1.1.1

Pac-Man Recomp 1.1.1: fixes from player feedback. The level counter now counts properly, the start-level cheat sets up every level correctly, the launcher and game window size themselves to your screen, the game finds your ROM by itself, and the setup tools delete themselves after the first setup.

Which file do I download?

• New players, or anyone who wants a fresh install: download PacManRecomp-1.1.1-Windows.zip. That's the only file you need.
• Already have an older version installed? You don't need to download anything. Press "Check for updates now" in the launcher and it updates itself. The other file, PacManRecomp-1.1.1-for-1.0.x-updater-EasyBuild.zip, is only there for the older 1.0.x in-game updater to use, so you can ignore it.

How to play: unzip it, copy your Pac-Man ROM (USA, Namco) into the folder, double-click PacManRecomp.exe and press Play.

What's fixed:

• Level counter and start-level cheat: the NES game gets harder up to level 23, and after that every level plays the same. The level counter now keeps counting past that. Starting on a high level now sets it up properly: the right fruit, speeds and blue-ghost time. Before, starting above level 23 gave wrong fruit and timings.
• Classic menus: Left/Right now change values, and holding speeds up, so picking a start level is quick.
• Big screens: the launcher, the setup window and the game window now size themselves to your screen, so they're no longer small on 1440p or 4K monitors.
• Finding your ROM: put your ROM in the game folder and the launcher finds it on its own. Only the US Namco ROM works, as before.
• Cleanup: the setup tools delete themselves once the game is set up. Updates bring them back for a few seconds when needed.

1.1.0

Pac-Man Recomp 1.1.0: no more waiting. The game now sets itself up from your ROM in about 2 seconds, instead of building for several minutes. The download is 5 MB, nothing else gets downloaded, and no internet is needed.

How to play: download PacManRecomp-1.1.0-Windows.zip, unzip it, double-click PacManRecomp.exe, pick your Pac-Man ROM (USA, Namco) and press Play. The first time, a small window sets the game up for a couple of seconds.

Updating from 1.0.x: press "Check for updates now" in the launcher. Your settings, high scores and mods are kept.

What changed:

• The download is the finished program, with no game code in it. On your PC, the recompiler and TinyCC (a tiny C compiler) turn your ROM into the game code in a couple of seconds. That still only happens on your PC, from a ROM you own.
• No more Build Pac-Man.bat, no 245 MB of build tools, no 2 GB of free space needed. That also fixes the slow builds on USB and exFAT drives.
• Updates are a 5 MB download and take seconds.

Which file do I download?

• New players, or anyone who wants a fresh install: download PacManRecomp-1.1.0-Windows.zip. That's the only file you need.
• Already have 1.0.x installed? You don't need to download anything. Press "Check for updates now" in the launcher and it updates itself. The other file, PacManRecomp-1.1.0-for-1.0.x-updater-EasyBuild.zip, is only there for that older in-game updater to use, so you can ignore it.

Some antivirus programs may be wary of a program that makes code on your PC. If yours blocks the setup, allow the game folder.

PacManRecomp 1.0.3 for Windows

A brand-new installer: the Easy Build now opens a window with progress bars, puts the game in a "Pac-Man Recomp" folder, and cleans up after itself. If you have 1.0.2, use "Check for updates now" in the launcher. Otherwise download PacManRecomp-1.0.3-Windows-EasyBuild.zip below. Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) only. Needs your own Pac-Man (USA) (Namco) NES ROM, not the Tengen version.

What's new

• New installer window: shows the version at the top, a progress bar for each step (download size, files unpacked, files compiled) plus an overall bar, and a short note on what each step is doing. Cancel any time; Play or Open folder when it's done. If something goes wrong, it says what and opens the log for you.
• The finished game goes in a "Pac-Man Recomp" folder.
• Cleans up after itself: the downloaded build tools and temporary files are deleted when it's done.
• Checks up front for free space (about 2 GB while building) and folder path length, with clear messages.
• If you drop in the wrong ROM, it tells you it needs the Namco release.
• "Check for updates now" in the launcher always answers, including "You're on the latest version".

Good to know

• Updating from 1.0.2 keeps your game where it is (in its Game folder), with all your settings, scores and mods.
• Build on a normal internal drive (like C:) if you can. USB sticks and exFAT drives can make it take 15 minutes or more. You can move the game folder anywhere afterwards.
• Some antivirus programs may slow down or pause the build, because it downloads and compiles program code.
• Why there's no ready-made .exe: it would contain the game's own code, which can't be shared. Building it on your PC from your own ROM is the safest way we know to do it.

How to build
Unzip, put your Pac-Man ROM in the folder, double-click "Build Pac-Man.bat", then press Play. See READ ME FIRST.txt.

