What’s The Best Projector for the Nintendo 64?

Written by James Core in Buying Guide

The Nintendo 64, NINTENDO64, or N64 is a home video gaming console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released back in June 1996 in Japan then September 1996 in North America as well as March 1997 in Australia and Europe. It was the last major console still using the cartridge system over the later more popular CD system used by its rivals Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The N64 was discontinued in 2002 a year after the Nintendo GameCube was launched in 2001.

At any rate, you have two options when it comes to hunting for the best projector for the Nintendo N64 or Nintendo 64. You can avail of a vintage projector that accepts the AV connections of the N64 to ensure maximum compatibility. Or you can avail of a projector that has ports for vintage game consoles like the Nintendo 64 in the first place

Background and Release 

The 5th generation console known as Nintendo 64 was originally codenamed “Project Reality”. It’s designed was mostly finalized as early as the middle of 1995. However, its launch was delayed till 1996, the same year when Time Magazine named it, “Machine of the Year”. It was released with the following launch titles of Super Mario 64, Saiyo Habu Shogi (Japanese exclusive) and Pilotwings 64 (worldwide release).

 

  • Competition for the 5th Generation of Gaming: As part of the 5th generation of game consoles, the N64 mainly competed against the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation. The Microsoft Xbox came a little bit later. The Atari Jaguar and the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer also came out in this generation but those consoles ultimately flopped and became footnotes of gaming history. In the U.S., it has $199.99 as its suggested retail price. Worldwide, about 32.93 million N64 consoles were sold all over the world. It’s ranked as the 9th greatest videogame console of all time according to IGN.

 

  • History and Historical Importance: Following the videogame crash of 1983, Nintendo helped revive it with the release of their Famicom or Family Computer gaming console that eventually became the NES or Nintendo Entertainment System. By the tail end of the 1980s, the company led the industry with the NES. Their follow-up console was the Super NES or SNES, known in Japan as the Super Famicom, took a hit in sales due to the Japanese recession. Nintendo needed a better successor for the NES in light of stiff competition from Sega and relative newcomer Sony or risk losing market dominance in the long-term.

 

  • Licensing Policies: The strict Nintendo licensing policies and quality control have long been a point of contention among third-party developers, which came to a head in the mid-1990s when they opted to go for Sony and its new console for their needs. This eventually led to franchises like Final Fantasy moving from Nintendo to Sony, with Final Fantasy VII and VIII, in particular, garnering huge acclaim. It was also during this generation of consoles that Nintendo relied more heavily on its first-party titles like the Super Mario and Zelda franchises to sell their consoles.

 

  • Lowered Price Range at Launch: Priced originally at $250, Nintendo decided to instead go with $199.99 in order to better compete with the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation that came out much earlier than the N64. During that summer, both consoles were lowered around that price range. Nintendo also priced the console to make it more of an impulse purchase, which is a common toy industry strategy. In 1998, the price was reduced further. Popular Electronics called its launch “much-hyped” and “long-anticipated”. Meanwhile, the editorial staff of GamePro was stating from the start how they preferred the N64 over the PlayStation and Saturn.

Whats The Best Projector for the Nintendo 64

The Games Available on The Nintendo 64

Another major reason why you should invest into getting a projector for your N64 is because of its wide library of games that work best with the console instead of using emulation through the Nintendo Switch. There are 388 games released for the N64 and even though there are various means of emulation for them to make them playable on the virtual console, they run the best on N64 hardware.

 

  • The Library of Critically Acclaimed Games: Although rivals PlayStation had more games at 1,100 games and Saturn at 600 games because they were released earlier than the N64, the 388 games of the Nintendo console remain some of the best of all time while there are more badly reviewed games by percentage from the PlayStation and the Saturn. This is also in contrast with the 768 games of the NES and the 725 games of the SNES that was released in the U.S. The fact remains that the percentage of critically acclaimed best-sellers are more from the N64 side than other game consoles.

 

  • Quality over Quantity: The first-party Nintendo games released for the N64 all followed the strategy of Hiroshi Yamauchi, who was then the Nintendo President. He announced his strategy back in November 1995, during the unveiling of the N64. It involves limiting the number of titles produced for the consoles so that game developers could focus more on quality games rather than quantity, a la the Shovelware introduced to the Wii and Wii-U during the later portions of their life spans. It was a fool’s errand to try and catch up with the libraries of Saturn and PS, so it’s better to focus on improving game quality instead.

