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What is a decompilation project? Essentially, it's a "from the ground up" recoded version of an existing video game. As the code is all-new, it's a completely legal way to experience a classic game on a new platform, with enhancements - provided you have access to the original game itself, from which the "decompiled" code draws game assets. Spaghetti Kart is the latest such decompilation effort, bringing the classic Mario Kart 64 to modern platforms. But how good is it? Alex takes a look.

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:12 What is Spaghetti Kart?
00:02:56 What does Spaghetti Kart bring to the table?
00:08:27 Recompilation Textures!
00:09:54 Enhancing Spaghetti Kart's Aesthetics
00:12:40 Performance
00:14:39 Issues and Conclusion

 

[Holammer]

Fans does what Nintendon't.
Nintendo sits on the actual source code (probably/maybe) and they couldn't be arsed.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Nintendo in 3...2...1...

 

[violence]

Good timing. I was finally able to get a N64 Nintendo switch online controller which arrived yesterday. However, if the Starfox port and playing Goldeneye (on emulation) is any indication, I think I prefer the tribute 64 wireless (v2) controller.

 

[mèx]

I spent countless afternoons playing this with my friends, each of us bringing a controller along. Good times.

Happy to see the game running natively on PC, it looks pretty good.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

I wish big channels like this wouldn't cover decomps because it makes it more likley that Nintendo takes action against them.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Good timing. I was finally able to get a N64 Nintendo switch online controller which arrived yesterday. However, if the Starfox port and playing Goldeneye (on emulation) is any indication, I think I prefer the tribute 64 (v2) controller.

I'm EAGERLY waiting for dat 8bitdo controller, it looks like it will be the N64 pad to rule them all.

 

[Fafalada]

What is a decompilation project? Essentially, it's a "from the ground up" recoded version of an existing video game.

Uhm - I don't know if that's what this project is - but most decompile projects are actually reversing the binary into code and then rewriting it into human readable/maintainable form + adding translation layers for the hardware - in case of console projects - literal virtual machines are part of 'game engine' that basically do the job that emulator normally did.
If emulation is considered IP infringing - then so are these - though reverse engineering is legal in most states - presumably decompilation should be as well.
But it's not like that ever stopped Nintendo lawyers before...

 

[kevboard]

I wish big channels like this wouldn't cover decomps because it makes it more likley that Nintendo takes action against them.

they have no legal grounds to take any action against clean room decompilation. it's simply code written by someone, and doesn't belong to Nintendo

 

[kevboard]

I'm EAGERLY waiting for dat 8bitdo controller, it looks like it will be the N64 pad to rule them all.

nah, it's another one with a "modern" layout that has the stick on the left, and therefore is awful for basically all, or at least most shooters on the platform.

 

[spons]

they have no legal grounds to take any action against clean room decompilation. it's simply code written by someone, and doesn't belong to Nintendo

Neither did they have any against Yuzu and Ryujinx since they're just clean room API implementations (which actually got brought into court in a different case, Oracle vs. Google).

And it mattered jack shit.

 

[kevboard]

Neither did they have any against Yuzu and Ryujinx since they're just clean room API implementations (which actually got brought into court in a different case, Oracle vs. Google).

And it mattered jack shit.

didn't at least one of them have actual Nintendo code tho? I swear I read something about that.

I think a decomp like this is also way simpler of a scenario that could get thrown out by the judge very easily. an emulator that might have some illigal elements about it, or includes stuff that is a grey area (like circumventing encryption, which is illigal in many countries) is more complicated of a case I bet.

this here is literally just written code that belongs to the people who wrote it, and that's it.

 

[violence]

nah, it's another one with a "modern" layout that has the stick on the left, and therefore is awful for basically all, or at least most shooters on the platform.

It's not the greatest controller in the world. It's a tribute.

