# Grand Theft Auto: a Windows static recompilation of the 1997 game

> Grand Theft Auto translates the 1997 Windows game's x86 executable into C and links it with modern replacements for Win32, DirectDraw and sound services. The repository supplies a runtime, import bridges and analysis tools; the author reports that the translated game reaches its title screen and city-selection menu. Related executables for GTA London and GTA2 are also investigated.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/sp00nznet/gta>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/sp00nznet/gta/blob/61182a9f6ed83102c8b9343e703c5f3a0027c822/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/grand-theft-auto-1997-recomp-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/grand-theft-auto-1997-recomp-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/grand-theft-auto-1997-recomp-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** The user's own original Grand Theft Auto executable and extracted game data.
- **Prerequisites:** Windows Win32 build with Visual Studio 2022, CMake 3.20+, Python 3.10+, capstone, pefile and pcrecomp.
- **Limits:** The front end does not yet start a loaded city.
- **License:** MIT License.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/sp00nznet/gta/blob/61182a9f6ed83102c8b9343e703c5f3a0027c822/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/sp00nznet/gta/blob/61182a9f6ed83102c8b9343e703c5f3a0027c822/docs/PROGRESS.md>

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## 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.