Transfer Pak

Overview

The Transfer Pak was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 3, and was first revealed at Nintendo's Space World 1997 trade show. It was released in Japan as a pack-in with the game Pocket Monsters Stadium (1998), which required the Transfer Pak for many of its features. In North America and Europe, the Transfer Pak was similarly bundled with Pokémon Stadium (1999) for its English-language release in 2000, receiving a standalone release shortly thereafter. While the device itself is physically compatible with all Game Boy and GBC Game Paks, N64 games can only connect to games from the same region.

Unlike the Super Game Boy peripheral, which allowed Game Boy games to be played on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Transfer Pak's primary use is not to play Game Boy games on the N64. However, the Pokémon Stadium games include a built-in Game Boy emulator, allowing users to play compatible Pokémon games on the N64 by inserting them into the Transfer Pak. The emulation software is based on the Super Game Boy, including applying the same borders and color palettes during gameplay.

64 GB Cable

The 64 GB Cable was a similar but unreleased accessory, designed by Nintendo subsidiary Marigul Management for use with the N64's 64DD peripheral. The cable would have connected from an N64 controller port to a proprietary port built directly into compatible GBC cartridges, to transfer data between the GBC and a 64DD storage disk, and to use the GBC as a sub-screen for certain 64DD games. This was demonstrated at Space World 1999 with the game DT Bloodmasters, a trading card game directed by Masanobu Endō that was planned to use the 64 GB Cable to exchange cards between the two systems, and allow players to privately view their cards on the GBC screen. The cable and DT Bloodmasters were ultimately never released due to the 64DD's underperformance, though its GBC counterpart, DT: Lords of Genomes, was released in May 2001. Derby Stallion 64 (2001) was also intended to support the 64 GB Cable, using the GBC as a second screen to place private bets on horse races, but this feature was removed after the accessory's cancellation.

Supported games

The following is a complete list of all 20 Nintendo 64 and 64DD games that are compatible with the Transfer Pak, along with the corresponding Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Some N64 games' Transfer Pak functions are only available in certain regional releases, due to their GBC companion games not being released in other markets.

Cancelled support

Some games were intended to include Transfer Pak features, only to remove them prior to release. During development of Pokémon Snap (1999), Satoru Iwata experimented with transferring photos to the Game Boy Camera so that they could be printed using the Game Boy Printer; however, the development team found the printer's output quality to be insufficient, and the feature was abandoned in favor of printing stickers through specialized stations at specific retailers. The GBC version of The World Is Not Enough (2000) was initially reported to feature Transfer Pak connectivity with its N64 counterpart, allowing players to strengthen their characters in the N64 game's multiplayer mode, but this was dropped before release. WWF No Mercy (2000) was meant to use the Transfer Pak to import points earned in its GBC counterpart, to be spent on rewards in the N64 game's "SmackDown Mall". However, this feature was removed following the cancellation of the GBC version.

Other games with planned Transfer Pak support went unreleased in any form. One of these was Cabbage, a 64DD breeding simulator game, which would have featured the Transfer Pak as a major gameplay component. The game was planned to allow players to transfer their pet to the Game Boy and continue to nurture it throughout the day. Another unreleased game was 64 Wars, a planned N64 entry in Nintendo's Wars series of strategy video games. The game would have featured connectivity with Game Boy Wars 2 (1998), allowing players to transfer their in-progress battle and continue playing it on the Game Boy.

Reception

Reviews of the Pokémon Stadium games praised their use of the Transfer Pak, with some claiming that players who played the games without using it would find their appeal and features severely limited. Similarly, Peer Schneider of IGN considered the Transfer Pak functionality in PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 to be the game's sole redeeming feature. When reviewing the Wii Virtual Console re-releases of Mario Golf and Mario Tennis, Lucas M. Thomas of IGN was disappointed by the removal of their Transfer Pak functionality, lamenting the games' incompleteness due to the inability to unlock their Transfer Pak-exclusive content. Some members of the press identified the Transfer Pak as an influence on later examples of connectivity between Nintendo's home consoles and handhelds, most prominently the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable.