PacManRecomp 1.0.2

Menus now work with the arrow keys, the game can update itself (optional, off by default), and the version number is shown in Options > ABOUT. Download PacManRecomp-1.0.2-EasyBuild.zip below, or if you have 1.0.2 or later, use "Check for updates now" in the launcher.

What's new

• Arrow keys in the menus: in the default (Classic) menu style, Up/Down now move the cursor on the title menu, in Options, in Mods and in the pause menu. Select still works as before. (Before, only Select, the backslash key, moved the cursor, so it was hard to find the way out of the pause menu.)
• Optional updates: "Check for updates on startup" and "Check for updates now" on the launcher's main page. It's off by default, so the game doesn't go online unless you ask. When a new version is out, it asks first, then downloads it, builds it from your ROM with a progress window, and restarts the game. Your settings, keys, high scores and mods are kept. While it works it needs about 2 GB of free space in the game folder's drive, and it deletes its temporary files when it's done.
• Options > ABOUT shows the version.
• Launcher: the main page's bottom row now fits on small windows.

Good to know

• This version has to be downloaded by hand: 1.0.1 has no updater, so get 1.0.2 from this page once. Updates are automatic after that.
• "Skip launcher on boot" also skips the update check, since the check runs when the launcher opens.
• Antivirus: some antivirus programs may pause or block an update, because it downloads and builds program code. If yours does, allow it, or update by hand with the Easy Build.
• Why there's no ready-made .exe: a finished .exe would contain the game's own code, which can't be shared. Building it on your PC from your own ROM is the safest way we know to do it.

How to build
Unzip, put your Pac-Man ROM in the folder, double-click "Build Pac-Man.bat", then play from the Game folder. See READ ME FIRST.txt.

PacManRecomp 1.0.1

Pac-Man for the NES (Namco, 1993), recompiled into a native Windows game, with a launcher, extras, cheats and beginner-friendly modding.

What's new in 1.0.1

Fixes

• The game no longer fails to start with "libc++.dll was not found". No extra files are needed now.
• The launcher's fonts and pictures are now copied to the Game folder.
• No black console window opens next to the game.
• The build log is now plain, readable text. The red "errors" in it were harmless warnings.
• Player 2's default Start key is now Right Ctrl. It used to be the same key as Player 1's Select.

New

• A Controls page in the launcher shows your current keys and gamepad buttons.

Already on 1.0? Download the new zip and build again. To keep your settings and high scores, copy the .ini files from your old Game folder into the new one.

Default keys

Arrow keys = move, Enter = Start / pause, \ = Select, Z / X = A / B, Esc = pause menu.

Download & play (no programming needed)

1. Download PacManRecomp-1.0.1-EasyBuild.zip below and unzip it.
2. Put your own Pac-Man ROM (a .nes file) in the folder. Expected ROM: Pac-Man (USA) (Namco).
3. Double-click Build Pac-Man.bat and wait for "DONE!" (a few minutes; it downloads free build tools, about 245 MB, the first time).
4. Open the Game folder and double-click PacManRecomp.exe.

If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. Full instructions are in READ ME FIRST.txt inside the zip.

Why you build it yourself

A recompiled game works by translating the cartridge's program into C and compiling it into the .exe. So a finished .exe contains Pac-Man's own game code, which belongs to Bandai Namco and can't be shared. To keep this project legal, nothing of the game is ever distributed: this download holds only the source code and a build script, and the game is made on your PC from your own ROM.

What you need

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
• Your own Pac-Man ROM
• An internet connection the first time, and about 1 GB of free disk space

---

Unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandai Namco. No ROM, graphics or sound from the game is included.

PacManRecomp 1.0

Pac-Man for the NES (Namco, 1993), recompiled into a native Windows game, with a launcher, extras, cheats and beginner-friendly modding.

Download & play (no programming needed)

1. Download PacManRecomp-1.0-EasyBuild.zip below and unzip it.
2. Put your own Pac-Man ROM (a .nes file) in the folder. Expected ROM: Pac-Man (USA) (Namco).
3. Double-click Build Pac-Man.bat and wait for "DONE!" (a few minutes; it downloads free build tools, about 245 MB, the first time).
4. Open the Game folder and double-click PacManRecomp.exe.

If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. Full instructions are in READ ME FIRST.txt inside the zip.

Why you build it yourself

A recompiled game works by translating the cartridge's program into C and compiling it into the .exe. So a finished .exe contains Pac-Man's own game code, which belongs to Bandai Namco and can't be shared. To keep this project legal, nothing of the game is ever distributed: this download holds only the source code and a build script, and the game is made on your PC from your own ROM.

What you need

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
• Your own Pac-Man ROM
• An internet connection the first time, and about 1 GB of free disk space

What's new

First release. See the README for the full feature list and the modding guide.

---

Unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandai Namco. No ROM, graphics or sound from the game is included.