That’s right, I’m finally playing it again after nearly 20 years. Not on the original hardware, and in fact that’s the precise reason I haven’t played it in so long. I’m running it on M64P using a Gamecube controller through an old and barely used Mayflash Magic Joy Box. Nintendo has always labelled the use of emulators and downloading ROMS as “piracy”, I don’t agree in the slightest. ROMS contain the intellectual property of the game developer, in this case Rareware, not Nintendo. Copyright laws are incredibly archaic, they were designed largely in the 1800’s to favour publishers, and it’s not Nintendo’s right to “double-dip” (I already bought two copies as it is - the second copy because the first was stolen) - if you buy the game you buy the game you own a copy of the game, which no one can dispossess you of, end of story.
I can still remember the first time I played the game, I was at a friend’s house - I didn’t even have a N64 yet - this was the first time I can remember playing a 64 as well so this may have been the first N64 game I ever played. One of the other kids there said he “wasn’t very good at the game” (he was a lot better than a first-timer/me!)
On the emulation - it’s perfect. Better than the original hardware. Which isn’t saying much since the N64 was fraught with issues and the Wii’s VC already provided a superior experience for other N64 games a good 10 years ago. The Wii controllers in addition to having tumbsticks that didn’t wear out quickly have built-in rumble - no external “pak” that takes AAA batteries. The gameplay resolution is improved - scaled 288p to native 576p. That makes a huge difference. DKR the PAL version is rendered at 262p (actually 240p with black borders), and that is then scaled to 288p when outputted. Not to mention you have composite video out, if you’re lucky, back in the day we had to use RF (the adapter being purchased separately) on our 1970’s TV.
Anyway it’s great I haven’t played the game in so long it means I have to learn it all from scratch!