The Tristar 64 is an unlicensed add-on for the

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...

(N64)

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally placed i ...

. Produced in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

by Future Laboratory, the Tristar 64 features two additional

cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...

ports which are designed to accept cartridges created for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

(NES, a.k.a. Famicom) and

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...

(SNES, a.k.a. Super Famicom). The device then emulates the NES (via an NES-on-a-chipTristar 64 internals (scans of circuit boards, chip discussion)
/ref>) or SNES hardware, and allows the cartridge to be run. The device also features built-in

cheat cartridge Cheating in video games involves a video game player using various methods to create an advantage beyond normal gameplay, usually in order to make the game easier. Cheats may be activated from within the game itself (a cheat code implemented by ...

functionality through a program called the X-Terminator, as well as the Memory Editor, which allows SRAM and

EEPROM EEPROM (also called E2PROM) stands for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory and is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers, usually integrated in microcontrollers such as smart cards and remote keyless systems, or as a ...

saved game data to be archived and edited. The Tristar 64 requires a separate power supply, and connects to a television set by way of RCA composite output cables, with the N64's own video output being first routed through the Tristar device. The Tristar 64 is similar to the Super 8, a device which allowed NES cartridges to be played on a SNES console.

References

* Peer Schneider.
Tristar 64

IGN Gear
22 June 2000. Accessed on 8 April 2005. Nintendo 64 accessories Unlicensed Nintendo hardware Game console intercompatibility hardware {{videogame-hardware-stub sv:Tristar 64