Nintendo · Released · First generation introduced 1996
Nintendo 64
Four-player cartridge hardware with an optional memory expansion.
By Tulasiram Pemmadi · Research updated 25 October 2026 · Research guide, not a hands-on reviewNintendo 64 hardware shown in the reference photograph. Nintendo-64-wController-L.jpg by Evan-Amos. Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP; no hardware features altered.
Hardware at a glance
Media
N64 cartridges
Controller ports
Four
Expansion
Expansion Pak for supported games
Family-level details. Check the exact model before assuming that a feature is shared across revisions.
Hardware and game library
Nintendo 64 supports four local controllers without an external port adapter. Its analogue-stick controller and cartridge library distinguish it from earlier Nintendo systems. Certain games require the Expansion Pak or use it for additional modes; this is not merely a collector accessory.
Choosing the right model
Inspect the analogue stick for looseness and identify the module in the memory expansion bay. Translucent shells do not authenticate an edition by themselves. Check cartridge region and video standard. Ask the seller to show the actual console label and the included memory module rather than a stock photograph.
Model and edition registry
Selected documented models and editions. This registry does not yet include every regional SKU, promotional unit or limited edition.
Nintendo’s regional catalogue lists translucent colours and a yellow-and-blue Pikachu system, but it is not a worldwide SKU inventory. For practical use, the memory module and controller-stick condition are often more important than shell colour. The Transfer Pak is not a universal Game Boy cartridge player.
Local controller ports
Four
Expansion Pak examples
Required by Donkey Kong 64 and Majora’s Mask
Transfer Pak
Game-dependent communication with supported Game Boy titles
This hardware record does not yet have a verified GTA compatibility entry. Check the GTA release-platform catalogue before buying it for a particular game. Do not assume support through emulation, streaming or backwards compatibility.
Images identify the pictured hardware; they are not evidence for every variant listed. Missing regional SKUs and undocumented editions remain outside this guide. Send a correction with a source.
