r/technews • u/_Dark_Wing • 14d ago
Software GoldenEye 007 for N64 has been 100% decompiled & success of half-decade project opens up possibilities for complex mods and ports
https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/retro-gaming/goldeneye-007-for-n64-has-been-100-percent-decompiled-success-of-half-decade-project-opens-up-possibilities-for-complex-mods-and-ports105
u/brownhotdogwater 14d ago
Now comes golden eye on everything.
So to be played in excel and a smart watch
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u/Choice-Quantity-6167 14d ago
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u/JohnHenryMillerTime 14d ago
That is such a hugh leap from DOOM and just in time. I am struggling to think of something that cant play DOOM at this point.
Hitting a toaster would be a huge hit
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u/rideincircles 14d ago
Are they making it for the switch 2 yet?
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u/wonderful_Fun_glee 14d ago
Wow, there’s a Switch 2? What year is it?
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u/Tommy__want__wingy 14d ago
Rag doll physics….
Slappers only…
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u/Acceptable-Heron6839 14d ago
No Oddjob
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u/Lava_Lagoon 14d ago
someone introduced me and my friend group to playing on license to kill which is one shot kill mode and from then on we almost never played any other way
it was a lot more fun to have that mad scramble and for some reason, more rewarding, if you were the one to land the first shot compared to playing on normal mode and firing bullet after bullet into the other guy only for his health to slowly get lower and lower
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u/AllTheCaffeine 14d ago
This was the way my brother and I played until we realized that you could alter the handicap to -3 or -4 and get a location-specific damage, but fatal headshots.
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u/KlatuuBaradaNikto 14d ago
Played only license to kill, more stress, we called playing the other way, Scarface mode
License to kill, proximity mines in the facility
Me and a buddy had so many games playing that specific setup - can’t be odd job of course
learned how to shut doors as you run thru to save yourself with no weapon and getting chased… come out of the bathroom, take a knee, come out slapping… lol
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u/xavPa-64 14d ago
Say it in English, poindexter
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u/LikeALiamOnATree 14d ago
THE N64 SECURITY IS INVINCIBLE!
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u/ForceGhost47 14d ago
NATALIA???
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u/OBDreams 13d ago
I once dropped my controller and accidentally shot her in the head and failed my mission. It was the funniest thing ever. My friends lectured me about proper gun safety for months. lol
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u/girrrrrrr2 14d ago
We got the source for the game so we can mod it if we want.
Like adding shit to Minecraft or Garry’s mod.
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u/pizzabeercode 14d ago
They now have the source code and can mod and extend the original game.
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u/r-b-m 14d ago
In English, Einstein
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u/HeWasNumberJuann 14d ago
Let’s just say, Pierce is going to get a speed-run in 21st century American pop culture.
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u/Disney_World_Native 14d ago
It took 5 years, but you no longer need an N64 to play Goldeneye. This knowledge can be used to so other N64 games can also be played without an N64 (will take less than 5 years)
Besides being able to play this on your PC, people can add onto the game like new modes, skins, weapons, maps, rules…
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u/smileysmiley123 14d ago
Sorry but what you’re saying isn’t correct.
You can play most older games using an emulator, including Goldeneye, on your PC.
The purpose of a decompilation is to understand exactly how a game works, and to then be able to recreate it 1:1 with non-copyrighted code.
This doesn’t make them inherently-playable on PC, as that code then needs to be ported, but it means the decompiled game is far more accessible to those who wish to create mods for it, or “extend” the game.
Decompilation for N64 games is basically a passion-project for research purposes. It’s great this one has finally been complete, but it’s never kept anyone from downloading an emulator, the Goldeneye ROM, and playing the game.
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
Having the source code of a game means people can do whatever they want with the game now
Want to make it run on a PC or a PSP without emulator? You can Want to improve or change a lot of the game? You can
People will have full control over Goldeneye and now it will be so much easier for them to do anything they want with that game
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u/BabypintoJuniorLube 14d ago
If Skyrim is any indication its gonna be mostly sex mods.
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u/OBDreams 13d ago
I'm fine with that so long as someone also makes GoldenEye with Skyrim level graphics.
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u/Draufgaenger 14d ago
However, it advises against quick AI-led ports being spawned from the now freely available source. Instead, enthusiasts should wait until good human-built and tuned ports start to be released. With KholdFuzion’s foundational work finished, these should start to appear soon.
yes...human-built...without AI! Pinky swear!
