Q: I need a new memory pak, what should I know?
A: Due to how the save system works, memory paks can only store 16 games at a time.
Forever pak is a solid state memory that will give you a virtually eternal save. The other recommended option would be a performance memory card with bank switching, as that can store more than 16 game saves, and the battery is socketed to make battery changes easy when the battery eventually dies. The stock Nintendo one is pretty good too.
Q: My controller is broken or has a worn out stick, what are my options?
A: The first route you could take would be to repair your stick with a new set of parts from Kitsch-Bent. You will likely need to do some cleanup, and since shipping is pretty expensive in relation to other parts, I would recommend ordering a couple sets, and having some backups for the future, or in case the sticks aren't clean enough to use. Getting a set of rocker arms, the bowl, and the stick is a full replacement, and all parts are recommended if the stick is worn. To prevent future problems, you should lubricate the bottom of the stick (where it touches the bowl, and where it touches the arms, do not put any on the gear side, since it can clog up the gears and have problems reading the stick position) with some silicone grease (oil is messy, and other greases could have a reaction with the ABS plastic that the parts are made from). Another option to extend longevity is to get a steel bowl. When paired with grease it will cut down immensely on wear and the bowl will be permanent. If you have deeper pockets, you could get a steel stick from a place like Rockergaming or Steelstick but these are both expensive, and often out of stock.
The other route you could take would be getting another controller. Personally, I would recommend either the Tribute64 from Retro-Bit, or the Brawler 64 from Retrofighters as both of these have a solid reputation and have good quality sticks. The Tribute64 seems to be a favorite though, as it is slightly cheaper and comes with the option to use on PC, console, and even switch (with the use of a dongle), where the Brawler can only do one of these.
I would not recommend going with a Gamecube replacement kit, they do not have a good range and they generally are pretty poor quality. It could work in a pinch, but Kitsch-Bent is cheaper if you're doing more than one, and higher quality too.
Q: I want to play romhacks or homebrew on my console, what should I get?
A: For playing roms on console, you have a few options. Flashcarts are the first, and recommended option. They're simple to set up, and usually run off an SD card.
Everdrive X5 and Everdrive X7 are the tried and true flash carts, and work very well. The jump in price on the X7 adds RTC support, a usb port for sending roms to for testing (great for developers) and allows saving to SD without hitting the reset button on the console, among some other small benefits. All models of Everdrive have 64mb for running roms, support saving gameshark codes, multiple regions, NES and gameboy emulation, among other features.
Summercart 64 is a flashcart made primarily for the developer side of things, though it can be used casually too. It is open source, has 64 mb for running roms, but does not support Gameshark codes or NES/GB emulation like the Everdrive. However, it does have a couple new upsides, like the ability to automatically save on the fly, or even run 64DD games natively through hardware emulation! This is also a very good pick.
Ed64 is a copy of a much older revision of Everdrive that was grabbed and made in China for cheap. It definitely is the budget option, as it is missing a lot of the extra features of the more modern Everdrives, but it does play roms. Like the Everdrive X5, it does not save unless you hit the reset button. Your mileage may vary on the build quality as well.
The second option is to get a Retroblaster, with cartridge and shell. This allows you to put roms on a cartridge, play them on console, then wipe when you are done. Only one rom can be loaded on at a time, but if you only want one game at a time, this is not a bad way to go. The Retroblaster also allows you to rip roms and even save files from your official cartridges as well. You get one free header with your purchase of the unit, but you can also buy more headers for different consoles, like NES, SNES, Genesis, and more.
JoeyN64 allows you to flash chinese repro roms, as well as rip roms and saves like the retroblaster, though this only works with n64.
The last option should be to go for a premade romhack aftermarket cartridge. They are not well made, so sometimes they will just die unexpectedly. This only makes sense if you want one or two, once you get more than that, you will be paying more than for a retroblaster, or a cheap flashcart.
Q: How can I get started making my own ROMs?
A: To preface this, before you make games for Nintendo 64, you must have experience in other languages. There is no "engine" for Nintendo 64 games like Unity or Unreal Engine. Instead, you have something called a codebase, which is a collection of source code that compiles together to make a program (in this case, a rom). There is also no IDE, so logic checking is done at compile time, not in real time.
