Nintendo 64DD (Bad media)
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Note: This page was copy pasted from the Crappy Games Wiki on Miraheze instead of imported due to the Qualitipedia wikis being deleted.
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 Or: How the Big N's second attempt at a disk-supported game system ended up blowing up in their faces.
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The 64DD (short for 64 Disk Drive or Dynamic Drive) was a magnetic disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo released only in Japan on December 1st, 1999 and was discontinued on February 28th, 2001, prior to the release of the Nintendo GameCube.
Why It Flopped
- Only 10 disks (eight games, one expansion disk and one utility disk) were released for it. Four of these discs are Mario Artist games.
- It used a proprietary magnetic disk format which could only store approximately 1/10th of what a CD-ROM could store. The 64DD disk only holds up to 64 MB of data, while CD-ROMs hold even more than that, up to 650 or 700 MB. Plus, 64MB N64 cartridges already existed, so that makes this disk format pointless other than being produced at low costs.
- 64DD disks were also a bit more expensive to manufacture than CD-ROMs.
- It's worth noting, however, they were cheaper to produce than cartridges.
- Its release was constantly delayed, and according to a Digital Heroes 98 magazine interview, it was because of timing, trying to balance the add-on with N64 games, and poor sales of the Nintendo 64 console in Japan[1]. This meant that by the time it did come out, it didn't last too long in the market against the other competing consoles, especially with the Dreamcast having already been released in Japan in 1998.
- Initially, it was only available in the Randnet Starter Kit via mail order.
- Later on, though, small quantities of the add-on were sold in stores.
- Mother 3 (EarthBound 64 in the West) was cancelled, due to the Nintendo 64DD being discontinued. It was eventually remade as a Japanese-exclusive title for the Game Boy Advance.
Redeeming Qualities
- It wasn't particularly expensive when it was first released.
- That being said, however, the 64DD and its software titles nowadays command very high prices on eBay, due to being an extremely rare device, as only 10,000 units were sold.
- 64DD disks were much faster, more flexible and durable than CD-ROMs, and they also have copy protection.
- The disks were difficult to break, unlike the fragile ones from the older Famicom Disk System.
- The design of the disk drive unit blends in well with the base N64 console.
- Despite being a commercial failure, the console is actually good, and so are it's games
List of released disks
A total of 10 disks were released for the 64DD: eight games, one expansion disk and one utility disk.
- Mario Artist: Paint Studio (December 1, 1999)
- Doshin the Giant (December 1, 1999)
- Randnet Disk (February 23, 2000)
- Mario Artist: Talent Studio (February 23, 2000)
- SimCity 64 (February 23, 2000)
- F-Zero X Expansion Kit (April 21, 2000)
- Japan Pro Golf Tour 64 (May 2, 2000)
- Doshin the Giant: Tinkling Toddler Liberation Front! Assemble! (May 17, 2000)
- Mario Artist: Communication Kit (June 29, 2000)
- Mario Artist: Polygon Studio (August 29, 2000)
A 64DD port of Super Mario 64 was also planned, but cancelled. A prototype of it has been leaked.
Trivia
- While the add-on was sold exclusively to Japan, rumors have been appearing that there was a North American version that was made, that rumor wasn't proven until 2016 and Metal Jesus Rock found an Ultra rare version of it, however due to the fact that it's region locked, it can't play any games.
Videos
References
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