up to date with what you do! Haha! Keep up the good work! I'm going to be keeping you in my "To Watch" list 😎
Yeah me too!
I think the Everdrive's savegame functionality only handles on-cartridge storage. There were a few N64 games which required a memory pak for storing save games and wouldn't even let you continue from a game over without one, and some games also provided extra functionality with memory paks. So it's still really helpful to use a memory pak with this build. I have the original wired Brawler 64 and it's pretty nice but I don't like how the thumbstick is a dome rather than semi-concave/indented like on the original. But aside from that it's a great controller.
There are 135 games on the Nintendo 64 that save via Controller Pak, and the Everdrive 64 has no way of emulating that. Only the ability to backup the saves from one and to write saves back to it.
You're correct, the Everdrive 64 only handles on cartridge save games. A controller pak memory card is required for the games that used that method of saving. The Everdrive 64 can create and restore backups of the controller pak though. Modern versions of the controller pak exist, using FRAM, so a battery isn't required to hold the data. If he was to do a revision, I'd just build the controller port adapter hardware into the case with a new controller pak inserted. Of course, this setup lacks rumble, which means the Tribute 64 would have been a better pick for the wireless controller.
Yeah, this was a pretty glaring issue in the video. Hopefully @ZacBuilds will pin a correction because you absolutely need a memory pak with loads of games and the Everdrive does not emulate those, at best it can make backups of a memory pak that you can later restore back to a physical memory pak.
It's ok, but every modern controller has the analog gate shaped like a GC controller, making the sensitivity change with direction. Tribute64 is even worse (I know because I have two), since the cheap sticks they use aren't consistent to begin with. They're also overly sensitive in general, and this last one also goes for the old Hori, which is by far the best third party controller out there. Bottom line, you'll never get a better response than an OEM controller in good condition. Good news is steel bowls are now somewhat readily available, should you want to fix a worn one.
I came here to say this too. Without using a controller pak, you lose save functionality in some games.
What a build😮 id definitely get rid of that bulky memory/cord thing & go with what you mentioned at the end. Overall amazing!!
That is some incredible dedication to your craft, and the results speak for themselves!
for anyone else wanting to do this its always a good idea to make sure you have the right voltage with a voltmeter, you can always resolder but you cant really go back if you fry your main board
a voltmeter? You mean a multimeter.
@@lostdeath4202 ahh bahaha yes i do! i must have been a bit sleepy when i wrote this lol
@@lostdeath4202 there are such things as standalone voltmeters and ammeters etc.
@@lostdeath4202 How dense are you to not know what a voltmeter is ?
@@pigggy2313 explain the difference between voltmeter and multimeter
Another cool mod could have been integrating the Everdrive directly to the main board itself. Alongside the wireless controller mod you mentioned at the end, a compact portless box would be pretty rad.
That would make removing the sd a pain in the ass
You could print another case with a sd card slot inside it
@@frandurrieu6477 It also looked like there was a second port on the everdrive. Maybe a direct to PC connection?
If we’re modding out controller ports and the cartridge port, a miniPC would be your “compact portless box”. This turned out perfect the way it did.
Personally, I would want to keep the original controller ports and wired controllers nearby for redundancy, as a backup in case one of those fancy wireless jobs fails or runs out of juice in the middle of an intense Mario Party/Kart/Super Smash session with the homies. Excellent build--great job designing the custom console shell!
Damn it Zac, I've already got enough projects without you inspiring me to mod an N64 😅 Amazing work as always!
I went down that rabbit hole with my gamecube. It was a lot of money even though I did all the work myself, but worth every penny!
Pretty cool build! I'd add printing any logo or instructions directly into the case. No more stickers to glue, and you keep a consistent, clean aesthetic
A recessed logo area that could have been paint filled later would have been very cool.
Super cool build. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
19:44 surprise guest appearance 🐸 Truly awesome project, and excellent video!
Ok, this was amazing! I agree with disassembling the controller receiver, but a simple small dongle to attach in the original plug would be fine and something you still can do. I hope you have fun with it :)
If you do, just keep in mind that good mods aren't cheap.
exactly...the build is finished...nothings perfect...but that's pretty close...i was like...what the hell is that receiver could it be any uglier...must be way to solder it inside...he mentions it last in his final thoughts...that is the only thing to criticize...thermals are fine i'm sure...fit a small 1inch fan at the back with a few slots to be sure
I don't know if I would want to permanently install them. The power draw from the brawler dongle becomes a problem for the n64 with more than one plugged in. But if you never plan on multiplayer or just use the corded controllers for everyone else, you should be fine
Great video, Zac! I just love how you took over the kitchen island bench with the 3D printer 😂 would love to get my hands on one of those resin printers someday.
