Getting started with Project 64

[Tanthias]

This is a basic tutorial that will teach you how to obtain, configure, and use the Project 64 emulator. If you need help with specific questions, ask in http://www.epforums.org/nintendo-systems-f85/index.html and the members here will do their best to help you.

This is my first tutorial, so please no flaming.

STEP 1 OBTAINING THE PROJECT 64 EMULATOR AND OTHER FILES NEEDED

To start off, you will need to download the Project 64 emulator, which can be found here: http://www.emuparadise.org/emulators/n64.php#Project64 .This is the 1.5 version, but you can find the latest version, version 1.6, here: http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/n64/project64.html . Next, you'll need to download the plugins, which can be found at http://www.ngemu.com/n64/pj64.php?action=plugins . There are several different plugins, and some may work better than others with certain games. If the plugins you download are compressed, you will need to extract them to the Project 64's plugin folder using either winrar (available at http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm as a free trial) or 7zip (available at http://www.7-zip.org/download.html as a completely free program).

STEP 2 CONFIGURING PROJECT 64 WITH PLUGINS

After you have obtained the plugins and put them in the plugins folder, you'll need to configure them to make them work. To configure the plugins that you have downloaded, you need to open the emulator, click on options, click on settings, and you'll see a graphics plugin, audio plugin, and input plugin. Click on the dropdown menu and select the appropriate plugin for each of the three options (example: I have Jabo's Direct D3D as graphics, Jabo's DirectSound as sound, and Jabo's DirectInput for the input plugin.)

STEP 3 DOWNLOADING AND PLAYING GAMES

Now that you have the emulator, you'll certainly want some games to go with it. Well, you're in luck, because we have quite a few different roms here on the main page. http://www.emuparadise.org/roms/n64/#
After downloading a rom, open the emulator, click on file, click on open rom, and locate the rom you downloaded (note: You may have to type in the location of the roms.). From here, simply click on the name of the rom and you should be able to play it. To get full screen, simply press the escape key, or, if you want the emulator to go to full screen as soon as you open a rom,
click on options, click on settings, click on the options tab and check the "On loading a ROM go to full screen" option.


There it is. I hope that this short tutorial can help out somebody. Please feel free to leave feedback or correct any mistakes I may have made.

[Dr Mario]

As an extra: Setting up the Rom Database.

First off, why would you want this? Simple really, it can scan your rom folder and check off the roms you have against the ones it knows. Straight away, you know what roms it's identified (and by extension, whether or not you've downloaded a dodgy rom), roughly how well each of them works and any major issues they have in the 1.6 version of Project64. Obviously, this is most useful if you're using 1.6

To get it working:
*You may be able skip the downloading and extracting steps if you wish. Project64 usually comes with a basic database, but the download I'm pointing out is significantly more recent*

Download the "RDB & Gamefaq" pack from http://www.pj64-emu.com/downloads/Do...ect64/Updates/

Extract the files into your project64 folder (not any of the subfolders, the folder with the Project64 .exe file). It will overwrite a few existing files, so click OK when windows asks you about it.

Now, open Project64, go to the file menu and click on "Choose ROM directory". Select the folder you have all your ROMS in. Bear in mind that you may want to have all your ROMS in one folder for this, since it doesn't handle subfolders. Project64 will then do a ROM check which may take a while. After this, you should notice a list of ROM names, status' and a few notes in what was the blank white space on the screen. They're colour-coded as well (green for working, yellow for semi-working, red for not working, grey for unrecognised and therefore probably dodgy).

That should be everything, although you'll need to refresh the ROM list (File->Refresh ROM list, or F5) whenever you add or remove roms if you want Project64 to pick up the changes.

[Tanthias]

Thanks for the added info, Hypnos. I'm sure that this will help out a few more people.

[Aliengrounder]

Have you tried Project64 1.7 beta?
Blackwitch Darkside will help you!

[apache69yell]

FYI the plugins link in the guide are dead, I thought plugins now come with Project 64, or am I wrong?

[MaslowK]

Whether they come with depends on who packaged your archive; some sources do, some don't