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As Twitter user Shiori_Ishimaru and Reddit user Enraric have pointed out, rearranging the layout for the N64 controls is almost nonsensical, since the right Joy-Con doesn't have enough buttons by itself. Those who don't wish to pay another $50 (the same price as a yearly Expansion Pack subscription) for the Switch-compatible controller will also have to deal with Nintendo's attempt to graft the Joy-Con button layout onto N64 games. Related: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Is Too Expensive
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A Controller Pak goes in the back of a Nintendo 64 controller, and the ones specifically made for the Expansion Pack games don't even have a slot for one. This is bordering on game-breaking since the entire time trials game mode is now useless in Mario Kart 64. Without a Controller Pak, it's impossible to save ghost times on the NSO version of Mario Kart 64. Issues like those above could easily be chalked up to simple oversights or unfortunate limitations in the emulation tech, but a failure to rework features that require the N64 Controller Pak, as documented by TriThreat98 on Twitter, begins leaning the whole situation in the direction of apathy toward the consumer. The N64 and Sega Genesis games are the only offerings in the Expansion Pack until the Animal Crossing DLC launches on November 5, and it costs more than double the standard NSO subscription. These may be small complaints in the grand scheme of things, but increased latency and missing visual effects in games that are over two decades old make the Expansion Pack emulations objectively inferior to the originals they are adapting. These issues may sound like nitpicks, and relative to game-breaking bugs, they are, but the fact of the matter is Nintendo has charged consumers for a service and failed to deliver what was promised.
#SUPER MARIO 64 EMULATOR PROJECT 64 FULL#
Stranger still is the fact that Ocarina of Time has been emulated wonderfully by Nintendo in the past for the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, though Linneman says the NSO emulator looks to be based on the one used for Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Nintendo Switch Online's N64 games are presented in their native 4:3 aspect ratio rather than full screen, which helps preserve their dated graphics, but it's all for naught if the emulator can't properly display the games anyway. Related: Nintendo Switch N64 Game Lag Shown By Zelda & Mario Playersĭigital Foundry's John Linneman, who uses the handle dark1x on Twitter, suggests it's the emulation tech itself that is responsible for the rendering issues, meaning it could have an effect on every title available through the Expansion Pack.
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Missing visual effects have completely changed the room's aesthetic, with the new NSO version of Ocarina lacking all reflections in the water and fog that's used to make the area appear boundless. Twitter user stopskeletons shared a few screenshots comparing the water quality in Ocarina of Time, specifically the shallow pool in the Water Temple's mini-boss room where the player fights Dark Link. Another issue - one that's perhaps more noticeable than input lag - is an apparent problem with rendering fog and reflections in the Expansion Pack's N64 games.
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