Dude, this was realy cool. I'm looking for doing this with all my old video games. I think that the only thing i'll keep is the original video game layout, it's kind of part of the procces in having an old video game.
I play old n64 games every few years and the hd texture packs are so good I can't play them without em now.
hey man great video! with resin make sure to have eye protection and a mask, you do not want that stuff getting in your eyes and you probably want to not have it in your kitchen between the fumes and resin getting on stuff. dont want you getting hurt from the stuff.
I came here for this comment. Seeing a resin printer in a kitchen set off some alarm bells.
Awesome build man, looks great. I would recommend looking into the BlueRetro controller mod, you'd install an esp32 on the inside which would allow you to connect to any modern bluetooth controller (PS5, Xbox, Switch, etc.), I've done that mod to all my retro consoles.
Love this idea!
10/10 for the mod, 11/10 for the Peep Show tee. Well played sir
Wish there was something similar stateside that was already affordable. Great video. Might nust have to do this on one of my n64 consoles
I love how I literally just got my PixelFX HD mod for my N64 in the mail today and this video so happens to show up. I watched your other stuff and it's fun to see how you share similar interests. Love the Practice board idea. I was worried about trying this part, but I think I'm going to get one to practice first like you did. Great idea!
Any old circuit board that is no longer useful is a practice board.
Man i LOVE this project and your ideas on this channel! Awesome stuff dude
I admit that is a very cool Nintendo 64 custom build for modern connectivity and cool setup too and take care.
Hello ZAC, I am writing to you from Spain, Nintendo 64 was my first video game console, I greatly appreciate this video, it turned out beautiful and what a coincidence that a few months ago I thought about modernizing my console and you just appeared. Thank you 1 million for this beautiful video.
This is so sick! The micro-soldering left me in awe lol But yeah like you said, the one thing I think you should've done differently is the controller port as the system looks so good, it's unfortunate that the controller piece sticking out is a bit inelegant. Maybe not pure wireless like you said though, as there is value to being able to have different controllers like if a friend wants to use an OEM or something. I think the best solution would be to crack open the wireless adapter, remove the big memory card part, and re-case what's left with your 3D printer.
The micro-soldering can be learned. Best thing I took away from this video was the practice board. Definitely going to order one now.
I have no desire what so ever to ever attempt something like this as I already know it’s beyond my capability or patience but I think it’s amazing that you can do it and love watching these consoles come more up date and be able to last longer into the future . Well done to you .
Just do it. The worst thing that can happen is you get to start again AND you know what you need to do better!
I would LOOOVE to buy this as a diy kit. The 3d printed parts and all the other small parts, pcb, thermalpads, magnets and so on
So much thought and efforts was put into this video thank you for your commitment
One other thing I feel that you're missing, as far as modernizing a mid-90s console, is a custom made jewel for the 64. Other than that, the build looks amazing, and it would definitely inspire me to give this a go if I had the space, and equipment for it.
I'm not sure what you mean by jewel? You mean the 3d N64 logo sticker thing? That wouldve been a nice addition.
@@ZacBuildsI think he meant game probably
@@ZacBuildsyeah jewels are the epoxy covered stickers or logos custom jewels are even bigger with original Xbox community
As a person with comically large hands, I really miss the N64 controller. I don't have to overlap my fingers on the back + the way that I hold it makes me appreciate how it is balanced in the left hand. Having too large hand for controllers can be crampy to hold on to them, but the N64 kinda just lays there by balance.
Love the video! its the first one ive seen from you on my recommended page. has anyone told you that you sound almost exactly like Doug Demuro??
Cool video! And love the JLB t-shirt by the way, never seen anything like it haha
ITS REALLY GOOD ! But be aware that the shielding around the motherboard is there to protect the console from RF signals and rust etc.
Rust? Laughable 😂😂😂😂
Always impressed by Zac's Builds. Inspired me to someday try to research my own console modding and/or furniture building a few years down the line for my house and future children to enjoy.
Hell ya! That amazing to hear.
