# som-decomp: reconstructing Secret of Mana from a cartridge ROM

> som-decomp reconstructs the North American SNES release of Secret of Mana with matching 65816 and SPC700 assembly, readable C routines and documentation of combat, AI, maps, menus and audio. Its build extracts data from the user's ROM and the author reports a byte-exact rebuilt image; captured-state differential checks cover much of the recovered C.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-08
- Original resource: <https://github.com/cidwel/som-decomp>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/cidwel/som-decomp/blob/715885595c6917220726d437211a57b58f615fc1/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/som-decomp-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/som-decomp-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/som-decomp-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** A user-dumped North American Secret of Mana v1.0 ROM is required; other releases are unsupported.
- **Prerequisites:** Python 3 and cc65 ca65/ld65 are required; emulator-based tools also need RetroArch with a snes9x or bsnes core.
- **Limits:** The capture-based C verification harness is not published yet.
- **License:** GPL-3.0.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/cidwel/som-decomp/blob/715885595c6917220726d437211a57b58f615fc1/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/cidwel/som-decomp/blob/715885595c6917220726d437211a57b58f615fc1/Makefile>

## More in Games

- [Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles: a byte-identical source reconstruction fork](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sonic3k-source-reconstruction-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Sonic Advance 1 & 2: a matching GBA decompilation with widescreen ports](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sonic-advance-1-2-decomp-port-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Sonic Advance 3: an AI-assisted match of one enemy module](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sa3-marun-ai-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Sonic Adventure decomp: rebuilding the Dreamcast executable from a local disc](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sonic-adventure-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Sonic Adventure DX: an early matching decompilation of the 2014 Steam release](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sonic-adventure-dx-steam-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Sonic Adventure DX: matching reconstruction of the 2014 Steam executable](https://awesomerea.org/resources/sadx-decomp-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.