# Castlevania: Curse of Darkness — a native PC port by static recompilation

> Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is ported from PlayStation 2 to Windows by translating its MIPS code to C++ and rebuilding PS2 hardware functions as PC code. The project includes a recompiler, a VU1 microprogram compiler, graphics and I/O implementations, and game hooks for widescreen display, a minimap and sprinting. Game-derived code is generated locally from the user's European disc image.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-09
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/fasipe/Castlevania-COD-QOL>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/fasipe/Castlevania-COD-QOL/blob/db8643a02db3377978b8c882e0eccdfd69b5ab39/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/castlevania-curse-of-darkness-pc-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/castlevania-curse-of-darkness-pc-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/castlevania-curse-of-darkness-pc-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** The user's own European Castlevania: Curse of Darkness disc image, serial SLES-53755, is required.
- **Prerequisites:** Play requires 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. A Direct3D 11 graphics card supporting rasterizer ordered views and double precision shaders enables graphics card rendering; otherwise, the game draws on the processor much more slowly.
- **Prerequisites:** Building requires Visual Studio 2022 or newer with the Desktop development with C++ workload.
- **Limits:** Only the European game release is supported; recompile.bat stops when the version differs.
- **License:** MIT License.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/fasipe/Castlevania-COD-QOL/blob/db8643a02db3377978b8c882e0eccdfd69b5ab39/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/fasipe/Castlevania-COD-QOL/blob/db8643a02db3377978b8c882e0eccdfd69b5ab39/LICENSE>

## More in Games

- [Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth: a PowerPC lifted PC port](https://awesomerea.org/resources/castlevania-adventure-rebirth-port-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Celosia: statically recompiling Shadow of the Colossus for Mac and Vita](https://awesomerea.org/resources/celosia/index.md) · Case study
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- [Champions: Return to Arms: PS2 code research and native recompilation](https://awesomerea.org/resources/champions-return-to-arms-re-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Chaves Kart (El Chavo Kart) Recompiled: Xbox 360 game statically recompiled for PC](https://awesomerea.org/resources/chaves-kart-recompiled-case/index.md) · Case study

## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.