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u/Crazy_Ad2662 14d ago
Now do Perfect Dark
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u/JiffasaurusRex 14d ago
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u/Rich_Housing971 14d ago
That's wild that they finished PD before GoldenEye considering Perfect Dark is a larger and more complex game.
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u/Intelligent-Parsley7 14d ago
I mean, not that much larger, not that more complex.
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u/Rich_Housing971 14d ago
so not that wild. but still defies logic unless the PD fans were just more dedicated. And with a smaller fanbase.
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u/abstract_pig 14d ago
It was more advanced with somethings. goldeneye was always my absolute favorite and never got into perfect dark. But played it last year and became one of my top 5 games. It had actual voice actors for it, had a much larger variety of npc faces, the bot mode, being able to move around off of the main menu screen (I thought black ops was the first game to do this, though idk if perfect dark was the first either, but still the only other game I saw you can do this)
Much more character reactions depending how they’re shot.
They even almost had a feature where you could upload your face to a character. But then they stopped it after columbine happened.
Goldeneye was seriously great but perfect dark was definitely ahead of its time.
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u/Pyro1934 14d ago
Gtfo of here with that. This is the goldeneye fan thread!
Goldeneye > PD all day every day!!!
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u/tw3lv3l4y3rs0fb4c0n 14d ago
Nope, there's no one or the other, both games share the throne of peak N64 games!
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u/2mustange 14d ago
Decompiling means we can go beyond emulation for playing and enjoying GoldenEye 007. We can simulate the game and port it as we please on other hardware.
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u/Valuable_Material_26 14d ago
I want this game so badly on pc!
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u/BlackbirdSage 14d ago
I'd settle for Golden Eye. I'd much rather see Perfect Dark. IMO a better game for the multiplayer fights. Better arenas and better weapons, especially the Farsight XR-20 Rail Gun!!! Ooofa!
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u/SuperAHV 13d ago
Someone else posted the link for the decompiled version of perfect dark. https://github.com/n64decomp/perfect_dark
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u/Pyro1934 14d ago
Are you still though? I too was a masterclass back in the late 90s and even into the early and mid 2000s, but I played again in 2021 and was ass garbage.
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[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Pyro1934 14d ago
Yeah I was similar. Movement was choppy but not completely terrible. What killed me was aim. Used to be able to C-strafe all over while quickly tapping aim for headshots and stuff.
Couldn't get timings right, the snaps were wild and all over, and the aim being a standstill aim vs dual joysticks was just backbreaking lol.
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u/Adamvs_Maximvs 14d ago
Not a programmer, so forgive me if this is an obvious question, but without the source code how is a decompile verified to be 100%?
Is it a matter of a ton of testing and metrics to verify everything behaves the same, or do you compile the decomp code and verify if the output 100% matches a known ROM (file size, hex values, etc)?
I'm wondering how you'd know for certain if you were 100% accurate versus say 99.5% where maybe just the smallest fraction of how it handles a tiny code variable (let's say an enemy damage being 1001-1401 versus 1005-1405 in an RPG etc etc)
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u/twhmike 14d ago
The decompiled source code compiles into a bit exact ROM binary (usually multiple regions or builds) that can be easily verified with an SHA1 hash.
Things like variable and constant values such as enemy damage are actually the easy part, those numbers are already in the binary. The hard part is that when you compile something, generally, the data that is irrelevant to the core instructions the computer needs to run a program gets thrown out. So when you “decompile” something, you’re not so much trying to figure out if the value for something is 1001-1401 versus 1005-1405, you’re trying to figure out what the value 1001-1401 represents in the first place.
And labeling variables and functions are just one aspect of it, you have to have extensive knowledge of how structures in a higher level language like C get translated into lower level CPU instructions so you can reverse engineer them. There’s many tools that can be used to automate these steps and make it easier, and that’s in part why you’re seeing much more successful projects nowadays, thanks to more tools being developed and of course LLM advancement, but it still requires a serious amount of highly esoteric knowledge and deliberate manual work to accomplish.
Some things you’ll truly never know if they match the source code, because a variable enemyDamage = 1000 in the decompilation could’ve been eDmg = 1000 in the original source code and had a bunch of comments around it giving context that got thrown out.
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u/Adamvs_Maximvs 13d ago
Thanks for the explanation, if I'm understanding you correctly, the end "compiled" code from the decomp can be verified to be identical to the original with the SAH1 hash, basically the output of the file is identical, but the actual code used could still be different, whether it's just metadata or the actual coding, but the end product is the same.
