A reverse-engineered C reimplementation of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for SNES.

This is a ~70-80kLOC C reimplementation of the original SNES game, reverse-engineered with function and variable names from community disassembly efforts. The game is fully playable from start to finish.

Supported Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Android

• Complete reimplementation - All game logic recreated in portable C
• Frame-perfect verification - Can run alongside original ROM for validation
• Enhanced features - Optional widescreen support, MSU audio, pixel shaders
• Cross-platform - Runs on desktop, mobile, and console platforms
• Snapshot system - Save/load/replay game state with input history
• Multiple renderers - SDL software, OpenGL/OpenGL ES, Vulkan support
• GTK3 launcher - Graphical settings editor (optional, desktop only)

Linux/macOS:

# Install dependencies
# Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install libsdl2-dev libopus-dev libyaml-dev cmake build-essential
# macOS: brew install sdl2 opus libyaml cmake

# Optional: Install GTK3 for graphical launcher
# Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install libgtk-3-dev
# macOS: brew install gtk+3

# Build
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build . -j$(nproc)

Windows:

# Using vcpkg for dependencies:
vcpkg install sdl2:x64-windows opus:x64-windows libyaml:x64-windows

# Build with CMake
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=C:/path/to/vcpkg/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake
cmake --build . --config Release

See detailed instructions: Installation Guide | Platform-Specific Guides

You need a US region ROM (SHA256: 66871d66be19ad2c34c927d6b14cd8eb6fc3181965b6e517cb361f7316009cfb):

# Extract and compile assets from ROM
./zelda3-restool --extract-from-rom /path/to/zelda3.sfc --compile

This creates zelda3_assets.dat containing all game resources.

./zelda3

Or on Windows: zelda3.exe

Optional: Use the graphical launcher to configure settings (if GTK3 is installed):

./zelda3-launcher

Gamepad: Plug-and-play support with quick save (L2+R3) and quick load (L2+L3).

Customize controls in zelda3.ini after first run.

Useful shortcuts:

• Alt+Enter - Toggle fullscreen
• F1-F10 - Load snapshot
• Shift+F1-F10 - Save snapshot
• Tab - Turbo mode

Full controls and features →

• Getting Started - First-time setup guide
• Installation - Detailed build instructions
• Usage Guide - Controls, features, and configuration
• Launcher Guide - GTK3 settings editor (optional)
• Architecture - Technical architecture overview
• Contributing - How to contribute
• Changelog - Recent updates

Browse all documentation →

Optional enhancements not in the original game:

• Widescreen support (16:9, 16:10 aspect ratios)
• MSU audio (high-quality soundtrack tracks)
• Pixel shaders (custom visual effects)
• Higher quality world map
• Secondary item slot on button X
• L/R item switching

All features are disabled by default to preserve original behavior. Enable in zelda3.ini.

• Discord: https://discord.gg/AJJbJAzNNJ
• Report bugs: GitHub Issues
• Wiki: https://github.com/snesrev/zelda3/wiki

Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Quick links:

• Development Guide
• Code Architecture
• Debugging Tools

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.txt for details.

• Original game by Nintendo
• Base C reimplementation by snesrev/zelda3
• Community disassembly by spannerisms and contributors
• PPU/DSP implementation from LakeSnes
• Android port integration from Waterdish/zelda3-android
• Touchpad controls from Eden emulator project