I'm impressed too. I never could've imagined building a N64 using a N64. It blew my mind.
looks awesome! here’s a tip, if you wet sand the clear coat spray it’ll get a glass like finish too!
Instead of a white vinyl sticker, I would've used a waterslide decal for the cartridge! They are transparent as well. You stick that on first and then apply clear coat so it's protected. Great project!
Awesome job at creating the custom cases and turning it into an hdmi compatible device! Furthermore the way you explain your thought processes is educational and entertaining at the same time, really enjoyed listening to you! Kinda lost me at the retro controller though. For me, the iconic controller design absolutely defined the N64 experience and up to this day, I prefer it over the playstation / xbox standard. Dont get me wrong, my Wolverine V2 does an great job at project 64. But it doesnt even come close to the original experience, especially when playing shooters like Goldeneye 64 or its successor Perfect Dark. I wouldve loved if you took the original controller design and took into the 21st century by introducing a more ergonomic center stick (the og one was a serious gamers marker), some tactile buttons and a built-in rumble fuction as raw and powerful as the original pack provided it. Anyways, thanks so much for sharing this!
I did my own USB-C power mod for my N64. What you need to keep in mind is that it's not easy to find power adapters that support 12V. In those cases, you'll end up getting only 9V. So, I added a step-up converter to turn whatever comes in through USB-C into 12V. And the 3.3V step-down converter should be powerful enough to support around 3A. I replaced my first version with a 5A board with heatsink. Maybe you should check the heat of that module after using the console for some time.
Why tho? What's wrong with plugging it into the wall socket?
I can’t believe that this is efficient overall. Isn’t there any after market, small power supply with everything in the AC plug?
My dorm buddies LOVE your video. EVERYTIME that you say "OWT" or "HOWSE" "OWTPUT" we all take a shot! I am hapy to confess that I am the last man standing. Love u in Seattle Wa. USA
i was hoping you'd make it atomic purple, for that classic nintendo vibe. great video!
Amazing build! That 3d resin printer looks fun! Would love to make my own version sometime! Would be awesome to see a future video of your 2.0 idea! Heck, you could even throw in some RGB's, lol 😅
Yes-yes, the RGBs will even make the games run faster on that N64 /s
Brilliant work Zac! just wow! ANother option is using the Nintendo Switch ONline N64 controller and the blueretro wireless adapter to lower the profile on the front without the memory card slot. really great work on the 3d printed custom case too!
This is probably the best modern option. The combination of correctly designed analog gate and the sensitivity settings of the adapter might actually come pretty close to the controllability of a good OEM stick. All the current third party options kinda suck, sadly.
There is also a 8bitdo conversion kit that allows him to keep the same controller shell and a Hall effect joystick!
@@YimYum911 Hall effect is nice in theory, but the module they ship has the same incorrect gate geometry as every other (non-Hori) third party controller. You could keep the original stick for a simple wireless conversion, of course. It might not be very economical, but you could also get a steel bowl from Brewstix to rejuvenate that stick and significantly improve reliability.
> clear plastic > opaque sticker
Amazing build, though one thing i would change with the sticker is that i would change the zs colors to some blues and whites to give that ice vibe and if possible have it printed on clear vinyl so you can still see through it and it gives off the illusion that the sticker is a part of the plastic.
This era was designed with CRT in mind. With that said, I refuse to play these titles without either a being on a native CRT, or at minimum, a proper CRT shader for LCD. There's an entire art perspective breakdown about _exactly why_ this and older era games look *worse* on pixel-perfect LCDs, due to how the developers of the time used the functionality of the CRT scan lines to blend their texture pallets, creating shades between pixels that are entirely missing on these crisp displays.
Play what you enjoy !
Agreed. Also, playing on a modern TV _and_ using a wireless controller introduces plenty of input delay. Most people (especially those who would do this kind of mod in the first place) won't really notice it, but someone used to playing on a CRT with a wired controller would definitely have to take some time to adjust. It's why competitive Smash players stuck with CRTs for so long.
Gen Z will hate on you for telling them this. They want their 4k, tiktok, twitch content compatibility. Thankfully I have 2-3 CRT tv's barely used and ready to last until 2080. It's so sad that comapnies aren't making them anymore so the technology will die everwhyere as components corrode before year 2100.
I'd definitely like to see this with the wireless controllers integrated, and if possible a delete of the cartridge as a requirement, integrating the Everdrive directly as a switchable device.