In the years following the N64's discontinuation, the Transfer Pak has been regarded as a largely underutilized and unnecessary add-on. In a retrospective for Nintendo Life, Gavin Lane stated that the Transfer Pak, while interesting, never truly reached its full potential. Den of Geeks Daniel Kurland considered the Transfer Pak to be "a frivolity rather than something fundamental", particularly given the meager number of games that supported it. Writing for GamesBeat, André Bardin was also critical of the Transfer Pak's lack of support, particularly outside of Japan. In contrast, David Craddock of Shacknews called the device "ahead of its time", noting the novelty of interconnectivity between game systems when it released.

Legacy

Some games have retained their Transfer Pak-exclusive content in digital re-releases. The 2010 remaster of Perfect Dark for Xbox 360 unlocks the same selection of cheats if the game detects a Perfect Dark Zero (2005) save file. In the 2024 Nintendo Classics re-release of Mario Tennis (GBC), the Transfer Pak-exclusive characters and minigames are accessible by default.

Other unofficial examples of Transfer Pak functionality have been developed since the Nintendo 64's discontinuation. In 2019, an independent software developer created a ROM hack of Pokémon Stadium 2 that expanded the emulator's compatibility, allowing players to emulate other Game Boy games connected via the Transfer Pak. Hero of Law, a 2025 ROM hack of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), also includes custom Transfer Pak support. In December 2023, as part of its update to add N64 support, the Polymega aftermarket console implemented Transfer Pak functionality, allowing players to use the device to dump their Game Boy games and save files to the system's memory for play.

