Alien Crush Returns Recomp

Alien Crush Returns - native recompilation

A static recompilation of Alien Crush Returns (WiiWare, NTSC-U, title WE9E) to native code. The game's PowerPC executable is translated to C++ and runs on Windows (and Linux) with a small runtime that replaces the Wii hardware, IOS and the DSP.

No game data is included. You need your own copy of the game as a WAD (WiiWare, NTSC-U).

Download

Get the latest AlienCrushReturns-<version>-win64.zip from Releases, unzip it, put your WAD in the same folder and run aliencrush.exe: the first start builds the game folder from it. Nothing else to install. The zip's README.txt has the controls and keys. To build it yourself, see Building.

Status

• Boots through the health screen, save creation, title, name entry, story intro, controls tutorial and gameplay with the lit 3D table (headless Linux test runs). Network features report "not connected".
• Windows: same runtime as the Geometry Wars and My Life as a King recomps, which are play-tested on Windows.
• The save prompt defaults to NO: press left/up, then A.

Changes:

• v0.4 (Oct 30, 2026): no Python or setup tool needed - on the first start the game builds its game folder from your WAD placed next to the exe (decryption and unpacking are built in).
• v0.3 (Oct 30, 2026): graphics (the GX command stream) is processed and drawn on its own thread beside the game thread, like the Wii's GPU; faster vertex handling (index buffers, cached vertex setup); audio is sent to the sound card straight from the mixer (no clicks at 3 ms frame boundaries); aliencrush.log next to the exe.
• v0.2.1: window and event pump on their own UI thread (fixes the window freezing / "Not Responding" on Windows while the game kept running).
• v0.2: audio fixes (no dropped audio periods, 60 ms jitter buffer), game speed 1x-8x, depth and format EFB copies.

Layout

Path	What it is
src/recomp.py	Recompiler: main.dol + symbols -> src/gen/*.cpp
src/runtime/	Runtime: CPU context and memory, threads, IOS, GX -> OpenGL 3.3, AX audio, input
src/runtime/game.h	Game-specific addresses the runtime needs
src/hle.txt	Guest functions replaced by host code or stubbed
config/	Symbols and decomp-toolkit (dtk) project files
tools/prepare_wad.py	Unpacks a WAD into the game folder

Building

The generated C++ is in src/gen (made with step 2 from the NTSC-U executable), so step 2 is only needed to regenerate it. GitHub Actions builds every push (see .github/workflows/build-windows.yml); version tags publish a release. Everything below is tested on Ubuntu 24.04; on Windows 10/11 use WSL (wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04 in an administrator PowerShell, then open "Ubuntu"). The build cross-compiles a Windows exe.

1. Tools (once)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git wget python3 python3-pip cmake ninja-build mingw-w64 g++-mingw-w64-x86-64-posix
pip install --break-system-packages libWiiPy
wget https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/releases/download/release-2.30.9/SDL2-devel-2.30.9-mingw.tar.gz
tar xf SDL2-devel-2.30.9-mingw.tar.gz          # -> ~/SDL2-2.30.9

2. Unpack your WAD and generate the C++

git clone https://github.com/darkuni/alien-crush-returns-recomp.git
cd alien-crush-returns-recomp
python3 tools/prepare_wad.py /mnt/c/path/to/Alien_Crush_Returns_NTSC-U.wad game     # your own WAD (Windows drives are under /mnt/c)
cd src
python3 recomp.py ../game/main.dol symbols.txt gen 300

prepare_wad.py checks that the game's executable matches the one this recompilation was made from (NTSC-U). A different version of the game needs its own symbols and game.h addresses.

3. Build the Windows exe

cmake -S . -B build-win -G Ninja -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=mingw.cmake -DSDL2_DIR=$HOME/SDL2-2.30.9/x86_64-w64-mingw32
ninja -C build-win -j1        # the generated code is large: -j1 keeps memory use down (raise it if you have RAM to spare)

4. Put the game folder together (example: C:\Games\aliencrush)

D=/mnt/c/Games/aliencrush; mkdir -p $D
cp build-win/aliencrush.exe $HOME/SDL2-2.30.9/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/SDL2.dll \
   /usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/libwinpthread-1.dll runtime/ipl-font-licenses.txt $D/
cp -r ../game $D/

Linux test build (headless, EGL; writes screenshots): cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=clang++ && ninja -C build, then SHOT_EVERY=150 SHOT_DIR=shots TIMEOUT=120 ./build/aliencrush ../game.

Running (Windows)

Requirements: 64-bit Windows 10/11 and a GPU with OpenGL 3.3. Run aliencrush.exe from the folder above (or aliencrush.exe <path to game folder>).

• F1 / Esc (or Start+Back on a gamepad): settings menu - resolution scale, widescreen, vsync, MSAA, texture filtering, controls, game speed. Settings are saved in aliencrush.ini.
• F11 / Alt+Enter: fullscreen. Hold Tab (or click the right stick): fast-forward.
• Saves go in a nand folder next to game.
• aliencrush.log next to the exe is the log of the last run - include it with bug reports.

Controls (controls = in the ini or the settings menu; pick the matching grip if the game asks):

Layout	Gamepad	Keyboard
sideways: Wii Remote held sideways	d-pad / left stick = move, A = 2, B = 1, X = A, Y = B	arrows = move, X = 2, Z = 1, A = A, S = B
nunchuk (default): Wii Remote + Nunchuk	left stick = Nunchuk stick, d-pad = remote d-pad, A = A, B = B, X = 1, Y = 2, LB/LT = Z, RB/RT = C	arrows = stick, X = A, Z = B, Shift = Z, C = C, I/J/K/L = d-pad
classic: Classic Controller	buttons by label (A/B/X/Y), LB/RB = L/R, LT/RT = ZL/ZR, both sticks, d-pad	arrows = d-pad, X = A, Z = B, S = X, A = Y, Q/W = L/R, 1/2 = ZL/ZR

All layouts: Start/Enter = +, Back/Backspace = -, Guide/H = HOME.

Disclaimer

This is an unofficial fan project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Hudson Soft, Konami Digital Entertainment or Nintendo. Alien Crush Returns and all related names and marks belong to their respective owners. This repository and its releases contain no game data (graphics, sound, levels): those come from your own legally obtained WAD. src/gen and the release exe contain code machine-translated from the game's executable.

License

The project's own code is released under the MIT License. Bundled third-party components (fonts, OpenGL headers) keep their own licenses; see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.