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Nintendo 64
[copied from No-Intro wiki - needs polishing]
Introduction
Dumping Nintendo 64 carts is pretty easy if you have one of the dedicated hardware solutions for it, but they can sometimes be hard to come by, or out of stock, or you have to build them yourself.
Note on Development Cartridges: Because the Retrode and Sanni Cart Reader lack the PIF chip, development carts cannot be dumped with them. The only option is to use a GameShark, 64drive + UltraSave, or possibly a Doctor V64. 64drive + UltraSave is recommended (uses USB, no region lock, no size limit, no address limit, can dump all save types, is fast and reliable), but can be expensive and goes out of stock quickly.
Methods
Method 1 - 64drive + UltraSave
Assemble the UltraSave unit and insert your 64drive and game cartridge into either slot. Download the dumping software from the 64drive website, follow the Quick Start Guide on the same page, and dump the game.
Method 2 - Sanni Cart Reader
The Sanni Cart Reader comes with Mega Drive / Genesis dumping capabilities by default. Follow the Sanni Cart Reader wiki for proper settings, and dumping instructions.
Method 3 - Retrode2 + N64 adapter
This is a super simple system that works really well, and is affordable and readily available. See our hardware page for shop links.
- Plug your game into the N64 adapter, and then the adapter into the Retrode2.
- Make sure the voltage setting is at 3.3V.
- Connect the Retrode2 to your computer.
- The Retrode2 should now show up as a regular USB drive, and you can copy the ROM from there for further analysis.
Method 4 - GameShark ProAction Replay Pro
Follow the NES World guide. It has been reported that parallel port adapters don't work for this, so you'll need to find an old desktop computer. You may also want to read this article by Nintendo Player.
Identifying Game Versions
todo: add info on cart/box serials (and non-standard carts if relevant)
SSS-TGGR-V
S = System (should always/mostly be “NUS”)
T = Type (N = Normal)
G = Game code (e.g. SM = Super Mario 64)
R = Region (J = Japan, E = USA, P = Europe)
V = Version (starts at 0)