Despite the mouthful of a name, the concept is simple. It’s an N64 emulator and actually plays N64 cartridges. The Retron N64 imitation maintains the 3-prong controller setup of the original N64 controller but boasts an HDMI cord for 720p output, 6-foot controller cord, 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio support, and is much smaller than the original.
The controller is almost identical to the original N64 controller as well, bypassing the issues Hyperkin had with the Retron 5 controller, which most people weren’t terribly fond of.
In other words, it’s the N64 mini Nintendo is allegedly not making.
Hyperkin’s product manager Andrew Steel posted a short technical demonstration video on LinkedIn recently, which can be seen above. It shows off the console’s capabilities and general appearance, and it looks to faithfully reproduce the N64 experience with games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, and the original Super Smash Bros.
Steel said Hyperkin is bringing the console to E3 2019. The system is still early in its development phase, according to Steel, but Hyperkin will be sharing more information during the expo. Steel hopes the system will be “the craziest news at E3” but can’t offer much additional detail at this point.
Hyperkin is well known for its Retron console line, systems that play a wide variety of retro game cartridges, from SNES and Mega Drive to Game Boy Advance and more.
While the hardware quality itself doesn’t always live up to its promise, many regard Retron systems as the best way to experience classics, particularly given how the most recent outing, the Retron 5, allowed users to implement translation patches for international games.
Whether Hyperkin’s N64 emulator will do the same and what the emulation quality will ultimately be like are questions E3 will hopefully provide answers to.
