Fan Games & Ports I Keep Track Of: Plus Decomps, Recomps, and More!

I was going to make a simple Bluesky post asking for recommendations, but then I realized not only should I share some of my own, but I should actually get them all jotted down somewhere beyond a series of perpetually-open tabs.

But before we get to that:

I am very much a portable gamer kind of guy. I loved my Game Boy growing up, and I was first in line for Super Game Boy — the idea of being able to “dock” (a term I don’t think we used back then???) and continue right on the same cartridge was incredible. I likewise picked up the Game Boy Player, which I used to a lesser extent if only because the Gamecube controller’s D-pad was so tiny and awful.

DS and 3DS? Even if they were never hitting the television? That was my absolute jam. (Yes, I also had a PSP and Vita.)

That brings us up to the modern era with Switch and Steam Deck… and I guess also a little backward from here, since all those Chinese devices from the aughts onward were technically out there making waves.

I love my Steam Deck (and dock). I love my Analogue Pocket (and dock). I’m indifferent to my RG35XXSP (it was cheap). I just got in an AYN Thor courtesy of that AliExpress and PayPal deal that was going on last month.

Anyway, that’s all just a preface to my real point here: I love checking out fan games and ports (not to mention fan translations and Game Boy -> Game Boy Color enhancement hacks, but that all is beyond the scope of this right now!), and these kinds of devices rock for them. Here’s the main list of specific games that I keep track of. It’s a good mix of completed games/hacks, along with ports in active development (some of which are fully playable, and some of which aren’t even close).

Before I get into the game-specific recommendations, my biggest suggestion is to subscribe to Read Only Memo for timely and interesting updates on emulation, decomps/recomps, and fan translations.

Hurray for text on the web!

The Mario 64 Stuff

I compiled a bare bones PC port forever ago, but it sounds like the best option these days is Ghostship. I know there are other mods and add-ons that people like, so go nuts.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/HarbourMasters/Ghostship

The Zelda 64 Stuff

Yes, I’m aware of Ship of Harkinian and all the various Ocarina and Majora’s Mask stuff out there. I’m just not the biggest Ocarina fan…! I’ve toyed with them, and alongside the Mario 64 nod up top, I figured if I didn’t mention them first some of y’all would come “HEY YOU FORGOT”-ing at me.

BEST SOURCE – www.shipofharkinian.com

The Zelda CD-i Remakes

These were made back in 2020 and seems like they’ve been taken down and subsequently reemerged elsewhere across time and space. I played the Wand of Gamelon remake a couple years ago and had a pretty great time with it! There’s no active development on them, but I thought they were worth noting alongside everything else… and because they effectively led us to Arzette!

There’s also a Game Boy re(de?)-make of Zelda’s Adventure, but I’ve had varying levels of success trying to actually get it running without crashes on everything from emulators to the Analogue Pocket. It seems like it got an update earlier this year that I missed, however.

BEST SOURCE – twitter.com/thedopster/status/1332345549429886979

TLoZ: LADXHD Updated

The long and short of this one is that someone (fairly anonymously) put a complete-with-all-assets recreation of Link’s Awakening up on Itch back at the end of 2023, and it was very quickly hit by the Nintendo lawyer squad.

I grabbed it immediately back then. It was awesome! The entire map was made into one continuous scrolling map (rather than the segmented areas of the original), which was an awesome way to experience it if you already knew the game in-and-out. There were also lots of other cool flourishes.

Thankfully, an intrepid developer took up the cause afterward, creating a patch for that original version which contains no original game assets, and that’s the version that keeps getting updated to this day.

Is it secretly the original developer coming back to it? Was this maybe the plan all along in case it got taken down?

Who knows? It’s still awesome!

BEST SOURCE – github.com/BigheadSMZ/Zelda-LA-DX-HD-Updated/

Dusklight

This is another one I feel like I have to include out of obligation, but I think it’s damn cool how it came so polished and supporting so many platforms right out of the gate. I haven’t actually played Twilight Princess myself (though I’ve watched it get played at least twice), and it seems like if I were to do so, this would probably be the best way.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/TwilitRealm/dusklight

The Legend of Zelda: Dungeons of Infinity

This is a procedurally-generated rogue-like version of A Link to the Past. The oldest version I have kicking around is 1.0.8, which is dated September 2024, so I’m guessing the initial release was sometime around then — looks like articles from around that time back that up.

