M64Plus FZ

Overview

M64Plus FZ is an emulator for Android that plays Nintendo 64 games. An emulator is a program that imitates a game console, so that games made for that console can run on another device, here your phone, tablet, handheld or Android TV box. It is a fork (a modified copy) of Mupen64Plus-AE, the Android version of Mupen64Plus, a well-known open source Nintendo 64 emulator. It is developed by Francisco Zurita.

It is a good choice if you want a dedicated Nintendo 64 app with many options: you can change the settings of each game separately. It is a bit more complex than an all-in-one app, but it explains its options in the settings screens.

The app is distributed as a free version supported by ads, and a paid Pro version. Netplay (playing online with other people) was a Pro feature. Check the Play Store pages to see which versions are currently offered.

Key words explained

• Game file (ROM): a copy of a Nintendo 64 game cartridge stored as a file on your device. The file usually ends with .z64, .n64 or .v64. These are the same data in a different byte order, and the emulator handles all of them.

• ZIP archive: a compressed file that can hold a game file. The emulator can read games inside ZIP files.

• Plugin: a small module that handles one part of the console, for example drawing the picture. Different plugins draw games differently: some are faster, some are more accurate.

• Profile: a saved group of settings. M64Plus FZ has emulation, graphics, touchscreen and controller profiles, and a game can use its own.

• Dynamic recompiler (dynarec): a technique that translates the console's code into code your device understands while the game runs. It is much faster than the slower interpreter method.

• Resolution: the number of pixels used to draw the picture. A higher resolution is sharper but needs a faster device.

• Frame rate: how many pictures per second are shown. Smooth play needs a steady rate. Many Nintendo 64 games run at 20 to 30 frames per second on the real console.

• In-game save: the save the game itself makes, like on the real cartridge. A save state is a snapshot of the whole emulator made by the app. It lets you stop and resume at any exact moment.

• Controller Pak and Rumble Pak: accessories of the original controller. The Controller Pak is a memory card that stores saves for some games. The Rumble Pak makes the pad vibrate.

• Netplay: playing multiplayer games over a network.

System requirements

• An Android phone, tablet, handheld or Android TV. The app lists its minimum Android version on its Google Play page, under About this app or in the details of the page, so check it there.

• Easy games run on modest devices. The most accurate plugins need a recent, powerful device.

• A controller is optional but very comfortable. The Nintendo 64 pad has two directional inputs (the stick and the group of C buttons), so a pad with two sticks is best.

To check your Android version, open Settings > About phone > Android version. The exact path can differ a little between makers.

What you need

• The app itself, to install from Google Play.

• No BIOS is needed. A BIOS is a small program stored in a console that starts it up; the Nintendo 64 emulation does not need one here.

• Your own games. They must be copied from cartridges you own, with a device made for that. This page does not explain where to get games, and we cannot help with that.

• Optional: a Bluetooth or USB controller.

Installation

1. Open the Google Play page of the free version on your device and tap Install. The Pro version has its own page: it is a separate app.

2. Wait for the download, then tap Open. You can also open it later from your app list.

3. If you do not use Google Play, the developers publish the source code and test builds on GitHub. Test builds can be unstable, so prefer the Play Store version if you are a beginner.

First setup

1. Put your game files in one folder on your device, for example a folder called N64 in your internal storage. A single folder makes the next step easy.

2. Open the app. On the first launch it asks you to choose the folder that contains your games. Pick your folder and allow access. Android asks for this permission because apps cannot read your files without it.

3. The app scans the folder and shows the games it found in a list. If a game does not appear, check that its file extension is one of the supported ones and that it is in the folder you chose.

4. Open the settings (the menu in the main screen) and look at the default profiles. The defaults are made to work for most games, so you do not need to change them before your first test.

5. Tap a game to start it. If you see the game and hear its sound, the setup worked.

Controls

A controller mapping tells the emulator which button of your pad does which Nintendo 64 action. The Nintendo 64 pad has a stick, a D-pad, A and B, the four yellow C buttons, Start, L, R, a Z trigger below, and accessory slots.

• Touchscreen: the app draws buttons on the screen. A touchscreen profile sets their layout and size. Pick a profile in the settings, then adjust it until the buttons are comfortable.

• Physical controller: connect your Bluetooth or USB pad to Android first. Then create a controller profile in the settings and assign each button of your pad to each Nintendo 64 button. Put the C buttons on the right stick: many games use them to move the camera.

• Several players: players 1 to 4 can each be given a controller in the settings.

• Accessories: for each player, you can choose the Controller Pak or the Rumble Pak. Pick the Controller Pak for games that save on it.

Graphics and performance settings

These options are set in profiles, so you can use one set for one game and another for a different game. If you change a setting and a game gets worse, you can go back to the default profile.

• Graphics plugin: it decides how the picture is drawn. The app offers several. If a game looks wrong (missing parts, flickering, black screen), create a new graphics profile for it and try another plugin or another profile. Try one change at a time to know what helped.

• Resolution: a higher value gives a sharper picture. On a powerful device you can raise it. On a modest device keep it low if the game slows down.

• Emulation profile: it chooses the core settings. Keep the dynamic recompiler on, as it is the fastest. Only turn it off for a test if a specific game crashes.

• Per-game profiles: from the settings of a game in the library you can pick which profiles it uses. The game then keeps these settings every time.

Saves

• In-game saves are made by the game itself, usually through its save menu. The app stores them automatically, like the cartridge or the Controller Pak would.

• Save states are made from the in-game menu, with several slots. The app can also keep a state when you leave a game and offer to resume it.

• Use both: a save state can fail after an update of the app, but an in-game save is more reliable.

• Backup: the app has options to export and import its data in the settings. Use them before you change phones or reinstall the app.

Extras

• Cheats for each game can be turned on from the game's menu.

• Netplay: you can play multiplayer games with friends. Online play through the internet required the Pro version and a router with UPnP (a router feature that opens network ports automatically).

• Android TV support.

Common problems

• A game does not appear in the list: the file extension is not supported or the file is not in the chosen folder. Check the folder in the settings and rescan it.

• The picture has glitches, missing parts or a black screen: the graphics plugin does not suit this game. Create a graphics profile for it and try another plugin.

• The game is slow: lower the resolution, or use a faster graphics profile. Close other apps.

• The camera cannot be moved: the C buttons are not mapped. Map them to the right stick in the controller profile.

• A game does not keep its save: choose the Controller Pak as the accessory for the player. Some games need it.

• A pad is not detected: connect it in the Android Bluetooth settings first, press a button, then check the controller profile.

• Online netplay does not connect: check that UPnP is enabled on the router and that your version of the app supports it.

• The app cannot read your games after an Android update: choose the folder again in the settings and allow access.

Going further

• Source code and releases, the project of the Android edition this app is based on.

• Mupen64Plus, the emulator at the core of the app.

• Lemuroid, simpler but less complete for the N64.

• Project64 or ares on a computer.