This repo contains a work-in-progress decompilation of Diddy Kong Racing for the N64. You will need to have a original copy of the ROM to extract the game's assets.
All versions are supported, and the US 1.0 version (SHA1 = 0cb115d8716dbbc2922fda38e533b9fe63bb9670) of the game is the default if not specified.
As of August 12, 2025, this is our current score:
Decomp progress: 97.10%
Documentation progress: 65.90%
Ubuntu / Debian based Linux distros
sudo apt install build-essential pkg-config git python3 python3-pip binutils-mips-linux-gnu python3-venv libpcre2-dev libpcre2-8-0
build-essential/pkg-configare helper packages needed for make.gitis used for version control.python3is needed to run python scriptslibpcre2-devandlibpcre2-8-0are not technically required, but will speedup extracting/building some assets significantly.gcc-mips-linux-gnuis optionally used if compiling NON_MATCHING with COMPILER=gcc
Arch based Linux distros
sudo pacman -Syu --needed base-devel pkgconf git python python-pip python-virtualenv pcre2 yay
For binutils you should install this package from the AUR: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/mips64-elf-binutils
base-devel/pkgconfare helper packages needed for make.gitis used for version control.pythonis needed to run python scriptspcre2is not technically required, but will speedup extracting/building some assets significantly.yayis not required, but is useful for installing packages from the AUR like the binutils.yay -Syu mips64-elf-binutils
MacOS
- Install homebrew from here: https://brew.sh/
- Install make and pcre2 using homebrew:
brew install make pcre2 - When running make, you MUST use
gmakenotmake- For example, instead of doing
make setupyou would usegmake setup.
- For example, instead of doing
Windows
Windows is not natively supported. We recommend using a linux distro under the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
- gcc needs to be version 8.0 or higher.
- make needs to be version 4.2 or higher.
- Install the dependencies above for your system. Click on the text to reveal the instructions.
- Place the ROM file within the
baseromsdirectory.
a. The name of the ROM file does not matter. It will be detected automatically from an sha1 checksum. - Grab tools:
git submodule update --init --recursive - Run
make setupto install the IDO compiler, python venv, and packages required. - Run
make extractto run splat to extract all required files from the baserom. - Run
makein the main directory.
a. Use the-jNargument to useNnumber of threads to speed up building. For example, if you have a system with 4 cores / 4 threads, you should domake -j4.
Note: If you are on MacOS, remember to use gmake instead of make!
To build other versions of the ROM, just specifcy the region and version in the make command. All examples are below:
| Baserom | REGION | VERSION | Command |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 1.0 | US | v77 | make REGION=us VERSION=v77 |
| PAL 1.0 | PAL | v77 | make REGION=pal VERSION=v77 |
| JPN 1.0 | JPN | v79 | make REGION=jpn VERSION=v79 |
| US 1.1 | US | v80 | make REGION=us VERSION=v80 |
| PAL 1.1 | PAL | v80 | make REGION=pal VERSION=v80 |
If you are modifying the code in the repo, then you should add NON_MATCHING=1 to the make command.
Example: make NON_MATCHING=1 -j4
The NON_MATCHING define will include the functions that don't exactly match one-to-one, but should be no different functionality-wise. If you do notice any bugs that occur in a NON_MATCHING build that are not in the vanilla game, then please file an issue describing the bug. It would be helpful if you can track down which function is causing the bug, but that is not required.
The style guide for the project can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1euQf8nwynGcCZL1MfoMaLs-XRvx3ejjj8fIfykUZ-NQ
If you see variables/functions/structs/etc. that doesn't follow these rules, then file an issue and we'll try to fix them.
There are some useful scripts that should be kept in mind when working on this repo.
This script will extract all the assets from a DKR ROM and place them into /assets/ folder according to the config file within the /extract-ver/ folder. The version parameter should either be us_1.0, us_1.1, eu_1.0, eu_1.1, or jp.
Example: ./extract.sh us_1.0
Compares the assembly output of a function from a built ROM to the base ROM. Useful for decompiling.
Example: ./diff.sh menu_init
This script will rename an existing symbol, file name, and/or folder name within the repo with a new one.
Example: ./rename.sh D_A4001000 SP_IMEM
Prints out the current completion percentage of the decomp. You do need to have an OK build for this to work properly.
The scoring is split into 2 sections:
- Assembly to C Decompilation (Adventure One)
- Cleanup and Documentation (Adventure Two)
Show scores for Adventure One & Adventure Two: ./score.sh
Show score for Adventure One only: ./score.sh -a 1
Show score for Adventure Two only: ./score.sh -a 2
Show top 10 files remaining: ./score.sh -t 10
To make progress in Adventure 2, a function must be properly named (must not start with func_) and also include a doxygen comment above it.
For example:
/**
* Returns 1 if Drumstick is available to use, or 0 if not.
*/
s32 is_drumstick_unlocked(void) {
return gActiveMagicCodes & 2;
}As of August 12, 2025, this is our current score:
======================================================
ADVENTURE ONE (ASM -> C Decompilation)
------- 97.10% Complete (98.10% NON_MATCHING) --------
# Decompiled functions: 1942
# GLOBAL_ASM remaining: 10
# NON_MATCHING functions: 5
# NON_EQUIVALENT WIP functions: 5
-------------------- Game Status ---------------------
Balloons: 47/47, Keys: 4/4, Trophies: 4/5
T.T. Amulets: 4/4, Wizpig Amulets: 4/4
------------------------------------------------------
We are racing in the rematch against Wizpig. (Lap 1/3)
======================================================
ADVENTURE TWO (Cleanup & Documentation)
------------------ 65.90% Complete -------------------
# Documented functions: 1280
# Undocumented remaining: 372
# Functions named `func_*`: 238
# Functions without comments: 372
-------------------- Game Status ---------------------
Balloons: 31/47, Keys: 3/4, Trophies: 3/5
T.T. Amulets: 3/4, Wizpig Amulets: 3/4
------------------------------------------------------
We are racing in Windmill Plains. (Lap 2/3)
======================================================