It felt like there was a pretty big scene around this over the course of its release, but from my own time casually following it and reading what the developer left behind after its 1.2.1 (“final”) release, it seemed like it kind of took on a life of its own beyond their original scope/intent/availability. Still a neat little fan game to keep kicking around.

BEST SOURCE – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Legend of Zelda: Reality Estate

This is a ROM hack for Ocarina from a jam/contest. As I said last year: A single house with lots of mystery and a specific, very cool item mechanic! Final battle was annoying, but everything else was neat with only a few quirks and caveats. Even I could finish it without a guide!

BEST SOURCE – romhacking.net/hacks/9117/

Hero of Law

This is another Ocarina ROM hack from a team probably better known for some of their Mario hacks (which I have yet to check out, but if this was any indication of their attention to detail, I really should!). As I also said last year: Exactly what you think it is. Completed main case and all extra material. Absolutely delightful writing beginning to end, accompanied by a great soundtrack arrangement. Short and sweet and highly recommended.

BEST SOURCE – newerteam.com/en/hol/

ZIIAOL / ZALiA

I’m really into taking NES games, expanding them to widescreen, and otherwise keeping them mostly the same, perhaps with some minor QOL improvements. This is that for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. You can just download the game straight up, but there also seems to be a GitHub with all the project files.

BEST SOURCE – hoverbat.itch.io/ziiaol

Castlevania ReVamped

Much like the Zelda II enhancement and keeping it faithful amidst all the modernizations, this fits the bill and takes it a little further as an expanded reimagining of the first Castlevania (as if there weren’t already a few of those out there, even officially!).

The trailer on YouTube seems to act as a sort of central hub for the project (where the description maintains updated download links), but there is also a GitHub page for an open source version of the project seemingly aimed at other tweaks and expansions, and there’s also a forked native Android version.

BEST SOURCE – youtu.be/C8Sw2CGQkK8

Super Mario Bros Remastered

I was right there with everyone else when the original trailer was released, complete with the full game branding in its title, assuming it would either not make it to release at all, or at least get taken down shortly after. Somehow it’s still trucking! The download doesn’t theoretically come with any assets (it’s one of those where you have to provide your own ROM), but still, there’s just something about the audacity on display!

Just like with some of the others, this is a wonderfully-expanded, true-to-the-spirit upgrade of the original NES game. Plus the sequel. Plus Special (!!!). Plus a ton more.

Looks like someone’s doing a forked native Android version of this one, too. It’s also worth mentioning that, separate from this, there’s a notable NES hack of Special all by itself that’s extremely well done.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/JHDev2006/Super-Mario-Bros.-Remastered-Public

SOR2 NE (Streets of Rage 2 New Era)

Yet another example of a game that’s perfect as it was… just with added widescreen a few other cool features. There’s a version for every platform imaginable!

BEST SOURCE – www.sor2newera.com

SpaghettiKart

I put a lot of time into Mario Kart 64 back in the day. I was getting pretty good at clipping through and jumping half a course. Anyway, here’s that game.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/HarbourMasters/SpaghettiKart/

Virtua Racing Deluxe (32X) — Full Disassembly & 60 FPS Optimization

I’m not necessarily loving the Claude usage here, and with the “SEGA AGES” release on Switch it feels kind of unnecessary… but I had (well, still have) a 32X and I love this version of the game! I just think it would be neat to see it fully optimized and given the love it deserved, so I’ve been keeping an eye on this one.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/matiaszanolli/sega-vr-disasm

re:Blue – Blue Dragon Recompiled

Like everyone else when that Sonic Unleashed recomp came out, I’ve been sitting here twiddling my thumbs waiting for Blue Dragon.

BEST SOURCE – github.com/zolaware/reblue

Miscellaneous Other Stuff

These are just a few links I casually keep track of, even if I have no particular interest in playing them any time soon (but maybe you will). I just like being aware of them.

Gimme Your Recs

I just got in that AYN Thor and so now I suddenly have strong opinions about native Android versions of games (thus my mentioning it a few times above).

Hit me with your faves — whatcha got? Cool ports, expanded upgrades, hacks, original stories within… I’m all ears.

VegettoEX Dot Com

Not to be confused with VegettoEX's Home Page