All PC compatible Nintendo 64 games without emulators? Now possible thanks to simple software

Nowadays, the solutions for playing Nintendo 64 games can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Thankfully, if your old console is still working, all you have to do is dust off your cartridge and plug it into the drive. Otherwise, the situation becomes complicated. You can opt for emulation by subscribing to Switch Online or by downloading an emulator and associated ROM on PC.

Then there is a final solution that is much less common because it is much more technical to implement: decompilation. Theoretically, the concept is simple. Rather than developing software that can emulate a console and then making a game with it, decompilation attacks directly the code of the game in question. In short, this involves “translating” the source code into a programming language that can be understood by the PC. In other words, it involves re-encoding the game into a native PC application.

This new tool could almost make emulation obsolete

The process has many benefits. Concretely, a PC game means compatibility with all mods and visual enhancements such as ray tracing and unlocked frame rates. However, it makes access very difficult, especially since it is long and tiring. Join the Game N64 Recompiled. This brand new tool is a game changer, and for one simple reason: it can recompile any N64 game… in just 2 days.

As the name suggests, N64 Recompiled does not compile the source code of a game. A simple ROM is enough to recreate the game as a native PC application. Concretely, it recompiles the ROM code into C, then adds various APIs such as the Vulkan graphics engine. Thus, the process becomes much faster while also benefiting from the advantages of decompilation. All you need to run it is the ROM file.

The developer has already released a recompiled version. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Produced on Github using his software. At this rate, the entire Nintendo 64 game library will be available natively on PC within a few months without any compatibility issues. Unless Nintendo and its army of lawyers stop this little revolution.