AKI Launcher v0.1.2

Changes

• All six games are live: Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 joins the library — the complete N64-era AKI wrestling family (World Tour, VPW64, Revenge, WrestleMania 2000, VPW2, No Mercy) is now downloadable and playable, and every game shows Ready To Play.
• Return To Launcher (renamed from quick-back): the controller gesture is now simply holding the View button for about a second — the old View+Menu chord collided with in-game inputs. Rebindable in Settings; Shift+F12 on keyboard unchanged.
• Seamless launching: a black transition now masks the game's boot-time window churn — no more decorated-window flicker on the way into a game.
• Clearer ROM selection: each game states the exact required release (region/revision — e.g. No Mercy needs the NTSC-U REV 1 cartridge) plus its SHA1 on the card, in the file picker, and in the mismatch error, which now also shows your file's actual hash.
• Fix: a stale per-game path override could make a successful download still show "Not installed"; overrides pointing at missing files are now ignored automatically.
• Settings: fully controller-navigable, simplified (hold time no longer exposed), and retitled Return To Launcher.
• UI polish: consistent capitalization across hints and statuses.

Notes

• The launcher and its releases contain no game code, assets, or ROMs. Each game is downloaded from its own port's GitHub release, and you supply your own ROM dump (see the README's per-game SHA1 table).
• Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run (unsigned exe): "More info" → "Run anyway".

v0.1.1

AKI Launcher v0.1.1 — adds the WWF No Mercy tile

AKI Launcher v0.1.0

First public release of AKI Launcher - a native Windows hub for the AKI-engine N64 wrestling recompilations.

Highlights

• Box-art carousel of all six AKI N64 wrestling games (front/back flip, blurred backdrops, play stats)
• In-app downloads: WCW vs. nWo World Tour, Virtual Pro Wrestling 64, WCW/nWo Revenge and WWF WrestleMania 2000 install straight from their GitHub releases (SHA256-verified). VPW2 and No Mercy tiles activate when their ports publish.
• Bring-your-own-ROM: each game asks for your legally dumped ROM once (SHA1-validated, kept with the install)
• Cartridge-insert launch animation; seamless borderless handoff into each game
• Quick-back: Shift+F12 or hold View+Menu in game -> the port's quit prompt -> back to the launcher (saves finish first)
• One-key updates when a port publishes a new release (U / RB)
• Windowed or fullscreen (F11 / Alt+Enter); controller-aware UI hints

Notes

• No ROMs or game assets are included. You need your own dumps; the games download from their own repos' releases, which also contain no game data.
• Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run (unsigned exe): More info -> Run anyway.
• Settings and play stats: %LOCALAPPDATA%\AkiLauncher\settings.ini. Games install to games\ next to the exe (portable), or %AKI_GAMES_ROOT%.
• Unofficial fan preservation project - not affiliated with AKI Corporation / syn Sophia, Hyperfocus Games, WWE, THQ or Nintendo.