This is the PARTNER-N64 PC development kit for the Nintendo 64. This unit was made for Nintendo by the company Kyoto Microcomputer (KMC). An in-depth video demo of this dev kit is shown futher below.
These cartridges provided real-time debugging features, however many developers still preferred using the SN-Systems “SN64” development kits.
The Partner-N64 debugger system does require a specially modified N64 console, in order to work correctly. (See image above) This special N64 console gave the Debugger software control over the hardware to activate two specific features.
A Breakpoint is essentially a software feature where the developer can specify a line within the source code to pause the game. So while the game is paused, the developer can analyze the N64 system memory to see if there are any problems or Bugs. This is done during game execution (or during RUNTIME). The developer can then resume the game (un-pause the game) and continue playing the game until another point in the code is reached….or if an error is detected. If a condition is met or a certain line of code is reached, then the game is once again halted. This is the basic functionality of a Software Breakpoint.
