GoldenTry 007
I’ve wanted one since it was first announced back in 2023, of course. Just as an object, the Analogue 3D is a handsome re-imagining of the original’s Romanesque stylings, a form I called “stately yet sensual” in a piece I wrote for The Console Chronicles a while back. Analogue removed the ‘pillars’ on either side but captured the curves and that smooth hump across the front, just with a smaller footprint. Add in the light-up controller ports and it’s a slick bit of kit.
Expensive, too. Right now it’s listed on Analogue’s website for $269.99 plus shipping. As a ‘luxury’ way to play games I can already play in multiple ways, it was high on desires but low on my priority list. Add in import charges and this economy, and no, I’d make do with NSO and OG hardware with an EON Super 64.
So what pushed me over the edge? Ultimately, two things:
- Actually playing one at a Hookshot staff meetup in May (nothing like the ego boost of winning a couple of rounds of GoldenEye to fuel a frivolous purchase, but feeling and seeing how it performed firsthand convinced me it was legit)
- The ballooning prices of just about everything video-game related right now (ie. it definitely ain’t gonna get cheaper)
Another factor was that, as noted above, the N64 is my childhood console. Having seen the Analogue NT come and go and shoot up to insane money secondhand, was I going to let this slip through my fingers only to pay twice as much for one in five years’ time?
Armed with those watertight justifications, I took to the internet on payday to hunt down a deal.
Living in Europe, unpredictable tariffs and crazy import/shipping fees made me wary of buying direct from the US. I’ve been stung by import charges on my doorstep before and I just didn’t want that uncertainty. (Seriously, having to pay a driver with actual cash — not card — feels like a scam in 2026, but hey, that’s another article.)
eBay had various listings for sealed systems, particularly the white one, which, if the reaction of my NL colleagues is a barometer of public sentiment, isn’t the one people want — especially not after Analogue released all those limited ‘Funtastic’ variants. It was, however, the one that I wanted. This was going to stay hooked up permanently in the living room, and the unassuming pale one would sit on the TV stand very nicely alongside my Wii and PS5 (my Switch 2 is docked around the back).
I have Nintendo’s NSO controller plus a bunch of originals, so I didn’t need a pad. However, the listing I found bundled a white 8BitDo 64, and another wireless pad which plays nicely with N64 games is handy.
Satisfied in the knowledge that there were no ‘hidden’ import charges or taxes involved — and no international shipping wait times — I put in the minimum bid, won, and two days later I had the thing on my desk.
All-in, this thing is a significant retro investment; it set me back €370 with the controller. At the time of writing, a Switch 2 costs just €100 more.
First impressions
Analogue has a knack for design and presentation, and that starts right from the packaging, with a soft-feel black box that looks the part before you’ve even opened it. Likewise, the white SD card in the box is a bespoke affair with the Analogue logo cut into it, with the colour-matched cables similarly branded.
Making the controller an add-on is a sticking point for some, although for me the lack of an EU-friendly USB-C power adapter was a minor issue. No dice with a Mac or an iPhone charger, so right now I’m using my Switch 2 plug – which is fine, but it means switching cables when I switch consoles.
Updating firmware via the SD card was straightforward, and I like how the light on the front is also a sync button – and how the controller ports light up sequentially as a ‘progress bar’ during updates. I’d prefer a printed instruction sheet to a QR code, but that’s just me, and before long I had the latest firmware with save states (or ‘Memories’ as Analogue dubbed them) and was ready to rock.
The OS is clean and clear, and you can tailor your display preferences for each individual game easily enough. It’s not as granular as you’ll find on some upscaling solutions, but there’s more than enough tweaks to be made if you know your PVMs from your BVMs, or just want something authentic-looking on your modern 4K display.
I’ve found myself defaulting to BVM (Broadcast Video Monitor) for most games with the Integer+ fill option. I want it to look like it was designed to on a CRT, so scanlines and some softening are a must, and tweaking on a per-game basis is handy.
The recently-added horizontal upscaling option produces great results when I turned it on for Episode 1 Racer — again, check out My Life in Gaming’s recent video which explores the 1.5.0 update. For someone who finds Nintendo Switch Online’s CRT filter a passable display option (it’s incorrect aspect ratios that really wind me up), the Analogue 3D covers all my bases and then some.
On the topic of NSO, as convenient as it is, going back will be tough once you’ve sampled this. Beginning an Ocarina playthrough recently (did you hear they’re remaking it?), I changed to NSO when I realised I’d want to play it with the kids on a summer break and Switch 2 is easier to sling in a suitcase. But even with a game that doesn’t require lightning reflexes, the input latency was startling by comparison.
I noticed it most when playing the Ocarina itself – the gap between hitting a C-button and hearing the note felt enormous on Switch 2 and it made a couple of sections noticeably harder; specifically, copying the frog chorus in Zora’s River and the battle against Dark Link.
The lag wasn’t a dealbreaker — not when you’ve got the rewind feature to fall back on — but ignorance really is bliss. So, know that you’ll spoil yourself for any lesser option once you’ve played Zelda’s Lullaby on the A3D.
And OoT isn’t even something that depends on twitch reflexes. Games like F-Zero X, Wave Race 64, and 1080 feel soupy on Switch at the best of times; the Analogue transforms them back into the immediate, responsive racers they are/were. GoldenEye feels snappy once more.
I won’t just list titles here, but spending significant time with games like Rogue Squadron and Snowboard Kids has been a joy in the last few weeks. I’ve got family coming to visit soon, and I’ve already got an old-school multiplayer session programmed in.
My odd curiosity to one day play Quest 64 will soon be satisfied, too – that is if I can stop playing the aforementioned Episode 1: Racer. The elegance of that game’s controls coupled with the speed (and, undeniably, a good shot of nostalgia) is just beautiful – check out Jack’s recent Making Of interview with the devs over on Time Extension if you’re an avid podracer. Fingers crossed for a Switch 2 port of Galactic Racer.
