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Case study

Metaforce: a Metroid Prime engine reimplementation rebuilt on the decompilation

Started in 2015 as a reverse-engineered reimplementation of the Metroid Prime engine, Metaforce has been rewritten on top of the PrimeDecomp matching decompilation. Its native app compiles that game code as non-matching C++ for desktop and mobile through the Aurora GameCube compatibility layer and loads a user-selected disc image. The README says builds are unavailable while the rewrite stabilizes.

Requirements and limitations

  • README dates development to June 2015 by Cirrus and Antidote and says the project was recently rewritten on the PrimeDecomp matching decompilation; builds are unavailable while it stabilizes, although CI builds Windows, Linux, Apple and Android packages. The only GitHub release is a 2015 prerelease, so none corresponds to the rewrite. This is separate from Odrannnn/MetroidPrimePort, another native port built from PrimeDecomp.
  • The repository ships no game files; its orig/ version folders hold only placeholders. At startup the app takes or asks for a Metroid Prime disc image (ISO, GCM, CISO, GCZ, RVZ, WIA or TGC). CMake compiles the native target with TARGET_PC, NONMATCHING and VERSION=1, and configure.py names version 1 as the default GM8E01_00 (NTSC-U v1.088) build; the README lists no supported disc revisions.
  • Building needs CMake 3.25+, Python 3 and a recursive clone with the aurora, borealis and musyx submodules; Windows uses Visual Studio 2019 with the Clang and clang-cl components, macOS needs Xcode 11.5+, and Linux needs the listed Ubuntu, Arch or Fedora packages. README platforms are Windows 10+ (D3D12, Vulkan or D3D11), macOS 10.15+ (Metal), Linux (Vulkan), Android (Vulkan or OpenGL ES) and iOS (Metal); Android also needs SDK Platform 37, the NDK and JDK 17+.
  • configure.py still records per-object matching status across ten disc versions for the separate GameCube build, but CI ignores those files and builds only native packages. The reviewed sources publish no fidelity or gameplay checks for the native app, and this collection did not build or run it.
  • Metaforce contributors’ code is MIT, and a separate LICENSE.decomp carries CC0 1.0; the reviewed files do not say which directories each covers. Disc content keeps its own rights. The reviewed sources establish no AI or REA use.

About this entry

Type
Case study
Category
Independent reconstruction cases
Relationship
Independent reconstruction project
Targets
Game

Sources reviewed

The description was reviewed against primary sources. This does not establish runtime testing, security auditing or verified compatibility.

Primary sources

  1. README.md GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  2. CMakeLists.txt GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  3. configure.py GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  4. src/Metaforce/Runtime.cpp GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  5. .github/workflows/build.yml GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  6. .gitmodules GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  7. platforms/android/README.md GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  8. LICENSE GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  9. LICENSE.decomp GitHub · AxioDL/metaforce · Revision de8fc69
  10. README.md GitHub · encounter/aurora · Revision 40cf48f