 

[kevboard]

It's not the greatest controller in the world. It's a tribute.

the issue with Controllers like 8bitdo's new N64 controller is that they are fully incompatible with many control layouts shooters on N64 offer.

most (almost all) N64 FPS games used the fact that the analog stick can be used by both hands to allow you to have a semi-dual stick control layout. one that is in essence the same as the one modern shooters use, with the only difference being the left stick is in this case the D-Pad.

so, that 8bitdo controller doesn't allow you to do that. so anyone who is right handed, or is left handed and got used to aiming with the right thumb, is shit out of luck.

and it's not unimportant on that platform IMO, as some of the most iconic games on N64 are Turok 1/2/3, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Quake 64, Doom 64 etc.
all of them let you turn the camera on the stick, while you move with the D-Pad as well. same with 007 The World is not Enough or the Duke Nukem games.

 

[ComputerBlue]

Hopefully Vita soon. SM64, PD64 and OoT run great on it, amazing what some of these people can do.

 

[Lionel Richie]

nah, it's another one with a "modern" layout that has the stick on the left, and therefore is awful for basically all, or at least most shooters on the platform.

To be fair, every shooter on the N64 is better enjoyed elsewhere.

 

[kevboard]

To be fair, every shooter on the N64 is better enjoyed elsewhere.

not every shooter, there are still a few that aren't ported.

like Duke Nukem Zero Hour is stuck on N64. although there was talk about a decomp like a year ago, but I haven't heard anything about it since.

and that is a game that would play like ass on that 8bitdo controller, and any 3rd party controller with that layout.

 

[Calverz]

the issue with Controllers like 8bitdo's new N64 controller is that they are fully incompatible with many control layouts shooters on N64 offer.

most (almost all) N64 FPS games used the fact that the analog stick can be used by both hands to allow you to have a semi-dual stick control layout. one that is in essence the same as the one modern shooters use, with the only difference being the left stick is in this case the D-Pad.

so, that 8bitdo controller doesn't allow you to do that. so anyone who is right handed, or is left handed and got used to aiming with the right thumb, is shit out of luck.

and it's not unimportant on that platform IMO, as some of the most iconic games on N64 are Turok 1/2/3, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Quake 64, Doom 64 etc.
all of them let you turn the camera on the stick, while you move with the D-Pad as well. same with 007 The World is not Enough or the Duke Nukem games.

Agree.
Nintendo 64 games must be played with the trident controller. It's what the games were designed with and what feels natural.

 

[Senua]

Man this looks awesome. The FPS these classic games always deserved

 

[nkarafo]

I love these projects but i would prefer it if devs would join forces on one port per game and not 2 or more.

In this case we have SpagettiKart that doesn't support HD textures atm and the decompilation project that does, but it's missing other things from Spagettikart, such as the LOD/draw distance improvements.

 

[nkarafo]

not every shooter, there are still a few that aren't ported.

like Duke Nukem Zero Hour is stuck on N64. although there was talk about a decomp like a year ago, but I haven't heard anything about it since.

and that is a game that would play like ass on that 8bitdo controller, and any 3rd party controller with that layout.

You are 100% right about the controls. But i also agree with the other poster who said it's better to not play these games on a real N64 anymore.

In the case of Zero Hour, the game is much more enjoyable on a good emulator that's accurate enough (has Parallel RDP for graphics at least). Such as Mupen64plus-next on RetroArch. You can play the game at a slightly higher frame rate if you want (by tweaking the timing settings) and up to 4x upscale without breaking any 2D elements. Ares is the most accurate though but you can only upscale, the frame rate will be the same as the original N64.

Control wise you can use any modern dual stick controller and bind the d-pad or c-buttons on the left stick and the N64 stick to the right stick. This way you can simulate the same FPS controls you would on the original trident controller, so you don't miss anything.

 

[Mattyp]

Can they remove the rubber banding.

 

[cyberheater]

I just watched the YouTube vid. Mariokart with high rez textures looks amazing. Time to find the Steamdeck version. I still own an original jpn cartridge and still play from time to time on my crt.

 

[Clear]

You can't use the premise that your decompiling in order to create a "new" product!

Nintendo will just block them on the basis that they are trading on the "feel" of their copyrighted material and the brand value that comes from a work derived from their IP.

Sorry guys, but this is just like sticking your head in a sharks mouth and expecting it not to close its jaws!