64DD

Credits

Editions by
Shadeed A. Kelly, BenderRoblox, McDonald's1, SomeGuyNamedJohn, GoAnimateFan199Pro, NewAccountLOL and TheLogoFan2004

Background

The 64DD was a short lived add-on for the Nintendo 64. It was revealed at Nintendo's Shoshinkai '96 conference and was released in 1999, and had features such as Internet access via Randnet and the use of discs instead of cartridges. The add-on was a commercial failure, selling only around 15,000 units. The RandNet service shut down in 2001. A release outside of Japan was planned, but quickly cancelled due to the low sales and multiple delays.

1st Logo (November 21–24, 1997)

Visuals: A flash occurs on a black background, which via red particles, reveals the text "64" in 3D, and the same font as the Nintendo 64's font. Then the text "DD" forms by the outlines glowing red, then turning to the same style as "64" in a flash.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A short techno theme along with a Japanese male announcer saying "64DD" in an echo effect.

Availability: Only seen during a trailer of the console from Nintendo Spaceworld 1997. This logo has been shown five times.

2nd Logo (December 1, 1999-February 28, 2001)

• 
  Standard logo
• 
  Logo with green text, informing the user to insert a disc
• 
  English version of the green text

Visuals: On a white background, the giant "N" from the Nintendo 64 logo rises out of water with ripples already forming. It starts off as white, but soon turns into its signature rainbow color (the date and time also appears in the bottom right corner in gray). "NINTENDO⁶⁴" (in blue and red, respectively) fades in over the logo. The N drops, losing a reflection it had just made into the floor only seconds earlier. Mario (in his Super Mario 64 form) then peeks out and waves at the user, and then kicks the N64 logo, making it spin. He begins to run around the logo. Later, he then jumps on the logo, lands below it, gets up, and gets out of it. He then goes off-screen, but then returns with him sliding below the logo. Instead of getting up, he swims away from the logo. Later, the N64 logo turns lime, causing the logo to stop spinning and fall in the floor. Mario comes back to slowly push the logo, making the logo fade back to its normal colors. Suddenly, the logo quickly spins, causing Mario to be slapped into the floor. Mario runs around the logo for a single time, and then goes off-screen, letting the logo spin for 6 seconds. Suddenly, the N64 logo is shrunk, causing Mario to come back. He curiously looks at the logo, and touches it, which makes the logo suddenly enlarge. The logo is now in a sandy texture, which resets to normal later on. Then, the N64 logo turns into a rocky, golden texture and floats. Mario comes back and jumps on the logo, causing the logo to descend. He then climbs the ledge and loses balance. When the logo is on the floor, it turns into a tree, causing Mario to fall under the logo. He crawls out of the logo and does a backwards somersault inside the logo, causing it to return to its normal colors. The logo loops after this until a disk is inserted.

Trivia: There was an international release set to be released to the public market in North America, Europe and Australia, though it unfortunately never made its way through. The retail unit (confirmed by Nintendo project manager Mark DeLoura, who helped release the N64, Game Boy Advance, and the GameCube in the US) was found in Seattle in July 2016 by ex-Sierra employee and game collector MetalJesusRocks.

Variants:

• If no disk is inserted upon powering on the DD, some green Japanese text ("ディスクを入カてください") would flash continuously below the giant "N" telling you so. Along with that, the animation would continue to play.
• There is also an English version of this screen (wherein the green text reads "Please insert disk"). The gray timestamp has also been changed to fit the American market.
• If the DD is powered on with a disk already inserted inside of it, only the first part of the animation plays. After that, the logo cuts to black, and the game starts.

Technique: 3D animation played in real-time.

Audio: A synthesized "whoosh" and a pounding synth tune. It is silent for the rest of the animation.

Availability: As the unit was only ever released in Japan, along with its short life and low sales, it's extremely difficult to obtain a 64DD, let alone any games. The English version is even rarer, as the add-on never made it to markets outside of Japan.

3rd Logo (December 11, 1999-August 29, 2000)

• 

Visuals: On a black background, there is the N64 icon with the white text "64DD" next to it.

Variant: When loading F-Zero X on the 64DD, the green gradient text "DD LOADING" appears below while a scrolling animation of the Blue Falcon leaving a blue trail is seen.

Technique: A still digital graphic. Simplistic animation for the variant.

Audio: None.

Availability: Occasionally appears whenever a game is booted into the 64DD.

References

◄ Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo 64 64DD

Nintendo GameCube ►