Technology question.

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux) 09/05/2016 at 10:38 • Filed to: None

1

9

So, I always loved playing Beetle Adventure Racing with my neighbors. Naturally, I want to buy it again... Except, this time, I want to get the HSV version that Australia was given, for some reason. It’s literally the same game, with the same engine sounds and vehicle handling and everything, except the cars are Holdens instead of Beetles.

But anyway.... Would I need to also buy a separate PAL N64, or is there some way to make it work on an NTSC one?

E90M3 > Rainbow 09/05/2016 at 10:42

1

Couldn’t you just find an emulator online and play it on your computer? Probably easier than trying to get a console from Australia, which I should point out uses a different voltage than we do.

Rainbow > E90M3 09/05/2016 at 11:05

0

I can get a travel converter for it.

I could get an emulator, but that’s not as fun.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Rainbow 09/05/2016 at 11:12

1

Even if you convert the voltage the N64 may rely on the frequency to generate its clock signal. PAL regions use 50Hz AC vs 60Hz in NTSC regions. A PAL game could play at a higher speed on NTSC power.

E90M3 > Rainbow 09/05/2016 at 11:14

1

While you could get a travel converter for it, it might not be designed to run on 120V AC. You can plug electronics like your laptop in over there because it runs on DC and the converter is usually designed to handle voltage from 120 to 240. I don’t believe the same is true for electronics that run on AC, you have to use the current they’re designed for, although some might be designed to run on both currents. At my old job I had a friend who worked in Australia and had to buy a coffee maker from the US because their frac van, like ours was built in the US and the electrical system ran on 120V, and the coffee maker he could source there was 240V and therefore incompatible. I could be wrong, electricity is not my specialty.

bhtooefr > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/05/2016 at 11:20

1

As far as I’m aware, nobody’s deriving the system clock from AC line frequency. And, the N64's power brick is outputting 12 and 3.3 volts DC - so, the line frequency never even makes it into the console.

It appears that the differences between a PAL and a NTSC N64 are the security chip and the composite video encoder. (And, NTSC N64s can be modded to output RGB, apparently, where PAL ones cannot.) And, if you mod an NTSC N64 to have a PAL N64's security chip, you’ll get 50 Hz NTSC (which is usually useless) or 50 Hz RGB (if RGB-modded) from a PAL game, it appears.

A PAL N64 could use your NTSC N64's power brick (no conversion needed), and you’d need a TV/monitor that could handle 50 Hz PAL. That’s also, as I understand, the easiest way, rather than trying to solder in the PAL security chip (which requires that you have a PAL N64 to steal one from anyway). The trick will be finding something that can take 50 Hz PAL on the composite input, though...

Edit: Or get one of these... https://www.amazon.com/Passport-Plus-… (You’ll need a TV capable of 50 Hz NTSC, or an RGB mod and a display capable of 50 Hz RGB.)

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Rainbow 09/05/2016 at 11:32

1

I did a little cursory lookup, but apparently most PAL games won’t play on NTSC N64s even when the regional lockout is bypassed using 3rd party chips. The general recommendation is buying a foreign N64 and a PAL TV, then just using a travel adaptor to handle the voltage change.

Sorry to say, your best bet is an emulator. My friend has a SD card that somehow launches a custom OS on his Wii; the OS has built in emulators and catalogues of thousands of old Nintendo and Sega games. A system like that might be easier than hooking up a dedicated computer emulator to your TV.

http://www.wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_…

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > bhtooefr 09/05/2016 at 11:41

0

I know the timing was screwed due to the frequency when trying to play MegaDrive games on a Genesis or vise versa.

bhtooefr > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/05/2016 at 11:45

0

The consoles have different master clocks and dividers, but they’re not getting the frequency from the AC line, they’re getting it from an internal oscillator.

Run MegaDrive games on a MegaDrive on 60 Hz power, they’ll still run at 50 Hz. Run Genesis games on a Genesis on 50 Hz power, they’ll still run at 60 Hz.

The N64 doesn’t appear to have different system timing for NTSC vs. PAL consoles, though.

Nauraushaun > Rainbow 09/05/2016 at 23:36

1

This sort of thing is why I can’t stand Nintendo. While N64 had Cruisin’ USA and this, I was playing gritty realistic Driver and NFS Hot Pursuit (which had HSVs done right)