N64: To PAL or not to PAL?

[cursedverses]

So I've been using the N64 core with PAL versions of games so they're just as I remember them.
It occurs to me the NTSC versions will likely give me a few extra FPS but will I be sacrificing anything in particular on any games (any exclusives granted)?

[FPGAzumSpass]

Some games unfortunatly use the the NTSC resolution and scale them in the VI for PAL
Examples are WaveRace and Mario Party. It makes these games much blurrier with PAL.

I will play the PAL version regardless

[dcubed]

As someone who grew up playing PAL N64 games throughout that entire generation? NTSC all the way.

I swapped all my PAL carts for NTSC ones about 15 years ago and never looked back. No way would I ever go back to PAL now. The games just play so much better at their originally intended speed.

[cursedverses]

Thank you both, those were my thoughts either way, to keep it as I remember or have what seems to be the best possible version. I suspect I'll just go ahead and play a few games in both PAL and NTSC and decide from there.

I thought maybe there maybe some slightly different programming (e.g. PAL PSX Gran Turismo ran a touch faster on PAL than NTSC despite having a lower frame rate. Or so a YouTube video claimed) between the two versions.

Thanks guys!

[jayp76]

On site evilgames.eu is a N64 60hz rom patch pack for PAL games. Maybe that ist an option. Gladly the author also clearly states what side effects can occur when running patched
games. This should be kept in mind.

[FPGAzumSpass]

You can also do that native on the core. Just set system type to NTSC with a PAL game and you get 60hz.
But if the game uses more height than NTSC allows or cannot handle the higher speed, it might not work.

[MostroW]

Some games unfortunatly use the the NTSC resolution and scale them in the VI for PAL
Examples are WaveRace and Mario Party. It makes these games much blurrier with PAL.

I will play the PAL version regardless

Is that because of localization or personal preference?

[FPGAzumSpass]

Some games have the "wrong" speed for me with NTSC, being used to PAL.
And for some i just prefer the text to be in my language.

So i accept lower FPS and even blurrier image.

Games that have slowdown are sometimes better for me on PAL, as i like static 25fps or even 17fps more than fluctuating 20/30.

[Calolo]

For me it depend on games, I prefer the racing/fast games in NTSC, and the games more story oriented with language translation in PAL.
Mario 64 feels too fast in NTSC!

[Armakuni]

Most PAL versions of consoles sucked due to the games running slower and with reduced screen size.

This is one reason why the console import business was so popular in the 90s in the UK

Yes there were some PAL developed games of course

We got shafted in the UK and paid more for the luxury especially when currency conversion was factored in back then.

[Cyberdonks]

Most PAL versions of consoles sucked due to the games running slower and with reduced screen size.

This is one reason why the console import business was so popular in the 90s in the UK

Yes there were some PAL developed games of course

We got shafted in the UK and paid more for the luxury especially when currency conversion was factored in back then.

It wasn't the PAL versions of consoles which sucked, it was a lot of the PAL conversions we saw which were sub-par, and that was generally down to the developers churning out half-arsed ports. The console hardware itself was fine.

The main reason by a long LONG country mile for the console import business being so popular in the 1990s UK was early access to games which saw releases in NTSC regions up to a full year (and sometimes longer) before PAL regions, or sometimes releases never saw the light of day in PAL territories. It is certainly not the revisionist history of recent years where it was due to the speed of the games for the vast majority of customers back then as most simply didn't care.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for a better framerate, I play PAL PlayStation titles on the PlayStation core using the 60Hz hack where possible.

[Armakuni]

Most PAL versions of consoles sucked due to the games running slower and with reduced screen size.

This is one reason why the console import business was so popular in the 90s in the UK

Yes there were some PAL developed games of course

We got shafted in the UK and paid more for the luxury especially when currency conversion was factored in back then.

It wasn't the PAL versions of consoles which sucked, it was a lot of the PAL conversions we saw which were sub-par, and that was generally down to the developers churning out half-arsed ports. The console hardware itself was fine.

The main reason by a long LONG country mile for the console import business being so popular in the 1990s UK was early access to games which saw releases in NTSC regions up to a full year (and sometimes longer) before PAL regions, or sometimes releases never saw the light of day in PAL territories. It is certainly not the revisionist history of recent years where it was due to the speed of the games for the vast majority of customers back then as most simply didn't care.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for a better framerate, I play PAL PlayStation titles on the PlayStation core using the 60Hz hack where possible.

That was the thing most of the time there was no PAL conversions they just used the same rom and let the hardware output as PAL.
You could easily play Japanese MD games on PAL by either removing the top cover or taking a saw to the slot to make the cartridge fit but they still played at PAL 50
there was very little in the way regional locks at the time

yes the difference in release windows helped import sales but so did the performance and price difference

MD and Snes was X3 the price in the UK compared to the US at the time when you factored in currency and RRP

The only downside at the time was finding a TV that supported NTSC