Ava Brooks 
May 21, 2024
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 console. Released in 2000, it is the second game in the Zelda series to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time.
The game takes place in the fantasy world of Termina, where the protagonist, Link, must relive the same three days in order to avoid a catastrophic disaster.
Wiseguy, a developer has released a native port of Majora's Mask for PC, bypassing the need for an emulator and opening up new performance and editing possibilities for the Nintendo classic.
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This new method, called "static recompilation", makes it easier for developers to port other N64 games to PC, providing a modern and hassle-free gaming experience.
The limitations of emulation
While console emulators can provide a great one-size-fits-all tool for a given library, they're inefficient and fail to take full advantage of modern systems.
Direct ports to PC through decompilation can provide the best possible experience, but are extremely labour-intensive, requiring years of work.
The power of static recompilation
Wiseguy's static recompilation tool simplifies the porting process, shaving years off the process. This tool translates the game's code into C and then renders the visuals using direct3d12/Vulkan.
The result is an innovative, hassle-free way to play N64 games on PC, with additional features such as native controller support, input mapping, auto-saving, widescreen support, and gyro aiming.
Dual analog support along with ray tracing, mode support, and camera control are all features planned for Zelda 64: Recompiled. We're running out of static recompilation possibilities to bring more local ports of games that are desperately needed.
With this new approach, we can expect to see more classic games brought to life on modern hardware, providing a new level of visual clarity and gaming experience.
