Banjo-Kazooie’s Stop N Swop feature Unlocked

[Ari]

Pretty neat they're still finding stuff with the N64 to this day.

Developer Rare based the idea around a quirk in the Nintendo 64’s hardware, in which any time the console was turned off it still retained the contents of its memory for a number of seconds.

The idea was that players would reach a point in a Rare game then turn the console off, quickly swap the game out for a different Rare game then turn the console back on. If performed correctly, the stored memory would be detected by the second cartridge and would unlock new content.

Stop N Swop was ultimately abandoned but players continued to spread rumours about it, mainly because a menu called Stop N Swop appeared when players collected a special egg after completing Banjo-Kazooie.

source:
Banjo-Kazooie’s fabled Stop N Swop feature has finally been managed on original N64 hardware | VGC (videogameschronicle.com)

[Disenchantment]

i wonder how much was planned with that port slot they had they never used.

[Ari]

Probably how Final Fantasy 7 was planned to run on the N64 before it swapped to PS1

The Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak was a hardware accessory for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was released in 1998 and was intended to enhance the console's graphics and memory capabilities. The primary purpose of the Expansion Pak was to provide additional RAM (Random Access Memory) to the Nintendo 64, which allowed for more detailed graphics, larger game environments, and improved performance in certain games.

Some of the main features and intentions of the N64 Expansion Pak were:

1. Improved Graphics: The additional RAM provided by the Expansion Pak allowed developers to create more detailed textures, better lighting effects, and smoother animations in games. This led to enhanced visual quality and realism in supported titles.
2. Larger Game Worlds: With the increased memory, game developers could create larger and more expansive game environments without as much concern for memory limitations. This meant that games could have bigger levels, more complex scenes, and larger worlds to explore.
3. Better Performance: Certain games that required more memory to run smoothly could take advantage of the Expansion Pak to improve overall performance. This could result in smoother frame rates and fewer slowdowns.
4. Enhanced Features: Some games utilized the Expansion Pak to enable additional features or modes that wouldn't have been possible with the standard N64 hardware. For example, "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" used the Expansion Pak to provide a high-resolution graphics mode.
5. Compatibility: While the Expansion Pak was not required for all games, a few games were designed to require it for certain features or to unlock additional content. However, most games remained compatible with the standard N64 hardware.
6. Future-Proofing: The Expansion Pak was also released with the anticipation of upcoming games that would make more extensive use of its capabilities. By offering the accessory, Nintendo aimed to provide a pathway for developers to push the console's capabilities further.