Libdragon is a new option that has gained prominence recently with the advent of Tiny3D, and has rapidly become a favorite of developers. Currently, most emulators do not support libdragon, but it does work on hardware, so if you want to learn libdragon, you must have a flashcart in order to test your rom.
LibUltra is the library that came directly from Nintendo with the Developer Kit. This is still a good option, though it is much harder than Libdragon as many things are depreciated (the linker strip is 16 bit, which does not run on modern hardware) or buggy (SoundTools needs to stay at specific resolutions and is heavily prone to crashing) and the language does not come with as many conveniences.
Check out Homebrew for more information.
Q: Do I need the Jumper Pak?
A: The slot at the front must have either a Jumper Pak or an Expansion Pak installed in order to boot the console. The type of RAM that the n64 uses (RAMBUS) must be terminated (the circuit must be completed) in order to properly boot, otherwise the RAM will never be usable.
Q: Do I need the Expansion Pak?
A: If you plan on sticking to retail N64 games, and dont mind missing out on Majora's mask, DK64, and Perfect Dark, then chances are, you're probably fine. The rest of the retail library may have some higher resolution options or some other additions that you may miss out on, but most of the console's library is perfectly playable without the Expansion Pak.
If you are doing research before buying, and you would like an Expansion Pak, or you are looking for another console, I would recommend buying the Expansion Pak with the console, that tends to be the cheapest way to get one.
Q: Can I buy a third party Expansion Pak?
A: Third party Expansion Paks are known for their thermal problems, many of them are made without proper heatsinks, and over time this causes them to overheat and shorten their lifespan. A first party one is generally recommended unless you know the third party you are getting is well-made, it isn't worth it to save a few bucks.
Q: My game isn't working, what do I do?
A: First thing to try is cleaning the contacts. Use 70% or greater isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol is not the same thing, it must be isopropyl. The higher% it is, the better it is, but not everyone has access to 99% so use what you can. You may even have it in your medicine cabinet already, as its a good disinfectant as well. Use a Q-tip to apply, and rub until it doesnt darken the Q-tip or feel sticky anymore, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then try it out. This process removes the oxidation buildup from years of being exposed to the elements and being blown on to make it work. You may use a similar process for the jumper pak or expansion pak to make sure that is clean as well.
If you are using a flatscreen, try a new TV if you have it. Some modern displays do not like AV resolutions below 640x480, and will refuse to show the picture. Some of them will play the audio, some will not. You can get around this by getting an upscaler, that will convert the signal to 640x480 and usually will make the game look a bit better on modern screens.
If the front LED turns on, the console is likely booting, check that your video cable works. If you happen to have a Gamecube or SNES, those video cables are the same plug, and will work to check that the cable is properly working.
If your console's LED is off, then you probably have a power supply issue.
Q: My screen is really dark or really bright, what do I do?
A: There are 2 standards of video that Nintendo 64 was made for: NTSC (USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and others) and PAL (Mostly European countries). Because of this, the color signals are different between regions. PAL cables are actually different from NTSC ones, as they have some extra capacitors in the cable to make it display properly. Nearly all third party video cables are made for NTSC, so if you have a PAL console and a third party video cable, chances are, the cable is at fault.
Q: I have a console from outside of my region (PAL console in USA, or NTSC console in Europe), what power supply should I use?
A: Use whatever power supply works natively on your power grid. the power going into the power brick may be different, but at the end of the day, the power flowing into your system is DC power, so you don't have to worry about frequency. You may also use a power converter for the original, but the conversion isn't worth it, unless you have no other option.
Q: What can I do to upgrade my video?
A: The easiest option, if you have the ability, is to get an S-Video cable. There are a number of these, including a first party option, but I like to recommend the one from Insurrection Industries, as it is shielded, affordable, and well made in general. They are also the maker of the carby, so they have good quality offerings for other systems as well.
Q: How can I tell if a game is a real game, or a reproduction (repro)?
A: This article is a pretty comprehensive guide to detecting fakes With some games, they have more tells because of the print quality or a poorly sourced label that does not match the region the cartridge is supposed to be.