Bringing the end of the 1990s to the end of the 2010s — Eon Super 64 review

The Nintendo 64 is a system most of us hold dear to our hearts and as the years go on, it’s getting more difficult to play the system on newer TVs. I was lucky enough to have a flatscreen that still has the composite hookups, but most TVs nowadays opt to only include HDMI ports. To get around this, some players have purchased AV to HDMI converters just to play their old games. The EON Super 64 is more than just a converter, however; it allowed me to play the Nintendo 64 on an HDTV while adding in a few nice bonuses.

The EON Super 64 doesn’t require any hard modding of the system. It plugs into the port in the back of the Nintendo 64 and only requires an HDMI cable. Instead of being just a way to play N64 games on an HDTV, there are a few enhancements included. One of these enhancements makes the system’s colors appear more vibrant when compared to the original. I’ve highlighted this difference in the video below.

Notice how the grass, paths, and enemies appear brighter when shown on screen. The best comparison is the difference visually between the straw houses. It’s more than just a subtle difference. The EON Super 64 also comes with something called “Slick Mode.”

“Slick Mode” uses anti-aliasing methods to get rid of jagged, pixelated edges. In the video above I’ve split the screen in half to show the difference between the game with and without Slick Mode on. On the left, Slick Mode is off, and the jagged edges are more obvious especially on Mumbo Jumbo’s chest. On the right, the game appears to be a little more smooth, which is a nice improvement. This mode can be activated by hitting a button on the side of the EON Super 64 unit. But sometimes, Slick Mode seems to make things appear more blurry than they do round out the jagged lines. It’s a hit-and-miss feature.

One more thing the EON Super 64 has over other composite to HDMI setups is its lack of input lag. For fighting games and some puzzle games, input lag can mean losing the entire match. However, during my time with the EON Super 64, I didn’t notice any input delay, and I was even able to clear a few matches of Pokemon Puzzle League on Super Hard, which requires very precise movements and speed.

The EON Super 64 plugs right into the AV port of the system, and it almost looks like it belongs there. The biggest issue I have with it is that the HDMI port felt a little loose on the model I received, but not to the point of me worrying the unit itself was going to break if I wasn’t delicate with it.

For anyone trying to bring their Nintendo 64 gaming to the modern age, the EON Super 64 is a great option. The price point may be a bit too steep for anyone that isn’t absolutely serious about it, but it beats having to hardmod your system to get it display correctly on modern displays.

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