(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Late last year, I reviewed the Analogue 3D, a 4K reimagining of the Nintendo 64 that offered a way to revisit my entire N64 collection on modern hardware, without (much) hassle. The system was an excellent buy for starry-eyed 30-somethings who grew up on Nintendo's 64-bit console, but it's no longer the only N64 replica on the market. The ModRetro 64 ($229, or $199 with early bird pricing) is the latest retro console that brings the beloved Nintendo console back to the living room. Like the Analogue 3D, it emulates the original hardware to accurately play N64 cartridges at higher resolutions, along with many cool screen filters to clean up the image or capture that classic CRT feel. Based on time with a pre-production model, I can say that the ModRetro 64's an excellent system that's on par with the Analogue 3D in many ways, while stumbling in others. Ultimately, your purchasing decision might come down to the frequency of its system updates and whether you dig that translucent, 1990s aesthetic that screams extreme.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The Nintendo 64's Back, With Modern Touches
The ModRetro 64 caters to a very specific audience. From the bright yellow box press kit I received to the translucent green console, the ModRetro 64 is made for people who remember the sights and smells of their local Blockbuster. My system arrived in a green-and-yellow colorway, but it's also available in purple, white, and red. In terms of size, the ModRetro 64 is much more compact than the original Nintendo 64, as well as the Analogue 3D. It measures approximately 8.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep (I reached out to ModRetro for official measurements). It's almost toy-like in appearance.
In terms of ports, four controller ports line the front of the system, while a microSD card slot (the ModRetro 64 includes a 16GB microSD card), two USB-C ports, and an HDMI port line the back. In contrast, the Analogue 3D has two USB-A ports and a normal-sized SD card slot.
The ModRetro has one large button that handles power and reset functions. Interestingly, it also has a dial for navigating the system's operating system. The console has some interesting quirks, too, including an eject button that works almost too well—it sent my cartridges flying into the air. There's also an LED lighting strip in front of the cartridge port to illuminate and highlight whatever game you’re playing. Most of these features are just for fun and add to the system's toy-like quality.
What's Happening Under the Hood?
Like the Analogue 3D, the ModRetro 64 doesn't rely on software emulation; instead, the system emulates the Nintendo 64's original hardware using an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) circuit. The benefit of hardware emulation is that it sidesteps the incompatibilities common to software emulation, such as graphical and audio glitches, input lag, and frame rate issues.
ModRetro 64 touts a "deep partnership" with AMD and uses the AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA with a 16nm process node to power the system. Retro gaming enthusiasts will be happy to learn of ModRetro's other partnership, one with Robert Peip, aka FPGAzumSpass. Peip is best known for successfully developing the Nintendo 64 core for the MiSTer FPGA, which, in short, enables the ModRetro 64 (and Analogue 3D) to accurately emulate the original N64 hardware. ModRetro promises that the ModRetro 64's FPGA core will be open-source at launch.
While Analogue is determined to emulate the warmth of original hardware, ModRetro feels more like it's resurrecting the original hardware for a new audience. That feeling comes from ModRetro also acting as an independent game publishing studio that re-releases classics and works with homebrew developers. In fact, on July 28, the company plans to release four cartridges: Buck Bumble, Extreme-G Turbo Fusion, Xeno Crisis, and Xibalba 64.
ModRetro is building an ecosystem around this idea. One example of this is that the ModRetro 64 offers developers specific video filter defaults. The system can detect a ModRetro game and give the user the option to either experience it with the system’s 4K upscaling for the cleanest visual experience or utilize the filters that best represent the developers' intended vision. In that way, the ModRetro is far more creator-focused than I expected.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Features Available Now, Features (Hopefully) Coming Soon
While similar, the ModRetro 64 has a few tricks up its sleeve that differentiate it from the Analogue 3D right out of the box. For starters, the ModRetro 64 has its Wi-Fi enabled, which means that the system can update wirelessly like other modern consoles. This is a feature that was promised by Analogue, but it still hasn't arrived months after the system's release.
Maybe that's for the best. In my time with the ModRetro 64, I had numerous issues updating the system over Wi-Fi. In fact, I resorted to updating the system via microSD card. It's hard to tell whether the issue is just pre-release bugs or if this will be a problem upon release. Other updates set to arrive post-release include in-game notifications, enhanced video processing, effects and filters, in-menu sound effects, and lag-free AV adapter accessories.
