I have had flashcarts for my Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, but I never got one for the N64. Recently, I read about the SummerCart and decided to take the plunge and give it a shot. Is it worth it, or should you look for a different branded flashcard? I love N64 and have been on a huge kick, even playing modern games with the graphic style (you can see more here).
SummerCart64: The Look
Image via Phenom Mod
I got the transparent black model, and it is pretty sleek. You can see the inner workings, and there are no labels. It did come with 2 sticker options if you wanted to add one to the front, but for my preference, I am keeping mine blank unless I find a more appealing one online.
There is a button on the top of the cartridge that is used to reset it, so you can easily play a new game without turning your console on and off again. This is something I have on my other flash carts, and it is a very handy feature that I am glad to see replicated here.
SummerCart64: PerformanceÂ
I had the weekend to test the SummerCart64 and try out a bunch of different games. The first thing I noticed is that it loads up games very quickly! Each game I selected loaded in just a few seconds, which was really exciting to see.Â
All the games I tried (Super Mario 64, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and Perfect Dark) worked perfectly! I had no issue playing through any of these. The games loaded up quickly and performed just like I remember them as a kid.Â
The best part? ROM hacks and homebrew games worked as well! I had a ton of Mario 64 ROM hacks, and they worked perfectly! It is so fun experiencing these new made games on original hardware. This sold me on the cart alone.
Overall Thoughts on the SummerCart64
If you want to play N64 games on original hardware and want to save money, I highly suggest this. The load times are quick, and out of the games I tried out, I had no issues loading them up and playing them. I was also able to successfully make saves and load them as well.
SummerCart64 at AliExpress SummerCart64 at Amazon
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