How is LostVikings licensed?

project: GPL version 3 (binary built from this tree); Zenju: GPL-3.0 with the MAME exception (src/sdl/third_party/xbrz/ (xBRZ 1.8)); project: LGPL-2.1 (src/sdl/third_party/hqx/ (FILTER )); project: LGPL-2.1+ (src/sdl/third_party/snes_spc/ (SNES sound option)); Munt: LGPL-2.1-or-later (src/sdl/third_party/mt32emu/ (MT-32 sound option, libmt32emu)); Nuked-SC55: GPL-2.0-or-later (src/sdl/third_party/nuked_sc55/ (SC-55 sound option)). The repository itself is the authoritative source.

What game file do I need to run it?

You need DATA.DAT from a legal copy of the original game; it is not redistributed with the project.

LostVikings

PortActiveSemi-playableWindowsLinux

An existing game or its source code brought to another platform.

Based on The Lost Vikings

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Links, repository & details

About

The Lost Vikings is a 1993 puzzle-platform game developed by Silicon & Synapse and published by Interplay Productions, in which the player controls three vikings with different abilities who must cooperate to complete each level. This is a native Linux/Windows port of the original 1992 DOS Lost Vikings, built by decompiling the original 16-bit executable via the m2c decompiler and wrapping the resulting code in an SDL2 shell. A parallel "v2" reimplementation is being grown alongside it with the goal of eventually replacing the decompiled VM bytecode-for-bytecode. It requires the original DATA.DAT asset file from a legal copy of the game (such as one purchased on GOG) and ships prebuilt Linux and Windows binaries through automated GitHub releases.

How it differs from the original

The port renders the original's Miles/AIL sound driver natively through an 8086 interpreter feeding a Nuked OPL3 chip emulation core, and can optionally add SNES/Genesis-exclusive console content (extra parallax layers, five console-only levels, Genesis interludes, and twelve Blizzard Arcade Collection language packs) when the player supplies their own SNES and Genesis ROM images, plus optional emulated Roland SC-55/MT-32 sound modules.

Getting started

Requires the copyrighted DATA.DAT file from a legal copy of the game, such as one purchased on GOG; place it next to the vikings binary and launch. Prebuilt Linux and Windows binaries are available from the project's GitHub Releases page, or it can be built from source.

What you need to run it

Original game files required. The project ships code only; you provide your own copy of the game (Linux, Windows version). Requires DATA.DAT from a legal copy of the original Lost Vikings game; the bundled binary snapshots only replace the static EXE image.

Linux bundles require glibc 2.35 or newer.

Features

Music and sound effects have separate volume settings.

How to install

Place DATA.DAT next to the vikings executable, then launch the game.

Controls

Use the arrow keys for direction, Space, Enter, or F for the primary action, and D for the secondary action.
Press 1, 2, or 3 to switch the active Viking.
F10 opens the pause menu.
Press Y or N for yes or no in dialogs.

Summarised from the project's README.

Media

Licensing & legal

A built binary is distributed under GPL version 3 specifically because of the bundled xBRZ upscaling filter, even though the project's own port code carries a separate license.

FAQ

What is LostVikings?: LostVikings is an open-source port of The Lost Vikings. An existing game or its source code brought to another platform. The original game ran on Linux and Windows.
Do I need the original game files to run LostVikings?: Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Requires DATA.DAT from a legal copy of the original Lost Vikings game; the bundled binary snapshots only replace the static EXE image.
How is LostVikings licensed?: project: GPL version 3 (binary built from this tree); Zenju: GPL-3.0 with the MAME exception (src/sdl/third_party/xbrz/ (xBRZ 1.8)); project: LGPL-2.1 (src/sdl/third_party/hqx/ (FILTER < HQX >)); project: LGPL-2.1+ (src/sdl/third_party/snes_spc/ (SNES sound option)); Munt: LGPL-2.1-or-later (src/sdl/third_party/mt32emu/ (MT-32 sound option, libmt32emu)); Nuked-SC55: GPL-2.0-or-later (src/sdl/third_party/nuked_sc55/ (SC-55 sound option)). The repository itself is the authoritative source.
What game file do I need to run it?: You need DATA.DAT from a legal copy of the original game; it is not redistributed with the project.