ModRetro also promises to release a "pro" Nintendo 64 controller, the aptly named ModRetro 64 Pro Controller, with a swappable control stick, wireless and Bluetooth options, and compatibility with the original Nintendo 64. It'll retail for $89.99 and release the same day as the system. For this review, I used Hyperkin's Nintendo 64 Premium Captain Controllers, provided by ModRetro.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)What will be available at launch is compatibility with EverDrive-64 X5, EverDrive-64 X7, and Summercart 64, popular flash carts that allow you to develop and play games on the Nintendo 64. Overclocking is also promised at launch, but wasn't available during the pre-release period. It may prove invaluable, because many Nintendo 64 games didn't perform particularly well on original hardware. Perfect Dark, for example, plays like a slideshow. That performance was acceptable in 2000, but it would be considered nearly unplayable in 2026. By overclocking, games will hit their target frame rates (usually 30fps) and become noticeably more responsive.
Playing N64 Games on the ModRetro 64
To test the ModRetro, I broke out my collection of Nintendo 64 games. Upon powering on the system, the ModRetro64 took me to a menu screen with the Clean, CRT, and Scanline display profiles, along with a custom setting. Integer+ scaling, a rendering technique that upscales low-resolution images to higher-resolution displays, was another option, along with 720p, 1080p, and 4K graphics resolutions.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)In testing, I found the ModRetro's CRT and Scanline modes a little jarring at first, at least by default. I felt the lines were too thick and a bit distracting. If you're like me, you'll want to customize the picture settings. I was able to adjust scanline size, aperture grille, sharpness, and horizontal bloom, among other options. There's also an advanced section with deeper options, including different scalers. The default picture on the Analogue was more pleasing, especially the Broadcast Video Monitor (BVM) and Professional Video Monitor (PVM) settings.
In action, however, the system does what it claims: play Nintendo 64 games in 4K. I tested the system with real cartridges that have been sitting around for more than 20 years. They included classics, such as Goemon's Great Adventure, Goldeneye 007, Mario Tennis, Super Mario 64, and Perfect Dark. I also booted up a few Japanese games, including a Japanese copy of Super Smash Bros, and A Bug's Life, which ModRetro graciously supplied.
The titles performed as well as they did on original N64 hardware, which means that some games, like Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, perform with noticeable frame rate drops. As of this writing, ModRetro confirmed that 246 of the N64's North American releases play without issue, 23 have minor issues such as frame rate drops, and another 23 have major issues, such as not starting up at all. However, when the overclock option becomes available, I hope it will iron out most frame rate issues.
240p games stretched to 10 times their resolutions are rarely a pretty sight, which made the aforementioned display settings that much more important. The scanlines hid those chunky pixel edges and cleaned up the image quite nicely. I also didn't experience any input lag, something plaguing the N64 titles available on Nintendo Switch Online.
I did not like the system’s UI. I get that it also leans into the 1990s aesthetic, but it looked more like something from a Saturday morning cartoon than the OS on a modern, bespoke emulation machine. Likewise, the ModRetro simply starts the game upon load, whereas the Analogue 3D's clean, library-like menu lets you customize individual game settings and save them before starting the game.
The system has flaws that go beyond a few minor quirks. For example, the controller shortcut that opens the system menu interrupts gameplay, so it's safer to just navigate the system menu from the console's dial, which means walking over to the console. Another gripe: If a game doesn't read right away on the ModRetro, it just sits on a black screen, which isn't a good look. The Analogue 3D, on the other hand, notes that in its menu.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The ModRetro 64 Is Old-School Fun
Yes, the ModRetro 64 is built on promises, much like the Analogue 3D. Problems aside, the ModRetro 64 is a great way to play classics. I love that I can resume save files from 20 years ago and revisit the classics in my library. I'm also especially excited to explore its indie releases and homebrew projects. Your decision to buy the ModRetro 64 will likely come down to how quickly these promised updates arrive (or if they arrive at all). For me, the Analogue 3D was just easier to play right out of the box, with settings tuned exactly to my liking. However, the ModRetro is an impressive console and a solid alternative to the $269.99 Analogue 3D if you want to save money and prefer your retro consoles with a healthy dose of rad aesthetics. The ModRetro 64 officially launches on July 28.