v0.2.0

Changes

• Smoother motion (Experimental): Settings > Graphics > Framerate now offers 30 (Original), 60 (Smooth) and 120 (Experimental) through frame interpolation, based on Gadge64's frame generation work.
• Ray tracing (Experimental): real shadows from the arena lights instead of the old blob shadows, plus ambient occlusion where surfaces meet. Four quality levels: Performance, Balanced, Quality, Ultra. Needs the D3D12 graphics API and a GPU with DirectX Raytracing 1.1 (RTX-class).
• Venue lighting: with ray tracing on, every venue now has its own lighting rig (colored light, glowing screens and lamps), and the lighting changes with the camera cuts. This release rigs all seven federation arenas: NSW, EWF, WOU, DAW, ILW, WCW and NWO.
• CRT filter (Experimental): simulates a period TV: Composite, S-Video, RF or RGB signal, USA or Japan TV colors, and an optional CRT Beam Simulator for motion clarity (needs V-Sync and a 120 Hz or faster display).
• HDR (Experimental): HDR output on displays with Windows HDR on. The new HDR Picture setting (Auto, Brighter, Balanced, CRT Detail, Custom) picks the brightness for your display, and its description shows what you get. HDR is recommended with the CRT filter: it lets the phosphor mask run at full strength without dimming the picture.
• Mods menu with bundled mods: a free camera (F6, keyboard and mouse), cheats, and Quick Match (a testing tool, off by default). ROM hacks can also be loaded as patch mods (see the README).
• Main Volume in Settings > Sound now works.
• Fixed: the game could freeze when changing Aspect Ratio, Resolution or MSAA at 60/120 fps.

Known issues

• Quitting the game in the middle of a match can crash on the way out (your save is not affected).
• The old HDR Brightness setting is replaced by HDR Picture; it starts on Auto.
• Ray tracing, frame interpolation, the CRT filter and HDR are experimental: if something looks wrong, turn the feature off and please report it with your log file.

Notes

• No game assets are included. You must supply your own Virtual Pro Wrestling 64
  (Japan) ROM — SHA1 F9E9FA2ED819C3A39DB5CB6AFECA186F021DB5ED. On first launch,
  click Load ROM and select it; the launcher validates and remembers it.
• The game is in Japanese (Japan-only release); the port's own menus are in
  English. See the README FAQ.
• Windows SmartScreen: the exe is unsigned, so Windows may warn on first run.
  Click "More info" → "Run anyway".
• Saves and settings live in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Vpw64Recompiled\. Save data is
  compatible across releases unless a release note says otherwise. For a portable
  install, create an empty portable.txt next to the exe.
• GPU: D3D12 by default. If you hit rendering issues, update your GPU drivers
  first, and please attach %LOCALAPPDATA%\Vpw64Recompiled\Vpw64Recompiled.log
  to any bug report.
• Known issues are tracked in the README.

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64: Recompiled v0.1.0

First public beta

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64: Recompiled is a native PC port of the N64 original,
produced by statically recompiling the game's MIPS code into C — not an emulator,
not a decompilation. It is the sister project of
WCW vs. nWo World Tour: Recompiled
(the two games shipped seventeen days apart in December 1997 on the same engine)
and WCW/nWo Revenge: Recompiled.
This is the first public release.

• Fully playable: boots, renders, and runs complete matches with sound across
  the game's modes — Champion Road (all six promotions), Exhibition, Elimination,
  Battle Royal, League, Tournament, and Wrestler Edit.
• Plug and play: launch, pick your ROM (Japanese release) once, play. The
  launcher validates and remembers it.
• The game is in Japanese (it was only released in Japan); the port's own
  menus are in English, and the game menus are easy to navigate regardless.
• Local multiplayer: controllers auto-assign to players as you plug them in;
  keyboard drives player 1 by default.
• High-resolution rendering through RT64 with the game's original visual
  effects intact; widescreen via the Expand aspect-ratio option (default).
• Controller Pak saves and rumble together: on hardware this game forces you
  to swap paks — the port's virtual pak is both at once, so records save
  automatically and your pad rumbles.
• Controls tailored to the game: d-pad movement and analog taunt mapped
  sensibly to modern pads (move on stick or d-pad, taunt on right stick, mirrored
  trigger defense); everything is rebindable in the in-game menu (Esc / Back).

Known issues

• Framerate is locked to the original pacing (frame interpolation warps geometry
  in this engine; high-framerate support is planned). In-match framerate is lower
  than the menus, following the game's own frame pacing.
• The title screen's pak status says "a Rumble Pak is inserted" — that's the
  virtual pak answering the rumble probe exactly as real hardware would; saves
  work and persist regardless.
• Multiplayer beyond one gamepad has had light testing so far.
• Closing the game can occasionally log a benign shutdown error.
• Overlays (MSI Afterburner) and software like Wallpaper Engine can interfere
  with rendering.

Notes

• No game assets are included. You must supply your own Virtual Pro
  Wrestling 64 (Japan) ROM — SHA1 F9E9FA2ED819C3A39DB5CB6AFECA186F021DB5ED.
  On first launch, click Load ROM and select it; the launcher validates and
  remembers it.
• Windows SmartScreen: the exe is unsigned, so Windows may warn on first run.
  Click "More info" → "Run anyway".
• Saves and settings live in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Vpw64Recompiled\ (saves in the
  saves subfolder). For a portable install, create an empty portable.txt
  next to the exe.
• GPU: D3D12 by default. If you hit rendering issues, update your GPU
  drivers first, and please attach
  %LOCALAPPDATA%\Vpw64Recompiled\Vpw64Recompiled.log to any bug report.