After years of emulation woes, the Nintendo 64 has found a new lease of life in the world of FPGA retro gaming, and has not one but two hardware clones on the horizon: the Analogue 3D and ModRetro M64.
According to a new report by The Memory Core, a newsletter devoted to emulation and retro gaming, it has been revealed that these two rivals are taking different approaches when it comes to conquering the community's demand for an accurate FPGA-based N64.
We already know that the M64 is using Robert Peip / FPGAzumSpass' open-source MiSTer FPGA N64 core, and Peip himself has confirmed that Analogue is using Murray Aickin (AKA Mazamars312)'s UltraFP64 – famous for being the world's first FPGA recreation of the N64.
Peip also claimed that Analogue is keeping its console closed-source and will not allow other cores to be loaded onto the system. On the other hand, ModRetro – the company founded by billionaire arms dealer Palmer Luckey – is adopting a totally different strategy.
Speaking to the Head of Marketing at ModRetro, Walter Lee, The Memory Core was told:
“Our objective is to make the M64 platform the cheapest generalized device for this sort of open source activity.”
Peip confirms that the M64 will use an AMD FPGA (the Analogue 3D will use a Cyclone 10GX), and he says the team at ModRetro has "designed powerful hardware that can solve all the shortcomings the core has on the DE10-Nano. Like [a] much faster and larger FPGA as well as fast and low latency [memory]."
The reference to the DE10-Nano is clearly aimed at the MiSTer FPGA, which is seen as a limiting factor in the ongoing evolution of N64 FPGA emulation.
Lee elaborates on this:
“We have incredible EE, FW, and FPGA engineers inside ModRetro that architect and design our hardware, and Robert comes in with irreplaceable knowledge of legacy Nintendo systems and insane talent in digital design. Basically what I’m trying to say is it’s an engineering match made in heaven. We complement each other and enjoy working together on hard problems.”
He also feels that the M64 will replace the "legacy" MiSTer FPGA, as "it simply isn’t architected for the needs of N64."
The M64 – which will launch at $199 for early-bird customers but will be priced in line with the Analogue 3D – could eventually render MiSTer FPGA obsolete, concludes The Memory Core's report.