Let’s go back a few years in time, to the time of Nintendo 64. Back then, power was everything in what is known today as Console Wars. And it is that although this was initiated by Sega and Nintendowas revived again with the introduction of Sony y su PlayStation. The arrival of 3D technology took competitiveness to another level. While everyone was fighting CDs, Nintendo went his own way with the cartridges in Nintendo 64. This decision was, to say the least, controversial, since it greatly limited the storage capacity that developers could use.
In fact, many were the studies that made the leap to other companies before the lack of CDs on the Nintendo 64. The best known and most painful case was that of Square Enix, which moved the development of Final Fantasy VII a PS1. Other developers tried to adapt their games, as did Capcom con Resident Evil 2, but this was an expensive and hard process. Faced with such a situation, Nintendo had to launch the well-known Expansion Pak, which supposedly helped increase the capacity of the console. This was a small object that was placed on top of the console and provided a larger RAM capacity. But… What is true in here?
a limited function
If we stop to analyze the functioning of the Expansion Pak on Nintendo 64, we will see that this did not do as much as believed. That is, by adding some more RAM to consoles, certain games could present more characters and elements on screen. However, this was very little taken advantage of by development studies, who saw it more viable to perform other tricks in development. With these, they could make big, polished games without requiring the player to buy extra games. Only two titles required having yes or yes the Expansion Pak and, interestingly enough, they were both from Nintendo.
On one hand we find The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, mythical console game that, without the Expansion Pak, was supposedly unplayable. However, this was not exactly the case. The only thing that the Expansion Pak allowed was the introduction of more characters in the Clock Town area, but it did not increase the graphical power. Here we find the first problem of the device: advertising. Sold as a graphic and technical “enhancer” of the console, in very few games it performed this supposed function. But without a doubt, the biggest controversy occurred with the other game that required the use of the Expansion Pak.
The Lies of Donkey Kong 64
Developed by Rare, Donkey Kong 64 had all the ballots to be one of the great games of Nintendo 64. After all, we came from Donkey Kong Countrya trilogy that has become in its own right one of the best in the history of Nintendo
People expected the Expansion Pak to take the graphics of Donkey Kong 64 to another level. After all, that was what the advertising was saying: the game was going to be a technical before and after, boosted with the extraordinary Expansion Pak. Without it, the marvelous and futuristic graphic and technical section of the game could not be accessed, an incomparable prodigy. And when the game came out… Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It looked pretty, yes, but not exceptionally pretty either. The serious thing was the Expansion Pakbecause this did not improve the resolution or the potential of the game, no… If not it was used to make the game work, fixing a bug!
The Expansion Pak today
The lie of Expansion Pak it was uncovered too late, and many people fell for the purchase of this device. One that only served to formally enjoy two games. And, on top of that, one of these would not have to use the device. If we stop to analyze the situation, everything seems a little clearer: in a tough stage for Nintendo, decided to attract the attention of the players with what attracted them the most, the power. Everyone wanted to get the latest technology, and Nintendo offered it along with two great games. While the Big N made a profitlost a part of the trust of its users. And it is that it is not ethical to sell a product deceiving about its operation.
Also… Is it worth spending the savings on a device that improves the visuals of a few games in four ways? The games compatible with this device can almost be counted on the fingers of the hands, and the improvements it provided were minimal. In the end, the best thing was to enjoy the games in their original version, since not everything lies in the graphic aspect: a fun game will always be fun, regardless of whether it looks better or worse than another.
And so far our review of the mythical Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak! It never hurts to take a look at the past and analyze, with knowledge, those movements that made Nintendo be the company it is today. And you, Did you have access to the Expansion Pak? We read you!
