THE RND2 here. Eight minutes of audio troubleshooting at the top because the mic was routing through the wrong input. Once that was sorted, a lot happened.
Two working N64 units are on the bench — both recapped, both ready for mods. BlueRetro is in the project box. New gear this week: the microscope camera cable FINALLY showed up so we can actually use that thing on stream. Expansion Pack arrived for the four-megabyte RAM upgrade (those were expensive in the 90s and they’re still not cheap). Latching switches for the LED control. GBSC ODV for the output chain at the end of the build. Sugru moldable putty for mounting.
Made the case design call this session: the two giveaway N64 units are companion consoles. Blue top with white bottom on one, red top with smoke bottom on the other. Built as a pair. WS2812B strips at 160 LEDs per meter picked for the internal lighting on both units.
Tried to get into the RGB bypass mod for the VDC-NUS chip. Couldn’t track down the correct wiring diagram fast enough, and chronic pain made the call before I could get there. Short stream. Honest ending.
Bonus Life isn’t a promise that every day is good. It’s about showing up on the days when it isn’t. Everything is staged and ready.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro and audio fix
9:00 Where the build stands — two working N64 units
11:00 Parts haul (Expansion Pack, switches, GBSC ODV, Sugru)
18:00 Microscope camera — finally live
23:00 Companion case design decision (blue/white + red/smoke)
32:00 WS2812B LED strip selection
38:00 Attempting the RGB bypass mod
48:00 Pain check-in and closing
Watch live: twitch.tv/thernd2 — Tuesdays and Saturdays, 7pm Eastern
Enter the giveaway: edm4.us/BL
Rob streams live repairs and builds every Tuesday and Saturday at 7pm Eastern on Twitch. The Bonus Life N64 build — a complete custom Nintendo 64 being rebuilt from scratch and given away July 3rd, 2026 — is the current main series.