Notes

References

References

1. (March 2, 2000). "N64 Games of March".
2. (April 2000). "New Game Reviews". [[EMAP]].
3. "64GBパック".
4. (May 11, 2000). "Nintendo E3 2000 Press Kit". [[Nintendo]].
5. (February 1998). "Nintendo's Space World 1997".
6. Schneider, Peer. (August 30, 1998). "Pokemon Stadium (Import) Review".
7. (March 7, 2000). "Transfer Pak".
8. (November 3, 1999). "Nintendo Announces Q1 Dates".
9. (January 2000). "Mario Golf Links Up". [[Future plc.
10. Harris, Craig. (Aug 31, 1999). "Wide Boy".
11. (March 31, 2000). "TGS: Wide Boy Gets an Upgrade".
12. Harris, Craig. (September 14, 2001). "Connecting to the Cube". IGN.
13. Frear, Dave. (October 8, 2011). "Remembering the Super Game Boy".
14. (January 1998). "新ゲーム創世紀の Hyper Gears". [[Media Factory]].
15. (August 28, 1999). "What's DT, you ask?".
16. (July 1998). "『DT』好調制作中の大ベテラン 遠藤雅伸氏を直撃インタビュー". Mainichi Communications.
17. (February 2001). "ランドネットサービス停止にともない 「DT(仮)」の開発方針が大きく変更!!". Mainichi Communications.
18. (May 2001). "DT ローズオブゲノム". Mainichi Communications.
19. (August 20, 1999). "Choro Q 64 2 in the Works".
20. Locomotion. (1999). "Choro Q 64 2: Hachamecha Grand Prix Race". [[Takara]].
21. (April 1999). "実況パワフルプロ野球 6". Mainichi Communications.
22. (April 2000). "実況パワフルプロ野球 2000". Mainichi Communications.
23. Schneider, Peer. (August 23, 2000). "Mario Artist: Paint Studio (Import)".
24. Schneider, Peer. (August 27, 1999). "Mario Artist: Talent Studio (Import)".
25. (March 19, 1999). "GDC: Miyamoto Unveils Camera Connection".
26. Thomas, Lucas M.. (October 6, 2008). "Mario Golf Review".
27. (March 4, 2000). "Mario Golf Transfer Pak".
28. Thomas, Lucas M.. (June 30, 2010). "Mario Tennis Review".
29. Latshaw, Tim. (March 13, 2024). "Camelot's Ace Little Tennis RPG Is Hard To Fault".
30. (February 2001). "N64 Transfers". [[Nintendo of America]].
31. (March 8, 2001). "Huey Spotted on Mickey's Speedway".
32. (August 1999). "ドリテクの殿堂". Mainichi Communications.
33. (January 1999). "ぬし釣り64". Ambit.
34. Horst, Tim. (June 13, 2000). "King of the Sea".
35. Harris, Craig. (March 27, 2000). "Ultraman's Transfer Pak Weapon".
36. Kitts, Martin. (June 2000). "Perfect Dark". [[Future plc]].
37. Hiranand, Ravi. (February 10, 2000). "Rare Cleans Up Perfect Dark".
38. Yarwood, Jack. (September 20, 2022). "New E3 1999 Footage Gives Closer Look At Perfect Dark's 'Perfect Head' Mode".
39. Uwerman. (August 1, 2023). "『ポケモンスタジアム』が発売された日。初めてポケモンが3Dで表現されたことに感激。なみのりピカチュウも育てられた対戦用ソフト【今日は何の日？】".
40. (March 8, 2000). "Snag a Surfing Pikachu".
41. Gerstmann, Jeff. (February 29, 2000). "Pokemon Stadium Review". [[GameSpot]].
42. (January 2000). "Stadium Secrets". [[Nintendo Power]].
43. Villoria, Gerald. (March 26, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2 Review".
44. (February 2001). "Pokémon Stadium 2". [[Nintendo of America]].
45. Carle, Chris. (March 26, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2 Review".
46. (February 2001). "今月のマリオクラブおすすめソフトはじっくり遊べるこの5本". Mainichi Communications.
47. Bertoli, Ben. (August 25, 2019). "That Time Nintendo Took the Game Boy (and Pokémon) Online".
48. (October 20, 1999). "Puyo Puyo Sun's Transfer Pak Option".
49. (January 2000). "GBリンクで ギャラリーモードだ!". Mainichi Communications.
50. (January 2000). "ロボットポンコッツ６４ ～七つの海のカラメル～". Mainichi Communications.
51. Jankiewicz, Joshua. (June 2, 2018). "Robot Ponkottsu 64".
52. (October 1998). "今月のマリオクラブおすすめソフ". Mainichi Communications.
53. (August 27, 1999). "Super Robot Taisen Links Up".
54. (September 1999). "N64版とのリンクばかりではない GB版『リンクバトラー』の魅力を大紹介!!". [[MediaWorks (publisher).
55. (December 1999). "スーパーロボット大戦64". Mainichi Communications.
56. (January 2000). "スーパーロボット大戦64". Mainichi Communications.
57. (November 1999). "トランスフォーマー ビーストウォーズメタルス64". Mainichi Communications.
58. (August 27, 1999). "Takara's Treasures".
59. (May 1999). "大爆笑HAL研ブラザーズ". Mainichi Communications.
60. Harris, Craig. (July 17, 2001). "The World Is Not Enough".
61. (March 20, 2001). "New media: TWINE GBC".
62. Gerstmann, Jeff. (May 17, 2000). "WWF No Mercy Hands-On".
63. (December 21, 2000). "No Link for No Mercy".
64. Miyamoto, Shigeru. (December 1997). "BIG2の友椅対談!". Mainichi Communications.
65. Gantayat, Anoop. (August 21, 2006). "Miyamoto Opens the Vault".
66. (January 29, 1998). "64DD: The Games".
67. (April 4, 2000). "Nintendo Still Cooking Cabbage".
68. "Nintendo Space World 99 Official Guide Book".
69. Bramwell, Tom. (December 9, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2".
70. Schneider, Peer. (March 27, 2000). "PD Ultraman Battle Collection 64 (Import) Review".
71. Elson, Brett. (July 8, 2009). "Nintendo's Most-Failingest Peripherals".
72. Kurland, Daniel. (May 16, 2018). "41 Dumb Consoles and Accessories Nobody Needs".
73. Bardin, André. (February 3, 2012). "Shame Is Plastic: 6 Gaming Accessories of Dubious Quality".
74. Craddock, David. (December 15, 2025). "Shacknews Hall of Fame: Class of 2025".
75. Higton, Ian. (June 19, 2024). "7 bizarre Easter Eggs from across the Perfect Dark series".
76. Lane, Gavin. (July 9, 2019). "Feature: The Legacy of Nintendo 64's Transfer Pak".
77. Yarwood, Jack. (June 30, 2025). "This Ocarina Of Time & Ace Attorney Crossover Is The Most Ridiculous N64 Mod We've Seen This Year".
78. McFerran, Damien. (December 29, 2023). "Polymega's N64 Module Allows Support for Game Boy and Game Boy Color Games".