Nintendo 64 colored(funtastic) models have a sharper image quality. But seems Ice Blue (PAL & USA) consoles isn't sharper image.
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Additional information needed USA and especially the Japanese consoles. If you have 2 consoles or more (it would be great!).
What information is needed:
1. Console's Serial Number (NS, NUP or NUJ & numbers), found in the bottom of the console.
2. Console's color (Gray, Fire Orange, Grape Purple, Ice Blue, Jungle Green, Smoke Black, Watermelon Red, Clear Blue and Pikachu).
3. Sharper image? YES or NO.
4. If you have a camera, take a photos from the TV screen.
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Attention! Composite cable would better to use (no S-Video cable).
The First pictures are European PAL versions, 4th picture taken with CRT TV and the last picture is USA & Japan NTSC versions.
EUROPE PAL (Game: Excitebike 64) (http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/N64_Gray-vs-Colored.jpg)
EUROPE PAL (Game: Super Mario 64) (http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/Nintendo64_Gray-vs-Color.jpg)
EUROPE PAL (Game: Mario Kart 64) (http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/N64_Grey-vs-Colour.jpg)
EUROPE PAL (CRT TV) (Game: Excitebike 64) (http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/N64_Grey-vs-ColouredCRT-TV.jpg)
USA & JAPAN NTSC (Game: Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfeat) (http://www.nesretro.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/N64_USA-vs-Japan.jpg)
Europe PAL = NUP
USA NTSC = NS
Japan NTSC = NUJ
EUROPE PAL (NUP)
SHARPER? YES
Fire Orange: NUP 16339442
Grape Purple: NUP 16060024, NUP 16111072
Jungle Green: NUP 16085491, NUP 16237979
Smoke Black: NUP 16122646
Watermelon Red: NUP 16315707
Clear Blue: NUP 16748999
Pikachu: NUP 16476127
SHARPER? NO
Gray PAL consoles (Probably all?)
Ice Blue: NUP 16143699
Pokemon: NUP 15742019
USA NTSC (NS)
SHARPER? YES
Jungle Green: NS 284xxxxxx
SHARPER? NO
Gray USA consoles (Probably all?)
Ice Blue: NS 294329436
JAPAN NTSC (NUJ)
SHARPER? YES
Gray: NUJ 11861562 (Looks sharper image)
This is the Main Chips information.
USA & Japan
THE FIRST MODELS
Main Chips:
CPU-NUS or CPU-NUS A
RCP-NUS
RDRAM18-NUS A or B
RDRAM18-NUS A or B
VDC-NUS or VDC-NUS A or MAV-NUS
ENC-NUS
BU9480F
AMP-NUS
THE LASTEST MODELS (Sharper Image)
Main Chips:
CPU-NUS A
RCP-NUS
RDRAM36-NUS
MAV-NUS
AMP-NUS
Europe PAL
THE FIRST MODELS
Main Chips:
CPU-NUS A
RCP-NUS
RDRAM18-NUS B
RDRAM18-NUS B
DENC-NUS
BU9480F
AMP-NUS
THE LASTEST MODELS (Sharper Image)
Main Chips:
CPU-NUS A
RCP-NUS
RDRAM36-NUS
MAV-NUS
AMP-NUS
I'll check what model I have after. It's a grey Japanese system though.
Thanks for this info.