Questions about n64 accessories

[RCBH928]

First:
I bought the expansion pack to play games that wont work with out it like Perfect Dark. But in Turok 2 u can choose low-rez or hi-rez . I really dont see a difference. I also tried to watch some youtube videos, it looks about the same for me. Any one notices the difference in any game? I also believe Nintendo released this expansion o ly 2 years after n64 launch, it made sure it had a place to stick it in to(jumper pack) . Like they knew the console wasnt powerful enough.

Second:
I often get an error on my memory card saying "memory card damaged" or corrupt something like that. The good thing is that it happens when I try to save so it deletes out the old save "repairs it" , and put the new save. Should I worry about this? I used original Nintendo brand and I cleaned the memory card with alcohol.

Third:
I got a backup N64 controller, but the analogue stick is making squeaky noises and its getting kind of stubborn, is there a way to fix it, or I just should buy another?

[cookie monster]

is the controller a nintendo or a 3rd party controller and what do you mean by stuborn is it the thumbstick or something else

[Curlypaul]

The difference in the rez is more noticable in some games than others, and even then its not a massive difference and will obviously still look lo res by todays standards.

I would worry about the memory card, it might crap out altogether and you will lose you save data! I've not got an official one myself, but many of the thrid party ones had a battery in them. Maybe it just needs a new battery?

N64 sticks are notorious for these problems. When new they are the sticks I've ever used - very smooth and accurate, but after a while they get stiff, lumpy and unresponsive. Its a big problem when buying then from the internet as the seller will lie about the state of the stick, and I don't know about you but I don't really see them in local shops anymore.

There are some replacement sticks available on ebay though - brand new ones that are similar to the game cubes stick.

[Ziggy]

First:
I bought the expansion pack to play games that wont work with out it like Perfect Dark. But in Turok 2 u can choose low-rez or hi-rez . I really dont see a difference. I also tried to watch some youtube videos, it looks about the same for me. Any one notices the difference in any game? I also believe Nintendo released this expansion o ly 2 years after n64 launch, it made sure it had a place to stick it in to(jumper pack) . Like they knew the console wasnt powerful enough.

The difference is definitely noticeable in Turok 2. When you're playing in Hi-rez and you put it in Low-rez, it just looks awful.

Perfect Dark doesn't require the expansion pak. Without it, you can still play the game, just a very small portion of it. You need the expansion pak to play the full game.

The idea of making the memory expandable later on was a great idea in my opinion. Memory wasn't as cheap back then as it is today. I believe the expansion pak uses RDRAM, and if that's comparable to RDRAM for PCs, it was very expensive. The N64 wasn't the only console to do something like this. Some Saturn games require extra memory via it's cartridge port. I don't think there's anything sinister behind it.

Second:
I often get an error on my memory card saying "memory card damaged" or corrupt something like that. The good thing is that it happens when I try to save so it deletes out the old save "repairs it" , and put the new save. Should I worry about this? I used original Nintendo brand and I cleaned the memory card with alcohol.

Also clean the female connector on the controller (just like cleaning a cart and the console's cart slot). If that doesn't work, I would check the battery in the memory card.

Third:
I got a backup N64 controller, but the analogue stick is making squeaky noises and its getting kind of stubborn, is there a way to fix it, or I just should buy another?

N64 sticks are notorious for breaking down and wearing out. This is what I suggest for every one: If the joystick is still OK, take preventative measures before it's too late. Disassemble the joystick and clean any debris out of it, then lube it up and put it back together. This will keep it from breaking down.

Here's why: If you take a look inside an N64 joystick you'll see exactly what I'm taking about. When you move the stick around, plastic is grinding on plastic. If you open a stick that was never lubed and heavily used, you'll see a bunch of plastic dust inside. This is why the sticks get loose, too much plastic grinding away into dust. Some of them get clunky because of the dust. That's why if you have a joystick that's still like new, it is very important to clean it and lube it up so it doesn't break down!

If a joystick is already on it's way out, you can still take it apart to clean and lube it. It might still be OK to use, just a little loose. Some joysticks will be beyond fixing though. For example, my most heavily used stick from back in the day was too far gone. Even after I cleaned it and lubed it up, it wasn't responsive like it once was.

I've bought a couple of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-REPLACEMENT ... 077wt_1110

They're very good, but a little too sensitive for some games (mostly FPS when you can't adjust the sensitivity, or any game where you need to precisely aim). I wrote a quick review of them in a thread some where, I'll have to dig it up.

[AznKhmerBoi]

1- The expansion pack does give the games a sharper image. Youll get a better picture once you see it in person rather than youtube vids.

2-Clean the contacts on male/female

3-Just ease on those turns in Mario Kart 64

[GameMasterGuy]

For 3, never play Mario Party unless you're willing to sacrifice your controller

[AznKhmerBoi]

Wow your so right i do recall abusing the joystick alot in that game, especially when you have to rotate the joystick in circle really fast.

For 3, never play Mario Party unless you're willing to sacrifice your controller

[Ziggy]

You don't have to sacrifice the controller, just make sure your joystick is lubed up.

[harper]

You don't have to sacrifice the controller, just make sure your joystick is lubed up.

What would you recommend using? I'm definitely going try that, at least on the controller I use the most.

[Ziggy]

Personally, I use 3-In-One, but I'm not sure what others use. Some sort of lithium grease. There's probably better options, but I've had good results with the 3-In-One. There was some one on the forums here that was selling a grease to use, I forget who though.

The thing with 3-In-One, it's an oil, not a grease. You can't use too much or it'll run every where inside and possibly wreck the stick. I dampen a cotton swab (Q-Tip) and then apply it with that. It works good though. I've lubed 2 or 3 of my N64 sticks now with it. Including one that I did a year or more ago. Just watch a few tutorials or whatever so you can get an idea of what surfaces you need to lube (if you can't figure it out just by looking at it).

I've used 3-In-One a few times in different things where a grease should have normally been used, it works good. The example I like to site is when the grease wore away on the plastic gears inside one of my wah pedals. It was squeaking like crazy, so I put some 3-In-One on the gears. It's been great ever since, and that was years ago. It's not a grease, but it seems to coat plastic very well and stay there too. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the friction between two moving parts, so whatever works... works!