With plans to implement aNintendo 64expansion pack to Nintendo Switch Online’s game library underway, it appears that Nintendo is planning to lean into N64 nostalgia. However, oneNintendo 64fan is taking matters into their own hands by creating custom N64 cartridge keycaps for other retro Nintendo enthusiasts.
Reddit user dylpickle300 shared a short video of the keycaps, during which they demonstrate how to put the keycaps on a mechanical keyboard and then hit the keys, creating a clicking noise that gamers may find very satisfying. This isn’t the first timeN64 fans have created custom gaming gear, but it may be one of the most detailed. Although dylpickle300’s tiny keycaps appear to be significantly smaller than the actual N64 cartridges they’re based on, they feature intricate sculpting and meticulously recreated images and labels.
RELATED:Xbox Can Technically Play PS1 and Nintendo 64 Games Thanks to New Internet Browser App
In the video, dylpickle300 shows off a variety of small, handmade keycaps modeled after cartridges for existing games likeDonkey Kong 64,Super Smash Bros.,Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, andSuper Mario 64. Several other cartridges are shown lying on top of the white, unlabeled mechanical keyboard used in the demonstration, but every keycap attached to a key appears to be gripping flawlessly. Dylpickle300 did not show how the keycaps react to a standard typing position, possibly because their hands and wrists would have blocked most of the keyboard from view. However, they did show that keycaps stay put if individual keys are pressed quickly and repeatedly.
Dylpickle300 creates artisan keycaps and sells them on their Etsy shop, CleanCaps. They have previously worked on Game Boy cartridge keycaps, NES cartridge keycaps, and even keycaps modeled after consoles like the original Xbox and the GameCube. The addition of custom N64 cartridge keycaps appears to fit right in with their existing selection of custom keycaps, although as of writing CleanCaps does not offerother custom N64 gear.
It appears that other fans of the N64 and artisan keycaps are quite impressed with dylpickle300’s work. Several users expressed interest in seeing custom N64 keychains, while others immediately asked where they could buy the keycaps. They seemed pleased to learn that the Etsy shop allowsN64 fans to request a specific gameand have it made to their specifications. One user mourned the fact that the keycaps cover the letters completely, stating that they would be unable to type with the keycaps on. Other users soon responded with suggestions that they either memorize the keyboard layout in advance or code the keycaps in a specific pattern to help with memory.
MORE:WinBack is More Important to Gaming History Than You Might Realize
