# Test Drive III: The Passion: a reverse-engineered SDL3 port

> Test Drive III: The Passion is reconstructed in C as an SDL3 port that reads the player's original DOS game files. The project documents recovered functions and resource formats, including pictures, 3D objects, maps, and sound. Its VGA version covers the cars, courses, menus, traffic, replay, results, and scores; several original graphics and sound modes remain outside the port.

- 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/kylofon/test-drive-3-sdl3>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/kylofon/test-drive-3-sdl3/blob/6d1825fe65aafd1b7ab2b49c0d40a017324fb427/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/test-drive-iii-sdl3-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/test-drive-iii-sdl3-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/test-drive-iii-sdl3-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** Provide the original Test Drive III files, including TDIII.EXE and the listed data, car, and scene files, in a writable folder.
- **Prerequisites:** Building requires CMake 3.24+, a C11 compiler, and SDL 3; the optional launcher requires C++17 and wxWidgets 3.2.
- **Limits:** EGA and Tandy graphics, and MT-32, Tandy, and Game Blaster sound are not ported.
- **License:** The port, launcher, and tools use the MIT License; bundled Nuked-OPL3 is LGPL 2.1 or later.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/kylofon/test-drive-3-sdl3/blob/6d1825fe65aafd1b7ab2b49c0d40a017324fb427/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/kylofon/test-drive-3-sdl3/blob/6d1825fe65aafd1b7ab2b49c0d40a017324fb427/FORMATS.md>

## More in Games

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- [The Last Guardian: a native PC port of the PS4 executable](https://awesomerea.org/resources/the-last-guardian-pc-port-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.
