2010s - NOTES
 DW FACTSby Dark Watcher |
|
|
The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive was the first writable bulk data storage device for a modern video game console. Using a 64-megabyte
writable magnetic disk media, it allowed game developers the freedom to store unprecedented amounts of gaming data on a console
machine. For example, it could be used to track every stat you can imagine in a baseball game, or every detail about the world
and your character in an RPG or simulation game. The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive can be used for future upgrades of games by providing new levels or characters. The system disks are bootable, meaning that they can be used without a cartridge in the system (although they can also be used in conjunction with a cartridge). The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive included a 4 megabyte RDRAM upgrade for the Nintendo 64, which would bring the total RDRAM for the N64 system up to 8 megabytes total, more than any console game system at that time. The hardware also contained a built-in ROM with some helpful data files that can be accessed by developers. In addition, the hardware has a real-time clock. The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive reads data at about one megabyte per second, which is roughly comparable to a 6X PC CD-ROM drive. Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation sport 2X CD-ROM drives, which only transfer about 300 KB/sec. The unit itself sits underneath the Nintendo 64 console and plugs into the EXT expansion connector on the bottom of the system. |
 |
|
The system uses a disk that is physically about the size of a 3.5 floppy disk, but is twice as thick. Because of the potential
for exposure to very young children, the drive itself has many ruggedizing features. For example, it has a locking bay drive
door that would not open unless two small rails on the Nintendo 64 Disk are inserted into it. This would keep little fingers and
cookies out of the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive. The unit also has a durable case and locks up tight when not in the drive. A variable amount of the space can be designated as readable (ROM) or writable (RAM). There are several different ways the data can be divided between readable and writable, ranging from a split of 38 megabytes writable and 26 megabytes readable to having the entire disk's 64 megabytes of memory read only. The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive is a "burst access" device, which means that it does not stream data to the N64, but rather sends it in high speed bursts. Because of this, the drive would not be ideal for full motion video, or for streaming audio data (although clever developers would of course find ways to create FMV effects with the system). However, with the powerful 3D polygon capabilities of the N64, it is just as effective to create 3D real-time movies with polygonal characters. |
 |
|
On the development side, the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive gives the developer up to 64 megabytes for code and data (compared to the 8-12
megabytes of currently available N64 cartridge configurations). The 8 megabytes of RDRAM would allow for large frame buffers and
custom sound wave tables in RAM. With the system's writable capability, the game can save extensive amounts of customization
data or tons of stats. The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive's capabilities create three ideal game development scenarios. The first scenario makes use of the expanded RDRAM of the system and is ideal for a racing game with multiple tracks or an RPG. In these kinds of games, where the basic program code is not too large, but the tracks and world maps are, a developer could put the code in the RDRAM and then load the different tracks or world maps off of the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive as they are encountered. Another scenario would be to use the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive for a game with many different levels that have different game play. In this case, the program code and the level data would be loaded into RDRAM from the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive at the beginning of each level. Another scenario that may be used for Zelda 64 is to use the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive to create future expansions for a cartridge based game. This allows the developer or publisher to release their game immediately, and then give it extra long life with expansion disks. This can easily be done if the "hooks" for the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive are put into the cartridge program in advance. |
|
 |
|
|
MODELS
CLONES
CONSOLE RATINGS
FORMAT, PACKAGING & GENERAL INFO
SCREENSHOTS
EMULATION
SPECS & MANUALS
OTHER
MEDIA
WEB RESOURCES
DISCUSS