It’s high time we saw Hyrule through a reverse-engineered lens, don’t you think? The good folks at Zelda Reverse Engineered Team, aka ZRET, seem to think so. They’ve been pecking away at an Ocarina of Time code decompilation for 18 months strong, transforming one of the greatest video games around into a modernized programming language from its original assembly format.
Make no mistake, this is painstakingly meticulous work and a labor of love that Zelda fans can unite behind. And now there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. ZRET has officially announced, via its adorably retro website, that efforts have reached the 91% range. That’s an awfully precise number, but this is a precise profession (or in this case, a professional-tier amateur group effort).
What does it all mean, you might ask? Well, bear with me here, because among Zelda Universe staff I’m far from the brightest Deku Seed in the Scrub. But it’s my understanding that the future of Ocarina of Time hacks and speedruns is going to be grand. Industrious diehards will be able to comb through code to identify bold new speedrun innovations, and important pathways will open to game gurus seeking to offer refined, revamped, or downright ridiculous twists on the classic Ocarina formula.
The project, which is based on the GameCube Master Quest version, will not necessarily lead to a full-blown unofficial PC port. It’s the most tantalizing thing on many minds, no doubt, especially after the amazing work we’ve seen from that Super Mario 64 fan port. But ZRET’s sights are firmly set on code decompilation. Anything is possible, and perhaps a separate group will pick up where they left off — or the ZRET members will ultimately opt to move forward with such plans. But it’s a separately ambitious undertaking.
Alas! Still, this is pretty darn rad and yet another example of how creatively passionate Zelda fans can truly be. We’ll have just cause to thank ZRET for their efforts for many years to come — at least, I will, since I plan on replaying Ocarina of Time again and again until I’m a nonagenarian!
