Megaman3NESRecomp

About

Mega Man 3 is a 1990 platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the third entry in the original series, in which Mega Man and a returning Dr. Wily collect parts for a peacekeeping robot by defeating rogue Robot Masters. Megaman3NESRecomp is a static recompilation of Mega Man 3 (NES) into a native PC executable, built using the author's own NESRecomp framework. It is explicitly an in-development preview: the title screen, robot master select, and basic stage gameplay work, but boss fights, passwords, and special weapons are untested and may softlock, and audio mixing is still a work in progress.

How it differs from the original

Unlike an emulator, this translates the original 6502 machine code into C at build time and compiles it to native x64, running the NES's PPU/APU/mapper through a simulated runner library rather than interpreting the original code at runtime. It also adds PC-native conveniences the original NES release didn't have, like save states (F6/F7) and a turbo/fast-forward toggle (F5), and requires the player's own Mega Man 3 (USA) ROM rather than shipping any original assets.

Getting started

Download the latest release, extract it, and run MegaMan3Recomp.exe, selecting your own Mega Man 3 (USA) ROM when prompted (the path is remembered for future launches). Default keyboard controls map the D-Pad to arrow keys, A/B to Z/X, Start to Enter, and Select to Tab, with F5/F6/F7 as hotkeys for turbo, save state, and load state.

History

The author describes this recompilation as a byproduct of developing the underlying NESRecomp framework itself — the games serve as a proving ground, with the framework as the actual goal — so depth is expected to land gradually over months rather than being finished up front.

Known issues & limitations

• gameplay: Boss fights, passwords, and special weapons are untested and may softlock.
• audio: Audio is basic with APU register writes captured but full audio mixing is work-in-progress.
• graphics: Visual elements may have minor glitches or missing sprites in some areas.
• Boss fights are untested and likely to stall or softlock.
• Passwords are untested.
• Some visual elements may have minor glitches or missing sprites.
• Audio is basic; full audio mixing is still in progress.

What you need to run it

Features

• The title screen, main menu, and robot master stage selection work.
• Stages load with background scrolling and basic enemies.

How to install

1. Download the latest release, extract it, run MegaMan3Recomp.exe, and select your ROM when prompted.

Controls

• Use the arrow keys for the D-Pad.
• Press F5 to toggle turbo (fast-forward).
• Press F6 to save a state.
• Press F7 to load a state.

Licensing & legal

• Released under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license rather than a standard open-source license.

FAQ

What is Megaman3NESRecomp?

Megaman3NESRecomp is an open-source recompilation of Mega Man 3. The original game's compiled code translated into a native program for a new platform, usually a PC port. The original game ran on NES.

Do I need the original game files to run Megaman3NESRecomp?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Requires your own Mega Man 3 (USA) ROM to run.

How is Megaman3NESRecomp licensed?

project: PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 (project code, excluding third-party components). The repository itself is the authoritative source.