 

  • Highly Successful Game Sales in The U.S.A.: Like the Nintendo Switch—another latecomer gaming console—the N64 has a larger library of high-quality games compared to the PS1 and Saturn. According to reports by TRSTS, 3 of the top 5 best-selling games in America for December 1996 were N64 games. Meanwhile, the remaining 2 were Super NES games in turn. Meanwhile, Super Mario 64 is the best-selling game of the 5th generation of gaming consoles, selling 11 million units and beating rival Sony PlayStation’s best-selling game of Gran Turismo, which in turn sold 10.85 million units and Final Fantasy VII at 9.72 million units.

 

  • Pioneering 3D Control: Just as the Nintendo Wii pioneered motion controls, the N64 in turn pioneered 3D control during the early days of 3D polygonal gaming. Quite a number of critical praise and acclaim went to Nintendo and its N64 controller when it comes to controlling the player character over a 3D plain or stage. The first-person shooter genre also benefited from the contributions of GoldenEye 007, leading to the game being named as one of the best FPS games ever made. Meanwhile, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in turn set a new standard for the action-adventure game in the 3D world. It’s also considered one of the best games of all time as well.

Our Recommended Projector for Nintendo 64 

Our recommended projector for the N64 is the GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector 4500L Outdoor Movie Projector. This is mainly due to the fact that it’s a newer projector and not a secondhand vintage one with the right VGA or RCA connectors needed to link up to the Nintendo 64 that was also used for CRT television connections. You don’t need to go vintage projector with your N64 if a modern solution is available, after all. To wit:

  • The Specs Says It All: The GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector has specs to spare that make it notable, particularly it’s 1280 x 768 resolution that makes it near HD for 720p or for laptops with similar resolution requirements. It’s through this resolution that you get outstanding sharpness for a projector of its caliber and price point. It also has excellent heat dispersion and lower noise with hits powerful cooling system on top of advanced color technology to boot to ensure you of great color fidelity out of your Nintendo 64 games. It has a maximum image size of 230 inches to boot.

 

  • HD Quality Picture That’s Accurately Vivid: The GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector is also able to stand out from the rest of the projectors available on the market today because it’s high resolution and its native 720p or 1280 x 768 pixels of resolution supports 1080p Full HD. This allows you to see more detail from what you’re watching, playing, or interacting with because the projector can play videos or games from 480p to upwards of 1080p. The only things it can’t play without downgrading the resolution is Ultra HD 4K videos and games on Blu-Ray. It offers accurate and vivid video quality, especially from old N64 games from decades ago.

 

  • Composite Video Input: The thing that allows the GooDee Upgrade HD Video Projector to connect to the N64 is its AV ports that enable linkups with RCA or composite video connectors. It also allows component video output for your GameCube and Wii needs. Any projector you want to link up to the Nintendo 64 should have a composite video input socket somewhere on it that’s yellow in color just like your N64 plug. Otherwise, you’ll need a composite to component or AV to HDMI video adapter to allow linkup. A composite to VGA adapter is also acceptable since VGA inputs are quite common among a multitude of projectors.

 

  • The Brightness Difference: The GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector difference that makes it an audio-visual feast for all your N64 needs is the fact that it has 4,500 lumens of light. This is because, judging by its resolution of 1280 x 768, it’s a business projector that’s typically used to do presentations on ambient light that can also be repurposed for backyard movie nights and home cinema purposes. It’s also appropriate for your gaming needs because it has an AV port for vintage consoles like the N64 plus it is bright enough to see all the details from the polygons you’re traveling through or shooting at.

 

  • Home Theater and Outdoor Use: You can use the projector indoors and outdoors as well. Although the N64 isn’t as portable as the Switch, you do have the option to play Super Smash Bros. with it and the super-bright GooDee projector at your backyard with the appropriately sized inflatable screen. It takes your gaming to the cinematic level almost, or at the very least allows you to play games on a gigantic screen worthy of a drive-in theater. Just don’t forget to pack the appropriate number of extension cords. This is all possible because the video projector is 80 percent brighter than other projectors within its price range, allowing you to see the projection even with ambient light.

