Expansion Pak
The Expansion Pak is a RAM expansion for the Nintendo 64 that can be plugged into the top of the console. The Jumper Pak , which acts as a placeholder, is removed beforehand . The conversion gives the Nintendo 64 an additional 4 MB RAM. With the Expansion Pak, a Nintendo 64 has a total of 8 MB of RAM. The console requires one of the Paks in the bay for operation. A Memory Expansion Pak is available for the Nintendo DS that was only used by the Nintendo DS browser .
history
The original plan was to sell the Expansion Pak together with the 64DD . After the 64DD was not to be released in America and Europe, the Expansion Pak was sold individually and in a set with the game Donkey Kong 64 , which was the first game that required an Expansion Pak.
Purpose of the Expansion Pak
Thanks to the larger memory, the game developers had more hardware memory available. The developers use this most often to display the games in the so-called "high-resolution mode": Instead of the standard resolution of 320 × 240 pixels, the games were displayed with four times the number of pixels (640 × 480). In other games, the Expansion Pak was used to be able to display several objects at the same time without having to accept a loss in the refresh rate .
Games
Games compatible with the Expansion Pak
| Title | Expansion Pak | annotation |
|---|---|---|
| 007 James Bond: The world is not enough | compatible | improves graphics and effects |
| Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| All-Star Baseball 2000 | compatible | |
| All-Star Baseball 2001 | compatible | |
| Armorines: Project SWARM | compatible | |
| Army Men: Air Combat | compatible | |
| Army Men: Sarge's Heroes | compatible | |
| Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 | compatible | |
| Battlezone: Rise of the Black Dogs | compatible | |
| Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness | compatible | |
| Command & Conquer | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| Cyber Tiger 2000 | compatible | |
| Daikatana | compatible | enables high-resolution graphics setting and widescreen mode. |
| Donald Duck: Goin 'Quackers | compatible | |
| Donkey Kong 64 | needed | necessary to start the game. |
| Duke Nukem: Zero Hour | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting or a higher frame rate. |
| Excitebike 64 | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| F1 Racing Championship | compatible | |
| F-1 World Grand Prix II | compatible | allows you to watch your own race again. |
| FIFA 99 | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting in 640 × 480. |
| Gauntlet Legends | compatible | enables four-player mode. |
| Hybrid Heaven | compatible | |
| Hydro Thunder | compatible | enables three- and four-player mode. |
| Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine | compatible | |
| Indy Racing 2000 | compatible | |
| International Superstar Soccer 2000 | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| International Track & Field 2000 | compatible | |
| Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 | compatible | |
| Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Slugfest | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | needed | necessary to start the game. |
| Madden NFL 2000 | compatible | |
| Madden NFL 2001 | compatible | |
| Madden NFL 2002 | compatible | |
| Mega Man 64 | compatible | |
| NBA Jam 2000 | compatible | only with PAL version. |
| NFL Quarterback Club '99 | compatible | |
| NFL Quarterback Club 2000 | compatible | |
| 2001 NFL Quarterback Club | compatible | |
| Nuclear Strike 64 | compatible | enables the "medium resolution" graphics setting |
| Perfect Dark | recommended | The Expansion Pak is required to use all game modes. The back of the box states that only around 35% of the game is available without the Expansion Pak. |
| Pokémon Stadium 2 | compatible | increases the resolution to 680 × 480. |
| Quake II | compatible | increases the graphic level of detail. |
| Rat Attack | compatible | |
| Rayman 2: The Great Escape | compatible | increases the resolution. |
| Re-Volt | compatible | enables the "Medium-Resolution" graphic setting and with the cheat code "FLYBOY" the "High-Resolution" setting. |
| Resident Evil 2 | compatible | increases resolution and texture details. |
| Road Rash 64 | compatible | increases the refresh rate from 30 Hz to 60 Hz and enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting |
| Roadsters | compatible | |
| San Francisco Rush 2049 | compatible | enables music in the arcade races and unlocks the Advanced Circuit . |
| Shadow Man | compatible | improves the texture quality. |
| Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers | compatible | |
| South Park | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting and increases the refresh rate in the "low-resolution" setting. |
| Spider-Man | compatible | |
| Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo | compatible | increases the resolution to 680 × 480. |
| Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting with a resolution of 640 × 480 and increases the refresh rate in "low resolution". |
| Star Wars: Rogue Squadron | compatible | increases the resolution to 680 × 480. |
| StarCraft 64 | recommended | necessary to be able to play the Brood War missions and to unlock the two-player mode. |
| Stunt racer 64 | compatible | |
| Supercross 2000 | compatible | |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six | compatible | |
| Tony Hawk's skateboarding | compatible | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2nd | compatible | increases the refresh rate. |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3rd | compatible | |
| Top Gear Hyper Bike | compatible | |
| Top gear overdrive | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting and improves the textures. |
| Top Gear Rally 2 | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics (cheat to activate (enter in the main menu): C-left, C-left, left on the D-Pad, L, L) |
| Turok 2: Seeds of Evil | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion | compatible | |
| Turok: Rage Wars | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| Vigilante 8 | compatible | |
| Vigilante 8: 2nd offense | compatible | |
| World Driver Championship | compatible | enables the "high-resolution" graphics setting. |
| Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate | compatible |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Section 6: "What does the Expansion Pak do?" ( Memento from January 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- ↑ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/05/donkey_kong_64_required_expansion_pak_to_prevent_game_breaking_bug
- ↑ http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27671/nintendos-expansion-ports-nintendo-64-expansion-pak
- ↑ Levi Buchanan: N64 Expansion Pak. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , October 29, 2008, accessed August 6, 2015 .
- ↑ http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/27671/nintendos-expansion-ports-nintendo-64-expansion-pak
Web links
Commons : Nintendo 64 - album with pictures, videos and audio files
- Article in Mag '64
- Installing the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak : Installation description Nintendo.com ( English )