The N64 was home to some groundbreaking games that set the standard for games in their genre. Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 are two such titles. Those two games are probably the most influential games for 3D movement and level design of their generation. Arguably, the Playstation didn’t have as many great core titles as the N64, but it did have a great diversity of games available and had titles for every genre you could imagine. Because the N64 library is small, everyone knows the great titles of the N64. Whereas, on Playstation the libraries people had were different to one another. This meant the community that was built around the N64 had more common ground, as everyone were playing the same games.
Now, in 2025, Krikzz, the engineer from Ukraine, has brought us a great flash cart on which we can relive the adventures of two decades ago. I reviewed the X7 a few months ago, and here, I’m reviewing the X5, a cheaper version that is almost as full of features as the X7. At less than £100 is it worth going with the X5, or do you want to pay almost double for the super premium X7? Read on to find out.
Installation
The cart comes in a nice Sega Mega Drive style box that looks and feels high-quality. The Everdrive branding looks cool, and the graphic artist behind it deserves plaudits. The cart itself looks like a regular N64 cart, except there’s a slit on the side for the micro SD card. I looked feverishly in my box of spare parts for a micro SD card and ended up salvaging a card from an EZ flash Junior cart for Game Boy Color that I consistently have had battery problems with. I used it as my secondary Game Boy flash cart, and because of its problems I didn’t mind salvaging the micro SD card. I looked at the Everdrive website and downloaded the operating system for the X5. I then moved it onto the root of the SD card (after formating the card to FAT32). I then created another folder named N64 Roms on the root of the SD card, below the operating system.
I then put seven or eight ROMs on the card and it was ready to go. One of the big differences between the X7 and X5 is that the X7 has an internal battery, while the X5 does not. This means that Animal Crossing for N64 won’t work properly on the X5, as many of its features, such as real-time daily tasks require the internal battery. Luckily, Animal Crossing is the only N64 game that uses the internal battery. However, the lack of the internal battery on the X5 is relevant to something which will come up later.
Performance
The Everdrive X5 can comfortably hold the whole N64 library of around 350 games if you use a 32gb microSD card or a higher capacity microSD card. To start playing when you have the operating system and roms installed on your microSD card, simply turn on the N64. You are then greeted with a white text on a black screen (with the usual Everdrive charm) and will have the option to select your ROM folder. Then click on a game using the N64 pad and the game will load. I’ve been using USA ROMs as well as PAL (Europe) ROMs and am happy to report that ROMs from both regions worked. My N64 is European, yet USA ROMs work using the Everdrive X5.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to use buttons to go back to the main menu once you boot up a game. Also, unlike the Everdrive X7, with the X5 you will have to press the reset button to save your progress once you’ve finished playing. This is because, as mentioned earlier, the X5 has no internal battery. The save data is stored temporarily on the cart’s RAM, and then when you press the reset button the save is written to the SD card. Pressing the reset button writes the save onto the SD card and means that the cart’s RAM can let go of the temporary save. When there’s a battery installed, as in the X7, the save is ‘remembered’ and there is no need to hard reset to save. It is a minor inconvenience to press the reset button to save (after you’ve saved in-game).
Conclusion
Overall, the Everdrive is the best flash cart that you can buy for the N64. However, the two versions, the X7, and X5, are slightly different. The X7, is significantly more expensive. The X5 is around half the price and will let you play almost any N64 game that you can think of. The main difference between the two flashcarts is that the X7 has an internal battery. This means that when you save in-game, you can simply turn off the system and your save will be safe. With the X5, you must press the reset button, and the save that was being held temporarily by the cart’s internal RAM will be written to the SD card, and then you can safely turn off the system. The X7, although it doesnt have save states, has an ability to access the main menu, and change game without doing a reset. The X5 does not have this feature. You will have to either press reset or turn the system off and on to change games.
Both these Everdrives allow you to have a collection of classic, genre defining games, all accessible at the flick of a switch. While you can probably play most of these games on an emulator on your phone, there is nothing like playing with a good controller, or playing on original hardware with all their imperfections and character. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either flash cart, but the convenience of the X7, just pushes it into being the better option, in my opinion. Happy gaming.
BongoBongo123 is an avid Zelda fan who also likes the odd game of Smash. His interests in gaming are broad but he loves a good Metroidvania or action RPGs.