Came for the N64, Stayed for the Gamecube
I've literally been waiting for someone to make one of these cables that works for the Nintendo 64. The 64 is one of the few retro systems whose games I can't play in HD.I have HD clones for the SNES and an EON GCHD for the Gamecube. But, I didn't have anything for the 64 before now.
My NTSC-U Nintendo 64 looks great running through this cable. Is it as good as the solder in kit that's in the hundreds? Of course not. But, it works. I've tried other solutions, including running both composite and S-video through one of those video "upscalers." It doesn't look this good. I didn't try composite because my 1080p HDTV won't work with 240p running through composite. (I've tried it with the PS1) Through this cable, the picture is good and the text looks much better than I've seen it with other options. The sound is also good through this cable. All told, this works great with the N64, it's a definite improvement over composite. So, if you want to relive those old N64 memories without either buying a really expensive DIY kit or an even more expensive modded console.
For review purposes, I also tried this on my Gamecube. I have a NTSC-U Gamecube, and it works great with this cable. In fact, I actually like how this looks better than the EON GCHD. (experiences will vary, this is just my personal opinion) The GCHD takes the video and audio from the digital port (that not all Gamecubes have) and converts it to HDMI. It doesn't upscale the picture, so you wind up with a 480p HD picture, for games that support 480p. Others are at 480i or lower. This cable takes the video from the regular multi out port, (which all Gamecubes have) and upscales it to 720p. Every game, including ones that don't output to 480p, get a boost. This creates a smoother picture. Now, some people won't like the "softer" lines of the smoother picture, but I actually prefer it to the saw tooth lines of 480p digital. Playing a game like Rogue Leader, with a lot on the screen at once, I find it easier to find specific things like TIE Fighters with the smoother picture. I played some other games and they all looked great running through this cable. So, even though I bought this specifically for the N64, it's a keeper for the Gamecube as well.
Now for the not so good part. I couldn't get this to work with my Super Nintendo. I have an NTSC-U SNS-101, which is the "slim" version of the console released in 1997. It won't output through this cable. To make sure that the console itself was working, I hooked it up with the composite cables and found that it does indeed work, it just doesn't work with this cable. It's possible the original model SNES works with it, I don't know. I bought the SNES slim when my original model died back in the late 1990s, so I don't have an original model anymore. But, I can always just play SNES games on my SupaRetron HD.
So, all told, I'm super happy with this cable. Not only does it do what I bought it specifically for, which is play N64 games with a better picture than composite, but it also works great for the Gamecube. So, everything I bought it for and a bonus.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