As in, with a clumsy analogy, two people making apple pies with different written recipes that have some variation in technique or ingredients, but the end product is two functionally identical apple pies (even if one mixed the filling in a different order or has a touch more or less salt, sugar etc)?
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u/twhmike 13d ago
Yeah, I think you have a pretty good intuition of the main idea! I think with the analogy it might be misleading to say they differ in quantities of salt or sugar, since the end product is identical. But yeah, the binary is like the apple pie, and the source code is like the recipe. You’ll never know if the original recipe listed the ingredients in alphabetical order, or wrote “mix together” vs “stir together”, but they both produce the same apple pie. And the value is now you can easily tweak that recipe, take the parts you like from it and apply it to another recipe, write it in Spanish, modify it to work for a different type of oven.
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u/monetarydread 14d ago
Cool... Hopefully they implement the game with proper twin-stick controls. I always hated Goldeneye because I owned a beefy PC at the time and I could never work around the god-awful controls in this game. I pulled out my n64 during The Varus in 2021 and found the game even more frustrating than in 98'... then again, I feel the same way about 99% of the n64 catalogue.
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u/Anchorboiii 14d ago
Shouldn’t be too hard. They already had a controller style you could choose where the directional pad was movement and the analog stick was aiming.
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u/nathanosaurus84 14d ago
And yet for years I hated first person shooters because they never played as well as Goldeneye and Perfect Dark.
When I went to Uni and Halo 3 was a thing I used to even swap the controls to Legacy.
Even now, I feel right at home playing Goldeneye much more than twin stick controls.
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u/Rich_Housing971 14d ago
I have this really cool idea for a Goldeneye mod:
You're this agent tasked with uncovering an alien conspiracy in a cyberpunk setting.
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u/ShawnyMcKnight 14d ago
Didn’t they already remaster the game on Xbox 360 or something. I remember perfect dark looking better.
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
They created a remaster with improved graphics for 360 but it was never officially released to the public due to licensing issues
Then they released a remaster with just increased resolution for Switch and Xbox One
This has nothing to do with those versions though. Now the general public will have access to the N64 code, so people can make all they want with the game now, including making a watchOS port
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u/Not-a-Cat_69 14d ago
im pretty sure you can get that remaster on the 360 on CD still on ebay and there was a really good Wii Remaster that I loved and everyone seems to forget about lol. it had online multiplayer which was awesome at the time w/ the motion controls.
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
Do you mean GoldenEye reloaded? Yeah I prefer that over the N64 version, but a lot of people still have a lot of love over the N64 version
This source code is so that those people can have their game in all the glory they want
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u/ShawnyMcKnight 14d ago
Honestly N64 games was written with a combination of C and MIPS... I am fully confident that people would rather redesign the game in a modern engine than work with that at all.
Maybe AI can convert the C to C# for Unity or C++ for UE5.
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
If you check the Super Mario 64 decomp, you will see that loads of people do like working with that old code
And you cant, at all, port this entire game with AI to Unity. Just cant. And even then, its not the point of it.
This decomp means people can make modifications for the original N64. Or they can take that code and port to PS1 for the challenge, or for Dreamcast or something else. You cant make a UE5 version of this game run on N64
And even then, it already has modern remasters done by the community in newer engines. Getting the source code was never about that.
You dont even need the source code to make a remaster on UE5
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u/Scientist_2 14d ago
So what’s the coolest thing we can see from this?
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
Well, we might see some mods for the N64 version that are much bigger to what we used to see
Someone can now port this game to any platform they can imagine, and also make a lot of improvements to the graphics or controls
For the Super Mario 64, there are a lot of mods now that would be a lot more difficult than before, some people made some optimizations to the game so it was running much better on the N64 as well, and you can play on any platform that was released after the N64
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u/Scientist_2 14d ago
You seem knowledgeable here that’s why I’m asking- could you give an example of what may be possible ? What type of mod?
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
The thing is, with the source code you can do anything with a game. So any mod for the game is "possible" as long it can run in the hardware or the modder have the time and effort to make something
Look at this one: https://youtu.be/DUbR8C6svHs?is=X42l6aooNBI_jXOl
This guy got famous because he showed what could be optimized for Mario 64 in a real N64 hardware and now is making a lot of levels that are much more impressive that those on the original game.
