The Nintendo 64 That Played Discs

Did you know there was a Japanese Nintendo 64 that played discs instead of cartridges?

It was called the Nintendo 64DD — and it only released in Japan in 1999!

Instead of cartridges like the regular Nintendo 64, the 64DD used special magnetic disks. It plugged into the bottom of the N64 and allowed:

• Rewritable storage

• Expanded game content

• Online features (yes — online in 1999!)

• Game creation tools

It even had an online service called Randnet where players could connect, share creations, and download content — way ahead of its time.

Unfortunately, it was a commercial failure and only a handful of games were released before it was discontinued in 2000.