 

  • Varied Inputs and Compatible Devices: The brightness and clarity of the 4,500-lumen GooDee Upgrade HD Video Projector cannot be denied, and so is its HD resolution that can go up until 1080p with a roughly 720p native resolution. It’s not only compatible with all vintage devices using AV or VGA outputs—it can also link up with the Amazon Firestick, HDTVs (for mirrored display action), Blu-Ray or DVD players, game consoles from multiple generations, USB flash drives, external HDD, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and much more. All this on top of N64 compatibility. You want a projector that does it all rather than a projector exclusively for N64 usage.

 

  • Projection Size and Throw Distance with LCD Technology: The projection size range of the GooDee YG600 LCD projector goes from 44 inches (which is about the size of a typical home cinema flatscreen HDTV) to 230 inches (the size of an outdoor movie projector screen for drive-in theaters). This is ideal for projecting graphics, presentations, movies, games, and so forth. You can even do slideshows with the projector if you wish. The shortest throw distance of the unit is 4.9 feet and the recommended viewing distance is 10 feet but it can go all the way to 18 feet. The unit also uses a long-lasting yet low-watt LED light source for good measure.

  • Powerful Speakers Built Into the Projector: The GooDee outdoor movie projector that also doubles as an indoor one can work with your home cinema’s surround-sound system or with Bluetooth speakers. Alternatively, it can also use its own powerful 3W twin speakers for outdoor movie or videogame fun. You can play Ocarina of Time, Megaman Legends, Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, and various other titles at your backyard with an accompanying large screen and extension cords for some quality gaming action. It’s especially fun to play with the original Super Smash Bros. fighting game.

 

  • Hi-Fi Stereo Unperturbed by Low Fan Sound: The powerful speakers of the GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector won’t be muffled by a droning fan sound either. Many portable or mini projector owners tend to complain about two things with such units—their fans tend to be noisy or too small to keep the unit from overheating after only a couple of hours or minutes of use. Neither is the case for the GooDee YG600. Its powerful cooling system is quite cost-efficient when it comes to dispersing heat, such that your LED lamp and the unit itself should last for a long, long time as long as you regularly clean the vents and don’t overuse it. It has a noiseless fan design to boot made of innovative materials to ensure silent operation.

 

  • Factory-Leading Unit and Projector Tech: The GooDee YG600 Upgrade HD Video Projector provides three years warranty for the projector, which ensures you that it should last at least 3 years or you can get a new replacement unit with no questions asked. From its external speakers with crystal-clear sound quality to its long-lasting LED lamp with 4,500 lumens of brightness, every part, and component of the projector is made with the highest testing and quality control standards, which explains why it’s so highly rated among Amazon.com customers. Buying it for your N64 and other entertainment needs is an absolutely risk-free purchase for you.

 

  • You Can Do Retro Games or Modern Games: Not only is the GooDee Upgrade HD Video Projector 4500L Outdoor Movie Projector compatible with the Nintendo 64. It can also work with previous iterations of Nintendo consoles like the NES and SNES. It can even work with the GameCube and Wii. On top of that, its HDMI connection allows it to work with modern consoles like the Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii-U. It even works with all iterations of the PS (from the PS1 to PS4) and Xbox (Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One). It’s a gaming projector by all intents and purposes.

 

To Summarize

Although compatibility is assured by focusing more on projectors made around the same time as the N64, there’s really no need to buy something secondhand for your secondhand Nintendo console. There are brand-new projectors available like the GooDee Upgrade HD Video Projector that have the AV ports needed to connect vintage or classic media sources like the N64, the SNES, the NES, the PS1 to PS3, and the Xbox to Xbox One. They also work with old VCRs and LaserDiscs for good measure. The benefit of availing of more modern projectors is the fact that you can use them on modern appliances and electronics without availing of an adapter such as your usual slew of HDTVs, Blu-Ray players, DVD players, satellite or cable boxes, USB flash drives, and laptops.

 

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James Core

I love my projector system and I am here to help you find the right projector for your needs.

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