A guide for the aspiring import gamer: Part 5

Alright, back from the weekend! Continuing with the 90's theme, we're gonna move on to another one of Nintendo's consoles.

The Nintendo 64

Now, this is another case of physical lockout, like the Super Nintendo. But unlike the Super Nintendo, the Japanese and American N64 cartridges are basically identical in shape and size, but there is a key difference between the two. There are notches in both cartridges, but they are in different places depending on the region. In the cartridge slot, there are pegs molded in that will have to be dremmeled out (they are too thick to be pulled out like the SNES). This will require the system to be opened using a 4.5 mm gamebit. Carefully remove the Jumper or Expansion Pak using a butter knife, then open up the system, and then use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the cartridge slot. Dremmel out the pegs, reassemble the console, and you're good to go.

Titles of interest:
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth

Another masterpiece from the guys at Treasure. This game is just non-stop action from start to finish, despite it's short length. Smooth controls, addictive gameplay, and awesome visuals (for a 2000 N64 game) make for a great game. And even though the game clocks in at only a few hours, there is tons of replay value to it. Harder difficulty settings and a high score system will keep you busy long after you complete your first playthrough. And the best part is, all of the voice acting is in ENGLISH. So while you may not be able to read some of the things, you will actually be able to understand the story.

Custom Robo

Why Nintendo decided not to bring this over here I'll never know. If you played Custom Robo on the Gamecube, then you should know what's going on here. You've got robots running around blowing each other apart, what more could you want? While there is a bit of Japanese in there for the storyline and other things outside of battle, you don't need to know the language to play the game.

Ya ya, I know that was only two, but I don't know much about import only N64 games quite yet, so come back tomorrow for more import tips!