There are so many cool details in a N64 to show with a clear case *Switches most of the original stuff* 😂🎉
As cool as it is to have watched you build a modern PS2, and now a modern N64, it's kinda sad that you start both with being annoyed by the antiquity of it. I feel like, as a kid whose first console was an N64 for my fourth Christmas, the inconveniences are part of the experience. Hearing that static buzz as you turn on your CRT, finding the RCA connectors in the back if you weren't lucky enough to have a set on the front of the TV, dialing the volume in juuuust right to be able to hear it, but not so loud you wake up your family. The slowness of it, the difficulty, the resilience of the hardware in the face of the absolute destructive power of children.. that's all part of it, for me at least.
Great video. The N64 was my first console, so it's nice to see one get a glow up. It'd be cool if HeyGears manages to make a colored transparent resin just to further add to aesthetics.
This is an awesome build!
The kinda thing you'd play romhacks in. I like it!
Well this video alone made me a subscriber!!! This is literally who I am as a person lol A creative, tech savvy tinkerer, with hands on mechanical skills as well! Beautiful build my friend!!
The n64 was my first ever console way back in 2001. I have bought and sold it 4 times and am on my 5th one now, but now that Ive become a console collector, Im never getting rid of it again
Love the clear resin look! There's a large hacking community around the N64 including both original games and new twists on existing ones, and an increasing number of them are console compatible! Would recommend Smash Remix, Zelda: The Sealed Palace, and any number of Super Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie hacks!
that sounds great ! where can you find those ?
Heres the smash remix mod channel. youtube.com/@smashremix5540?si=ZBfu0sGR91X__4hA
I would have loved to see the console have the bulbous front part maintained in the new build, it's classic. Other than that, a beautiful recreation of my favorite console of all time
I would've loved him to just buy a quality CRT that someone is trying to give away for 5 bucks so he can play it with the right quality of apperance. The games are designed for the input to a scanlined TV and will only look their best on such TVs, when they're properly calibrated of course. You can repopulate CRT capacitors and then calibrate them for best picture and from an appropriate distance like 10 feet away, they look better than what you get trying to play an ancient game ona modern tv.
If you want to get a perfect finish on resin items: 1. Tape a mirror to a cheap pottery wheel (your hands will thank you) 2. Tape your sanding material to the mirror with painters tape (mirror needed because of how perfectly level the surface is) 3. Start wet sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper, work your way up to 4000, then use Zona paper to get a perfect polish This is coming from someone who made custom resin items for a living that needed to be mirror smooth and dimensionally accurate within .02mm per side
The need for so much extra stuff is exactly why I don't own a resin printer (yet) I love using FDM machines, but there's no denying the amount of detail you can get with a resin one is insane. There's also a lot less post-processing sanding if you're doing work that should be painted, or you just don't want layer lines. The bigger downside obviously being that resin printers aren't quite there yet that they can have as big of a volume as a FDM machine, so no Iron Man resin helmet in one print just yet...
Absolutely love these videos. I have an old 64 sitting in the back room collecting dust; this really makes me wanna go on an ADHD bender with it and see what can be made of it. XD
ADHD benders are wild. Gotta ride them really well or else i end up with a 90% complete project that I can never work on again
I bought a N64 at a garage sale for 10 bucks, i plugged it in and it worked. I played a few games that came with it. Total price 10 bucks. Total time for setup, 5 minutes. Time spent sanding - Zero Minutes.
What I love about this is the fact that after decades of entertainment, there's still endless possibilities of what is possible with retro gaming. But at the core of it all, we still can't beat that one boss level...
thats mind-blowing how easy you made it look
Two things I'd recommend. 1) tap the holes when installing the standoffs. That ensures a proper threading for the parts. 2) I certainly couldn't do it, but it would have been really cool to see the wireless module integrated inside the case. You could make a controller port movable and set it back in the case, or even perhaps hardwire it.
Really love the content you make. I started my own YT channel (not this one, not trying to self promote on yours) and it definitely inspires me to keep going and just trying to make every video better than the last. Keep up the great work!
Heck ya, that's awesome to hear. Feel free to post a link and self promote haha! I know how hard it can be to first get started, but honestly getting over that initial hump is the hardest part. From there its all iterating and doing better each time just like you said.
You are the best! Your comment gave me so many good emotions 🥹 Well this is my channel! Tech has been a big part of my life and I just want to finally fulfill my dream of being able to play with it all day long.