MegaManX5Recomp

About

Mega Man X5 is Capcom's 2000 action-platform game, the fifth main entry in the Mega Man X series, first released for the PlayStation. MegaManX5Recomp is a static recompilation of the USA PlayStation release of Mega Man X5 into a native Windows executable, built on the author's PSXRecomp framework. The game's MIPS code is translated ahead of time into C and runs on a simulation of the PS1 hardware plus a recompiled PS1 BIOS. It is a playable alpha preview (v0.0.2-alpha) with working cutscenes, controller input and memory-card saves, but has not yet been verified through to the ending.

How it differs from the original

Adds features the PlayStation original lacks: software, OpenGL and Vulkan renderers, supersampling, fast-forwarded disc loads, optional FMV skipping, and two default-off mods for 16:9 widescreen and frame interpolation.

Getting started

Download the Windows release zip and run the executable, which opens a launcher; it includes OpenBIOS, and you point it at your own Mega Man X5 (USA, SLUS-01334) disc image in .cue/.bin form, not a converted .iso. Building from source requires MSYS2/MinGW, CMake and the separate PSXRecomp framework.

History

The author describes this recompilation as a byproduct of developing the PSXRecomp framework, with the games serving as its proving ground.

Known issues & limitations

• This is an in-development preview with rough edges.
• The game has not been verified all the way to the end.
• Do not use a cooked 2048-byte .iso; it discards XA sectors used for FMV and audio streaming.

What you need to run it

Features

• The game boots and plays from the PS1 BIOS through the opening and into stages.
• Intro movies decode and play, and can optionally be skipped as soon as they start.
• Available renderers are CPU software, OpenGL, and Vulkan; OpenGL is the validated default.
• Internal-resolution supersampling from 1× to 4× and optional linear present filtering are available.
• Optional, default-disabled mods provide 16:9 widescreen and presentation-only frame interpolation.
• Memory-card saves and loads use standard PS1 card images compatible with several emulators.

How to install

1. Download the Windows x64 release ZIP and extract it.
2. Run MegaManX5Recomp.exe to open the launcher.
3. Select your legally obtained game disc image in the launcher; it verifies the header, region, and serial.
4. Optionally adjust settings, then press Launch.
5. Use a .cue with its .bin when possible, selecting the .cue; a .bin is also accepted.

Controls

• Hold Tab for Turbo; use F11 or Alt+Enter for fullscreen.

Licensing & legal

• The project code is licensed under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0; release packages contain no game assets but do include machine-translated builds of the game's code.

Additional notes

Overlay cache

Game code streamed from the disc runs in a slower compatibility mode until an area has been visited, after which the runtime caches native code for it; the author asks players not to share the resulting capture file publicly because it contains copyrighted code.

FAQ

What is MegaManX5Recomp?

MegaManX5Recomp is an open-source recompilation of Mega Man X5. The original game's compiled code translated into a native program for a new platform, usually a PC port. The original game ran on PlayStation.

Do I need the original game files to run MegaManX5Recomp?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Requires a PlayStation BIOS (retail or OpenBIOS) and Mega Man X5 (USA, SLUS-01334) disc image.

How is MegaManX5Recomp licensed?

project: PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0; OpenBIOS: MIT (bundled OpenBIOS). The repository itself is the authoritative source.