Perfect Dark Decompilation

About

Perfect Dark is a 2000 first-person shooter developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. It is the first game in the Perfect Dark series. This is a complete, matching decompilation of Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64. Compiled with the original developers' compiler, it produces a ROM identical byte for byte to the retail game. It combines its own source code with assets extracted from a Perfect Dark ROM you supply.

How it differs from the original

No assets are included; they are extracted from the player's own ROM. Extracted assets can be modified, and re-running the extraction does not overwrite them.

Getting started

You need your own Perfect Dark ROM. Save it in the repository root in non-byteswapped format, run the extract step, then build with make. The README lists the Arch Linux and Debian/Ubuntu packages needed, and a test step confirms that the output matches the retail ROM.

What you need to run it

Additional notes

Rom versions

Six known ROM versions are supported: NTSC beta, NTSC 1.0, NTSC final, PAL beta, PAL final and JPN final. NTSC final is the default.

External link

Progress is tracked on the Perfect Dark Decompilation Status Page (ryandwyer.gitlab.io/pdstatus).

FAQ

What is Perfect Dark Decompilation?

Perfect Dark Decompilation is an open-source decompilation of Perfect Dark. Source code reconstructed from the original game's compiled binary, so the game can be understood, rebuilt and ported. The original game ran on N64.

Do I need the original game files to run Perfect Dark Decompilation?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy. Complete matching decompilation of Perfect Dark for Nintendo 64, requires existing Perfect Dark ROM.