Buzz
There are multiple ways to enjoy Nintendo 64 games in 2024. You can track down the original console, sign up for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, download an unofficial emulator, or even try out a recompiled PC port—beginning with The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
For those with a technical background, this is a significant development. For the rest, it might seem a bit complicated.
If you've ever played a Nintendo 64 game on your PC, phone, or tablet, chances are you've been using an emulator. These programs essentially mimic the workings of the original console, making the game think it's running on authentic hardware. It’s a legally protected method—thanks to an old court case between Sony and a company called Bleem!—but it does have its drawbacks.
Emulated games often suffer from issues like audio inaccuracies and input lag. Since these games are designed to run on their original console, they can’t fully utilize the power of modern hardware, making it hard to implement features such as ray tracing or ultrawide support.
This is where decompilation comes in—the ultimate solution for preserving retro games. Instead of relying on software that mimics old consoles, decompilation extracts a game’s original source code, reworks it, and rebuilds it to run natively on modern PCs.
Decompilation significantly boosts compatibility, enabling everything from ray tracing to mods to higher frame rates, all while making the experience smoother and reducing lag. This technique has been applied to a few N64 classics, including Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but there’s a catch—you need the game’s original source code and quite a bit of development time to make it work.
Now, you can play any N64 game with just the ROM file.
Although the source code for some popular games has been leaked, most games remain locked away. However, with the new Nintendo 64: Recompiled tool by Wiseguy, the entire N64 library could soon be playable on PC through a different method—and one major game has already made the jump.
Wiseguy’s tool doesn’t technically decompile games, as the data remains unreadable. Instead, it takes an original game ROM and 'recompiles' it, converting the code into C (a programming language) and processing the graphics through modern APIs like Vulkan upon launch. It’s similar to Steam’s Proton translation layer, which lets Windows games run on Linux.
Some things still require manual adjustment afterward—games from the ‘90s weren’t designed to run at modern hardware speeds. However, transitioning from recompilation to a full port is much quicker than decompilation and could be applied to the entire Nintendo 64 library in the short term.
In an interview with YouTuber Nerrel, Wiseguy mentioned that they started with a recompiled port of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (though other games were tested first, Zelda is the first to be released). The port was finished in just two days, a far cry from the two years it typically took for decompilation projects. Because the code is translated directly instead of being altered for compatibility, the results are more faithful to the original game.
This doesn’t mean decompilation is outdated—it still plays an important role in understanding a game’s original code, which is crucial for mods, patches, and fixes. But in situations where decompilation isn’t feasible, recompilation could offer an improvement over both original hardware and emulation, as it doesn’t rely on emulation and can take full advantage of modern enhancements like high frame rates.
Wiseguy’s Majora’s Mask port is now available for download via Github, setting the stage for future projects. To protect the project’s legal standing, the port doesn’t include any assets (such as the game’s code, graphics, or sound effects), meaning users must provide a ROM file themselves.
Once you provide the ROM, the port will process the assets, converting them into a PC version, applying Wiseguy’s enhancements, and allowing you to play the game as if it was originally designed for your computer. Simply supply the ROM, and the port will also enable higher frame rates, quicker load times, gyroscopic aiming, and ultrawide display support.
In addition, advanced features like ray tracing are in development, using the RT64 tool, created by fellow modder Dario.
While full decompilations for the entire Nintendo 64 library may never be a reality, fans of niche titles like Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls or Blast Corps might soon have a better option than traditional emulation. Though Wiseguy’s porting process isn’t fully automatic, with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time next on their list, it’s clear more games are on the horizon. They also plan to make the Nintendo 64: Recompiled tool available to other modders, promising a bright future for the N64 library.