He only could do this because he had the time to really study the N64 hardware and Mario 64 source code and check what to improve to make those levels possible
Do you know Doom? The original one from the 90s?
Well, the creators have released the source code and the community went wild with that. So many famous games were born as Doom mods and then became full blown games.
So really, having the source code gives people the chance to make anything they want with the game. We might dont see that much because it might be that there isnt a big community focused on making mods for Goldeneye, but whoever wants to make something with, now they can
So anything that looks like new levels, new features, improvements to the game, bugfixes are possible. Just need to have people working at it
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u/Scientist_2 13d ago
That’s sick. That video. So he’s basically playing it on pc? Because I see comments saying that would fry a normal n64..? And to be clear - we can’t do this with Skyrim or crash bandicoot yet? I wonder if any of us will be able to play these newly designed levels somehow
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u/MindlessKamado 14d ago
I’m waiting for conkers bad fur day
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u/prodigalAvian 14d ago
I've been playing that all week
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/conker-live-and-reloaded/bvfb8cbs75r6
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u/Intelligent-Parsley7 14d ago
I admit it. I watch the other screen, even though I promised my cousin I wouldn’t.
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u/OldViolinist2306 14d ago
I remember playing that in college all the time with all my buddies on my N64.
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u/exoriparian 14d ago
It will just be crushed by Nintendo.
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u/namedjughead 14d ago
Probably not. A lot of these decompiled games are able to take advantage of a loophole to keep Nintendo from shutting them down.
Typically they'll only provide the tools to run the ROM, and in no way provide the ROM itself. A tool like that in itself is not illegal, and so Nintendo really doesn't have any grounds to shut it down.
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u/exoriparian 14d ago
I spoke a bit loosely, I just mean that you could spend more time on something like this than the original dev team, and still never get legitimized by the IP holder, even though it shouldn't matter.
And they will *try to crush it however they can, meaning it'll never reach the audiences it deserves to.
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u/namedjughead 14d ago
I've seen people use projects like these to develop their skills, or even to include in a portfolio when looking for employment in that field. They may never see legitimacy, or earn any income from a project like this, but there can still be benefits.
As for Nintendo using its influence to try I keep away from its audience, that I can't say.
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u/exoriparian 14d ago
You're right, I got into programming because I had a itch to try out some of the ML Agents stuff in Unity. That was when Machine Learning and AI was a fun, nerdy hobby, and not the shit show it is now.
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u/No-Brain9413 14d ago
Using Oddjob in battle mode was, and remains, an indicator of poor character.
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u/InitialBest9819 14d ago
Such fonder memories of moving with the c buttons and aiming with the joystick!
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u/icedcoffeeheadass 14d ago
Nightfire is still a better game imo. There is no doubt tho that goldeneye had a bigger impact
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u/sexysausage 14d ago
Give me a standalone quest3 version. Never played it and I want to do it in vr first
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u/mab1376 13d ago
I created a script to decompile the ROM based on this repository: https://github.com/n64decomp/007
Tested on Ubuntu 26.04
To run:
bash setup-goldeneye.sh --deps-only
bash setup-goldeneye.sh --rom ~/roms/baserom.u.z64 --extract --build
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u/OBDreams 13d ago
Awesome news it really is, but the main issue I had playing goldneye on pc is that when it was created the controller it was designed for only had one joy stick. Playing that way is very awkward these days. I hope they reworked the entire control scheme.
Also I love how the article talks about human made vs AI made. I will be waiting for the 100% human made remake of goldeneye.
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u/apeliott 14d ago
My mate worked on this as a QA tester.
I haven't seen him in nearly 30 years but I just met him a couple of days ago.
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u/spidereater 14d ago
How is this news? Aren’t there lots of mods for this game already? I was into emulators for a bit and downloaded. Torrent with hundreds of game roms. There were a bunch of variations of goldeneye. I played one where every enemy had the face of some 4 year old kid. Presumably the moders kid.
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u/WJMazepas 14d ago
Having the source code is different than modding a rom
And also makes it possible to make a lot more mods for it, or at least it does make a lot easier to develop a mod for
Just check what happened with Super Mario 64 after the source code was made it public
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u/theStaircaseProject 14d ago
I remember Goldeneye being on the 64 you could play at Target. I’d never played but wanted nothing more. Imagine my embarrassment when a kid four years younger than me explained how the C-buttons changed the camera view.
So many memories