The Difference Between the N64 and GameShark Pro

Nintendo 64

• Released in 1996, the Nintendo 64 is the successor of the Super Nintendo and the predecessor of the GameCube. The N64 is the company's last console to use cartridge games, aside from their handheld gaming systems such as the Game Boy and Nintendo DS. The Nintendo 64 offers some new features over previously released consoles, such as four controller ports and the technical power to run 3-D games -- two things most commercial consoles have since adopted. To play the N64, you need Nintendo 64 cartridges such as "Super Mario 64," "Goldeneye 007" or "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

GameShark Pro

• The GameShark Pro is a cartridge, similar to the games played using the Nintendo 64. After inserting the GameShark Pro into your N64, you insert the game into the top of the GameShark Pro. The device reads the game and lets you turn pre-loaded codes on or off. The Pro is the first version that lets you input your own codes, creating your own game cheats.

Additional Features

• The GameShark Pro comes with 1,500 codes pre-loaded onto it in case you don't want to take the time learning to make your own. The device's Memory Pak manager provides an easy way for you to transfer saved games between different Memory Pak's, a feature not native to the Nintendo 64. The cartridge also comes with four megabytes of internal memory, letting you save new codes directly to the cartridge.

The Codes

• The actual GameShark Pro codes are a series of letters and numbers similar to "504432AE 0007." Each code also features a description, telling you what the code does. The Nintendo 64 stores your game's information in its memory using coding similar to GameShark Pro codes. When you turn on a code with the GameShark Pro, it alters the appropriate RAM space to provide the desired result.