The Tristar 64 is an unlicensed add-on for the

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

(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 typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...

. Produced in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

by Future Laboratory, the Tristar 64 features two additional cartridge ports which are designed to accept cartridges created for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

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

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...

(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 or E2PROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) is a type of non-volatile memory. It is used in computers, usually integrated in microcontrollers such as smart cards and remote keyless systems, or as a separate chip d ...

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 Super 8 or Super Eight may refer to: Film * Super 8 film, a motion picture film format released in 1965 * Super 8 film camera, a motion picture camera used to film Super 8mm motion picture format * ''Super 8'' (2011 film), a science-fiction f ...

, 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.

External links

1600 dpi 48-bit scans of Japanese release
Nintendo 64 accessories Unlicensed Nintendo hardware Game console intercompatibility hardware {{videogame-hardware-stub sv:Tristar 64